Aerosol-generator comprising a supply element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12453371-B2
Application number	US-202017787920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2020
Priority date	Dec 23, 2019
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

An aerosol-generator for an aerosol-generating device is provided, the aerosol-generator including: a surface acoustic wave atomiser including a substrate including an active surface defining at least one atomisation region, and at least one transducer positioned on the active surface to generate surface acoustic waves on the active surface; and a supply element arranged to supply a liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the atomisation region, the supply element including a channel extending through the substrate between an inlet to receive a supply of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate and an outlet positioned within the atomisation region of the active surface, in which the channel has at least one of a cross-sectional area that varies in a direction from the inlet to the outlet and a portion that extends in a non-perpendicular direction with respect to the active surface. An aerosol-generating device including the aerosol-generator is also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An aerosol-generator for an aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generator comprising:
a surface acoustic wave atomiser comprising:
a substrate comprising a first side defining an active surface defining at least one atomisation region, and a second side opposite the first side and defining a second surface, and
at least one transducer positioned on the active surface and being configured to generate surface acoustic waves on the active surface; and
a supply element arranged to supply a liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the at least one atomisation region, the supply element comprising a channel extending through the substrate between an inlet at the second surface and an outlet at the active surface, wherein the inlet is configured to receive a supply of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate and wherein the outlet is positioned within the at least one atomisation region of the active surface, and wherein the channel has at least one of a cross-sectional area that varies in a direction from the inlet to the outlet and a portion that extends in a non-perpendicular direction with respect to the active surface.

2 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the channel has a cross-sectional area that increases in the direction from the inlet to the outlet.

3 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the channel has a funnel shape, a conical shape, or a wedge shape.

4 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the channel is curved.

5 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the channel at the outlet is curved to form a continuous transition between the channel and the active surface.

6 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the channel at the outlet extends tangentially with respect to the active surface.

7 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outlet comprises a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the first side is positioned between the second side and the at least one transducer, wherein the channel comprises a first outlet portion at the first side of the outlet and a second outlet portion at the second side of the outlet, wherein the first outlet portion extends tangentially with respect to the active surface, and wherein the second outlet portion extends perpendicularly with respect to the active surface.

8 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the substrate defines a recess at the active surface, wherein the recess extends between the at least one transducer and the outlet, wherein the substrate comprises a wall at least partially defining the recess, wherein the wall extends perpendicularly with respect to the active surface, and wherein the wall is positioned to reflect surface acoustic waves from the at least one transducer towards the outlet.

9 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises a plurality of interconnected channels extending through the substrate between the inlet and the outlet.

10 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 9 ,
wherein the inlet comprises a single inlet, wherein the outlet comprises a plurality of outlets, and wherein the plurality of interconnected channels provides fluid communication between the inlet and each of the plurality of outlets.

11 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 9 ,
wherein the outlet comprises a single outlet, wherein the inlet comprises a plurality of inlets, and wherein the plurality of interconnected channels provides fluid communication between the outlet and each of the plurality of inlets.

12 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the substrate is a laminate material comprising a plurality of layers of substrate material, wherein at least one of the layers of substrate material defines the outlet, wherein at least one of the layers of substrate material defines the inlet, and wherein at least one of the layers of substrate material defines the channel.

13 . An aerosol-generating device, comprising:
an aerosol-generator according to claim 11 ; a controller configured to control the at least one transducer; a power supply; a first liquid storage portion configured to receive a first liquid aerosol-forming substrate, wherein the first liquid storage portion is in fluid communication with a first inlet of the plurality of inlets; and a second liquid storage portion configured to receive a second liquid aerosol-forming substrate, wherein the second liquid storage portion is in fluid communication with a second inlet of the plurality of inlets.

14 . An aerosol-generating device, comprising:
an aerosol-generator according to claim 1 ; a controller configured to control the at least one transducer; a power supply; and a liquid storage portion configured to receive a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, wherein the supply element is further arranged to supply liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the liquid storage portion to the at least one atomisation region.

Assignees

• Philip Morris Products Sa

Inventors

• Dittmann Leander
• Emmett Robert

Classifications

• B05B17/0661

  Transducer materials · CPC title

• B05B17/0607

  generated by electrical means, e.g. piezoelectric transducers · CPC title

• A24F40/50

  Control or monitoring · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title