IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,660,368
Granted Patent B2
US 10,660,368 · App. 15/624,827 · Granted May 26, 2020

Aerosol generating article with heat diffuser

Inventor: Michel Thorens (Moudon, CH)
Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
A24F47/008H05B1/0227H05B3/42H05B2203/021
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,660,368
App. No.
15/624,827
Granted
May 26, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A heated aerosol-generating article for use with an electrically-operated aerosol-generating device includes an outlet end and a distal end. The article may include a heat diffuser at the distal end of the article. The article may include an aerosol-forming substrate between the heat diffuser and the outlet end. The heat diffuser may include a non-combustible porous body configured to absorb heat from an electric heating element such that the heat diffuser is configured to heat air drawn through the aerosol-generating article from the distal end to the outlet end based on the heat absorbed in the porous body. The heated aerosol-generating article may be included in a heated aerosol-generating system that includes an electric heating element configured to generate heat. The heat diffuser may heat air drawn through the aerosol-generating system, based on absorbing heat generated by the electric heating element.

Claims (28)

1. A heated aerosol-generating article, the heated aerosol-generating article having an outlet end and a distal end, the heated aerosol-generating article comprising:

a heat diffuser at the distal end of the heated aerosol-generating article; and

an aerosol-forming substrate between the heat diffuser and the outlet end of the heated aerosol-generating article,

wherein the heat diffuser includes a non-combustible porous body configured to absorb heat, such that the heat diffuser is configured to heat air drawn through the heated aerosol-generating article from the distal end to the outlet end,

wherein the heat diffuser is spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the heated aerosol-generating article from the aerosol-forming substrate and/or a porous carrier material configured to absorb the aerosol-forming substrate as a liquid aerosol-forming substrate.

2. The heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein the porous body comprises a heat storage material.

3. The heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 2 , wherein the porous body at least partially comprises a material having a specific heat capacity, at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, of at least 0.5 J/gK, 0.7 J/gK, and/or 0.8 J/gK.

4. The heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 2 , wherein the porous body at least partially comprises a material of glass fiber, glass mat, ceramic, silica, alumina, carbon, and/or a mineral.

5. The heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein the porous body is thermally conductive.

6. The heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 5 , wherein the porous body at least partially comprises a material having a thermal conductivity, at a temperature of 23 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 50%, of at least 40 W/mK, 100 W/mK, 150 W/mK, and/or 200 W/mK.

7. The heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 5 , wherein the porous body at least partially comprises a thermally conductive material of aluminum, copper, zinc, steel, silver, and/or a thermally conductive polymer.

8. The heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein the porous body is configured to be penetrated by an electric heating element of an aerosol-generating device, based on the heated aerosol-generating article being coupled to the aerosol-generating device.

9. The heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 8 , wherein the porous body defines a cavity configured to receive the electric heating element.

10. The heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , further comprising an electric heating element coupled to the heat diffuser.

11. The heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 10 , wherein the electric heating element comprises a susceptor embedded in the porous body.

12. The heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein, the aerosol-forming substrate is the liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and the heated aerosol-generating article further includes a frangible capsule containing the liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and the porous carrier material is between the heat diffuser and the outlet end.

13. The heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 12 , wherein the frangible capsule is located within the porous carrier material.

14. A heated aerosol-generating system comprising: an electrically operated aerosol-generating device; and a heated aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 .

15. The heated aerosol-generating system according to claim 14 , wherein, the electrically operated aerosol-generating device includes an electric heating element and a housing, the housing defining a cavity, and the heated aerosol-generating article is received in the cavity such that the heat diffuser is penetrated by the electric heating element.

16. A heated aerosol-generating system, comprising:

an electric heating element configured to generate heat; and

a heat diffuser, the heat diffuser defining a cavity in which the electric heating element is located, the heat diffuser including a non-combustible porous body configured to absorb heat, such that the heat diffuser is configured to heat air drawn through the aerosol-generating system, based on absorbing heat generated by the electric heating element,

wherein the heat diffuser is spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the heated aerosol-generating system from

an aerosol-forming substrate between the heat diffuser and an outlet end of the heated aerosol-generating system, and/or

a porous carrier material configured to absorb the aerosol-forming substrate as a liquid aerosol-forming substrate.

17. The heated aerosol-generating system of claim 16 , wherein the porous body at least partially comprises a material having a specific heat capacity, at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, of at least 0.5 J/gK, 0.7 J/gK, and/or 0.8 J/gK.

18. The heated aerosol-generating system of claim 16 , wherein the porous body at least partially comprises a material having a thermal conductivity, at a temperature of 23 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 50%, of at least 40 W/mK, 100 W/mK, 150 W/mK, and/or 200 W/mK.

19. The heated aerosol-generating system of claim 16 , wherein the porous body at least partially comprises a thermally conductive material of aluminum, copper, zinc, steel, silver, and/or a thermally conductive polymer.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 21, 2018
From: THORENS, MICHEL
To: PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS S.A.
Reel/Frame 044986/0080 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 21, 2018
From: PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS S.A.
To: ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC
Reel/Frame 044986/0201 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 16172300 · May 31, 2016 · regional
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTEP2017063055 · May 30, 2017
Related Publication 20170340016A1 · Nov 30, 2017
Cited By (7)
US 12,193,489 US 12,201,154 US 12,329,193 US 12,402,653 US 12,402,661 US 12,458,066 US 12,685,337