Aerosol-generating system having a fluid-permeable heater assembly
An aerosol-generating system is provided, including a main component and a cartridge that is removably coupled to the main component, the cartridge including a liquid storage portion containing a liquid aerosol-forming substrate and a fluid-permeable electric heater assembly, and the main component includes a power supply, the heater assembly including: an electrically insulating substrate, an aperture being formed in the substrate, and a heater element fixed to the substrate, the heater element spanning the aperture and including a plurality of electrically conductive filaments connected to first and second electrically conductive contact portions, the first and the second contact portions being disposed on opposite sides of the aperture to one another, the first and the second contact portions being configured to allow contact with the power supply, and the heater assembly being provided at an end of the cartridge that is opposite to a mouthpiece portion of the system.
1. An aerosol-generating system comprising a main unit and a cartridge that is removably coupled to the main unit, wherein the cartridge comprises a liquid storage portion containing a liquid aerosol-forming substrate and a fluid-permeable electric heater assembly, and the main unit comprises a power supply, the heater assembly comprising:
an electrically insulating substrate,
an aperture being formed in the electrically insulating substrate, and
a heater element fixed to the electrically insulating substrate, the heater element spanning the aperture and comprising a plurality of electrically conductive filaments connected to first and second electrically conductive contact portions, the first and the second electrically conductive contact portions being disposed on opposite sides of the aperture to one another,
wherein the first and the second electrically conductive contact portions are configured to allow contact with the power supply, and
wherein the heater assembly is provided at an end of the cartridge that is opposite to a mouthpiece portion of the aerosol-generating system.
2. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive filaments form interstices, and the electrically conductive filaments are configured to give rise to capillary action in the interstices.
3. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating system has a longitudinal axis and the heater element is substantially flat and extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
4. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge comprises the mouthpiece portion.
5. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 ,
further comprising an air inlet and an air outlet,
wherein an airflow route is provided from the air inlet to the air outlet that passes the heater assembly.
6. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrically conductive filaments cover an area of between 10% and 50% of an area of the heater assembly.
7. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein an electrical resistance of the electrically conductive filaments is at least two orders of magnitude greater than an electrical resistance of the electrically conductive contact portions.
8. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the heater element has a first face that is fixed to the electrically insulating substrate and the first and the second electrically conductive contact portions are configured to allow contact with an external power supply on a second face of the heater element opposite to the first face.
9. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive filaments lie in a substantially flat plane.
10. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive filaments consist of an array of filaments arranged parallel to one another.
11. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein an area of the electrically conductive filaments is less than 25 mm 2 .
12. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and the second electrically conductive contact portions comprise planar contact portions fixed to the electrically conductive filaments.
13. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the heater assembly further comprises at least one filament made from a first material and at least one filament made from a second material different from the first material.
14. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the heater assembly is fixed to a housing of the liquid storage portion.
15. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein a housing of the liquid storage portion is rigid and impermeable to fluid.
16. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating system is an electrically operated smoking system.