JP7565436B2 - Flavor inhaler - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flavor inhaler.

Conventionally, there is known a flavor inhaler for inhaling flavors and the like without burning a material. The flavor inhaler has, for example, a chamber that houses a flavor-generating article and a heater that heats the flavor-generating article housed in the chamber. In addition, among such flavor inhalers, there is known one that has a cylindrical insulating material on the outside of the member that houses the flavor-generating article (see Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2020/084775

Patent Document 1 discloses that the insulating material may be a fiber-based insulating material or a foam-based insulating material. However, there is no disclosure as to how such insulating material is attached to the outside of the container that contains the flavor-generating product. Such insulating materials tend to have weak structural strength, and ingenuity is required to attach the insulating material to the outside of the container.

One of the objects of the present invention is to more appropriately attach insulation to the outside of the housing.

According to a first aspect, a flavor inhaler capable of heating a consumable product is provided. The flavor inhaler has a storage section in which the consumable product is stored, a heating element for heating the consumable product, an insulating member provided on the outer periphery of the storage section, and a first tape member attached to the insulating member. The first tape member has a first portion extending from a first end in the circumferential direction of the insulating member, and a second portion located on the insulating member or extending from the insulating member. The first portion is attached to the second portion.

Since the structural strength of the insulating member tends to be weak, when the first tape member is attached to the insulating member and the insulating member is attached to the storage section, there is a risk that the first tape member will peel off from the insulating member. In contrast, according to the first aspect, the first portion of the first tape member is attached to the second portion, so that the adhesive strength of the first tape member can be improved. As a result, the insulating member can be appropriately attached to the outside of the storage section, so that the flavor inhaler has excellent insulating function and can heat the consumables with high precision.

The second aspect is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the first tape member has a fixing portion extending from a second end portion opposite the first end portion of the insulating member and being attached directly or indirectly to the storage portion.

According to the second aspect, the second end of the first tape member can be directly or indirectly attached and fixed to the storage section by the fixing portion. This allows the position of the first tape member relative to the heating element or the storage section to be fixed, so that the first tape member and the insulating member can be easily attached to the storage section. Therefore, since the insulating member can be appropriately attached, the flavor inhaler can have excellent insulating function.

The third aspect is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect, the first tape member is attached to the insulating member over the entire circumferential length of the insulating member.

According to the third aspect, the strength of the insulating member can be improved by the first tape member. Specifically, the tensile strength of the insulating member in the circumferential direction can be improved. In addition, since the insulating member can be attached to the storage section by wrapping the first tape member around it, the insulating member can be wrapped around the storage section while being compressed. As a result, the thickness of the insulating member can be easily adjusted, and the flavor inhaler can have excellent design precision.

The fourth aspect is characterized in that in the first to third aspects, the insulating member is wrapped around the outer periphery of the storage portion in one or more layers.

According to the fourth aspect, the storage section is covered with an insulating material over the entire circumferential length, thereby forming a flavor inhaler in which the heat of the heated consumable product is prevented from being transmitted to the outside of the device.

The fifth aspect is the fourth aspect, wherein the insulating member and the first tape member are wrapped around the outer periphery of the storage portion in two or more layers.

According to the fifth aspect, a flavor inhaler is configured in which the heat of the heated consumable material is further prevented from being transmitted to the outside of the device.

The sixth aspect is characterized in that, in any of the first to fifth aspects, the first tape member has a thermistor provided on the outer surface thereof.

According to the sixth aspect, the thermistor can be fixed more easily than when the thermistor is provided on the outer surface of the insulating member. In addition, when the thermistor is attached to the first tape member with a tape member, it can be reattached. Therefore, since the thermistor can be placed in the desired position, a flavor inhaler with good detection accuracy and excellent product yield is constructed.

The seventh aspect is the sixth aspect, wherein the thermistor is positioned radially outside the heating element.

According to the seventh aspect, the thermistor can be positioned close to the heating element, so that the temperature of the heating element or the housing can be accurately obtained.

The eighth aspect is the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein the accommodating portion has a cylindrical side wall portion, the side wall portion has a flat outer surface, and the thermistor is located radially outside the flat outer surface.

According to the eighth aspect, the thermistor can be more easily arranged on the outer surface of the first tape member than when the thermistor is arranged on a curved surface. Furthermore, when a cylindrical insulating section is provided on the outer periphery of the housing section, the thermistor is positioned outside the flat outer surface, so that the distance between the insulating section and the thermistor can be increased, thereby further suppressing physical contact between the insulating section and the thermistor.

The ninth aspect is characterized in that, in any of the sixth to eighth aspects, a second tape member is provided that sandwiches and fixes the thermistor together with the first tape member.

According to the ninth aspect, the thermistor is sandwiched between the first tape member and the second tape member, so that the thermistor can be more firmly attached to the first tape member.

The tenth aspect is characterized in that in the ninth aspect, a shrink tube is positioned outside the second tape member.

According to the tenth aspect, the shrink tube can apply force to press the heating element, the insulating member, the first tape member, thermistor, and the second tape member against the storage portion to fix them.

The eleventh aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, the axial length of the accommodating portion of the first tape member is 50% or more of the axial length of the insulating member.

According to the eleventh aspect, the insulating member can be prevented from being misaligned with respect to the housing or the heating element. In addition, since 50% or more of the insulating member in the axial direction is covered by the first tape member, the frictional force applied to the shrink tube can be reduced when the cylindrical shrink tube is placed on the outside of the insulating member and the first tape member. Therefore, a cylindrical member such as a shrink tube can be easily placed on the outside of the insulating member and the first tape member.

The twelfth aspect is characterized in that in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the insulating member is a fiber-based insulating material.

According to the 12th aspect, since the first portion of the first tape member is attached to the second portion, the adhesive strength of the first tape member can be improved compared to when the first portion is attached to the fiber-based insulation material.

The thirteenth aspect is based on any one of the first to twelfth aspects, in which the storage section has an opening into which the consumable product is inserted and a bottom that abuts against an end face of the consumable product, and the heating element is positioned so as to be closer to the opening than to the bottom.

According to the thirteenth aspect, the heating element is positioned away from the bottom of the storage section, so that the heating element is prevented from heating the tip of the consumable product. This prevents the tip of the consumable product from being heated and shrinking, which would cause the material of the consumable product (such as smokable material) to spill out from the tip of the consumable product. In addition, the tip side of the consumable product can be cooled relatively more than the consumable product on the opening side, so that sidestream smoke generated by the heating of the consumable product can be cooled at the tip side, and sidestream smoke can be prevented from leaking from the tip of the consumable product.

The fourteenth aspect is characterized in that in any one of the first to thirteenth aspects, the heating element heats the consumable product from the outside.

When the heating element heats the consumable goods from the outside, the heating element is positioned on the outside, and therefore the heat of the heating element is more likely to be transferred to the outside of the device than with so-called internal heating type heating elements. According to the 14th aspect, even when the heating element heats the consumable goods from the outside, the heat of the heating element can be prevented from being transferred to the outside of the device.

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a flavor inhaler according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the flavor inhaler according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic bottom view of the flavor inhaler according to the present embodiment. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a consumable product; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flavor inhaler taken along the arrows 3-3 in FIG. 1B. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line 4B-4B of FIG. 4A. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line 5A-5A of FIG. 4B. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the chamber taken along line 5B-5B of FIG. 4B. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chamber and the heating unit. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the chamber and the heating unit, showing a state in which members constituting the heating unit are overlapped. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the chamber and the heating unit taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 6. 13 is a plan view showing the heat insulating member and the first tape member wrapped around the chamber in an expanded state. FIG. 13 is a plan view of another example of an insulating member and a first tape member wrapped around a chamber, the insulating member and the first tape member being unfolded. FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

1A is a schematic front view of the flavor inhaler 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1B is a schematic top view of the flavor inhaler 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1C is a schematic bottom view of the flavor inhaler 100 according to the present embodiment. In the drawings described in this specification, an X-Y-Z Cartesian coordinate system may be attached for convenience of explanation. In this coordinate system, the Z axis faces vertically upward, the X-Y plane is arranged to cut the flavor inhaler 100 horizontally, and the Y axis is arranged to extend from the front to the back of the flavor inhaler 100. The Z axis can also be referred to as the insertion direction of the consumable material contained in the chamber 50 of the atomization unit 30 described later or the axial direction of the chamber 50. The X axis can also be referred to as the device longitudinal direction in a plane perpendicular to the insertion direction of the consumable material, or the direction in which the heating unit and the power supply unit are aligned. The Y axis can also be referred to as the device transverse direction in a plane perpendicular to the insertion direction of the consumable material. The direction parallel to the XY plane is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the chamber 50, and can also be called a radial direction. In addition, in this specification, the circumferential direction refers to the insertion direction of the consumable product or the circumferential direction centered on the axial direction of the chamber 50.

The flavor inhaler 100 of this embodiment is configured to generate an aerosol containing a flavor, for example, by heating a stick-shaped consumable product having a flavor source containing an aerosol source.

1A to 1C, the flavor inhaler 100 may be composed of a slide cover 90 and a main body 120. The main body 120 has an outer housing 101 and a switch unit 103. The outer housing 101 constitutes the outermost housing of the flavor inhaler 100 and has a size that fits in the user's hand. When the user uses the flavor inhaler 100, the user can inhale the aerosol by holding the main body 120 in his/her hand. The outer housing 101 may be composed by assembling a plurality of members.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the outer housing 101 has an opening 101a into which a consumable product is inserted. The slide cover 90 is slidably attached to the outer housing 101 so as to close the opening 101a. Specifically, the slide cover 90 is configured to be movable along the outer surface of the outer housing 101 between a closed position (position shown in FIG. 1A) in which the opening 101a of the outer housing 101 is closed, and an open position (position shown in FIG. 1B) in which the opening 101a is opened. For example, a user can manually operate the slide cover 90 to move the slide cover 90 between the closed position and the open position. In this way, the slide cover 90 can permit or restrict access of the consumable product to the inside of the flavor inhaler 100.

The switch unit 103 is used to switch the operation of the flavor inhaler 100 on and off. For example, a user can operate the switch unit 103 while inserting a consumable material into the flavor inhaler 100, whereby power is supplied from a power source (not shown) to a heating unit (not shown) to heat the consumable material without burning it. The switch unit 103 may have a switch provided outside the outer housing 101, or may have a switch located inside the outer housing 101. When the switch is located inside the outer housing 101, the switch is indirectly pressed by pressing the switch unit 103 on the surface of the outer housing 101. In this embodiment, an example in which the switch of the switch unit 103 is located inside the outer housing 101 will be described.

The flavor inhaler 100 may further have a terminal (not shown). The terminal may be an interface for connecting the flavor inhaler 100 to, for example, an external power source. If the power source of the flavor inhaler 100 is a rechargeable battery, the external power source may be connected to the terminal to allow current to flow from the external power source to the power source and charge the power source. In addition, a data transmission cable may be connected to the terminal to allow data related to the operation of the flavor inhaler 100 to be transmitted to an external device.

Next, the consumable material used in the flavor inhaler 100 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the consumable material 110. In this embodiment, the flavor inhaler 100 and the consumable material 110 may form a smoking system. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the consumable material 110 has a smokable article 111, a tubular member 114, a hollow filter portion 116, and a filter portion 115. The smokable article 111 is wrapped in a first wrapping paper 112. The tubular member 114, the hollow filter portion 116, and the filter portion 115 are wrapped in a second wrapping paper 113 that is different from the first wrapping paper 112. The second wrapping paper 113 also wraps a portion of the first wrapping paper 112 that wraps the smokable article 111. This connects the tubular member 114, the hollow filter portion 116, and the filter portion 115 to the smokable article 111. However, the second cigarette paper 113 may be omitted, and the tubular member 114, the hollow filter portion 116, and the filter portion 115 may be connected to the smokable article 111 using the first cigarette paper 112. The tubular member 114 and the second cigarette paper 113 covering the tubular member 114 may have an opening V. The opening V is usually a hole for promoting the inflow of air from the outside caused by the user's inhalation, and this inflow of air can lower the temperature of the components and air flowing in from the smokable article 111. A lip release agent 117 is applied to the outer surface of the second cigarette paper 113 near the end on the filter portion 115 side to prevent the user's lips from sticking to the second cigarette paper 113. The portion of the consumer product 110 to which the lip release agent 117 is applied functions as the mouthpiece of the consumer product 110.

The smokable article 111 may include a flavor source, such as tobacco, and an aerosol source. The first wrapping paper 112 that wraps the smokable article 111 may be a breathable sheet member. The tubular member 114 may be a paper tube or a hollow filter. In the illustrated example, the consumable product 110 includes the smokable article 111, the tubular member 114, the hollow filter portion 116, and the filter portion 115, but the configuration of the consumable product 110 is not limited to this. For example, the hollow filter portion 116 may be omitted, and the tubular member 114 and the filter portion 115 may be disposed adjacent to each other.

Next, the internal structure of the flavor inhaler 100 will be described. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flavor inhaler 100 in the direction of the arrow 3-3 shown in FIG. 1B. In FIG. 3, the slide cover 90 is in the closed position. As shown in FIG. 3, the inner housing 10 is housed inside the outer housing 101 of the flavor inhaler 100. The inner housing 10 is made of, for example, resin, and in particular, may be formed of polycarbonate (PC), ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) resin, PEEK (polyether ether ketone) or a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymers, or a metal such as aluminum. From the viewpoint of heat resistance and strength, it is preferable that the inner housing 10 is formed of PEEK. However, the material of the inner housing 10 is not particularly limited. A power supply unit 20 and an atomization unit 30 are provided in the internal space of the inner housing 10. Furthermore, the outer housing 101 may be made of, for example, resin, in particular, polycarbonate (PC), ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) resin, PEEK (Polyetheretherketone), or a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymers, or may be formed of a metal such as aluminum.

The power supply unit 20 has a power supply 21. The power supply 21 may be, for example, a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. The power supply 21 is electrically connected to the atomization unit 30 via a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) (not shown) or the like. This allows the power supply 21 to supply power to the atomization unit 30 so as to appropriately heat the consumable product 110.

As shown in the figure, the atomizing unit 30 has a chamber 50 (corresponding to an example of a storage unit) extending in the insertion direction (Z-axis direction) of the consumable product 110, a heating unit 40 surrounding a part of the chamber 50, a heat insulating unit 32, and a substantially cylindrical insertion guide member 34. The chamber 50 is configured to store the consumable product 110. The chamber 50 is preferably formed of a material that is heat resistant and has a small thermal expansion coefficient, and may be formed of, for example, a metal such as stainless steel, a resin such as PEEK, glass, or ceramic. As shown in the figure, a bottom member 36 may be provided at the bottom of the chamber 50. The bottom member 36 may function as a stopper that positions the consumable product 110 inserted into the chamber 50. The bottom member 36 has an uneven surface that contacts the consumable product 110, and may define a space that can supply air to the surface that contacts the consumable product 110. The bottom member 36 may be made of, for example, a resin material such as PEEK, metal, glass, ceramic, etc., but is not limited to these. The material making up the bottom member 36 may be a material with lower thermal conductivity than the material making up the chamber 50. When joining the bottom member 36 to the bottom of the chamber 50, an adhesive that may be made of a resin material such as epoxy resin or an inorganic material may be used.

The heating unit 40 is configured to contact the outer peripheral surface of the chamber 50 and heat the consumables 110 contained in the chamber 50. Specifically, the heating unit 40 may have a heating element, such as a heating track, and an electrically insulating sheet covering at least one surface of the heating element. The detailed configuration of the heating unit 40 will be described later.

The heat insulating section 32 is generally cylindrical and is arranged to surround the chamber 50 and the heating section 40. The heat insulating section 32 may include, for example, an aerogel sheet. The heat insulating section 32 is arranged to be spaced apart from the chamber 50 and the heating section 40, and an air layer is formed between the heat insulating section 32 and the chamber 50 and the heating section 40. The insertion guide member 34 is formed of a resin material such as PEEK, PC, or ABS, and is provided between the slide cover 90 in the closed position and the chamber 50. The flavor inhaler 100 also has a first holding section 37 and a second holding section 38 for holding the heat insulating section 32. The first holding section 37 and the second holding section 38 can be formed of an elastomer such as silicone rubber. As shown in FIG. 3, the first holding section 37 holds the end of the heat insulating section 32 on the positive Z-axis side. The second holding section 38 holds the end of the heat insulating section 32 on the negative Z-axis side.

The insertion guide member 34 has a function of guiding the insertion of the consumable product 110. Specifically, when the slide cover 90 is in the open position, the insertion guide member 34 communicates with the opening 101a shown in FIG. 1B of the flavor inhaler 100, and guides the consumable product 110 into the chamber 50 by inserting the consumable product 110 into the insertion guide member 34. In this embodiment, since the insertion guide member 34 may come into contact with the chamber 50, it is preferable that the insertion guide member 34 be formed of PEEK from the viewpoint of heat resistance.

The flavor inhaler 100 has a first chassis 22 extending in the Z-axis direction between the power source 21 and the atomizing unit 30, and a second chassis 23 extending to cover the slide cover 90 side of the power source 21. The first chassis 22 and the second chassis 23 are configured to partition a space in the inner housing 10 in which the power source 21 is housed.

The flavor inhaler 100 further has a slider 94 connected to the slide cover 90. The slider 94 may be slidably attached to a portion of the inner housing 10 of the main body 120. This allows the slide cover 90 connected to the slider 94 to slide along the outer surface of the outer housing 101 of the main body 120. The slide cover 90 may be fixed to the slider 94 by a screw 92. In this embodiment, the slider 94 may be fixed to a portion of the inner housing 10 via a spring 96. The spring 96 is configured to bias the slider 94 to bias the slide cover 90 to an open position or a closed position.

Next, the structure of the chamber 50 will be described. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the chamber 50. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 taken along the line 4B-4B in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 taken along the line 5A-5A in FIG. 4B. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 50 taken along the line 5B-5B in FIG. 4B. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the chamber 50 may be a cylindrical member including an opening 52 into which the consumable product 110 is inserted and a cylindrical side wall portion 60 that houses the consumable product 110. The chamber 50 is preferably formed of a material that is heat resistant and has a small coefficient of thermal expansion, and may be formed of, for example, a metal such as stainless steel, a resin such as PEEK, glass, or ceramic.

4B and 5B, the side wall portion 60 includes a flat portion 62 and a curved portion 66. When the consumable product 110 is placed at a desired position in the chamber 50, the flat portion 62 contacts or presses against a part of the consumable product 110, and the curved portion 66 is spaced apart from the consumable product 110. In this specification, the "desired position in the chamber 50" refers to a position where the consumable product 110 is appropriately heated, or a position of the consumable product 110 when the user smokes. The flat portion 62 has a flat inner surface 62a and a flat outer surface 62b. The curved portion 66 has an inner surface 66a and an outer surface 66b.

4A, 4B, and 5B, the chamber 50 has two flat portions 62 in the circumferential direction of the chamber 50, and the pair of flat portions 62 are parallel to each other. It is preferable that at least a part of the distance between the inner surfaces 62a of the pair of flat portions 62 is smaller than the width of the portion of the consumable product 110 inserted into the chamber 50 that is disposed between the flat portions 62.

5B, the inner surface 66a of the curved portion 66 may have an overall arc-shaped cross section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction) of the chamber 50. The curved portion 66 is also disposed so as to be adjacent to the flat portion 62 in the circumferential direction. In other words, the curved portion 66 is configured to connect the respective ends of the pair of flat portions 62 to each other.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the chamber 50 may have a hole 56a in its bottom 56 so that the bottom member 36 shown in FIG. 3 may pass through and be disposed inside the chamber 50. The bottom member 36 may be fixed to the inside of the bottom 56 of the chamber 50 by adhesive or the like. The bottom member 36 provided on the bottom 56 may support a portion of the consumable product 110 inserted into the chamber 50 so as to expose at least a portion of an end face of the consumable product 110.

As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the chamber 50 preferably has a cylindrical portion 54 between the opening 52 and the side wall portion 60. When the consumable product 110 is positioned at a desired position in the chamber 50, a gap may be formed between the cylindrical portion 54 and the consumable product 110. Also, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the chamber 50 preferably has a first guide portion 58 with a tapered surface 58a connecting the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 54 and the inner surface 62a of the flat portion 62.

Next, the structure of the heating section 40 will be described. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the chamber 50 and the heating section 40. Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the chamber 50 and the heating section 40 showing the overlapping state of the members constituting the heating section 40. Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the chamber 50 and the heating section 40 taken along the arrows 8-8 shown in Figure 6. The shrink tube 46 is omitted from Figure 6. Also, Figure 7 shows the state before each member is compressed by the shrink tube 46 so that the overlapping order of each member constituting the heating section 40 is clear. Also, Figure 8 shows a cross section that does not include the thermistor 43 and the second tape member 45.

6 to 8, the side wall portion 60 of the chamber 50 is provided with a heating element 42, a heat insulating member 70, a first tape member 80, a thermistor 43, a second tape member 45, and a shrink tube 46. In this specification, the "outside" and "inside" of the heating element 42, the heat insulating member 70, the first tape member 80, thermistor 43, the second tape member 45, and the shrink tube 46 constituting the heating portion 40 are based on the chamber 50, and for example, "outside" means the side farther from the chamber 50, and "outer periphery" means the circumference farther from the chamber 50.

The heating element 42 is configured to heat the consumables 110 housed in the chamber 50 from the outside. The heating element 42 may be, for example, a heating track. The heating element 42 may be provided on the outer surface or inner surface of the sidewall portion 60 of the chamber 50. As shown in Figs. 6 to 8, in this embodiment, the heating element 42 is attached to the outer surface 62b of the flat portion 62 of the sidewall portion 60. It is preferable that the heating element 42 is arranged so as to heat the flat portion 62 without contacting the curved portion 66 of the chamber 50. In other words, it is preferable that the heating element 42 is arranged only on the outer surface 62b or the inner surface 62a of the flat portion 62. In addition to the heating element 42, the heating unit 40 may have an electrical insulating member (not shown), such as polyimide, that covers at least one side of the heating element 42, and it is preferable that the electrical insulating member is arranged to cover both sides of the heating element 42.

The insulating member 70 is provided on the outer periphery of the chamber 50. In this embodiment, since the heating element 42 is attached to the outer surface of the flat portion 62 of the chamber 50, the insulating member 70 is provided to cover the outer surface of the heating element 42. Specifically, the heating element 42 is sandwiched between the flat portion 62 of the chamber 50 and the insulating member 70. The insulating member 70 may be, for example, a fiber-based insulating material such as glass wool or rock wool, or a foam-based insulating material such as urethane foam or phenol foam. By providing the insulating member 70 on the outer periphery of the chamber 50, in this embodiment, on the outer periphery of the heating element 42, it is possible to suppress the heat of the consumable product 110 from being transferred to the outside of the flavor inhaler 100.

The first tape member 80 is attached to the insulating member 70. Specifically, the first tape member 80 is attached to the insulating member 70 so that the insulating member 70 is fixed to the chamber 50 or prevented from shifting. The first tape member 80 may be made of a resin material such as polyimide (PI), polybenzimidazole (PBI), polyamideimide (PAI), liquid crystal polymer, glass cloth, etc., and is preferably made of a material that has thermal insulation or insulating properties against the heating element 42.

It is preferable that the heat insulating member 70 is wrapped around the outer circumference of the chamber 50 in one or more layers. As a result, the chamber 50 is covered with the heat insulating member 70 over the entire circumferential length, so that the heat of the heated consumable product 110 can be prevented from being transmitted to the outside of the device. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, it is preferable that the heat insulating member 70 is wrapped around the outer circumference of the side wall portion 60 of the chamber 50 in two or more layers. In the example of FIG. 8, the heat insulating member 70 is wrapped around the outer circumference of the side wall portion 60 in approximately two layers. As a result, the heat insulating member 70 and the first tape member 80 have a structure having portions arranged in alternating layers on the side wall portion 60 of the chamber 50. This further prevents the heat of the heated consumable product 110 from being transmitted to the outside of the device.

As described above, the structural strength of the insulating member 70 tends to be weak depending on the material. For example, when the insulating member 70 is a fiber-based insulating material such as glass wool, even if the first tape member 80 is attached to the insulating member 70 and the insulating member 70 is attached to the chamber 50, the first tape member 80 may peel off from the insulating member 70. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to properly position the insulating member 70 outside the chamber 50, the first tape members 80 are attached so that they overlap each other.

9 is a plan view of the insulating member 70 and first tape member 80 that are wrapped around the chamber 50. As shown in FIG. 9, the insulating member 70 has a band-like planar shape as a whole so that it can be wrapped around the chamber 50. The insulating member 70 has a first end 70a and a second end 70b that is the end where the insulating member 70 starts to be wound around the chamber 50. As shown in the figure, the second end 70b is the end opposite the first end 70a. Furthermore, the first end 70a constitutes the end in the circumferential direction of the insulating member 70 when the insulating member 70 is wrapped around the chamber 50.

The first tape member 80 has a first portion 80a extending from the first end 70a of the insulating member 70. This first portion 80a is attached to the second portion 80b of the first tape member 80. This improves the adhesive strength of the first tape member 80 compared to when the first portion 80a of the first tape member 80 is attached to the insulating member 70. As a result, the insulating member 70 can be appropriately attached to the outside of the side wall portion 60. In particular, when the insulating member 70 is a fiber-based insulating material, the adhesive strength of the first tape member 80 can be improved compared to when the first portion 80a is attached to the fiber-based insulating material. In the illustrated example, the second portion 80b is attached onto the insulating member 70. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 9, the insulating member 70 is wrapped approximately twice around the chamber 50 from the second end 70b at the start of the winding, so that the second portion 80b to which the first portion 80a of the first tape member 80 is attached can be located approximately in the center of the insulating member 70.

As shown in FIG. 9, the first tape member 80 preferably has a fixed portion 80c that extends from the second end 70b of the insulating member 70 and is directly or indirectly attached to the chamber 50. In this embodiment, since the heating element 42 is provided on the outer surface of the sidewall portion 60 of the chamber 50, the fixed portion 80c is attached to the outer surface of the heating element 42, and as a result, the fixed portion 80c can be indirectly attached to the chamber 50. This allows the second end 70b of the first tape member 80 to be attached and fixed to the heating element 42 or the chamber 50 by the fixed portion 80c. Therefore, since the position of the first tape member 80 relative to the heating element 42 or the chamber 50 can be fixed, the first tape member 80 and the insulating member 70 can be easily attached (wrapped) to the chamber 50. Note that in cases where the heating element 42 is provided on the inner surface of the sidewall portion 60 of the chamber 50, the fixed portion 80c can be directly attached to the chamber 50. Furthermore, the fixed portion 80 c may be indirectly attached to the chamber 50 by being attached to another member fixed to the chamber 50 .

8 and 9, the first tape member 80 is preferably attached to the insulating member 70 over the entire circumferential length of the insulating member 70. This allows the strength of the insulating member 70 to be improved by the first tape member 80. Specifically, the tensile strength of the insulating member 70 in the circumferential direction can be improved. In addition, since the insulating member 70 can be attached to the chamber 50 by wrapping the first tape member 80 around it, the insulating member 70 can be wrapped around the chamber 50 while being compressed. As a result, the thickness of the insulating member 70 can be easily adjusted. The first tape member 80 may be attached to the insulating member 70 over the entire circumferential length of the insulating member 70 as a single long tape, or a plurality of tapes may be joined together to be attached to the insulating member 70 over the entire circumferential length of the insulating member 70.

10 is a plan view of another example in which the insulating member 70 and the first tape member 80 are deployed and wound around the chamber 50. As shown in FIG. 10, the first tape member 80 may include a plurality of tape members 81 and 82. The tape member 81 is attached to the first end 70a of the insulating member 70 and includes a first portion 80a extending from the first end 70a. The tape member 82 is attached to the second end 70b of the insulating member 70 and may have a fixed portion 80c extending from the second end 70b. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the fixed portion 80c is directly or indirectly attached to the chamber 50, and the insulating member 70 starts to be wound around the chamber 50 from the second end 70b. The insulating member 70 is wound around the chamber 50 once, and the first portion 80a is attached to the second portion 80b of the tape member 82. In the illustrated example, the second portion 80b partially overlaps with the fixed portion 80c, but this is not limited thereto, and the second portion 80b may completely coincide with the fixed portion 80c, or may be a completely separate portion from the fixed portion 80c. In other words, the second portion 80b may be a portion extending from the heat insulating member 70. In the illustrated example, the heat insulating member 70 is wound around the chamber 50 once, and is therefore formed shorter than the heat insulating member 70 shown in FIG.

It is preferable that the length of the first tape member 80 in the axial direction is 50% or more of the length of the insulating member 70 in the axial direction. This can prevent the insulating member 70 from being misaligned with respect to the chamber 50 or the heating element 42. In addition, the insulating member 70 has a higher friction coefficient than the first tape member 80, which can generally be formed from a resin material or the like. In this regard, since 50% or more of the axial direction of the insulating member 70 is covered by the first tape member 80, when the cylindrical shrink tube 46 is placed outside the insulating member 70 and the first tape member 80, the friction force applied to the shrink tube 46 can be reduced. Therefore, a cylindrical member such as the shrink tube 46 can be easily placed outside the insulating member 70 and the first tape member 80.

7, the heating element 42 is preferably disposed closer to the opening 52 than the bottom 56 of the chamber 50. This prevents the tip of the consumable product 110 from being heated by the heating element 42, thereby preventing the tip of the consumable product 110 from being heated and shrinking, thereby preventing the material of the consumable product (such as the smokable article 111) from spilling out from the tip of the consumable product 110. In addition, the tip side of the consumable product 110 can be cooled relatively more than the consumable product 110 on the side of the opening 52 into which the consumable product is inserted, so that the sidestream smoke generated by the heating of the consumable product can be cooled at the tip side, and the sidestream smoke can be prevented from leaking from the tip of the consumable product 110. Furthermore, by providing the heating element 42 near the opening 52 into which the consumable product is inserted, the vapor (steam) generated due to the consumable product 110 can be effectively sucked in without condensing it. In addition, when the heating elements 42 are spread out over the entire chamber 50, the power density decreases and the rate of temperature rise decreases, whereas with this configuration, the desired location of the chamber 50 can be heated by heat transfer from the heating elements 42 without reducing the rate of temperature rise, which effectively contributes to the efficient generation of vapor.

The thermistor 43 is configured to measure the temperature of the consumable product 110, the chamber 50, or the heating element 42. The thermistor 43 is electrically connected to a PCB (not shown) via wiring 43a and can transmit temperature data to the PCB. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the thermistor 43 is preferably provided on the outer surface of the first tape member 80. This makes it easier to fix the thermistor 43 than when the thermistor 43 is provided on the outer surface of the insulating member 70. In addition, when the thermistor 43 is attached to the first tape member 80 with the second tape member 45, it can be reattached.

As shown in FIG. 7, the thermistor 43 is preferably located radially outside the heating element 42. This allows the thermistor 43 to be located close to the heating element 42, so that the temperature of the heating element 42 or the chamber 50 can be accurately obtained. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the thermistor 43 is preferably located radially outside the flat outer surface 62b of the flat portion 62. This allows the thermistor 43 to be more easily located on the outer surface of the first tape member 80 than when the thermistor 43 is located on the outer surface 66b of the curved portion 66. In addition, when a cylindrical insulation portion 32 is provided on the outer periphery of the chamber 50, the thermistor 43 is located on the flat outer surface 62b, so that the distance between the insulation portion 32 and thermistor 43 can be increased, and therefore physical contact between the insulation portion 32 and thermistor 43 can be further suppressed.

6 and 7, the second tape member 45 is configured to sandwich and fix the thermistor 43 together with the first tape member 80. In other words, the second tape member 45 is attached onto the thermistor 43, thereby fixing the thermistor 43 to the outer surface of the first tape member 80. As a result, the thermistor 43 is sandwiched between the first tape member 80 and the second tape member 45, so that the thermistor 43 can be attached to the first tape member 80 more firmly. Note that the second tape member 45 may be omitted and the thermistor 43 may be fixed to the outer surface of the first tape member 80 by, for example, an adhesive or the like.

7 and 8, the shrink tube 46 is cylindrical and is arranged on the outermost side of the heating unit 40, and may be configured to fix each member constituting the heating unit 40 to the chamber 50. Specifically, in this embodiment, the shrink tube 46 may be located outside the second tape member 45. This allows the shrink tube 46 to apply a force to press the heating element 42, the insulating member 70, the first tape member 80, the thermistor 43, and the second tape member 45 against the chamber 50 to fix them. The heating unit 40 may not include the thermistor 43 and the second tape member 45. In this case, the shrink tube 46 may be located outside the first tape member 80 so as to contact the outer surface of the first tape member 80.

The shrink tube 46 may be, for example, a heat-shrinkable tube that is arranged on the outer periphery of each member constituting the heating unit 40 and is thermally shrunk by application of heat. The heat-shrinkable tube 46 can press each member constituting the heating unit 40 against the chamber 50. When the shrink tube 46 is a heat-shrinkable tube, it may be formed of a thermoplastic resin such as perfluoroalkoxy fluororesin (PFA). The shrink tube 46 is not limited to a heat-shrinkable tube, and any material that can achieve the same purpose may be used. For example, a tube that shrinks due to elasticity may be used as the shrink tube 46.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims and the technical ideas described in the specification and drawings. Furthermore, any shape or material not directly described in the specification and drawings is within the scope of the technical ideas of the present invention as long as it provides the functions and effects of the present invention.

32: Insulation section 40: Heating section 42: Heating element 43: Thermistor 45: Second tape member 46: Shrink tube 50: Chamber 52: Opening 56: Bottom 60: Side wall 62b: Outer surface 70: Insulation member 70a: First end 70b: Second end 80: First tape member 80a: First portion 80b: Second portion 80c: Fixed portion 81: Tape member 82: Tape member 100: Flavor inhaler 110: Consumables

Claims (13)

A flavor inhaler capable of heating a consumable product,
A storage section in which the consumable product is stored;
a heating element for heating the consumable;
a heat insulating member having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface and provided on an outer periphery of the housing portion;
a first tape member attached to a portion of the first surface of the heat insulating member;
the first tape member has a first portion extending from a first end portion in a circumferential direction of the heat insulating member, and a second portion located on the heat insulating member or extending from the heat insulating member,
the first portion is attached to the second portion ;
The flavor inhaler further includes a thermistor provided on an outer surface of the first tape member . The flavor inhaler according to claim 1,
The first tape member has a fixing portion that extends at least partially from a second end of the insulating member opposite the first end and is attached to the heating element or the storage portion. The flavor inhaler according to claim 1 or 2,
The flavor inhaler, wherein the first tape member is attached to the insulating member over the entire circumferential length of the insulating member. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The flavor inhaler, wherein the heat insulating member is wrapped around the outer periphery of the housing part in one or more layers. The flavor inhaler according to claim 4,
The flavor inhaler, wherein the heat insulating member is wrapped around the outer periphery of the housing part in two or more layers. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The thermistor is located radially outside the heating element. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The housing portion has a cylindrical side wall portion,
The sidewall has a flat outer surface;
The flavor inhaler, wherein the thermistor is located radially outward of the flat outer surface. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
The flavor inhaler has a second tape member that sandwiches and fixes the thermistor together with the first tape member. The flavor inhaler according to claim 8 ,
The flavor inhaler has a shrink tube positioned outside the second tape member. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
A flavor inhaler, wherein the axial length of the storage portion of the first tape member is 50% or more of the axial length of the insulating member. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 10 ,
The flavor inhaler, wherein the insulating member is a fiber-based insulating material. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 11 ,
The storage section has an opening into which the consumable product is inserted and a bottom portion that abuts against an end surface of the consumable product,
The flavor inhaler, wherein the heating element is positioned closer to the opening than to the bottom. The flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 12 ,
The heating element heats the consumable externally.