ATOMIZER AND STEAM SUPPLY SYSTEM

专利摘要:
an atomizer for a steam supply system comprises a vaporization chamber having a volume; a steam generating element arranged in the vaporization chamber to supply steam in the volume of the vaporization chamber; at least one plenum chamber separate from the vaporization chamber; and an air flow through the atomizer comprising a vapor collection portion through the vaporization chamber smaller than said volume, along which the air travels to collect steam provided by the steam generating element and at least a transport portion through from a plenum chamber, the (or each) transport portion providing air to, or collecting air from, the vapor collection portion.
公开号:BR112019024161A2
申请号:R112019024161-2
申请日:2018-05-15
公开日:2020-06-02
发明作者:Buchberger Helmut
申请人:Nicoventures Holdings Limited；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

ATOMIZER AND STEAM SUPPLY SYSTEM
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to atomizers for use in steam supply devices, such as electronic steam supply devices.
Background
[0002] Steam delivery systems (aerosol), such as electronic cigarettes, generally comprise a reservoir of a source liquid containing a formulation, typically including nicotine, from which an aerosol is generated, such as by means of vaporization or other means. . Thus, an aerosol source for a steam delivery system can comprise a heating element or other vapor generating component coupled to a portion of the reservoir source liquid. In some systems, the heating element and the reservoir are comprised within a first section or component that is connectable to a second section or component housing a battery to supply electrical energy to the heating element. In use, a user inhales into the device to activate the heating element that vaporizes a small amount of the source liquid, which is thus converted to an aerosol for inhalation by the user.
[0003] In some devices, the steam generating component is a heating element in the form of a coil of wire. This is placed in contact with a drainage element that extracts liquid from the reservoir by capillary action and delivers the liquid adjacent to the coil, where it is heated and vaporized when a
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2/54 electrical current is passed through the coil. The air drawn into the device when the user inhales is carried along the heating element where he collects the vaporized source liquid to form an aerosol and transports it to an air outlet for consumption by the user. Various arrangements are known for positioning one or more coils in relation to the direction of the air flow.
[0004] Alternatively, other devices employ a heating element in the form of a porous conductive sheet, such as a metal mesh. The porosity allows the heating element to also perform a capillary absorption function, so that it extracts the liquid directly from the reservoir to be heated and vaporized when the current passes through the mesh. The sheet can be arranged along the direction of the air flow, so that air can pass over the two surfaces of the sheet to collect vaporized liquid.
[0005] Such arrangements can be very efficient in generating steam and producing aerosols. However, the length of the sheet compared to a coil means that the air flow tends to spend a relatively long time passing over the heater. This can allow the necessary aerosol droplets to grow to an undesirable size. Large drops can be captured on the device and not reach the user, or they can reduce the overall perceived quality of the aerosol as it is inhaled by the user.
[0006] Therefore, some approaches to address this issue are of interest.
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summary
[0007] According to a first aspect of certain embodiments described herein, an atomizer is provided for a steam supply system comprising: a vaporization chamber with a volume; a steam generating element arranged in the vaporization chamber to supply steam in the volume of the vaporization chamber; at least one plenum chamber separate from the vaporization chamber; and an air flow path through the atomizer comprising: a vapor collection portion through the vaporization chamber smaller than said volume, along which the air travels to collect the steam supplied by the steam generating element; and at least one transport portion through a plenum chamber, the (or each) transport portion providing air to, or collecting air from, the vapor collection portion.
[0008] According to a second aspect of certain embodiments described in this document, a steam delivery system, an aerosol generating component for a steam delivery system or an aerosol source for an aerosol generating component for an steam supply system or for a steam supply system, comprising an atomizer according to the first aspect.
[0009] According to a third aspect of certain embodiments described in this document, an atomizer is provided for a steam supply system comprising: a vaporization chamber; a flat steam generating element arranged in the vaporization chamber and comprising
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4/54 a porous sheet that extends longitudinally having a first surface and a second opposite surface; at least one plenum chamber separate from the vaporization chamber and transversely spaced from a surface of the steam generating element; and an air flow path through the atomizer comprising: a vapor collection portion through the vaporization chamber in which the air travels transversely through the steam generating element from the first surface to the second surface; and at least one transport portion through a plenum chamber in which air travels longitudinally, the (or each) transport portion distributing air or collecting air from the vapor collection portion.
[0010] These and other aspects of certain embodiments are presented in the attached independent and dependent claims. It should be noted that the characteristics of the dependent claims can be combined with each other and the characteristics of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly defined in the claims. In addition, the approach described here is not restricted to specific embodiments such as those described below, but includes and contemplates any appropriate combinations of characteristics presented here. For example, an atomizer or a vapor delivery device or a component thereof, including an atomizer, may be provided according to approaches described herein, which include any or more of the various characteristics described below, as appropriate.
Brief Description of the Figures
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[0011] Several embodiments will now be described in detail as an example only with reference to the attached drawings in which:
[0012] Figure 1 shows a schematic view in simplified cross-section of an example of electronic cigarette or steam supply system;
[0013] Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of parts of an example atomizer for use in an electronic cigarette;
[0014] Figures 3 to 6 show perspective views of the parts of the atomizer shown in Figure 2, in successive stages of assembly for a completed atomizer;
[0015] Figure 7 shows a schematic longitudinal section view through an example atomizer;
[0016] Figure 8 shows a schematic view in longitudinal section through an example atomizer having a modified airflow path;
[0017] Figure 9 shows a schematic view in longitudinal section through an additional example atomizer with a modified airflow path including plenum chambers;
[0018] Figure 10 shows a schematic view in longitudinal section through yet another example of an atomizer with a modified airflow path including several transverse portions;
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[0019] Figure 11 shows a schematic cross-sectional view through an example atomizer with plenum chambers;
[0020] Figure 12 shows a schematic cross-sectional view through another example of atomizer with plenum chambers;
[0021] Figure 13 shows a schematic longitudinal section view through an example atomizer with plenum chambers and partition walls;
[0022] Figure 14 shows a schematic longitudinal section view through an example atomizer with plenum chambers and multiple partition walls;
[0023] Figure 15 shows a schematic cross-sectional view through an example atomizer with plenum chambers and partition walls;
[0024] Figures 16A and 16B show perspective views of example inserts to provide an atomizer with dividing walls and separating walls to create plenum chambers;
[0025] Figures 17 to 21 are plan views of the example of steam generating elements for use in an atomizer according to the examples disclosed here;
[0026] Figure 22 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view through an example of an atomizer configured for non-longitudinal air flow in a transport portion of the air flow path;
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[0027] Figure 23 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view through an example atomizer configured for non-transverse air flow in a vapor collection portion of the air flow path;
[0028] Figure 24 is a schematic longitudinal section view through an example atomizer configured to control the time the air remains in the vapor collection portion of the air flow path;
[0029] Figure 25 is a graph showing the average droplet diameters measured for test atomizers with parallel and transverse airflow paths;
[0030] Figure 26 is a graph of the frequency of the droplet diameter measured in three uses of a test atomizer with a parallel airflow path; and
[0031] Figure 27 is a graph of the frequency of the droplet diameter measured in three uses of a test atomizer with a transverse airflow path.
Detailed Description
[0032] Aspects and characteristics of certain examples and embodiments are discussed / described here. Some aspects and characteristics of certain examples and embodiments can be implemented conventionally and these are not discussed / described in detail for the sake of brevity. Thus, it should be noted that aspects and features of the device and methods discussed here that are not described in detail can be implemented in accordance with any
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8/54 conventional techniques to implement these aspects and characteristics.
[0033] As described above, the present disclosure relates to (but is not limited to) electronic vapor or aerosol delivery systems, such as electronic cigarettes. Throughout the following description, the terms e-cigarette and electronic cigarette can sometimes be used; however, it should be noted that these terms can be used interchangeably with the aerosol (vapor) delivery system or device. Likewise, aerosol can be used interchangeably with steam, particularly with regard to the final consumable product of a device, transported in an air stream for inhalation by the user.
[0034] Figure 1 is a highly schematic (out of scale) diagram of an example of an aerosol / vapor delivery system, such as an electronic cigarette 10. Electronic cigarette 10 is generally cylindrical in shape, extending along an axis longitudinal indicated by a dashed line, and comprises two main components, namely an energy control or component or section 20 and a cartridge or section set 30 (sometimes referred to as a cartomizer, or claromizer (clearomiser)) that operates as a component of steam generation.
[0035] Cartridge assembly 30 includes a reservoir 3 containing a source liquid comprising a liquid formulation from which an aerosol must be generated, for example, containing nicotine. As an example, the source liquid may comprise about 1 to 3% nicotine and 50% glycerol, with
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9/54 the remainder comprising approximately equal measurements of water and propylene glycol, and possibly also comprising other components, such as flavorings. The reservoir 3 is in the form of a storage tank, being a container or receptacle in which the source liquid can be stored so that the liquid is free to move and flow within the limits of the tank. Alternatively, reservoir 3 may contain an amount of absorbent material, such as cotton or fiberglass, which retains the source liquid within a porous structure. The reservoir 3 can be sealed after filling during manufacture, so as to be disposable after consumption of the source liquid, or it can have an inlet port or other opening through which the new source liquid can be added. The cartridge assembly 30 also comprises an electrical vapor generating element 4 located external to the reservoir tank 3 for generating the aerosol by spraying the source liquid. In many devices, the steam generating element can be a heating element (heater) that is heated by the passage of electric current (via resistive or inductive heating) to raise the temperature of the source liquid until vaporization. Alternatively, the steam generating element can vibrate at a high frequency (for example, an ultrasonic frequency), using the piezoelectric effect, for example, to generate steam from the source liquid. A liquid conduit arrangement, such as a wick or other porous element (not shown), can be provided to supply source liquid from reservoir 3 to the steam generating element 4. The wick has one or more parts located within reservoir 3, so as to be able to absorb the source liquid and transfer it by draining or
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10/54 capillary to other parts of the wick that are in contact with the steam generating element 4. This liquid is thus vaporized, to be replaced by a new source liquid transferred to the steam generating element 4 by the wick.
[0036] A combination of heater and wick, or other arrangement of parts that perform the same functions, is sometimes called an atomizer or atomizer assembly, and the reservoir with its source liquid plus the atomizer can be collectively referred to as a source of aerosol. Various designs are possible, in which the parts can be arranged differently compared to the highly schematic representation of Figure 1. For example, the wick can be an element entirely separate from the steam generating element, or the steam generating element can be be configured to be porous and capable of performing the direct absorption function (a metal mesh, for example). Arrangements of the latter type, where the steam generation and absorption functions are combined into a single element, are discussed later. In some cases, the conduit for supplying liquid for steam generation may be formed at least in part from one or more slits, tubes or channels between the reservoir and the steam generating element that are narrow enough to support capillary action to extract the source liquid out of the reservoir and deliver it for vaporization. In general, an atomizer can be considered a vaporizer or steam generator element capable of generating steam from the source liquid delivered to it, and a liquid conduit (path) capable of supplying or transporting liquid from a liquid reservoir or tank. similar to the steam generator, such as by capillary force.
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[0037] Normally, the atomizer is located inside a volume or chamber that is part of an air flow channel through the electronic cigarette. The vapor produced by the atomizer is expelled into this volume and, as the air passes through the volume, flowing over and around the steam generating element, it collects the steam, forming the necessary aerosol. The volume can be designated as a vaporization chamber.
[0038] Returning to Figure 1, the cartridge assembly 30 also includes a mouthpiece 35 having an air opening or outlet through which a user can inhale the aerosol generated by the steam generating element 4 and delivered through the air flow channel .
[0039] The energy component 20 includes a cell or battery 5 (hereinafter referred to as the battery, which can be rechargeable) to supply energy to the electrical components of the e-cigarette 10, in particular the steam generating element 4. Additionally, there is a printed circuit board 28 and / or other electronics or circuits to control the electronic cigarette in general. The electronic components / control circuits connect the steam generating element 4 to the battery 5 when steam is needed, for example, in response to a signal from an air pressure sensor or air flow sensor (not shown) that detects a inhalation in the system 10 during which the air enters through one or more air inlets 26 in the wall of the energy component 20 to flow along the air flow channel. When the steam generating element 4 receives energy from the battery 5, the steam generating element 4 vaporizes the source liquid supplied by the reservoir 3 to generate the aerosol, and this is then inhaled by the user through the opening in the nozzle 35. The aerosol is
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12/54 transported from the aerosol source to the mouthpiece 35 along the airflow channel (not shown) that connects the air inlet 26 to the aerosol source to the air outlet when a user inhales into the mouthpiece 35. A Air flow through the electronic cigarette is thus defined, between the air inlet (s) (which may or may not be in the energy component) to the atomizer and the air outlet in the mouthpiece. In use, the air flow direction along this airflow path is from the air inlet to the air outlet, so that the atomizer can be described as downstream of the air inlet and upstream of the air outlet. .
[0040] In this particular example, the power section 20 and the cartridge assembly 30 are separate parts detachable from each other by separation in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, as indicated by the solid arrows in Figure 1. Components 20, 30 are joined together when device 10 is in use by cooperative engagement elements 21, 31 (for example, a screw or bayonet) that provide mechanical and electrical connectivity between power section 20 and cartridge assembly 30. This is just an example arrangement, however, and the various components can be distributed differently between the power section 20 and the cartridge assembly section 30, and other components and elements can be included. The two sections can be connected end to end in a longitudinal configuration as in Figure 1, or in a different configuration, as a parallel arrangement side by side. The system may or may not be generally cylindrical and / or have a generally longitudinal shape. One or both sections can be discarded and replaced when exhausted (the tank is empty or the battery is discharged, for example) or can be used for
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13/54 various uses enabled for actions such as refilling the tank, recharging the battery or replacing the atomizer. Alternatively, the electronic cigarette 10 can be a unitary device (disposable or refillable / refillable) that cannot be separated into two or more parts, in which case all components are comprised in a single body or compartment. Embodiments and examples of the present invention are applicable to any of these configurations and other configurations of which the skilled person is aware.
[0041] Here, the terms heater and heating element can be used, but unless the context specifically indicates a heating operation, these terms should be understood to refer to steam generating elements in general and including other types of elements of steam generation, such as those operating by vibration.
[0042] As mentioned, a type of steam generating element, such as a heating element, that can be used in an atomized portion of an electronic cigarette (a part configured to generate steam from a source liquid) combines the functions of heating and liquid supply, both electrically conductive (resistive) and porous. An example of a suitable material for this is an electrically conductive material, such as a metal or metal alloy formed in a fine mesh, net, grid or similar configuration with a sheet shape, that is, a flat shape with a thickness often less than its length or width. The mesh can be formed from threads or metal fibers that are woven together or, alternatively, aggregated in a non-woven structure. Per
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14/54 For example, the fibers can be aggregated by sintering, in which heat and / or pressure are applied to a collection of metal fibers to compact them into a single porous mass.
[0043] These structures can provide voids and interstices of appropriate size between the metal fibers to provide a capillary force to absorb the liquid. In addition, the metal is electrically conductive and therefore suitable for resistive heating, whereby the electric current flowing through a material with electrical resistance generates heat. Structures of this type are not limited to metals; other conductive materials can be formed into fibers and transformed into mesh, grid or mesh structures. Examples include ceramic materials, which may or may not be doped with substances designed to personalize the physical properties of the mesh.
[0044] Such a planar leaf type porous heating element can be arranged inside an electronic cigarette, so that it is inside the vaporization chamber part of an air flow channel in an orientation parallel to the air flow direction . In this way, air can flow through both sides of the heating element and collect steam. The generation of aerosols is therefore very effective. The source liquid reservoir may have an annular shape, surrounding the vaporization chamber, and divided by a tubular wall. The heating element extends across the width of the vaporization chamber and is supported in place by its edges that pass through the wall partition or rest in openings in the wall. In this way, edge portions of the heating element are positioned in contact with the inner reservoir and can
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15/54 collect liquid from there by capillary action. This liquid is attracted to more central portions of the heating element. Electrical connections are provided in the heating element that allow the passage of electrical current, producing the necessary heating to vaporize the liquid trapped in the porous structure of the heating element. The steam is delivered to the vaporization chamber for collection by the air flow along the air flow channel. Alternatively, the heating current may comprise eddy currents generated by electromagnetic induction, requiring an electromagnet to produce an alternating magnetic field quickly which penetrates the steam producing element.
[0045] Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of various components of an example of an atomizer of this format. Figures 3 to 6 show perspective views of the components represented in Figure 2 at different stages of assembly.
[0046] The atomizer 160 comprises a first carrier component (first part) 101 and a second carrier component (second part) 102. These two components 101, 102 play a role in supporting a planar heating element 103 and in that regard , can sometimes be referred to as a heating element cradle. Thus, the first and second components 101, 102 shown in Figure 2 may, for convenience, and taking into account the orientation shown in the figures, also be referred to as an upper cradle 101 and a lower cradle 102. The atomizer 160 further comprises the element heating element 103, a first electrical contact element 104 to connect to a first end of the heating element
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16/54 heating 103 and a second electrical contact element 105 for connecting to a second end of heating element 103.
[0047] The components of the upper and lower cradle 101, 102 can be molded from a plastic material with a high content of fiberglass (for example, 50%) to provide greater rigidity and resistance to high temperatures, for example, temperatures around 230 degrees centigrade. The respective upper and lower cradle components are largely speaking of a generally semicircular cross section (albeit with variations in size and shape along their lengths, as discussed later). Each cradle component is provided with a recess 120 (visible only for the lower cradle component 102 in Figure 2), running its length over what would otherwise be its flatter faces, so that when the two cradle components are assembled to sandwich the heating element 103 as discussed later, they form a cradle with a generally tubular configuration with an airflow path (defined by the respective recesses 120) running through the interior of the tube and in which the heating element 103 is willing. The airflow path formed by the two recesses 120 comprises the vaporization chamber of the atomizer 160.
[0048] The first and second electrical contact elements 104, 105 can be formed of a sheet metal material, for example, comprising strips of copper formed in an appropriate shape, taking into account the shape and configuration of the other elements of the apparatus , according to manufacturing techniques
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17/54 conventional, or may comprise conventional flexible wiring.
[0049] The flat heating element 103 is formed from a sintered metal fiber material and is generally in the form of a sheet. However, it should be noted that other porous conductive materials can also be used. In this particular example, the heating element 103 comprises a main portion 103A with electrical contact extensions 103B at each end to connect to the respective electrical contact elements 104, 105. In this example, the main portion 103A of the heating element is generally rectangular. with a longitudinal dimension (i.e., in a direction that runs between the electrical contact extensions 103B) of about 20 mm, and a width of about 8 mm. The longitudinal dimension corresponds to the direction of the air flow through the vaporization chamber (note that, in other examples, the longitudinal dimension does not have to be the longest dimension of the heating element). The thickness of the sheet comprising the heating element 103 in this example is about 0.15 mm. As can be seen in Figure 2, the generally rectangular main portion 103A of the heating element 103 has a plurality of openings in the form of slits that extend inwardly on each of the longest sides (sides parallel to the longitudinal direction). The slits extend inwards by about 4.8 mm and are about 0.6 mm wide. The inward extending slits are separated by about 5.4 mm from each other on each side of the heating element, with the inward extending slits being displaced from each other by about half that spacing. In others
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18/54 words, the grooves are positioned alternately along the longitudinal sides. A consequence of this arrangement of cracks in the heating element is that the current flow along the heating element is effectively forced to follow a winding path that results in a concentration of current and therefore electrical energy at the ends of the cracks. The different current / energy densities at different locations of the heating element provide areas of relatively high current density that get hotter than areas of relatively low current density. This provides the heating element with a different temperature range and increases temperature gradients, which may be desirable in the context of aerosol delivery systems. This is because different components of a source liquid can aerosolize / vaporize at different temperatures, so providing a heating element with a temperature range can help to aerosolize a variety of different components in the source liquid simultaneously.
[0050] A process for assembling the components shown in Figure 2 to provide an atomizer 160 such as for use in a cartridge assembly 30 of an electronic cigarette 10 is now described with reference to Figures 3 to 6.
[0051] As can be seen in Figure 3, the first and second electrical contact elements 104, 105 were mounted on the lower cradle component 102 and the heating element 103 is shown above the lower cradle component 102 ready to be placed in the place. The second electrical contact element 105 is mounted on a second end of the component
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19/54 of lower cradle 102 (the leftmost end of the orientation in Figure 3). One end of the second electrical contact element 105 provides a second clip portion of the electrical contact element 105A to receive one of the electrical contact extensions 103B of the heating element 103, while the other end of the second electrical contact element 105 extends to away from the lower cradle component 102 as shown in the figure. The first electrical contact element 104 is mounted to run along the length of the lower cradle component 102 adjacent to a wall of the recess 120. One end of the first electrical contact element 104 extends outwardly from the second end of the lower cradle component 102 as shown schematically in the figure. The other end of the first electrical contact element 104 provides a first clip portion of the electrical contact element 105A disposed at the first end of the lower cradle component 102 (rightmost end in Figure 3) to receive the other of the electrical contact extensions 103B of the heating element 103.
[0052] An upper surface of the lower cradle component 102 comprises a plurality of locating pins 110 which align with the slots in the heating element discussed above and the corresponding locating holes in the upper cradle 101 (not shown in the figures). These locating pins are to help align the upper cradle 101 with the lower cradle 102 and to help align the heating element 103 with respect to the upper and lower cradles 102 when assembled.
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[0053] Figure 4 shows the heating element 103 mounted on the lower cradle 102 containing the first and second electrical contact elements 104, 105. The heating element 103 is mounted on the lower cradle simply by being placed on the upper surface of the lower cradle with the locating pins 110 aligned with the slots of the heating element 103. Slightly elevated portions of the upper surface of the lower cradle 102 provide location walls 111 in the vicinity of the electrical contact extensions 103B at each end of the heating element 103 to further help to align the heating element. In this example, the locating walls are separated by slightly more than the size of the heating element and the locating pins are slightly smaller than the size of the slits, so that the heating element is free to move a little in the horizontal plane, for example, about 0.1 mm. This allows for thermal expansion and contraction when the heating element is in use to help prevent buckling. The first and second clip portions of the electrical contact element 104A, 105A are folded down to secure the respective electrical contact extensions 103B at each end of the heating element 103, thereby providing an electrical connection between the portions of the electrical contact elements 104, 105 extending away from the lower cradle component 102 and the ends of the heating element 103. In this example, the electrical connections between the electrical contact elements 104, 105 and the heating element 103 depend only on physical contact, but in other technical implementations they can be used, for example, welding or welding.
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[0054] Figure 5 shows the lower cradle component 102, first and second electrical contact elements 104, 105 and heating element 103 combined, as shown in Figure 4, but with the other cradle component 101 shown ready to be mounted to the lower cradle component.
[0055] Figure 6 schematically shows the upper cradle component 101 mounted on the lower cradle component 102 (and other elements shown in Figure 4) to provide an assembled atomizer 160. The upper cradle component 101 is mounted on the lower cradle component 102 by simply placing them together with the locating pins 110 of the lower cradle component aligned with the corresponding locating holes (not shown) in the upper cradle component 101. As can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, the locating pins 110 each is provided with a shoulder 110A. The lugs 110A have a height above the upper surface of the lower cradle component 102 which corresponds to the height of the location walls 111, but is slightly greater than the thickness of the heating element 103. The lugs 110A are dimensioned and arranged to fall inside the slots of the heating element. However, the corresponding location holes in the upper cradle are sized only to receive the location pins, not their shoulders. Thus, when the upper cradle component 101 is mounted on the lower cradle component 102, they are separated by a gap 200 corresponding to the height of the shoulders 110A and the location walls 111. The gap is greater than the thickness of the heating element, therefore the heating element is sandwiched between the upper and lower cradle components, instead of being
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22/54 fixed in place. As noted above, this loose assembly of the heating element must allow for thermal expansion and contraction of the heating element during use.
[0056] Thus, the assembled atomizer 160 is generally tubular with a central passage that forms a vaporization chamber defined by the respective recesses 120 in the upper and lower conveyor components, providing an air flow path through the atomizer that will connect to an entrance and an air outlet in a complete electronic cigarette. In use, atomizer 160 is annularly surrounded by the source liquid reservoir. The space 200 is in fluid communication with the reservoir and therefore provides capillary channels that extend along both sides of the heating element 103 and through which the source liquid can be drawn from the reservoir to the heating element where it enters in the pores of the heating element for vaporization to generate steam in the vaporization chamber 120 during use. The passing air collects the vapor to generate an aerosol to be extracted from the vaporization chamber and along an additional part of the airflow path through the electronic cigarette 10 to exit through the air outlet as the user inhales the cigarette. electronic 10.
[0057] When installed in an electronic cigarette, an atomizer can be arranged so that the longitudinal dimension of the heating element, corresponding to the direction of the air flow through the upstream and downstream ends, is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis electronic cigarette to an end-to-end device, such as the example of
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Figure 1, or at least the longitudinal axis of the cartridge component in a device side by side with an energy component disposed next to a cartridge component. This is not mandatory, however, and in the current description, the term longitudinal refers to the dimensions and orientation of the atomizer, in particular the dimension of the heating element along the airflow path from an atomizer inlet at the end upstream of the atomizer, and through the vaporization chamber to the atomizer outlet at the downstream end of the atomizer.
[0058] Figure 7 shows a side view in highly simplified longitudinal cross section of the example atomizer 160 in use, in which the section is orthogonal to the plane of the heating element 103. The upper and lower components of cradle 101 and 102 (or similar housing to form the vaporization chamber and support the heater) form outer walls that divide the interior of atomizer 160 from the surrounding reservoir 3. The interior forms vaporization chamber 120. The heating element 103, which is shown on the edge, is extends longitudinally through the vaporization chamber 120 and generates steam in the vaporization chamber, as discussed. An upstream end (shown on the left) of the vaporization chamber 120 connects with an upstream part of the airflow channel through the electronic cigarette, leading from one or more air inlets. A downstream end (shown at right) of the vaporization chamber 120 connects to a downstream part of the airflow channel, leading to the outlet of air from the nozzle. Both ends of the vaporization chamber are open on both sides of the heating element 103.
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Consequently, when a user inhales through the air outlet, the air sucked through the inlets enters the vaporization chamber 120 and follows a longitudinal path, capable of flowing over the two surfaces of the flat heating element 103 before recombining at the opposite end to travel for the air outlet. This is shown by arrows A in the figure. Therefore, the length of the path through the vaporization chamber 120 and on the surfaces of the heating element is relatively long, effectively comprising the entire length of the heating element 103. The flowing air is therefore capable of collecting a large amount vapor, which condenses to form aerosol droplets. The droplets formed at the upstream end of the vaporization chamber must travel the entire length of the vaporization chamber / heating element and, in the course of that journey, may grow in excess size.
[0059] To resolve this, it is proposed to change the air flow path to reduce the length of the journey through the vaporization chamber, while maintaining a given geometry of the heater and the vaporization chamber, for example, to maintain the high level of steam production achievable from the relatively large heater surface provided by the configuration of the porous planar heater. The airflow path is modified to reduce the amount of time that any air molecule traveling along the path spends in a region in which it is capable of collecting steam (a region in the vaporization chamber in which steam is supplied by the heater). This time is the dwell time or retention time T, given by T = D / V, where D is the length of the airflow path through a vapor collection region and V is the airflow velocity. over
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25/54 that way. For example, for a given airflow speed resulting from a typical electronic cigarette inhalation, the residence time can be reduced by reducing the path length. In various embodiments, the airflow path is configured so that air flows through a shorter or smaller region or volume of the vaporization chamber compared to an unmodified geometry (as in the arrangement in Figure 7, for example) . In some configurations, several smaller airflow paths can be provided in different regions of the vaporization chamber, in order to access as much steam as possible, reducing the residence time and, therefore, the droplet size. In either case, the (or each) portion of the airflow path in which the vapor collection takes place occupies a smaller volume of the vaporization chamber in relation to the total volume of the vaporization chamber.
[0060] Figure 8 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of an atomizer in which the airflow path has been modified, again orthogonal to the heater plane. The air flow A, which is still generally along the longitudinal direction from the upstream end of the atomizer to the downstream end, is deflected so as to pass through the heating element 103 on the first side (upper as shown) 103a from the heating element 103 to the second side (bottom as shown) 103b, opposite, from the heating element 103. The air flow path now includes a generally cross section 40, where it passes through the heating element 103. Before and after of this transverse part 40 are longitudinal portions 42, 44 of the air flow path.
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[0061] In addition to the modified airflow path, the proportion of transit through the vaporization chamber 120 during which the air that is capable of collecting vapor is reduced, as described below. Thus, the opportunity for aerosol droplet overgrowth is limited and the maximum droplet size can be kept lower. This is achieved by at least partially restricting the collection of steam to part of the air flow, including the transverse passage through the heating element and minimizing the collection of steam elsewhere. Therefore, the cross section 40 of the air flow path is designated as a vapor collection portion and the longitudinal sections 42, 44 of the air flow path are designated as transport portions, along which the air flows without significant change in its aerosol fraction (less steam is collected here than in the steam collection portion).
[0062] To achieve this difference in the collection of steam between the different parts of the airflow path, physical structures can be introduced in the atomizer 160, so that the air flowing along the transport parts of the path reduces exposure to vapor in the vaporizers of the chamber 120. The structures act to deflect the air flow to create the transverse flow through the heating element 103 and to partition the interior of the atomizer to provide distinct regions of the vaporization chamber 120.
[0063] The physical structures may comprise separate components for insertion into an atomizer, as in the example in Figures 2-6, or they may be formed integrally with the components of the atomizer, for example, as characteristics of
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27/54 surface molded on the inner surface of the upper and / or lower cradle components 101, 102.
[0064] Therefore, in embodiments, one or more plenum chambers are provided within the atomizer. Each plenum chamber is separated from the vaporization chamber 120 by a wall or other structure, but is within the longitudinal extent of the vaporization chamber 120 and / or the heating element 103, transversely spaced from either surface 103a, 103b of the element of heating. A pressure chamber receives air that enters the atomizer 160 from the upstream side, or supplies air to the downstream side of the atomizer 160. In addition, it communicates with the vaporization chamber 120 to supply air to or collect the aerosol-carrying air from the transverse vapor collection portion 40. Separating a plenum chamber from vaporization chamber 120 provides a reduced level of vapor in the plenum chamber, so that the aerosol fraction of the air is not significantly altered by passage through the plenum chamber, while air is still propagated in a longitudinal direction usually downstream to reach its journey from the air inlet to the outlet of the nozzle.
[0065] Figure 9 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of an atomizer provided with plenum chambers, to illustrate how the addition of partition walls inside the atomizer can deflect the airflow path to create a cross section and also create plenum chambers separate from the vaporization chamber. In this simple example, there are two plenum chambers - a first plenum chamber 122 spaced
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28/54 of the first upper side 103a of the heating element 103 through which the air travels in a first transport portion 42 of the air flow path through the atomizer 160 and a second plenum chamber 124 spaced from the second lower side 103b of the heating element 103 through which the air travels in a second transport portion 44 of the air flow path through atomizer 160. Between the transport portions there is the transverse portion 40 of the air flow path in which the air passes through vaporization chamber 120 including the passage through the heating element 103, in order to collect the steam generated by the heating element.
[0066] The first plenum chamber 122 is bounded by a separation wall 126 that extends in the longitudinal direction of the inlet end of the atomizer 160 to a midpoint along the length of the atomizer 160, the wall being spaced in the transverse direction from both the heating element 130 and the upper outer wall 101 of the atomizer 160. The region between the upper surface 103a of the heating element 103 and the separation wall 126 can accumulate steam expelled from the heating element 103, so that it remains part of the vaporization chamber 120. The region between the separation wall 126 and the internal surface of the external wall 101 is protected from significant vapor entry and thus forms the plenum chamber 122 through which air can travel with a collection reduced steam. Once the air reaches the end of the separation wall 126, it exits the plenum chamber and enters the vaporization chamber 120 to collect steam during the vapor collection portion 40 of the path. To direct the incoming air to the plenum chamber 122 and prevent it from entering
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29/54 in the vaporization compartment 120, an end wall 128 closes the upstream end of the atomizer 160, except for an entrance to the plenum chamber 122.
[0067] Likewise, the second plenum chamber 124 is bounded by a separation wall 132 that extends from a midpoint along the length of the atomizer 160 to the outlet end of the atomizer 160, the wall being pushed in the direction section of the heating element 103 and the lower outer wall 102 of the atomizer 160. The region between the lower surface 103b of the heating element 103 and the separation wall 132 forms part of the vaporization chamber 120 while the region between the separation wall 132 and the inner surface of the lower outer wall 102 forms the second plenum chamber 124. After passing through the vapor collection portion 44, the air leaves the vaporization chamber 120 and enters the second pressure chamber 124, through which the air travels with reduced vapor collection in the second transport portion 44 before leaving the downstream end of the atomizer 160. A second end wall 130 closes the downstream end of the atomizer, except the exit of the second plenum chamber 124, to help divert the air leaving the first plenum chamber 122 towards the vapor collection portion 40 and the second transport portion 44 from the air flow path.
[0068] The example in Figure 9 is particularly simple, and more complex structures can be positioned inside the atomizer to form the necessary airflow path.
[0069] Figure 10 shows a longitudinal sectional view of another example of atomizer 160. This example is configured
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30/54 to take better advantage of the amount of steam generated by the flat heating element, causing air to pass through a larger proportion of the vaporization chamber to collect steam. However, instead of having a single long airflow path through the vaporization chamber as in Figure 7, with the associated risk of aerosol droplet growth, the example in Figure 10 provides multiple shorter airflow paths parallel through the vaporization chamber. The incoming air is separated into several streams, each of which has its own transverse vapor collection portion 40 through a different part of the vaporization chamber 120 and the heating element 103, and which are then recombined to leave the atomizer . Thus, long flow paths are avoided while still allowing the collection of steam from a substantial longitudinal extension of the heating element 103. A greater amount of aerosol is delivered, preventing or reducing the excessive droplet size.
[0070] The example in Figure 10 differs from the example in Figure 9 in that the two separation walls 126, 132 dividing the plenum chambers 122, 124 of the vaporization chamber 120 extend the total length of the atomizer 160 from the upstream end wall 128 to downstream end wall 130. In addition, each separation wall 126, 132 has a plurality of openings 134, spaced along the longitudinal dimension. Each of the openings 134 in the upper partition wall 126 is an outlet from the first pressure chamber 12, two in the vaporization chamber 120, and each of the openings 134 in the lower partition wall 132 is an entrance to the second plenum chamber 124 from the vaporization chamber 120.
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Thus, the air entering A drawn into the electronic cigarette reaches the atomizer and enters the first plenum chamber 122. A fraction of the air leaves the first plenum chamber 122 through the first opening 134 to enter the vaporization chamber 120, the air remainder continues in the longitudinal direction until the second opening 134, where an additional fraction goes out to the vaporization chamber 120 and so on. This example has four openings 134 in each partition wall, but a different number of openings can be used as needed. The openings 134 in the upper partition wall 126 act to divide the incoming air flow into four parts, each of which follows a separate transverse vapor collection path 40 through the heating element 103 from the first side 103a to the second side 103b. The corresponding openings 134 in the second separation wall 132 allow each fraction of air to leave the vaporization chamber 120 and enter the second plenum chamber 124, where the four parts are recombined in a single air stream to leave the atomizer and proceed to the mouthpiece. Each fraction of the air stream crosses a different length from each plenum chamber, so it passes through a different amount of the first and second transport paths 42, 44, although for each fraction the total length of the transport path 42, 44 (first second) is approximately the same.
[0071] Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional view of an atomizer configured like the example in Figure 9 or Figure 10. It shows the generally circular cross-section of atomizer 160 and shows that the partition walls 126, 132 can be configured to have a cross section generally
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32/54 arched, curving inwardly in opposition to the outer curvature of the outer walls 101, 102 of atomizer 106 to give a generally oval cross section for plenum chambers 122, 124. The transverse air path A is represented, flowing from the first plenum chamber 122 through the vaporization chamber 120 to the second plenum chamber 124. This is just one example, however, and the partition walls 126, 132 can take another shape (such as flat, for example) , as well as the outer walls 101, 102. The outer walls and the separating walls can be formed integrally, as molded in a single piece. Alternatively, the separation walls can be formed as plates for insertion into the atomizer, for example, sliding into slots or other receiving and support recesses formed on the inner surface of the outer walls 101, 102.
[0072] Figure 12 shows a cross-sectional view of another example of atomizer. In this example, an additional separation wall 135 is provided in each plenum chamber 122, 124 to subdivide the chamber into two smaller plenum chambers, which are adjacent in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the heating element 103 and orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. . Air can enter the two plenum chambers, allowing the airflow to be divided into two A halves spaced in a second dimension orthogonal to the division provided by the longitudinally spaced openings 134 in the example in Figure 10. Thus, the collection of steam in the vaporization chamber is distributed by the dimension of the width of the heating element (where width indicates only a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and does not imply any size
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33/54 relative of these two dimensions of the heating element). In addition, an additional subdivision can be incorporated to produce additional plenum chambers, each of which may have any number of longitudinally spaced openings connecting to the vaporization chamber. In addition, some degree of subdivision can be provided simply by openings in the partition wall 126, 132 that are spaced orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, without the need for other partition walls 135. Thus, the airflow path through an atomizer it can be divided into multiple transversal vapor collection paths 40, distributed along the heating element area 103 in both length and width directions to maximize the collection of steam.
[0073] So far, the examples have relatively simple partitioning by physical structures to separate the plenum chambers from the vaporization chamber and form the desired airflow path. To some extent, there will be a dependence on the pressure difference along the general air channel through the electronic cigarette when a user inhales to draw air in the required direction. The vaporization chamber is largely an open volume and, in some cases, air may not follow the shortest path through the heating element from the first plenum chamber to the second plenum chamber. Some lateral displacement can occur (in a plane approximately parallel to the heating element), providing a longer residence time in the vaporization chamber and the chance of the aerosol drops increasing to an unwanted size.
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[0074] Therefore, other examples may include physical structures that provide additional guidance for the air flowing to maintain the closest flow along the desired path (s) and / or partition the vaporization chamber to limit lateral movement of air. The structures can take the form of deflectors, vanes, walls, fins, blades, recesses, cavities or other configurations.
[0075] Figure 13 shows a longitudinal sectional view of an example of an atomizer configured in this way. In this example, which shows a single opening 134 on each wall of the plenum chamber 126, 132 for simplicity, an inclined wall 136 closes the first plenum chamber 122 after opening 134. This directs all air into the vaporization chamber and prevents the accumulation of air at the closed downstream end of the first plenum chamber 122. Likewise, an inclined wall 138 closes the second plenum chamber 124 upstream of the opening 134, to prevent air from entering the end upstream of the second chamber plenum and direct the air to protect the air outlet at the downstream end. The slope of these walls provides some aerodynamics, providing a smoother air flow. In addition, deflectors 140 are provided at the edges of the openings 134, projecting slightly into the vaporization chamber. These inhibit the lateral movement of the air to ensure that more air makes the desired travel from the first plenum chamber 122 to the second plenum chamber 124 by the transverse path through the vaporization chamber 120.
[0076] Figure 14 shows a longitudinal sectional view of an example of an atomizer configured with a
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35/54 partitioned vaporization. The separating walls 126, 132 that form the plenum chambers 122, 124 in this example have three openings 134 connected to the vaporization chamber 120. In addition, a dividing wall 142 extends from the separating walls 126, 132 between each pair of adjacent openings 134 , in the vaporization chamber 120, to subdivide the vaporization chamber into separate regions, one for each of the transverse vapor collection paths 40. Each partition wall 134 in this example approaches the heating element 103, but does not touch it. This can reduce the heating of the partition walls 142 by direct thermal transfer of the heating element 103. In other examples, it may be acceptable for the partition walls to come into contact with the heating element 103, to provide insulation of the regions of the vaporization chamber. of others. Alternatively or additionally, the partition walls 142 may extend into the vaporization chamber of the side or end walls of the atomizer, instead of the partition walls 126, 132. For spaced cross paths along the width of the heating element, there may be walls dividers spaced in this dimension. The partition walls 142 can be integrally formed with the various other walls, such as by molding, or they can be manufactured separately and assembled afterwards. For example, the partition walls can be connected at their edges or at the intersections in a single element that defines a plurality of separate cells, one for each transverse path, which is simply placed above and below the heating element, in the assembly of the heating components. an atomizer like the example in Figures 2 to 6. Alternatively, the partition walls may protrude from a plate
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36/54 that forms the separation wall, providing a single element for insertion in an upper or lower part of the vaporization chamber.
[0077] Figure 15 shows a cross section of an atomizer 106 having partition walls 142 which are spaced along the width of the heating element 103.
[0078] Figure 16A shows a perspective view of a first example of insertion partition element 144 for dividing the vaporization chamber, either above or below the heating element, and providing ten regions for the vaporization chamber. The walls 142 of insert 144 are connected at their intersections. Figure 16B shows a perspective view of a second example of insertion partition element 144, providing three regions and with walls 142 connected around the perimeter of the insertion. Clearly, the relative shapes and positions of the walls 142 may differ from these examples, to fit the configuration of other parts of an atomizer. As mentioned, the partition walls 142 can be supported on a plate that forms a partition wall 126, 132 to define a plenum chamber; this plate is indicated in phantom in Figure 16A. The partition walls can be thought of as fins or vanes that extend from the surface of the plate that forms the separation wall, where the plate can be flat or non-flat, such as curved, arched or concave or convex.
[0079] The examples above should not be considered as limiting. Many other configurations of the physical structure to divide the plenum chambers of the vaporization chamber, partition the vaporization chamber, guide the air along the
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37/54 desired flow path, smoothing the air flow and closing possible dead ends will be readily apparent to the skilled person and are considered within the scope of this disclosure.
[0080] As noted above, a steam generating element, like the flat heating element of the device from Figure 2 to Figure 6, comprises a porous sheet-like material. Therefore, the air is able to pass through the steam generating element through its pores to pass through the transverse vapor collecting portion of the airflow path through the atomizer. The individual pore size, the pore density (porosity) and the thickness of the steam generating element are factors that will dictate how easy it is for air to be sucked through the heating element, and therefore how much the user have to inhale the electronic cigarette. This required inhalation force known as resistance to aspiration. In some cases, it may be that the structure of the porous sheet produces an aspiration resistance that is considered to be very high; a user will need to inhale with inconvenient force to draw air through the electronic cigarette. Therefore, in some examples, it is proposed that the steam generating element be provided with one or more openings (through holes from one side of the sheet to the other) in addition to the pores.
[0081] These openings, of which one or more can be provided, will have at least one dimension in the plane of the sheet heating element which is greater than the largest pore width in the porous sheet material. Alternatively, the size of the opening can be selected so that a section area
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38/54 cross-section of the (or each) opening is greater than the largest pore cross-sectional area in the porous sheet material. Alternatively, it may be more convenient to define that a dimension or cross-sectional area of an opening is greater than an average width or average cross-sectional area of the pores in the porous sheet material. For example, the size of the opening (dimension or cross-sectional area) can be specified as at least twice, at least three times, at least five times, at least ten times, at least 20 times, at least 50 times or in at least 100 times the width or cross-sectional area of the larger or medium pore. This proportion of larger openings to smaller pores allows air to pass more easily through the heating element, preserving the capillary absorption properties of the porous structure of the heating element.
[0082] In addition, the total cross-sectional area of the openings can be considered. To allow a comfortable puff when inhaling the electronic cigarette and to provide a relatively low pressure drop in the heating element, it is proposed that the total cross-sectional area of all openings in the heating element should be at least 0.5 mm ² . This is the area of the openings as offered to the air that passes through the heating element transversely.
[0083] Going back to the atomizer example of Figures 2 to 6, the heating element 103 is provided with slits that extend inwardly from the two longest edges. Although these slits are used to align the heating element 103 on the cradle components 101, 102 by using the
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39/54 teeth 110, and also to create a serpentine current path to produce a temperature range from the element when heated, it is proposed that they can also be used as openings to facilitate the passage of air through the element heating.
[0084] As an example, it is noted above that the atomizer of Figure 2 can have a longitudinal dimension of about 20 mm and a width of about 8 mm. The slits can extend inwards by about 4.8 mm and have a width of about 0.6 mm. Therefore, the total cross-sectional area of the six grooves is 6 x 4.8 mm x 0.6 mm = 17.28 mm ² , comfortably beyond the proposed lower limit above 0.5 mm ² (even when closing is allowed) part of the crack area by the support walls of the cradle components).
[0085] Other sizes, shapes, positions and quantities of openings can be used as desired. Figure 17 shows a plan view of the example heating element having eight openings 150 of approximately circular shape arranged in two lines along the length of the heating element 103. The openings 150 can be aligned through the lines, as in Figure 17, or they can be staggered along the two lines, as shown in Figure 18. The openings need not be circular; other forms can be used. More than two lines, or a single line, can also be used. For example, Figure 19 shows a plan view of a heating element 103 having slit-shaped openings 150 in a single line along the center of the heating element. These various opening arrangements will shift the current path towards a form of
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40/54 serpentine, as in the slit example in Figure 2, although in each case the path is different. The openings can be chosen to adapt the current path and the resulting heating profile through the heating element and provide a desired number of parallel transverse air paths and a desired suction resistance.
[0086] In an atomiser equipped with partition walls (like the examples in Figures 13-16) and openings in the heating element, the partition walls can be arranged in order to partition the vaporization chamber with reference to the openings, for example, providing a region of the vaporization chamber by opening.
[0087] Figure 20 shows a plan view of a slotted heating element 103, as in the example of Figure 2, with dotted lines to show a possible location of partition walls 142. The vaporization chamber is thus divided into six regions, each coinciding with one of the slits 150. The separation walls that form the plenum chambers can be provided with openings aligned with each region / opening to supply air to and from the regions of the vaporization chamber to travel along each of the steam collection parts of the airflow path. Air will pass through the curved inner ends of the slits 150, since the outer ends are blocked by the alignment teeth and the support edges of the cradle walls when the heating element is installed in an atomizer cradle.
[0088] Figure 21 shows a plan view of another example of slotted heating element 103, as in the example of
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Figure 2, with solid lines showing the location of the partition walls 142. Each wall is adjusted at an angle to extend through the heating element 103 from the base of a slot 150 to the base of an adjacent slot 150, reaching the edge of the vaporization chamber, as indicated by the dashed lines that show where the heating element passes through the walls of the vaporization chamber to reach the reservoir. In this way, each section of the vaporization chamber, corresponding to an individual crack, is isolated from the other sections so that air cannot flow from one to the other. The shape and configuration of the walls 142 is such that it directs the air leaving the upper plenum chamber through an opening or openings 134 in the upper partition wall aligned with a slot 150 to flow through that slot (represented by the arrows converging to the left of the figure). Once through the slit, the air flow can diverge, to be collected through one or more openings 134 in the lower separation wall also aligned with the slit, in order to enter the lower plenum chamber (represented by the diverging arrows to the right of the figure). Although the air flow is represented for only two slits, in reality, the air will converge and diverge in each slit, with air supply and collection for the steam collection portions corresponding to each slit, made possible by the openings in the separation walls. for each plenum chamber. Observe the shape of the openings 134, two of which are indicated only in the figure by dotted lines. Each opening has an arched profile reflecting and following the curved end of its corresponding slot 150, but not overlapping the slot. In other words, the edge of the opening is offset from the end
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42/54 of the slit in the general direction of the air flow along the air flow path to and from the plenum chambers. In the upper partition wall, the opening edge is displaced in the direction of the upstream air flow and in the lower partition wall the opening edge is displaced in the direction of the downstream air flow. In this way, the air can follow an inclined path along the steam collection portion, being generally directed through a part of the heater, in order to have the opportunity to collect more steam compared to a direct vertical path through the slit, that can arise if the openings and cracks are overlapping. At other edges, including along the partition walls 142 and at the edge of the vaporization chamber (dashed line), the openings follow these edges. Other forms of opening can be used, if preferred. The edges of the opening can be spaced into the walls, for example, and the curved edge can be shaped differently to correspond to a different end of the slot.
[0089] The examples discussed above suggested the use of one or more plenum chambers above and below the steam generating element. However, the proposed modified airflow path can be supported at least to some extent with a plenum chamber or chambers provided only on one side of the steam generating element. Therefore, an atomizer may comprise a single plenum chamber above or below the steam generating element, a plenum chamber on either side of the steam generating element or at least two plenum chambers on one side together with none, one or more plenum chambers on the other side. A different number of plenum chambers can be provided on each side of the steam generating element. For example, a plurality
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43/54 of plenum chambers on the upstream side of the atomizer can act to split the received airflow into several transverse air flows to pass through the steam generating element, while a single plenum chamber on the downstream side can collect and recombine these multiple air flows to the atomizer outlet.
[0090] The above examples suggested that a plenum chamber upstream is above the heating element and a plenum chamber downstream below the heating element, but the opposite arrangement can be used, and the concept of above and below loses context in an assembled electronic cigarette that can be held at any angular rotation by the user. Therefore, the more general terms first side of the steam generating element and second side of the steam generating element are more relevant, where the two sides are opposite each other. The inlet end upstream of the atomizer and the outlet side downstream of the atomizer are arranged to communicate with opposite sides of the steam generating element and can be associated with the first side or the second side. Likewise, the steam generating element, being flat, has a first surface on its first side and a second opposite surface on its second side.
[0091] Flat porous steam generating elements, such as heating elements suitable for use in the atomizer, according to examples of the present disclosure, can be formed by stamping or cutting (such as laser cutting) as required from a sheet greater porous material. This may include
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44/54 stamping, cutting or removing material to create openings, as described above.
[0092] The heating elements can, for example, be made of a conductive material which is a porous non-woven sintered fabric structure comprising metallic fibers, such as stainless steel fibers. For example, stainless steel may be AISI (American Iron and Steel Institute) 316L (corresponding to European standard 1.4404). The weight of the material can be in the range of 100 - 300 g / m ² . Its porosity can be greater than 50% or greater than 70%, where the porosity is the volume of air per volume of the material, with a corresponding density less than 50% or less than 30%, where density is the volume of fibers per volume of the material. The thickness of the material can be in the range of 75 250 pm. A typical fiber diameter can be about 12 pm and a typical average pore size (void size between fibers) can be about 32 pm. An example of such a material is the porous metal fiber medium Bekipor (RTM) ST manufactured by NV Bekaert SA, Belgium, with a variety of porous nonwoven fiber matrix materials manufactured by sintering stainless steel fibers.
[0093] The present disclosure is not limited to heating elements made from such material and is widely applicable to heating elements made from flat porous conductive materials, including porous ceramic material. In addition, materials suitable for generating steam by vibration can also be used as needed, depending on the operating regime of the steam generating element. Also note that while the material is described as flat,
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45/54 this refers to the relative dimensions of the sheet material and the heating elements (a thickness often less than the length and / or width), but does not necessarily indicate flatness, in particular the final heating element made of the material. A heating element can be flat, but it can alternatively be formed from sheet material in a non-flat shape, such as curved, wavy, corrugated, ridged, grooved or made concave and / or convex. In addition, embodiments can be implemented with steam generating elements that are not flat, but cylindrical (such as molded from ceramic) or configured as an elongated coil. A sufficiently open structure or openings may be included to allow transverse air flow to the vapor collection portion, or the air flow may not pass through the heating element. In addition, more than one steam generating element can be included, for example, arranged in a matrix so that each element supplies steam to a different part of the volume of the vaporization chamber.
[0094] The above examples were largely confined to arrangements in which the vapor collection portions of the airflow path are transverse and pass through the steam generating element, and the transport portions of the airflow path are longitudinal, as they are substantially parallel, but spaced from the plane of the heating element. However, neither of these conditions is necessary and a reduced dwell time for the collection of steam can be implemented without one or both airflow settings.
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[0095] Figure 22 shows a longitudinal sectional view of another example of atomizer 160, in which at least part of the airflow path through the plenum chambers (the transport portion (s)) does not it is longitudinal in relation to the plane of the heater 103. The example is similar to the atomizer of Figure 10, but the plenum chambers 122 and 124 are additionally modeled by inner walls that form funnel shapes. A longitudinal part of the upper plenum chamber 122 connects to the necks of two funnels 200, so that the air A in the plenum chamber can enter either funnel and flow along the neck in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, towards the heater 103. The bottlenecks of the funnel lead to mouths of the funnel, formed by inclined walls that extend to the separation wall 126, in which several openings 134 are defined as before. Each mouth of the funnel comprises three openings 134 (in this example), so that the air traveling in a plenum funnel 200 is divided into three parts to travel through the vaporization chamber 120 and the heater 103. Therefore, each funnel feeds three steam collection portions. On the second side of the heater 103, the second separation wall 128 has a corresponding set of openings 134 to collect air from the steam collection portions and allow it to travel, still in an orthogonal direction, to the mouths of a second pair of funnels 200 in the second plenum chamber 124, arranged opposite the funnels in the first plenum chamber 122. The second funnels 200 converge to the necks of the funnel that discharge the air in a common passage of the second plenum chamber 124 in which the air flows longitudinally to leave the atomizer 160. So in this example, a proportion of the air flow in the plenum chambers
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47/54 (the transport portions of the airflow path through the atomizer) follow a non-longitudinal direction. It should be noted that plenum chambers can be readily shaped and configured in a variety of different arrangements that provide airflow paths in a different direction from the longitudinal to the transport portions, while still providing air to and collecting air from ( s) steam collection portion (s). Therefore, the disclosure is not limited with respect to the direction of the air flow in the transport portions, in relation to the orientation of the atomizer components.
[0096] Figure 23 shows a longitudinal sectional view of another example of atomizer 160, in which the air flow path in the vapor collection portion does not pass through the steam generating element. In this example, the vaporization chamber 120 is broadly defined only on the first side of the heater 103 and a single plenum chamber 122 is also provided on the first side of the heater 103. The separation wall 126 has a first and second opening 134, so that the air A that enters the atomizer 101 flows along the plenum chamber in a first transport portion 42, leaves a first opening 134 to enter the vaporization chamber 120, travels through the vaporization chamber 120 in a collection portion of steam 40 and is pulled back into the plenum chamber 122 through a second opening 134 to flow along a second transport portion 44 in the plenum chamber 122 until it leaves the atomizer. In this way, air is trapped only on the upper side of the heating element 103, and does not flow through it. The deflectors 140 extend from the edges of the openings 134 to the vaporization chamber 120 to help direct the air flow along the intended path. This one
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48/54 plenum chamber shape can be mirrored on the second side of the heating element 103 to provide a second airflow path. It should be noted again that the plenum chambers can be shaped and configured in other ways that provide air flow through the atomizer, in which the vapor collection portion does not comprise transverse air flow through the heating element.
[0097] Therefore, in several examples, the air flow in the vapor collection part can be transverse through the heating element, it can remain on one side of the heating element or it can flow through or around the heating element to move from side to side (air flow around a coil, for example).
[0098] It is also contemplated that the user can adjust the aerosol supply of an atomizer by modifying the vapor collection portion of the airflow path (which can correspondingly also modify the transport portion or parts). If the steam collection portion is changed to change the dwell time, the amount of steam collected and / or the size of the aerosol drop capable of forming can be adjusted according to the user's preference. This can be achieved, for example, by allowing the steam collection portion to be reconfigured to change the length of the airflow path and change the dwell time accordingly. Alternatively, a change in the orifice of the airflow path, such as the size of the openings in the separation wall that leads from the plenum chamber to the vaporization chamber, can change the air velocity as it enters the air collection portion.
Petition 870190118608, of 11/14/2019, p. 65/92
49/54 steam, giving again a change to the dwell time.
One or more movable or adjustable components or elements can be provided to achieve this control.
[0099] Figure 24 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a simple example of atomizer 160 configured to provide adjustment of the aerosol droplet size. An upper plenum chamber 122 with a single opening 134 in its separation wall 126 leading to the vaporization chamber 120 is provided and paired with a lower plenum chamber 124 also with a single opening 134a, to collect air from the vaporization chamber 120 after you have traveled the steam collection portion. However, opening 134a, similar in size to opening 134 in the upper partition wall 126, is located on a sliding plate 202, slidable along the longitudinal direction on the surface of the partition wall 128 that forms the lower plenum chamber 124 The separation wall 128 has an additional opening 134b that has a longitudinal extension greater than the opening 134a in the sliding plate 202, so that when the plate is moved and the position of the opening 134a changes, the opening still opens from the vaporization chamber 120 for the lower plenum chamber 124. In this way, the opening 134a can be moved from an upstream position, close to the first opening 134 of the upper plenum chamber 122, so that the vapor collection portion has a path length relatively short, for a remote downstream position from the first opening 134, so that the vapor collection portion has a longer path length. Intermediate positions can be used to select an intermediate path length. Therefore, the path length of the
Petition 870190118608, of 11/14/2019, p. 66/92
50/54 steam can be changed, to give a corresponding adjustment in the residence time and, therefore, in the size of the aerosol droplets. Sliding plate 202 can be mechanically coupled to a user control (mechanical or electrical) on the outside of the electronic cigarette to allow a user to adjust its position.
[0100] In a similar way, a sliding plate can be provided that slides over the opening 134 in the upper separation wall 126 to partially cover or uncover the opening, so that the size of the opening can be changed, in order to change the speed of the air flow along the steam collection portion to change the dwell time.
[0101] Alternative implementations to change the dwell time allowing the adjustment of the path length and / or airflow speed by the user will be apparent. A variety of moving elements can be used to reconfigure the airflow path through the atomizer.
[0102] In any example, the partition walls, any partition walls and any other deflectors, vanes, fins, blades, cavities and the like can be considered physical structures arranged in the vaporization chamber that act to deflect, modify and / or divide the air flow path to reduce air residence time in the vaporization chamber compared to the same chamber without these physical structures.
[0103] In general, an airflow path through an atomizer has at least one portion that is separate from the
Petition 870190118608, of 11/14/2019, p. 67/92
51/54 vaporization by one or more structures (walls and the like) defining one or more plenum chambers, in order to reduce the time spent in the air vaporization chamber that flows through the atomizer. In the absence of said structures, the residence time for the vaporization chamber would be longer, allowing the aerosol droplets to grow to a larger size. Therefore, the structures, which confine part of the airflow path to the plenum chambers, act to reduce or control the size of the droplets.
[0104] Experimental results have been obtained that demonstrate the reduction in droplet (particle) size that can be obtained using a transverse air flow arrangement through a flat porous heater.
[0105] Figure 25 shows a graph of data measured from two airflow settings. For each configuration, an average droplet diameter (particle) was measured. Data point 53 is the particle diameter obtained using a flat porous heater of the type shown in Figures 2 to 5, configured for airflow substantially parallel to the heater surface and along the entire length of the heater, similar to the arrangement shown in Figure 7. The average diameter measured was 1096.7 nm. On the other hand, data point 54 is the particle diameter obtained using a substantially identical porous flat heater, configured for operation in the same way as arrangement 53, except that the air flow was organized to follow the transverse direction, passing through heater. The measured average diameter was 516.7 nm. Therefore, an airflow path that is configured with a portion of
Petition 870190118608, of 11/14/2019, p. 68/92
52/54 reduced steam collection, in this case passing airflow through a flat porous heater instead of over its surface, can reduce the droplet size to less than half.
[0106] Figure 26 shows graphs of the frequency of occurrence of the particle diameter measured for the parallel airflow arrangement 53 for each of the three operational tests. These data provide the average value of 1096.7 nm, noted above, and show a reasonable consistency of the size of the droplets in various operations of the apparatus.
[0107] Figure 27 shows three corresponding graphs of the measured particle diameter for the transverse airflow arrangements 54. These data provide the average value of 516.7 nm, noted above, and also show the consistency of the droplet size across various device operations. Therefore, the observed decrease of approximately 50% in the droplet size achieved from a transversal air flow is considered a real and repeatable effect.
[0108] In addition to the reduced dwell time discussed above, the smallest droplet size of a transverse air flow can arise from any one or several other effects. Flow through a flat porous heater reduces opportunities for coagulation of droplets (particles) and therefore the formation of larger droplets. In addition, the flow through the porous structure of the heater produces a drag force in the formation of droplets in the normal direction of the heater surface. Smaller drops will suffer less drag, allowing them to be dragged into the airflow more easily than larger drops. Any
Petition 870190118608, of 11/14/2019, p. 69/92
53/54 larger droplets that form can impact the physical structures provided to direct the transverse air flow (walls of the plenum chambers, for example) and therefore be removed from the air flow.
[0109] An atomizer according to the examples above can be included as part of an aerosol-producing component (reusable or disposable), such as a cartomizer or claromizer, for detachable coupling to a section of the battery to form an electronic cigarette or other device steam supply (electronic or non-electronic) or can be directly incorporated into an electronic cigarette or other vapor supply device (electronic or non-electronic) that does not include detachable or separable components.
[0110] The various embodiments described in this document are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed characteristics. These embodiments are provided only as a representative sample of the embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. It should be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, characteristics, structures and / or other aspects described in this document should not be considered limitations in the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims or limitations of equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be used and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist of
Petition 870190118608, of 11/14/2019, p. 70/92
54/54 essentially in appropriate combinations of the elements, components, characteristics, parts, steps, means, etc. disclosed, in addition to those specifically described in this document. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not currently claimed, but which may be claimed in the future.

权利要求:
Claims (22)
[1]
1. Atomizer for a steam supply system characterized by the fact that it comprises:
a vaporization chamber having a volume;
a steam generating element arranged in the vaporization chamber to supply steam in the volume of the vaporization chamber;
at least one plenum chamber separate from the vaporization chamber; and an airflow path through the atomizer comprising:
a steam collection portion through the vaporization chamber smaller than said volume, along which the air travels to collect the steam supplied by the steam generating element; and at least one transport portion through a plenum chamber, the (or each) transport portion providing air to, or collecting air from, the vapor collection portion.
[2]
2. Atomizer, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that:
the steam generating element is flat and comprises a porous sheet that extends longitudinally having a first surface and a second opposite surface; and
Petition 870190118608, of 11/14/2019, p. 72/92
2/6 the steam collection portion is arranged so that air travels transversely through the steam generating element from the first surface to the second surface.
[3]
3. Atomizer, according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by the fact that:
the (or each) plenum chamber is transversely spaced from the steam generating element in relation to a longitudinal extension to the steam generating element; and the (or each) transport portion is arranged so that the air moves longitudinally through a plenum chamber.
[4]
4. Atomizer according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises at least two transport portions comprising a first transport portion through a plenum chamber spaced transversely from the first surface of the steam generating element to supply air to the steam collection portion and a second transport portion through a plenum chamber spaced transversely from the second surface of the steam generating element to collect air from the vapor collection portion.
[5]
Atomizer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the air flow path comprises one or more additional vapor collection portions through different regions of the vaporization chamber.
[6]
6. Atomizer, according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the vapor collection portions occupy substantially the entire volume of the vaporization chamber.
Petition 870190118608, of 11/14/2019, p. 73/92
3/6
[7]
7. Atomizer according to claim 5 or claim
6, characterized by the fact that each steam collection portion passes through a different part of the steam generating element.
[8]
8. Atomizer, according to any of the claims
1 to 7, characterized by the fact that it comprises one or more separation walls to separate the or each plenum chamber from the vaporization chamber.
[9]
9. Atomizer according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that the or each separation wall includes one or more openings, each communicating with the or the vapor collection portion of the air flow path.
[10]
10. Atomizer according to any one of claims 5 to 7, or claim 8 or claim 9 when dependent on claim 5, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one partition wall that divides the vaporization chamber into two or more regions, each region corresponding to a vapor collection portion of the airflow path.
[11]
11. Atomizer according to claim 10, characterized by the fact that at least one partition wall extends into the vaporization chamber from a separation wall that separates the plenum chamber or the vaporization chamber.
[12]
Atomizer according to any one of claims 8, 9 or 11, characterized in that the or each separation wall comprises a plate for insertion into the atomizer to effect the separation of the associated plenum chamber from the vaporization chamber.
Petition 870190118608, of 11/14/2019, p. 74/92
4/6
[13]
13. Atomizer according to claim 2 or any of claims 3 to 12, characterized by the fact that the steam generating element includes at least one opening through which air can travel in or in each vapor collection portion of the airflow path to pass from the first surface to the second surface.
[14]
Atomizer according to claim 13, characterized in that the at least one opening comprises a plurality of slits extending inwardly from the edges of the steam generating element.
[15]
Atomizer according to claim 14, characterized in that the slits extend perpendicularly inward from the longitudinally extending edges of the steam generating element.
[16]
16. Atomizer according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the or each opening has a larger cross-sectional area than the largest pore cross-sectional area in the porous sheet.
[17]
17. Atomizer according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that the total cross-sectional area of the at least one opening is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm ² .
[18]
18. Atomizer according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the steam generating element is a heating element configured to generate steam by heating, and the porous sheet is a porous sheet
Petition 870190118608, of 11/14/2019, p. 75/92
5/6 electrically conductive formed from a woven or non-woven network of metallic fibers.
[19]
19. Atomizer, according to any of the claims
1 to 18, characterized by the fact that it also comprises one or more mobile elements configured to be moved by a user to change the time the air travels in the vapor collection portion, in order to control the size of an aerosol droplet of the steam collected by the air in the steam collection portion.
[20]
20. Atomizer according to claim 19, characterized by the fact that one or more moving elements are configured to change the volume and / or the length of the air flow path of the vapor collection portion and / or the speed of the air flow in the steam collection portion.
[21]
21. Steam delivery system, aerosol generating component for a steam supply system, or aerosol source for an aerosol generating component for a steam supply system or for a steam supply system characterized by the fact that comprises an atomizer as defined in any one of claims 1 to 20.
[22]
22. Atomizer for a steam supply system characterized by the fact that it comprises:
a vaporization chamber;
a flat steam generating element arranged in the vaporization chamber and comprising a porous sheet that extends
Petition 870190118608, of 11/14/2019, p. 76/92
6/6 longitudinally having a first surface and a second opposite surface;
at least one plenum chamber separate from the vaporization chamber and transversely spaced from a surface of the steam generating element; and an airflow path through the atomizer comprising:
a steam collection portion through the vaporization chamber in which the air travels transversely through the steam generating element from the first surface to the second surface; and at least one transport portion through a plenum chamber in which air travels longitudinally, the or each transport portion providing air to, or collecting air from, the vapor collection portion.

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同族专利:

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公开号 | 公开日

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CN110602957A|2019-12-20|

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PL3624617T3|2022-01-31|

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WO2018211252A1|2018-11-22|

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CA3063305A1|2018-11-22|

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JP6928110B2|2021-09-01|

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EP3624617B1|2021-10-06|

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KR20190134793A|2019-12-04|

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GB201707805D0|2017-06-28|

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JP2020519248A|2020-07-02|

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EP3624617A1|2020-03-25|

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US20210084983A1|2021-03-25|

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RU2726822C1|2020-07-15|

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法律状态:
2021-07-20| B25A| Requested transfer of rights approved|Owner name: NICOVENTURES TRADING LIMITED (GB) |

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2021-10-19| B350| Update of information on the portal [chapter 15.35 patent gazette]|

优先权:

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申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

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GBGB1707805.6A|GB201707805D0|2017-05-16|2017-05-16|Atomiser for vapour provision device|

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GB1707805.6|2017-05-16|

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PCT/GB2018/051303|WO2018211252A1|2017-05-16|2018-05-15|Atomiser for vapour provision device|

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