Aerosol Generating Device

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating device.

An aerosol generating device is a device that extracts certain components from a medium or a substance by forming an aerosol. The medium may contain a multi-component substance. The substance contained in the medium may be a multi-component flavoring substance. For example, the substance contained in the medium may include a nicotine component, an herbal component, and/or a coffee component. Recently, various research on aerosol generating devices has been conducted.

It is an objective of the present disclosure to provide an aerosol generating device with improved durability.

It is another objective of the present disclosure to provide an aerosol generating device with improved assemblability.

The objectives of the present disclosure are not limited to the objectives described above, and other objectives not stated herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to one aspect of the subject matter described in this application, an aerosol generating device includes: a body providing an insertion space and comprising a heater disposed adjacent to the insertion space; a substrate disposed inside the body; and a ground terminal disposed adjacent to the substrate inside the body. The body further includes: a shell having an open end; and a bracket disposed inside the shell and to which the substrate and the ground terminal are coupled. The ground terminal includes: a terminal frame coupled to the bracket; a first clip extending from the terminal frame to contact an inner surface of the shell; and a second clip extending from the terminal frame to contact the substrate. The first clip extends obliquely from the terminal frame toward the open end of the shell to contact with the inner surface of the shelland has a bent shape to be in contact with the inner surface of the shell.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the durability of an aerosol generating device may be improved.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the assemblability of an aerosol generating device may be improved.

Further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific embodiments such as preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are given by way of example only, since various changes and modifications within the idea and scope of the present disclosure may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art.

Description will now be given in detail according to exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the sake of brief description with reference to the drawings, the same or equivalent components are provided with the same or similar reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

In the following description, a suffix such as “module” and “unit” may be used to refer to elements or components. Use of such a suffix herein is merely intended to facilitate description of the specification, and the suffix itself is not intended to give any special meaning or function.

In the present disclosure, that which is well known to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art has generally been omitted for the sake of brevity. The accompanying drawings are used to help easily understand the technical idea of the present disclosure and it should be understood that the idea of the present disclosure is not limited by the accompanying drawings. The idea of the present disclosure should be construed to extend to any alterations, equivalents, and substitutes besides the accompanying drawings.

It will be understood that although the terms “first”, “second”, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

It will be understood that when a component is referred to as being “connected to” or “coupled to” another component, it may be directly connected to or coupled to another component, or intervening components may be present. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another component, there are no intervening components present.

As used herein, a singular representation is intended to include a plural representation unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Referring to, at least one of a battery, a controller, and a heatermay be disposed inside a body. The battery, the controller, and the heatermay be arranged in a row. The internal structure of an aerosol generating deviceis not limited to that shown in.

The aerosol generating devicemay provide an insertion space. The insertion spacemay be formed on one side of the aerosol generating device. A stickmay be inserted into the insertion space.

The heatermay be disposed inside the body. The heatermay be coupled to the body. The heatermay be disposed around the insertion spaceor inside the insertion space. The heatermay be disposed adjacent to the insertion space. The heatermay heat the insertion spaceand/or the stickthat is inserted into the insertion space. The heatermay heat the stickto generate an aerosol. The heatermay be an electro-resistive heater. For example, the heatermay be made of a conductive metal.

The heatermay protrude from a bottom of the insertion spacetoward an open side of the insertion space. The heatermay have an elongated rod shape. The heatermay have a pointed top end (or tip). The stickmay be inserted into the insertion space, and the heatermay be inserted into the stick.

The heatermay generate heat using a current supplied from the battery. The heatermay heat the insertion space.

The batterymay be disposed inside the body. The batterymay supply power to operate at least one of the controllerand the heater. The batterymay supply power required to operate a display (not shown), a sensor (not shown), a motor (not shown), and the like installed at the aerosol generating device.

The controllermay be disposed inside the body. The controllermay control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device. The controllermay control the operation of at least one of the batteryand the heater. The controllermay adjust power supplied to the heater. The controllermay control the operation of the display, the sensor, the motor, and the like installed at the aerosol generating device. The controllermay check the state of each of the components of the aerosol generating deviceto determine whether the aerosol generating deviceis in an operable state.

A lower end of the stickmay be inserted into the insertion space, and an upper end of the stickmay be exposed to the outside from the insertion space. A user may inhale air while holding the exposed upper end of the stickin his or her mouth. Air may be introduced into the aerosol generating device, and then flow together with an aerosol to the airway of the user.

Referring to, the bodymay be elongated. The bodymay have a cavity therein. The bodymay include an opening (no reference numeral) that extends to the outside from the cavity therein. The opening may be formed on each of one side of the bodyand another side of the bodythat is opposite to the one side. That is, the bodymay include an open end.

The insertion spacemay extend in a longitudinal direction of the bodyto be provided on the one side of the body. The insertion spacemay have a cylindrical shape.

A key assemblymay be installed at the body. A button keymay be disposed on the body. The bodymay be open to define a button hole. The button keymay be inserted into the button hole. When the button keyis pressed, the button keymay move toward an inside of the body, and may move to return to its original state.

The button keymay be connected to the controller. A user may press the button keyto transmit a command to the controller. For example, when the button keyis pressed, the aerosol generating devicemay be operated or be stopped in operation.

An upper casemay define one side of the body. The upper casemay be detachably attached to a first side in the longitudinal direction of the body. For example, the upper casemay be coupled to an upper side of the bodyto thereby define the upper side of the body. The upper casemay be open at one side to communicate with the insertion space. The upper casemay include a capthat opens and closes the insertion space.

A covermay define another side of the body. The covermay be detachably attached to a second side in the longitudinal direction of the body. For example, the covermay be coupled to a lower side of the bodyto thereby define the lower side of the body.

The covermay have the shape of a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bodyso as to cover the another side of the body. The covermay be formed in various shapes such as a circular shape, a rectangular shape, an elliptical shape, etc.

Referring to, the bodymay include a shell. The shellmay define an outer shape or appearance of the body. The shellmay be elongated in the longitudinal direction of the body. The shellmay have a cavity therein. Various parts may be disposed inside the shell. For example, the shellmay be elongated to have the shape of a pipe with a cavity therein, and a substratemay be disposed in the cavity.

The shellmay include the opening (no reference numeral) that extends to the outside from the cavity therein. The opening may be formed on each of one side of the shelland another side of the shellthat is opposite to the one side. That is, the shellmay include the open end.

The shellmay be conductive. The shellmay be a conductor. The shellmay be made of metal. The shellmay be electrically connected to the substrate. For example, the shellmay be made of metal, and may be electrically connected to the substrate.

The button holemay be formed on one side of the shell. The button keymay be disposed on one side of the shell. For example, the button holemay be formed on a front surface of the shell, and the button keymay be disposed on the front surface of the shell.

The bodymay include a bracket. The bracketmay be disposed inside the shell. Various parts may be installed at the bracket. The bracketmay fill a space between various parts. Various parts may be fixed to the bracket. For example, at least one of the substrate, a ground terminal, and the batterymay be fixed to the bracket.

The substratemay be disposed inside the body. The controllermay be mounted on the substrate. The substratemay include a GND portion(see). The GND portionmay be positioned on one surface of the substrate. For example, the GND portionmay be positioned on a rear surface of the substrate.

The substratemay be elongated in the longitudinal direction of the body. A longitudinal direction of the substrateand the longitudinal direction of the bodymay be parallel to each other. For example, the substrateand the bodymay extend in an up-and-down direction, and may be disposed side by side in a front-and-rear direction.

The substratemay face the key assembly. The button keymay face the substrate. The button keymay apply pressure to an actuator (not shown) that is mounted on the substrate. The actuator may be disposed between the substrateand the button key. The actuator may be connected to the substrate. The actuator may transmit an electrical signal to the substrate. For example, when the button keypresses the actuator, the actuator may transmit an electrical signal to the substrateto allow the aerosol generating deviceto be operated or be stopped in operation.

A sealing framefacing an inner surface of the shellmay be disposed inside the shell. The sealing framemay be disposed on the periphery of the button key. The button keymay be fixed to the sealing frame. The sealing framemay be elongated in a longitudinal direction of the shell. The sealing framemay be disposed between the shelland the substrate.

The batterymay be fixed to the bracket. The batterymay be electrically connected to the substrate. The batterymay supply power to the substrate. The batterymay be elongated in the longitudinal direction of the body. The batteryand the substratemay be disposed side by side. For example, the batteryand the substratemay extend in the up-and-down direction, and may be disposed side by side in the front-and-rear direction.

The aerosol generating devicemay include the ground terminalthat provides an electrical connection between the substrateand the shell. The ground terminalmay be a conductor. The ground terminalmay be made of metal.

The ground terminalmay be disposed inside the body. The ground terminalmay be fixed to the bracket. The ground terminalmay face the inner surface of the shell. The ground terminalmay be disposed on one side in the shell. The ground terminalmay be in contact with the shell. The ground terminalmay be in contact with the substrate. The ground terminalmay be in contact with the GND portionof the substrate. For example, the ground terminalmay be in contact with the shelland the GND portionof the substrate, so as to provide an electrical connection between the shelland the substrate.

Accordingly, the ground terminal may allow the substrate to be grounded to the shell.

In addition, the substrate may be protected from external static electricity.

Further, durability of the aerosol generating device may be improved.

The substratemay be fixed to the bracketby a screw. The screwmay penetrate through the substrate. The screwmay be adjacent to the ground terminal. The screwmay fix the substrateso as to allow the substrateand the ground terminalto remain in contact with each other.

Referring to, the substratemay be fixed to the bracket. The screwmay fix the substrateto the bracket. The screwmay be provided in plurality. For example, the substratemay be disposed on one side of the bracket, and the screwmay fix the substrateto the bracket.

The ground terminalmay be positioned on the bracket. The bracketmay have a coupling recess(see) into which the ground terminalis inserted. The coupling recessmay fix the ground terminal. The ground terminalmay be inserted into the coupling recessto be in contact with the shell. For example, a first terminal frameof the ground terminalmay be inserted into the coupling recessto be coupled to the bracket.

The ground terminalmay include a terminal frameinserted into the coupling recess. The terminal framemay be fixed to the bracket. The terminal framemay define a frame of the ground terminal.

The ground terminalmay include a first clipin contact with the shell. The first clipmay be connected to the terminal frame. The first clipmay be connected to an inner peripheral end of the terminal frame.