CONDUCTIVE COIL, INDUCTIVE HEATING ASSEMBLY AND AEROSOL GENERATION APPARATUS

Abstract

 A conductive coil (1), an inductive heating assembly (10) and an aerosol generation apparatus. The conductive coil (1) is used for being wound around a susceptor (4) of the inductive heating assembly (10), such that a variable magnetic field is generated during energization, and thus the susceptor (4), which matches the conductive coil (1), generates heat by means of electromagnetic induction to heat an aerosol generation product (30). The conductive coil (1) comprises a conductive ring (11), wherein the conductive ring (11) is used for generating a variable magnetic field during energization, and a filling medium (12) is provided in the conductive ring (11), the conductivity of the conductive ring (11) is greater than the conductivity of the filling medium (12), and the filling medium (12) may be air, a fluid or a solid. The conductive coil (1) effectively improves the efficiency of electromagnetic conversion and reduces the loss thereof, thereby effectively reducing the heat loss of an aerosol generation apparatus and reducing the power consumption.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present disclosure claims priority to China Patent Application No. 202210813540.6, filed on July 11, 2022, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of electronic atomization, and in particular to a conductive coil, an induction heating assembly, and an aerosol-generating apparatus.

BACKGROUND

[0003] A heating-not-burning (HNB) aerosol-generating apparatus may generate an aerosol only by heating a special aerosol-generating article to temperature in a range from 200°C to 350°C. Compared with a traditional scheme of burning the aerosol-generating article to produce the aerosol, for the HNB aerosol-generating apparatus, a harmful substance is greatly reduced, and a taste of the aerosol is basically the same. Further, the HNB aerosol-generating apparatus has the advantages of safety, convenience, health, environmental protection, etc., and is highly valued and favored by people.

[0004] Currently, heating modes of the exiting HNB aerosol-generating apparatus mainly include resistance heating and electromagnetic heating. A heating principle of the resistance heating is to transfer heat of a heating body to the aerosol-generating article through heat conduction, so as to improve the baking effect of the aerosol-generating article close to the heating body. A heating principle of the electromagnetic heating is mainly to use changing magnetic field generated by a conductive coil when the conductive coil is powered, and heat is generated through electromagnetic induction to heat an aerosol-generating article by a susceptor coupled with the conductive coil.

[0005] However, a driving coil of the aerosol-generating apparatus by using the electromagnetic heating is formed by winding Litz wires. The driving coil not only has a complex structure, but also increases the loss of the conductive coil itself. Therefore, the electromagnetic conversion efficiency is low, and a whole machine of the aerosol-generating apparatus may have much heat loss and high power consumption.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

[0006] A conductive coil, an induction heating assembly, and an aerosol-generating apparatus are provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure, so as to solve problems that the loss of the related-art conductive coil itself is high and the electromagnetic conversion efficiency thereof is low, resulting in the large heat loss and the high power consumption of the whole machine.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, a conductive coil is provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. The conductive coil is configured to generate a changing magnetic field in a case where the conductive coil is powered, such that heat is generated through electromagnetic induction to heat an aerosol-generating article by a susceptor coupled with the conductive coil; where the conductive coil includes a conductive ring, the conductive ring is configured to generate the changing magnetic field in a case where the conductive ring is powered, and the conductive ring is arranged with a filling medium therein; and where a conductivity of the conductive ring is greater than a conductivity of the filling medium.

[0008] In some embodiments, the conductive coil includes a hollow metal wire extending spirally, the conductive ring is a cross section of the hollow metal wire, and the conductive ring spirally extends along the length direction of the metal wire.

[0009] In some embodiments, a ratio of the conductivity of the conductive ring to the conductivity of the filling medium is greater than or equal to 10.

[0010] In some embodiments, a cross-sectional shape of the conductive ring is circular, elliptical-ring, elliptical, square, polygonal, or semi-annular.

[0011] In some embodiments, a thickness of the side wall of the conductive ring at various positions is equal to each other; or the side wall of the conductive ring has at least two positions where the thickness is different from each other.

[0012] In some embodiments, the conductive coil is in a spiral shape. A distance between adjacent turns of the conductive coil at different axial positions is equal to each other. Alternatively, the distance between some of adjacent turns of the conductive coil at different axial positions is equal to each other, and the distance between a remaining part of the adjacent turns of the conductive coil at different axial positions is different from each other.

[0013] In some embodiments, the filling medium is a fluid.

[0014] In some embodiments, the fluid is air and/or insulating liquid.

[0015] In some embodiments, the conductive ring has a first port and a second port opposite to each other. The fluid is capable of flowing into the conductive ring from one of the first port and the second port, and is capable of flowing out from the other of the first port and the second port. Alternatively, the fluid is sealed in the conductive ring by sealing the first port and the second port.

[0016] In some embodiments, a thickness of the side wall of the conductive ring is in a range from 0.05mm to 1.5mm.

[0017] In some embodiments, the filling medium is a solid substance, and the conductive ring is arranged on the outer surface of the substance.

[0018] In some embodiments, a thickness of the side wall of the conductive ring is in a range from 0.0008mm to 1.52mm.

[0019] In order to solve the above technical problems, another technical solution adopted in some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an induction heating assembly. The induction heating assembly includes: at least one conductive coil according to any one of the above-mentioned embodiments. The induction heating assembly further includes a susceptor coupled with the at least one conductive coil to generate heat through electromagnetic induction. The susceptor is configured to be inserted in and heat the aerosol-generating article. Alternatively, the at least one conductive coil is arranged around a periphery of the susceptor, and the susceptor is configured to accommodate and heat the aerosol-generating article.

[0020] In some embodiments, the at least one conductive coil is arranged around an outer wall surface of the side wall of the susceptor, and an insulating layer is arranged between the at least one conductive coil and the susceptor.

[0021] In some embodiments, the insulating layer is formed on the outer wall surface of the susceptor; or the insulating layer is wrapped on an outer wall surface of the side wall of the conductive coil.

[0022] In some embodiments, the number of conductive coils is multiple, and a plurality of conductive coils are arranged along an axial direction of the susceptor, and the plurality of conductive coils are connected to a power source assembly respectively.

[0023] In some embodiments, the induction heating assembly further includes a support assembly, defining a receiving chamber. The susceptor and the at least one conductive coil are located in the receiving chamber, and the at least one conductive coil is arranged on a side wall surface of the receiving chamber.

[0024] In some embodiments, the at least one conductive coil is arranged around the periphery of the susceptor, the susceptor includes a body portion, the body portion and the support assembly are arranged at intervals, the body portion is in a hollow tubular shape and is configured to accommodate and heat the aerosol-generating article.

[0025] In some embodiments, the susceptor further includes an overlapping portion, a first end of the body portion is lapped to the support assembly through the overlapping portion, and a second end of the body portion is suspended.

[0026] In some embodiments, the induction heating assembly further includes a base. The support assembly is arranged on the base. The second end of the body portion and the base are arranged at intervals, or the second end of the body portion is carried on the base.

[0027] In some embodiments, the induction heating assembly further includes a magnetically conductive body located on the side of the at least one conductive coil away from the susceptor. The magnetically conductive body is configured to guide the magnetic field at a side of the at least one conductive coil away from the susceptor.

[0028] In some embodiments, a material of the magnetically conductive body is a soft magnetic alloy, an initial magnetic permeability of the soft magnetic alloy is not less than 50, and an electrical resistivity of the soft magnetic alloy is not less than 8×10^-6Ω·m; or the magnetically conductive body is strip-shaped, and the at least one conductive coil is wrapped by the strip-shaped magnetically conductive body; or the magnetically conductive body is integrally formed and in a hollow shape, and the at least one conductive coil is arranged in a hollow structure of the magnetically conductive body; or the magnetically conductive body includes a plurality of magnetically conductive blocks, and the plurality of magnetically conductive blocks are combined to form a hollow structure to accommodate the at least one conductive coil; or the magnetically conductive body is combined with the at least one conductive coil by sintering powder to serve as a support assembly.

[0029] To solve the above technical problems, yet another technical solution adopted in some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol-generating apparatus. The aerosol-generating apparatus includes: the induction heating assembly according to any one of the above-mentioned embodiments, configured to heat and atomize the aerosol-generating article in a case where the induction heating assembly is powered; and a power source assembly, electrically connected to the induction heating assembly to supply power to the induction heating assembly.

[0030] To solve the above technical problems, yet another technical solution adopted in some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol-generating apparatus. The aerosol-generating apparatus includes an aerosol-generating article; a susceptor, located in the aerosol-generating article; the conductive coil according to any one of the above-mentioned embodiments, configured to generate the changing magnetic field in a case where the conductive coil is powered, so as to generate the heat by the susceptor through the electromagnetic induction, and heat and atomize the aerosol-generating article; and a power source assembly, electrically connected to the conductive coil to supply power to the conductive coil.

[0031] Different from the related art, the embodiments of the present disclosure have the following technical effects. In the conductive coil, the induction heating assembly, and the aerosol-generating apparatus provided in the embodiments, the conductive ring is formed in the conductive coil, and the changing magnetic field is generated when the conductive ring is powered, such that the heat is generated through electromagnetic induction to heat an aerosol-generating article by the susceptor coupled with the conductive coil. At the same time, the conductive ring is arranged with the filling medium, such that the conductivity of the conductive ring is greater than the conductivity of the filling medium. In this way, when the conductive coil is powered, according to the skin effect, the more high-frequency current may be conducted in the conductive ring. Compared with the technical solution that the conductive coil in the related art is formed by winding the multiple strands of Litz wires, the driving current frequency of the conductive coil in some embodiments of the present disclosure may be at the relatively high frequency, so as to effectively improve the electromagnetic conversion efficiency of the conductive coil, and reduce the loss of the conductive coil itself. In this way, it may be possible to effectively reduce the heat loss of the corresponding aerosol-generating apparatus, and reduce power consumption.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] 

FIG. 1 is an overall structural schematic view of a conductive coil according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the conductive coil shown in FIG. 1 along an A-A direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the conductive coil shown in FIG. 1 along an A-A direction according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a structural schematic view of a distance between adjacent turns of the conductive coil at different axial positions being not all the same according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a radial cross-sectional view of the conductive coil according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6a is a schematic cross-sectional view of an induction heating assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6b is a schematic view of distribution of a plurality of conductive coils according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the induction heating assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the induction heating assembly according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the induction heating assembly according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a structural schematic view of an aerosol-generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a structural schematic view of the aerosol-generating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Reference numerals in drawings: conductive coil 1; conductive ring 11; first port 111; second port 112; filling medium 12; induction heating assembly 10; housing 2; support assembly 3; receiving chamber 31; susceptor 4; body portion 41; overlapping portion 42; sealing portion 43; guiding sleeve 5; base 6; magnetically conductive body 7; power source assembly 20.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Technical solutions in embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below by referring to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of but not all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by any ordinary skilled person in the art without making creative work shall fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0035] Terms "first", "second" and "third" herein are used for descriptive purposes only and shall not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined by the "first", "second", or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of the present disclosure, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, and so on, unless otherwise expressly and specifically limited. All directional indications in the present disclosure (such as up, down, left, right, front, rear, ...) are used only to explain relative position relationship, movement, and the like, between components at a particular posture (as shown in the drawings). When the posture is changed, the directional indications may change accordingly. In addition, terms "include" and "have", and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, a method, a system, a product or an apparatus including a series of operations or units is not limited to the listed operations or units, but may further include operations or units that are not listed, or include other operations or units that are inherent to the process, the method, the product or the apparatus.

[0036] Term "embodiment" of the present disclosure may indicate that a particular feature, a structure or a property described in an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Presence of the term in various sections in the specification does not necessarily mean a same embodiment or a separate or an alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It shall be understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by any ordinary skilled person in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0037] The present disclosure will be described in detail below in combination with the drawings and embodiments.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 1 is an overall structural schematic view of a conductive coil according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the conductive coil shown in FIG. 1 along an A-A direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A conductive coil 1 is provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The conductive coil 1 may be applied to an aerosol-generating apparatus to generate a changing magnetic field when the conductive coil 1 is powered, such that heat is generated through electromagnetic induction to heat an aerosol-generating article by a susceptor 4 (as shown in FIG. 6a) coupled with the conductive coil 1. The aerosol-generating article may be a solid matrix, which may include plant leaves such as tobacco, vanilla leaves, tea leaves, mint leaves, etc., or at least one of: one or more powders, particles, fragments, strips, or flakes. Alternatively, the solid matrix may include additional volatile flavor compounds to be released when the matrix is heated. Of course, the aerosol-generating article may also be a liquid matrix or a paste matrix, such as oils, medicinal liquid, etc., which may add aroma components. In the following embodiments, the aerosol-generating article being the solid matrix is taken as an example.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the conductive coil 1 includes a conductive ring 11, and the conductive ring 11 is in a spiral shape. In some embodiments, the conductive ring 11 is spirally wound along an axis B to generate the changing magnetic field when the conductive ring 11 is powered, such that the heat is generated through electromagnetic induction to heat an aerosol-generating article by the susceptor 4 coupled with the conductive coil 1.

[0040] In an embodiment, the conductive coil 1 includes a hollow metal wire extending spirally, i.e., the conductive coil 1 spirally extends along the length direction of the metal wire. The conductive ring 11 is a cross section of the hollow metal wire. In some embodiments, the metal wire may be a hollow round wire, and a filling medium in a hollow part of the metal wire is air.

[0041] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, a filling medium 12 is arranged in the conductive ring 11, and a conductivity of the conductive ring 11 is greater than a conductivity of the filling medium 12. In this way, when the conductive coil 1 is powered, according to a skin effect, more high-frequency current may be conducted in the conductive ring 11. Compared with a technical solution that a conductive coil in the related art is formed by winding multiple strands of Litz wires, a driving current frequency of the conductive coil 1 in some embodiments of the present disclosure may be at a relatively high frequency, so as to effectively improve the electromagnetic conversion efficiency of the conductive coil 1, and reduce the loss of the conductive coil 1 itself. In this way, it may be possible to effectively reduce the heat loss of the corresponding aerosol-generating apparatus, and reduce power consumption.

[0042] In an embodiment, a ratio of the conductivity of the conductive ring 11 to the conductivity of the filling medium 12 is greater than or equal to 10. Therefore, it may be possible to ensure that most of the high-frequency current is conducted in the conductive ring 11, so as to reduce the loss of current in the filling medium 12, thereby improving the electromagnetic conversion efficiency of the conductive coil 1. In some embodiments, when the conductive coil 1 is powered, on the cross section of the conductive coil 1, a current flowing through the conductive ring 11 may not be less than 90% of a current flowing through the conductive coil 1.

[0043] In an embodiment, the conductive medium is a fluid. The fluid may be air (as shown in FIG. 2) and/or insulating liquid. The conductive ring 11 has a first port 111 and a second port 112 opposite to each other.

[0044] When the fluid is the air, in conjunction with FIG. 2, the conductive coil 1 is hollow ring-shaped, and a chamber is defined by the conductive ring 11. At this time, air/gas may be further introduced into the hollow chamber of the conductive ring 11 for heat energy recycling and reuse. In some embodiments, the first port 111 of the conductive ring 11 may be used for air intake, and the second port 112 of the conductive ring 11 may be in communication with a receiving chamber 31 configured to accommodate the aerosol-generating article. When the conductive ring 11 is in a working state, the heat may be generated by the conductive ring 11, such that temperature of the air in the hollow chamber of the conductive ring 11 may be increased. Compared with a pressure in the receiving chamber 31 accommodating the aerosol-generating article, a pressure in the hollow chamber may be increased, such that the air in the hollow chamber may flow towards the second port 112 under an action of a pressure difference, and thus high-temperature air in the hollow chamber may flow into the receiving chamber 31 accommodating the aerosol-generating article. In this way, the high-temperature air may be configured to further heat the aerosol-generating article, thereby effectively improving the heat energy utilization rate. Of course, it may be understood that when the first port 111 of the conductive ring 11 is in communication with the receiving chamber 31 accommodating the aerosol-generating article, the second port 112 may be used for air inlet, and the first port 111 may be used for air outlet.

[0045] When the fluid is the insulating liquid, the first port 111 of the conductive ring 11 may be used for liquid inlet, that is, the insulating liquid may flow into the conductive ring 11 from the first port 111 of the conductive ring 11. The second port 112 of the conductive ring 11 may be in communication with a liquid storage chamber of the aerosol-generating apparatus, and the insulating liquid entering the conductive ring 11 may flow out from the second port 112 of the conductive ring 11, which may be performed in cycle. Therefore, the insulating liquid may be utilized to take away the heat generated during the operation of the conductive coil 1, so as to reduce the temperature of the conductive coil 1 itself, and thus the temperature of a housing 2 of the aerosol-generating apparatus may be reduced. Similarly, an inlet port and an outlet port may be interchangeable.

[0046] In an embodiment, the first port 111 and the second port 112 may also be sealed, and the fluid is sealed in the conductive ring 11.

[0047] The insulating liquid may be hydraulic oil, natural mineral oil, silicone oil, trichlorobiphenyl, etc.

[0048] In an embodiment, a radial cross-sectional shape of the conductive ring 11 may be circular (as shown in FIG. 2), elliptical-ring, elliptical, square, polygonal, or semi-annular, etc. Conductive rings 11 with the cross-sectional shapes themselves have sufficient strength to support a hollow ring-shaped structure thereof.

[0049] The thickness h of the sidewall of the conductive ring 11 may be selected based on a skin depth d of a high-frequency signal flowing through a conductor to generate the skin effect. The skin depth may be calculated based on the following formula:

where µ_r is a relative magnetic permeability of the conductive ring 11, µ₀ is a vacuum magnetic permeability of the conductive ring 11; σ is the conductivity of the conductive ring 11, and f is a current frequency. A range of the thickness h of the conductive ring 11 may be

. Different from a case that conventional high-frequency electromagnetic heating power is in the hundreds or even kilowatts range, the conductive coil 1 may be applied to small power, such as less than 100 watts. The frequency of an adopted high-frequency current may cover a range from 10Khz to 10Mhz, and a range of the thickness h of the side wall of the conductive ring 11 is [0.05mm, 1.5mm]. For example, the thickness h of the side wall of the conductive ring 11 may be 0.05mm, 0.75mm, 1.0mm, 1.3mm, or 1.5mm.

[0050] In an embodiment, a material of the conductive ring 11 is copper. A resistivity of the copper may be calculated based on the following formula:

A relative magnetic permeability of the copper is µ_r = 1, a vacuum magnetic permeability of the copper is µ₀ = 4π × 10^-7, and a current frequency of the copper is in a range from 10Khz to 10Mhz. By substituting the above-mentioned formula for calculating the skin depth d, a range of the skin depth d is [0.024mm, 0.76mm], and the range of the thickness h of the conductive ring 11 may be

, i.e., [0.008mm, 1.52mm]. However, due to the need to form a hollow conductive coil 1, the hollow conductive coil 1 is usually manufactured by means of extending and stretching material. Therefore, considering a processing level and a material limitation of the manufactured method, the range of the thickness of the side wall of the conductive ring 11 may be [0.05mm, 1.5mm]. If the thickness of the sidewall of the conductive ring 11 is too thin (less than 0.05mm), it is easy to cause the sidewall of the conductive ring 11 to be incomplete, resulting in a low yield rate.

[0051] Of course, in other embodiments, the material of the conductive coil 1 may also be silver, copper aluminum alloy, etc.

[0052] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, along a spiral extending direction of the conductive ring 11, a thickness of the side wall of the conductive ring 11 at various positions may be equal to each other, so as to ensure a same magnetic field at various positions generated by the conductive coil 1 during the operation of the conductive coil 1, thereby improving the heating uniformity. Of course, as shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the conductive coil shown in FIG. 1 along an A-A direction according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The side wall of the conductive ring has at least two positions where the thickness is different from each other. For example, along an axis B direction of the conductor coil 1, the thickness h2 of the side wall of the conductive coil 1 at a first position is greater than the thickness h1 of the side wall of the conductive coil 1 at a second position. In this way, the hollow conductive coil 1 may be utilized to reduce the loss of the conductive coil 1 itself and improve the electromagnetic conversion efficiency, and the supportive strength of the conductive coil 1 itself may be improved by thickening the thickness of the side wall at some positions of the conductive coil 1, so as to maintain the shape of the conductive coil 1 itself.

[0053] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, along the axis B direction, a distance between adjacent turns of the conductive coil 1 at different axial positions is equal to each other, so as to enable the conductive coil 1 to generate the same magnetic field at various positions. Therefore, under the same magnetic field, the same heat may be generated at various positions of the susceptor 4, so as to ensure the heating uniformity of various positions of the aerosol-generating article.

[0054] Of course, in other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a structural schematic view of a distance between adjacent turns of the conductive coil at different axial positions being not all the same according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A distance between some of adjacent turns of the conductive coil 1 at different axial positions are equal to each other, and the distance between a remaining part of the adjacent turns of the conductive coil 1 at different axial positions are different from each other. For example, along the axis B direction, the distance between the adjacent turns of the conductive coil 1 may be gradually increased. As shown in FIG. 4, the distance L2 between the adjacent turns of the conductive coil 1 at a first position is greater than the distance L1 between the adjacent turns of the conductive coil 1 at a second position, so as to enable the susceptor 4 to form/have a plurality of regions with different temperature along the axis B direction.

[0055] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a radial cross-sectional view of the conductive coil according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Different from the embodiments provided in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, the filling medium 12 is a solid substance, and the conductive ring 11 is arranged on the outer surface of the substance.

[0056] In an embodiment, the conductive ring 11 may be formed by using a coating process, such as sputtering a metal target material. The conductive ring 11 may be a film layer arranged on the outer surface of the substance. Since a process of coating on the substance is different from the above-mentioned process of extending and stretching, the coating process may make the thickness of the film layer relatively thin, even within a certain range, the thinner the film layer is, the more conducive it is for the implementation of the process. Therefore, when the conductive ring 11 is very thin, the current frequency may be 1000MHz, the range of the corresponding skin depth d calculated by the formula is [0.0024mm, 0.76mm], and the range of the thickness h of the side wall of the conductive ring 11 is

, i.e., [0.0008mm, 1.52mm].

[0057] Compared with the above-mentioned conductive coil 1 provided in the embodiments shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, the thickness of the conductive ring 11 of the conductive coil 1 corresponding to the embodiment is thinner. During the process of conducting the high-frequency current, the high-frequency current may only conduct in the conductive ring 11, almost not on the substance according to the skin effect. In this way, the driving current frequency may be relatively high, so as to effectively improve the electromagnetic conversion efficiency of the conductive coil 1, thereby reducing the loss of the conductive coil 1 itself.

[0058] In some embodiments, a coating material outside of the substance may be silver, gold, copper, etc. A material of the substance may be metal, non-metal, etc., the conductivity of which is lower than the conductivity of the coating material, such as ceramics, rubber, etc.

[0059] In the conductive coil 1 provided in the embodiment, by forming the conductive ring 11, the changing magnetic field is generated when the conductive ring 11 is powered, such that the heat is generated through electromagnetic induction to heat the aerosol-generating article by the susceptor 4 coupled with the conductive coil 1. At the same time, the conductive ring 11 is arranged with the filling medium 12, such that the conductivity of the conductive ring 11 is greater than the conductivity of the filling medium 12. In this way, when the conductive coil 1 is powered, according to the skin effect, the more high-frequency current may be conducted in the conductive ring 11. Compared with the technical solution that the conductive coil in the related art is formed by winding the multiple strands of Litz wires, the driving current frequency of the conductive coil 1 in some embodiments of the present disclosure may be at the relatively high frequency, so as to effectively improve the electromagnetic conversion efficiency of the conductive coil 1, and reduce the loss of the conductive coil 1 itself. In this way, it may be possible to effectively reduce the heat loss of the corresponding aerosol-generating apparatus, and reduce power consumption. In addition, the filling medium 12 is the fluid, such that the liquid may be utilized to take away the heat generated during the flowing process of the fluid, thereby improving the heat resistance performance of the conductive coil 1, and reducing the temperature of the housing 2 of the aerosol-generating apparatus.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 6a and FIG. 6b, FIG. 6a is a schematic cross-sectional view of an induction heating assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 6b is a schematic view of distribution of a plurality of conductive coils according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. An induction heating assembly 10 is provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure. The induction heating assembly 10 may be applied in different fields, such as medical cares, cosmetics, recreational inhalation, etc. The induction heating assembly 10 is configured to heat and atomize the aerosol-generating article to form the aerosol when the induction heating assembly 10 is powered. The induction heating assembly 10 includes at least one conductive coil 1 provided in any one of the above-mentioned embodiments. A specific structure and function of each conductive coil 1 may refer to the related description as described above.

[0061] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6b, the induction heating assembly 10 includes a plurality of the conductive coils 1. The plurality of conductive coils 1 are arranged along the axis B and arranged at intervals, and each of the plurality of conductive coils 1 may be electrically connected to the power source assembly 20, such that the power source assembly 20 may supply power to different conductive coils 1, respectively. In this way, it may be possible to achieve the partition control of the plurality of conductive wire coils 1 on the induction heating assembly 10, so as to enable the susceptor 4 coupled with the conductive coil 1 to have the plurality of regions with different temperature, thereby improving the overall atomization effect of the induction heating assembly 10.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 6a, the induction heating assembly 10 may further include the housing 2, a support assembly 3, the susceptor 4, a guiding sleeve 5, and a base 6. The support assembly 3 and the susceptor 4 are arranged in the housing 2. The first end of the guiding sleeve 5 is sleeved on the end portion of the support assembly 3, and the radial size of the guiding sleeve 5 may be gradually increased in a direction away from the susceptor 4, so as to guide the aerosol-generating article to be inserted in the susceptor 4. The guiding sleeve 5 may be made of rubber or plastic to reduce the heat conduction. The housing 2 may clamp the base 6 and the guiding sleeve 5 through bone positions of the upper end and the lower end of the housing 2, such that the base 6, the guiding sleeve 5, the support assembly 3, etc., are relatively completely fixed, and then the housing 2 is connected to the power source assembly 20 through the output end of the conductive coil 1.

[0063] The receiving chamber 31 is defined by the support assembly 3. The susceptor 4 and the at least one conductive coil 1 are located in the receiving chamber 31. In some embodiments, the support assembly 3 may include a first support frame and a second support frame which are independently arranged. The base 6 is sleeved on the same end of the first support frame and the second support frame to lock the first support frame and the second support frame, such that the first support frame may cooperate with the second support frame to define the receiving chamber 31, and the port of the end of the support assembly 3 may be closed to reduce the air convection heat transfer inside and outside of the receiving chamber 31 of the support assembly 3. The first support frame and the second support frame are located on both sides of the axis B. By combing the first support frame and the second support frame to form the support assembly 3, it is convenient for the installation and replacement of the susceptor 4 and the at least one conductive coil 1.

[0064] In an embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the first support frame and/or the second support frame along the axis B direction are the same as each other, which may be step-shaped. After the first support frame is combined with the second support frame, a step-shaped portion is formed at a preset position of the support assembly 3, so as to facilitate fixing of the susceptor 4.

[0065] In some embodiments, a material of the support assembly 3 may be a magnetically conductive material, so as to guide the magnetic field on the side of the at least one conductive coil 1 away from the susceptor 4, thereby reducing the loss of electromagnetic signals. The magnetically conductive material may be iron, cobalt, nickel, and so on. Alternatively, a shielding layer may be arranged on the side surface of the support assembly 3 away from the at least one conductive coil 1, so as to shield external electromagnetic signals and weaken the leakage of the electromagnetic signals when the at least one conductive coil 1 is working. The shielding layer may be a metal shielding layer, such as an iron shielding layer, a cobalt shielding layer, a nickel shielding layer, etc.

[0066] The susceptor 4 is configured to be coupled with the at least one conductive coil 1, such that the heat is generated through the electromagnetic induction when the at least one conductive coil 1 is powered, and the aerosol-generating article may be heated and atomized. In an embodiment, the susceptor 4 is hollow and configured to accommodate the aerosol-generating article, so as to heat heating the aerosol-generating article accommodated in the susceptor 4. The at least one conductive coil 1 is arranged around a periphery of the susceptor 4. The central axis of the at least one conductive coil 1 may coincide with the central axis of the susceptor 4. In some embodiments, a spiral groove is defined on the inner wall surface of the receiving chamber 31, and the at least one conductive coil 1 is embedded in the spiral groove to be fixed on the support assembly 3, so as to meet the requirement of assembly consistency.

[0067] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6a, the susceptor 4 may include a body portion 41 and an overlapping portion 42. The body portion 41 is in a hollow tubular shape, and is configured to accommodate and heat the aerosol-generating article. The body portion 41 may be in a complete hollow tubular shape. Alternatively, the body portion 41 may be formed by combining one or multiple pieces into a hollow tubular structure. A material of the body portion 41 may be a metal with the high conductivity, such as copper, silver, gold, etc.

[0068] The thickness of the sidewall of the susceptor 4 may be determined through the skin effect based on the principle of electromagnetic induction heating. In some embodiments, the range of the thickness of the sidewall of the susceptor 4 at frequency f is:

, which is corresponding to the following skin depth d:

where µ_r is a relative magnetic permeability of the conductive ring 11, µ₀ is a vacuum magnetic permeability of the conductive ring 11; σ is the conductivity of the conductive ring 11, and f is a current frequency). Based on the simulation of the electromagnetic heating and the feasibility of actual processing and production, select an optimal energy efficiency ratio thickness value of the susceptor 4 may be selected.

[0069] Since the heat capacity of the susceptor 4 is relatively large, the heating energy is relatively high, and the susceptor 4 is relatively close to the conductive coil 1, the heat of the susceptor 4 is easily transferred to the conductive coil 1, which may cause relatively large heat loss. For this reason, the body portion 41 may be spaced apart from the conductive coil 1 and the support assembly 3, so as to minimize the heat transfer from the body portion 41 to the conductive coil 1 and the support assembly 3 through contact heat conduction as much as possible, thereby decreasing the temperature of the housing 2 of the induction heating assembly 10.

[0070] Of course, as shown in FIG. 6a, in order to further reduce the heat transfer from the susceptor 4 to the conductive coil 1, resulting in the heat loss, a heat insulation layer (not shown) may be arranged on the side surface of the body portion 41 facing the guide coil 1. The heat insulation layer may be formed by coating on the entire surface of the susceptor 4 facing the guide wire coil 1.

[0071] The end of the overlapping portion 42 is connected to the first end of the body portion 41, and the other end of the overlapping portion 42 is overlapped with the step-shaped portion of the supporting the assembly 3, so as to realize the connection between the susceptor 4 and the support assembly 3. A contact area between the overlapping portion 42 and the support assembly 3 is sufficiently small, such that the second end of the body portion 41 may be suspended, and thus the heat conduction from the body portion 41 to the support assembly 3 may be effectively reduced. At the same time, in order to further reduce the heat transfer from the body portion 41 to the support assembly 3 through the overlapping portion 42, a material of the overlapping portion 42 may be a non-ferromagnetic material to further reduce the heat loss of the susceptor 4, such that the energy efficiency of the susceptor 4 may be improved. The overlapping portion 42 may be a flange.

[0072] In an embodiment, in order to improve the connection stability between the overlapping portion 42 and the support assembly 3, the first end of the guiding sleeve 5 may be sleeved on the end portion of the first end of the support assembly 3, and the second end of the guiding sleeve 5 may be pressed against the surface of the overlapping portion 42 away from the step-shaped portion, such that the overlapping portion 42 may be stably fixed on the step-shaped portion, thereby ensuring that the force on the overlapping portion 42 is evenly and flat. In some embodiments, the radial size of the guiding sleeve 5 may be gradually increased in a direction away from the overlapping portion 42, so as to guide the aerosol-generating article to be inserted in the body portion 41. The guiding sleeve 5 may be made of rubber or plastic to reduce the heat conduction.

[0073] In some embodiments, the overlapping portion 42 is in a closed ring shape along the peripheral direction of the body portion 41. In this way, the overlapping portion 42 may be utilized to seal a port of space defined between the susceptor 4 and the support assembly 3.

[0074] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6a, the susceptor 4 may further include a sealing portion 43. The sealing portion 43 is connected to the second end of the body portion 41 to seal the second end of the body portion 41, thereby reducing air convection inside and outside of the body portion 41. In some embodiments, a material of the sealing portion 43 may be the same as the material of the overlapping portion 42, and the sealing portion 43 is spaced apart from the base 6 to reduce the heat conduction.

[0075] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the induction heating assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The induction heating assembly 10 further includes a magnetically conductive body 7 located on the side of the at least one conductive coil 1 away from the susceptor 4. The magnetically conductive body 7 is configured to guide the magnetic field at the side of the at least one conductive coil 1 away from the susceptor 4, so as to reduce the loss of the electromagnetic signals.

[0076] In some embodiments, a material of the magnetically conductive body 7 is a soft magnetic alloy. An initial magnetic permeability of the soft magnetic alloy is not less than 50, and an electrical resistivity is not less than 8×10^-6Ω·m. In some embodiments, the magnetically conductive body 7 may be formed by integral molding of ferrite or by wrapping multi-layer of amorphous alloy.

[0077] Of course, the magnetically conductive body 7 may also be strip-shaped, and a periphery of the at least one conductive coil is wrapped by the strip-shaped magnetically conductive body 7. Alternatively, the magnetically conductive body 7 is integrally formed and in a hollow shape, and the at least one conductive coil 1 is arranged in a hollow structure of the magnetically conductive body 7. Alternatively, the magnetically conductive body 7 includes a plurality of magnetically conductive blocks, and the plurality of magnetically conductive blocks are combined to form a hollow structure to accommodate the at least one conductive coil 1. Alternatively, the magnetically conductive body 7 is combined with the at least one conductive coil 1 by sintering powder, so as to support the at least one conductive coil 1 and susceptor 4 while realizing the magnetically conductive performance.

[0078] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the induction heating assembly according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. Different from the embodiments provided in FIG. 6a to FIG. 7 above, the susceptor 4 does not include the sealing portion 43, the second end of the body portion 41 is overlapped on the base 6, and the support assembly 3 is inserted in a limiting groove of the base 6. The susceptor 4 seals the second end port thereof through the base 6, so as to reduce the air convection inside and outside of the susceptor 4.

[0079] Of course, in other embodiments, the at least one conductive coil 1 may be arranged in the susceptor 4. The susceptor 4 is needle-shaped or pin-shaped, and is configured to insert into the aerosol-generating article to heat and atomize the aerosol-generating article through the electromagnetic induction. Alternatively, the at least one conductive coil 1 may be arranged around the periphery of the susceptor 4, and the susceptor 4 is configured to insert into the aerosol-generating article.

[0080] In the induction heating assembly 10 provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, by arranging the conductive coil 1, it may be possible to reduce the loss of the conductive coil 1 itself and improve the electromagnetic conversion efficiency. At the same time, the body portion 41 of the susceptor 4 is spaced apart from the at least one conductive coil 1 and the support assembly 3, and the second end of the susceptor 4 is suspended, such that the heat conduction of the susceptor 4 may be reduced, thereby reducing the heat loss on the susceptor 4, and improving the heat utilization rate. In addition, the electromagnetic signal loss of the at least one conductive coil 1 is reduced by arranging the magnetically conductive body 7. Further, by arranging the guiding sleeve 5, it is convenient for the aerosol-generating article to enter the susceptor 4 to heat and atomize.

[0081] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the induction heating assembly according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. Another induction heating assembly 10 is provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Different from the induction heating assembly 10 provided in any one of the above-mentioned embodiments, the at least one conductive coil 1 is arranged around the outer wall surface of the side wall of the susceptor 4, and the conductive coil 1 and the support assembly 3 are arranged at intervals. In this way, the heat conduction from the conductive coil 1 to the support assembly 3 may be reduced, and the heat generated by the conductive coil 1 may be transferred to the aerosol-generating article through the susceptor 4, thereby heating the aerosol-generating article. At the same time, by combining the conductive coil 1 with the inductor 4 as a whole to serve as a heating component, the heat utilization rate of the overall heat capacity of the inductor 4 and the conductive coil 1 is further increased, such that the energy efficiency of the susceptor 4 may be improved. In addition, in the technical solutions, it may be possible to reduce the volume of the entire induction heating assembly 10.

[0082] In the embodiment, in order to reduce of an occurrence of short circuit between the conductive coil 1 and the susceptor 4, an insulating layer (not shown) is arranged between the at least one conductive coil 1 and the susceptor 4. The insulating layer may be formed on the outer wall surface of the susceptor 4. Of course, the insulating layer may also be wrapped on the outer wall surface of the side wall of the conductive coil 1.

[0083] In some embodiments, the insulating layer may be a coating structure formed by coating, deposition, etc. Alternatively, the insulating layer may be a film structure adhered to the surface of the susceptor 4 or the surface of the conductive coil 1.

[0084] In the embodiment, a heat insulation material may further be arranged between the conductive coil 1 and the support assembly 3 to reduce the heat loss. In some embodiments, the heat insulation material may be wrapped on the outer surface of the side wall of the conductive coil 1 and the outer surface of the side wall of the susceptor 4, so as to insulate an overall structure formed by the conductive coil 1 and the susceptor 4 from exchanging external airflow. The heat insulation material may be aerogel, ferrite, microcrystalline alloy, etc.

[0085] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, and FIG. 10 is a structural schematic view of the aerosol-generating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. An aerosol-generating apparatus is provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The aerosol-generating apparatus includes the induction heating assembly 10 and a power source assembly 20. The induction heating assembly 10 is configured to accommodate the aerosol-generating article to heat and atomize the aerosol-generating article when the induction heating assembly 10 is powered. The induction heating assembly 10 is provided in any one of the above-mentioned embodiments, and a specific structure and function of the induction heating assembly 10 may refer to the related description as described above.

[0086] The power source assembly 20 is electrically connected to the induction heating assembly 10 to supply power to the induction heating assembly 10, so as to ensure that the aerosol-generating apparatus may work normally. The power source assembly 20 may be a dry battery, a lithium battery, etc.

[0087] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 11 is a structural schematic view of the aerosol-generating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Another aerosol-generating apparatus is provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Different from the aerosol-generating apparatus provided in the embodiments shown in FIG. 10, the aerosol-generating apparatus further includes an aerosol-generating article 30, and the susceptor 4 is located in the aerosol-generating article 30. The aerosol-generating article 30 may be accommodated in the receiving chamber 31 defined by the support assembly 3, such that the susceptor 4 inserted in the receiving chamber 31 may centrally heat the aerosol-generating article 30 through the electromagnetic induction.

[0088] The above is only an embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Any equivalent structure or process transformation using the contents of the specification and the accompanying drawings of the present disclosure, or any direct or indirect application in other related technical fields, is equally included in the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A conductive coil, wherein the conductive coil is configured to generate a changing magnetic field in a case where the conductive coil is powered, such that heat is generated through electromagnetic induction to heat an aerosol-generating article by a susceptor coupled with the conductive coil (1);

wherein the conductive coil comprises a conductive ring, the conductive ring is configured to generate the changing magnetic field in a case where the conductive ring is powered, and the conductive ring is arranged with a filling medium therein; and

wherein a conductivity of the conductive ring is greater than a conductivity of the filling medium.

2. The conductive coil according to claim 1, wherein the conductive coil comprises a hollow metal wire extending spirally, the conductive ring is a cross section of the hollow metal wire, and the conductive ring spirally extends along the length direction of the metal wire

3. The conductive coil according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the conductivity of the conductive ring to the conductivity of the filling medium is greater than or equal to 10.

4. The conductive coil according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the conductive ring is circular, elliptical-ring, elliptical, square, polygonal, or semi-annular.

5. The conductive coil according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the side wall of the conductive ring at various positions is equal to each other; or
the side wall of the conductive ring has at least two positions where the thickness is different from each other.

6. The conductive coil according to claim 1, wherein the conductive coil is in a spiral shape; and
a distance between adjacent turns of the conductive coil at different axial positions is equal to each other, or the distance between some of adjacent turns of the conductive coil at different axial positions is equal to each other, and the distance between a remaining part of the adjacent turns of the conductive coil at different axial positions is different from each other.

7. The conductive coil according to claim 1, wherein the filling medium is a fluid.

8. The conductive coil according to claim 7, wherein the fluid is air and/or insulating liquid.

9. The conductive coil according to claim 8, wherein the conductive ring has a first port and a second port opposite to each other; and
the fluid is capable of flowing into the conductive ring from one of the first port and the second port, and is capable of flowing out from the other of the first port and the second port; or the fluid is sealed in the conductive ring by sealing the first port and the second port.

10. The conductive coil according to claim 7, wherein a thickness of the side wall of the conductive ring is in a range from 0.05mm to 1.5mm.

11. The conductive coil according to claim 1, wherein the filling medium is a solid substance, and the conductive ring is arranged on the outer surface of the substance.

12. The conductive coil according to claim 11, wherein a thickness of the side wall of the conductive ring is in a range from 0.0008mm to 1.52mm.

13. An induction heating assembly, comprising at least one conductive coil according to any one of claims 1-12;

wherein the induction heating assembly further comprises a susceptor coupled with the at least one conductive coil to generate heat through electromagnetic induction; and

wherein the susceptor is configured to be inserted in and heat the aerosol-generating article; or

the at least one conductive coil is arranged around a periphery of the susceptor, and the susceptor is configured to accommodate and heat the aerosol-generating article.

14. The induction heating assembly according to claim 13, wherein the at least one conductive coil is arranged around an outer wall surface of the side wall of the susceptor, and an insulating layer is arranged between the at least one conductive coil and the susceptor.

15. The induction heating assembly according to claim 14, wherein the insulating layer is formed on the outer wall surface of the susceptor; or
the insulating layer is wrapped on an outer wall surface of the side wall of the conductive coil.

16. The induction heating assembly according to claim 15, wherein the number of conductive coils is multiple, and a plurality of conductive coils are laminated along an axial direction of the susceptor, and the plurality of conductive coils are connected to a power source assembly respectively.

17. The induction heating assembly according to claim 13, further comprising:

a support assembly, defining a receiving chamber;

wherein the susceptor and the at least one conductive coil are located in the receiving chamber, and the at least one conductive coil is arranged on a side wall surface of the receiving chamber.

18. The induction heating assembly according to claim 17, wherein the at least one conductive coil is arranged around the periphery of the susceptor, the susceptor comprises a body portion, the body portion and the support assembly are arranged at intervals, the body portion is in a hollow tubular shape and is configured to accommodate and heat the aerosol-generating article.

19. The induction heating assembly according to claim 18, wherein the susceptor further comprises an overlapping portion, a first end of the body portion is lapped to the support assembly through the overlapping portion, and a second end of the body portion is suspended.

20. The induction heating assembly according to claim 18, further comprising a base;

wherein the support assembly is arranged on the base; and

the second end of the body portion and the base are arranged at intervals, or the second end of the body portion is carried on the base.

21. The induction heating assembly according to claim 13, further comprising a magnetically conductive body located on the side of the at least one conductive coil away from the susceptor;
wherein the magnetically conductive body is configured to guide the magnetic field at a side of the at least one conductive coil away from the susceptor.

22. The induction heating assembly according to claim 21, wherein a material of the magnetically conductive body is a soft magnetic alloy, an initial magnetic permeability of the soft magnetic alloy is not less than 50, and an electrical resistivity of the soft magnetic alloy is not less than 8×10-6Ω·m; or

the magnetically conductive body is strip-shaped, and the at least one conductive coil is wrapped by the strip-shaped magnetically conductive body; or

the magnetically conductive body is integrally formed and in a hollow shape, and the at least one conductive coil is arranged in a hollow structure of the magnetically conductive body; or

the magnetically conductive body comprises a plurality of magnetically conductive blocks, and the plurality of magnetically conductive blocks are combined to form a hollow structure to accommodate the at least one conductive coil; or

the magnetically conductive body is combined with the at least one conductive coil by sintering powder to serve as a support assembly.

23. An aerosol-generating apparatus, comprising:

the induction heating assembly according to any one of claims 13-22, configured to heat and atomize the aerosol-generating article in a case where the induction heating assembly is powered; and

a power source assembly, electrically connected to the induction heating assembly to supply power to the induction heating assembly.

24. An aerosol-generating apparatus, comprising:

an aerosol-generating article;

a susceptor, located in the aerosol-generating article;

the conductive coil according to any one of claims 1 to 12, configured to generate the changing magnetic field in a case where the conductive coil is powered, so as to generate the heat by the susceptor through the electromagnetic induction, and heat and atomize the aerosol-generating article; and

a power source assembly, electrically connected to the conductive coil to supply power to the conductive coil.

Drawing