Aerosol-generating device for use with an aerosol-generating article

Abstract

An aerosol-generating system is provided, including: an aerosol-generating article including first and second support elements and a substrate element between the first and the second elements; and an aerosol-generating device including a receiving chamber to removably receive the article and having an inner surface and a center axis, along the center axis the inner surface includes first, second, and intermediate axial portions, the first and the second portions including first and second protrusions and contacting the first and the second elements, respectively, and retaining the article in the chamber, the first and the second protrusions extending in a direction towards the center axis beyond the intermediate portion, and the intermediate portion having a length of at least 20% of an overall length of the inner surface or of the chamber in the direction of the center axis and surrounding the substrate element when the article is received in the chamber.

1 . An aerosol-generating system, comprising:
 an aerosol-generating article comprising:
 at least a first support element, 
 a second support element, and 
 a substrate element comprising an aerosol-forming substrate and being located between the first support element and the second support element; and 
   an aerosol-generating device comprising:
 a receiving chamber configured to removably receive at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article, the receiving chamber having an inner surface and a center axis, 
 wherein along the center axis the inner surface comprises a first axial portion, a second axial portion, and an intermediate axial portion located between the first axial portion and the second axial portion, 
 wherein the first axial portion comprises a plurality of first protrusions and the second axial portion comprises a plurality of second protrusions, 
 wherein the plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second protrusions contact the first support element and the second support element of the aerosol-generating article, respectively, and retain the aerosol-generating article in the receiving chamber when the aerosol-generating article is received in the receiving chamber, 
 wherein the plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second protrusions extend in a direction towards the center axis beyond the intermediate axial portion, and 
 wherein the intermediate axial portion has a length of at least 20% of an overall length of the inner surface or of the receiving chamber in the direction of the center axis and surrounds the substrate element of the aerosol-generating article when the aerosol-generating article is received in the receiving chamber. 
   
     
     
         2 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein upon receiving the aerosol-generating article in the receiving chamber the first support element is in contact with the first axial portion and the second support element is in contact with the second axial portion, and the substrate element is surrounded by the intermediate axial portion without being in contact with the intermediate axial portion. 
     
     
         3 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate axial portion is without any protrusions. 
     
     
         4 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the protrusions of the plurality of first protrusions or at least one of the protrusions of the plurality of second protrusions extends in a direction substantially along the center axis of the receiving chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , further comprising one or more end stops arranged at a distal end of the receiving chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 5 , wherein the one or more end stops are configured to cause an increase of the resistance to draw of at most 50 percent as compared to the aerosol-generating device without any end stops. 
     
     
         7 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 5 , wherein the one or more end stops cover at most 50 percent of a total cross-sectional area of all interstices defined in between neighboring first protrusions or in between neighboring second protrusions as seen in a plane perpendicular to the center axis. 
     
     
         8 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 5 , wherein the one or more end stops are ring segments. 
     
     
         9 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one protrusion of the plurality of first protrusions or at least one protrusion of the plurality of second protrusions has a constant radial distance to the center axis over a respective length of the respective protrusion. 
     
     
         10 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the receiving chamber comprises a first part and a second part,   wherein the second part is inserted into the first part, and   wherein the second part is a sleeve comprising the second axial portion, whereas the first part comprises the first axial portion.   
     
     
         11 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiving chamber is a sleeve and is inserted into a main body of the aerosol-generating device. 
     
     
         12 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second protrusions is a rib extending in an axial direction with respect to the center axis. 
     
     
         13 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second protrusions is chamfered at at least one of a side facing an insertion opening of the receiving chamber and at an opposite side facing away from an insertion opening of the receiving chamber.