Heating Apparatus for an Aerosol Generating Device

Abstract

A heating apparatus for an aerosol generating device includes a vacuum insulator having a main longitudinal axis and having an inner wall and an outer wall between which vacuum is enclosed; a cavity in which an aerosol forming substance can be received, positioned radially inwardly of the inner wall; a heater provided inside the vacuum insulator in thermal contact with the inner wall of the vacuum insulator, configured to heat an aerosol forming substance received in the cavity by thermal conduction to generate an aerosol; and one or more wires configured to connect the heater to a power source. The wires extend through at least one hole in the outer wall of the vacuum insulator. The wires are circumferentially surrounded by an insulator. The insulator includes glass and the one or more wires are made from a material that has thermal expansion characteristics that substantially match those of the insulator.

1 . A heating apparatus for an aerosol generating device, comprising:
 a vacuum insulator having a main longitudinal axis and comprising an inner wall and an outer wall between which a vacuum is enclosed;   a cavity in which an aerosol forming substance is configured to be received, positioned radially inwardly of the inner wall;   a heater provided inside the vacuum insulator in thermal contact with the inner wall of the vacuum insulator, and configured to heat the aerosol forming substance received in the cavity by thermal conduction to generate an aerosol; and   one or more wires configured to connect the heater to a power source, wherein the one or more wires extend through at least one hole in the outer wall of the vacuum insulator, and wherein the one or more wires are circumferentially surrounded by an insulator;   wherein the insulator comprises glass and the one or more wires are made from a material that has thermal expansion characteristics that substantially match the thermal expansion characteristics of the insulator.   
     
     
         2 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more wires comprise a first wire that extends through a first hole in the outer wall and a second wire that extends through a second hole in the outer wall. 
     
     
         3 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more wires comprise Kovar. 
     
     
         4 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor positioned within the vacuum insulator and a sensor wire that is connected to the sensor and extends through a further hole in the vacuum insulator, and wherein the sensor wire is circumferentially surrounded by an insulator. 
     
     
         5 . The heating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the further hole extends through the outer wall of the vacuum insulator. 
     
     
         6 . The heating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the further hole extends between the inner wall and the outer wall of the vacuum insulator. 
     
     
         7 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heater is a resistive heater. 
     
     
         8 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises an exposed external surface having a material susceptible to an oxidation reaction in the presence of oxygen. 
     
     
         9 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the inner wall has a thickness of about 0.1 mm or less. 
     
     
         10 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the insulator comprises borosilicate glass. 
     
     
         11 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more wires each extend through a different respective hole in the outer wall and each hole contains a corresponding insulator surrounding a corresponding wire. 
     
     
         12 . The heating apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein each respective hole is sized mainly to accommodate the corresponding wire to minimise the amount of insulator in contact with the outer wall. 
     
     
         13 . An aerosol generating device configured to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user, comprising the heating apparatus of  claim 1 .