Support member for aroma cartridge, and aroma cartridge provided with same

Abstract

A channel for an aerosol stream passing from an inlet edge to an outlet edge is provided to a support member of an aroma cartridge. Moreover, a mixing space is provided at an inlet edge of the channels of the support member. The mixing space cancels non-uniformity of the flow amount and flow rate of the aerosol passing from the aroma-generating source to be heated to the support member, caused by the kind and the charged amount of the base member of the aroma-generating source to be heated, and allows a user to readily breathe the aroma components released from the aroma-generating source to be heated. The utilization of information in an ID chip realizes stabilization of the aerosol stream, stable support of the aroma-generating source to be heated when inserting a heating element, and improvement of easy operation when inserting the cartridge.

1 . A support member for an aroma cartridge arranged between an aroma-generating source to be heated and a filter member in an aroma cartridge, the support member comprising:
 a channel for an aerosol stream passing from one edge surface on a side of the aroma-generating source to be heated to an other edge surface on a side of the filter member; and   a mixing space provided to at least one of an inlet edge, an outlet edge, and an intermediate portion and mixing the aerosol stream.   
     
     
         2 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein there is an inlet-edge positional difference between an outer circumference edge on the side of the one edge surface of the support member and the inlet edge of the channel, and   wherein the mixing space includes an inlet-edge space formed by the inlet-edge positional difference.   
     
     
         3 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the inlet-edge positional difference is formed by a step or a slope between the outer circumference edge on the side of the one edge surface of the support member and the inlet edge of the channel.   
     
     
         4 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein there is an outlet-edge positional difference between the outer circumference edge on the side of the other edge surface and the outlet edge of the channel, and   wherein the mixing space includes an outlet-edge space formed by the outlet-edge positional difference.   
     
     
         5 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the outlet-edge positional difference is formed by a step or a slope between the outer circumference edge on the side of the other edge surface of the support member and the outlet edge of the channel.   
     
     
         6 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein there is an intermediate space in an intermediate portion of the channel, the intermediate space continuing to the channel and having a wider cross-sectional area than the channel, and   wherein the mixing space includes the intermediate space.   
     
     
         7 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the channel includes a plurality of channels having cross-sectional areas different from one another.   
     
     
         8 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 1 , further comprising an outer circumference member structuring an outer circumference of the support member,
 wherein the channel and the mixing space are formed by a hollow portion in which no composition material of the support member exists in the outer circumference member.   
     
     
         9 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the outer circumference member is integrally formed.   
     
     
         10 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the channel is a hollow through hole formed in the support member.   
     
     
         11 . A support member for an aroma cartridge arranged between an aroma-generating source to be heated and a filter member in an aroma cartridge, the support member comprising:
 a support surface directly or indirectly supporting an aerosol-forming base member; and   a channel for an aerosol stream passing from one edge surface on a side of the aroma-generating source to be heated to the other edge surface on a side of the filter member,   wherein the support surface includes:
 a first support surface; and 
 a second support surface on a downstream side of the first support surface. 
   
     
     
         12 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the second support surface continues to and is in contact with the first support surface.   
     
     
         13 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the second support surface is formed through a step.   
     
     
         14 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the first support surface or the second support surface is symmetrical about a center axis in a longitudinal direction of the heating aroma-generating source to be heated.   
     
     
         15 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein an area ratio of the second support surface to the first support surface is equal to or more than 0.25 times and equal to or less than 4.0 times.   
     
     
         16 . A support member for an aroma cartridge arranged between an aroma-generating source to be heated and a filter member in an aroma cartridge, the support member comprising:
 a support surface directly or indirectly supporting the aroma-generating source to be heated; and   a channel for an aerosol stream passing from one edge surface on a side of the aroma-generating source to be heated to the other edge surface on a side of the filter member,   wherein the support surface has a sloped surface with respect to a surface perpendicular to a center axis in a longitudinal direction of the aroma-generating source to be heated.   
     
     
         17 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the channel includes a hollow through hole formed in the support member.   
     
     
         18 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the channel includes a channel formed at an outer circumference portion of the support member.   
     
     
         19 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the channel is located on a downstream side of the sloped surface.   
     
     
         20 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the sloped surface is symmetrical about the center axis.   
     
     
         21 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein a slope angle of the sloped surface with respect to the perpendicular surface is 4° or more.   
     
     
         22 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the sloped surface includes a sloped surface with respect to an insertion direction of a heating element configured to be inserted to and heat the aerosol-generating source to be heated.   
     
     
         23 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 1 , further comprising an ID portion to be detected capable of detecting ID information which can distinguish an aroma cartridge from another aroma cartridge difference in kind. 
     
     
         24 . An aroma cartridge comprising:
 an aroma-generating source to be heated;   a filter member; and   a support member arranged between the aroma-generating source to be heated and the filter member, the support member comprising:   a channel for an aerosol stream passing from one edge surface on a side of the aroma-generating source to be heated to an other edge surface on a side of the filter member; and   a mixing space provided to at least one of an inlet edge, an outlet edge, and an intermediate portion and mixing the aerosol stream.   
     
     
         25 . The aroma cartridge according to  claim 24 , further comprising a limiting member limiting a passage region of the aerosol stream from the aroma-generating source to be heated. 
     
     
         26 . The aroma cartridge according to  claim 25 ,
 wherein the limiting member has an opening with a size allowing the aerosol stream to pass therethrough and limiting the aroma-generating source to be heated to pass therethrough.   
     
     
         27 . A support member for an aroma cartridge, comprising an ID portion to be detected from which ID information which can distinguish an aroma cartridge from another aroma cartridge different in kind can be detected. 
     
     
         28 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 1 , further comprising an ID portion to be detected from which ID information which can distinguish an aroma cartridge from another aroma cartridge different in kind can be detected. 
     
     
         29 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 27 ,
 wherein the ID portion to be detected includes an ID-memorizing means memorizing the ID information.   
     
     
         30 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 28 ,
 wherein the ID portion to be detected includes an ID-memorizing means memorizing the ID information.   
     
     
         31 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A fragrance article comprising:
 a support member for an aroma cartridge, the support member comprising an ID portion to be detected from which ID information, which can distinguish an aroma cartridge from another aroma cartridge different in kind, can be detected;   an ID-detecting portion for detecting the ID information;   a heating portion for providing heat to an aroma-generating source to be heated; and   a control portion for controlling the ID-detecting portion and the heating portion.   
     
     
         35 . The fragrance article according to  claim 34 ,
 wherein the ID-detecting portion is arranged around a periphery of an installing portion of the aroma cartridge, and the control portion has a distance-detecting function capable of detecting a distance on the basis of ID-detection information from the ID portion to be detected, and   wherein the control portion further obtains the ID information on the basis of the ID-detection information and understands an installing state of the aroma cartridge from a distance between each portion on the periphery of the installing portion and the ID portion to be detected.   
     
     
         36 . The fragrance article according to  claim 35 ,
 wherein the ID-detecting portion includes a plurality of ID sub-detecting portions around the installing portion, and   wherein the ID sub-detecting portions includes a plurality of ID portions to be detected corresponding to the plurality of ID sub-detecting portions.   
     
     
         37 . A fragrance article including a support member for an aroma cartridge arranged between an aroma-generating source to be heated and a filter member in the aroma cartridge,
 wherein the support member for an aroma cartridge comprises:   an ID portion to be detected from which ID information which can distinguish an aroma cartridge from another aroma cartridge different in kind can be detected.   
     
     
         38 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 27 ,
 wherein the ID portion to be detected presents the ID information.   
     
     
         39 . The support member for an aroma cartridge according to  claim 28 ,
 wherein the ID portion to be detected presents the ID information.