Aerosol-generating device with heating zone insulation

Abstract

An aerosol-generating device is provided for heating an aerosol-forming substrate in a substantially cylindrical aerosol-generating article, the device including: a longitudinally extending cavity to receive a distal portion of the article, the cavity having a longitudinal axis and defined by a base, side walls extending from the base, and an opening at an opposite end of the cavity to the base, internal surfaces of the side walls defining a stabilising portion of the cavity having a first diameter, and a heating portion of the cavity being located between the stabilising portion and the base, the heating portion having a second diameter greater than the first diameter, and the internal surfaces further defining a locating portion at a distal end of the cavity, the heating portion being disposed between the stabilising and locating portions, the locating portion having a third diameter substantially equal to the first diameter.

1 .- 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . An aerosol-generating device for heating an aerosol-forming substrate provided in a substantially cylindrical aerosol-generating article, the aerosol-generating device comprising:
 a longitudinally extending cavity configured to receive a distal portion of the aerosol-generating article, the cavity having a longitudinal axis and being defined by a base, side walls extending from the base, and an opening at an opposite end of the cavity to the base,   wherein internal surfaces of the side walls define a stabilising portion of the cavity having a first diameter, and a heating portion of the cavity located between the stabilising portion and the base, the heating portion having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter, and   wherein the internal surfaces of the side walls of the cavity further define a locating portion disposed at a distal end of the cavity, the heating portion being disposed between the stabilising portion and the locating portion, the locating portion of the cavity having a third diameter that is substantially equal to the first diameter of the stabilising portion.   
     
     
         16 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 15 , wherein a transverse cross sectional area of the cavity in the heating portion is between 110% and 300% greater than a transverse cross-sectional area of the cavity in the stabilising portion. 
     
     
         17 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 15 , wherein a difference in diameter between the stabilising portion and the heating portion provides one or more insulating air pockets surrounding an external surface of the aerosol-generating article when the distal portion of the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 15 , wherein an air inlet is defined through the base. 
     
     
         19 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 15 , wherein the internal surfaces of the side walls of the cavity further define a tapered region in which a diameter of the cavity changes at a constant gradient between the second diameter and the third diameter. 
     
     
         20 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 15 , wherein a difference in diameter between the first diameter at the stabilising portion and the second diameter at the heating portion is a gap diameter, the gap diameter being between 0.5 mm and 5 mm. 
     
     
         21 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 20 , wherein the internal surfaces of the side walls of the cavity comprise one or more ribs extending longitudinally in the heating portion and extending radially from the internal surfaces of the side walls of the cavity, the one or more ribs having a radial dimension equal to the gap diameter. 
     
     
         22 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 15 , further comprising a first body portion housing a power source, control electronics, and at least part of a heating means, and a second body portion that is movable relative to the first body portion, wherein the cavity is defined in the second body portion. 
     
     
         23 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 22 , wherein the second body portion is movably coupled to the first body portion between a first position and a second position, the first position being an operating position defined by the heating means being engageable with the aerosol-generating article, and the second position being an extraction position defined by the aerosol-generating article being at least partially ejected from the cavity. 
     
     
         24 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 15 , wherein a heating element extends into the heating portion of the cavity. 
     
     
         25 . An aerosol-generating system, comprising:
 an aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device configured to heat the aerosol-generating article,   wherein the aerosol-generating device comprises a longitudinally extending cavity configured to receive a distal portion of the aerosol-generating article, the cavity having a longitudinal axis and being defined by a base, side walls extending from the base, and an opening at an opposite end of the cavity to the base,   wherein internal surfaces of the side walls define a stabilising portion of the cavity having a first diameter, and a heating portion of the cavity located between the stabilising portion and the base, the heating portion having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter, and   wherein the internal surfaces of the side walls of the cavity further define a locating portion disposed at a distal end of the cavity, the heating portion being disposed between the stabilising portion and the locating portion, the locating portion of the cavity having a third diameter that is substantially equal to the first diameter of the stabilising portion.   
     
     
         26 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 25 ,
 wherein the aerosol-generating article is a substantially cylindrical aerosol-generating article configured to be heated with the aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating article having a longitudinal axis and an article diameter, and   wherein the first diameter is substantially equal to the article diameter.   
     
     
         27 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 25 ,
 wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises a plurality of co-axially aligned components, including an aerosol-forming substrate, assembled within a wrapper to form a substantially cylindrical article having a longitudinal axis and an article diameter, the aerosol-generating article having a proximal portion terminating in a proximal end and a distal portion terminating in a distal end, and   wherein the aerosol-forming substrate is located in the distal portion of the aerosol-generating article.   
     
     
         28 . The aerosol-generating system according to  claim 25 , wherein a transverse cross sectional area of the cavity in the heating portion is between 110% and 300% greater than a transverse cross-sectional area of the cavity in the stabilising portion.