Cleaning tool for aerosol-generating device

Abstract

A tool for cleaning an aerosol-generating device having a heating chamber. The tool includes a tool base and a cleaning head. The cleaning head extending from the tool base and configured to be received in the heating chamber of the aerosol-generating device. The cleaning head includes a body, a cavity within the body, a distal opening, and one or more scraping elements. The body extends from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis of the cleaning tool. The distal end includes an end wall extending towards the longitudinal axis. The distal opening is formed in the end wall and exposes the cavity. The one or more scraping elements extend from the body are arranged proximate to the distal opening.

1 . A tool for cleaning an aerosol-generating device having a heating chamber, the tool comprising:
 a tool base;   a cleaning head extending from the tool base and configured to be received in the heating chamber of the aerosol-generating device, the cleaning head comprising:
 a body extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis of the cleaning tool, the distal end comprising an end wall extending towards the longitudinal axis; 
 a cavity within the body; 
 a distal opening in the end wall exposing the cavity; and 
 one or more scraping elements extending from the body, arranged proximate to the distal opening, 
 wherein the cavity is configured to receive a heating element of the aerosol-generating device via the distal opening, and 
 wherein the one or more scraping elements are configured to scrape one or more sides of the heating element when the heating element is received in the cavity. 
   
     
     
         2 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more scraping elements comprise a scraping edge configured to contact and scrape the heating element when the cleaning head is received in the heating chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The tool of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more scraping elements comprise an elastically deformable material. 
     
     
         4 . The tool of  claim 3 , wherein the scraping edge comprises a material harder than the elastically deformable material. 
     
     
         5 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more scraping elements comprise a roughened portion configured to contact and scrape the heating element when the cleaning head is received in the heating chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more scraping elements comprise scraping teeth configured to contact and scrape the heating element when the cleaning head is received in the heating chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more scraping elements comprise two protrusions extending from opposing sides of the distal opening. 
     
     
         8 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more scraping elements extend over a portion of the distal opening. 
     
     
         9 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more scraping elements comprise:
 a base portion coupled to the distal end of the body; and   a protrusion portion extending from the base portion in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis of the cleaning tool.   
     
     
         10 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the end wall comprises an end face comprising a substantially planar surface and the distal opening is located in the end face. 
     
     
         11 . The tool of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more guide elements extending from the body and configured to position the distal opening relative to the heating element when the tool is received in the heating chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The tool of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more guide elements are configured to cooperate with an alignment element in the heating chamber to align the distal opening with the heating element. 
     
     
         13 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises at least one lateral wall extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the proximal end and distal end of the body; and
 wherein the cleaning head further comprises one or more protrusions extending from the at least one lateral wall, the one or more protrusions configured to scrape one or more surfaces of the heating chamber.   
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 an aerosol-generating device comprising a heating chamber and a heating element with a substantially rectangular cross section extending into the heating chamber from a bottom chamber wall of a heating chamber; and   a tool for cleaning the aerosol-generating device according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the heating chamber comprises one or more inclined surfaces extending from the bottom chamber wall adjacent to the heating element and configured to move residue scraped from the heating element by the one or more scraping elements away from the heating element as the scraping elements are brought into contact with the one or more inclined surfaces. 
     
     
         16 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more scraping elements comprise an elastically deformable material. 
     
     
         17 . The tool of  claim 16 , wherein the scraping edge comprises a material harder than the elastically deformable material. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more scraping elements comprise a scraping edge configured to contact and scrape the heating element when the cleaning head is received in the heating chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more scraping elements comprise an elastically deformable material. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the scraping edge comprises a material harder than the elastically deformable material.