阅读说明：本技术 气溶胶生成装置 (Aerosol generating device ) 是由 安挥庆 于 2019-01-22 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的一实施例公开了一种气溶胶生成装置,该气溶胶生成装置包括：第一外壳,具备插入卷烟的第一开口；多个遮板,以向卷烟的长度方向延伸的假想线为中心,可旋转地设置在第一外壳,用于开闭第一开口；以及第二外壳,具备与第一开口连通的第二开口,相对于第一外壳可旋转地包围第一外壳的外周表面,并与多个遮板可滑动地接触,从而根据使用者的旋转操作旋转多个遮板。(An embodiment of the invention discloses an aerosol-generating device comprising: a first housing having a first opening into which a cigarette is inserted; a plurality of shutters rotatably provided in the first housing with an imaginary line extending in a longitudinal direction of the cigarette as a center, for opening and closing the first opening; and a second housing having a second opening communicating with the first opening, rotatably surrounding an outer circumferential surface of the first housing with respect to the first housing, and slidably contacting the plurality of shutters, thereby rotating the plurality of shutters according to a rotational operation of a user.)

1. An aerosol-generating device, comprising:

a first housing having a first opening into which a cigarette is inserted;

a plurality of shutters rotatably provided in the first housing about an imaginary line extending in a longitudinal direction of the cigarette, for opening and closing the first opening; and

and a second housing having a second opening communicating with the first opening, rotatably surrounding an outer circumferential surface of the first housing with respect to the first housing, and slidably contacting the plurality of shutters, thereby rotating the plurality of shutters according to a rotational operation of a user.

2. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1,

the first housing further includes a first rotation shaft formed to protrude toward a direction of the plurality of shutters,

the plurality of shutters includes a rotation hole receiving the first rotation shaft,

the shutters are rotatable about the first rotation axis.

3. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1,

the plurality of shutters are disposed on the same plane of the first housing in a circumferential direction with respect to a center of the first opening.

4. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1,

the plurality of shutters includes guide protrusions formed to protrude toward a direction of the first housing,

the first housing further includes a guide groove receiving the guide protrusion,

the guide protrusion may slide along the guide groove with rotation of the plurality of shutters.

5. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 4,

the guide groove includes:

a fixing groove to receive the guide protrusion when the plurality of shutters close the first and second openings,

a moving groove receiving the guide projection in a slidable manner when the plurality of shutters open the first opening and the second opening;

in a state where the guide protrusion is received in the fixing groove, if a force of a critical value or more is not applied to the plurality of shutters, the guide protrusion is fixed to the fixing groove.

6. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1,

the first housing further includes a holding projection formed to protrude toward the second housing,

the second housing further includes a retaining groove that receives the retaining projection in a manner that the retaining projection is slidable,

the holding projection is slidable along the holding groove in accordance with rotation of the second housing with respect to the first housing,

preventing movement of the second housing relative to the first housing in a length direction of the cigarette by receiving the retaining projection in the retaining groove.

7. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1,

the first housing also includes an airflow aperture that allows airflow between the first housing and the second housing.

8. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1,

the plurality of shutters includes cam protrusions formed to protrude toward a direction of the second housing,

the second housing further comprising a cam hole that receives the cam projection in a manner that the cam projection is slidable,

when the user performs a rotational operation on the second housing, the rotational movement of the second housing is transmitted to the cam boss received in the cam hole,

the cam protrusion slides along the cam hole to rotate the plurality of shutters.

9. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1,

the plurality of shutters respectively include:

a step protruding toward one of the other shutters; and

a step groove accommodating the step.

10. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 9,

when the plurality of shutters close the first opening and the second opening,

a part of the gap formed between the plurality of shutters is closed by the step,

another portion of the gap formed between the plurality of shutters is opened.

11. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1,

the second housing further includes an operation portion formed to protrude in an outside direction from an outer circumferential surface of the second housing.

12. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1,

the second housing has a third opening communicating with the first opening and the second opening, and further includes a cover coupled to the second housing.

13. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1,

the second housing further includes a pressurizing protrusion pressurizing the plurality of shutters according to a rotation operation of the user to rotate the plurality of shutters.

14. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 13,

the first housing further includes:

a mounting groove concavely formed in a direction opposite to a direction toward the plurality of shield plates,

a protruding member formed at the mounting groove to protrude toward the plurality of shutters,

an elastic member provided in the mounting groove with a predetermined elastic force centering on the protruding member and having an elastic protrusion protruding in a direction toward the plurality of shutters formed at one end portion thereof,

a fixing protrusion fixing the elastic member to the mounting groove,

a receiving hole to rotatably receive the plurality of shutters,

a guide groove guiding rotation of the plurality of shutters;

the plurality of shutters includes:

a second rotation shaft that is formed to protrude in a direction toward the first housing and is accommodated in the accommodation hole,

a guide protrusion formed to protrude in a direction of the first housing and received in the guide groove of the first housing,

a guide hole for slidably receiving the elastic projection;

the elastic boss is slidable along the guide hole in accordance with rotation of the second housing with respect to the first housing;

the guide projection is slidable along the guide groove in accordance with rotation of the second housing with respect to the first housing.

15. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 14,

in a state where the plurality of shutters open or close the first and second openings, if the user does not perform a rotational operation on the second housing, the plurality of shutters maintain a state where the first and second openings are opened or closed.

16. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 14,

the elastic bulge is arranged on the upper surface of the base,

at a first point within the guide aperture such that the plurality of louvers close the first opening and the second opening,

a second point, which is opposite to the first point, within the guide hole such that the plurality of shutters open the first opening and the second opening,

in a state where the elastic protrusion is located at the first point, a restoring force of the elastic member is transmitted to the elastic protrusion in a direction in which the elastic protrusion is returned from the first point to the second point.

17. An aerosol-generating device, comprising:

a first housing having a first opening into which a cigarette is inserted; and

and a plurality of shutters rotatably provided in the first housing with an imaginary line extending in a width direction of the cigarette as a center, for opening and closing the first opening.

18. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 17,

the plurality of shutters are disposed on the same plane of the first housing in a circumferential direction with respect to a center of the first opening.

19. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 17,

the plurality of shutters includes:

a third rotation axis formed to extend in the width direction of the cigarette,

a stopper defining a critical position at which the shutter can rotate about the third rotation axis;

the first housing includes an accommodating portion that accommodates the third rotation shaft in a manner that the third rotation shaft is rotatable.

20. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 17,

the plurality of shutters further include an elastic member elastically supporting the first housing and the plurality of shutters such that the plurality of shutters are elastically movable between a first point closing the first opening and a second point opening the first opening.

21. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 20,

the elastic member is attached to an installation hole formed in the first housing, and is supported on one side by an inner surface of the first housing and on the other side by inner surfaces of the plurality of shutters.

22. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 17,

in a state where the plurality of shutters close the first opening, a part of the plurality of shutters adjacent to a center of the first opening is subjected to chamfering processing.

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an aerosol-generating device, and more particularly, to an aerosol-generating device in which an opening through which a cigarette is inserted can be opened and closed by a simple operation.

Background

In general, when an aerosol-generating device including a heater for heating a cigarette by electricity is used, the cigarette heated by the heater to generate a gas for smoking is separated from the aerosol-generating device and discarded, and a new cigarette is inserted into the aerosol-generating device again.

Korean laid-open patent publication No. 10-2014-0117395 relates to a polygonal aerosol-generating device for generating aerosol by heating a cigarette, and describes an aerosol-generating device having a cavity into which a cigarette is inserted.

In the case where a user uses an aerosol-generating device of such a structure, since the smell of the cigarette permeates into the cavity, even after the cigarette is separated from the cavity after smoking, the smell thereof is diffused to a storage place such as a pocket of the user.

In addition, since heat of heating the cigarette remains in the cavity, the user may be burned, and therefore, the inside of the aerosol-generating device needs to be cooled for a certain time, and the user using the aerosol-generating device may feel inconvenience.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide an aerosol-generating device capable of opening and closing an opening through which a cigarette is inserted by a simple operation.

Further, embodiments of the present invention provide an aerosol-generating device as follows: without using the aerosol-generating device, it is possible to prevent the inside smell or foreign matter from flowing out.

Further, embodiments of the present invention provide an aerosol-generating device as follows: in order to cool the aerosol-generating device, even when the opening is closed after use, heated air remaining inside after use can be discharged to the outside.

Means for solving the problems

An embodiment of the invention discloses an aerosol-generating device comprising: a first housing having a first opening into which a cigarette is inserted; a plurality of shutters rotatably provided in the first housing with an imaginary line extending in a longitudinal direction of the cigarette as a center, for opening and closing the first opening; and a second housing having a second opening communicating with the first opening, rotatably surrounding an outer circumferential surface of the first housing with respect to the first housing, and slidably contacting the plurality of shutters, thereby rotating the plurality of shutters according to a rotational operation of a user.

In this embodiment, the first housing may further include a first rotation shaft formed to protrude toward a direction of the plurality of shutters, the plurality of shutters may include rotation holes to receive the first rotation shaft, and the plurality of shutters may be characterized to be centered on the first rotation shaft.

In this embodiment, the plurality of shutters may be disposed on the same plane of the first housing along the circumferential direction with respect to the center of the first opening.

In this embodiment, it may be characterized in that the plurality of shutters include guide protrusions formed to protrude in a direction of the first housing, and the first housing further includes guide grooves receiving the guide protrusions, and the guide protrusions may slide along the guide grooves as the plurality of shutters rotate.

In this embodiment, it may be characterized in that the fixing groove receives the guide projection when the plurality of shutters close the first opening and the second opening, and the moving groove receives the guide projection in such a manner that the guide projection is slidable when the plurality of shutters open the first opening and the second opening; in a state where the guide protrusion is received in the fixing groove, if a force above a critical value is not applied to the plurality of shutters, the guide protrusion is fixed to the fixing groove.

In this embodiment, it may be characterized in that the first housing further includes a retaining projection formed to protrude in a direction toward the second housing, the second housing further includes a retaining groove in which the retaining projection is slidably received, the retaining projection is slidable along the retaining groove in accordance with rotation of the second housing relative to the first housing, and movement of the second housing relative to the first housing in a length direction of the cigarette is prevented by receiving the retaining projection in the retaining groove.

In this embodiment, the first housing may further include an airflow hole allowing airflow between the first housing and the second housing to flow.

In the present embodiment, it may be characterized in that the plurality of shutters include cam protrusions formed to protrude toward the direction of the second housing, the second housing further includes cam holes that accommodate the cam protrusions in such a manner that the cam protrusions are slidable, and when a user performs a rotating operation on the second housing, a rotating motion of the second housing is transmitted to the cam protrusions accommodated in the cam holes, and the cam protrusions slide along the cam holes to rotate the plurality of shutters.

In this embodiment, each of the plurality of shutters may include a step protruding toward one of the other shutters and a step groove receiving the step.

In the present embodiment, when the plurality of shutters closes the first opening and the second opening, a portion of the gap formed between the plurality of shutters may be closed by the step, and another portion of the gap formed between the plurality of shutters may be opened.

In this embodiment, the second housing may further include an operation portion formed to protrude in an outside direction from an outer circumferential surface of the second housing.

In this embodiment, a third opening communicating with the first opening and the second opening may be provided, and a cover coupled to the second housing may be further included.

In this embodiment, the second housing may further include a pressurizing protrusion pressurizing the plurality of shutters according to a rotation operation of a user to rotate the plurality of shutters.

In this embodiment, the first housing may further include: a mounting groove formed to be recessed in a direction opposite to a direction toward the plurality of shutters, a protruding member formed in the mounting groove to protrude in a direction toward the plurality of shutters, an elastic member provided in the mounting groove centering on the protruding member and having a predetermined elastic force, and having an elastic protrusion formed at one end thereof to protrude in a direction toward the plurality of shutters, a fixing protrusion fixing the elastic member in the mounting groove, a receiving hole receiving the plurality of shutters in a rotatable manner, and a guide groove guiding rotation of the plurality of shutters; the plurality of shutters may include: a second rotary shaft which is formed to protrude toward the first housing and is received in the receiving hole, a guide boss which is formed to protrude toward the first housing and is received in the guide groove of the first housing, and a guide hole which receives the elastic boss so that the elastic boss is slidable; the elastic bulge can slide along the guide hole along with the rotation of the second shell relative to the first shell; the guide projection is slidable along the guide groove in accordance with rotation of the second housing with respect to the first housing.

In the present embodiment, in a state where the plurality of shutters open or close the first and second openings, if the user does not perform a rotational operation on the second housing, the plurality of shutters may maintain a state where the first and second openings are opened or closed.

In this embodiment, the elastic protrusion may be located at a first point in the guide hole to close the first opening and the second opening by the plurality of shutters, and located at an opposite side of the first point, that is, a second point in the guide hole to open the first opening and the second opening by the plurality of shutters, and the restoring force of the elastic member may be transmitted to the elastic protrusion in a state where the elastic protrusion is located at the first point, and a direction in which the restoring force is transmitted may be a direction in which the elastic protrusion returns from the first point to the second point.

Another embodiment of the invention discloses an aerosol-generating device comprising: a first housing having a first opening into which a cigarette is inserted; and a plurality of shutters rotatably provided in the first housing with an imaginary line extending in a width direction of the cigarette as a center, for opening and closing the first opening.

In this embodiment, the plurality of shutters may be disposed on the same plane of the first housing along the circumferential direction with respect to the center of the first opening.

In this embodiment, the plurality of shutters may include: the third rotating shaft is formed to extend in the width direction of the cigarette, and the stop table defines a critical position where the shutter can rotate around the third rotating shaft.

In this embodiment, the plurality of shutters may further include an elastic member elastically supporting the first housing and the plurality of shutters such that the plurality of shutters are elastically movable between a first point closing the first opening and a second point opening the first opening.

In this embodiment, the elastic member may be mounted in a mounting hole formed in the first housing, and may be supported on one side by an inner side surface of the first housing and on the other side by inner side surfaces of the plurality of shutters.

In this embodiment, in a state where the plurality of shutters closes the first opening, a portion of the plurality of shutters adjacent to the center of the first opening may be subjected to chamfering (chamferring).

Other aspects, features, and advantages than those described above will be apparent from the drawings, claims, and detailed description that follows.

Effects of the invention

According to the aerosol-generating device of the embodiment of the present invention, the user can easily open and close the opening into which the cigarette is inserted with one hand, and thus the use is convenient.

In addition, when no separate operation is performed by the user, the opening through which the cigarette is inserted is closed, thereby preventing the odor or foreign matter inside the aerosol generating apparatus from flowing out.

Further, by providing the gap space for communicating the inside and the outside of the aerosol-generating device even in the state where the opening is closed, the heated air remaining inside after use can be discharged to the outside, and the aerosol-generating device can be cooled.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an isolated perspective view generally illustrating the combined relationship of a portion of the components of the aerosol-generating device shown in figure 1.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view exemplarily illustrating a coupling relationship of a first housing and a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view exemplarily illustrating a coupling relationship of a first housing and a second housing of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective top view exemplifying a closed state of a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective top view exemplarily illustrating a state in which a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 1 is opened.

Figure 7 is an isolated perspective view generally illustrating the coupling of a portion of the components of an aerosol-generating device according to another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view exemplarily illustrating a coupling relationship of the first housing and the shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective top view exemplarily illustrating a state in which a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 7 is closed.

Fig. 10 is a perspective top view exemplarily illustrating a state in which a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 7 is opened.

Figure 11 is an isolated perspective view generally illustrating the coupling of a portion of the components of an aerosol-generating device according to another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view exemplarily showing a combination relationship of a part of components of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a shutter of the aerosol-generating device illustrated in fig. 11.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged perspective view exemplarily illustrating a combined relationship of a first housing and a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 11.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged perspective view exemplarily showing a pattern in a case where a plurality of shutters of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 11 are closed.

Fig. 16 is a perspective top view exemplarily illustrating a state in which a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 11 is closed.

Fig. 17 is a perspective top view exemplarily illustrating a state in which a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 11 is opened.

Detailed Description

An embodiment of the invention discloses an aerosol-generating device comprising: a first housing having a first opening into which a cigarette is inserted; a plurality of shutters rotatably provided in the first housing with an imaginary line extending in a longitudinal direction of the cigarette as a center, for opening and closing the first opening; and a second housing having a second opening communicating with the first opening, rotatably surrounding an outer circumferential surface of the first housing with respect to the first housing, and slidably contacting the plurality of shutters, thereby rotating the plurality of shutters according to a rotational operation of a user.

The present invention will be apparent from the following examples described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be embodied in various forms, and the embodiments are provided only for the purpose of making the disclosure of the present invention complete and fully informing those skilled in the art of the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the scope of the claims.

In another aspect, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In this specification, the singular forms may also include the plural forms unless specifically stated otherwise in the sentence. The use of "comprising" and/or "comprising" in the specification means that the elements, steps, operations, and/or components do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements, steps, operations, and/or components.

Moreover, the terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but these elements should not be limited by these terms. The terminology is used only to distinguish one element from another.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 2 is a separated perspective view generally showing a combination relationship of a part of components of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 1.

An aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in fig. 1 and 2 includes: a first housing 10 having a first opening 11 into which the cigarette 7 is inserted; a plurality of shutters 20 rotatably provided in the first casing 10 about an imaginary line extending in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette 7 to open and close the first opening 11; and a second housing 30 having a second opening 31 communicating with the first opening 11, rotatably surrounding an outer circumferential surface of the first housing 10 with respect to the first housing 10, and slidably contacting the plurality of shutters 20, thereby rotating the plurality of shutters 20 according to a rotational operation of a user.

The first housing 1 functions to house and protect various components of the aerosol-generating device in a space formed inside. Since the first housing 10 has a hollow cylindrical shape with an entirely hollow interior, a receiving space (not shown) for receiving the cigarette 7 is formed inside the first housing 10.

For example, a heater (not shown) for heating the cigarette 7 and a support member (not shown) for supporting the heater may be provided in the housing space. In addition, a first opening 11 opened to the outside so that the cigarette 7 can be inserted is formed at one side end portion of the accommodating space.

The first housing 10 may be made of a plastic material having low or no thermal conductivity or a metal material coated with a plastic material on the surface. The receiving space of the first housing 10 provides a moving path of the cigarette 7 so that the cigarette 7 inserted from the outside can move along the receiving space and perform a function of receiving the cigarette 7. Therefore, the accommodation space of the first housing 10 can be formed in a cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the cigarette 7. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the shape of the accommodating space, and the accommodating space may be formed in a polygonal shape such as a quadrangle or an elliptical shape in cross section. In this case, a support member (not shown) for fixing the cigarette may be additionally provided in the accommodating space.

However, regardless of the shape of the receiving space of the first housing 10, the cross-section of the outer circumferential surface of the first housing 10 is preferably formed in a circular shape. This is to realize the operation of rotating the second housing 30 with respect to the first housing 10 by the structure in which the inner peripheral surface of the second housing 30 and the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 10, which will be described in more detail later.

Generally, since the diameter of the accommodating space is formed larger than that of the cigarette 7, a prescribed space is formed between the accommodating space and the cigarette 7 when the cigarette 7 is accommodated in the first housing 10. The space between the housing space and the cigarette 7 is connected to the outside through the first opening 11, so that a flow path through which air can pass can be formed.

The plurality of louvers 20 are disposed on the same plane of the first housing 10 along a circumferential direction with respect to the center of the first opening 11. Although fig. 2 depicts a total of three louvers 20 disposed on the same plane of the first housing 10 in the circumferential direction with respect to the center of the first opening 11, the number of louvers 20 of the aerosol-generating device of the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, shutter 20 may be constructed of more than two. This is to provide a predetermined space between the plurality of shutters 20, and the structure of the aerosol generating apparatus, which is described later, is configured to communicate the inside of the aerosol generating apparatus with the outside and discharge the residual heat inside the aerosol generating apparatus to the outside even in a state where the plurality of shutters 20 are closed.

The second housing 30 functions to accommodate and protect the first housing 10, the plurality of louvers 20, and other various components not shown in the drawings, by forming an appearance of the aerosol-generating device in a space formed inside. The second housing 30 has a hollow cylindrical shape with an empty interior, and a receiving space (not shown) for receiving the above-mentioned components is formed in the interior of the second housing 30.

A second opening 31 opened to the outside so that the cigarette 7 can be inserted is formed at one side end portion of the accommodation space, and the second opening 31 communicates with the first opening 11 when the plurality of shutters 20 are in the opened state, so that the accommodation space into which the cigarette 7 can be inserted can be provided.

The second casing 30 may be made of a plastic material having low or no thermal conductivity or a metal material coated with a plastic material on the surface, as in the first casing 10. In addition, the receiving space of the second housing 30 provides a moving path of the cigarette 7 so that the cigarette 7 inserted from the outside moves along the receiving space and functions to receive the cigarette 7. The receiving space of the second housing 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the first housing 10. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to such a shape of the second housing 30, and for example, the shape of the receiving space may be a shape having a polygonal or elliptical cross section such as a quadrangle corresponding to the shape of the first housing 10.

However, regardless of the shape of the receiving space of the second housing 30, the cross section of the inner circumferential surface of the second housing 30 contacting the outer circumferential surface of the first housing 10 is preferably formed in a circular shape. This is to achieve the rotation of the second housing 30 with respect to the first housing 10 using a structure in which the outer circumferential surface of the first housing 10 is conformed to the outer circumferential surface of the second housing 30, which will be described in more detail below.

On the one hand, the second housing 30 further includes an operation portion 34, and the operation portion 34 is formed to protrude in an outward direction on an outer peripheral surface of the second housing 30. The user can operate the second housing 30 to rotate with respect to the first housing 10 by operating the operation portion 34.

Specifically, the user can rotate the second housing 30 with respect to the first housing 10 by pushing the operation portion 34 with the fingers while holding the base 50 of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 1 with the hand. By such a rotating operation of the user, the plurality of shutters 20 open the first opening 11 and the second opening 31, and the user can insert the cigarette 7 into the inner accommodation space through the first opening 11 and the second opening 31 with the other hand without holding the aerosol-generating device.

On the one hand, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited by the presence or absence of the operation portion 34 shown in the drawings and the shape thereof. For example, the user may rotate the second housing 30 with respect to the first housing 10 by pushing an outer surface of the second housing 30 instead of the operating portion 34. For this, the outer surface of the second housing 30 may be made of a material having sufficient friction that can be rotated by a user's manipulation. However, for convenience of explanation, the following description will be centered on a configuration in which the operation portion 34 that is easy for the user to use is formed on the outer surface of the second housing 30.

The aerosol-generating device may include a third opening 41 communicating with the first opening 11 and the second opening 31, and may further include a cover 40 coupled to the second housing 30. The outer cover 40 may cover the cam hole 33 exposed to the outside on the upper surface of the second housing 30 and the cam protrusion 23 received in the cam hole 33 to provide a beautiful appearance.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view exemplarily illustrating a coupling relationship of a first housing and a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 1.

Referring to fig. 3, the first housing 10 further includes a first rotation shaft 12 formed to protrude in a direction of the plurality of shutters 20 and a guide groove 13 for guiding rotation of the shutters 20. The first rotation shaft 12 is received in the rotation hole 21 of the shutter 20, and the shutter 20 is rotatable about the first rotation shaft 12.

The plurality of shutters 20 include guide protrusions 22 formed to protrude toward the first housing 10. The guide protrusion 22 is received in the guide groove 13 of the first housing 10 and can slide along the guide groove 13 together with the rotation of the shutter 20. In addition, shutter 20 further includes a cam protrusion 23, a step 24, and a step groove 25, which will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 5 and 6.

The guide groove 13 includes: a fixing groove 13f for receiving the guide protrusion 22 when the plurality of shutters 20 close the first and second openings 11 and 31; the moving slot 13m receives the guide projection 22 in such a manner that the guide projection 22 is slidable when the plurality of shutters 20 open the first opening 11 and the second opening 31. Since fig. 3 shows a state where a plurality of shutters 20 are opened, the guide projection 22 of the shutter 20 shown in fig. 3 is described as being accommodated in the moving slot 13 m. On the one hand, although not shown in the drawings, when the plurality of shutters 20 are in the closed state, the guide protrusions 22 of the shutters 20 are received in the fixing grooves 13 f.

Specifically, if the guide projection 22 temporarily housed in the fixing groove 13f is to be pulled out from the fixing groove 13f, a force equal to or greater than a threshold value needs to be applied. That is, in a state where the plurality of shutters 20 close the first opening 11 and the second opening 31, the plurality of shutters 20 can continuously maintain the closed state unless the user performs the rotational operation of the second housing 30 with the force of the threshold value or more.

Therefore, in the aerosol-generating device according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the first opening 11 and the second opening 31 are kept closed when no user operates the aerosol-generating device, it is possible to prevent the housing space of the aerosol-generating device from being opened arbitrarily at ordinary times and odor or foreign matter inside the housing space from flowing out.

On the other hand, when the user rotates the second housing 30 by a force equal to or greater than the threshold value to pull the guide projection 22 out of the fixed groove 13f, the guide projection 22 can slide along the moving groove 13 m. Fig. 3 shows a case where the guide projection 22 is located at the moving groove 13m farthest from the fixing groove 13f, which means that the plurality of shutters 20 are in a maximally opened state.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view exemplarily illustrating a coupling relationship of a first housing and a second housing of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 1.

Referring to fig. 2 and 4, the first housing 10 further includes a holding protrusion 14 formed to protrude toward the second housing 30, and the second housing 30 further includes a holding groove 32 receiving the holding protrusion 14 in a manner such that the holding protrusion 14 is slidable. The holding projection 14 can slide along the holding groove 32 together with the rotation of the second housing 30 with respect to the first housing 10.

Although not specifically shown in the drawings, a base 50 for housing a circuit board (not shown) and a battery (not shown) of the aerosol-generating device is connected to the opposite side of the front portion of the first housing 10 into which the cigarettes are inserted, i.e. to the rear portion of the first housing 10. The first housing 10 is fixed to the base 50, and when a user intends to insert the cigarette 7, the second housing 30 is generally rotated in a state of fixing the base 50 by hand, so that a structure in which the second housing 30 is rotatable with respect to the first housing 10 can be realized.

In this manner, the second housing 30 can be rotated with respect to the first housing 10 centering on a center axis (not labeled) of the first opening 11 by a coupling structure of the holding projection 14 formed to protrude outward and the holding groove 32 formed to recess in the inner circumferential surface of the second housing 30 in such a manner as to receive the holding projection 14.

In addition, the holding groove 32 can allow the holding projection 14 to move in the width direction (horizontal direction) of the cigarette 7, but prevent the holding projection 14 from moving in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette 7. According to this configuration, the second housing 30 can rotate with respect to the first housing 10 about the center axis of the first opening 11, but is prevented from moving in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette 7, i.e., in the upper and lower directions in the drawing. That is, the second housing 30 is rotatable about the central axis of the first opening 11 along the outer surface of the first housing 10 in a state fixed to the first housing 10 in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette 7.

In one aspect, the first housing 10 further includes an airflow hole 15 that allows airflow between the first housing 10 and the second housing 30. Since the airflow hole 15 communicates with the inner receiving space of the first housing 10, air flowing into the aerosol-generating device from the outside may be transferred to the inner receiving space of the first housing 10 through a gap formed between the first housing 10 and the second housing 30.

Fig. 5 is a perspective top view exemplarily illustrating a state in which a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 1 is closed.

Referring to fig. 5, the plurality of shutters 20 include cam protrusions 23 formed to protrude toward the second housing 30, and the second housing 30 further includes cam holes 33 receiving the cam protrusions 23 in such a manner that the cam protrusions 23 are slidable. When the user performs a rotational operation of the second housing 30, the rotational motion of the second housing 30 is transmitted to the cam protrusions 23 received in the cam holes 33, and the cam protrusions 23 slide along the cam holes 33, thereby enabling the plurality of shutters 20 to be rotated.

Fig. 5 shows a view of a plurality of shutters 20 closing first opening 11 and second opening 31. That is, each shutter 20 rotates clockwise around the first rotation shaft 12 to contact the other shutters 20, and fig. 5 shows a structure in which the three shutters 20 are gathered to close the first opening 11 and the second opening 31.

As described above, the state where the plurality of shutters 20 close the first opening 11 and the second opening 31 in this way shows the ordinary state where the user does not apply the rotating operation to the second housing 30. In this case, although not shown in fig. 5, the guide protrusions 22 (refer to fig. 3) of the shutter 20 can be received in the fixing grooves 13f of the guide grooves 13.

In addition, the cam protrusion 23 may be disposed adjacent to the center of the first opening 11 by rotating the plurality of shutters 20 in the clockwise direction about the first rotation shaft 12. As will be described below with reference to fig. 6, when the plurality of shutters 20 are rotated in the counterclockwise direction, the cam protrusion 23 can be moved in a direction away from the center of the first opening 11 as the shutters 20 are rotated. This is because, when the second housing 30 is moved counterclockwise by the rotational operation of the user, the cam hole 33 formed in the second housing 30 is also moved counterclockwise, and the cam protrusion 23 received in the cam hole 33 is moved together along the path allowed by the cam hole 33.

In addition, the plurality of shrouds 20 further include steps 24 protruding toward any one of the shrouds 20 that is different from each other, and step grooves 25 (see fig. 3) that receive the steps 24. As shown in fig. 5, when the plurality of shutters 20 close the first opening 11 and the second opening 31, a part of the gap formed between the plurality of shutters 20 can be closed by the step 24, and at the same time, another part of the gap formed between the plurality of shutters 20 can be opened.

As described above, by sealing the internal housing space of the aerosol-generating device by bringing the plurality of shutters 20 into close contact with each other, while preventing the odor of the cigarettes 7 remaining inside the aerosol-generating device after use from rapidly diffusing to the outside, by applying a structure that opens a predetermined space between the plurality of shutters 20, the heat remaining inside after use can be discharged to the outside, thereby cooling the aerosol-generating device.

Fig. 6 is a perspective top view exemplarily illustrating a state in which a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 1 is opened.

Fig. 6 shows a state in which the plurality of shutters 20 open the first opening 11 and the second opening 31 when the user operates the operation portion 34 to rotate the second housing 30 in the counterclockwise direction. When the second housing 30 rotates counterclockwise, the position of the cam hole 33 formed in the second housing 30 also moves counterclockwise, and as the cam hole 33 moves counterclockwise, the position of the cam boss 23 of the shutter 20 accommodated in the cam hole 33 also moves counterclockwise.

The cam boss 23 slides along the cam hole 33 to move in a direction away from the center of the first opening 11, and as a result, the cam boss 23 also moves in the counterclockwise direction centering on the first rotation shaft 12 and moves to the opposite side of the position of the cam boss 23 in the cam hole 33 shown in fig. 5.

That is, when the user rotates the second housing 30 in the counterclockwise direction, as a result, the cam protrusion 23 also rotates in the counterclockwise direction about the first rotation shaft 12, and as a result, the shutters 20 also rotate in the counterclockwise direction about the first rotation shaft 12, thereby opening the first opening 11 and the second opening 31.

In such a state where the plurality of shutters 20 open the first opening 11 and the second opening 31, the user can insert the cigarette 7 into the internal receiving space of the aerosol-generating device with the hand not holding the aerosol-generating device.

That is, the user can open or close the internal housing space of the aerosol-generating device with one hand, and further, it is not necessary to separately store a component for opening and closing the internal housing space of the aerosol-generating device, so that the risk of losing the component can be reduced.

Fig. 7 is an isolated perspective view generally illustrating a coupling relationship of a part of components of an aerosol-generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view exemplarily illustrating a coupling relationship of a first housing and a shutter of the aerosol-generating device illustrated in fig. 7.

In the aerosol-generating device of the embodiment shown in fig. 7, when there is no rotational operation by the user, the plurality of shutters 120 can be kept in the open state or the closed state continuously, and the function of opening or closing the plurality of shutters 120 can be exerted by the rotational operation by the user.

Referring to fig. 7 and 8, the first housing 110 further includes: a mounting groove 112 concavely formed in a direction opposite to a direction toward the plurality of shutters 120; a protrusion member 113 formed at the mounting groove 112 and protruding toward the plurality of shutters 120; an elastic member 114 provided in the mounting groove 112 with a predetermined elastic force centering on the protruding member 113, and having an elastic protrusion 114p formed at one end thereof to protrude in a direction toward the plurality of shutters 120; a fixing protrusion 115 fixing the elastic member 114 to the mounting groove 112; a receiving hole 116 for receiving the plurality of shutters 120 in such a manner that the plurality of shutters 120 are rotatable; the guide groove 117 guides the rotation of the plurality of shutters 120.

The plurality of shutters 120 includes: a second rotation shaft 121 formed to protrude in a direction toward the first housing 110 and rotatably received in the receiving hole 116; a guide protrusion 122 formed to protrude in a direction of the first housing 110 and received in the guide groove 117 of the first housing 110; and a guide hole 123 for receiving the elastic lug 114p in such a manner that the elastic lug 114p is slidable.

In addition, the second housing 130 further includes a pressurizing protrusion 133, and the pressurizing protrusion 133 pressurizes the plurality of shutters 120 according to a rotation operation of a user to rotate the plurality of shutters 120 or maintain the plurality of shutters 120 in a closed state.

In addition, the first housing 110 further includes a retaining protrusion 118 formed to protrude toward the second housing 130, and the second housing 130 further includes a retaining groove 132 receiving the retaining protrusion 118 in such a manner that the retaining protrusion 118 is slidable. The holding projection 118 can slide along the holding groove 132 as the second housing 130 rotates relative to the first housing 110.

Although not specifically shown in the drawings, a base (refer to 50 of fig. 1) for accommodating a circuit board (not shown) and a battery (not shown) of the aerosol-generating device is connected to the opposite side of the front portion of the first housing 110, where the cigarette is inserted, i.e., the rear portion of the first housing 110. The first housing 110 is fixed to the base 50, and when a user intends to insert the cigarette 7, the second housing 130 is generally rotated in a state of fixing the base 50 by hand, thereby enabling a structure in which the second housing 130 is rotatable with respect to the first housing 110.

In this manner, the second housing 130 can be rotated with respect to the first housing 110 centering on a central axis (not labeled) of the first opening 111 by a coupling structure of the holding protrusion 118 formed to protrude outward and the holding groove 132 formed to be recessed in an inner circumferential surface of the second housing 130 in such a manner as to receive the holding protrusion 118.

The holding groove 132 allows the holding projection 118 to move in the width direction (horizontal direction) of the cigarette 7, but prevents the holding projection 118 from moving in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette 7. According to this configuration, the second housing 130 can rotate with respect to the first housing 110 about the center axis of the first opening 111, but movement in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette 7, that is, movement in the upper and lower directions in the drawing is prevented. That is, the second housing 130 is rotatable about the center axis of the first opening 111 along the outer surface of the first housing 110 in a state fixed to the first housing 110 in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette 7.

In one aspect, the first housing 110 further includes an airflow aperture 119 that allows airflow between the first housing 110 and the second housing 130. Since the air flow hole 119 communicates with the inner receiving space of the first housing 110, air flowing into the aerosol-generating device from the outside may also be transferred to the inner receiving space of the first housing 110 through a gap formed between the first housing 110 and the second housing 130. In one aspect, the elastic protrusion 114P is capable of sliding along the guide hole 123 with the rotation of the second housing 130 with respect to the first housing 110, and when the plurality of shutters 120 are closed, the elastic protrusion 114P is located at a first point P1 (refer to fig. 9) within the guide hole 123, and when the plurality of shutters 120 are opened, the elastic protrusion 114P is located at a second point P2 (refer to fig. 10) within the guide hole 123. If the elastic lug 114P is located at the first point P1, the restoring force of the elastic lug 114P is transmitted to the elastic lug 114P in a direction to return the elastic lug 114P from the first point P1 to the second point P2.

In addition, the guide protrusion 122 is received in the guide groove 117 of the first housing 110, and the guide protrusion 122 can slide along the guide groove 117 with the rotation of the shutter 120. In addition, shutter 120 also includes a step 124 and a step groove 125, which are described in detail below with reference to fig. 9 and 10.

The guide groove 117 includes: a fixing groove 117f for receiving the guide protrusion 122 when the plurality of shutters 120 close the first and second openings 111 and 131; the moving groove 117m receives the guide protrusion 122 in a manner such that the guide protrusion 122 is slidable when the plurality of shutters 120 open the first opening 111 and the second opening 131. Since fig. 7 and 9 illustrate a state in which the plurality of shutters 120 are closed, the guide protrusions 122 of the shutters 120 illustrated in fig. 7 and 9 can be received in the fixing grooves 117 f. On the one hand, fig. 8 and 10 show a state where the plurality of shutters 120 are opened, and the guide protrusions 122 of the shutters 120 shown in fig. 8 and 10 can be received in the moving groove 117 m.

Specifically, if the guide projection 122 temporarily accommodated in the fixing groove 117f is to be pulled out from the fixing groove 117f, a force equal to or greater than a threshold value needs to be applied. That is, in a state where the plurality of shutters 120 close the first opening 111 and the second opening 131, the plurality of shutters 120 can continuously maintain the closed state unless the user performs the rotational operation of the second housing 130 with the force greater than the threshold value and does not apply the rotational force in the direction in which the plurality of shutters 120 are opened.

In addition, as shown in fig. 9, in a state where the plurality of shutters 120 are closed, the pressing protrusion 133 of the second housing 130 can restrict the rotation of the shutters 120 by pressing the end portions of the plurality of shutters 120 distant from the second rotation shaft 121 so that the plurality of shutters 120 maintain the closed state.

On the other hand, when the user operates the operation portion 134 to rotate the second housing 130 in the counterclockwise direction (from 134a to 134b in fig. 10), the pressing protrusion 133 allows the rotation of the plurality of shutters 120 by the restoring force of the elastic member 114, so that the plurality of shutters 120 are changed from the closed state to the open state by the rotation (in the counterclockwise direction with reference to fig. 9 and 10).

That is, the pressurizing projection 133 is moved from a position (see 133a of fig. 9) for pressurizing the end of the shutter 120 distant from the second rotation shaft 121 to a position (see 133b of fig. 10) for pressurizing a part of the shutter 120 adjacent to the second rotation shaft 121 by the operation of the user, whereby the plurality of shutters 120 can be changed from the closed state to the open state by the rotation.

Therefore, in the aerosol-generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention, if there is no user operation while the plurality of shutters 120 are closed, the first opening 111 and the second opening 131 are kept closed, and therefore, it is possible to prevent the interior odor or foreign matter from flowing out due to the optional opening of the accommodation space of the aerosol-generating device at all times.

On the other hand, when the user rotates the second housing 130 with a force greater than or equal to the threshold value to pull the guide protrusion 122 out of the fixing groove 117f, the guide protrusion 122 can slide along the moving groove 117 m. Fig. 8 and 10 show a case where the guide projection 122 is located at the moving groove 117m farthest from the fixing groove 117f, which means that the plurality of shutters 120 are in a maximally opened state.

In addition, the aerosol-generating device may be provided with a third opening 141 communicating with the first opening 111 and the second opening 131, and may further include a cover 140 coupled to the second housing 130. The outer cover 140 may provide an aesthetic appearance by covering the upper surface of the second housing 130.

Fig. 9 is a perspective top view exemplarily illustrating a state in which a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 7 is closed.

Fig. 9 shows a pattern in which a plurality of shutters 120 abut together to close first opening 111 and second opening 131. That is, each shutter 120 rotates clockwise around the first rotation shaft 121 to contact the other shutters 120, and fig. 9 also shows a structure in which three shutters 120 are gathered to close the first opening 111 and the second opening 131.

As described above, the state in which the plurality of shutters 120 close the first opening 111 and the second opening 131 represents the normal state in which the user does not perform the rotational operation of the second housing 130. In this case, the elastic members 114 are mounted on both sides of the fan-shaped mounting groove 112, and a predetermined restoring force can be transmitted to the plurality of shutters 120 through the elastic protrusions 114p so as to be contracted into the shape of the elastic members 114 shown in fig. 10. At this time, the elastic boss 114P can be located at the first point P1 in the guide hole 122 of the shutter 120.

However, the plurality of shutters 120 maintain the closed state despite the restoring force, because the pressurizing protrusion 133 fixes the shutters 120 to maintain the closed state as described above, and also, due to the structure in which the guide protrusion 122 of the shutters 120 is received in the fixing groove 117 f.

According to the structure as described above, when the user does not perform the rotation operation on the second housing 130, the plurality of shutters 120 can maintain the state of closing the first opening 111 and the second opening 131. Therefore, in the aerosol-generating device according to the another embodiment of the present invention shown in fig. 7 to 10, even without the operation of the user, the user can prevent the housing space of the aerosol-generating device from being arbitrarily opened and the smell or foreign matter inside from flowing out.

In addition, each of the plurality of shutters 120 further includes a step 124 protruding toward one of the other shutters 120 and a step groove 125 for receiving the step 124. As shown in fig. 9, when the plurality of shutters 120 close the first opening 111 and the second opening 131, a portion of the gap formed between the plurality of shutters 120 may be closed by the step 124, and at the same time, another portion of the gap formed between the plurality of shutters 120 may be opened.

As described above, by sealing the internal housing space of the aerosol-generating device by bringing the plurality of shutters 20 into close contact with each other, while preventing the odor of the cigarettes 7 remaining inside the aerosol-generating device after use from rapidly diffusing to the outside, by applying a structure that opens a predetermined space between the plurality of shutters 20, the heat remaining inside after use can be discharged to the outside, thereby cooling the aerosol-generating device.

Fig. 10 is a perspective top view exemplarily illustrating a state in which a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 7 is opened.

As compared with fig. 9, fig. 10 shows a state in which the plurality of shutters 120 open the first opening 111 and the second opening 131 as a result of the user rotating the second housing 130 counterclockwise (from 134a to 134b) by operating the operation portion 134.

When the second housing 130 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, the position of the pressing protrusion 133 formed at the second housing 130 is also rotated in the counterclockwise direction (from 133a of fig. 9 to 133b of fig. 10) along with the rotation of the second housing 130, thereby allowing the rotation of the shutter 120 and rotating the shutter 120 in the counterclockwise direction. At this time, as described above, the rotational force of the shutter 120 is caused by the structure in which the restoring force of the elastic member 114 is transmitted to the shutter 120 through the elastic boss 114p, and the elastic boss 114p can move along the guide hole 123 of the shutter 120.

Specifically, when the second housing 130 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction according to the rotational operation of the user, the elastic boss 114p moves in a direction away from the first rotation shaft 121 along the guide hole 123. Accordingly, the side of the elastic member 114, which is maximally expanded in a state of being caught at both sides of the mounting groove 112, including the elastic protrusion 114p, moves together with the movement of the elastic protrusion 114p, and rotates counterclockwise about the protrusion member 113, and as a result, the plurality of shutters 120 also rotate counterclockwise about the first rotation shaft 121, thereby opening the first opening 111 and the second opening 131.

That is, when the user rotates the second housing 130 in the counterclockwise direction, the elastic protrusion 114P moves to the opposite side of the first point P1, that is, the second point P2, within the guide hole 123, so that the plurality of shutters 120 open the first opening 111 and the second opening 131.

In this way, in a state where the elastic lug 114P is located at the first point P1, the restoring force of the elastic member 114 in a direction to return the elastic lug 114P from the first point P1 to the second point P2 can be transmitted to the elastic lug 114P. This means that the plurality of shutters 120 can maintain the opened state as shown in fig. 10 until the user operates the second housing 130 again in the clockwise direction to close the plurality of shutters 120.

That is, as shown in fig. 10, in a state where the plurality of shutters 120 open the first opening 111 and the second opening 131, the user can maintain the opened state of the plurality of shutters 120 without continuously operating the second housing 130, and thus, the user can conveniently insert the cigarette 7 into the accommodation space.

That is, the user can open or close the internal housing space of the aerosol-generating device with one hand, and further, it is not necessary to separately store a component for opening and closing the internal housing space of the aerosol-generating device, so that the risk of losing the component can be reduced.

Figure 11 is an isolated perspective view generally illustrating the coupling of a portion of the components of an aerosol-generating device according to another embodiment of the invention.

In the aerosol-generating device of the embodiment shown in fig. 11, even if the user does not separately operate the first housing 210 or the second housing 230, the plurality of shutters 220 are automatically opened and closed by the operation of inserting the cigarette 7 into the housing space of the aerosol-generating device and pulling out the cigarette 7 from the housing space.

Referring to fig. 11, an aerosol-generating device comprises: a first housing 210 having a first opening 211 into which a cigarette 7 is inserted; the plurality of shutters 220 are provided rotatably about an imaginary line extending in the width direction of the cigarette 7 in the first housing 210 to open and close the first opening 211.

The plurality of shutters 220 may be disposed on the same plane of the first housing 210 in a circumferential direction with respect to the center of the first opening 211.

Specifically, the plurality of shutters 220 includes: a third rotation shaft 221 formed to extend in the width direction of the cigarette 7; and a stopper 221s defining a critical position where the shutter 220 can rotate around the third rotation axis 221. In addition, the first housing 210 includes an accommodating portion 212 to accommodate the third rotation shaft 221 in such a manner that the third rotation shaft 221 is rotatable.

In addition, the aerosol-generating device further includes an elastic member 213 elastically supporting the first housing 210 and the plurality of shutters 220 so that the plurality of shutters 220 can be elastically moved between a first point (refer to D1 of fig. 12) closing the first opening 211 and a second point (refer to D2 of fig. 12) opening the first opening 211.

In addition, the first housing 210 further includes a holding protrusion 215 formed to protrude toward the second housing 230, and the second housing 230 further includes a holding groove 232 for receiving the holding protrusion 215. When the first housing 210 is coupled with the second housing 230, the holding projection 215 may be coupled with the holding groove 232 by an insertion fit, and for this, an upper side surface of the holding projection 215 may include an inclined surface.

According to this structure, the holding projection 215 can minimize friction with the second housing 230 when the first housing 210 is inserted into the second housing 230 to slide upward, and the first housing 210 can be fixed to the second housing 230 after simply being coupled to the holding groove 232 by insertion fitting so that the first housing 210 is not separated downward with respect to the second housing 230.

The aerosol-generating device may further include a third opening 241 communicating with the first opening 211 and the second opening 231, and a cover 240 coupled to the second housing 230. The cover 240 may provide an aesthetic appearance by covering the upper surface of the second housing 230.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view exemplarily showing a combination relationship of a part of components of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 11.

Referring to fig. 12, the elastic member 213 is mounted to a mounting hole 214 formed at the first housing 210, and one side 213a may be supported at an inner side of the first housing 210 and the other side 213b may be supported at an inner side of the plurality of shutters 220. In addition, a bent portion 213c may be formed at one end portion of the other side 213b of the elastic member 213 that is in sliding contact with the inner side surfaces of the plurality of shutters 220. The bent portion 213c is preferably formed in an arc shape so that the elastic member 213 can smoothly slide with the inner side surfaces of the plurality of shutters 220.

Specifically, the curved portion 213c is a portion that is in direct contact with the inner side surfaces of the shutters 220 when the shutters 220 are opened and closed, and if there is a sharp cut surface instead of an arc shape, the inner side surfaces of the shutters 220 are scraped due to sliding contact, and thus there is a possibility that the residue may penetrate into the receiving space. However, in the embodiment shown in fig. 12, since the inner side surfaces of the shutters 220 can smoothly slide with the curved portions 213c, it is possible to prevent the inner side surfaces of the shutters 220 from being scraped and the residue from penetrating into the accommodating space.

Specifically, one side 213a of the elastic member 213 can be fixed at the position shown in fig. 11 regardless of the opening and closing of the shutter 220, and the other side 213b of the elastic member 213 can be elastically moved between the first point D1 and the second point D2 according to the opening and closing of the shutter 220. That is, when the shutter 220 is closed, the other side 213b of the elastic member 213 can be located at the first point D1, and when the shutter 220 is open, the other side 213b of the elastic member 213 can be located at the second point D2.

According to the above-described configuration, as shown in fig. 11, when the cigarette 7 is not inserted into the housing space of the aerosol-generating device, the plurality of shutters 220 maintain the positions for closing the first opening 211 and the second opening 231, and even if the cigarette 7 is inserted into the housing space and the plurality of shutters 220 are temporarily opened, when the cigarette 7 is separated from the housing space after use, the plurality of shutters 220 can function to return to the positions for closing the first opening 211 and the second opening 231.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 11, and fig. 14 is an enlarged perspective view exemplarily illustrating a coupling relationship of a first housing and the shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 11.

Referring to fig. 13 and 14, the shutter 220 includes: a third rotation shaft 221 rotatably accommodated in the accommodation portion 212 of the first housing 210; the stopper 221s contacts the first housing 210 to prevent the third rotation shaft 221 from rotating in a direction to close the first opening 211 when the plurality of shutters 220 close the first opening 211, and contacts the first housing 210 to prevent the third rotation shaft 221 from rotating in a direction to open the first opening 211 when the plurality of shutters 220 open the first opening 211.

Fig. 14 shows a state where one side surface 221s _ a of the stopper 221s contacts the first housing 210 when the shutter 220 is closed. When the one side surface 221s _ a of the stopper 221s abuts against the first housing 210, the third rotation shaft 221 shown in fig. 14 can be prevented from rotating clockwise.

Here, the clockwise rotation of the third rotation shaft 221 is a direction in which the shutter 220 closes the first opening 211, but if the shutter 220 rotates to an upper side than the position shown in fig. 13, the first opening 211 can be opened again. Therefore, when the shutter 220 rotates clockwise about the third rotation shaft 221, it is preferably rotated to a position where the first opening 211 is closed, that is, a position where the shutter 220 is disposed in a horizontal direction as shown in fig. 14. To this end, the third rotation shaft 221 may include a stopper 221s, and one side surface 221s _ a of the stopper 221s may be rotated until it abuts against the first housing 210.

In addition, although not shown in the drawings, when the other side surface 221s _ b of the stopper 221s abuts against the first housing 210, the third rotation shaft 221 shown in fig. 14 can be prevented from rotating in the counterclockwise direction. Here, since the third rotation shaft 221 rotates counterclockwise in a direction to open the first opening 211, the shutter 220 rotates counterclockwise around the third rotation shaft 221 to open the first opening 211, and can rotate to a position where the other side surface 221s _ b of the stopper 221s abuts against the first housing 210.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged perspective view exemplarily showing a pattern in a case where a plurality of shutters of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 11 are closed.

As shown in fig. 15, in a state where the plurality of shutters 220 close the first opening 211, a portion 220m of the plurality of shutters 220 adjacent to the center of the first opening 211 may be chamfered.

Here, the corner portion 220m of the louver 220 subjected to the chamfering process is a portion which comes into final contact with the cigarette 7 when the cigarette 7 is separated from the aerosol-generating device, and if this portion is processed into a sharp shape, when the cigarette 7 is separated, the outer surface of the cigarette 7 may be scratched to damage the cigarette 7. If the cigarette 7 is damaged by the corners of the shutter 220, various materials constituting the cigarette 7 flow into the accommodation space of the aerosol-generating device, in which case it may cause inconvenience of additionally cleaning the accommodation space.

However, as shown in fig. 15, if the corner portions 220m of the louver 220 are chamfered, the cigarettes 7 can be safely separated from the aerosol-generating device without damaging the cigarettes 7, and thus the residue of the cigarettes 7 after use can be prevented from flowing into the housing space.

In addition, the shutters 220 respectively include steps 224 protruding toward one of the shutters 220 of the other shutters 220 and step grooves 225 for receiving the steps 224. As shown in the lower side of fig. 15, when the plurality of shutters 220 close the first and second openings 211 and 231, a portion of the gap formed between the plurality of shutters 220 may be closed by the step 224, and at the same time, another portion of the gap formed between the plurality of shutters 220 may be opened.

According to the above-described configuration, the plurality of shields 220 are brought into close contact with each other to close the internal housing space of the aerosol generation device, so that the odor of the cigarettes 7 remaining in the aerosol generation device after use can be prevented from rapidly diffusing to the outside, and the structure in which the predetermined space between the plurality of shields 220 is opened is applied, so that the heat remaining in the aerosol generation device after use can be discharged to the outside to cool the aerosol generation device.

Fig. 16 is a perspective top view exemplarily illustrating a state in which a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 11 is closed.

Fig. 16 illustrates a plurality of shutters 220 grouped together to close first opening 211 and second opening 231. That is, each shutter 220 rotates around the third rotation shaft 221 to contact with different shutters 220, respectively, and a structure in which three shutters 220 are gathered to close the first opening 211 and the third opening 231 is described in fig. 15.

As described above, the state in which the plurality of shutters 220 close the first opening 211 and the second opening 231 represents a normal state in which the cigarette 7 is not inserted into the accommodation space of the aerosol-generating device. In this case, as shown in fig. 12, the other side 213b of the elastic member 213 is positioned at the first point D1, so that the maximally expanded state can be maintained.

According to the structure, when the user does not insert the cigarette 7 into the accommodating space of the aerosol-generating device, the plurality of shutters 220 can maintain the state of closing the first opening 211 and the second opening 231. Therefore, the aerosol-generating device according to the another embodiment of the present invention shown in fig. 11 to 17 can prevent the housing space of the aerosol-generating device from being arbitrarily opened and the smell or foreign matter inside from flowing out to the outside even without the operation of the user.

Fig. 17 is a perspective top view exemplarily illustrating a state in which a shutter of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 11 is opened.

Fig. 17 is a view showing a state in which the plurality of shutters 220 open the first opening 211 and the second opening 231 as a result of the user inserting the cigarette 7 into the receiving space inside through the first opening 211 and the third opening 231 of the aerosol-generating device. In this case, as shown in fig. 11, the other side 213b of the elastic member 213 may be located at the second point D2, and the other side 213b of the elastic member 213 may press the lower side surface of the shutter 220 with a predetermined restoring force in such a manner that it returns from the second point D2 to the first point D1.

In a state where the cigarette 7 is inserted into the accommodation space of the aerosol-generating device, the shutter 220 can be kept in an open state even if a restoring force is applied to the lower surface of the shutter 220 to the other side 213b of the elastic member 213.

However, when the user separates the cigarette 7 from the accommodation space of the aerosol-generating device, the shutter 220 can be rotated again about the third rotation shaft 221 by the restoring force applied to the lower side surface of the shutter 220 by the other side 213b of the elastic member 213, thereby restoring to a position closing the first opening 211 and the second opening 231.

Therefore, in the aerosol-generating device according to the other embodiment of the present invention shown in fig. 11 to 17, even if the user does not separately operate the first housing 210 or the second housing 230, the plurality of shutters 220 can be automatically opened and closed by an operation of inserting the cigarette 7 into the housing space of the aerosol-generating device and pulling out the cigarette 7 from the housing space again after use.

Therefore, according to the above configuration, the user can easily insert and separate the cigarette 7 into and from the aerosol-generating device with one hand while holding the aerosol-generating device with the other hand, and the housing space of the aerosol-generating device can be prevented from being arbitrarily opened and the smell or foreign matter inside can be prevented from flowing out without the user's operation.

Further, as described above, by sealing the internal housing space of the aerosol-generating device by bringing the plurality of shields 220 into close contact with each other, while preventing the odor of the cigarettes 7 remaining in the aerosol-generating device after use from rapidly diffusing to the outside, by applying a structure in which a predetermined space is opened between the plurality of shields 220, the heat remaining in the aerosol-generating device after use can be discharged to the outside, thereby cooling the aerosol-generating device.

The description of the structure and effects of the embodiments is merely exemplary, and it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments based on the embodiments may be implemented. Therefore, the true scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims.