In-line electric heater for an aerosol delivery system

Abstract

An in-line heater for an aerosol delivery system has an elongated tubular electrically insulated plastic body having first and second ends coaxially aligned along the major axis of the tubular body. The first and second ends contain an aerosol inlet and outlet, respectively. The plastic body has an unrestricted flow passage therein from the first to the second end and a self supporting electrically conductive spiral mesh heating element loosely fills the flow passageway within the body. The mesh heating element has a very low mass so as to be almost instantaneously responsive and extends across the space between the side walls of the flow passage to maximize the surface area thereof exposed to the aerosol mixture flowing through the passage. First and second terminals are adjacent the first and second housing ends, respectively, and are connected to the ends of the spiral mesh heating elements by a pair of crimped connector plates. Each terminal is disposed in a terminal housing having an internally serrated opening for securing a complementarily terminal sleeve having a serrated outer surface. The tubular plastic body may be formed from a pair of split tube halves. In an alternate embodiment, the tubular plastic body may be U-shaped with a water trap at the base.