Aerosol supply system

Abstract

A mouthpiece (33) for an aerosol supply system (1). The mouthpiece (33) comprises at least one aerosol outlet channel (62) for delivering an aerosol to a user of the mouthpiece (33). The mouthpiece (33) comprises at least one thermal element (710) for controlling the temperature of a portion (705) of the mouthpiece (33). The portion (705) may include an outer surface of the mouthpiece (33), and the thermal element (710) may be configured to heat and cool the portion (705) of the mouthpiece (33). In this way, the thermal element (710) may allow thermal feedback to be provided to the user when the user operates the aerosol supply system, such as to the user's mouth, lip, or tongue.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to aerosol supply systems, such as, but not limited to, nicotine delivery systems (eg, electronic cigarettes, etc.). Background Art

[0002] Electronic aerosol supply systems typically employ electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or more generally employ aerosol supply devices. Such aerosol supply systems typically comprise a reservoir of aerosolizable material (also referred to as aerosol generating material), such as a fluid or liquid containing a formulation, the formulation typically but not necessarily including nicotine, or a solid material, such as a tobacco-based product, from which vapor / aerosol is generated, for example by thermal evaporation, for inhalation by a user. Therefore, an aerosol supply system will typically comprise a vaporizer (also referred to as an aerosol generator), such as a heating element, which is arranged to aerosolize a portion of the aerosolizable material to generate vapor.

[0003] After the vapour has been generated, the vapour may then be passed through the flavouring material to add flavour to the vapour (if the aerosolisable material itself is not flavoured), after which the (flavoured) vapour may then be delivered from the aerosol supply system to the user via the mouthpiece.

[0004] A potential disadvantage of existing aerosol supply systems and associated aerosol supply devices is that it may be challenging, particularly for those with visual impairments, to discern specific features or operations of an aerosol supply system and / or any aerosol supply device therein. Accordingly, various methods are described herein that attempt to help solve or mitigate some of the problems discussed above by using a thermal element on a mouthpiece of an aerosol supply system that can be used to provide thermal feedback to a user via the user's mouth, lips, or tongue.

[0005] It is also difficult for users to know exactly where their mouth and lips should be positioned on the mouthpiece during use, especially for those with visual impairments. Therefore, the methods described herein also attempt to make it easier for such users to know exactly how to best position their mouth and / or lips on the mouthpiece. Summary of the invention

[0006] According to a first aspect of certain embodiments, there is provided a mouthpiece for an aerosol supply system, the mouthpiece comprising: at least one aerosol outlet channel for delivering the aerosol to a user of the mouthpiece, wherein the mouthpiece comprises at least one thermal element for controlling the temperature of a portion of the mouthpiece.

[0007] According to a second aspect of some embodiments there is provided an aerosol supply system for generating an aerosol, the aerosol supply system comprising the mouthpiece of the first aspect, wherein the aerosol outlet channel is configured to receive an aerosol generated in the aerosol supply system.

[0008] According to a third aspect of some embodiments there is provided a method of controlling the temperature of a portion of a mouthpiece from an aerosol supply system, wherein the method comprises operating a thermal element from the mouthpiece to control the temperature of the portion of the mouthpiece.

[0009] It will be appreciated that the features and aspects of the invention described above in relation to various aspects of the invention are equally applicable to, and may be appropriately combined with, embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the invention, and not just in the specific combinations described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] Figure 1 An aerosol supply system including a cigarette cartridge and an aerosol supply device (shown separately) according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically shown in the form of a stereogram.

[0012] Figure 2 Schematically shows Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the components of a cigarette cartridge of an aerosol supply system.

[0013] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C Schematically shows Figure 1 Multiple cross-sectional views of the shell portion of a cigarette cartridge of an aerosol supply system.

[0014] Figure 4A and Figure 4B Schematically shows Figure 1 A stereoscopic view and a plan view of a partition wall element of a cigarette cartridge of an aerosol supply system.

[0015] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C Schematically shows Figure 1 Two perspective views and a plan view of the elastic plug of the cigarette cartridge of the aerosol supply system.

[0016] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B Schematically shows Figure 1 A three-dimensional view and a plan view of the bottom cover of the cigarette cartridge of the aerosol supply system.

[0017] Figure 7 A mouthpiece including a thermal element according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically shown, which can be used with the above reference Figures 1 to 6BThe aerosol supply system described herein is used in conjunction with the aerosol supply system described herein.

[0018] Fig. 8A Schematically illustrates a thermal element according to some embodiments of the present disclosure that can be used for Figure 7 The type of mouthpiece shown in .

[0019] Figure 8B Schematically illustrates a thermal element according to some embodiments of the present disclosure that can be used for Figure 7 The type of mouthpiece shown in .

[0020] Fig. 9 Schematically shows a mouthpiece including an annular thermal element according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, which can be used with the above reference Figures 1 to 6B The aerosol supply system described herein is used in conjunction with the aerosol supply system described herein.

[0021] Fig.10 An aerosol supply system according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically shown, the aerosol supply system using a mouthpiece including a thermal element, such as Figure 7 and Fig. 9 Mouth piece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Various aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be conventionally implemented, and for the sake of brevity, these aspects and features are not discussed / described in detail. Therefore, it should be understood that aspects and features of the devices and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail may be implemented according to any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

[0023] The present disclosure relates to non-flammable aerosol supply systems (such as electronic cigarettes). According to the present disclosure, a "non-flammable" aerosol supply system is an aerosol supply system in which the constituent aerosolizable materials of the aerosol supply system (or its components) are not burned or ignited to facilitate delivery to the user. Aerosolizable materials (which may also be referred to herein as aerosol generating materials or aerosol precursor materials) are materials that are capable of generating an aerosol when heated, irradiated, or energized in any other manner, for example. In some embodiments, the aerosolizable material may also be flavored.

[0024] Throughout the following description, the term "electronic cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used, but it should be understood that the term can be used interchangeably with an aerosol delivery system. Electronic cigarettes may also be referred to as vapor smoke devices or electronic nicotine delivery systems (END), but it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosolizable material is not required.

[0025] In some embodiments, the aerosol supply system is a mixing device that generates an aerosol using a combination of aerosolizable materials, wherein one or more of the combination of aerosolizable materials can be heated. In some embodiments, the mixing device includes a liquid or gel aerosolizable material and a solid aerosolizable material. The solid aerosolizable material can include, for example, a tobacco or non-tobacco product.

[0026] Typically, a (non-combustible) aerosol supply system may comprise a cartridge / consumable portion and a body / reusable / aerosol supply device portion, which is configured to releasably engage with the cartridge / consumable portion.

[0027] The aerosol supply system may be provided with means for powering the vaporizer therein and may provide an aerosolizable material delivery element for receiving the aerosolizable material to be vaporized. The aerosol supply system may also be provided with a reservoir for containing the aerosolizable material and, in some embodiments, may also provide another reservoir for containing a flavoring material for flavoring the vapor generated from the aerosol supply system.

[0028] In some embodiments, the vaporizer can be a heater / heating element that can interact with the aerosolizable material to release one or more volatiles from the aerosolizable material to form a vapor / aerosol. In some embodiments, the vaporizer can generate an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without heating. For example, the vaporizer can generate a vapor / aerosol from the aerosolizable material, for example, via one or more of vibration means, mechanical means, pressurization means, or electrostatic means, without applying heat thereto.

[0029] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosolizable material, which may include an active ingredient, a carrier ingredient, and optionally one or more other functional ingredients.

[0030] Active ingredient can include one or more physiological and / or olfactory active ingredients, which are included in the aerosolizable material, so as to realize physiological and / or olfactory reactions in users. Active ingredient can be, for example, selected from nutrients, nootropics and psychoactive substances. Active ingredient can be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. Active ingredient can include, for example, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theophylline, vitamins (such as B6 or B12 or C), melatonin, or its composition, derivative or combination. Active ingredient can include a composition, derivative or extract of tobacco or another plant. In some embodiments, active ingredient is a physiologically active ingredient, and can be selected from nicotine, nicotine salts (for example, nicotine bitartrate / nicotine bitartrate), nicotine-free tobacco substitutes, other alkaloids (such as caffeine) or its mixture.

[0031] In some embodiments, the active ingredient is an olfactory active ingredient and may be selected from "flavorings" and / or "flavors", which are materials that can be used in products to produce a desired taste, aroma or other somatic sensation for adult consumers, where permitted by local regulations. In some cases, such ingredients may be referred to as flavorings, spices, flavoring materials, coolants, heating agents and / or sweeteners. They may include naturally occurring flavoring materials, plants, extracts of plants, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, licorice, hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese magnolia leaves, chamomile, fenugreek, cloves, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (fennel), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, cranberry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, citrus, lemon, lime, tropical fruits, papaya, rhubarb, grape , Durian, Pitaya, Cucumber, Blueberry, Mulberry, Citrus Fruit, Durian, Bourbon, Scotch, Whiskey, Gin, Tequila, Rum, Spearmint, Mint, Lavender, Aloe, Cardamom, Celery, Sophora flavescens, Nutmeg, Sandalwood, Bergamot, Geranium, Arabic Tea, Sorghum, Betel Leaf, Coriander, Pine, Honey Essence, Rose Oil, Vanilla, Lemon Oil, Orange Oil, Orange Blossom, Cherry Blossom, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cognac, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Sage, Fennel , mustard, green pepper, ginger, coriander, coffee, mint oil from any species of the mint family, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, red beans, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazelnuts, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange peel, rose, tea (such as green or black), thyme, juniper, elderberry, basil, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, chili pepper, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak, turmeric, coriander, myrtle, black currant, valerian, Spanish bell pepper, mace, dami The invention relates to a beverage comprising: a sweetener, a flavor enhancer, a bitter taste receptor site blocker, a sensory receptor site activator or stimulator, sugar and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, plants, or breath fresheners. It can be an imitation, synthetic or natural ingredient or a mixture thereof.It may be in any suitable form, for example, a liquid such as an oil, a solid such as a powder, or a petroleum or a variety of extracts (e.g., liquorice, hydrangea, Japanese magnolia leaves, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, Japanese mint, anise, cinnamon, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Dolin brand, bourbon, Scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, celery, bitter bean peel, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, Cinnamon, coriander, cognac, jasmine, ylang ylang, sage, fennel, green pepper, ginger, star anise, cilantro, coffee or mint oil from any species of the genus Menthus), flavor enhancers, bitter receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath fresheners. It can be an imitation, synthetic or natural ingredient or a mixture thereof. It can be in any suitable form, for example, an oil, liquid or powder.

[0032] In some embodiments, flavoring materials (flavorings) can include menthol, spearmint and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, flavorings include flavoring components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruit and / or cranberry. In some embodiments, flavorings include eugenol. In some embodiments, flavorings include flavoring components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, in addition to or instead of aroma or taste nerves, flavorings can include sensory agents, which are intended to achieve the somatic sensations usually induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), and these can include agents that provide heating, cooling, tingling, and numbness effects. Suitable thermal effect agents can be, but are not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether, and suitable cooling agents can be, but are not limited to, eucalyptol, WS-3.

[0033] The carrier component may include one or more components capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the carrier component may include one or more of glycerol, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, endoerythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, glyceryl triacetate, diacetate glyceryl mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

[0034] The one or more other functional ingredients may include one or more of a pH adjuster, a colorant, a preservative, a binder, a filler, a stabilizer and / or an antioxidant.

[0035] As described above, the aerosol supply system (electronic cigarette) may generally include a modular assembly including both a reusable part (main body or aerosol supply device) and a replaceable consumable (cartridge) part. Devices that conform to this type of two-piece modular construction may generally be referred to as two-piece devices. Electronic cigarettes also generally have a generally elongated shape. To provide a specific example, certain embodiments of the present disclosure described herein may include such a generally elongated two-piece device that employs a consumable part. However, it should be understood that the basic principles described herein may also be applicable to other electronic cigarette constructions, such as modular devices including more than two parts, and devices that conform to other overall shapes, such as high-performance devices based on so-called box-shaped models that are generally box-shaped.

[0036] Therefore, based on the foregoing and referring to Figure 1 , Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary aerosol supply system (electronic cigarette) 1 according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. Terms regarding the relative positions of various aspects of the electronic cigarette (e.g., terms such as upper, lower, above, below, top, bottom, etc.) are referred to herein as Figure 1 The electronic cigarette is used in the orientation shown (unless the context indicates otherwise). However, it should be understood that this is only for ease of explanation and is not intended to indicate any required orientation of the electronic cigarette in use.

[0037] The electronic cigarette 1 (aerosol supply system 1) includes two main components, namely, a cigarette cartridge 2 and an aerosol supply device 4. The aerosol supply device 4 and the cigarette cartridge 2 are connected to each other. Figure 1 are shown separated in FIG, but are coupled together when in use.

[0038] The cartridge 2 and the aerosol supply device 4 are coupled by establishing a mechanical and electrical connection therebetween. The specific manner in which the mechanical and electrical connection is established is not particularly important for the principles described herein and may be established according to conventional techniques, for example, based on mechanical fixing using threads, bayonet, latch or friction fit with appropriately arranged electrical contacts / electrodes for appropriately establishing an electrical connection between the two parts. Figure 1 In the exemplary electronic cigarette 1 shown in FIG. 1 , the cartridge includes a mouthpiece 33, a mouthpiece end 52, and an interface end 54, and is connected to an aerosol supply device by inserting the interface end portion 6 at the interface end of the cartridge into a corresponding receiving portion 8 / receiving section of the aerosol supply device. The interface end portion 6 of the cartridge fits tightly into the receiving portion 8 and includes a protrusion 56 that engages with a corresponding latch portion in the inner surface of the receiving portion wall 12 defining the receiving portion 8 to provide a releasable mechanical engagement between the cartridge and the aerosol supply device. Via a pair of electrical contacts ( Figure 1 ) and corresponding spring contact pins (not shown) in the base of the receiving portion 8. Figure 1 As described above, the specific manner of establishing the electrical connection is not important to the principles described herein, and in fact, for example, because the transmission of power from the reusable part to the cartridge can be wireless (e.g., based on electromagnetic induction technology), some implementations may not have an electrical connection between the cartridge and the aerosol supply device.

[0039] The electronic cigarette 1 (aerosol supply system) has a generally elongated shape extending along the longitudinal axis L. When the cartridge is connected to the aerosol supply device, the total length (along the longitudinal axis) of the electronic cigarette in this example is about 12.5 cm. The total length of the aerosol supply device is about 9 cm, and the total length of the cartridge is about 5 cm (that is, when the interface end portion 6 of the cartridge and the receiving portion 8 of the aerosol supply device are connected together, there is an overlap of about 1.5 cm therebetween). The electronic cigarette has a generally elliptical cross-section, and the cross-section is the largest in the approximately middle of the electronic cigarette and tapers toward the end in a curved manner. The cross-section of the approximately middle of the electronic cigarette has a width of about 2.5 cm and a thickness of about 1.7 cm. The end of the cartridge has a width of about 2 cm and a thickness of about 0.6 mm, while the other end of the electronic cigarette has a width of about 2 cm and a thickness of about 1.2 cm. In this example, the outer shell of the electronic cigarette is formed of plastic. It should be understood that the specific size and shape of the electronic cigarette and the material from which the electronic cigarette is made are not particularly important to the principles described herein and may be different in different implementations. That is, the principles described herein may be equally applicable to electronic cigarettes having different sizes, shapes and / or materials.

[0040] According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the aerosol supply device 4 may be generally conventional in its function and general construction techniques. Figure 1In the example of, the aerosol supply device 4 includes a plastic outer shell 10, which includes a receiving portion wall 12, and the receiving portion wall defines a receiving portion 8 for receiving the end of the cigarette cartridge as described above. The outer shell 10 of the aerosol supply device 4 in this example has a generally elliptical cross-section, which is consistent with the shape and size of the cigarette cartridge 2 at its interface to provide a smooth transition between the two parts. When rotated 180°, the receiving portion 8 and the end portion 6 of the cigarette cartridge 2 are symmetrical, so the cigarette cartridge can be inserted into the aerosol supply device in two different orientations. The receiving portion wall 12 includes two aerosol supply device air inlet openings 14 (i.e., holes in the wall). These openings 14 are positioned to align with the air inlet 50 for the cigarette cartridge when the cigarette cartridge is connected to the aerosol supply device. Different openings in the opening 14 are aligned with the air inlet 50 of the cigarette cartridge in different orientations. It will be appreciated that some implementations may not have any degree of rotational symmetry, such that the cartridge can be coupled to the aerosol supply device in only one orientation, while other implementations may have a higher degree of rotational symmetry, such that the cartridge can be coupled to the aerosol supply device in more orientations.

[0041] The aerosol supply device also includes a battery 16 for providing operating power to the electronic cigarette, a control circuit 18 for controlling and monitoring the operation of the electronic cigarette, a user input button 20 , an indicator light 22 , and a charging port 24 .

[0042] The battery 16 in this example is rechargeable and can be of a conventional type, such as the kind commonly used in electronic cigarettes and other applications requiring relatively high currents to be provided in relatively short periods of time. The battery 16 can be recharged via a charging port 24, which can include a USB connector, for example.

[0043] The input button 20 in this example is a conventional mechanical button, for example comprising a resiliently mounted component that can be pressed by a user to establish electrical contact in an underlying circuit. In this regard, the input button can be considered to be an input device for detecting user input (e.g., for triggering aerosol generation), and the particular manner in which the button is implemented is not important. For example, in other implementations, other forms of mechanical buttons or touch-sensitive buttons (e.g., based on capacitive or optical sensing technology) may be used, or there may be no button and the device may rely on a puff detector for triggering aerosol generation.

[0044] The indicator light 22 is provided to provide a user with a visual indication of various characteristics associated with the electronic cigarette, for example, an indication of the operating state (e.g., on / off / standby) and other characteristics (such as battery life or fault conditions). For example, different characteristics can be indicated by different colors and / or different flashing sequences according to general conventional techniques.

[0045] The control circuit 18 is appropriately configured / programmed to control the operation of the electronic cigarette to provide conventional operating functions according to established techniques for controlling electronic cigarettes. The control circuit (processor circuit) 18 can be considered to logically include various subunits / circuit elements associated with different aspects of the operation of the electronic cigarette. For example, depending on the functions provided in different implementations, the control circuit 18 may include a power control circuit for controlling the power supply from the battery / power supply to the cartridge in response to user input, a user programming circuit for establishing configuration settings (e.g., user-defined power settings) in response to user input, and functions associated with other functional units / circuits according to the principles described herein and conventional operating aspects of the electronic cigarette (such as an indicator light display drive circuit and a user input detection circuit). It should be understood that the functions of the control circuit 18 can be provided in a variety of different ways, such as using one or more appropriately programmed programmable computers and / or one or more appropriately configured application-specific integrated circuits / circuits / chips / chip sets configured to provide the desired functions.

[0046] Figure 2 is an exploded schematic perspective view (exploded along the longitudinal axis L) of the cartridge 2. The cartridge 2 comprises a housing portion 32, an air channel seal 34, a partition wall element 36, an outlet tube 38, a vaporizer / heating element 40, an aerosolizable material delivery element 42, a plug 44, and an end cap 48 with a contact electrode 46. Figures 3 to 6 schematically illustrate some of these components in more detail.

[0047] Figure 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the housing portion 32 taken through the longitudinal axis L such that the housing portion 32 is narrowest in the view. Figure 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the housing portion 32 taken through the longitudinal axis L such that the housing portion 32 is widest in the view. Figure 3C is a schematic diagram of the housing portion along the longitudinal axis L from the interface end 54 (i.e., at Figure 3A and Figure 3B orientation as viewed from below).

[0048] Figure 4A is a schematic perspective view of the partition wall element 36 seen from below. Figure 4B is a schematic cross section of the upper portion of the partition wall element 36 viewed from below.

[0049] Figure 5A is a schematic perspective view of the plug 44 as seen from above, and Figure 5B 4 is a schematic perspective view of the plug 44 as seen from below. Figure 5C is viewed from the mouthpiece end 52 of the cartridge along the longitudinal axis L (i.e., at Figure 1 and Figure 2Schematic diagram of the plug 44 (as viewed from above in the orientation of FIG. 1 ).

[0050] Fig. 6A 4 is a schematic perspective view of the end cover 48 as seen from above. Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the end cap 48 viewed from the mouthpiece end 52 of the cartridge along the longitudinal axis L (ie, from above).

[0051] The shell portion 32 in this example includes a shell outer wall 64 and a shell inner tube 62, which in this example are formed by a single molded piece of polypropylene. The shell outer wall 64 defines the appearance of the cigarette cartridge 2, and the shell inner tube 62 defines the portion of the air passage that passes through the cigarette cartridge. The shell portion is open at the interface end 54 of the cigarette cartridge and is closed at the mouthpiece end 52 of the cigarette cartridge, except for the mouthpiece opening / aerosol outlet 60 of the mouthpiece 33 that is fluidly connected to the shell inner tube 62. The shell portion 32 includes an opening in the side wall that provides an air inlet 50 for the cigarette cartridge. In this example, the air inlet 50 has a diameter of approximately 2 mm. 2 The outer surface of the outer wall 64 of the shell portion 32 includes the protrusion 56 discussed above, which engages with a corresponding detent in the inner surface of the receiving portion wall 12 defining the receiving portion 8 to provide a releasable mechanical engagement between the cigarette cartridge and the aerosol supply device. The inner surface of the outer wall 64 of the shell portion includes a further protrusion 66, which is used to provide an abutment stop for positioning the partition wall element 36 along the longitudinal axis L when the cigarette cartridge is assembled. The outer wall 64 of the shell portion 32 also includes a hole that provides a latch recess 68, which is arranged to receive a corresponding latch protrusion 70 in the end cap to secure the end cap to the shell portion when the cigarette cartridge is assembled.

[0052] The outer wall 64 of the housing portion 32 includes a double wall section 74 that defines a gap 76 in fluid communication with the air inlet 50. The gap 76 provides a portion of the air passage through the cartridge. In this example, the double wall section 74 of the housing portion 32 is arranged so that the gap defines an air passage extending parallel to the longitudinal axis within the housing outer wall 64, the air passage having a width of approximately 3 mm in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. 2 The gap / portion of the air passage 76 defined by the double wall section of the housing portion extends downwardly to the open end of the housing portion 32 .

[0053] The air passage seal 34 is a silicone molded part that is generally in the form of a tube with a through hole 80. The outer wall of the air passage seal 34 includes circumferential ridges 84 and an upper collar 82. The inner wall of the air passage seal 34 also includes circumferential ridges, but these ridges are located at the Figure 2When the cartridge is assembled, the air passage seal 34 is mounted to the housing inner tube 62, with the end of the housing inner tube 62 extending partially into the through hole 80 of the air passage seal 34. The through hole 80 in the air passage seal has a diameter of approximately 5.8 mm in its relaxed state, while the end of the housing inner tube 62 has a diameter of approximately 6.2 mm, so that a seal is formed when the air passage seal 34 is stretched to accommodate the housing inner tube 62. The ridges on the inner surface of the air passage seal 34 facilitate this seal.

[0054] The outlet tube 38 comprises a tubular section, for example made of ANSI 304 stainless steel or polypropylene, having an inner diameter of about 8.6 mm and a wall thickness of about 0.2 mm. The bottom end of the outlet tube 38 comprises a pair of diametrically opposed grooves 88, wherein the end of each groove has a semicircular recess 90. When the cigarette cartridge is assembled, the outlet tube 38 is mounted to the outer surface of the air channel seal 34. The outer diameter of the air channel seal is about 9.0 mm in its relaxed state, so that a seal is formed when the air channel seal 34 is compressed to fit inside the outlet tube 38. The ridge 84 on the outer surface of the air channel seal 34 facilitates the seal. The collar 80 on the air channel seal 34 provides a stop for the outlet tube 38.

[0055] The aerosolizable material delivery element 42 includes a capillary wick, and the vaporizer (aerosol generator) 40 includes a resistance wire heater wound around the capillary wick. In addition to the portion of the resistance wire wound around the capillary wick, the vaporizer also includes an electrical lead 41, which passes through the hole in the plug 44 to the contact electrode 46 mounted to the end cap 54, so as to allow the vaporizer to be supplied with electricity via an electrical interface, which is established when the cigarette cartridge is connected to the aerosol supply device. The vaporizer lead 41 may include the same material as the resistance wire wound around the capillary wick, or may include a different material (e.g., a low resistance material) connected to the resistance wire wound around the capillary wick. In this example, the heater coil 40 includes a nickel-iron alloy wire, and the core 42 includes a glass fiber bundle. The vaporizer and the aerosolizable material delivery element can be provided according to any conventional technology, and may include different forms and / or different materials. For example, in some implementations, the core may include a fiber or solid ceramic material, and the heater may include different alloys. In other examples, the heater and the core may be combined, for example, in the form of a porous material and a resistance material. More generally, it should be appreciated that the specific nature of the aerosolizable material delivery element and vaporizer are not particularly critical to the principles described herein.

[0056] When the cartridge is assembled, the wick 42 is received in the semicircular recess 90 of the outlet tube 38 so that the central portion of the wick, around which the heating coil is wrapped, is located inside the outlet tube and the end portions of the wick are located outside the outlet tube 38.

[0057] The plug 44 in this example comprises a single molded piece of silicone and may be resilient. The plug comprises a base portion 100 having an outer wall 102 extending upwardly therefrom (i.e., toward the mouthpiece end of the cartridge). The plug also comprises an inner wall 104 extending upwardly from the base portion 100 and surrounding a through hole 106 passing through the base portion 100.

[0058] The outer wall 102 of the plug 44 conforms to the inner surface of the housing portion 32 so that when the cartridge is assembled, the plug 44 forms a seal with the housing portion 32. The inner wall 104 of the plug 44 conforms to the inner surface of the outlet tube 38 so that when the cartridge is assembled, the plug 44 also forms a seal with the outlet tube 38. The inner wall 104 includes a pair of diametrically opposed grooves 108, wherein the end of each groove has a semicircular recess 110. A bracket segment 112 extends outwardly (i.e., in a direction away from the longitudinal axis of the cartridge) from the bottom of each groove in the inner wall 104, which bracket segment is shaped to receive a portion of the aerosolizable material delivery element 42 when the cartridge is assembled. The groove 108 and the semicircular recess 110 provided by the inner wall of the plug 44 are aligned with the groove 88 and the semicircular recess 90 of the outlet tube 38, so that the groove 88 in the outlet tube 38 accommodates the corresponding bracket in the bracket 112, wherein the outlet tube and the corresponding semicircular recess in the plug cooperate to define the hole through which the aerosolizable material delivery element passes. The size of the hole provided by the semicircular recess through which the aerosolizable material delivery element passes closely corresponds to the size and shape of the aerosolizable material delivery element, but is slightly smaller, so a certain degree of compression is provided by the elasticity of the plug 44. This allows the aerosolizable material to be transported along the aerosolizable material delivery element by capillary action, while limiting the extent to which the aerosolizable material that is not transported by capillary action can pass through the opening. As described above, the plug 44 includes additional openings 114 located in the base portion 100, through which the contact leads 41 for the vaporizer pass when the cigarette cartridge is assembled. The bottom of the base portion of the plug comprises spacers 116 which maintain the offset between the remaining surface of the bottom of the base portion and the end cap 48. These spacers 116 comprise openings 114 through which the electrical contact leads 41 for the evaporator pass.

[0059] The end cap 48 comprises a polypropylene moulding into which a pair of gold plated copper electrode posts 46 are mounted.

[0060] The ends of the electrode posts 44 on the underside of the end cap are close to being flush with the interface end 54 of the cartridge provided by the end cap 48. These are the parts of the electrode to which correspondingly aligned spring contacts in the aerosol supply device 4 are connected when the cartridge 2 is assembled and connected to the aerosol supply device 4. The ends of the electrode posts located on the inside of the cartridge extend away from the end cap 48 and into the holes 114 in the plug 44 through which the contact leads 41 pass. The electrode posts are slightly oversized relative to the holes 114 and include a chamfer at their upper end to facilitate insertion into the holes 114 in the plug, where they are maintained in pressed contact with the contact leads of the vaporizer by means of the plug.

[0061] The end cap has a base portion 124 and an upstanding wall 120 that conforms to the inner surface of the housing portion 32. The upstanding wall 120 of the end cap 48 is inserted into the housing portion 32 so that the latch projections 70 engage the latch recesses 68 in the housing portion 32 to snap fit the end cap 48 to the housing portion when the cartridge is assembled. The top of the upstanding wall 120 of the end cap 48 abuts the peripheral portion of the plug 44, and the lower surface of the spacer 116 on the plug also abuts the base portion 124 of the plug so that when the end cap 48 is attached to the housing portion, it presses against the resilient portion 44 to maintain it in slight compression.

[0062] The base portion 124 of the end cap 48 includes a peripheral lip 126 extending beyond the base of the upright wall 112, the peripheral lip having a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the outer wall of the housing portion at the interface end of the cartridge. The end cap also includes an upright locating pin 122 that aligns with a corresponding locating hole 128 in the plug to help establish its relative position during assembly.

[0063] The partition wall element 36 comprises a single molded part of polypropylene and comprises a partition wall 130 and a collar 132, which is formed by a projection of the partition wall 130 in the direction toward the interface end of the cigarette cartridge. The partition wall element 36 has a central opening 134 through which the outlet pipe 38 passes (i.e., the partition wall is arranged around the outlet pipe 38). In some embodiments, the partition wall element 36 can be formed integrally with the outlet pipe 38. When the cigarette cartridge is assembled, the upper surface of the outer wall 102 of the plug 44 engages with the lower surface of the partition wall 130, and the upper surface of the partition wall 130 then engages with the projection 66 on the inner surface of the outer wall 64 of the housing portion 32. Therefore, the partition wall 130 prevents the plug from being pushed too far into the housing portion 32, i.e., the partition wall 130 is fixedly positioned along the longitudinal axis of the cigarette cartridge by the projection 66 in the housing portion, and thus provides a fixed surface for the plug to abut against. The collar 132 formed by the projection of the dividing wall includes a first pair of opposing projections / tongues 134 that engage corresponding recesses on the inner surface of the outer wall 102 of the plug 44. The projection of the dividing wall 130 also provides a pair of bracket segments 136 that are configured to engage with corresponding ones of the bracket segments 112 in the portion 44 when the cartridge is assembled to further define the opening through which the aerosolizable material delivery element passes.

[0064] When the cigarette cartridge 2 is assembled, an air passage extending from the air inlet 50 through the cigarette cartridge to the aerosol outlet 60 is formed. Starting from the air inlet 50 in the side wall of the housing portion 32, the first part of the air passage is provided by the gap 76 formed by the double-walled section 74 in the outer wall 64 of the housing portion 32, and extends from the air inlet 50 toward the interface end 54 of the cigarette cartridge and passes through the plug 44. The second part of the air passage is provided by the gap between the base and the end cap 48 of the plug 44. The third part of the air passage is provided by the hole 106 passing through the plug 44. The fourth part of the air passage is provided by the area within the inner wall 104 of the plug and the outlet pipe around the vaporizer 40. This fourth part of the air passage can also be referred to as the aerosol / aerosol generation area, which is the main area where aerosol is generated during use. The air passage from the air inlet 50 to the aerosol generation area can be referred to as the air inlet section of the air passage. The fifth part of the air passage is provided by the rest of the outlet pipe 38. A sixth portion of the air passage is provided by an outer shell inner tube 62 which connects the air passage to an aerosol outlet 60 located at the end of the mouthpiece 33. The air passage from the aerosol generating region to the aerosol outlet may be referred to as the aerosol outlet portion of the air passage.

[0065] In addition, when the cartridge is assembled, a reservoir 31 for an aerosolizable material is formed by the space outside the air channel and inside the housing portion 32. This can be filled during manufacturing, for example, through a filling hole that is then sealed or by other means. The specific properties of the aerosolizable material (for example, in terms of its composition) are not particularly important for the principles described herein, and any conventional aerosolizable material of the type commonly used in electronic cigarettes can generally be used. The present disclosure may mention a liquid as an aerosolizable material, which, as mentioned above, can be a conventional electronic liquid. However, the principles of the present disclosure are applicable to any aerosolizable material having the ability to flow, and may include liquids, gels or solids, wherein, for solids, a plurality of solid particles can be considered to have the ability to flow when viewed as a whole.

[0066] The reservoir is closed at the interface end of the cigarette cartridge by the plug 44. The reservoir includes a first area above the partition wall 130 and a second area below the partition wall 130, and the first area and the second area are located in the space formed between the air channel and the outer wall of the plug. The aerosolizable material delivery element (capillary wick) 42 passes through the opening in the wall of the air channel, which is provided by the semicircular recesses 108, 90 in the plug 44 and the outlet tube 38 and the bracket segments 112, 136 in the plug 44 and the partition wall element 36, which are engaged with each other as discussed above. Therefore, the end of the aerosolizable material delivery element extends into the second area of ​​the reservoir, and it draws the aerosolizable material from the second area through the opening in the air channel to the vaporizer 40 for subsequent evaporation.

[0067] In normal use, the cigarette cartridge 2 is connected to the aerosol supply device 4, and the aerosol supply device is activated to supply electricity to the cigarette cartridge via the contact electrode 46 in the end cap 48. Then, the electricity is connected to the vaporizer 40 through the lead 41. The vaporizer is therefore electrically heated, and therefore a part of the aerosolizable material is evaporated from the aerosolizable material delivery element near the vaporizer. This generates an aerosol in the aerosol generation area of ​​the air path. The aerosolizable material evaporated from the aerosolizable material delivery element is replaced by more aerosolizable material drawn from the reservoir by capillary action. When the vaporizer is activated, the user inhales on the mouthpiece end 52 of the cigarette cartridge. This allows air to be drawn through any aerosol supply device air inlet 14 aligned with the air inlet 50 of the cigarette cartridge (this will depend on the orientation of the cigarette cartridge inserted into the aerosol supply device receiving portion 8). The air then enters the cartridge through the air inlet 50, passes along the gap 76 in the double wall section 74 of the housing portion 32, passes between the plug 44 and the end cap 48 before entering the aerosol generation area surrounding the vaporizer 40 through the hole 106 in the base portion 100 of the plug 44. The incoming air mixes with the aerosol generated from the vaporizer to form a condensed aerosol, which is then drawn along the outlet tube 38 and the housing inner tube 62 before exiting through the mouthpiece outlet / aerosol outlet 60 for inhalation by the user.

[0068] From above Figures 1 to 6B In FIG. 1 , a possible embodiment configuration of an aerosol supply system 1 can be seen, which aerosol supply system is configured for generating an aerosol suitable for use in the context of the present disclosure (together with potentially other forms of aerosol supply systems).

[0069] Now go to Figures 7 to 10 The present disclosure also provides a mouthpiece 33, which can be used with any of the cartridges 2, aerosol supply devices 4, or aerosol supply systems described herein (such as, for example, Figures 1 to 6B). Therefore, at a general level, the mouthpiece 33 may include a thermal element 710, such as a heater and / or a cooler, for controlling the temperature of a portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33. In this way, and at a general level, the thermal element 710 may be configured to provide thermal feedback to a user of the mouthpiece 33. In this way, and when the aerosol supply system is operated when the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33 contacts the lips / mouth of the user, the user can discern the operation or event of the aerosol supply system via appropriate thermal feedback delivered to the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33 by the thermal element 710 at the appropriate time. Therefore, understanding the above, it can be seen that when using the aerosol supply system 300, by changing the temperature of the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33 according to a plurality of different factors, providing a thermal element 710 can allow for an improved user experience, as explained in more detail below. Therefore, introducing a thermal element 710 in the mouthpiece 33 can help increase the operability / usability of the aerosol supply system 300.

[0070] In accordance with the present disclosure, the thermal element 710 according to some embodiments may be configured to heat, cool, or a combination of both.

[0071] Where the thermal element 710 is configured for heating, the thermal element 710 according to some embodiments thereof may comprise a resistor located at a portion of the mouthpiece 33 that is used to heat the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33. This arrangement benefits from the simple implementation resulting from the compactness of the resistor, and the easy access to such a component. The resistor is also easily controlled by the aerosol supply device 4 / control circuit 18 to apply a desired amount of thermal energy by modulating the voltage or current across the resistor, or alternatively by modulating the time that the current passes through the resistor.

[0072] In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the resistor may take the form of an electrical coil. This form provides the benefit of allowing an increased surface area to be heated, and provides greater flexibility in which portion of the mouthpiece 33 is heated.

[0073] Alternatively, in some embodiments the resistor may take the form of a mesh component located at portion 705 of mouthpiece 33. This form provides the benefit of allowing thermal element 710 to more closely match the contour of portion 705 of mouthpiece 33 so that more uniform heating may be achieved.

[0074] As described above, the thermal element 710 may alternatively or additionally be configured for cooling. For example, in a very specific embodiment, a cooling effect may be achieved by providing a Peltier module 800 in the mouthpiece 33. Fig. 8AAs shown, the Peltier module utilizes the Peltier effect to generate heat flux at the junction of two different conductors (p-type conductor 825 and n-type conductor 810). Conductors 810 and 825 are connected together by conductive contacts 805, as shown in FIG. Fig. 8A Peltier modules are solid-state active heat pumps that transfer heat from one side of the module to the other by consuming electrical energy. Fig. 8A As shown, Peltier module 800 includes two surfaces (a "hot" side 815 and a "cold" side 820) separated by an interconnect layer, which may include one or more conductor junctions 830 connected in series.

[0075] When a DC current 835 is applied through the Peltier module in one direction, the first surface 820 of the module is cooled (thereby forming the "cold" side), and the second surface 815 of the module is heated (thereby forming the "hot" side).

[0076] like Figure 8B As shown, when Fig. 8A When a DC current 835 is applied in a direction opposite to the direction of , the operation of the module is also reversed, so that the first surface 820 is heated and the second surface 815 is cooled.

[0077] It will therefore be appreciated that the Peltier module 800 may advantageously be configured to provide both a heating effect and a cooling effect to the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33 when integrated into the mouthpiece 33 .

[0078] Moving away from the operation of the thermal element 710, and turning to the location of the portion 705 on the mouthpiece 33, it will be appreciated that the portion 705 may be located anywhere on the mouthpiece 33 so long as any heating or cooling thereof can be appropriately felt by the user of the mouthpiece 33 in use. In this case, and in accordance with some embodiments, the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33 may conveniently comprise at least one outer surface of the mouthpiece 33. This means that when using the aerosol supply system, the user may (e.g., with their lips and / or mouth, or with one or more hands) make direct contact with the portion 705 acted upon by the thermal element 710. Thus, thermal feedback regarding the operation of the aerosol supply system 300 may be provided to the user via the outer surface of the mouthpiece 33. Also in this regard, for embodiments in which user contact is intended to be made via their lips, it should be noted that in accordance with some embodiments, the presence of this outer surface of the mouthpiece 33 may also be a contoured surface or contoured recess, the shape of which is configured to conform at least in part to the shape of a human lip, thereby maximizing the contact surface area between this outer surface and the user's mouth / lips in use.

[0079] In other implementations, it will be appreciated that portion 705 of mouthpiece 33 may include multiple thermal elements 710. Multiple thermal elements 710 may be activated together and effectively provide an increased heating area (i.e., a larger area of ​​the outer surface of the mouthpiece that is heated / cooled). Alternatively or additionally, multiple thermal elements 710 may be individually controlled to provide any desired heating / cooling effect. For example, multiple heating elements 710 may be arranged and / or controlled to provide a thermal gradient across the outer surface of the mouthpiece in one of multiple directions. The specific nature of the heating / cooling pattern may indicate further more complex feedback to the user.

[0080] With respect to the above embodiments, and potentially other embodiments, in order to allow the user's mouth to more easily feel the effect of thermal element 710 when using portion 705, according to some embodiments (such as Figure 7 In the embodiment shown in the embodiment of the embodiment, the thermal element 710 can be located at a distance of no more than 50 mm from at least one of the mouthpiece opening (or aerosol outlet 60) of the mouthpiece 33 and / or the aerosol supply system using the mouthpiece 33 or the mouthpiece end 52 of the cigarette cartridge 2. According to some narrower embodiments, the thermal element 710 can be located at a distance of no more than 45 mm, no more than 40 mm, no more than 35 mm, no more than 30 mm, no more than 25 mm and / or no more than 20 mm from at least one of the mouthpiece opening (or aerosol outlet 60) of the mouthpiece 33 and / or the mouthpiece end 52. The term "no more than" here can be understood to mean that at least one portion 711 of the thermal element 710 is no more than a specified distance D1 from the mouthpiece opening or the mouthpiece segment, rather than that the entire thermal element 710 must be no more than a specified distance.

[0081] According to some embodiments, such as Fig. 9 In the embodiment shown in the embodiment, the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33 and / or the thermal element 710 can at least partially or completely surround any aerosol outlet passage 62 (such as with Figures 1 to 6B and Figures 7 to 10 The tube 62 shown in the relevant embodiment) or the mouthpiece end 52 of the mouthpiece 33. In this way, the portion of the mouthpiece 33 can be positioned so that when the user uses the mouthpiece 33, the portion 705 can be a different circumferential area close to the user's lips.

[0082] Likewise, according to some embodiments (such as Fig. 9 ), portion 705 may include a first outer surface 33A on a first side of mouthpiece 33, and / or include a second outer surface 33B on a second side of mouthpiece 33. In some specific embodiments thereof, first side 33A may be opposite to second side 33B of mouthpiece 33.

[0083] In order to facilitate that portion 705 is a portion particularly suitable for heating the user's mouth area, portion 705 (and / or including any first outer surface 33A and / or second outer surface 33B thereof) may include at least one surface of the mouthpiece 33 that is inclined toward the aerosol outlet 60 located at the end 52 of the mouthpiece 33, such as Fig. 9 Thus, in a very specific embodiment, portion 705 may include a first outer surface 33A on a first side of mouthpiece 33, and include a second outer surface 33B on a second side of mouthpiece 33, wherein each of first outer surface 33A and second outer surface 33B is inclined toward end 52 of mouthpiece 33.

[0084] According to some embodiments, any such end 52 (ie, for example Figure 2 The mouthpiece end 52 shown in the embodiment of the present invention can be located between the first outer surface 33A and the second outer surface 33B (such as Fig. 9 Implementation method shown in FIG. 1 ).

[0085] Likewise, according to some embodiments (such as Fig. 9 ), portion 705 may include an annular portion that extends around the aerosol outlet passage 62 and / or the mouthpiece end 52. Thus, in such an embodiment, portion 705 may be located between the end 52 of the mouthpiece 33 and the interface end portion 6 of any cartridge 2 that includes the mouthpiece 33, as shown in the embodiment in the figure.

[0086] With respect to the geometry of the mouthpiece end 52, in some embodiments this may define a substantially flat surface surrounding the aerosol outlet 60, e.g. Fig. 9 As shown in the implementation method of .

[0087] To help any user of the mouthpiece identify the location of portion 705 (e.g., at a point where a user can approach the mouthpiece to place their mouth on it), the mouthpiece according to some embodiments may include at least one marking for identifying the location of portion 705. As to what each such marking may be, it should be understood that this may be a variety of different situations. For example, according to some embodiments, the at least one marking may include a tactile marking, such as a protrusion or depression. Thus, according to some embodiments, the marking may be raised from or recessed into the outer surface of the mouthpiece 33, such as Fig. 9 As shown in the implementation method of .

[0088] Likewise, according to some embodiments, at least one indicia may include a visual indicia, such as a portion of text or a graphic symbol 706A. Obviously, according to some embodiments, the indicia may include a combination of tactile indicia and visual indicia (such as raised or recessed text, and / or raised or recessed graphic symbols).

[0089] Additionally / alternatively, with respect to at least one marking, according to some embodiments, at least one marking 706 can include a portion 705 colored with a first color 707 (e.g., other than black, such as gray, orange, red or white, or even colorless) that is different from the color of a second portion 709 of the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33 surrounding the mouthpiece 33 (e.g., black).

[0090] In keeping with any at least one indicia employed, it should also be understood that, according to some embodiments, at least one indicia can include that portion 705 is made of a different material (e.g., a metal or metal alloy, such as copper or aluminum) than the material (e.g., a plastic, such as polycarbonate or polypropylene in some very specific embodiments) of a second portion 709 of the mouthpiece 33 surrounding portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33. According to some embodiments, the material of portion 705 can be more thermally conductive than the material of second portion 709, thereby better containing any heating or cooling effects from thermal element 710 to the vicinity of portion 705.

[0091] Likewise, with respect to the at least one marking, in order to help the user more easily interpret the marking when the mouthpiece is about to be used, the marking according to some embodiments can be oriented toward the end 52 of the mouthpiece 33 (e.g., Fig. 9 , in which the text “Put your lips here” is oriented toward the end 52 of the mouthpiece 33).

[0092] According to yet further embodiments employing at least one marking, according to some embodiments thereof, portion 705 may define at least one recess, wherein at least one marking comprises at least one recess. Thus, in some embodiments, each recess may be configured to allow the lips of a user of the mouthpiece to be at least partially accommodated in the recess. Thus, thus, by employing each such recess, this may effectively allow the user to quickly position their lips in a predetermined corrected position around the mouthpiece 33 and around portion 705 by placing their lips in the recess.

[0093] Remote from any markings provided for identifying the position of portion 705 relative to the aerosol outlet passage 62 of the mouthpiece 33, according to some embodiments, can be configured to be thermally insulated from the thermal element 710 and portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33. This advantageously ensures that the heating or cooling effect of the thermal element 710 does not adversely affect the temperature of any aerosol inside the aerosol outlet passage 62. In other words, by thermally insulating the temperature changes caused by the thermal element 710, the temperature of the aerosol inside the vapor outlet passage 62 is not affected. For example, in very specific embodiments, such thermal insulation can be achieved by providing a layer of insulating material (e.g., polyurethane) between the thermal element 710 and the aerosol outlet passage 62. Alternatively, thermal insulation can be better achieved by positioning the thermal element 710 at a distance of not less than 4 mm, not less than 6 mm, not less than 8 mm, and / or not less than 10 mm from the vapor outlet passage 62.

[0094] According to some embodiments, and as Fig. 9 As shown, in some cases, the mouthpiece 33 may include a sensor (such as a pressure sensor 91) that is configured to generate sensor data for controlling the operation of the thermal element 710. Specifically, the sensor can be configured to allow the thermal element 710 to be activated based on the sensor data being determined to meet one or more predetermined criteria. According to the embodiments disclosed above, the operation of the sensor 91 can cause the thermal element 710 to be activated and, depending on the configuration of the thermal element 710, the temperature of the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33 is increased or decreased accordingly. Any such sensor (such as the pressure sensor 91) can obviously be located in a variety of different locations. For example, according to Fig. 9 In some embodiments, sensor 91 can be located on the outer surface of mouthpiece 33, and / or can be annular so that any part of the user's mouth can engage the sensor (this is particularly helpful when the sensor is configured to act as a pressure sensor for detecting the presence of the user's mouth, or is configured to determine a different type of sensor for determining a property of the user's mouth (e.g., its temperature). In some very specific embodiments, portion 705 can include sensor 91.

[0095] According to some embodiments, in connection with any arrangement of such a sensor 91, the mouthpiece may additionally / alternatively include a switch 91, which may be lip-actuable, according to some embodiments, for controlling the operation of the aerosol supply system. Such operation may be many different things, such as, according to some embodiments, the operation of the aerosol generator 40 and / or the operation of controlling the power supplied to the aerosol generator 40. Fig. 9In the embodiment shown, according to some embodiments, the switch can be located on at least one of the outer surfaces 33A, 33B. Likewise, according to some embodiments, the portion can include a switch 91 .

[0096] like Fig.10 As shown, the mouthpiece 33 disclosed in the above embodiments can form part of an aerosol supply device or system for generating an aerosol, wherein the aerosol outlet channel 62 of the mouthpiece 33 is configured to receive an aerosol generated in the aerosol supply system 300, such as according to some embodiments with reference to the above Figures 1 to 6B The aerosol supply system described herein may include a cartridge 2 and an aerosol supply device 4, the aerosol supply device being configured to receive the cartridge 2, wherein the cartridge 2 includes a mouthpiece 33. However, according to some embodiments, any provided aerosol supply device 4 may alternatively include a mouthpiece 33, and any such aerosol supply device 4 need not employ a cartridge 2.

[0097] According to some embodiments, the aerosol supply system may further include a control circuit 18 configured to: determine whether an output signal for operating the thermal element should be generated; and generate an output signal in response to determining that the output signal should be generated. In this way, the thermal element 710 can be selectively activated in response to a control signal generated by the control circuit 18, which control signal itself can be generated in response to a plurality of different stimuli, as explained in more detail below.

[0098] For example, and according to some embodiments, the aerosol supply system may further include sensors 91, 92 for generating sensor data, wherein the control circuit 18 is configured to: receive sensor data from the sensors 91, 92; and process the sensor data to determine whether an output signal should be generated. This provides a means for providing feedback to a user about the parameters measured by the sensors 91, 92 by activating the thermal element 710 based on the measurement of the parameter.

[0099] According to some embodiments, the sensor may include a temperature sensor 92, wherein the sensor data includes a temperature value indicative of a temperature. For example, the sensed temperature may be the ambient temperature of the environment surrounding the aerosol supply system 300. In this case, the thermal element 710 provides feedback to the user regarding the ambient temperature. In other examples, the sensed temperature may be associated with a specific portion of the aerosol supply system. For example, the temperature may be the temperature of a liquid passing through the aerosol outlet passage 62, a reservoir (such as a Figures 1 to 6B The temperature of the aerosol in the reservoir 31) or any other part of the aerosol supply system shown in the embodiment.

[0100] According to some embodiments, an output signal is generated in response to the control circuit 18 determining that the temperature value is below a predetermined temperature to increase the temperature of the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33. In this case, the thermal element 710 may therefore provide a heating effect, which may be achieved in any of the ways described above.

[0101] As discussed with respect to some embodiments, the temperature value may be indicative of the ambient temperature of the environment surrounding the aerosol supply system. Thus, the thermal element 710 may be configured to heat the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33 based on determining, using the temperature sensor 92, that the ambient temperature has dropped below a predetermined threshold. This may be particularly advantageous when operating the aerosol supply system on cold days, as the mouthpiece 33 may otherwise become uncomfortably cold for the user. Thus, by heating the mouthpiece 33 during cold ambient temperatures, the disclosed mouthpiece with its thermal element may improve the usability of the aerosol supply system.

[0102] According to some embodiments, an output signal may be generated in response to the control circuit 18 determining that the temperature is above a predetermined threshold to reduce the temperature of the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33. In this case, the thermal element 710 provides a cooling effect, which may be achieved in any of the ways described above.

[0103] As discussed, the temperature value may be indicative of the ambient temperature of the environment surrounding the aerosol supply system. Thus, the thermal element 710 may be configured to cool the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33 based on determining, using the temperature sensor 92, that the ambient temperature has risen above a predetermined threshold. This may be particularly advantageous when operating the aerosol supply system on a hot day, as the mouthpiece 33 may otherwise become uncomfortably hot for the user. Thus, by cooling the mouthpiece 33 during hot ambient temperatures, the disclosed mouthpiece with its thermal element may improve the usability of the aerosol supply system.

[0104] As described above, it is contemplated that, according to some embodiments, any thermal element integrated into the mouthpiece 33 may perform both heating and cooling of the mouthpiece 33. Thus, according to some embodiments, the thermal element 710 may be configured to heat the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33 based on a temperature value falling below a predetermined threshold, and to cool the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33 based on a temperature rise above a predetermined threshold. This arrangement is particularly advantageous because the same component is used for both heating and cooling, rather than using separate components. Thus, space within the mouthpiece may be used more economically, and power consumed from the power supply 16 of the aerosol supply system may be reduced. The control circuit 18 is also simplified by using the same component for both functions.

[0105] Obviously, according to some embodiments, the above-mentioned predetermined temperature thresholds may be the same temperature value. Alternatively, the predetermined thresholds according to other embodiments may include different values, so that there is a temperature range in which the thermal element is not activated.

[0106] According to some embodiments, the aerosol supply system may obviously include a reservoir 31 for storing aerosol generating material. In this case, the sensor data may indicate the amount of aerosol generating material remaining in the reservoir 31, and the control circuit 18 may be configured to use the sensor data to determine whether the amount of aerosol generating material remaining in the reservoir 31 is less than a predetermined amount; and in response to determining that the amount of aerosol generating material remaining in the reservoir 31 is less than a predetermined amount, an output signal is generated. Therefore, the disclosed aerosol supply system may be able to provide feedback on the level of the remaining material in the reservoir 31 without the need for manual inspection or the need for a separate visual prompt such as an LED. This also provides a more efficient way of operating to communicate the reservoir level to the user, because the user can simply identify the reservoir level by contacting the mouthpiece 33 with his lips (such as during normal use of the aerosol supply system), rather than removing any used cartridges 2 from the aerosol supply system for visual inspection or checking the LED or display.

[0107] According to some embodiments, any provided control circuit 18 may also be configured to: determine the composition of the aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 31; generate a first output signal for operating at least one thermal element 710 in response to the determined composition matching the first composition; and generate a second output signal different from the first output signal in response to the determined composition matching the second composition different from the first composition. In this way, the aerosol supply system can be configured to provide different thermal outputs depending on the detected composition of the aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 31. For example, the thermal output of the thermal element 710 can be configured to "match" the flavoring in the detected composition. Therefore, a warmer flavoring such as coffee or vanilla can correspond to a thermal element 710 that provides heat to the mouthpiece 33. Similarly, a cooler flavoring such as mint or menthol can correspond to a thermal element 710 that provides a cooling effect on the mouthpiece 33. Therefore, the aerosol supply system can provide an enhanced flavor perception to the user and simultaneously provide feedback to the user about the flavoring of the aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 31. Significantly, it should be noted that according to such embodiments, the aerosol supply system need not necessarily generate vapour for thermal feedback to be provided in such a way that the user can identify the type of flavouring without inhaling the generated vapour.

[0108] According to some embodiments, the control circuit 18 may also be configured to generate an output signal in response to determining that the aerosol supply system has been operated for a period of time exceeding a predetermined threshold amount. In this way, the user may receive thermal feedback about how long the system has been operated. The time period may be measured in a variety of different ways. For example, the period may be measured from the time the system was last powered on, from the start of the day, from the time a cartridge was first inserted, etc.

[0109] When a predetermined threshold amount of time has passed, the thermal element 710 may be configured to provide heat to the mouthpiece 33 to notify the user that the threshold has been reached. Alternatively, a cooling action may be provided to convey the same information.

[0110] Once a predetermined threshold amount of time has passed, the amount of heating / cooling may be increased to indicate that more time has passed since the threshold was passed.

[0111] As an alternative to waiting a predetermined threshold amount of time before activating the thermal element 710, the amount of heating / cooling can be gradually increased from the start time so that once the predefined threshold amount of time has passed, the amount of heating / cooling reaches a predetermined level. In this way, continuous feedback is provided to the user as to how long the device has been in use.

[0112] According to some embodiments, the aerosol supply device 4 may include the control circuit 18 disclosed above.

[0113] According to some embodiments, a cartridge 2 for an aerosol supply system 300 is provided, the aerosol supply system comprising the cartridge 2 and an aerosol supply device 4, wherein the cartridge 2 comprises the mouthpiece 33 disclosed above.

[0114] Having regard to the above disclosure, it will be appreciated that a corresponding method of controlling the temperature of a portion of a mouthpiece 33 from an aerosol supply system is also provided, the method comprising: operating a thermal element from the mouthpiece 33 to control the temperature of the portion of the mouthpiece 33. Generally speaking, the method provides feedback to a user regarding the operation of the aerosol supply system 300 via contact of the portion of the mouthpiece 33 with the lips / mouth of the user by the thermal element 710. Furthermore, the use of the thermal element 710 allows for an improved user experience when using the aerosol supply system by varying the temperature of the portion of the mouthpiece according to a number of different factors. Thus, the use of the thermal element 710 on or in the mouthpiece 33 can help increase the operability / usability of the aerosol supply system.

[0115] In some embodiments, the method may also include: using the control circuit 18 from the aerosol supply system 300 to determine whether an output signal should be generated for operating at least one thermal element; in response to the control circuit 18 determining that an output signal should be generated, using the control circuit 18 to generate an output signal; and operating the thermal element 710 in response to the thermal element receiving the output signal.

[0116] In a similar manner to the embodiments described with reference to the aerosol supply system 300 disclosed herein, the thermal element 710 may be selectively activatable in response to a control signal generated by the control circuit 18 in response to a plurality of different stimuli.

[0117] For example, and according to some embodiments, the method may further include: receiving sensor data from sensor 91 of aerosol supply system 300; and processing the sensor data to determine whether an output signal should be generated. This provides a method for providing feedback to a user about a parameter measured by sensor 91 by activating thermal element 710 based on the measurement of the parameter.

[0118] With reference to the foregoing disclosure, a number of different possible implementations of a thermal element for use in a mouthpiece 33 configured for use in any of the aerosol supply devices or systems described herein are accordingly described.

[0119] Also with respect to the above disclosure, and particularly where at least one marking is employed, it will be appreciated that the use of the at least one marking may also accordingly provide a mouthpiece that may appropriately indicate to the user the appropriate predetermined position for the user to place their lips when the user places their lips around the mouthpiece. In this regard, the presence of the indication may facilitate the user to position their lips at the optimal position around the mouthpiece for receiving any aerosol from the aerosol outlet passage 62 of the mouthpiece 33. Also in this regard, and insofar as the mouthpiece 33 may then also include a thermal element 710 for controlling the temperature of a portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33, any such at least one marking may be particularly helpful in indicating to the user where their lips should be placed on the mouthpiece, i.e., at the location of the portion 705, so that the user's lips may then experience a change in temperature at the portion 705 during use of the mouthpiece 33.

[0120] In this case, the present invention may also describe a mouthpiece 33 for an aerosol supply system 300, which includes: at least one aerosol outlet channel 62 for delivering the aerosol to a user of the mouthpiece 33; at least one outer surface 33A, 33B, including a portion 705, which is configured to receive the lips of the user of the mouthpiece 33 when the aerosol is delivered through the at least one aerosol outlet channel 62; and at least one mark 706A, 707 for identifying the position of the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33.

[0121] In the event that any such mouthpiece 33 is employed, it should be understood that a mouthpiece according to such an embodiment need not necessarily include the thermal element 710 described herein in order to indicate to the user the appropriate predetermined position for the user to place their lips when the user places their lips around the mouthpiece.

[0122] With the foregoing in mind, a mouthpiece for an aerosol delivery system is accordingly described, the mouthpiece comprising: at least one aerosol outlet channel for delivering an aerosol to a user of the mouthpiece, wherein the mouthpiece includes at least one thermal element for controlling the temperature of a portion of the mouthpiece.

[0123] Also described is an aerosol supply system comprising a mouthpiece, wherein an aerosol outlet channel is configured to receive an aerosol generated in the aerosol supply system.

[0124] A cartridge for an aerosol supply system is also described, the aerosol supply system comprising a cartridge and an aerosol supply device, wherein the cartridge comprises the above-mentioned mouthpiece.

[0125] A method of controlling the temperature of a portion of a mouthpiece from an aerosol supply system is also described, wherein the method comprises operating a thermal element from the mouthpiece to control the temperature of the portion of the mouthpiece.

[0126] Also described is a mouthpiece for an aerosol supply system, the mouthpiece comprising: at least one aerosol outlet channel for delivering the aerosol to a user of the mouthpiece; at least one outer surface comprising a portion configured to receive the lips of a user of the mouthpiece when the aerosol is delivered through the at least one aerosol outlet channel; and at least one marking for identifying the position of the portion of the mouthpiece.

[0127] Also described is an aerosol supply system for generating an aerosol, the aerosol supply system comprising any mouthpiece as described above, wherein the aerosol outlet channel is configured to receive an aerosol generated in the aerosol supply system.

[0128] Also described is a cartridge for an aerosol supply system comprising a cartridge and an aerosol supply device configured to receive the cartridge, wherein the cartridge comprises any mouthpiece as described above.

[0129] Also described are implementations as set forth in the following numbered clauses:

[0130] 1. A mouthpiece for an aerosol supply system, the mouthpiece comprising:

[0131] at least one aerosol outlet passage for delivering the aerosol to a user of the mouthpiece;

[0132] at least one outer surface including a portion configured to receive the lips of a user of the mouthpiece when aerosol is delivered through the at least one aerosol outlet passage; and

[0133] At least one marking for identifying a location of a portion of the mouthpiece.

[0134] 2. A mouthpiece according to clause 1, wherein at least one marking comprises at least one of a protrusion or a recess.

[0135] 3. A mouthpiece according to clause 1 or 2, wherein at least one marking comprises a tactile marking.

[0136] 4. A mouthpiece according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one marking comprises a visual marking.

[0137] 5. A mouthpiece according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one marking comprises said portion being a different colour than a second portion of the mouthpiece surrounding said portion of the mouthpiece.

[0138] 6. A mouthpiece according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one marking comprises said portion being made of a material different from the material of a second portion of the mouthpiece surrounding said portion of the mouthpiece.

[0139] 7. A mouthpiece according to clause 6, wherein the material of the portion is more thermally conductive than the material of the second portion.

[0140] 8. The mouthpiece according to any of clauses 5 to 7, wherein the second part is made of polypropylene or polycarbonate.

[0141] 9. A mouthpiece according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the portion at least partially surrounds the aerosol outlet passage.

[0142] 10. A mouthpiece according to any preceding clause, further comprising an outlet for receiving aerosol from the aerosol outlet channel.

[0143] 11. A mouthpiece according to any preceding clause, wherein at least one outer surface slopes towards an end of the mouthpiece.

[0144] 12. The mouthpiece according to clause 11, wherein the end of the mouthpiece is substantially flat.

[0145] 13. A mouthpiece according to clause 11 or 12 when further dependent on clause 10, wherein the end of the mouthpiece comprises an outlet.

[0146] 14. A mouthpiece according to any of clauses 11 to 13, wherein the portion is located no more than 40 mm from the end of the mouthpiece.

[0147] 15. A mouthpiece according to any of clauses 11 to 14, wherein at least one marking comprises text or a graphical symbol.

[0148] 16. A mouthpiece according to any of clauses 11 to 16, wherein at least one marking is oriented towards an end of the mouthpiece.

[0149] 17. A mouthpiece according to any preceding clause, wherein the portion defines at least one recess, wherein at least one marking comprises the at least one recess.

[0150] 18. The mouthpiece of clause 17, wherein each recess is configured to allow lips of a user of the mouthpiece to be at least partially received in the recess.

[0151] 19. A mouthpiece according to any preceding clause, wherein each of the at least one outer surface is curved.

[0152] 20. A mouthpiece according to any preceding clause, wherein at least one outer surface comprises:

[0153] a first outer surface located on a first side of the mouthpiece; and

[0154] The second outer surface is located on a second side of the mouthpiece, wherein the second side is opposite to the first side.

[0155] 21. The mouthpiece of clause 20, wherein at least one of the first outer surface and the second outer surface comprises said portion of the mouthpiece.

[0156] 22. A mouthpiece according to clause 20 or 21, wherein both the first outer surface and the second outer surface comprise said portion of the mouthpiece.

[0157] 23. A mouthpiece according to any preceding clause, wherein at least one marking is located on at least one outer surface.

[0158] 24. A mouthpiece according to any preceding clause, wherein at least one marking is located on said portion.

[0159] 25. A mouthpiece according to any preceding clause, wherein the portion comprises a switch.

[0160] 26. A mouthpiece according to any preceding clause, wherein the switch comprises a lip actuatable switch.

[0161] 27. A mouthpiece according to any preceding clause, further comprising a thermal element for controlling the temperature of said portion of the mouthpiece.

[0162] 28. The mouthpiece according to clause 27, wherein at least one thermal element is configured for heating the portion of the mouthpiece.

[0163] 29. The mouthpiece according to clause 27 or 28, wherein at least one thermal element is configured for cooling the portion of the mouthpiece.

[0164] 30. An aerosol supply system for generating an aerosol, comprising a mouthpiece according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the aerosol outlet channel is configured to receive an aerosol generated in the aerosol supply system.

[0165] 31. An aerosol supply system according to clause 30, wherein the aerosol supply system further comprises a cigarette cartridge and an aerosol supply device, the aerosol supply device being configured to receive the cigarette cartridge, wherein the cigarette cartridge comprises a mouthpiece, and wherein the aerosol supply system further comprises an aerosol generator for generating an aerosol from an aerosol generating material, wherein the aerosol supply system is configured to supply the generated aerosol from the aerosol generator to at least one aerosol outlet channel.

[0166] 32. An aerosol supply system according to clause 31, wherein the cartridge comprises an aerosol generator.

[0167] 33. An aerosol supply system according to clause 31 or 32, further comprising a reservoir for an aerosol generating material, wherein the reservoir is configured to deliver the aerosol generating material to an aerosol generator for generating an aerosol from the aerosol generating material.

[0168] 34. An aerosol delivery system according to clause 33, wherein the cartridge comprises a reservoir.

[0169] 35. A cartridge for an aerosol supply system, the aerosol supply system comprising a cartridge and an aerosol supply device configured to receive the cartridge, wherein the cartridge comprises a mouthpiece according to any one of clauses 1 to 29.

[0170] A mouthpiece 33 for an aerosol supply system 300 is also described. The mouthpiece 33 includes at least one aerosol outlet channel 62 for delivering an aerosol to a user of the mouthpiece 33. The mouthpiece 33 includes at least one thermal element 710 for controlling the temperature of a portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33. The portion 705 may include an outer surface of the mouthpiece 33, and the thermal element 710 may be configured to heat and cool the portion 705 of the mouthpiece 33. In this way, the thermal element 710 may allow thermal feedback to be provided to the user (such as to their mouth, lips, or tongue) when the user operates the aerosol supply system 300.

[0171] In order to solve various problems and advance the art, the present disclosure shows a variety of embodiments by way of illustration, in which the claimed invention can be practiced. The advantages and features of the present disclosure are only representative samples of embodiments, and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. It is only used to help understand and teach the claimed invention. It should be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures and / or other aspects of the present disclosure should not be considered as limitations on the present disclosure defined by the claims or limitations on the equivalents of the claims, and other embodiments can be utilized and can be modified without departing from the scope of the claims. In addition to those specifically described herein, various embodiments may appropriately include various combinations of disclosed elements, parts, features, parts, steps, devices, etc., consisting of them, or consisting essentially of them, and it should be understood that the features of the dependent claims can be combined with the features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly indicated in the claims. The present disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

[0172] For example, with respect to how any provided thermal element 710 is powered (if employed), it should be understood that the thermal element 710 may be powered using the power source 16, or may be powered using its own power source (not shown).

[0173] Likewise, with respect to the positioning of any such thermal elements 710 and / or sensors 91 that may be employed herein, it should be understood that their locations may be provided anywhere in the aerosol supply system 300 to allow them to provide the desired functionality.

[0174] Likewise, in the case where the aerosol supply system 300 includes a cartridge 2 and an aerosol supply device 4 , any provided sensor 91 may be located in the cartridge 2 or the aerosol supply device 4 as required to allow the desired function of the sensor.

[0175] Also for the purpose of completeness, for any thermal element 710, sensor 91 or switch 92 employed in an aerosol supply device or system, it should be understood that any power or signal sent thereto may be provided using a wired or wireless connection between the control circuit 18 and the corresponding thermal element 710 / sensor 91 or switch 92. Fig.10 In the specific embodiment shown in , a wired connection is provided between the associated thermal element 710 and the control circuit 18, and in the case where the component is located in the cartridge 2, the wired connection extends across the interface end 54 via the contact electrode 46 located on each of the aerosol supply device 4 and the cartridge 2, as shown in Figure 6B as shown in .

Claims

1. A mouthpiece for an aerosol supply system, the mouthpiece comprising: at least one aerosol outlet passage for delivering an aerosol to a user of said mouthpiece; as well as At least one thermal element for controlling the temperature of a portion of the mouthpiece.

2. The mouthpiece according to claim 1, wherein At least one of the thermal elements is configured to heat the portion of the mouthpiece.

3. The mouthpiece according to claim 2, wherein: The thermal element comprises a resistor located at the portion of the mouthpiece for heating the portion of the mouthpiece.

4. The mouthpiece according to claim 3, wherein: The resistor comprises an electrical coil located at the portion of the mouthpiece for heating the portion of the mouthpiece.

5. The mouthpiece according to claim 3, wherein: The resistor includes a mesh member located at the portion of the mouthpiece.

6. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein: At least one of the thermal elements is configured to cool the portion of the mouthpiece.

7. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein: The thermal element comprises a Peltier module.

8. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein: The portion comprises an outer surface of the mouthpiece.

9. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein: The portion at least partially surrounds the aerosol outlet channel.

10. The mouthpiece of claim 1, further comprising an outlet for receiving aerosol from the aerosol outlet passage.

11. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein: The portion includes at least one marking for identifying a location of the portion.

12. The mouthpiece of claim 11, wherein: At least one of the markings comprises a protrusion or a recess.

13. The mouthpiece of claim 11, wherein: At least one of the indicia comprises a portion having a color that is different from a color of a second portion of the mouthpiece surrounding the portion of the mouthpiece.

14. The mouthpiece of claim 11, wherein: At least one of the markings comprises the portion being made of a material different from a material of a second portion of the mouthpiece surrounding the portion of the mouthpiece.

15. The mouthpiece of claim 14, wherein: The thermal conductivity of the different material is greater than the thermal conductivity of the material of the second portion of the mouthpiece.

16. The mouthpiece of claim 11, wherein: At least one of the markings includes a first thermal conductivity of the portion that is greater than a thermal conductivity of a second portion of the mouthpiece surrounding the portion of the mouthpiece.

17. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein: The mouthpiece includes at least one outer surface that slopes toward an end of the mouthpiece.

18. The mouthpiece of claim 17, wherein: The end of the mouthpiece is substantially flat.

19. The mouthpiece of claim 17, further comprising an outlet for receiving aerosol from the aerosol outlet passage, wherein The end of the mouthpiece includes the outlet.

20. The mouthpiece of claim 17, wherein: At least a portion of the thermal element is located no more than 40 mm from the end of the mouthpiece.

21. The mouthpiece of claim 17, wherein: At least one of said exterior surfaces comprises said portion of said mouthpiece.

22. The mouthpiece of claim 17, wherein: Each of the outer surfaces is curved.

23. The mouthpiece of claim 17, wherein: Each of the outer surfaces defines a contoured recess that is shaped to conform to a shape of a human lip.

24. The mouthpiece of claim 17, wherein: At least one of the outer surfaces comprises: a first outer surface located on a first side of the mouthpiece; and A second outer surface is located on a second side of the mouthpiece, wherein the second side is opposite to the first side.

25. The mouthpiece of claim 24, wherein At least one of the plurality of said exterior surfaces comprises said portion of said mouthpiece.

26. The mouthpiece of claim 24, wherein: The first outer surface and the second outer surface both comprise the portion of the mouthpiece.

27. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein: At least one of the aerosol outlet passages is configured to be thermally insulated from the thermal element and the portion of the mouthpiece.

28. The mouthpiece of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to generate sensor data for controlling operation of at least one of the thermal elements.

29. The mouthpiece of claim 28, wherein The sensor data includes pressure data.

30. An aerosol supply system for generating an aerosol, comprising a mouthpiece according to claim 1, wherein At least one of the aerosol outlet channels is configured to receive aerosol generated in the aerosol supply system.

31. An aerosol supply system according to claim 30, wherein: The aerosol supply system further comprises a cartridge and an aerosol supply device, wherein the aerosol supply device is configured to receive the cartridge, wherein the cartridge comprises the mouthpiece.

32. An aerosol supply system according to claim 30, wherein: The aerosol supply system further comprises a cartridge and an aerosol supply device configured to receive the cartridge, wherein the mouthpiece forms a part of the aerosol supply device.

33. The aerosol supply system of claim 30, further comprising a control circuit configured to: determining whether an output signal for operating at least one of the thermal elements should be generated; and An output signal is generated in response to determining that an output signal should be generated.

34. An aerosol supply system according to claim 33, further comprising a sensor for generating sensor data, wherein: The control circuit is also configured to: receiving the sensor data from the sensor; and The sensor data is processed to determine whether an output signal should be generated.

35. An aerosol supply system according to claim 34, wherein: The sensor comprises a temperature sensor, and wherein the sensor data comprises a temperature value indicative of a temperature.

36. An aerosol supply system according to claim 35, wherein: An output signal is configured to be generated in response to the control circuit determining that the temperature value is below a predetermined temperature to increase the temperature of the portion of the mouthpiece.

37. An aerosol supply system according to claim 34, wherein: An output signal is configured to be generated in response to the control circuit determining that the temperature value is above a predetermined temperature to reduce the temperature of the portion of the mouthpiece.

38. An aerosol supply system according to claim 30, further comprising a reservoir for storing aerosol generating material.

39. An aerosol supply system according to claim 38, further comprising a sensor for generating sensor data, wherein: The control circuit is also configured to: receiving the sensor data from the sensor, and processing the sensor data to determine whether an output signal should be generated, wherein the sensor data indicates an amount of aerosol generating material remaining in the reservoir, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to: using the sensor data to determine whether the amount of aerosol generating material remaining in the reservoir is below a predetermined amount; and An output signal is generated in response to determining that the amount of aerosol generating material remaining in the reservoir is below the predetermined amount.

40. The aerosol supply system of claim 38, further comprising a control circuit configured to: determining a composition of an aerosol generating material in the reservoir; generating a first output signal for operating at least one of the thermal elements in response to the determined component matching the first component; and A second output signal different from the first output signal is generated in response to the determined component matching a second component different from the first component.

41. An aerosol supply system according to claim 33, wherein: The control circuit is further configured to generate an output signal in response to determining that the aerosol supply system has been operating for a period of time exceeding a predetermined threshold amount.

42. An aerosol supply system according to claim 33, wherein: The aerosol supply system comprises a cigarette cartridge and an aerosol supply device, wherein the aerosol supply device is configured to receive the cigarette cartridge, wherein the aerosol supply device comprises the control circuit.

43. A cigarette cartridge for an aerosol supply system, the aerosol supply system comprising an aerosol supply device for receiving the cigarette cartridge, wherein: The cartridge comprises the mouthpiece of claim 1.

44. A method of controlling the temperature of a portion of a mouthpiece from an aerosol supply system, wherein: The method comprises: At least one thermal element from the mouthpiece is operated to control the temperature of the portion of the mouthpiece.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein: The method further comprises: using control circuitry from the aerosol supply system to determine whether an output signal for operating at least one of the thermal elements should be generated; In response to the control circuit determining that an output signal should be generated, generating an output signal using the control circuit; and At least one thermal element is operated in response to the output signal received by the thermal element.

46. ​​The method of claim 45, wherein: The method further comprises: receiving sensor data from a sensor of the aerosol supply system; and The sensor data is processed to determine whether an output signal should be generated.

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