Aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow and aerosol provision method

Abstract

There is provided an aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow and an aerosol provision method. The system comprises an air inlet; an air flow path in fluid communication with the air inlet and extending into the system; an airflow regulator, configured to change the air flow that can pass through the air flow path to change a resistance to draw; and a power supply, configured to change a supply state according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator. In the embodiment of the present application, the airflow regulator not only has the airflow regulation function, but also can change the supply state while regulating the airflow. Compared with existing technologies, it reduces the ineffective consumption of electricity. In addition, the airflow regulator can be used to change the power to the off state to achieve the child lock function at the same time. Moreover, by arranging the dual function of the airflow regulator, compared to separately arranging the power control component, the system structure is simplified, the cost is reduced, and user operations can be simplified to a certain extent.

Description

[0001] AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM WITH ADJUSTABLE AIRFLOW AND AEROSOL

[0002] PROVISION METHOD

[0003] Technical Field

[0004] The present application relates to the field of aerosol supply technology, particularly to an aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow and an aerosol provision method.

[0005] Technical Background

[0006] The aerosol provision system refers to a system that contains aerosol generating materials and generates aerosols by heating rather than burning the aerosol generating materials (such as tobacco) for users to puff.

[0007] The aerosol provision system generally includes a housing, a cartomizer arranged inside the housing, a power supply, and a controller. The power supply supplies power to the cartomizer under the control of the controller, and the cartomizer is powered on to generate heat and heat the aerosol generating material inside the housing, causing it to generate aerosols.

[0008] At present, some aerosol provision systems, such as disposable aerosol provision systems, do not have power control functions due to cost, system volume, and other reasons. The power supply and internal electrical components such as the controller are always in a connected state. This causes the internal electrical components of the system to consume power on their own during pre-sales storage, resulting in a decrease in subsequent available power, which can further reduce the number of puffs and puffing time that users can take, thereby reducing the user experience.

[0009] In addition, the power supply and internal electrical components such as the controller are always in a connected state, so children can puff without unlocking, posing a safety hazard.

[0010] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new aerosol provision system to solve one or more of these technical issues.

[0011] Summary

[0012] In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow and an aerosol provision method, to solve the technical problems of ineffective power consumption caused by the inability to control power supply and safety hazards for children's use in the existing technology.

[0013] In the first aspect, the present application provides an aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the system comprises: an air inlet and an outlet for puffing; an air flow path in fluid communication with the air inlet and extending into the system; an airflow regulator, configured to change the air flow that can pass through the air flow path to change a resistance to puff; a power supply, configured to change a supply state according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator.

[0014] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the power supply is configured to change between a disconnected state and a supplying state according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator.

[0015] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the power supply is configured to change the supplied power according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator.

[0016] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the airflow regulator is configured to change the air flow passing through the air flow path by changing the usable number of the air inlet and / or the usable air flow area of the air inlet.

[0017] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the airflow regulator changes the air flow passing through the air flow path by moving to different positions of the air inlet; the system further comprises a transfer switch arranged in a supply circuit of the power supply and configured to move according the movement of the airflow regulator; when the transfer switch is moved to different positions, the supply state of the power supply is different.

[0018] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the system further comprises a detection assembly and a microcontroller; the detection assembly is configured to detect the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator and provide an input signal indicative of the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator to the microcontroller; the microcontroller is configured to change the supply state of the power supply according to the input signal.

[0019] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the airflow regulator changes the air flow passing through the air flow path by moving to different positions of the air inlet; the detection assembly is configured to detect the position of the airflow regulator and provide an input signal indicative of the position of the airflow regulator to the microcontroller; the microcontroller is configured to determine the adjustment of the airflow regulator on the airflow according to the input signal to control and change the supply state of the power supply. In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the number of air inlets is greater than or equal to 1 ; the power supply is configured to disconnect when the usable number of the air inlets is 0 and / or to supply power when the usable number of the air inlets is greater than or equal to 1.

[0020] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the number of the air inlets is n1 , n1 is greater than or equal to 2, and all the air inlets are arranged in the same direction; the airflow regulator is configured to move along the arrangement direction of the air inlets to change the usable number of the air inlets and / or the usable air flow area; when the airflow regulator is moved to a position where the usable number of the air inlets is n1 , all the air inlets are located on the same side of the airflow regulator.

[0021] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the number of air inlets is n2, n2 is greater than or equal to 2; when the airflow regulator is moved to any position, the usable number of the air inlets is greater than or equal to 1 ; the power supply is configured to disconnect when the usable number of the air inlets is n2, and to supply power when the usable number of the air inlets is m, m is greater than or equal to 1 and less than n2.

[0022] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, all the air inlets are arranged in the same direction; the airflow regulator is configured to move along the arrangement direction of the air inlets to change the usable number of the air inlets and / or the usable air flow area; when the airflow regulator is moved to a position where the usable number of the air inlets is n2, at least some of the air inlets are located on different sides of the airflow regulator.

[0023] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the power supply is configured to increase the supplied power when the usable number of air inlets and / or the usable air flow area increases; and / or, the power supply is configured to lower the supplied power when the usable number of air inlets and / or the usable air flow area decreases.

[0024] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the number of air inlets is greater than or equal to 2, and the opening size of each air inlet is the same or at least partially different.

[0025] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the airflow regulator comprises a barrier element for adjusting the usable number of air inlets and / or the usable air flow area.

[0026] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the airflow regulator further comprises a drive element for driving the barrier element to move.

[0027] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, a housing of the system comprises an end face defining an opening; the airflow regulator is configured to move along the opening; the system further comprises a member provided with the air inlets, the member comprises a guide rail defined by an inner cavity on its wall; the drive element is provided with a sliding block that is matched with the guide rail; the sliding block is arranged between the end face and the member; the sliding block moves within the opening along the guide rail and drives the barrier element to move to adjust the usable number of the air inlets and / or the usable air flow area.

[0028] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the barrier element is provided with a hole, the drive element is provided with a drive rod, and the drive rod is inserted into the hole to drive the barrier element to slide through the sliding of the drive element.

[0029] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the airflow regulator is configured to adjust the usable number of air inlets and / or the usable air flow area by sliding and / or rotating

[0030] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, the system is a heat-not-burn system or an electronic cigarette atomization system.

[0031] In the second aspect, the present application provides an aerosol provision method, applied in the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow above, the method comprises: through the airflow regulator, changing the air flow that can pass through the air flow path to change a resistance to puff; according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator, changing the supply state of the power supply.

[0032] Based on the embodiments of the present application, the airflow regulator of the aerosol provision system not only has the function of airflow regulation, but also can achieve power supply control while regulating the airflow. Compared with the existing technology, it reduces the ineffective consumption of electricity, ensures that the system’ s electricity is used for puffing, and improves the user experience. In addition, the airflow regulator can be used to change the power to the off state to achieve the child lock function at the same time. Moreover, by arranging the dual function of the airflow regulator, compared to separately arranging the power control component, the system structure is simplified, the cost is reduced, and user operations can be simplified to a certain extent. Additional aspects and advantages of the application will be partially described in the following description, some will become apparent from the following description, and others will be learned through the practice of the application.

[0033] Drawings

[0034] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the disclosure of the present application will become more understandable. Those skilled in the art can easily understand that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Moreover, similar numbers in the figures are used to represent similar components, wherein:

[0035] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of an aerosol provision system according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a disconnected state of a power supply in one of the power control structures of the aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a supplying state of the power in the structure shown in Figure 3;

[0039] Figures 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams of another power control structure of the aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 7 is an exploded view of the partial structure of the aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 8 is a sectional view of the system shown in Figure 7 from a perspective;

[0042] Figure 9 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 8;

[0043] Figures 10-12 show cross-sectional views of the aerosol provision system in a state where all air inlets are unusable, one air inlet is usable, and all air inlets are usable according to the embodiments of the present application.

[0044] Description of Drawing Labels:

[0045] 10, 20, 30, 40, 50: aerosol provision system;

[0046] 100, 200, 300, 400, 500: housing;

[0047] 110, 210, 510: mouthpiece;

[0048] 120, 220, 520: article insertion end;

[0049] 130, 230, 330, 430, 530: air inlet;

[0050] 140, 240, 340, 440, 540: airflow regulator;

[0051] 310, 410: power supply; 320, 420: cartomizer;

[0052] 311 : supply circuit; 312: transfer switch; 450, 570: detection assembly; 571 : connecting rod; 572: position detection unit; 460, 580: microcontroller;

[0053] 501 : bottom cover; 511 : opening; 531 : member; 532: guide rail; 533: first hole; 541 : barrier element;

[0054] 542: drive element; 543: second hole; 544: drive rod; 545: sliding block; 546: third hole; 550: airway seal element.

[0055] Detailed Description

[0056] The following describes some embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only for explaining the technical principles of the present application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0057] As used herein, the term “delivery system” is intended to encompass systems that deliver at least one substance to a user in use, and includes: combustible aerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, and tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own or for make-your-own cigarettes (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material); non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosolgenerating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials; and aerosol-free delivery systems that deliver the at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

[0058] According to the present disclosure, a “combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is combusted or burned during use in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0059] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a system selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo and a cigar.

[0060] In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to a component for use in a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a filter, a filter rod, a filter segment, a tobacco rod, a spill, an aerosol-modifying agent release component such as a capsule, a thread, or a bead, or a paper such as a plug wrap, a tipping paper or a cigarette paper.

[0061] According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0062] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.

[0063] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

[0064] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an aerosolgenerating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

[0065] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0066] Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non- combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device.

[0067] In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosolgenerating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.

[0068] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a non- combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol-modifying agent.

[0069] In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and / or an aerosolmodifying agent.

[0070] In some embodiments, the delivery system is an aerosol-free delivery system that delivers at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

[0071] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material or a material that is not intended to be aerosolised. As appropriate, either material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours, one or more aerosolformer materials, and / or one or more other functional materials.

[0072] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active substance. The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.

[0073] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.

[0074] As noted herein, the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.

[0075] As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical" includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like. Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, Wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Memtha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens.

[0076] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is tobacco. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

[0077] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel.

[0078] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour. As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, Wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.

[0079] In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and / or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.

[0080] In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.

[0081] Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and / or flavourants. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise an “ amorphous solid ” , which may alternatively be referred to as a “ monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may for example comprise from about 50wt%, 60wt% or 70wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or 100wt% of amorphous solid.

[0082] The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and / or flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material.

[0083] The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1 ,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

[0084] The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and / or antioxidants.

[0085] The material may be present on or in a support, to form a substrate. The support may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. In some embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the susceptor is on one or either side of the material.

[0086] A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.

[0087] A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.

[0088] An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the aerosol generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosolmodifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component, that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a flavourant, a colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material.

[0089] An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosolgenerating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

[0090] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems (which may also be referred to as vapour delivery systems) such as nebulisers or e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description the term "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with aerosol delivery system I device and electronic aerosol delivery system I device. Furthermore, and as is common in the technical field, the terms "aerosol" and "vapour", and related terms such as "vaporise", "volatilise" and "aerosolise", may generally be used interchangeably.

[0091] Aerosol delivery systems (e-cigarettes) often, though not always, comprise a modular assembly comprising a reusable device part and a replaceable (disposable / consumable) cartridge part. Often, the replaceable cartridge part will comprise the aerosol-generating material and the vaporiser (which may collectively be called a “ cartomizer” ) and the reusable device part will comprise the power provision (e.g. rechargeable power source) and control circuitry. It will be appreciated these different parts may comprise further elements depending on functionality. For example, the reusable device part will often comprise a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operating status characteristics, and the replaceable cartridge device part in some cases comprises a temperature sensor for helping to control temperature. Cartridges are electrically and mechanically coupled to the control unit for use, for example using a screw thread, bayonet, or magnetic coupling with appropriately arranged electrical contacts. When the aerosol-generating material in a cartridge is exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge having a different aerosol-generating material, the cartridge may be removed from the reusable part and a replacement cartridge attached in its place. Systems and devices conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part systems / devices.

[0092] It is common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongate shape. For the sake of providing a concrete example, certain embodiments of the disclosure will be taken to comprise this kind of generally elongate two-part system employing disposable cartridges. However, it will be appreciated that the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for different configurations, for example single-part systems or modular systems comprising more than two parts, refillable devices and single-use disposables, as well as other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a boxier shape. More generally, it will be appreciated certain embodiments of the disclosure are based on aerosol delivery systems which are operationally configured to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and the constructional aspects of systems configured to provide the functionality in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure is not of primary significance.

[0093] The aerosol provision system of the present application will be described in detail through specific embodiments.

[0094] Embodiment 1

[0095] Embodiment 1 of the present application discloses an aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow. Figure 1 is a structural diagram of an aerosol provision system according to one embodiment. As shown in Figure 1 , the aerosol provision system 10 includes a housing 100 and a mouthpiece 110. In some embodiments of the present application, an article insertion end 120 (with an article insertion port) can be provided at the mouthpiece 110 for inserting articles (such as cigarettes). In an alternative embodiment, an air outlet (not shown in the figure) is provided at the mouthpiece 110 for puffing. An air inlet 130 is provided on the housing 100, which is connected to the outside for air inlet. The air inlet 130 can be arranged at any suitable position for air inlet. Exemplarily, considering that the mouthpiece 110 is provided with an insertion port (or air outlet) at the article insertion end 120, the air inlet 130 is arranged at one end of the housing 100 away from the mouthpiece 110 to provide sufficient area for the air inlet 130 and the air inlet adjustment component (such as an airflow regulator) to be arranged. The number of air inlet 130 can be adjusted to one or more as needed.

[0096] The aerosol provision system 10 also comprises a cartomizer arranged in the housing 100, and an atomizing chamber is provided in the cartomizer for atomizing the aerosol generating material inside the article.

[0097] The aerosol provision system 10 also comprises an air flow path for the user to puff. The air flow path passes through the air inlet 130 and the atomizing chamber inside the system, and reaches the article (such as cigarettes) or the air outlet, so that when the user puffs, external air can enter from the air inlet 130 and pass through the atomizing chamber inside the housing 100 to reach the article (such as cigarettes) or the air outlet to be inhaled by the user.

[0098] The air flow on the air flow path affects the resistance to puff. In order to adapt to different resistance requirements, in the embodiment of the present application, the aerosol provision system 10 includes an airflow regulator 140 configured to change the air flow that can pass through the air flow path to change the resistance to puff.

[0099] The airflow regulator 140 can be configured to change the air flow at any point of the air flow path to change the resistance to puff. Considering the arrangement of the airflow regulator 140 and the convenience for operating, in some embodiments of the present application, the airflow regulator 140 is configured near the air inlet 130 to change the air flow at the air inlet 130 to change the resistance to puff. The air inlet 130 is connected to the exterior of the housing 100 of the system, so the airflow regulator 140 can be partially exposed to the outside the housing 100 to adjust the air inlet 130, so as to facilitate user operation.

[0100] In some embodiments of the present application, the air inlet 130 may be configured as one or more. When the number of the air inlet 130 is more than one, the opening size of each air inlet 130 can be arranged to be the same or at least partially different. In some embodiments of the present application, the airflow regulator 140 is configured to change the usable number of the air inlet 130 to change the air flow. In another embodiment, the airflow regulator 140 is configured to change the usable air flow area of any air inlet 130 to change the air flow. Of course, the airflow regulator 140 can also be configured to simultaneously change the usable number and usable air flow area of the air inlet 130 to change the air flow. The usability of air inlet 130 refers the air inlet 130 is not completely closed or the air flow that can pass through the air inlet 130 is greater than a preset threshold. The usable air flow area refers to the area that can pass through the airflow.

[0101] The airflow regulator 140 can change the usable number of the air inlet 130 and / or the usable air flow area of the air inlet 130 in a variety of possible ways. The airflow regulator 140 shown in Figure 1 can slide to open or close the air inlet 130. And when in different positions, the number of open or closed air inlet 130 or the area of the air inlet 130 is also different. In alternative embodiments, the airflow regulator 140 can also change the usable number and / or usable air flow area of the air inlet 130 by rotating, telescoping, etc.

[0102] The aerosol provision system 10 also comprises a power supply arranged inside the housing 100, configured to change a supply state according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator. 140.

[0103] In some embodiments of the present application, the power supply is configured to change between a disconnected state and a supplying state according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator. Exemplarily, when the air flow on the air flow path is zero (such as the number of the usable air inlet is zero), the power supply can be configured to be in the disconnected state. In this way, when the air flow is zero, it cannot be puffed, so the power supply can be turned off to reduce the ineffective power consumption. Exemplarily, when the air flow on the air flow path exceeds a certain threshold (such as the number of the usable air inlet is not zero), the power supply can be configured to be in the supplying state, or it can also be configured to be in the disconnected state.

[0104] In some embodiments of the present application, the power supply is configured to change the supplied power according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator. Exemplarily, when the air flow on the air flow path increases (such as the usable air flow area of the air inlet increases), the power supply is configured to increase the supplied power. Exemplarily, when the air flow on the air flow path decreases (such as the usable air flow area of the air inlet decreases), the power supply is configured to reduce the supplied power. The larger the air flow, the more aerosols can be carried away, and more aerosols generally require a larger supplied power to match them. Linking the adjustment of supplied power with the airflow path that can pass through, can achieve a better match between actual supplied power and required supplied power. It should be noted that changes in the supply state and supplied power are generally passive, such as based on the instructions from the controller in the system.

[0105] T aking the airflow regulator change the usable number of the air inlet and / or the usable air flow area of the air inlet to change the air flow passing through the air flow path as an example, different numbers of the air inlets, air inlets arranged in different positions, and different adjustment methods of the airflow regulator can correspond to different supply states.

[0106] In one embodiment, the number of the air inlets is n2, where n2 is greater than or equal to 2; The usable number of air inlets at any time is greater than or equal to 1 ; The power supply is configured to disconnect when the usable number of the air inlets is n2, and to supply power when the usable number of the air inlets is m, m is greater than or equal to 1 and less than n2. Figure 1 provides the structural diagram of the aerosol provision system in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1 , two air inlets 130 are provided on the housing 100. The airflow regulator 140 can be slidably arranged along the direction of the arrangement of the two air inlets 130. When the airflow regulator 140 is in the middle position, the two air inlets 130 are in the open position, that is, both air inlets are in the usable state. At this time, the two air inlets 130 are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the airflow regulator 140. When the airflow regulator 140 slides to the left to the position of the left air inlet 130, the left air inlet 130 is covered and is in an unusable state, while the right air inlet 130 is in an open position and is in a usable state. When the airflow regulator 140 slides to the right to the position of the right air inlet 130, the right air inlet 130 is covered and is in an unusable state, while the left air inlet 130 is in an open position and in a usable state. Under this arrangement, the two air inlets 130 can switch between fully usable and partially usable states under the action of the airflow regulator 140. When the airflow regulator is in any position, at least one air inlet is usable, and there is no state where all air inlets are unusable. It can be understood that similar arrangement can be applied to scenarios with more air inlet. In some embodiments, it can be expressed as: multiple air inlets are arranged in the same direction, an airflow regulator is configured to move along the arrangement direction of the air inlets to change the usable number of the air inlets and / or the usable air flow area; When the airflow regulator is moved to a position where all air inlets are usable, all air inlets are located on different sides of the airflow regulator. The movement of the airflow regulator in the direction of the arrangement can achieve the state in which the air inlet is fully or partially usable. In some embodiments of the present application, for the case where the air inlets can be switched between these two states, the power supply is configured to: disconnected when all air inlets are usable; supply power when the air inlets are partially usable. Exemplarily, the power supply can be configured to provide different supplied power based on the usable air flow area of the air inlet.

[0107] The above air inlet and airflow regulator are only described by way of example. In the example implementation of the principles described herein, other air inlet and airflow regulator arrangement can be used to ensure that at least one of the multiple air inlets is usable when the airflow regulator is in any position, and there is no situation where all air inlets are unusable. For example, the airflow regulator is rotationally configured, and multiple air inlets arranged on the rotation trajectory of the airflow regulator. The airflow regulator rotates to different positions to make the air inlets fully or partially usable. In alternative embodiments, a retractable airflow regulator may also be provided to make the air inlets fully or partially usable by retracting to different positions.

[0108] In another embodiment, the number of air inlets is greater than or equal to 1 , the power supply is configured to disconnect when the usable number of the air inlets is 0 and / or to supply power when the usable number of the air inlets is greater than or equal to 1 . Figure 2 provides a structural diagram of the aerosol provision system in this embodiment. The aerosol provision system 20 comprises a housing 200, a mouthpiece 210, and an article insertion end 220 (with an article insertion port) arranged at the mouthpiece 210. A power supply and a cartomizer are provided in the housing 200. Two air inlets 230 are provided on the housing 200, and the system 20 also comprises an airflow regulator 240. Different from Figure 1 , both air inlets 230 are arranged on the left side, and the airflow regulator 240 can be slidably arranged along the direction of the arrangement of the two air inlets 230. When the airflow regulator 240 is in the right position, the two air inlets 230 are in the open position, that is, both air inlets are in the usable state, and at this time all air inlets 230 are located on the same side of the airflow regulator 240. When the airflow regulator 240 slides to the left to a certain position, the relatively right air inlet 230 is covered and is in an unusable state, while the relatively left air inlet 230 is in an open position and is in a usable state. When the airflow regulator 240 continues to slide to the left to the position of the relatively left air inlet 230, all air inlets 230 are covered and are in an unusable state. Under this arrangement, the two air inlet 230 can switch between three states: fully usable, partially usable, and fully unusable, under the action of the airflow regulator 240. It can be understood that similar arrangement can be applied to scenarios with more air inlets. Their commonality lies in the fact that there are multiple air inlets, and all air inlets are arranged in the same direction; the airflow regulator is configured to move along the arrangement direction of the air inlets to change the usable number of the air inlets and / or the usable air flow area; When the airflow regulator is moved to a position where all air inlets are usable, all air inlets are located on the same side of the airflow regulator. By moving the airflow regulator, the air inlet can be switched between three states: fully usable, partially usable, and fully unusable.

[0109] In some embodiments of the present application, for the case where the air inlets can be switched between these three states, the power supply is configured to: disconnected when all air inlets are unusable; supply power when the air inlets are fully usable or partially usable. Exemplarily, the power supply can be configured to provide different supplied power based on whether the air inlets are fully usable or partially usable.

[0110] The above air inlet and airflow regulator are only described by way of example. In the example implementation of the principles described herein, many other arrangements for the air inlet and the airflow regulator can be used, such that under the adjustment of the airflow regulator, the air inlets are in one of the states of fully usable, partially usable, or fully unusable. For example, in the rotation arrangement of the airflow regulator, multiple air inlets are arranged on the rotation trajectory of the airflow regulator. By rotating the airflow regulator to different positions, all air inlets are usable, some are usable, and all are unusable. In alternative embodiments, a scalable airflow regulator can also be installed to make the air inlet fully usable, partially usable, or fully unusable by extending to different positions. For example, the airflow regulator is rotationally configured, and multiple air inlets arranged on the rotation trajectory of the airflow regulator. The airflow regulator rotates to different positions to make the air inlets fully usable, partially usable, or fully unusable. In alternative embodiments, a retractable airflow regulator may also be provided to make the air inlets fully usable, partially usable, or fully unusable by retracting to different positions.

[0111] The aerosol provision system 20, the housing 200, and cartomizer may be the same as or similar to the corresponding structures in FIG. 1.

[0112] In the embodiments of the present application, the supply state of the power supply changes according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator. In the embodiments of the present application, various possible power control structures can be provided to achieve the change of the supply state according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator. In one embodiment, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a disconnected state of the power supply in one of the power control structures. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a supplying state in the structure shown in Figure 3. Figures 3 and 4 only illustrate the positions and relationships between related components through block diagrams. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the aerosol provision system 30 comprises a housing 300, a power supply 310 and a cartomizer 320 are arranged in the housing 300. The power supply 310 has a supply circuit 311 for supplying power to the cartomizer 320. The aerosol provision system 30 also comprises an air inlet 330 arranged on the housing 300 and an airflow regulator 340 for changing the usable number of the air inlet 330 and / or the usable air flow area of the air inlet 330. The airflow regulator 340 changes the air flow passing through the airflow path by moving to different positions of the air inlet 330 to change the usable number of the air inlet 330 and / or the usable air flow area. As shown in Figure 3, the airflow regulator 340 is in a closed position of the air inlet, and the air inlet 330 is unusable. As shown in Figure 4, the airflow regulator 340 is located in an open position of the air inlet, and the air inlet 330 is at least partially opened, making it a usable air inlet. The aerosol provision system 30, the housing 300, the power supply 310, the cartomizer 320, and the air inlet 330 may be the same as or similar to the corresponding structures in Figures 1 and 2.

[0113] The aerosol provision system 30 also comprises a transfer switch 312 arranged in the supply circuit 311. The transfer switch 312 is configured to move according to the movement of the airflow regulator 340. When transfer switch 312 is moved to different positions, the supply state of power supply 310 is different. For example, as shown in Figure 3, when the airflow regulator 340 moves to the closed position of the air inlet, it is not in contact with the transfer switch 312, and the transfer switch 312 remains in the disconnected position. At this time, the supply circuit 311 is disconnected, and the power supply 310 is in the disconnected state; As shown in Figure 4, when the airflow regulator 340 moves to the open position of the air inlet, the airflow regulator 340 applies pressure to the transfer switch 312, causing the transfer switch 312 to move to the closed position. At this time, the supply circuit 311 is turned on, and the power supply 310 is in the supplying state. When the airflow regulator 340 moves to the closed position of the air inlet again, the pressure on the transfer switch 312 disappears and can be reset to the disconnected position again. The reset of the transfer switch 312 may be achieved by selecting a switch that can automatically reset or by providing a structure such as an elastic member. The embodiments of the present application do not impose any specific limitations on this.

[0114] Figure 5 provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a detection assembly and the airflow regulator in one position under another power control structure; Figure 6 provides a schematic diagram of the structure of the detection assembly and the airflow regulator in another position under the power control structure shown in Figure 5. Figures 5 and 6 only illustrate the positions and relationships between related components through block diagrams. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the aerosol provision system 40 comprises a housing 400, a power supply 410 and a cartomizer 420 are arranged in the housing 400. The power supply 410 has a supply circuit for supplying power to the cartomizer 420. The aerosol provision system 40 also comprises an air inlet 430 arranged on the housing 400. An airflow regulator 440 is configured to change the air flow passing through the air flow path

[0115] The aerosol provision system 40 also comprises a detection assembly 450 and a microcontroller 460. The detection assembly 450 is configured to detect the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator 440 and provide an input signal indicative of the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator 440 to the microcontroller 460. The microcontroller 460 is configured to change the supply state of the power supply 410 according to the input signal. For example, when the detection assembly 450 detects that the airflow regulator 440 changes the air flow of the air flow path to zero, it sends an input signal of zero air flow to the microcontroller 460, and the microcontroller 460 changes the supply state of the power supply 410 to the disconnected state accordingly.

[0116] Exemplarily, the airflow regulator 440 can change the air flow of the air flow path by moving its position. Correspondingly, the detection assembly 450 can detect the position of the airflow regulator 440 as an input signal for the airflow regulator to change the air flow. The microcontroller 460 can determine the adjustment of the air flow based on the position of the airflow regulator 440, thereby controlling the change of the supply state of the power supply 410.

[0117] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figure 5, the airflow regulator 440 is configured to be movable, and when it is moved to different positions, the usable number and / or the usable air flow area of the air inlet 430 are different. The detection assembly 450 can detect the position of the airflow regulator 440 as an input signal for the airflow regulator to change the air flow at the inlet 430. The microcontroller 460 can determine the adjustment of the air flow at the air inlet 430 based on the position of the airflow regulator 440, thereby controlling the change of the supply state of the power supply 410.

[0118] In some embodiments of the present application, the detection assembly 450 is any suitable sensor that can obtain the position of the airflow regulator. The sensor can obtain the position of the airflow regulator 440 through existing sensing technologies such as photoelectric, distance, etc. Based on the different sensing technologies used, the detection assembly 450 can be configured to be in contact with the airflow regulator 440 or not.

[0119] In one embodiment, the detection assembly 450 is used to detect whether the airflow regulator 440 moves to the position corresponding to the air inlet 430 by detecting whether the light corresponding to the corresponding air inlet 430 is received. In another embodiment, the detection assembly 450 has a plurality of contact points that contact the airflow regulator 440. When the airflow regulator moves to a stationary position (such as a different air inlet position), different contact points come into contact with the detection assembly 450, so that the detection assembly 450 can determine the position of the airflow regulator. As shown in Figure 5, when the airflow regulator 440 closes the left air inlet 430, the left contact point of the detection assembly 450 comes into contact with the airflow regulator 440; As shown in Figure 6, when the airflow regulator 440 closes the right air inlet 430, the right contact point of the detection assembly 450 comes into contact with the airflow regulator 440.

[0120] In another embodiment, the detection assembly 450 may comprise a connecting rod and a position detection unit connected to the connecting rod to obtain the position of the connecting rod. One end of the connecting rod moves synchronously with the airflow regulator 440. Specifically, the connecting rod can be fixedly connected to the airflow regulator 440, or the connecting rod can be limited in the hole of the airflow regulator 440 to achieve synchronous movement. The other end of the connecting rod is connected to the position detection unit, which can obtain the position of the connecting rod and transmit the position signal to the microcontroller 460. The microcontroller 460 can determine the position of the connecting rod based on the position signal, and then determine the position of the airflow regulator 440, so as to determine the adjustment of the air flow at the air inlet 430, thereby controlling the supply state change of the power supply 410. The specific structure of this section will be illustrated in the following figures.

[0121] In some embodiments of the present application, a PCB may be provided in the detection assembly 450 to obtain and process the detection signal. The microcontroller 460 may be implemented by using a microcontroller in the microphone of the aerosol provision system.

[0122] As described above, in some embodiments of the present application, the adjustment of the usable number of air inlets and / or the usable air flow area is achieved through the movement of the airflow regulator. Figure 7 provides an exploded view of a partial structure of an aerosol provision system, showing the airflow regulator and the air inlet. Figure 8 is a sectional view of the system shown in Figure 7, and Figure 9 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 8. As shown in Figure 7-9, the aerosol provision system 50 comprises a housing 500, a mouthpiece 510, and an article insertion end 520 (with an article insertion port) arranged at the mouthpiece 510 for inserting articles (such as cigarettes). The aerosol provision system 50 comprises an air inlet 530 arranged on the housing 500 and an airflow regulator 540 for changing the usable number and / or usable air flow area of the air inlet 530. The airflow regulator 540 comprises a barrier element 541 , which is used to move to different positions to cover or expose the air inlet 530, so as to change the usable number and / or usable air flow area of the air inlet 530.

[0123] In some embodiments of the present application, the airflow regulator 540 further comprises a drive element 542 configured to drive the barrier element 541 to move. The drive element 542 provides a user-operable mechanism, which moves and drives the barrier element 541 to move under the operation of the user. In one embodiment, the drive element 542 can be integrated with the barrier element 541. In another embodiment, as shown in Figure 7-9, the barrier element 541 is provided with a second hole 543, and the drive element 542 is provided with a drive rod 544. The drive rod 544 is inserted into the second hole 543 to move the barrier element 541 to slide through the sliding of the drive element 542.

[0124] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figures 7-9, the housing 500 comprises an end face defining an opening 511. The housing 500 comprises a member 531 arranged at the opening 511 , which is provided with an air inlet 530. Member 531 comprises a guide rail 532 defined by an inner cavity on the wall; The drive element 542 is provided with a sliding block 545 that is matched with the guide rail 532; The sliding block 545 is arranged between the end face and the member 531 , configured to move along the guide rail 531 within the opening 511 and drive the barrier element 541 to move on the member 531 to adjust the usable number of the air inlet 530 and / or the usable air flow area.

[0125] In one embodiment, the bottom cover 501 of the housing 500 defines an end face and has an opening 511. The bottom cover 501 cooperates with the member 531 to provide a space for the arrangement and movement of the airflow regulator 540, and seals the end of the housing 500 away from the mouthpiece 510 with fluid (except for the air inlet 530). Compared with the existing technologies, it provides a new way of fixing the airflow regulator and sealing the system.

[0126] In one embodiment, the system 50 further comprises an airway seal element 550 arranged between the bottom cover 501 and the member 531 to achieve a better sealing in the circumferential direction between the two.

[0127] In Figures 7-9 above, the aerosol provision system 50 also comprises a power supply, a cartomizer, a detection assembly 570, and a microphone. The microphone is provided with a microcontroller connected to the detection assembly 570.

[0128] The detection assembly 570 comprises a connecting rod 571 and a position detection unit 572, wherein one end of the connecting rod 571 is sequentially inserted into the first hole 533 provided on the member 531 , the second hole 543 on the barrier element 541 , and the third hole 546 on the drive element 542. Based on this structure, the connecting rod 571 is limited relative to the airflow regulator 540 and moves along with the movement of the airflow regulator 540. The other end of the connecting rod 571 is connected to the position detection unit 572, which can move on the position detection unit 572. The position detection unit 572 can obtain the position of the connecting rod 571 and send the position signal to the microcontroller in the microphone, so that the microcontroller can determine the position of the airflow regulator accordingly, thereby determining the adjustment of the air flow, and then determining the supply state of the power supply.

[0129] Figures 10-12 show the states all air inlets are unusable, only one air inlet is usable, and all air inlets are usable in sequence when both air inlets 530 are arranged at the left position, and the position of the connecting rod 571 in the detection assembly 570 relative to the position detection unit 572 in the corresponding state. The position detection unit 572 transmits the position signal to the microsensor 580, so that the microsensor 580 can determine the position of the airflow regulator based on it, and further determine the state of the air inlet (air flow), thereby controlling the power supply to be in the corresponding supply state.

[0130] The above figures 7-12 are only described by way of example. In the example implementation of the principles described herein, many other structures may be used to arrange the airflow regulator, the air inlet, and the sealing structure of the system. The present application does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0131] The aerosol provision system and components in the above-mentioned embodiments and the figures may adopt the same or similar configurations unless otherwise specified.

[0132] The aerosol provision system is described by way of example only. In the exemplary implementation of the principles described in the present application, many other aerosol provision systems can be used. For example, the system may be an electronic cigarette system that atomizes a liquid aerosol generating material (such as e-liquid), or may be a heat- not-burn system that atomizes a solid aerosol generating material (such as cigarettes). The principles disclosed herein are not limited to specific types of aerosol systems to aerosolize solids, liquids, or other aerosol generating materials.

[0133] Based on the embodiments of the present application, the airflow regulator of the aerosol provision system not only has the function of air flow regulation, but also can achieve power supply control while regulating the air flow. Compared with existing technologies, it reduces the ineffective consumption of electricity, ensures that the system's electricity is used for puffing, and improves the user experience. In addition, the airflow regulator can be used to change the power supply to the off state to achieve the child lock function at the same time. Moreover, by arranging the dual function of the airflow regulator, compared to separately arranging the power control component, the system structure is simplified, the cost is reduced, and user operations can be simplified to a certain extent.

[0134] Embodiment 2

[0135] Corresponding to the aerosol provision system of the embodiment 1 mentioned above, the embodiment 2 of the present application provides an aerosol provision method of the aerosol provision system, which is applied to the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow mentioned above. The method comprises:

[0136] Changing the air flow that can pass through the air flow path to change a resistance to puff through the airflow regulator. Specifically, the air flow can be changed by changing the usable number of the air inlet and / or the usable air flow area of the air inlet through the airflow regulator.

[0137] Changing the supply state of the power supply according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator.

[0138] In one embodiment, the power supply can switch between the disconnected state and the supplying state. In another embodiment, the power supply can change the supplied power. Especially, when the air flow increases, the supplied power can be increased, and vice versa, the supplied power can be decreased.

[0139] Based on the embodiments of the present application, the airflow regulator of the aerosol provision system not only has the function of air flow regulation, but also can achieve power supply control while regulating the air flow. Compared with existing technologies, it reduces the ineffective consumption of electricity, ensures that the system's electricity is used for puffing, and improves the user experience. In addition, the airflow regulator can be used to change the power supply to the off state to achieve the child lock function at the same time. Moreover, by arranging the dual function of the airflow regulator, compared to separately arranging the power control component, the system structure is simplified, the cost is reduced, and user operations can be simplified to a certain extent.

[0140] It should be understood that each part of the present application may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware or combinations thereof. In the above implementations, multiple steps or methods may be implemented with software or firmware stored in memory and executed by an appropriate instruction execution system. For example, if it is implemented by hardware, as in another implementation, it can be implemented by any one of the following technologies known in the art or combinations thereof: discrete logic circuits with logic gate circuits for implementing logic functions for data signal, special integrated circuits with appropriate combined logic gate circuits, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0141] In the description of this specification, the referential terminology "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" means that specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are comprised in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the indicative expression of the above-mentioned terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the described specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable way in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0142] Moreover, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used merely for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the characteristics defined as "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly comprise at least one such characteristic. In the description of the present application, the term "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0143] In the present application, unless explicitly defined and limited, terms such as "mounting," "connecting," "connection," "fixing," etc., should be understood broadly. For instance, the connection can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary medium, it can be the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless explicitly defined otherwise. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of these terms in the context of the application based on the circumstances.

[0144] Although the embodiments of the application have been shown and described above, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and should not be considered as limiting the application. Those skilled in the art within the scope of the application can make variations, modifications, replacements, and variations to the abovedescribed embodiments.

Claims

Claims1 . An aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow, wherein the aerosol provision system comprises: an air inlet; an air flow path in fluid communication with the air inlet and extending into the aerosol provision system; an airflow regulator configured to change an air flow that can pass through the air flow path to change a resistance to draw; and a power supply configured to change its supply state according to a change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator.

2. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply is configured to change its supply state between a disconnected state and a supplying state according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator.

3. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply is configured to change the supplied power according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator.

4. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 1 , wherein the airflow regulator is configured to change the air flow that can pass through the air flow path by changing a usable number of air inlets and / or a usable air flow area of air inlets.

5. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 4, wherein the airflow regulator is configured to change the air flow that can pass through the air flow path by moving to different positions of the air inlet; the system further comprising a transfer switch arranged in a supply circuit of the power supply and configured to move according the movement of the airflow regulator; and wherein the transfer switch is movable to different positions to change the supply state of the power supply.

6. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 4, wherein the system further comprises a detection assembly and a microcontroller; wherein the detection assembly is configured to detect a change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator and provide an input signal indicative of the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator to the microcontroller; andthe microcontroller is configured to change the supply state of the power supply according to the input signal.

7. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 6, wherein the airflow regulator is configured to change the air flow that can pass through the air flow path by moving to different positions of the air inlet; the detection assembly is configured to detect the position of the airflow regulator and provide an input signal indicative of the position of the airflow regulator to the microcontroller; and the microcontroller is configured to determine an adjustment of the airflow regulator on the air flow according to the input signal to control and change the supply state of the power supply.

8. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 4, wherein the number of air inlets is greater than or equal to 1 ; and the power supply is configured to disconnect when the usable number of the air inlets is 0 and / or to supply power when the usable number of the air inlets is greater than or equal to 1.

9. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 8, wherein the number of air inlets is n1 ; n1 is greater than or equal to 2; and all the air inlets are arranged in the same direction; wherein the airflow regulator is configured to move along the direction in which the air inlets are arranged to change the usable number of the air inlets and / or the usable air flow area of the air inlets; and when the airflow regulator is moved to a position where the usable number of the air inlets is n1 , all the air inlets are located on the same side of the airflow regulator.

10. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 4, wherein the number of air inlets is n2; n2 is greater than or equal to 2; and when the airflow regulator is moved to any position, the usable number of the air inlets is greater than or equal to 1 ; wherein the power supply is configured to disconnect when the usable number of the air inlets is n2, and to supply power when the usable number of the air inlets is m; wherein m is greater than or equal to 1 and less than n2.11 . The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 10, wherein all the air inlets are arranged in the same direction;the airflow regulator is configured to move along the direction in which the air inlets are arranged to change the usable number of the air inlets and / or the usable air flow area of the air inlets; and when the airflow regulator is moved to a position where the usable number of the air inlets is n2, at least some of the air inlets are located on different sides of the airflow regulator.

12. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 4, wherein the power supply is configured to increase a supplied power when the usable number of air inlets and / or the usable air flow area increases; and / or the power supply is configured to lower a supplied power when the usable number of air inlets and / or the usable air flow area decreases.

13. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 4, wherein the number of air inlets is greater than or equal to 2, and the opening size of each air inlet is the same or at least partially different.

14. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 4, wherein the airflow regulator comprises a barrier element for adjusting the usable number of air inlets and / or the usable air flow area of air inlets.

15. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 14, wherein the airflow regulator further comprises a drive element for driving the barrier element to move.

16. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 15, wherein a housing of the aerosol provision system comprises an end face defining an opening; the airflow regulator being configured to move along the opening; the aerosol provision system further comprises a member provided with the air inlet, the member comprising a guide rail defined by an inner cavity on its wall; the drive element is provided with a sliding block that is matched with the guide rail; the sliding block being arranged between the end face and the member; and the sliding block is movable within the opening along the guide rail and configured to drive the barrier element to move to adjust the usable number of air inlets and / or the usable air flow area of air inlets.

17. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 16, whereinthe barrier element is provided with a hole, the drive element is provided with a drive rod, and the drive rod is inserted into the hole to drive the barrier element to slide via the sliding of the drive element.

18. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to claim 4, wherein the airflow regulator is configured to adjust the usable number of air inlets and / or the usable air flow area of air inlets by sliding and / or rotating.

19. The aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to any one of claims 1 - 18, wherein the system is a heat-not-burn system or an electronic cigarette atomization system.

20. An aerosol provision method, applied in the aerosol provision system with adjustable airflow according to any one of claims 1 - 19, wherein the method comprises: using the airflow regulator, changing the air flow that can pass through the air flow path to change a resistance to draw; and according to the change in the air flow caused by the airflow regulator, changing the supply state of the power supply.