Inductively heated inductor and aerosol delivery device

Abstract

An aerosol delivery device is described that includes an aerosol precursor segmented within a reservoir and an atomizer configured to generate heat by induction. The atomizer has an inductive transmitter and an inductive receiver in operable contact with the aerosol precursor within the reservoir and configured to wick the aerosol precursor into the range of the inductive transmitter to be heated and vaporized.

Description

[0001] This invention patent application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with international application number PCT / IB2019 / 052013, international application date March 12, 2019, application number 201980030777.3 entering the Chinese national phase, and name “Induction Heating Sensor and Aerosol Delivery Device”.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] The present disclosure is related to the following pending U.S. patent applications, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety: SN 14 / 934,763 filed by Davis et al. on November 6, 2015; SN 15 / 002,056 filed by Sur on January 20, 2016; SN 15 / 352,153 filed by Sur on November 15, 2016; and SN 15 / 799,365 filed by Sebastian on October 31, 2017. Technical Field

[0004] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices such as smoking articles including electronic cigarettes, and more particularly to aerosol delivery devices that can utilize electrically generated heat to generate an aerosol. More specifically, the electrically generated heat can be generated by an induction-based heating system. The smoking article can be configured to heat an aerosol precursor that can include a material that can be made or derived from tobacco or otherwise include tobacco, which precursor can form an inhalable substance for human ingestion. Background Art

[0005] In recent years, many devices have been proposed as improvements or substitutes to smoking products that require burning tobacco for use. It is said that many of the above devices have been designed to provide the sensation associated with smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes, but do not deliver a large amount of incomplete combustion products and pyrolysis products produced due to the burning of tobacco. For this reason, many alternative smoking products, flavor generators and medicated inhalers have been proposed, which use electrical energy to gasify or heat volatile materials, or attempt to provide the sensation of smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes without burning tobacco to a significant degree. For example, see U.S. Patent No. 8,881,737 to Collett et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0255702 to Griffith et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0000638 to Sebastian et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0096781 to Sears et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0096782 to Ampolini et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0059780 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 222,615 to Watson et al., various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and heat sources described in the background technology, which are incorporated herein by reference. For example, see also various embodiments of products and heating structures described in the background technology section of U.S. Patent No. 5,388,594 to Counts et al. and U.S. Patent No. 8,079,371 to Robinson et al., which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0006] Various embodiments of aerosol delivery devices use atomizers to generate aerosols from aerosol precursor compositions. Such atomizers typically use direct resistive heating to generate heat. In this regard, the atomizer may include a heating element including a coil or other member that generates heat via a resistance associated with a material, and current is directly transmitted through the material. The current is typically guided through the heating element via a direct electrical connection such as a wire or a connector. Due to resistive heating, conventional conductive heating elements may experience a large amount of heat loss and require relatively high power consumption. Further, conductive heating elements may complicate the manufacturing process because strict tolerances are required for having close thermal contact between the heating element and the e-liquid. Further, in some cases, conductive heating cannot uniformly heat the wicking portion of an existing aerosol delivery device, which reduces the rate of aerosol generation. Therefore, progress in aerosol delivery devices can be expected. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device that is configured to generate an aerosol, and in some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may be referred to as an electronic cigarette or a heat-not-burn cigarette.The present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following exemplary embodiments.

[0008] Exemplary embodiment 1: An aerosol delivery device, the device comprising: an aerosol precursor, which is segmented within a storage portion, and a nebulizer, which is configured to generate heat by induction, wherein the nebulizer includes an induction transmitter and an induction receiver, wherein the induction receiver is in operably contact with the aerosol precursor within the storage portion and is configured to wick the aerosol precursor into the range of the induction transmitter to be heated and vaporized.

[0009] Exemplary embodiment 2: The aerosol delivery device as described in any of the preceding exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, further comprising a control body that can accommodate a power source that can be detachably attached to the cartridge that at least partially defines the storage portion.

[0010] Exemplary embodiment 3: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the inductive transmitter is at least partially housed within the cartridge so as to be separable from the control body.

[0011] Exemplary embodiment 4: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the inductive transmitter is provided with a control body to wirelessly transfer energy from the control body to the cartridge.

[0012] Exemplary embodiment 5: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the inductive transmitter comprises a conductive coil.

[0013] Exemplary embodiment 6: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the conductive coil surrounds at least a portion of the inductive receiver.

[0014] Exemplary embodiment 7: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the conductive coil is positioned adjacent to at least a portion of the inductive receiver.

[0015] Exemplary embodiment 8: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the inductive receptor comprises a conductive mesh material rolled into a spiral to form a cylinder.

[0016] Exemplary embodiment 9: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the inductive receptor comprises a porous conductive or semiconductive material selected from metal, ferromagnetic ceramic or graphite.

[0017] Exemplary embodiment 10: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the inductive emitter comprises porous iron foam.

[0018] Exemplary Embodiment 11: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the inductive receptor comprises an annular ring, a bisecting core, and a plurality of legs extending radially from the annular ring.

[0019] Exemplary embodiment 12: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the inductive receptor comprises a wicking core and a conductive or semiconductive coating.

[0020] Exemplary Embodiment 13: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the coating is substantially permanently bonded to the wicking core by sintering.

[0021] Exemplary Embodiment 14: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the wicking core comprises a porous ceramic.

[0022] Exemplary embodiment 15: An aerosol delivery device comprising: a power source, an inductive transmitter, and a sensor, wherein the sensor is capable of and arranged to absorb an aerosol precursor, wherein the inductive transmitter is configured to generate an oscillating magnetic field, and wherein the sensor is configured to generate heat in response to the oscillating magnetic field to evaporate at least some of the aerosol precursor absorbed by the sensor into an aerosol.

[0023] Exemplary embodiment 16: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the sensor comprises a conductive mesh material rolled into a spiral to form a cylinder.

[0024] Exemplary embodiment 17: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the sensor comprises a porous conductive material.

[0025] Exemplary Embodiment 18: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the inductor comprises an annular ring, a bisecting core, and a plurality of legs extending radially from the annular ring.

[0026] Exemplary embodiment 19: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the sensor comprises a wicking core and a conductive or semiconductive coating.

[0027] Exemplary Embodiment 20: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the coating is substantially permanently bonded to the wicking core by sintering.

[0028] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings which are briefly described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Having generally described the present disclosure in the foregoing, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0030] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device including a cartridge and a control body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the cartridge and the control body are coupled to each other;

[0031] Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0032] Figure 3 is a detailed end view of a portion of an exemplary atomizer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 4 An inductive receiver according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0034] Figure 5 An inductive receiver according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0035] Figure 6 A schematic cross-sectional view of a connection end of a control body according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0036] Figure 7 A schematic cross-sectional view showing a cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0037] Figure 8 Shown attached to Figure 7 The barrel Figure 6A schematic cross-sectional view of a control body.

[0038] Fig. 9 It shows that according to the Figure 7 An inductive receiver of an embodiment of a cartridge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The present disclosure will now be described more completely below with reference to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The description of these exemplary embodiments makes the present disclosure detailed and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. In fact, the present disclosure can be implemented in many forms and should not be understood as being limited to the various embodiments described herein; on the contrary, these embodiments are proposed so that the disclosure will meet applicable legal requirements. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "one", "one / kind", "the" and similar terms include indications of the plural, unless otherwise clearly stated in the text. Moreover, although quantitative measurements, numerical values, geometric relationships, etc. may be referred to herein, any one of these, or if not all, may be absolute or approximate, unless otherwise stated, to take into account acceptable changes that may occur, such as those caused by engineering tolerances, etc.

[0040] As described below, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to aerosol delivery devices. Aerosol delivery devices according to the present disclosure use electrical energy to heat a material (preferably without burning the material to any significant extent) to form an inhalable substance; components of such a system are in the form of an article, most preferably, the article is compact enough to be considered a handheld device. That is, the aerosol is primarily derived from the generation of smoke from the byproducts of the combustion or pyrolysis of tobacco, in the sense that the use of the components of the preferred aerosol delivery device does not result in the generation of smoke, but rather the use of those preferred systems results in the generation of vapor, which is caused by the volatilization or evaporation of certain components therein. In some exemplary embodiments, the components of the aerosol delivery device can be characterized as electronic cigarettes, and those electronic cigarettes most preferably contain tobacco and / or components derived from tobacco, and thus deliver tobacco-derived components in the form of an aerosol.

[0041] The aerosol-generating member of certain preferred aerosol delivery devices can provide many of the sensations of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe (e.g., the inhalation and exhalation habits, the types of flavors or aromas, the sensory effects, the physical sensations, the usage habits, the visual cues provided by the visible aerosol, etc.), without burning any of the components therein to a significant degree. For example, a user of the aerosol-generating member of the present disclosure can hold and use the article as a smoker would use a conventional type of smoking article, inhale on one end of the article to inhale the aerosol generated by the article, and take puffs or inhales at selected time intervals, etc.

[0042] Although the system is generally described herein from the perspective of embodiments associated with aerosol delivery devices such as so-called "electronic cigarettes", it should be understood that the mechanisms, components, features, and methods can be implemented in many different forms and associated with various products. For example, the description provided herein can be used in conjunction with embodiments of traditional smoking articles (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.), heat-not-burn cigarettes, and related packaging for any product disclosed herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the mechanisms, components, features, and methods disclosed herein are discussed only by way of example from the perspective of embodiments associated with aerosol delivery devices, and can be implemented as and used for various other products and methods.

[0043] Aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure can also be characterized as steam generation article or medicament delivery article.Therefore, this article or device can be modified, thereby one or more substances (for example, fragrance and / or active pharmaceutical ingredient) are provided in a form or state that can be inhaled.For example, inhalable substance can be in the form of steam (that is, the material in gas phase at a temperature below the critical point).Alternately, inhalable substance can be in the form of aerosol (that is, there is a suspension of fine solid particles or droplets in the gas).For the purpose of simplification, the term "aerosol" used herein is intended to include steam, gas or aerosol in a form or type suitable for human body inhalation, whether visible or not, and whether it can be considered as a smoke-like form.

[0044] When in use, the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure can be subjected to many of the body movements that an individual employs when using a traditional type of smoking article (e.g., a cigarette, cigar, or pipe for lighting and inhaling tobacco). For example, a user of the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure can hold the article as if holding a traditional type of smoking article, inhale on one end of the article to inhale the aerosol generated by the article, and inhale at selected time intervals, etc.

[0045] The aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure generally includes a plurality of components disposed within an outer body or shell, which may be referred to as a shell. The overall design of the outer body or shell may vary, and the form or construction of the outer body that is capable of defining the overall size and shape of the aerosol delivery device may vary. Typically, an elongated body resembling a cigarette or cigar shape may be formed by a single integral shell, or the elongated shell may be formed by two or more separable bodies. For example, the aerosol delivery device may include an elongated shell or body that may be generally tubular in shape and thereby resemble the shape of a conventional cigarette or cigar. In one example, all of the components of the aerosol delivery device are contained within a single shell. Alternatively, the aerosol delivery device may include two or more shells that are selectively connected and separable. For example, an aerosol delivery device may have a control body at one end, the control body including a housing that houses one or more reusable components (e.g., a battery such as a rechargeable battery and / or a rechargeable supercapacitor, and various electronic components for controlling the operation of the product), and the smoking article may be detachably connected to an outer body or shell at the other end, the outer body or shell housing a disposable portion (e.g., a disposable flavoring cartridge). More specific forms, constructions, and arrangements of components within a unit of a single-shell type or a unit of a multi-piece detachable shell type will be apparent from the further disclosure provided herein. In addition, the design and component arrangements of various aerosol delivery devices may be understood in light of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices.

[0046] Most preferably, the aerosol delivery device of the present invention includes some combination of the following components: a power source (i.e., a power supply); at least one control component (e.g., a device for actuating, controlling, regulating, and stopping the power used to generate heat, such as by controlling the current flowing from the power source to other components of the article, such as a microprocessor alone or as part of a microcontroller); a heater or heating component (which, alone or in combination with one or more additional elements, may generally be referred to as an "atomizer"); an aerosol precursor composition (e.g., a liquid such as ingredients commonly referred to as "smoke juice", "electronic liquid" and "electronic juice") that is generally capable of generating an aerosol when sufficient heat is applied); and a mouth end region or end that allows inhalation on the aerosol delivery device to inhale the aerosol (e.g., a defined airflow path through the article so that the generated aerosol can be drawn out of the airflow path during inhalation).

[0047] The alignment of the parts in the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure can be varied. In a specific embodiment, the aerosol precursor composition can be located near the end of the aerosol delivery device, and the end can be configured to be positioned near the mouth of the user, so that the aerosol delivered to the user is maximized. However, other structures are not excluded. Usually, the heat source can be positioned close enough to the aerosol precursor composition so that heat can volatilize the aerosol precursor (and one or more spices, medicines, etc. that can be provided to be delivered to the user) and form an aerosol for delivering to the user. When the heating element heats the aerosol precursor composition, the aerosol is formed, released or generated in a physical form suitable for the consumer to inhale. It should be noted that the aforementioned terms are intended to be interchangeable, so that the release mentioned, will release, will release or release include formation or generation, will form or will generate, will form or will generate and after formation or generation. Specifically, inhalable material is released in the form of a mixture of steam or aerosol or steam and aerosol, wherein, unless otherwise indicated, these terms can also be used interchangeably in this article.

[0048] As described above, the aerosol delivery device may include a battery or other power source to provide sufficient current to provide various functions to the aerosol delivery device, such as powering the heating element, powering the control system, and powering the indicator, etc. The power source can take various embodiments. Preferably, the power source is capable of delivering sufficient power to quickly heat the heating element, thereby providing the formation of the aerosol and powering the aerosol delivery device within the desired duration. The power source is preferably designed to be conveniently fitted in the aerosol delivery device so that the aerosol delivery device can be easily handled. In addition, the weight of the preferred power source is light enough to not detract from the desired smoking experience.

[0049] More specific forms, configurations, and arrangements of components within the disclosed aerosol delivery device will be apparent from the further disclosure provided below. In addition, the selection of various aerosol delivery device components may be understood in light of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices. Further, the arrangement of components within the aerosol delivery device may also be understood in light of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices.

[0050] As described below, the present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices and components thereof. The aerosol delivery device may be configured to heat an aerosol precursor composition to produce an aerosol. In another embodiment, the aerosol delivery device may be configured to heat a fluid aerosol precursor composition (e.g., a liquid aerosol precursor composition) to generate an aerosol. Such an aerosol delivery device may include a so-called electronic cigarette.

[0051] Regardless of the type of aerosol precursor composition heated, the aerosol delivery device may include a heating element configured to heat the aerosol precursor composition. In the previous embodiment, the heating element may include a resistive heating element. The resistive heating element may be configured to generate heat when an electric current is directed through. This heating element generally includes a metal material, and is configured to generate heat due to being associated with the resistance generated by passing an electric current. Such a resistive heating element may be positioned near the aerosol precursor composition. For example, in some embodiments, the resistive heating element may include one or more coils of a wire wound around a liquid delivery element (e.g., a wicking portion, which may include porous ceramics, carbon, cellulose acetate, polyethylene terephthalate, glass fiber or porous sintered glass), and the liquid delivery element is configured to draw an aerosol precursor composition therefrom. Alternatively, the heating element may be positioned to contact a solid or semisolid aerosol precursor composition. Such a configuration may heat the aerosol precursor composition to generate an aerosol.

[0052] Aerosol delivery devices with a resistance heating element directly electrically connected to a power source can be used to heat an aerosol precursor composition to produce an aerosol, but this configuration may have one or more disadvantages. In this regard, the resistance heating element may include a wire defining one or more coils adjacent to or in contact with the aerosol precursor composition. For example, as described above, the coil may wrap around a liquid delivery element (e.g., a wicking portion) to heat and aerosolize an aerosol precursor composition directed to the heating element by the liquid delivery element. However, since the coil is limited to a relatively small surface area, some aerosol precursor compositions may be heated to an unnecessary high degree during aerosolization, thereby wasting energy. Alternatively or additionally, some aerosol precursor compositions that are not in contact with the coil of the heating element may be heated to a degree that is not enough for aerosolization. Therefore, insufficient aerosolization may occur, or aerosolization that wastes energy may occur. When the heating element cannot uniformly heat the part of the wick for releasing aerosol from the precursor, the aerosol generation rate may be affected.

[0053] Further, as described above, when electric current is conductively guided through the resistive heating element, the resistive heating element generates heat. Therefore, since the heating element is positioned in contact with the aerosol precursor composition, carbonization of the aerosol precursor composition may occur. This carbonization may be caused by the heat generated by the heating element and / or by the electricity flowing through the aerosol precursor composition at the heating element. Carbonization may cause material to accumulate on the heating element. The accumulation of such material may negatively affect the taste of the aerosol produced by the aerosol precursor composition. The induction heating structure can provide uniform distribution of heat and better control of the overall temperature to reduce the carbonization effect that may be caused by the resistive heating element.

[0054] In addition, the aerosol delivery device may include: a control body, which includes a power source; and a cartridge, which includes a resistive heating element and an aerosol precursor composition. In order to conduct the current to the resistive heating element, the control body and the cartridge may include electrical connectors, which are configured to cooperate with each other when the cartridge is mated with the control body. However, the use of such electrical connectors may further complicate such an aerosol delivery device and increase its cost. In addition, in an embodiment of the aerosol delivery device including a fluid aerosol precursor composition, leakage of the fluid aerosol precursor composition may occur at terminals or other connectors within the cartridge. Therefore, some embodiments of the present disclosure may eliminate the need for electrical contact between a portion of the control body and a portion of the cartridge.

[0055] Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to aerosol delivery devices that may avoid some or all of the problems described above.

[0056] Figure 1 1 shows a side view of an aerosol delivery device 100 including a control body 102 and a cartridge 104 according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, Figure 1 The control body 102 and the cartridge 104 coupled to each other are shown. The control body 102 and the cartridge 104 can be removably aligned in a functional relationship. Various mechanisms can connect the cartridge to the control body to produce a threaded fit, a press fit, an interference fit, a magnetic fit, etc. In some exemplary embodiments, when the cartridge and the control body are in an assembled configuration, the aerosol delivery device 100 can be substantially rod-shaped, substantially tubular, or substantially cylindrical. The aerosol delivery device can also be substantially rectangular or diamond-shaped in cross-section, which can make itself more compatible with a substantially flat power source or a thin film power source, such as a power source including a flat battery. The cartridge and the control body may include a separate corresponding housing or outer body, which may be formed of any material in a variety of different materials. The housing may be formed of any material that is suitable and well-structured. In some examples, the housing may be formed of a metal or alloy such as stainless steel, aluminum, etc. Other suitable materials include various plastics (e.g., polycarbonate), metal-plated plastics, and ceramics, etc.

[0057] In some exemplary embodiments, one or both of the control body 102 or cartridge 104 of the aerosol delivery device 100 may be considered disposable or reusable. For example, the control body may have a replaceable or rechargeable battery and thus be combined with any type of charging technology, including: connection to a wall charger, connection to a car charger (e.g., a cigarette lighter socket), and connection to a computer such as via a universal serial bus (USB) cable or connector (e.g., USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, USB Type-C), connection to a solar panel of photovoltaic cells (sometimes called solar cells) or solar cells, or a wireless charger such as a charger using inductive wireless charging (e.g., including wireless charging according to the Qi wireless charging standard of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC)), or a wireless radio frequency (RF) based charger. An example of an inductive wireless charging system is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0112196 to Sur et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Further, in some exemplary embodiments, the cartridge may include a disposable cartridge, such as the cartridges disclosed in US Pat. No. 8,910,639 to Chang et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0058] Figure 2 More specifically, an aerosol delivery device 100 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 As seen in the cross-sectional view shown in , again, the aerosol delivery device can include a control body 102 and a cartridge 104, each of which includes a plurality of corresponding components. Figure 2 These components shown in the figure represent components that may be present in the control body, and are not intended to limit the scope of the components covered by the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, for example, the control body can be formed by a control body housing 206, which can include a control component 208 (for example, a microprocessor that is separate or as part of a microcontroller), a flow sensor 210, a power supply 212 and one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) 214, and these components can be variably aligned. The power supply can include, for example, a battery (disposable or rechargeable battery), a solid-state battery, a thin-film solid-state battery, a supercapacitor, etc., or some combination thereof. Some examples of suitable power supplies are provided in U.S. patent application serial number 14 / 918,926 filed by Sur et al. on October 21, 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference. LED can be an example of a suitable visual indicator that the aerosol delivery device 100 can be equipped with. As an additional or alternative situation of a visual indicator such as an LED, other indicators such as an audio indicator (for example, a speaker), a tactile indicator (for example, a vibration motor) can be included.

[0059] Although the control component 208 and the flow sensor 210 are shown separately, it should be understood that the control component and the flow sensor can be combined into an electronic circuit board, wherein the air flow sensor is directly attached to the electronic circuit board. Figure 1 , because the electronic circuit board can be parallel to the central axis of the control body in the length direction. In some examples, the air flow sensor may include its own circuit board or other base element to which the sensor can be attached. In some examples, a flexible circuit board may be used. The flexible circuit board can be configured into a variety of shapes, including a substantially tubular shape. In some examples, as further described below, the flexible circuit board can be combined with a heater substrate, laminated to a heater substrate, or form part or all of the heater substrate.

[0060] The cartridge 104 may be formed by a cartridge housing 216 enclosing a storage portion 218 for segmenting an aerosol precursor. The atomizer 220 is configured to use heat generated by electricity to generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor. An air passage defined by a tube 222 in fluid communication with an air inlet may lead to an opening 224 present in the cartridge housing 216 (e.g., at the mouth end) to allow the formed aerosol to exit the cartridge 104. The tube 222 may be configured to reduce or eliminate leakage of excess aerosol precursor from the opening 224.

[0061] The cartridge 104 may also include one or more electronic components 226, which may include integrated circuits, memory components, sensors, etc. The electronic components may be adapted to communicate with the control component 208 and / or with an external device by wired or wireless means. The electronic components may be positioned anywhere within the cartridge or its base 228.

[0062] The control body 102 and the cartridge 104 may include components adapted to facilitate fluid coordination therebetween. Figure 2 As shown, the control body may include a coupling 230 having a cavity 232 therein. The base 228 of the cartridge may be adapted to fit the connector and may include a projection 234 adapted to fit within the cavity. This fit may contribute to a stable connection between the control body and the cartridge, and to establishing an electrical connection between the power supply 212 and the control component 208 in the control body and the atomizer 220 in the cartridge. Further, the control body housing 206 may include an air inlet 236, which may be a notch in the housing where it is connected to the coupling 230, which allows ambient air around the coupling to pass through and enter the housing, and then the air passes through the cavity 232 of the coupling and enters the cartridge through the projection 234.

[0063] Useful couplings and bases according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261495 to Novak et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Figure 2 As seen in , the coupling 230 may be defined with an outer periphery 238, which is configured to cooperate with the inner periphery 240 of the base 228. In one example, the inner periphery of the base may be defined with a radius, which is substantially equal to or slightly larger than the radius of the outer periphery of the coupling. Further, the coupling may be defined with one or more protrusions 242 at the outer periphery, which are configured to cooperate with one or more recesses 244 defined at the inner periphery of the base. However, various other examples of structures, shapes and components may be used to couple the base to the coupling. In some examples, the connection between the base of the cartridge 104 and the coupling of the control body 102 may be substantially permanent, while in other examples, the connection between them may be releasable, so that, for example, the control body can be reused for one or more additional cartridges, which may be disposable and / or refillable.

[0064] Figure 2 The storage portion 218 shown in the figure can be a container or can be a fiber storage portion. For example, in this example, the storage portion can include one or more layers of non-woven fibers, and the one or more layers of non-woven fibers are basically formed into the shape of a tube surrounding the inside of the cartridge housing 216. The aerosol precursor composition can be kept in the storage portion. For example, the liquid component can be adsorbed and held by the reservoir. The storage portion can be in fluid communication with the atomizer 220.

[0065] In use, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device 100, the flow sensor 210 detects the airflow, and the nebulizer 220 is activated to vaporize the components of the aerosol precursor composition. Inhaling on the mouth end of the aerosol delivery device causes ambient air to enter the air inlet 236 and pass through the cavity 232 in the coupling 230 and the central opening in the protrusion 234 of the base 228. In the cartridge 104, the inhaled air combines with the formed vapor to form an aerosol. The aerosol is stirred, inhaled or otherwise drawn from the nebulizer 220 and drawn out of the opening 224 in the mouth end of the aerosol delivery device.

[0066] In some examples, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include a plurality of additional software-controlled functional units. For example, the aerosol delivery device may include a power protection circuit configured to detect a power input, a load on a power terminal, and a charging input. The power protection circuit may include short circuit protection, undervoltage lockout, and / or overvoltage charging protection. The aerosol delivery device may also include a component for measuring the ambient temperature, and the control component 208 of the aerosol delivery device may be configured to control at least one functional element so that before charging begins or during charging, if the ambient temperature is below a certain temperature (e.g., 0°C) or above a certain temperature (e.g., 45°C), power charging is inhibited, which is specifically any battery charging.

[0067] Depending on the power control mechanism, the power delivery from the power source 212 may vary during each puff on the device 100. The device may include a "long puff" safety timer so that in the event that the user or component failure (e.g., of the flow sensor 210) causes the device to continuously attempt to puff, the control component 208 may control at least one functional element to automatically terminate the puff after a period of time (e.g., four seconds). Further, the time between puffs taken on the device may be limited to less than a period of time (e.g., 100 seconds). If the control component of the aerosol delivery device or the software running on the watchdog safety timer becomes unstable and does not run the timer within an appropriate time interval (e.g., eight seconds), the timer may automatically reset the aerosol delivery device. Further safety protection may be provided in the event that the flow sensor 210 is defective or fails for other reasons, such as by permanently disabling the aerosol delivery device to prevent unintentional heating. In the event that the pressure sensor fails and the device continues to activate without stopping after a maximum puff time of four seconds, a puff limit switch may deactivate the device.

[0068] The aerosol delivery device 100 may include a puff tracking algorithm configured to lock the heater once a defined number of puffs on an attached cartridge have been achieved (based on the number of available puffs calculated based on the charge of the e-liquid in the cartridge). The aerosol delivery device may include a sleep, standby, or low power mode function whereby power delivery may be automatically shut off after a defined period of non-use. Further safety protection may be provided in that the control component 208 may monitor the charge / discharge cycles of the power source 212 during its useful life. After the power source has reached a predetermined number (e.g., 200) of full discharge and full recharge cycles, the power source may be declared exhausted and the control component may control at least one functional element to prevent further charging of the power source.

[0069] The various components of an aerosol delivery device according to the present disclosure may be selected from components described in the prior art and commercially available components. Examples of batteries that may be used according to the present disclosure are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0028766 to Peckerar et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0070] The aerosol delivery device 100 may also include a sensor 210 or another sensor or detector for controlling the power supplied to at least the atomizer 220 when it is desired to generate an aerosol (e.g., during inhalation during use). Thus, for example, a way or method is provided that disconnects power to the atomizer when the aerosol delivery device is not inhaled during use, and is used to turn on power during inhalation to actuate or trigger heat generation by the atomizer. Additional representative types of sensing or detection mechanisms, their structure and construction, their components and their general methods of operation are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, Jr., U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., and PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2010 / 003480 to Flick, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0071] The aerosol delivery device 100 most preferably incorporates a control component 208 or another control mechanism for controlling power to the nebulizer 220 during inhalation. Representative types of electronic components, their structures and constructions, their features, and their general methods of operation are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,205,622 to Pan, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0230117 to Fernando et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0060554 to Collet et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0270727 to Ampolini et al., and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 209,191 filed on March 13, 2014 by Henry et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0072] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the control component 208 can be configured to direct current to the atomizer 220 according to a zero voltage switching (ZVS) inverter topology, which can reduce the heat generated in the aerosol delivery device 100. Further, further embodiments of the ZVS feature are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0202266 to Sur, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0073] Representative types of reservoirs 218 or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 011,992 filed on August 28, 2013 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 170,838 filed on February 3, 2014 to Bless et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within certain types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0209105 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0074] Aerosol precursor compositions, also referred to as vapor precursor compositions, may include a variety of components, including, for example, polyols (e.g., glycerol, propylene glycol, or mixtures thereof), nicotine, tobacco, tobacco extracts, and / or flavorants. Representative types of aerosol precursor components and compositions are also described and characterized in U.S. Pat. No. 7,217,320 to Robinson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2013 / 0008457 to Zheng et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2013 / 0213417 to Chong et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2014 / 0060554 to Collett et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2015 / 0030823 to Lipowicz et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 2015 / 0020830 to Koller, and WO 2014 / 182736 to Bowen et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Other aerosol precursors that may be used include those contained in the following products: RJ Reynolds Vapor Company's products, BLU of Imperial Tobacco Group PLC TMProducts include MISTIC MENTHOL products from Mistic Ecigs, and VYPE products from CN Creative Ltd. Also contemplated are so-called "tobacco juices" for electronic cigarettes that have been available from Johnson Creek Enterprises LLC.

[0075] Other representative types of components or indicators 214 that produce visual cues may be employed in the aerosol delivery device 100, such as visual indicators and related components, audio indicators, tactile indicators, etc. Examples of suitable LED components and their construction and use are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,499,766 to Newton, U.S. Patent No. 8,539,959 to Scatterday, and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 173,266 filed on February 5, 2014 by Sears et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0076] No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al., No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al., No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al., No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., No. 8,365,742 to Hon, No. 8,402,976 to Fernando et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005 / 0016550 to Katase, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0163063 to Fernando et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011 / 0163064 to Tucker et al. Other features, controllers, or components that may be incorporated into the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure are described in Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0192623, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0298905 to Leven et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0180553 to Kim et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0000638 to Sebastian et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261495 to Novak et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261408 to DePiano et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0077] The control component 208 includes a plurality of electronic components, and in some examples, may be formed by a printed circuit board (PCB) that supports and electrically connects the electronic components. The electronic components may include a microprocessor or processor core, and a memory. In some examples, the control component may include a microcontroller having an integrated processor core and memory, and may also include one or more integrated input / output peripherals. In some examples, the control component may be coupled to a communication interface 246 to enable wireless communication with one or more networks, computing devices, or other appropriately enabled devices. An example of a suitable communication interface is disclosed in U.S. patent application serial number 14 / 638,562 filed by Marion et al. on March 4, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, examples of suitable manners in which aerosol delivery devices may be configured for wireless communication are disclosed in U.S. patent application serial number 14 / 327,776 filed on July 10, 2014 by Ampolini et al. and U.S. patent application serial number 14 / 609,032 filed on January 29, 2015 by Henry Jr. et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0078] Figure 3 A more detailed view of the atomizer 220 is shown. According to some example embodiments, the atomizer 220 may include an inductive transmitter 250, which is, for example, at least via a control component 208 (see, for example, Figure 2 ) is electrically connected to the power source 212. The inductive transmitter 250 may be in the form of a coil 252. Under the control of the control component 208, the current from the power source 212 may be selectively directed to the inductive transmitter 250. For example, when the flow sensor 206 ( Figure 2 ) When inhalation on the aerosol delivery device 100 is detected, the control component 208 can direct current from the power supply 212 to the inductive transmitter 250.

[0079] The inductive transmitter 250 may be configured to form part of a transformer. In some embodiments, the control component 208 may include an inverter or inverter circuit configured to convert direct current provided by the power source 212 to alternating current provided to the inductive transmitter 250. The change in the current in the inductive transmitter 250 directed from the power source 212 to the inductive transmitter 250 by the control component 208 may generate an alternating (e.g., oscillating) electromagnetic field, which may be used to induce eddy currents in the inductive receiver 260.

[0080] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the inductive receiver 260 is configured to provide dual functionality of an inductor and a wicking portion. In some cases, the inductive receiver 260 may be referred to herein as an inductor. Thus, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the inductive receiver 260 includes a material in which eddy currents may be induced, thereby generating heat due to the internal resistance of the material of the inductive receiver 260. Suitable materials may include metals (iron, cast iron, steel, stainless steel, aluminum, bronze), conductive carbon-based materials, ferromagnetic / piezoelectric ceramics, ceramic-based composites (ceramics with metal / ceramic / carbon reinforcements), polymer-based composites (polymers with metal / ceramic / carbon reinforcements), or combinations thereof.

[0081] Eddy currents attempting to flow within the material defining the inductive receiver 260 may heat the inductive receiver via the Joule effect, where the amount of heat generated is proportional to the square of the current multiplied by the resistance of the inductive receiver material. In embodiments of the inductive receiver 260 that include magnetic material, heat may also be generated by hysteresis losses. Several factors that contribute to the increase in temperature of the inductive receiver 260 include, but are not limited to: proximity to the inductive transmitter 250, distribution of the magnetic field, resistivity of the inductive receiver's material, saturation flux density, skin effect or depth, hysteresis losses, magnetic susceptibility, magnetic permeability, and the dipole moment of the material.

[0082] In this regard, both the inductive receiver 260 and the inductive transmitter 250 may include conductive materials. For example, the inductive transmitter 250 and / or the inductive receiver 260 may include various conductive materials, including metals such as copper and aluminum, alloys of conductive materials (e.g., diamagnetic, paramagnetic, or ferromagnetic materials), or other materials such as ceramics or glasses in which one or more conductive materials are embedded. In another embodiment, the inductive receiver 260 may include any conductive particles or objects of various sizes and shapes received in a reservoir filled with an aerosol precursor composition. In some embodiments, the inductive receiver may be coated with a thermally conductive passivation layer (e.g., a thin layer of glass) or otherwise include a thermally conductive passivation layer to prevent direct contact with the aerosol precursor composition.

[0083] The inductive receiver 260 can be constructed of a variety of materials. For example, the inductive region 262 of the inductive receiver 260 can be configured to generate heat and therefore may require a thermally conductive material. The wicking region 264 of the inductive receiver 260 may not need to be heated very hot. Therefore, the wicking region can be constructed of a material with low thermal conductivity or can be coated with a material with low thermal conductivity.

[0084] By positioning the inductive transmitter 250 adjacent to or wrapped around a portion of the inductive receiver 260, the alternating current in the inductive transmitter can be used to heat at least a portion of the inductive receiver (e.g., the inductive region 262). The heat generated by the inductive receiver 260 can heat the aerosol precursor composition, thereby generating an aerosol or vapor.

[0085] As described above, the inductive receiver 260 can be in direct contact with the aerosol precursor segmented within the reservoir 218 and act as a wicking portion to transfer the aerosol precursor from the reservoir to the sensor region 262 of the inductive receiver 260. In other embodiments, the inductive receiver 260 receives the aerosol precursor from the reservoir 218 through an additional wicking material, thereby indirectly contacting the aerosol precursor segmented by the reservoir 218. As used herein, the operating contact device is capable of receiving the aerosol precursor by direct or indirect contact with the aerosol precursor segmented within the reservoir.

[0086] The inductive receiver 260 can absorb and wick the aerosol precursor by capillary action designed into the material and structure of the inductive receiver. For example, the inductive receiver 260 can be a porous material, such as an open-cell foam produced by a thermally conductive material such as iron foam. The randomly distributed open pores can absorb the aerosol precursor by capillary action. The pores can be nanopores, mesopores, micropores, macropores, or a combination thereof. The pores can be randomly distributed pores or uniformly distributed pores. The porosity of the material can range from 1% to 99%.

[0087] In other embodiments, the inductive receiver 260 may have pre-designed grooves, channels or gaps of various shapes, holes, honeycombs, or a combination thereof, which are arranged so that the aerosol precursor can reach the sensor area 262 of the inductive receiver 260 from the storage portion 218 .

[0088] Figure 4 2 is a schematic diagram of an inductive receiver 260 according to a first embodiment. The inductive receiver 260 is made of an iron foam having about 50 to 200 pores per inch, preferably about 100 pores per inch. The inductive receiver 260 is configured with an annular ring 266, a bisecting core 268, and a plurality of radially extending legs 270. In the illustrated embodiment, the legs 270 may be configured to extend to a position adjacent to the reservoir 218 ( Figure 2) in contact with an aerosol precursor within. The sample shown includes four legs 270, but the number of legs may vary, such as two, four, six, eight or even more. The number of legs 270 is also not limited to an even number. In one example, a disc shape without protruding legs 270 may be used. The legs 270 may be arranged to be equally spaced in a radial direction to provide pickup of aerosol precursors regardless of the orientation of the aerosol delivery device 100. The sample shown may provide advantages with respect to manufacturability and assembly. The coil 252 of the inductive transmitter 250 may be positioned adjacent to the core 268 or configured to be wrapped around the core.

[0089] Despite Figure 4 An example is shown in , but the shape of the inductive receiver 260 is not necessarily limited and may also include alternative shapes such as a disk, circle, tube, rectangle, spiral, rod, cube, sphere, or a combination thereof.

[0090] Figure 5 2 is a schematic diagram of another inductive receiver 260'. The inductive receiver 260' is a rod-shaped structure formed by rolling a sheet of mesh material into a spirally wound cylinder. The mesh can be constructed with a pore size of about 100 to about 500 pores per inch, preferably about 220 pores per inch. The mesh can be stainless steel or other conductive material capable of generating heat in the presence of an oscillating magnetic field. The inductive receiver 260' can be arranged substantially perpendicular to the Figure 2 The inductive receiver 260' may also be adapted for mounting substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol delivery device 100 according to additional embodiments of the cartridge 104, as discussed in more detail below.

[0091] Figure 6 A partial cross-sectional view of the mating end of an alternative control body 602 of an aerosol delivery device 100 according to another embodiment is schematically shown. The illustrated embodiment may have additional advantages because the control body 602 may wirelessly transmit energy to the cartridge without physical electrical contact through the connector 230, such as Figure 2 The control body 602 may have many of the same components as the control body 102 described above. The control body 602 may also include an inductive transmitter 250 disposed with an outer body 606. The outer body 606 may extend from a mating end to an outer end. The inductive transmitter 718 may define a tubular structure. Figure 6 As shown, the inductive transmitter 250 may include a coil 252 and a coil support 254. The coil support 254, which may define a tubular configuration, may be configured to support the coil 252 so that the coil does not move into contact with the inductive receiver 260' (see, e.g. Figure 5) or other structures so as not to short-circuit with the inductive receiver 260' or other structures. The coil support 254 may include a non-conductive material that may be substantially transparent to the oscillating magnetic field generated by the coil 252. The coil support may be optional. The coil support 254 may be a thermally insulating material to limit the transfer of heat to the outer body 606. The coil 252 may be embedded in or otherwise connected to the coil support 254. In the illustrated embodiment, the coil 252 is engaged with the inner surface of the coil support 254 to reduce any losses associated with transmitting the oscillating magnetic field to the inductive receiver. However, in other embodiments, the coil may be positioned at the outer surface of the coil support or completely embedded in the coil support. Further, in some embodiments, the coil may include electrical traces, or wires, printed on or otherwise connected to the coil support. In any embodiment, the coil may define a spiral configuration.

[0092] In some embodiments, the inductive transmitter 250 may be coupled to a support member 670. The support member 670 may be configured to fit the inductive transmitter 250 and support the inductive transmitter within the outer body 606. For example, the inductive transmitter 250 may be embedded or otherwise coupled to the support member 670 such that the inductive transmitter is fixedly positioned within the outer body 606. As another example, the inductive transmitter 250 may be injection molded into the support member 670.

[0093] Support member 670 can engage an inner surface of outer body 606 to provide alignment of the support member relative to the outer body. Thus, due to the fixed coupling between support member 670 and inductive transmitter 250, the longitudinal axis of the inductive transmitter can extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of outer body 606. Thus, inductive transmitter 250 can be positioned out of contact with outer body 606, thereby avoiding the transfer of current from the inductive transmitter to the outer body.

[0094] The inductive transmitter 250 may be configured to receive an AC current from the power source 212 ( Figure 2 ) receives electric current in order to generate an oscillating magnetic field.

[0095] Figure 7 A schematic cross-sectional view of a cartridge 704 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, the cartridge 704 incorporating an inductive receiver in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as the inductive receiver 260" or the inductive receiver 260" shown and discussed in more detail below. Figure 5 An inductive receiver 260' is shown.

[0096] As shown, the cartridge 704 may include an inductive receiver 260" extending from an outer body 706. The outer body 706 may provide a mouthpiece 708 that may be integral with the outer body. The outer body 706 may at least partially enclose a storage portion 718. A sealing member 720 may be used to substantially close the storage portion 718 while allowing aerosol precursor to pass through the sealing member via the inductive receiver 260". The sealing member 720 may include an elastic material such as a rubber or silicone material. An adhesive may be used to further improve the seal between the sealing member 720 and the outer body 206. In another embodiment, the sealing member 720 may include a non-elastic material, such as a plastic material or a metal material. In these embodiments, the sealing member 720 may be adhered or welded (e.g., via ultrasonic welding) to the outer body 706.

[0097] The inductive receiver 260" can cooperate with and extend through the sealing member 720 to position the pickup region 264" in fluid communication with the reservoir 718 and the sensor region 262" extending from the outer body 706, such as along the longitudinal axis of the aerosol delivery device. The inductive receiver 260'( Figure 5 ) has an elongated cylindrical outer structure similar to the inductive receiver 260". Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the inductive receiver 260' may be Figure 7 Substantially the same construction as shown forms part of cartridge 704 .

[0098] In one embodiment, the inductive receiver 260" can be partially embedded in the sealing member 720. For example, the inductive receiver 260" can be injection molded into the sealing member 720, thereby forming a tight seal and connection therebetween. Thus, the sealing member 720 can hold the inductive receiver in a desired position. For example, the inductive receiver 260" can be positioned so that the longitudinal axis of the inductive receiver extends substantially coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the outer body 706.

[0099] In other embodiments not shown, the inductive receiver 260" may extend through the outer body 706 into fluid contact with the reservoir 718, and the sealing member 720 may be located on the opposite end of the cartridge 704. The sealing member 720 may be removable to allow the reservoir 720 to be refilled with an aerosol precursor.

[0100] As described above, each cartridge 104, 704 of the present disclosure is configured to operate in conjunction with the control body 102, 602 to generate an aerosol. For example, Figure 8A cartridge 704 is shown mated with the control body 602. As shown, when the control body 602 is mated with the cartridge 704, the inductive transmitter 250 may at least partially surround the inductive region 262" of the inductive receiver 260", and in some such embodiments may substantially surround or completely surround the inductive region 262" (e.g., by extending around a perimeter thereof). Further, the inductive transmitter 250 may extend along at least a portion of the longitudinal length of the inductive receiver 262". In some embodiments, the inductive transmitter 250 may extend along a majority of the longitudinal length of the inductive receiver 262". In other embodiments, the inductive transmitter 250 may extend along substantially the entire longitudinal length of the inductive receiver 262" outside of the reservoir 718.

[0101] Thus, when the user inhales on the mouthpiece 708 of the cartridge 704, the control component 208 ( Figure 2 ) can direct current from the power source 212 to the inductive transmitter 250. As a result, the inductive transmitter 250 can generate an oscillating magnetic field. Since the inductive receiver 260" is adjacent to the inductive transmitter 250, the inductive receiver can be exposed to the oscillating magnetic field generated by the inductive transmitter, such as in embodiments where the inductive receiver 260" is at least partially surrounded by the inductive transmitter 250. As a result, eddy currents flowing in the material defining the inductive receiver 260" can heat the inductive receiver by the Joule effect. Therefore, the heat generated by the inductive receiver 260" can heat the aerosol precursor that has been wicked from the reservoir 718 to the sensor region 262" of the outer body 706 by the wicking region 264".

[0102] The aerosol 802 may be mixed with air 804 entering through an inlet 810, which may be defined in the control body 602. Thus, the mixed air and aerosol may be directed to a user. For example, the mixed air and aerosol may be directed to a user through one or more through holes 826 defined in the outer body 706 of the cartridge 704. However, it is understood that the flow pattern through the aerosol delivery device 100 may differ from the specific configuration described above in any of a variety of ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0103] Fig. 9 Schematically shows the Figure 8 The inductive receiver 260 of the embodiment in FIG. Figure 2 and 3 As shown and described, the inductive receiver 260" may also be adapted for use in the cartridge 104. Similar to the inductive receivers 260 and 260' described above, Fig. 9The illustrated embodiment provides the heating properties of a receiver and the fluid transfer properties of a wicking portion in a single structure. Unlike some embodiments of the inductive receiver discussed above, this embodiment uses a single structure formed from more than one material. The inductive receiver 260" includes a wicking core 280 formed from a suitable material such as a porous ceramic cylinder. The inductive properties of the inductive receiver 260" are added to the wicking core 280 by applying a conductive or semi-conductive coating 282 such as an outer coating, which includes a suitable ferromagnetic material, such as aluminum oxide, iron oxide, or a combination thereof. The coating 282 can be permanently bonded to the wicking core 280 by a suitable process such as sintering. The coating 282 and wicking core 280 can then be used in place of the inductive receiver 260 or the inductive receiver 260'.

[0104] In one example, a ceramic surface is coated with micron to nanometer-sized iron oxide particles using a layer-by-layer coating method. The coating procedure includes the following steps: 1) heating the wick core at 400-500°C for 30 minutes, 2) immersing the wick core in a 1.5-2% (w / w) polydimethyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (PDDA) solution for 2 minutes, and then drying it in an oven at 70°C for 1 hour, 3) immersing the wick core in a 1.5-2% (w / w) carboxymethyl cellulose solution for 2 minutes and drying it at 70°C for 1 hour, 4) then immersing the inductive receiver in a colloidal iron oxide solution containing 5-10mM sodium perchlorate as a destabilizing agent for 5 minutes and drying it at 70°C. Finally, the coated wick is sintered in an oven at 400-500°C for 30 minutes to stabilize the iron oxide particles coated on the surface of the ceramic wick.

[0105] In the above example process, other inorganic compounds can be used instead of PDDA to activate the surface of the wicking core to produce a stronger binding force. In the above example process, the material concentration, temperature and duration of each step can be changed. In other embodiments, as an alternative to using iron oxide particles and sodium perchlorate electrolyte, other iron oxide precursors, such as FeCl3 or Fe(NO3)3, are used. Steps 3 and 4 can be repeated, for example, between about 2 and about 100 times, depending on the thickness of the iron oxide film required to absorb electromagnetic waves and circulate maximum eddy currents. Other common coating and deposition techniques can also be used.

[0106] Having described suitable inductive receivers 260, 260' and 260" for sensors configured to wick aerosol precursors according to aspects of the present disclosure, methods of forming an aerosol will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the inductive receivers of the present disclosure may facilitate a method of forming an aerosol, the method comprising the step of absorbing an aerosol precursor into an inductive receiver, such as the inductive receiver described herein. The method may also include the step of causing the inductive receiver to generate sufficient heat to evaporate at least a portion of the aerosol precursor absorbed within the inductive receiver due to the generation of an oscillating magnetic field near the inductive receiver.

[0107] Many modifications and other embodiments of the present disclosure will occur to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the associated drawings. Therefore, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and various modifications and other embodiments will be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used in a general and descriptive sense, not for the purpose of limitation.

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising: an aerosol precursor, the aerosol precursor being segmented within the storage portion; as well as Atomizer configured to generate heat by induction Wherein, the atomizer includes an induction transmitter and an induction receiver, wherein the inductive receiver is in operative contact with the aerosol precursor within the reservoir and is configured to wick the aerosol precursor into range of the inductive transmitter to be heated and vaporized, Wherein the inductive receptor defines a wicking region and a separate sensor region, and wherein the wicking region and the sensor region comprise different materials.

2. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that The wicking region and the inductor region include materials having different thermal conductivities.

3. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that Also included is a control body housing a power source detachably attachable to a cartridge that at least partially defines the reservoir.

4. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 3, characterized in that The inductive transmitter is at least partially accommodated in the cartridge so as to be separable from the control body.

5. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 3, characterized in that The inductive transmitter is provided with the control body to wirelessly transmit energy from the control body to the cartridge.

6. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that The inductive transmitter includes a conductive coil.

7. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 6, characterized in that The conductive coil surrounds at least a portion of the inductive receiver.

8. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 6, characterized in that The conductive coil is positioned adjacent to at least a portion of the inductive receiver.

9. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that The inductive receiver includes a conductive mesh material rolled into a spiral to form a cylinder.

10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein: The inductive receiver comprises a porous conductive or semiconductive material selected from metal, ferromagnetic ceramic or graphite.

11. The aerosol delivery device of claim 10, wherein: The inductive receiver comprises porous iron foam.

12. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein: The inductive receiver includes a wicking core and a conductive or semiconductive coating.

13. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12, wherein: The coating is substantially permanently bonded to the wicking core by sintering.

14. The aerosol delivery device of claim 13, wherein: The wicking core comprises a porous ceramic.

15. An aerosol delivery device, comprising: power supply; Induction transmitter; as well as Sensors, wherein the sensor is capable of and arranged to absorb an aerosol precursor, wherein the inductive transmitter is configured to generate an oscillating magnetic field, and wherein the inductor is configured to generate heat in response to the oscillating magnetic field to vaporize at least some of the aerosol precursor absorbed by the inductor into an aerosol, Wherein the inductive receptor defines a wicking region and a separate sensor region, and wherein the wicking region and the sensor region comprise different materials.

16. The aerosol delivery device of claim 15, wherein: The wicking region and the inductor region include materials having different thermal conductivities.

17. The aerosol delivery device of claim 15, wherein: The inductor includes a conductive mesh material rolled into a spiral to form a cylinder.

18. The aerosol delivery device of claim 15, wherein: The inductor includes a porous conductive material.

19. The aerosol delivery device of claim 15, wherein: The inductor includes a wicking core and a conductive or semiconductive coating.

20. The aerosol delivery device of claim 19, wherein: The coating is substantially permanently bonded to the wicking core by sintering.

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