Smoking alternative devices

Abstract

A smoking replacement device is described. The device includes a housing having an upstream air inlet, a downstream air outlet, and an air flow passage connecting the air inlet and the air outlet. The device also includes a heater for generating an aerosol. The heater is located within the air flow passage. The air inlet is blocked by an air-permeable, liquid-absorbent blocking element.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims priority from European Patent Application Publication No. 21197530.5, filed September 17, 2021, the contents and elements of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0002] The present invention relates to a smoking replacement device, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a smoking replacement device including a heater. [Background technology]

[0003] It is generally believed that smoking tobacco exposes the smoker to potentially harmful substances, a significant amount of which are generally believed to be produced by the heat produced by the burning and / or combustion of tobacco and by the burnt tobacco constituents of the tobacco smoke itself.

[0004] The combustion of organic materials such as tobacco is known to produce tar and other potentially harmful by-products. To avoid smoking tobacco, a variety of smoking alternative devices have been proposed.

[0005] Such smoking replacement devices may form part of a nicotine replacement therapy regimen aimed at people who wish to quit smoking and overcome nicotine addiction.

[0006] Smoking replacement devices, also known as electronic nicotine delivery systems, may include electronic systems that allow a user to simulate the act of smoking by generating an aerosol, also called "vapor," that is drawn into the lungs through the mouth (inhaled) and then exhaled. The inhaled aerosol typically contains nicotine and / or flavorings and is free of or reduces the odor and health risks associated with traditional smoking.

[0007] In general, smoking replacement devices are intended to provide an alternative to the smoking habit while providing the user with a similar experience and satisfaction to that experienced with traditional smoking and tobacco products.

[0008] The popularity and use of smoking replacement devices has grown rapidly in recent years as an aid to assist regular smokers who wish to quit smoking. Some smoking replacement devices are designed to resemble a traditional cigarette and are cylindrical with a mouthpiece at one end. Other smoking replacement devices generally do not resemble a cigarette (e.g., a smoking replacement device may be generally box-like in shape).

[0009] There are several different categories of smoking replacement devices, each using a different approach to smoking replacement, which corresponds to the way the replacement system works for the user.

[0010] One approach to smoking replacement devices is the so-called "vaping" approach, in which a vaporizable liquid, typically referred to (herein) as "e-liquid", is heated by a heating device to generate an aerosol vapor, which is inhaled by a user. E-liquids typically include a base liquid and nicotine and / or flavorings. Thus, the resulting vapor typically includes nicotine and / or flavorings. The base liquid may include propylene glycol and / or vegetable glycerin.

[0011] A typical vaping smoking replacement device includes a mouthpiece, a power source (typically a battery), a tank or liquid container containing the e-liquid, and a heating device. In use, electrical energy is provided from the power source to the heating device, which heats the e-liquid to produce an aerosol (or "vapor"), which is inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece.

[0012] Vaping smoking replacement devices can be configured in a variety of ways. For example, there are "closed system" vaping smoking replacement devices that have a sealed tank and a heating element that are typically pre-filled with e-liquid and intended to be refilled by an end user. One subset of closed system vaping smoking replacement devices includes a body that includes a power source, and the body is configured to be physically and electrically coupled to a consumable that includes a tank and a heating element. In this way, when the consumable tank is emptied, the body can be reused by connecting it to a new consumable. Another subset of closed system vaping smoking replacement devices are completely disposable and intended for single use only.

[0013] There are also "open system" vaping smoking alternative devices, which typically have a tank configured to be refilled by the user, allowing the device to be used multiple times.

[0014] An example of a vaping smoking replacement device is the myblu (myblu is a trademark) e-cigarette. The myblu e-cigarette is a closed system device that includes a main body and a consumable. The main body and the consumable are physically and electrically coupled by forcing the consumable into the main body. The main body includes a rechargeable battery. The consumable includes a mouthpiece, a sealed tank containing e-liquid, and a heating device, where the heating device is a heating filament wound around a portion of a wick that is partially immersed in the e-liquid. The device is activated when a microprocessor on board the main body detects an inhalation by a user through the mouthpiece. When the device is activated, electrical energy is provided from a power source to the heating device, which heats the e-liquid from the tank to generate vapor, which is inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece.

[0015] Another example of a vaping smoking alternative device is the blu PRO e-cigarette (blu PRO is a trademark). The blu PRO e-cigarette is an open system device that includes a main body, a (refillable) tank, and a mouthpiece. The main body and the tank are physically and electrically coupled by screwing one onto the other. The mouthpiece and the refillable tank are physically coupled by screwing one onto the other, and the tank can be filled with e-liquid by removing the mouthpiece from the refillable tank. The device is activated by a button on the main body. When the device is activated, electrical energy is provided from a power source to a heating device, which heats the e-liquid from the tank to produce vapour, which is inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece.

[0016] Another approach for smoking replacement devices is the so-called "heat-not-burn" ("HNB") approach, in which tobacco (not e-liquid) is heated or warmed to release vapor. The tobacco may be leaf tobacco or reconstituted tobacco. The vapor may include nicotine and / or flavorings. In the HNB approach, it is intended that the tobacco is heated but not burned, i.e., not combusted.

[0017] A typical HNB smoking replacement device may include a body and a consumable. The consumable may include tobacco material. The body and the consumable may be configured to be physically coupled. In use, heat may be applied to the tobacco material by a heating device, typically located in the body, and moisture in the tobacco material is released as vapor by airflow through the tobacco material. The vapor may be formed from volatile compounds released from the carrier in the tobacco material (which may include, for example, propylene glycol and / or vegetable glycerin) and also from the tobacco. The released vapor may be entrained in the airflow drawn through the tobacco.

[0018] As the vapor passes through the smoking alternative device (entrained in the air stream) from the inlet to the mouthpiece (outlet), it cools and condenses to form an aerosol (also called vapor) that the user inhales. Aerosols typically contain volatile compounds.

[0019] By heating, rather than burning, tobacco material, HNB smoking replacement devices are believed to produce fewer or reduced amounts of the more harmful compounds normally produced during smoking. As a result, the HNB approach may reduce odors and / or health risks that can result from the burning, combustion, and pyrolytic degradation of tobacco.

[0020] In prior art smoking replacement devices, leak paths that exist between components of the consumable may allow a portion of the unvaporized e-liquid to escape from the device. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a consumable that is easier and less expensive to manufacture.

[0021] The present invention has been devised in view of the above points. Summary of the Invention

[0022] According to a first aspect, there is provided a smoking replacement device comprising a housing, the housing comprising an upstream air inlet, a downstream air outlet, and an air flow path connecting the air inlet and the air outlet, and a heater for aerosol generation located within the air flow path, the air inlet being blocked by an air-permeable, liquid-absorbent blocking element, such that leakage of the aerosol-forming substrate through the air inlet can be reduced.

[0023] Optionally, the blocking element is located upstream of the heater, in such an arrangement leakage of aerosol-forming substance may be further mitigated from a location upstream of the heater, which is aerosol-forming substance that may leak from the heater into the air inlet, but against the direction of normal airflow, which is likely to occur when a user is not inhaling into the device.

[0024] Optionally, the air flow inlet comprises an arrangement of multiple secondary air flow inlets, in which the secondary air flow inlets may help to hold the blocking element in place.

[0025] Optionally, the housing includes an upstream end cap, the end cap carrying the blocking element. Such an arrangement may simplify manufacture of the device, as the end cap and the blocking element may be assembled separately.

[0026] Optionally, the barrier element comprises a porous material. In such a configuration, the barrier element's properties may be suitable for both air permeability and liquid absorption.

[0027] Optionally, the obstruction element is located within a cavity in the housing, and the air inlet is formed at a base of the cavity. In such an embodiment, the obstruction element may be securely retained within the housing. Such an embodiment may also simplify manufacturing, as the cavity provides a defined location for the obstruction element.

[0028] Optionally, the cavity includes a peripheral wall having a shape of the cavity wall, the shape of the cavity wall matching the shape of the blocking member. Such an arrangement may improve performance of the device as the cavity wall may reduce the likelihood of movement of the blocking element once in place.

[0029] Optionally, the device includes a retaining frame that retains the blocking member within the housing. Such an embodiment may improve performance of the device as the frame may reduce the likelihood of the blocking element moving once in place.

[0030] Optionally, a retaining frame holds the blocking member within the cavity by abutting the peripheral wall. Such an embodiment may improve performance of the device as the frame being held tightly within the cavity may reduce the likelihood of the frame and blocking element moving once they are in place.

[0031] Optionally, the retaining frame includes a frame airflow opening, the frame airflow opening having an airflow cross-sectional area equal to or larger than the airflow cross-sectional area of ​​the airflow inlet. In such an embodiment, the airflow cross-section is not determined by the frame, which may improve the aerosol generation performance of the device. If the frame opening is larger, this may expose more of the blocking element for absorbing liquid, improving the leakage performance of the device.

[0032] Optionally, the housing includes a pair of electrode access passages adjacent the air flow inlet, each electrode access passage including an upstream opening and a downstream opening, In such an embodiment, the electrode access passages adjacent the inlets, and thus the blocking element, may reduce leakage through the electrode access passages.

[0033] Optionally, the blocking element is located upstream of the downstream opening. In such an embodiment, leakage may be further reduced because the opening of the electrode access passage is above (or downstream of) the blocking element.

[0034] Optionally, the heater is generally planar. In such embodiments, a blocking element may be particularly advantageous, as the planar surface of the planar heater is a point of potential liquid evacuation from the heater and thus a potential source of leakage.

[0035] Optionally, the blocking element is generally planar. In such embodiments, the blocking element can provide a larger surface area for liquid absorption, which can reduce leakage.

[0036] Optionally, a major surface of the planar-heater is generally parallel to a major surface of the blocking element. In such an embodiment, leakage can be reduced.

[0037] According to a second aspect, there is provided a smoking replacement system comprising a smoking replacement device according to the first aspect and a main body apparatus including a power source, the main body apparatus and the alternative smoking device being configured to engage with each other so as to bring the electrode into electrical contact with the heater.

[0038] The present invention includes any combination of the aspects and preferred features described above except where such combinations are expressly impermissible or expressly avoided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0039] So that the invention may be understood, and so that further aspects and features of the present invention may be appreciated, embodiments illustrating the principles of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] Fig. 1a is a side view of a smoking replacement device according to an embodiment, Fig. 1b is a side view of a main body of the smoking replacement device according to an embodiment, and Fig. 1c is a side view of a consumable item of the smoking replacement device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2a and 2b are schematic diagrams of a main body and a consumable according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a consumable according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective end view of the consumable of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the consumable of FIGS. [Figure 6] 6a and 6b are perspective views of a portion of a consumable according to an embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective end view of a consumable according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective end view of a consumable according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of a consumable according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of a consumable according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] Aspects and embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures. Further aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All documents mentioned in this text are incorporated herein by reference.

[0041] 1a illustrates a smoking replacement system 110. In this example, the smoking replacement system 110 includes a main body 120 and a consumable 150. The consumable 150 may alternatively be referred to as a "pod." The consumable 150 may also be referred to as a cartridge or a cartomizer. In other examples, the terms "aerosol delivery device" or "smoking replacement device" may refer to only the consumable 150, rather than the combination of the main body 120 and the consumable 150.

[0042] In this example, the smoking replacement system 110 is a closed system vaping device, and the consumable product 150 includes a sealed tank or liquid container 156 and is intended for single use only.

[0043] FIG. 1 a shows a smoking replacement system 110 in which a body 120 is physically coupled to a consumable 150 .

[0044] FIG. 1 b shows the main body 120 of the smoking replacement system 110 without the consumables 150 .

[0045] FIG. 1 c shows the consumable 150 of the smoking replacement system 110 without the body 120 .

[0046] The body 120 and consumable 150 are configured to be physically coupled, in this example by forcing the consumable 150 into an aperture in the top end 122 of the body 120, such that there is an interference fit between the body 120 and the consumable 150. In other examples, the body 120 and the consumable can be physically coupled by threading one into the other, or through a bayonet fitting, for example. An optional light 126, e.g., an LED, located behind a small translucent cover, is located at the bottom end 124 of the body 120. The light 126 may be configured to illuminate when the smoking replacement system 110 is activated.

[0047] The consumable 150 includes a mouthpiece (not shown in FIGS. 1a-1c) at an upper end 152 of the consumable 150 and one or more air inlets (not shown) for allowing air to be drawn into the smoking replacement system 110 when a user inhales through the mouthpiece. Located at a lower end 154 of the consumable 150 is a tank 156 containing e-liquid. The tank 156 may be, for example, translucent.

[0048] The reservoir 156 preferably includes a window 158 to allow for visual assessment of the amount of e-liquid in the reservoir 156. The body 120 includes a slot 128 to allow the window 158 of the consumable 150 to be visible, while the remainder of the reservoir 156 is hidden from view when the consumable 150 is inserted into the aperture in the top end 122 of the body 120.

[0049] The tank 156 may be referred to as a "clearomizer" if it includes a window 158, or as a "cartomizer" if it does not include a window.

[0050] The consumable 150 may identify itself to the main body 120 via an electrical interface, an RFID chip, or a barcode.

[0051] FIG. 2 a is a schematic diagram of the body 120 of the smoking alternative device 110 .

[0052] FIG. 2 b is a schematic diagram of a consumable 150 of the smoking alternative device 110 .

[0053] As shown in FIG. 2 a , the main body 120 includes a power source 128 , a controller 130 , a memory 132 , a wireless interface 134 , an electrical interface 136 , and, optionally, one or more additional components 138 .

[0054] The power source 128 is preferably a battery, and more preferably a rechargeable battery.

[0055] The control unit 130 may include, for example, a microprocessor.

[0056] The memory 132 preferably includes non-volatile memory. The memory may contain instructions that, when executed, cause the controller 130 to perform particular tasks or steps of a method.

[0057] The wireless interface 134 is preferably configured for wireless communication with another device, for example a mobile device, for example via Bluetooth. For this purpose, the wireless interface 134 may include a Bluetooth antenna. Other wireless communication interfaces, for example WiFi, are also possible. The wireless interface 134 may also be configured for wireless communication with a remote server.

[0058] The electrical interface 136 of the body 120 may include one or more electrical contacts. The electrical interface 136 may be located in an aperture in the top end 122 of the body 120, and preferably at the bottom. If the body 120 is physically coupled to the consumable 150, the electrical interface 136 may be configured to pass electrical power from the power source 128 to (e.g., a heating device of) the consumable 150 when the smoking replacement system 110 is activated, e.g., via the electrical interface 160 of the consumable 150 (described below). The electrical interface 136 may be configured to receive electrical power from a charging station when the body 120 is not physically coupled to the consumable 150, but is instead coupled to a charging station. The electrical interface 136 may also be used to identify the consumable 150 from a list of known consumables. For example, the consumable may have a particular flavor and / or a certain concentration of nicotine, which is identifiable to the control unit 130 of the body 120 when the consumable is connected to the body 120. Additionally or alternatively, there may be a separate communications interface provided on main body 120 and a corresponding communications interface in consumable 150 such that the consumable identifies itself to main body 120 when connected.

[0059] Additional components 138 of the body 120 may include the optional light 126 described above.

[0060] The additional part 138 of the body 120 may comprise a charging port configured to receive power from a charging station if the power source 128 is a rechargeable battery. This may be located at the bottom end 124 of the body 120. Alternatively, the electrical interface 136 described above is configured to function as a charging port configured to receive power from a charging station so as to avoid the need for a separate charging port.

[0061] Add-on components 138 of body 120 may include battery charging control circuitry for controlling charging of the rechargeable battery if power source 128 is a rechargeable battery, but the battery charging control circuitry may be located in the charging station (if present) as well.

[0062] The additional components 138 of the main body 120 may include an airflow sensor for detecting airflow of the smoking replacement device 110, for example, caused by a user inhaling through a mouthpiece 166 (described below) of the smoking replacement system 110. The smoking replacement system 110 may be configured to be activated when airflow is detected by the airflow sensor. This optional sensor may instead be included in the consumable 150 (although this is less preferred if, as in this example, the consumable 150 is intended to be discarded after use). For example, the airflow sensor may be used to determine how hard the user sucks on the mouthpiece or how many sucks the user takes on the mouthpiece in a particular period of time.

[0063] The additional components 138 of the body 120 may include an actuator, such as a button. The smoking alternative system 110 may be configured to be activated when the actuator is activated. This provides an alternative to the noted airflow sensor as a mechanism for activating the smoking alternative system 110.

[0064] 2b, the consumable 150 includes a tank 156, an electrical interface 160, a heating device 162, one or more air inlets 164, a mouthpiece 166, and, optionally, one or more additional components 168. The consumable 150 includes a heater chamber 170 that contains the heating device 162.

[0065] The electrical interface 160 of the consumable 150 may include one or more electrical contacts. In one embodiment, the electrical contacts may each be considered part of the heating device 162. The electrical interface 136 of the body 120 and the electrical interface 160 of the consumable 150 are preferably configured to contact each other to electrically couple the body 120 to the consumable 150 when the bottom end 154 of the consumable 150 is inserted into the top end 122 of the body (as shown in FIG. 1a, see also FIG. 3) to physically couple the consumable 150 to the body 120. In this manner, electrical energy (e.g., in the form of an electrical current) may be provided from the power source 128 of the body 120 to the heating device 162 in the consumable 150.

[0066] The heating device 162 is preferably configured to heat the e-liquid provided from the tank 156, for example using electrical energy provided from the power source 128, to vaporize the e-liquid. The tank 156 is an example of a reservoir for providing an aerosol-forming substrate (e.g., e-liquid) to the heating device 162.

[0067] The one or more air inlets 164 are preferably configured to draw air into the smoking replacement system 110 when a user inhales through the mouthpiece 166. When the consumable 150 is physically coupled to the body 120, the air inlets 164 receive air from the top end 122 of the body 120 that flows between the body 120 and the bottom end 154 of the consumable 150.

[0068] In use, a user activates the smoking replacement device 110, for example, by activating an actuator included in the body 120 or by inhaling through the mouthpiece 166, as described above. In operation, the control unit 130 may provide electrical energy from the power source 128 to the heating device 162 (via the electrical interfaces 136, 166), which causes the heating device 162 to heat e-liquid drawn from the tank 156 to produce a vapor / aerosol that is inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece 166.

[0069] One example of the one or more additional components 168 may be to provide an interface for obtaining an identifier for the consumable. As mentioned above, this interface may be, for example, an RFID reader, a barcode or QR code reader, or an electronic interface capable of identifying the consumable to the main body 120. Thus, the consumable 150 may include one or more of an RFID chip, a barcode or QR code, or a memory having an identifier therein and interrogable via the electronic interface of the main body 120.

[0070] Of course, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the smoking replacement system 110 shown in Figures 1 and 2 illustrates only one embodiment of a smoking replacement system, and that other forms of smoking replacement systems may be used.

[0071] As another example, a completely disposable (single use) smoking replacement system can be used as the smoking replacement system. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a consumable item 150 according to one embodiment. The consumable item 150 is an example of a smoking replacement device.

[0072] The consumable 150 includes a tank 156 that contains an aerosol-forming substance (e.g., an e-liquid). In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the tank 156 is an annular tank. An air flow tube 157 passes through the tank 156. The air flow tube 157 forms part of an air flow path through the consumable 150. At the upstream end of the air flow path is an air inlet 164. At the downstream end of the air flow path is an air outlet 168. During use, air enters the consumable 150 at the air inlet 164, flows along the air flow tube 157, and exits the consumable 150 at the air outlet 168, which is located in a mouthpiece 166 of the consumable 150.

[0073] Within the air flow path is a heating device 162. The heating device 162 includes a wick heater 170. The wick heater 170 is so named because the wick heater 170 is a combined wick and heater component. That is, the wick heater 170 is a component configured to carry / store an aerosol-forming substrate within or on itself and configured to be heated to vaporize at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate contained within or on the wick heater 170. In this embodiment, the aerosol-forming substrate is a liquid, in particular an e-liquid.

[0074] The wick heater 170 is formed from a porous conductive fabric, such as a fabric including carbon fibers. The conductive fabric may be a sheet of conductive fabric. The conductivity of such a fabric wick heater 170 allows e-liquid within the pores of the wick heater 170 to be heated when an electric current is passed through the wick heater 170, resulting in vaporization via resistive heating of the wick heater 170. The porosity of the wick heater 170 allows the wick heater 170 to wick or transport and retain e-liquid within or on the wick heater 170. The pores of the wick heater 170 may be interstices within the fabric (e.g., between the fibers and / or threads of the fabric).

[0075] The wick heater 170 has a generally elongated shape. In other words, the wick heater 170 has a long longitudinal axis and a relatively short transverse axis. The wick heater 170 also has a depth. The depth may be less than the width.

[0076] In some embodiments, the wick heater 170 is generally planar. Thus, the wick heater 170 has a major surface, which corresponds to the surface of the wick heater 170 that has the greatest surface area. When the wick heater 170 is located within the consumable 150, the major surface is not necessarily flat across the entire wick heater 170. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the major surface of the wick heater 170 may be curved or bent, for example, along at least a portion of the major axis and / or minor axis of the wick heater 170 itself.

[0077] The wick heater 170 is electrically engageable with the power source 128 (see FIG. 2a) via the electrical interface 136 of the body 120. In this embodiment, engagement occurs when the consumable 150 engages the body 120. During such engagement, two power source electrodes of the electrical interface 136 of the body 120 penetrate a pair of electrical contact holes 171 formed through an upstream end cap 172 of the consumable 150. This causes the power source electrodes to be electrically engaged with the wick heater 170.

[0078] In some embodiments, the end cap 172 also effectively seals the tank 156. During manufacture, the end cap 172 may be applied to the remainder of the consumable 150 after the tank 156 is filled with the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0079] The wick heater 170 spans the entire heater chamber 174. The wick heater 170 is partially suspended within the heater chamber 174 such that there is empty space upstream, downstream, or both, of at least a portion of the wick heater 170. In use, air flows along an air flow path in which at least a portion of the wick heater 170 is located. As vapour / aerosol (referred to herein simply as aerosol) passes through the heater chamber 174 (which also forms part of the air flow path), it becomes entrained in the air flow from the wick heater 170. The aerosol is carried downstream by the air flow to the air flow outlet 168 and ultimately to the user for inhalation.

[0080] The air flow inlet 164 opens downstream into the heater chamber 174. The air flow inlet 164 includes a number of secondary air flow inlets 176. Generally, when a user inhales at the air flow outlet 168, air is drawn into the flow path through the secondary air flow inlets 176 at approximately the same time. Each secondary air flow inlet 176 opens into a secondary inlet passage 177 through the upstream end cap 172 of the consumable 150. In some embodiments, and as illustrated, the secondary inlet passages 177 are generally parallel to one another. The secondary inlet passages 177 themselves form part of the air flow path through the consumable 150. The downstream end of each secondary inlet passage forms an opening into the heater chamber 174.

[0081] Downstream of the airflow sub-inlet passage 177 and within the heater chamber 174, the airflows in the flow passage 12 combine into a single airflow. The peripheral cross-sectional shape of the single airflow downstream of the sub-inlet passage 177, and therefore the airflow impinging on the wick heater 170 (particularly the heated portion of the wick heater 170), may be controlled, at least in part, by the characteristics of the airflow sub-inlets 176 and sub-inlet passages 177. By controlling the number, size, and / or location of the airflow sub-inlets 176 and sub-inlet passages 177, the airflow impinging on the wick heater 170 may be controlled to improve the evaporation characteristics from the wick heater 170. For example, the airflow entering the heater in general may create a cooling effect on the heater. This is particularly noticeable for planar heaters, which may form substantially non-aerodynamic objects within the flow passage. If there is only one airflow inlet, the cooling effect may be localized to the area of ​​the heater where the incoming airflow enters. This may cause cold spots on the heater and inefficient evaporation from the heater.

[0082] By expanding the area of ​​impinging airflow over a larger portion of the wick heater 170 via the secondary inlets 176, any resulting cooling effect can be spread over a larger area of ​​the wick heater 170, reducing the localized cooling effect at any one point on the wick heater 170. One might think that a single large airflow inlet aligned with a large area of ​​the wick heater 170 could alleviate this localized cooling problem. However, such a single large airflow inlet may not be desirable due to the risk of foreign object damage to the interior areas of the instrument through such an airflow inlet, particularly the risk of damage to the heater. A large inlet may also be a potential inlet for debris. Additionally, a large single airflow inlet may increase the risk of leakage of the aerosol-forming substrate from the instrument through its outlet. On the other hand, the use of the secondary airflow inlet 176 is a compromise between reducing the risk of damage or contamination, mitigating the localized cooling effect of the heater 170, and reducing leakage from the consumable 150.

[0083] The provision of the secondary inlet 176 may result in a reduction in the local airflow velocity over the wick heater 170. This may increase the size of the aerosol particles generated by the consumable 150. The larger aerosol particle size may more efficiently deliver the active ingredient (e.g., nicotine) to the user.

[0084] In some embodiments, the consumable 150 may include at least three airflow sub-inlets 176 , more preferably at least six airflow sub-inlets 176 , and more preferably at least ten airflow sub-inlets 176 .

[0085] A typical opening diameter of a single air flow sub inlet 176 may be between 0.1 mm and 1.0 mm, preferably between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm. In other embodiments, the typical opening diameter may be less than 0.1 mm. In some embodiments, each air flow sub inlet 176 leads to a sub inlet passage 177 of a constant cross-sectional shape. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of each air flow sub inlet 176 and sub inlet passage 177 may be generally circular.

[0086] In some embodiments, all of the airflow sub-inlets 176 are approximately the same size. In some other embodiments, the airflow sub-inlets 176 may include airflow sub-inlets 176 of different sizes. For example, at least one of the airflow sub-inlets 176 may be larger than the other airflow sub-inlets 176. In some embodiments, the airflow sub-inlets 176 include at least two populations of airflow sub-inlets, each population of airflow sub-inlets including at least one airflow sub-inlet of a particular size. The size of the airflow sub-inlets 176 may vary between the populations. In this manner, the airflow profile over the wick heater 176 may be further optimized by controlling the distribution of the size and location of the airflow sub-inlets.

[0087] In some embodiments, the plane of the airflow sub-inlet 176 may be generally parallel to the main surface of the wick heater 170. That is, the plane containing the sub-inlet 176 may be generally parallel to the main surface of the wick heater 170. The sub-inlet passage 177 may be generally perpendicular to the main surface of the wick heater 170.

[0088] In some embodiments, the distance between the airflow sub-inlet passage 177 and the downstream outlet of the wick heater 170 (i.e., the separation between them) may be less than 10 millimeters, preferably between 1 millimeter and 10 millimeters, and more preferably between 1 millimeter and 5 millimeters. This distance may be controlled to vary the parameters of the airflow entering the wick heater 170. For example, a small separation may result in multiple relatively separate airflows from each sub-inlet passage 177 entering the wick heater 170. A larger separation may result in a single, more uniform airflow entering the wick heater 170 as the individual airflows from the sub-inlet passages 177 merge into one airflow downstream of the sub-inlet passage 177.

[0089] FIG. 4 shows an alternative view of the consumable 150 of FIG. 3. The airflow secondary inlets 176 are visible at the upstream end of the consumable 150, specifically on the end cap 172 of the consumable 150. The airflow secondary inlets 176 are distributed in a two-dimensional array. The array of airflow secondary inlets 176 is bounded by an array shape. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the array shape is rectangular. In other embodiments, the array shape may be different. The array shape may be a polygon, for example a square, a rectangle, or a diamond. In other examples, the array shape may be an ellipse or a circle, or any other suitable shape.

[0090] The sub-inlets 176 may cover at least a coverage percentage of the array shape. In other words, at least a coverage percentage of the surface area of ​​the array shape may be one sub-inlet 176. The coverage percentage may be 20%, more preferably 30%, more preferably 40%, more preferably 50%, more preferably 60%, more preferably 70%, more preferably 80%.

[0091] The array geometry is at least 6 mm 2 , more preferably at least 8 mm 2 , more preferably at least 10 mm 2 , more preferably at least 12 mm 2 , more preferably at least 14 mm 2 , more preferably at least 16 mm 2 , more preferably at least 18 mm 2 may have a surface area of

[0092] The air flow secondary inlets 176 are located between the electrical contact holes 171. In other words, the electrical contact holes are located laterally outboard of the air flow secondary inlets 176. The electrical contact holes 171 are also formed through the end cap 172.

[0093] 5 shows a detailed view of the upstream portion of the consumable 150. The consumable 150 is shown engaged with a pair of power supply pins 178 (examples of electrical supply electrodes). The power supply pins 178 are part of the electrical interface 136 of the body 120. The power supply pins 178 extend into the end cap 172 through a pair of electrical contact holes 171. The top (i.e. downstream) surfaces of the power supply pins 178 are in electrical contact with a respective conductive disk 180. Each electrical contact disk 180 is in turn in electrical contact with a respective electrical connection area of ​​the wick heater 170. Thus, electrical current can flow between the supply pins 178, through the electrical contact disks 180 and the wick heater 170. The wick heater 170 is thus heated by resistive, i.e. ohmic, heating.

[0094] Each of the feed pins 178 includes a flat surface directed upwardly for flush engagement with the upstream surface of the respective electrical contact disk 180. Flush means that the plane of the flat surface abuts the plane of the upstream surface of the electrical contact disk 180. The feed pins 178 having flat surfaces may increase the reliability of the electrical connection between the wick heater 170 and the feed pins 178 relative to pointed pogo pins. In particular, the contact resistance between the feed pins 178 and the wick heater 170 may be reduced. The flat surfaces may be as small as 0.1 mm. 2 ~250mm 2 More preferably, the surface area of ​​the substrate may be between about 3 and 40 mm. 2 More preferably, between about 5 and 20 mm 2 It is between.

[0095] Figures 6a and 6b each show a view of the end cap 172. In Figure 6b, an electrical contact disk 180 is positioned within a pair of respective retaining disk cavities 182. In Figure 6a, the electrical contact disks are not shown in order to show the retaining disk cavities 182.

[0096] Each disk cavity 182 is formed from a respective peripheral wall surrounding a ledge on which the periphery of the respective electrical contact disk 180 is located. The ledge is formed by the downstream opening of the electrical contact hole 171. The peripheral wall surrounds the downstream opening of the corresponding electrical contact hole 171. Thus, when in position (i.e. as shown in FIG. 6b), the electrical contact disk 180 is suspended above the downstream opening of the electrical contact hole 171. The height of the peripheral wall above the peripheral ledge may be greater than the depth of the electrical contact disk 180 resting thereon. This means that the electrical contact disk 180 is movable within the respective disk cavity 182 along the longitudinal axis of the consumable 150. The contact disk 180 is held in a lateral position by the peripheral wall of the cavity 182. As the electrical contact disk 180 is movable, it is pressed into electrical contact with the wick heater 170 by the power supply pin 178.

[0097] This means that no permanent electrical connection needs to be made between the contact disc 180 and the wick heater 170 during the manufacturing process. Additionally, manufacturing tolerances of the consumable 150 can be lowered, improving manufacturability. In particular, because reliable electrical contact is made by actuation of the supply pin 178 on the contact disc 180, for example, the spring loaded supply pin 178, can ensure a reliable electrical connection from the power source to the heater, rather than relying on a fixed, rigid, or permanent connection that can weaken over time and be difficult to manufacture reliably.

[0098] The electrical contact disk 180 (i.e., an embodiment of the bridge element) is electrically conductive. For example, the electrical contact disk is formed of or is formed from a metallic material. In some embodiments, the contact disk 180 is formed of or is formed from silver. In some embodiments, the electrical contact disk 180 is formed from a metal foil.

[0099] 6a and 6b show that the disk cavity is longitudinally offset from the downstream opening of the sub-inlet passage 177. This offset may control the location of the wick heater 170 located immediately downstream of the top of the disk cavity wall. Thus, the disk cavity wall may longitudinally offset the wick heater 170 such that the wick heater 170 is downstream and separated from the downstream opening of the sub-inlet passage 177 (or from any airflow inlet in general). The wick heater 170 may contain a liquid aerosol-forming substrate during use. The sub-inlet passage 177 (or any airflow inlet in general) is a potential leakage path from the aerosol-forming substrate consumable 150. Thus, it may be beneficial to maintain a separation between the wick heater 170 and the sub-inlet passage 177 (or any airflow inlet in general).

[0100] 6a and 6b, the electrical contact disk 180 is circular. This may improve manufacturability since during manufacturing there may not be a preferred orientation that must be achieved prior to placing the contact disk 180 into the end cap 172. In other embodiments, the bridge elements may be other shapes (e.g., polygonal).

[0101] Figure 7 illustrates another embodiment of a consumable 200. The consumable 200 may be similar in many respects to the embodiment of Figures 5, 6a and 6b, in particular the consumable 150. Similar reference numbers are used where applicable.

[0102] The consumable 200 also includes an end cap 172. The end cap 172 includes a single, centrally located air flow inlet 202. The air flow inlet 202 is generally elliptical in shape with a convex narrow end of the ellipse. In some embodiments, the air flow inlet 202 may be replaced by the secondary air flow inlet 176 described above with respect to Figures 4 and 5. The end cap 172 includes a pair of electrical contact holes 171 for allowing electrical pins 178 of the body 120 to access a heater located within the consumable 200. In some embodiments, the heater is a wick heater 170 of the type described above.

[0103] Air inlet 202 is located between electrical contact holes 171. Electrical contact hole 171 is adjacent to the convex end of air inlet 202. Air inlet 202 is an opening in end cap 172 through which air enters consumable 200. Air inlet 202 is covered by a porous pad 204 located in end cap 172. Porous pad 204 is an example of a blocking element. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, porous pad 204 is visible through air inlet 202. Porous pad 204 is permeable to air flow. Porous pad 204 is absorbent. Porous pad 204 may be formed from, for example, cellulose acetate or cotton.

[0104] 8 shows a variation of the consumable 200. The consumable 200 of FIG. 8 has a circular air flow aperture 202 located between the electrical contact holes 171.

[0105] FIG. 9 shows an internal view of the end cap 172 of FIG. 7. The porous pad 204 sits in a correspondingly sized and shaped recess formed in the end cap 172 downstream of the end cap 172. The depth of the porous pad 204 is less than the depth of the recess. The porous pad 204 is held in place by a retaining frame 206 that sits downstream of the porous pad 204 and engages the peripheral wall of the recess. The frame 206 includes an opening through which air can flow. The opening in the frame 206 is downstream of the air flow inlet (not visible in FIG. 8) and downstream of the porous pad 204. The air flow aperture 202 may be smaller and / or of a different shape than the opening in the end cap 172 to receive the frame 206. This may provide a ledge on which the porous pad 204 sits. The frame 206 holds the porous pad 204 against the ledge formed by the air flow opening 202 in the end cap 172. The air flow apertures 202 in the end caps 172 are located within the perimeter of the apertures in the frame 206 .

[0106] The porous pad 204 is permeable to airflow, such that air may enter the consumable 200 when a user draws on the mouthpiece. The porous pad 204 is also absorbent to liquids. Thus, the porous pad 204 may absorb liquid aerosol-forming substances that might otherwise leak from the consumable 200 through the airflow apertures 202. This may reduce undesirable leakage from the consumable 200. The porous pad 204 may cover at least 50% of the total cross-sectional area of ​​the consumable 200. A larger porous pad 204 may be able to absorb a greater amount of liquid, thus reducing leakage from the consumable 200.

[0107] FIG. 10 shows an internal view of the end cap 172 of FIG. 9. The porous pad 204 sits in a correspondingly sized and shaped recess formed in the end cap 172 downstream of the end cap 172. The depth of the porous pad 204 is less than the depth of the recess. The porous pad 204 is held in place by a retaining frame 206 that sits downstream of the porous pad 204 and engages the peripheral wall of the recess. The frame 206 includes an opening through which air can flow. The opening in the frame 206 is downstream of the air flow inlet (not visible in FIG. 10) and downstream of the porous pad 204. In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the air flow aperture in the frame 206 is circular. This provides a ledge on which the porous pad 204 sits. The frame 206 then holds the porous pad 204 against the ledge formed by the air flow opening 202 in the end cap 172. The apertures in the frame 206 are aligned with the air flow apertures 202 in the end caps 172. The diameter of the air flow apertures 202 is 3.5 mm. In some embodiments, the diameter of the air flow apertures is between 2.0 and 5.0 millimeters, more preferably between 3.0 and 4.0 millimeters.

[0108] The features disclosed in the foregoing specification or the following claims or the accompanying drawings and expressed in their specific form or as means for performing a disclosed function or as methods or processes for achieving a disclosed result (where applicable), may be utilized to realize the invention in its various forms, either individually or in any combination of such features.

[0109] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments set forth above, many equivalent modifications and variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art given this disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention set forth above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various modifications to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0110] For the avoidance of doubt, the theoretical explanations provided herein are provided for the purpose of enhancing the understanding of the reader, and the inventors do not wish to be bound by any of these theoretical explanations.

[0111] The section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

[0112] Throughout this specification (including the claims which follow), unless the context requires otherwise, the words "have," "comprise," and "include," as well as variations such as "having," "comprises," "comprising," and "including," are understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

[0113] It should be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value and / or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values ​​are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent "about," it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. The word "about" in reference to numerical values ​​is optional and may mean, for example, + / - 10%.

[0114] The terms "preferred" and "preferably" are used herein to refer to embodiments of the invention that may provide certain benefits, under certain circumstances. It should be recognized, however, that other embodiments may be preferred, under the same or different circumstances. Thus, the recitation of one or more preferred embodiments does not mean or imply that other embodiments are not useful, and is not intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the disclosure or from the claims.

Claims

1. 1. A smoking replacement device comprising a housing, the housing comprising: an upstream air inlet, a downstream air outlet, and an air flow path connecting the air inlet and the air outlet; a heater for generating an aerosol located within the air flow path; A smoking alternative device, wherein the air inlet is blocked by an air-permeable, liquid-absorbent blocking element.

2. 10. The smoking replacement device of claim 1, wherein the shutoff element is located upstream of the heater.

3. 10. The smoking replacement device of claim 1, wherein the air flow inlet comprises an arrangement of a plurality of sub-air flow inlets.

4. 10. The smoking replacement device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes an upstream end cap, the end cap including the blocking element.

5. 10. The smoking replacement device of claim 1, wherein the blocking element comprises a porous material.

6. 2. The smoking alternative device of claim 1, wherein the blocking element is located within a cavity in the housing, and the air inlet is formed in a base of the cavity.

7. 7. The smoking alternative device of claim 6, wherein the cavity includes a peripheral wall having a cavity wall shape, the shape of the cavity wall conforming to the shape of the blocking member.

8. 10. The smoking replacement device of claim 1, wherein the device includes a retaining frame for retaining the blocking member within the housing.

9. The blocking element is located within a cavity in the housing, and the air inlet is formed within a base of the cavity; the cavity includes a peripheral wall having a cavity wall shape, the shape of the cavity wall conforming to the shape of the blocking member; the device includes a retaining frame for retaining the blocking member within the housing; 2. The smoking alternative device of claim 1, wherein the retaining frame abuts against the peripheral wall to retain the blocking member within the cavity.

10. 9. The smoking alternative device of claim 8, wherein the retaining frame includes a frame airflow opening, the frame airflow opening having an airflow cross-sectional area equal to or greater than an airflow cross-sectional area of ​​the airflow inlet.

11. 11. A smoking replacement device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the housing includes a pair of electrode access passages adjacent the air inlet, each electrode access passage including an upstream opening and a downstream opening.

12. 12. The smoking replacement device of claim 11, wherein the blocking element is located upstream of the downstream opening.

13. 10. The smoking replacement device of claim 1, wherein the heater is generally planar.

14. 10. The smoking replacement device of claim 1, wherein the blocking element is generally planar.

15. 15. A smoking replacement device according to claim 13 and according to claim 14 when dependent thereon, wherein a major surface of the planar heater is substantially parallel to a major surface of the blocking element.

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