Heating elements for consumables, and related consumable kits, vaping sets and methods for generating aerosols

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heating element (14) for a consumable article (12), the consumable article (12) including a storage portion (22) for storing a vaporizable material, the heating element (14) including an element body (24) configured to engage in an engagement position around at least a portion of the storage portion (22) of the consumable article (12), the element body (24) being configured to be at least partially removably received in an energy supply cavity of an external energy supply device. The element body (24) includes a heat absorbing / emitting material (32) capable of: - absorbing heat during a pre-heating phase, which is performed when the element body (24) is received together with the consumable article (12) in the energy supply cavity; and - releasing the absorbed heat during a vaping phase, while the element body (24) is in an engagement position with the consumable article (12).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to heating elements for consumable articles, such as tobacco articles, that pose reduced risks to consumer health when compared to conventional tobacco articles, such as conventional cigarettes.

[0002] The present invention also relates to consumable articles, consumable kits, vaping sets, and methods for generating aerosols in association with such heating elements. [Background technology]

[0003] In recent years, the popularity and use of risk reduction or risk modification devices (also known as vaporizers or aerosol generating devices) has grown rapidly as an alternative to the use of traditional tobacco products. A variety of devices and systems are available that heat or warm an aerosol generating material to generate an aerosol that is inhaled by the user.

[0004] Aerosol-generating consumable articles have been proposed that include a carbon-based heating source that is substantially the same size as a conventional cigarette. The carbon source is lit like a cigarette and heats a vaporizable substrate located adjacent to it. These consumable articles have the advantage of being as small as a conventional cigarette and easy to handle when vaping. However, when burned, solid pieces or parts (e.g., charcoal) tend to separate from the rest of the consumable, thereby creating a risk of burns to the consumer. Thus, these consumable articles have not met with significant commercial success so far.

[0005] Another recent type of commonly available risk reduction or modification device is the substrate heated aerosol generating device or so-called heated non-combustion device (i.e. HNB device). This type of device generates an aerosol or vapour by heating an aerosol-forming substrate, typically to a temperature in the range of 150°C to 350°C. Heating the aerosol-forming substrate to a temperature within this range, without burning or combusting the aerosol-forming substrate, generates a vapour which typically cools and condenses to form an aerosol for inhalation by the user of the device.

[0006] Some devices of this type may work with consumable articles, e.g., elongated, that may resemble the external shape of a traditional cigarette. Such consumable articles may include a substrate portion and a mouthpiece portion. The substrate portion generally includes an aerosol-generating substrate and is designed to be received inside the device and heated by a heating system. The mouthpiece portion may protrude from the device and is designed to cooperate with the lips and / or mouth of the user. However, for some users, this type of device differs from the traditional cigarette experience in that the device is gripped during vaping and cannot be handled in the same way as a traditional cigarette.

[0007] Other devices may have an elongated shape that more closely resembles the shape of a traditional cigarette. However, due to the incorporated technology (e.g., batteries, heaters, printed circuit boards) required to heat the substrate and adequately control evaporation during several successive puffs, these devices remain significantly larger than traditional cigarettes and therefore provide a different user experience compared to traditional cigarettes. Thus, given the need for consumers to constantly handle these devices while vaping, the consumer experience provided to habitual smokers by these devices is different from that of traditional cigarettes. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a heating element for a consumable article to ensure reduced risk tobacco consumption while providing a handling experience similar to that of a traditional cigarette. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To this end, the present invention relates to a heating element for a consumable article, the consumable article comprising a storage portion for storing a vaporizable material, the heating element comprising an element body configured to engage in an engagement position around at least a portion of the storage portion of the consumable article, the element body being configured to be at least partially removably received in an energy supply cavity of an external energy supply device, The element body includes a heat absorbing / releasing material, the heat absorbing / releasing material being - absorbing heat during a pre-heating phase, which is carried out when the element body is engaged with a consumable article and received in an energy supply cavity of an external energy supply device together with the consumable article in an engaged position; During the vaping phase, which is performed upon occurrence of a triggering event, the element body may release absorbed heat to the storage portion and further to the vaporizable material while in an engagement position with the consumable article.

[0010] These features allow the heating element engaged with the consumable article to provide a user experience that more closely resembles a traditional cigarette. In particular, the consumable article used with the heating element according to the present invention may be sized and / or shaped similarly to a traditional cigarette, allowing the user to easily experience handling the consumable article with the heating element in a manner similar to a traditional cigarette, while reducing the harmful health risks associated with a traditional cigarette.

[0011] The heating element according to the invention is easy to use. In the pre-heating stage, the element body is engaged with the consumable article and both are received in the energy supply cavity, and the heat absorbing / releasing material of the element body can absorb heat generated directly or indirectly by an external energy supply device. In the vaping stage, the element body together with the engaged consumable article is removed from the energy supply cavity and can thus be handled by the user like a conventional cigarette. During this vaping stage, the heat absorbed by the heat absorbing / releasing material is released to the storage portion, so that the vaporizable material can be heated sufficiently for a sufficient time to generate an aerosol without burning. To provide a complete vaping session, it is preferred that the aerosol is generated for at least a minimum number of consecutive puffs (e.g., 10 or 11 puffs) or for at least a minimum time (e.g., 180 or 300 seconds). As for the heat absorbing / releasing material, any type of thermal energy storage (TES) material can be used. In a particular embodiment, the heat absorbing / releasing material comprises a phase change material or a ceramic. The absorption / release of heat may be performed by thermal or thermochemical phenomena, in which case a chemical reaction may occur during at least one of the pre-heating and vaping stages.

[0012] The heating element according to the present invention is therefore removable.

[0013] As used herein, the terms "vaporizable material" or "aerosol-forming precursor" or "aerosol material" may refer to one or more of a liquid, solid, gel, mousse, foam, or other substance. The vaporizable material may be heated to form an aerosol as defined below. The vaporizable material may include one or more of nicotine, caffeine, or other active ingredients. The active ingredients may be carried by a carrier, which may be a liquid. The carrier may include an aerosol-forming agent, such as a polyol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming agent includes one or more of polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, and glycerin, esters of polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol mono-, di-, or triacetate, and / or aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or poly-carboxylic acids, triethyl citrate (TEC), or triacetin. Preferred carriers may be propylene glycol and / or glycerin. The carriers evaporate when heated, typically at temperatures of about 350° C. or less. Flavorings may also be included. Flavorings refer to substances that can be used to produce a desired taste or aroma. These substances may include naturally occurring flavoring materials, plants, extracts from plants, synthetically derived flavoring substances, or combinations thereof. Flavorings may include, for example, ethyl vanillin (vanilla), menthol, berry, isoamyl acetate (banana oil), eugenol, cooling agents (e.g., eucalyptol, WS-5, or WS-3), or the like. The solid aerosol-forming material may be in the form of a rod containing processed tobacco material, corrugated sheets, or oriented strips or pieces of reconstituted tobacco (RTB).

[0014] As used herein, the term "aerosol" may include a suspension of precursors as one or more of solid particles, liquid droplets, and gas. Such suspension may be in a gaseous state, including air. Aerosol herein may generally refer to or include a vapor. Aerosol may include one or more components of a vaporizable material.

[0015] As used herein, the term "pre-heating stage" may refer to a stage used to heat the heat absorbing / emitting material. In other words, during the pre-heating stage, heat is absorbed by the heat absorbing / emitting material. Advantageously, the pre-heating stage is performed until the heat absorbing / emitting material absorbs heat according to its maximum heat capacity. In some embodiments, the pre-heating stage may be performed to pre-heat the vaporizable material so that the aerosol can be generated. Advantageously, during the pre-heating stage, the heating element engages with the consumable article and both are received within the energy supply cavity of the external energy supply device. In some embodiments, during the pre-heating stage, only the consumable article is received within the energy supply cavity. The pre-heating stage may be performed until a triggering event occurs. The triggering event may include at least one of the following: attainment of a predetermined temperature of the vaporizable material in the storage portion, or expiration of a predetermined time delay, or attainment of a predetermined pressure in the vicinity of the consumable article, or consumption of a predetermined amount of energy from the power source.

[0016] As used herein, the term "vaping stage" may refer to a stage performed after at least one pre-heating stage, during which the vaporizable material can generate an aerosol. In particular, the vaping stage may be performed according to at least two operating modes. In the off-device mode, the heating element is engaged with the consumable article and both are removed from the energy supply cavity. For example, the heating element together with the consumable article can be handled by the user, for example, like a conventional cigarette. In this operating mode, the heat absorbed by the heat absorbing material is released to the storage portion to heat the vaporizable material. In the in-device mode, the consumable article is received in the energy supply cavity, with or without the heating element. In this mode, the vaporizable material is heated by the heat absorbing / releasing material and / or by the heater to generate an aerosol. According to both modes, during the vaping stage, the user may puff to generate an air flow inside the consumable article, or the consumable article may be kept without puffing. This last case may correspond to a pause between puffs by the user, as during smoking a conventional cigarette.

[0017] The external energy supply device may be portable and may be carried by the user together with the consumable article when the consumable article is not being used to generate vapor. The external energy supply device may be formed by a device similar to an aerosol generating device, such as an HNB device, known in the art. In particular, this external energy supply device may comprise, as with such an aerosol generating device, a battery and a heater or any other heat-inducing element, hereafter referred to as a heat generator. Such a heat generator may be adapted to heat a heating element or to cause heating during a pre-heating stage. In some embodiments, the external energy supply device may form an aerosol generating device by itself, such as an HNB device, which may be used directly with the consumable article without a heating element.

[0018] The element body of the heating element in the engagement position with the consumable article may be adapted to be received in the energy supply cavity according to at least 50% of its total volume, advantageously according to at least 75%, preferably according to at least 90% of its total volume. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the element body is adapted to be received completely inside the energy supply cavity.

[0019] Consumable articles may be designed for single use or multiple uses. In the first case, the consumable article may be discarded or recycled after use. In the second case, the consumable article may last for several vaping sessions. The consumable article may be formed, for example, by a cigarette as known in the art for use in HNB devices.

[0020] The heating element may be reusable, particularly with different consumable articles: for example, once the aerosol generating capacity of the consumable article is exhausted, the heating element can be removed from the consumable article and reused with another consumable article, in which case a new pre-heating step may be required before vaping.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the aforementioned heat absorbing / releasing material is a phase change material (PCM) capable of absorbing / releasing heat during a phase change.

[0022] The use of phase change materials (PCM) can present a particular advantage of the invention, since this type of material has a high heat storage capacity. These storage capacities can therefore be used to store a larger amount of heat during the pre-heating phase and release this amount of heat throughout the duration of the vaping session. Thus, the vaporizable material can be heated uniformly throughout the entire vaping session. Furthermore, phase change materials are latent heat storage materials, which means that the different phase transitions of these materials (solid-liquid or liquid-gas) occur isothermally. In other words, during the phase transitions, heat can be absorbed or released for longer periods of time without changing the temperature of the material. These periods can be used to carry out, at a constant temperature, the pre-heating phase to absorb heat, and the vaping phase to release heat and vaporize the vaporizable material. Furthermore, by selecting the phase change material in an appropriate manner, it is possible to adjust the duration of each of the pre-heating and vaping phases. In particular, the phase change material can be selected according to the duration of its phase transition.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the aforementioned phase change material (PCM) is selected to melt during the pre-heating stage and solidify during the vaping stage.

[0024] These characteristics allow for the use of a specific solid-liquid phase transition of the phase change material, which, compared to a liquid-gas phase transition, can be more easily performed under normal conditions (normal atmospheric pressure, ambient temperature, etc.) and while operating the heating element with the engaged consumable article.

[0025] According to some embodiments, the aforementioned phase change material (PCM) includes an inorganic PCM, such as a salt, a eutectic mixture of salts, or a salt hydrate.

[0026] This type of phase change material is particularly useful in the context of the present invention, since the phase transition temperature (such as, for example, the melting temperature) of these materials is comprised between 150°C and 450°C, advantageously between 200°C and 400°C. This temperature range is particularly suitable for vaporizing a vaporizable material without combustion. Moreover, this type of phase change material has a larger heat storage capacity compared to other phase change materials. Moreover, this type of phase change material is cheap, abundant and non-flammable.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the phase change material (PCM) includes a solid-state PCM, e.g., such a material can change from a crystalline, semi-crystalline, or amorphous structure to another solid structure and has a lower available latent heat.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the phase change material (PCM) is an organic PCM, such as paraffin wax.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the phase change material (PCM) is an organic PCM mixed with another PCM (e.g. inorganic) or metal. For example, in the case of paraffin wax, which has a relatively low operating temperature, other materials such as salts or metals (e.g. Mg-Zn) may be mixed in.

[0030] According to some embodiments, the heat absorbing / releasing material further comprises an additive that can interact with the phase change material (PCM) in liquid form to alter its solidification temperature during the vaping phase compared to its melting temperature.

[0031] Using these features, the additive can ensure that the melting temperature of the phase change material is different from its solidification temperature. The melting temperature can be, for example, at least slightly lower than the solidification temperature. Thus, the phase change material can release latent heat at a temperature higher than its temperature of absorption. The solidification temperature can be adapted to vaporize the vaporizable material, whereas the melting temperature can be adapted only to preheat the vaporizable material. Thus, it is possible to avoid undesired vaporization of the vaporizable material during the preheating phase. The additive can be a chemical component adapted to carry out a chemical reaction that modifies at least some properties of the phase change material during the vaping phase. If the phase change material (PCM) comprises a salt or a eutectic mixture of salts, such a chemical reaction can, for example, modify the concentration of these salts, or their nature, or the composition of the mixture.

[0032] According to some embodiments, the element body further comprises a heater, the heater comprising: During the pre-heating phase, heat is generated and this heat is transferred to a heat absorbing / releasing material, and / or During the vaping phase, heat can be transferred from the heat absorbing / releasing material to the vaporizable material; Preferably, the heater includes at least one susceptor capable of generating heat by inductive interaction with an external energy supply.

[0033] In a possible mode, the heater includes at least one susceptor capable of generating heat by inductive interaction with an external energy supply.

[0034] These features allow heat to be generated by the susceptor inside the heating element by inductive interaction with an external energy supply comprising, for example, a magnetic coil. Thus, no heat transfer from the external energy supply to the heating element is required. The susceptor can be made of any suitable material that generates eddy currents when placed inside a magnetic field.

[0035] According to some embodiments, the heater is designed to be disposed at least partially around and / or penetrate the storage portion of the consumable article when the element body is in an engaged position with the consumable article.

[0036] For example, the susceptor may be designed to be disposed around the entire periphery of the storage portion. According to other examples, the susceptor is disposed around only a portion of the periphery of the storage portion. Additionally, according to some examples, the susceptor is designed to only penetrate the storage portion. In this case, the susceptor may include, for example, a blade. In some other examples, the susceptor comprises at least two portions, one portion adapted to penetrate the storage portion and the other portion designed to be disposed around at least a portion of the storage portion.

[0037] These features allow the heat generated by the susceptor to be efficiently transferred to the storage portion during the preheating stage, and the heat stored by the heat absorbing / releasing material to be efficiently transferred to the storage portion during the vaporizing stage to vaporize the vaporizable material.

[0038] According to some embodiments, the heater is designed to be interposed between the storage portion of the consumable article and the heat absorbing / releasing material when the element body is in an engaged position with the consumable article.

[0039] These features allow an optimal positioning of the susceptor inside the heating element, which allows simultaneous heat transfer from the susceptor to the storage section and the heat absorbing / releasing material during the preheating stage, and also allows efficient heat transfer from the heat absorbing / releasing material to the storage section during the vaping stage, thus minimizing heat losses.

[0040] According to some embodiments, the heater includes a plurality of susceptors mixed with or embedded within a heat absorbing / emitting material. The susceptors may take a variety of forms, such as particles, granules, beads, sheets, strips, wires, rings, and combinations thereof.

[0041] These features allow for uniform transfer of heat to the heat absorbing / releasing material.

[0042] According to some embodiments, the element body further comprises a protruding member designed to penetrate a storage portion of the consumable article when the element body is in an engagement position with the consumable article; the protruding member includes at least a portion of the heater and / or heat absorbing / emitting material described above; Preferably, the heater includes a susceptor.

[0043] Thanks to these features, the storage portion can be heated internally during the vaping phase, which ensures a better heat transfer from the heat absorbing / releasing material to the vaporizable material. The protruding member may be formed by a blade that penetrates the storage portion upon engagement of the heating element with the consumable article. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the protruding member comprises both a heater and a heat absorbing / releasing material. According to this last embodiment, both the heater and the heat absorbing / releasing material are received inside the storage portion of the consumable article minimizing heat losses.

[0044] According to some embodiments, the element body further comprises a thermal insulator, the thermal insulator being configured to be disposed at least partially around the heat absorbing / releasing material and / or to be disposed at least partially around the storage portion.

[0045] Due to these features, the insulation can reduce heat loss to the exterior of the consumable article during the vaping phase. Additionally, during the vaping phase, the insulation allows the user to handle the consumable article engaged with the heating element without getting burned.

[0046] For example, the insulation may form an exterior surface of the element body to isolate the heat absorbing / releasing material from the outside, so that heat can be transferred to the storage portion without loss to heat the vaporizable material. In some embodiments, the insulation may be placed in contact with the heat absorbing / releasing material and / or in contact with the storage portion.

[0047] The insulation may be made from any suitable material such as, for example, paper, foam, or honeycomb.

[0048] According to some other embodiments, the insulation may be formed by an aerogel insulation layer. This layer may be formed by spraying or coating the aerogel on a support layer arranged at least partially around the heat absorbing / releasing material. The support layer may be formed by a wall that defines the boundaries of the heat absorbing / releasing material or by a wrapper. Aerogel presents a porous structure that mainly contains air (at a concentration that can achieve 97% of the total volume of the aerogel). The aerogel insulation layer has the particular advantage of being very thin and light, almost invisible to the user, while still ensuring efficient insulation. According to other embodiments, the insulation may be formed by any other heat-resistant porous structure adapted to trap air, such as honeycomb or crepe paper, or ceramic paper such as superwool paper.

[0049] According to yet another embodiment, the insulation may be formed from a phase change material (PCM) as defined above. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the insulation is designed to at least partially cover the heat absorbing / releasing material. Thus, the PCM insulation may form an outer layer of the heating element, such as a shield. The PCM insulation may be adapted to be at a temperature, for example below 60° C., that is safe for the user when the user is using the article engaged with the heating element during a vaping session. According to yet another embodiment, the insulation may comprise a mixture of aerogel and PCM material as defined above.

[0050] According to some embodiments, the element body forms a ring or cup that can be slid along the article axis to engage the consumable article.

[0051] Thanks to these features, the heating element can be easily engaged with the consumable article while being in close contact with the storage part. For example, the heating element can be slid along the consumable article. If the heating element is formed by a ring, the user can adjust the position of the ring relative to the storage part. For example, if the user wants to reduce the amount of aerosol generated during the vaping phase, he can simply slide the ring towards the filter part of the consumable article. Furthermore, the position of the ring relative to the storage part can be continuously adjusted during the vaping phase, for example to heat different parts of the storage part. If the heating element is formed by a cup, the corresponding end of the consumable article can abut against the bottom wall of the cup. The cup can thus be accurately positioned relative to the storage part of the consumable article. Furthermore, in this case, the contact surface between the cup and the storage part is increased, so that a more uniform heating of the storage part can be achieved.

[0052] According to some embodiments, the heating element further comprises fastening means designed to secure the element body on the consumable article when the element body is engaged with the consumable article.

[0053] The fastening means allows to fix the heating element in a desired position relative to the storage part. According to one example, this position is selected by a user. The user can then move the fastening means (e.g. by sliding it along the consumable article) to achieve this position. According to another example, this position is predetermined, for example to ensure better heat transfer to the storage part. In this case, this position may for example be marked on the consumable article and the user places or activates the fastening means at this position.

[0054] The fastening means may for example be designed to extend around the consumable article and slightly compress the consumable article during actuation, thus holding the heating element in a desired position. According to another embodiment, the fastening means protrudes from the heating element and for example forms needles or blades configured to penetrate the consumable article and be fastened relative to the consumable article.

[0055] In an alternative embodiment, no fastening means are provided. In this case, the heating element may be held in an engaged position with the consumable article, for example by friction. To this end, the heating element may, for example, slightly compress the consumable article.

[0056] According to some embodiments, the heating element further comprises an indicator capable of indicating the ability of the heat absorbing / emitting material to generate an aerosol. Such an indicator may be sensitive to the temperature of the heat absorbing / emitting material or at least its nearby zone. For example, the indicator may comprise a heat-sensitive material such as a wax, whose properties such as volume or color change with temperature. The indicator may indicate at least two states, one suitable for generating an aerosol and one not suitable for generating an aerosol. According to other embodiments, one or more intermediate states are also possible.

[0057] The present invention also relates to a consumable kit, the consumable kit comprising: - one or more consumable items, - a heating element, as defined above, designed to engage the or each consumable item.

[0058] Alternatively, the present invention also relates to a consumable kit, the consumable kit comprising: a consumable article comprising a storage portion for storing a vaporizable material; a heating element comprising a heat absorbing / emitting material, the heat absorbing / emitting material being - absorbing heat during a pre-heating phase carried out when the consumable kit is received in an energy supply cavity of an external energy supply device; - a heating element capable of releasing absorbed heat to the storage portion and further to the vaporizable material during a vaping phase, which is carried out upon occurrence of a trigger event.

[0059] The present invention also relates to a vaping set, the vaping set comprising: an external energy supply device comprising an energy supply cavity; -Consumables, - a heating element as defined above, which is designed to be in an engagement position with the consumable article and is received in the engagement position together with the consumable article within the energy supply cavity of the external energy supply device to perform the pre-heating step.

[0060] Alternatively, the present invention relates to a vaping set, the vaping set comprising: an external energy supply device comprising an energy supply cavity; - a consumables kit as defined above.

[0061] According to some embodiments, the external energy supply device comprises at least one heat generator configured to heat the consumable article when the consumable article is received within the energy supply cavity, with or without a heating element, to generate an aerosol.

[0062] The present invention also relates to a method for generating an aerosol from a consumable kit containing a vaporizable material, the method comprising the steps of: - performing a pre-heating phase by heating a heating element of the consumable kit upon engaging the consumable kit with an external energy supply device; - upon occurrence of a trigger event, performing a vaping phase by heating a vaporizable material with a heating element.

[0063] According to some embodiments, the method comprises the following steps: - upon engaging the consumable kit with an external energy supply device after the vaping step, performing a recharging step to reheat the heating element.

[0064] According to some embodiments, the duration of each of the vaping and refilling phases is adapted to suit the habits of a conventional cigarette smoker.

[0065] The present invention also relates to a consumable article, the consumable article comprising: a storage portion for storing vaporizable material; - a heating portion including a heat absorbing / releasing material capable of absorbing heat during a pre-heating phase, which is performed when the consumable article is engaged with an external energy supply device, and releasing the absorbed heat to the storage portion and further to the vaporizable material during a vaping phase, which is performed when the consumable article is removed from the external energy supply device.

[0066] According to some embodiments, the heating portion is configured to be received within an energy delivery cavity formed by an external energy delivery device when the consumable article is engaged with the external energy delivery device.

[0067] According to some embodiments, the aforementioned heat absorbing / releasing material is a phase change material (PCM) that is capable of absorbing and releasing heat during a phase change.

[0068] According to some embodiments, the aforementioned phase change material (PCM) includes an inorganic PCM, such as a salt, a eutectic mixture of salts, or a salt hydrate.

[0069] According to some embodiments, the phase change material (PCM) includes a solid-state PCM, e.g., such a material can change from a crystalline, semi-crystalline, or amorphous structure to another solid structure and has a lower available latent heat.

[0070] According to some embodiments, the phase change material (PCM) is an organic PCM, such as paraffin wax.

[0071] According to some embodiments, the phase change material (PCM) is an organic PCM mixed with another PCM (e.g. inorganic) or metal. For example, in the case of paraffin wax, which has a relatively low operating temperature, other materials such as salts or metals (e.g. Mg-Zn) may be mixed in.

[0072] According to some embodiments, the heating portion further comprises an additive that can interact with the phase change material (PCM) in liquid form to alter its solidification temperature during the vaping phase compared to its melting temperature.

[0073] According to some embodiments, the heating portion further includes at least one heat transfer element configured to transfer heat generated by the external energy supply device to the heat absorbing / emitting material during the pre-heating stage, and / or configured to transfer heat from the heat absorbing / emitting material to the aerosol vaporizable material during the vaping stage.

[0074] As a result, heat can be more easily transferred from an external energy supply to the heat absorbing / emitting material and / or from the heat absorbing / emitting material to the vaporizable material by a suitable heater. A heat transfer element can be incorporated, for example, into the heat absorbing / emitting material to facilitate the heat transfer. The heat transfer element can be made, for example, from a metal forming a foil, grid, mesh, or particles within the heat absorbing / emitting material. Furthermore, the heat transfer element can facilitate the heat transfer from the heat absorbing / emitting material to the vaporizable material during the vaping phase.

[0075] According to some embodiments, the heating portion is formed by a plurality of heating elements, each of which includes or forms a susceptor capable of generating heat upon magnetic interaction with an external energy supply and transferring this heat to a heat absorbing / emitting material, which may be placed in contact with the heat absorbing / emitting material.

[0076] These features allow the susceptor to generate heat upon magnetic interaction with an external energy supply, e.g., comprising a magnetic coil. Thus, no heat transfer from the external energy supply to the consumable is required. The susceptor can be made of any suitable material that generates eddy currents when placed within a magnetic field.

[0077] According to some embodiments, the susceptor is coated with a coating layer formed from a heat absorbing / emitting material.

[0078] These features ensure efficient heat transfer between the susceptor and the heat absorbing / releasing material.

[0079] According to some embodiments, the heating portion is integrated with the storage portion such that the susceptor is mixed with the vaporizable material.

[0080] These features ensure efficient heat transfer from the heat absorbing / releasing material to the vaporizable material.

[0081] According to some embodiments, the consumable article further comprises insulation disposed at least partially around the heating portion and / or the storage portion during at least the vaping phase to reduce heat loss to the exterior of the consumable article while the consumable article is being used to generate an aerosol. For example, the insulation may be disposed only around those portions of the heating portion and / or the storage portion that face the exterior of the consumable article. Thus, heat can be transferred to the storage portion without loss to heat the vaporizable material.

[0082] The insulation may be made from any suitable material, such as, for example, paper or foam.

[0083] According to some other embodiments, the insulation may be formed by an aerogel insulation layer.

[0084] According to yet another embodiment, the insulator may be formed from a phase change material (PCM) as defined above.

[0085] Furthermore, at least in embodiments in which the heating portion is heated by direct heat transfer from an external energy supply during the pre-heating phase, the insulation can be at least partially removable to allow heat transfer to the heating portion. For example, the insulation can include an insulating sleeve or ring that is slidable along the article axis between a resting position that does not cover the heating portion and an insulating position that partially covers the heating portion. In the resting position, the insulation can, for example, at least partially surround the filter / cooling portion of the article. During the pre-heating phase, the insulation is in the resting position, and during the vaping phase, the insulation is in the insulating position.

[0086] In some embodiments, instead of sliding along the article axis, the insulation may be semi-cylindrical in shape and rotatably mounted relative to the article axis. For example, the heating portion may also be semi-cylindrical in shape and may be uncovered in the rest position of the insulation (i.e. during the pre-heating phase) and covered in the insulating position of the insulation (i.e. during the vaping phase). Switching between the rest position and the insulating position may be performed by rotating the insulation by 180°.

[0087] In some embodiments, the insulation may be configured to automatically slide or rotate from a resting position to an insulating position upon removal of the consumable article from the external energy supply device. For example, the insulation may be moved by a drive member of the device while the consumable article is removed from the device. In embodiments in which heat is generated within the heating portion (e.g., by at least one susceptor further in response to magnetic interaction with the coil), the consumable article may further comprise insulation fixedly disposed at least partially around the heating portion. The insulation may be formed, for example, by a wrapper.

[0088] The invention and its advantages will be better understood on reading the following description, given by way of non-limiting example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0089] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a consumable kit according to a first embodiment of the present invention, the consumable kit including a consumable item and a heating element, the heating element being in a removed position. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram of the consumable kit of FIG. 1 with the heating element in an engaged position. [Diagram 3] 2A-2C are schematic diagrams of different examples of the heating element of FIG. 1 when the heating element forms a cup. [Figure 4] 2A-2C are schematic diagrams of different examples of the heating element of FIG. 1 where the heating element forms a ring. [Diagram 5] 2 is a graph showing the phase transition of the heat absorbing / releasing material used in the heating element of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of a vaping set according to the present invention, the vaping set including the consumable kit of FIG. 1 and an energy supply device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another example of a vaping set according to the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a consumable kit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a consumable kit according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0090] First embodiment of the present invention A consumable kit 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 1. According to this figure, the consumable kit 10 includes a consumable item 12 and a heating element 14 that is separate from the consumable item 12 and that can be engaged with the consumable item 12 as shown in Figure 2.

[0091] In the example of FIG. 1, the consumable article 12 is in a position removed from the heating element 14. The consumable article 12 extends according to an article axis X and has a generally cylindrical shape. This cylindrical shape is circular in cross section along its length. Advantageously, according to the present invention, the consumable article 12 has a shape and / or dimensions substantially equal to a conventional cigarette or a HNB article (heat-not-burn article). However, in some alternative embodiments, the consumable article may have a convenient shape other than a conventional cigarette, for example a parallelepiped type, a cobblestone type shape, etc. The consumable article 12 may also be of a larger size (e.g., longitudinally or circumferentially) than a conventional cigarette without interfering with the user's handling and consumption behavior.

[0092] Advantageously, in accordance with the present invention, the consumable article 12 is a conventional cigarette or a known HNB article.

[0093] 1, the consumable article 12 comprises a filter / cooling portion 21 and a storage portion 22. These portions may be assembled together by a common wrapper (not shown) comprising paper, aluminum foil, or a combination thereof. In the example of FIG. 1, the filter / cooling portion 21 extends according to the article axis X and is adjacent to the storage portion 22. The storage portion 22 also extends along the article axis X and may, for example, be slightly longer than the filter / cooling portion 21. According to another example, the storage portion 22 is the same length as the filter / cooling portion 21 or is shorter than the filter / cooling portion 21.

[0094] The filter / cooling portion 21 forms the mouth end of the consumable article 12 designed to contact the mouth / lips of a user. This portion 21 further comprises a filter and / or cooling segment designed to filter and / or cool the aerosol formed by the storage portion 22 in response to heating. For example, the filter / cooling portion 21 may comprise a filter segment at the mouth end of the article and a tubular element (e.g., a paper tube) between the filter segment and the storage portion 22. In some embodiments, the filter / cooling portion 21 is not provided. In this case, for example, the storage portion 22 may form the mouth end of the article 12. In this case, a replaceable filter / cooling mouthpiece may be used, which may be connected to the consumable article 12.

[0095] The storage portion 22 contains a vaporizable material as defined above.

[0096] The heating element 14 includes an element body 24 that extends along an element axis Y and defines a receiving cavity 26 adapted to at least partially receive the consumable article 12. The receiving cavity 26 extends, for example, along the element axis Y.

[0097] In particular, according to the example of Figures 1 and 2, the receiving cavity 26 is adapted to receive the entire storage portion 22, as shown in Figure 2. In this example of Figure 2, the heating element 14 is in an engaged position in which the entire storage portion 22 is received in the receiving cavity 26, such that the article axis X and the element axis Y are coincident therebetween. Advantageously, the length of the storage portion 22 is substantially equal to the length of the receiving cavity 26.

[0098] The cross-sectional shape of the receiving cavity 26 corresponds, for example, to the cross-sectional shape of the consumable article 12. In this case, the heating element 14 may further comprise fastening means (not shown) designed to fix the element body 24 in a desired position, for example with respect to the storage portion 22 of the consumable article 12. According to one example, the fastening means comprises protruding surfaces projecting radially into the inner part of the receiving cavity 26 and designed to fix the heating element 14 by friction. According to another example, the fastening means comprises needles or blades projecting from the receiving cavity 26 and designed to penetrate the consumable article 12 and fix the consumable article 12 in the engaged position.

[0099] According to another example, no fastening means are provided. In this case, the cross section of the receiving cavity may be slightly smaller than the cross section of the consumable article 12, thereby compressing the consumable article 12 and fixing the consumable article 12 in the receiving cavity 26.

[0100] 1, element body 24 comprises heater 31, heat absorbing / emitting material 32, and insulation 33. In some embodiments, element body 24 can further comprise an indicator (not shown), e.g., disposed on a surface of element body 24, that can indicate the ability of heat absorbing / emitting material 32 to generate an aerosol.

[0101] In the example of FIG. 1, the heater 31 is designed to at least partially form the inner wall of the receiving cavity 26 and to be in contact with the storage portion 22 of the consumable article 22. The heater 31 is designed to simultaneously heat the heat absorbing / emitting material 32 and the storage portion 22 when the heating element 14 is received together with the consumable article 12 in the energy supply cavity of the external energy supply device, as will be explained in more detail below. According to one embodiment of the invention, the heater 31 is a resistive element designed to be connected to the power supply of the external energy supply device. According to another embodiment, the heater 31 is formed from a thermally conductive material, such as metal or graphene, and is heated by heat transfer from a resistive element arranged in the external energy supply device. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heater 31 is a susceptor capable of generating heat when placed in a magnetic field. As will be explained in more detail below, the magnetic field can be generated, for example, by an external energy supply device. Moreover, in this case, the susceptor forming the heater 31 can also ensure heat transfer from the heat absorbing / emitting material 32 to the storage portion 22 during the vaping phase. In the example of FIG. 1, the heater 31 is formed by a number of rings arranged along the element axis Y and extending around this axis Y and the receiving cavity 26 .

[0102] The insulation 33 at least partially forms the outer wall of the element body 24. Thus, in the example of FIG. 1, at least a portion of the heat absorbing / releasing material 32 is included between the heater 31 and the insulation 33. The insulation 33 may be formed of an aerogel and / or a phase change material (PCM). The insulation 33 may be rolled (e.g., as multiple overlapping layers) and sealed as a tube, or the insulation 33 may be formed as a tube. In some cases, the insulation 33 may be sprayed or coated onto a support layer. The support layer may be rolled (e.g., as multiple overlapping layers) and sealed as a tube, or the support layer may be formed as a tube. In some embodiments, the insulation 33 may be coated with an outer layer that defines the exterior design of the heating element 14 and / or protects the insulation 33 from external impacts.

[0103] 1, the element body 24 is a cup with a bottom wall 35 that laterally bounds the receiving cavity 26. Thus, when the consumable article 12 is inserted into the receiving cavity 26, the end of the consumable article 12 opposite the mouth end can abut against the bottom wall 35. Thus, the consumable article 12 can be received precisely inside the receiving cavity 26. However, other examples are possible and the receiving cavity 26 can be provided with a specific positioning structure, e.g. a stopper, for stopping the consumable article at a predetermined position within the cavity.

[0104] In the example of Fig. 1, the bottom wall 35 is formed by a thermal insulator 33. However, other examples are possible. In example B of Fig. 3, the bottom wall 35 includes an inner layer formed by a heat absorbing / releasing material 32 and an outer layer formed by a thermal insulator 33.

[0105] As mentioned above, in the examples of Figures 1 and 2, the element body 24 is adapted to receive the entire storage portion 22 of the consumable article 12. In this case, the heating element 14 has an elongated shape. Similarly, the heating element 14 of example B of Figure 3 also has an elongated shape. However, according to other embodiments, the heating element 14 may have a short shape. In this case, the receiving cavity 26 is adapted to receive only a portion of the storage portion 22 of the consumable article 12. As shown in Figure 3, the heating elements 14 according to examples A, C, D, and E have a short shape compared to example B.

[0106] Other respective arrangements and / or shapes of the heater 31, heat absorbing / releasing material 32, and insulation 33 within the element body 24 are also possible.

[0107] In the example A of FIG. 3, the heater 31 is formed by a single ring which bounds the receiving cavity 26 in the radial direction.

[0108] 3, the containment cavity 26 is bounded by a heat absorbing / releasing material 32 and the heater 31 presents a blade-like protruding member protruding from the bottom wall 35 and designed to penetrate the storage portion 22 of the consumable article 12. In this case, the bottom wall 35 also has, for example, two layers, one formed by the insulation 33 and another layer formed by the heat absorbing / releasing material 32.

[0109] In example D of Fig. 3, the heater 31 is formed by a single ring that radially bounds the containment cavity 26 and is in contact with the thermal insulation 33. In this example, the heat absorbing / releasing material 32 is included in a blade-like protruding member that protrudes from the bottom wall 35 and is designed to penetrate the storage portion 22 of the consumable article 12. The protruding member may be made of a thermally conductive material such as metal. In this last example, the bottom wall 35 is formed by the thermal insulation 33. In examples A, B and C, the thermal insulation 33 is in direct contact with the heat absorbing / releasing material 32. In example D, the thermal insulation 33 is in direct contact with the heater 31 and the storage portion 22.

[0110] In Example E, the heat absorbing / emitting material 32 and the heater 31 are integrated into a blade-like protruding member that protrudes from the bottom wall 35 and is designed to penetrate the storage portion 22 of the consumable article 12. The protruding member may be made of a thermally conductive material, such as a metal. According to this example, the heater 31 includes one or more susceptors, for example, mixed with the heat absorbing / emitting material 32. Similar to Example D, the bottom wall 35 of Example E is formed by a thermal insulator 33. Moreover, in this Example E, the thermal insulator 33 surrounds the storage portion 22 and is in direct contact with the storage portion 22. It is therefore clear that in the same Example E, the thermal insulator 33 also surrounds the elements 31 and 32 without direct contact.

[0111] Of course, any other combination of the above examples of heating elements 14 is also possible. Furthermore, the heating element 14 can also be provided without a bottom wall 35 and thus form a ring instead of a cup.

[0112] 4 shows examples A and B of such rings, whose insulation, heat absorbing / emitting material, and heater arrangements are similar to those of examples A and B of FIG 3, respectively. In this case, the receiving cavity 26 exhibits a through hole. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the heater 31 can include multiple susceptors mixed with or embedded within the heat absorbing / emitting material 32.

[0113] The heat absorbing / emitting material 32 is a thermal energy storage (TES) material. Depending on the various examples of this material described below, the heat absorbing / emitting material 32 can be included in a casing. The casing can be sealed or have at least one opening to compensate for the volume expansion of this material. In some embodiments, the casing can form a heat transfer element that facilitates the heat transfer to and from the heat absorbing / emitting material 32. According to other embodiments, the heat transfer element is placed inside the casing and forms, for example, a foil, a grid, a mesh, or particles designed to be in contact with the heater 31. The heat transfer element can be made of a metal, for example aluminum, or graphene.

[0114] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heat absorbing / releasing material 32 is a phase change material (PCM), which can absorb / release heat during a phase change, in particular during a solid-liquid phase change. As shown in FIG. 5, such a material can absorb heat while being heated from an initial temperature T1 in the solid phase to a melting temperature Tm, then isothermally to a complete phase transition to the liquid phase, and then from the melting temperature Tm in the liquid phase to a temperature T2. The temperature T2 can be equal to or slightly higher than the melting temperature Tm. The heat absorbed isothermally during the phase change corresponds to the latent heat. Thus, the preheating stage can include the entire solid-liquid phase change, so as to absorb more heat without increasing the temperature of the material.

[0115] During the cooling of the heat absorbing / releasing material 32, heat can be released according to substantially the same profile as shown in FIG. 5. In particular, the heat absorbing / releasing material can release heat while being cooled from a temperature T2 to a solidification temperature Ts, then isothermally until a complete phase transition to the solid phase, and then from the solidification temperature Ts until a temperature T1 is reached. As in the previous case, the heat released isothermally during the phase change corresponds to latent heat. This heat is particularly useful during the vaping phase in order to heat the storage portion 22 uniformly. The duration of the solidification phase can therefore be adapted to the overall duration of the vaping session.

[0116] In the example of FIG. 5, the melting temperature Tm substantially coincides with the solidification temperature Ts. However, in some embodiments, these temperatures may be different. In particular, the solidification temperature Ts may be at least slightly higher than the melting temperature Tm. This may be achieved by adding an additive to the heat absorption / release material 32. The additive may interact with the phase change material in the liquid phase to modify at least some of its properties, such as, for example, its concentration. The interaction may include at least one chemical reaction between the additive and the phase change material.

[0117] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the phase change material is a salt or a eutectic mixture of salts, such as a salt hydrate M x N y H2O. The phase transition temperatures (for example melting temperatures) of such materials are comprised between 150°C and 450°C, advantageously between 200°C and 400°C. This temperature range is suitable for vaporizing the vaporizable material without combustion. Furthermore, if an additive is used to modify the solidification temperature Ts, this additive can change the concentration of the salt, or the nature of the salt, or the proportion of the salt in the mixture.

[0118] An example of an external energy supply 42 is shown in Figure 6. The external energy supply 42 in this example is specifically adapted to work with an elongated shaped heating element 14.

[0119] In the example of Fig. 6, the external energy supply device 42, hereafter referred to as device 42, is a handheld device similar to an aerosol generating device, such as, for example, an HNB device. In particular, the device 42 comprises a housing 51 defining an energy supply cavity 52 configured to receive the heating element 14 together with the consumable article 12, in particular the storage portion 22 of the consumable article 12, when the heating element 14 is in an engaged position. In some embodiments, the cavity 52 may be further adapted to receive only the consumable article without the heating element 14. In both cases, the device 42 may operate with the consumable article 12 as a known HNB device, i.e. a device that generates an aerosol when the consumable article 12 is received in the energy supply cavity 52 with or without the heating element 14.

[0120] The housing 51 contains various internal components of the device 42 that ensure various functions. For example, the housing 51 contains a heat generator 55 for generating heat on the heater 31, a controller 56 for controlling the operation of the heat generator 55, and a battery 57 for powering the heat generator 55 and the controller 56.

[0121] The battery 57 is, for example, a known battery designed to be charged using a power source provided by an external source and to provide a direct current of a predefined voltage. The battery 57 may be associated with a battery charger, which allows the battery 57 to be connected to the external source and which for this purpose is provided with a power connector (such as, for example, a mini-USB or USB-C connector) or a wireless charging connector. The battery charger may also control the power delivered to the battery 57 from the external source, for example according to a predefined charging profile. Such a charging profile may, for example, prescribe the charging voltage of the battery depending on its charge level. In some alternative embodiments, instead of the battery 57, the housing 51 may only include a power connector for connecting the device 42 to an external power source, for example by a wire. In this case, the device 42 may only operate when connected to this external power source.

[0122] The controller 56 is configured to control the operation of the heat generator 55 by controlling the power supply by the battery 57 or, in an alternative embodiment, by an external power source. To this end, the controller 56 can, for example, apply a predefined heating profile to control the operation of the heat generator 55. In some embodiments, the heating profile may be selected depending on the nature of the consumable article 12. For example, when the consumable article 12 is used with the heating element 14 to generate an aerosol outside the device 42 (i.e., the off-device mode), a specific heating profile may be used that ensures only a pre-heating phase of the article 12. This heating profile may include supplying power to the heat generator 55 only for a predefined time interval to ensure a pre-heating phase of the consumable article 12. More generally, the heating profile may include supplying power to the heat generator 55 until a predefined trigger event occurs. This event may, for example, include the expiration of a predefined time delay as explained above, or the achievement of a predefined temperature or pressure in the vicinity of the consumable article 12, or the consumption of a predefined amount of energy by the heat generator 55. This temperature or pressure may be determined by a sensor located in this vicinity, in particular in or adjacent to the heating cavity or on the heating element. In both cases, the heating profile may include supplying power to the heat generator 55 during a pre-heating phase of the consumable article 12 according to the maximum power capacity of the heat generator 55. When the consumable article 12 is used with or without the heating element 14 to generate an aerosol while received in the energy supply cavity 52 of the device 42 (in-device mode), the heating profile may also ensure a vaping phase, i.e., heating the article while it is being used by a user.

[0123] Depending on the different embodiments of the heater 31 of the heating element 14, the heat generator 55 may comprise a pair of power contacts designed to supply power to the heater 31, a resistive element designed to transfer heat to the heater 31, and / or a magnetic element designed to generate a magnetic field around the heater 31. In a preferred embodiment of the invention in which the heater 31 comprises a susceptor, the heat generator 55 comprises a magnetic element, such as a magnetic coil. In the example of Fig. 6, the heat generator 55 is formed by a magnetic coil that extends along the entire length of the energy supply cavity 52. ​​Thus, in this example, the heat generator 55 is adapted to generate a magnetic field along the entire length of the heater 31 that heats the storage portion 22 and the heat absorbing / releasing material 32 simultaneously.

[0124] 7 shows another example of an external energy supply 42. In this example, the external energy supply 42 is specifically adapted to work with a heating element 14 having a short profile.

[0125] The main difference between this example and the example of Fig. 6 is the configuration of the heat generator 55. In particular, in this case the heat generator 55, such as a magnetic coil, is arranged facing only the heating element 14. Thus, in this example, the heat generator 55 extends only along a portion of the energy supply cavity 52. ​​The length of this portion is, for example, substantially equal to the length of the heating element 14.

[0126] In the example of Fig. 7, the device 42 further comprises a secondary heater 65 arranged to heat a portion of the storage portion 22 of the consumable article 12 extending from the receiving cavity 26 of the heating element 14. In other words, the secondary heater 65 is arranged to heat a portion of the storage portion 22 not heated by the heater 31 of the heating element 14. The secondary heater 65 comprises a resistive element, such as a thin film, for example, forming at least partly the inner wall of the energy supply cavity 52. ​​For example, the secondary heater 65 may be arranged to face or contact the portion of the storage portion 22 not heated by the heater 31 of the heating element 14. Thus, in this example, the heat generator 55 and the secondary heater 65 extend continuously along the energy supply cavity 52. ​​Furthermore, according to this example, the controller 56 is adapted to further control the operation of the secondary heater 65. This heater 65 may be controlled according to the same heating profile as the heat generator 55 or according to a special heating profile selected, for example, based on the properties of the vaporizable material. Furthermore, the heating profile for the secondary heater 65 may be selected to ensure better heat distribution inside the storage portion 22 as well as an optimal temperature of the vaporizable material, thereby, for example, avoiding aerosol generation during the pre-heating phase and optimizing aerosol generation during the vaping phase. For example, the secondary heater 65 may be controlled to pre-heat the vaporizable material to a temperature slightly below the vaporization temperature.

[0127] A method for generating an aerosol using the consumable kit 10 is described below. Initially, the kit 10 is considered to be removed from the device 42 and the consumable item 12 is not engaged with the heating element 14. When it is intended to use the kit 10, a user engages the consumable item 12 with the heating element 14 and inserts both elements into the device 42. The user then initiates operation of the device 42. Alternatively, operation of the device 42 is initiated automatically upon insertion of the kit 10.

[0128] A pre-heating phase is then performed. During this pre-heating phase, the controller 56 powers the heat generator 55 and finally the secondary heater 65 according to a corresponding heating profile. The heat generator 55 generates heat by the heater 31 of the heating element 14. The heat generated by the heater 31 is transferred to the heat absorbing / releasing material. In case of a phase change material, the heat is transferred until a complete phase transition to the liquid phase. The end of the pre-heating phase corresponds to a triggering event and is indicated by the controller 56, for example, using a suitable visual and / or sound indicator. The pre-heating phase may last, for example, at least 10 seconds, advantageously at least 15 seconds. For example, the pre-heating phase lasts about 60 to 600 seconds.

[0129] During the pre-heat phase, heat generator 55 and / or secondary heater 65 may be configured to heat the vaporizable material in storage portion 22 to increase its temperature to a point where vapor is generated as soon as storage portion 22 is removed from device 42. As a result, a heat absorbing / releasing material is used to maintain the aerosol material in the vaporization temperature range to sustain vaporization throughout the vaping session.

[0130] Secondary heater 65 may be controlled to heat the vaporizable material, particularly during the preheating stage. As noted above, the configuration and control of secondary heater 65 may be different than that of heat generator 55.

[0131] The user then removes the consumable article 12 with the heating element 14 from the device 42. The consumable article 12 with the heating element 14 is then ready to be used in the vaping phase independent of the device 42. In other words, the consumable article 12 with the heating element 14 can be used like a traditional cigarette. During the vaping phase, the heat stored by the heat absorbing / releasing material 32 is released into the storage portion 22. This heats the vaporizable material that creates the aerosol. The vaping phase continues as long as the released heat is sufficient to heat the vaporizable material. For example, in the case of a phase change material, the vaping phase can continue until it is completely solidified.

[0132] In the above example, the consumable kit 10 can be used to vape in a mode in which the kit is removed from the device 42, i.e., in an off-device mode. However, as described above, the device 42, particularly the heat generator 55 and / or secondary heater 65, may be configured to heat the vaporizable material to enable vaping of the consumable article 12 while the article remains engaged with the device 42, with or without the heating element 14. This configuration may correspond to a vaping mode corresponding to engagement of the article within the device (i.e., in-device mode). This mode may be programmed, particularly when the consumable article 12 is engaged within the device 42 (with or without the heating element 14), and this mode is selectively activated by command or automatically in response to an order by a user. The command may be a switch configured to alternate the vaping mode between an off-device vaping mode and an on-device vaping mode. Activation from one mode to another may be triggered by an automatic recognition system, regardless of whether the consumable article 12 is inserted with the heating element 14 or not.

[0133] Such a system may be any suitable recognition system known in the art, such as optical (e.g., barcode), magnetic, electrical, mechanical, etc. Activation of the selected mode may be triggered by the user's activation of a button on the device 42 or by a remote connection command, e.g., via a mobile phone app. In some cases, the out-of-device mode may be automatically activated when the consumable item 12 is inserted into the device 42 with the heating element 14, and the in-device mode may be automatically activated when the consumable item 12 is inserted into the device 42 without the heating element 14. In the first case, the user may have the possibility to switch to the in-device mode, even if, for example, the consumable item 12 is inserted into the device 42 with the heating element 14.

[0134] In some embodiments, the on-device and off-device vaping modes can be used in the same vaping session. For example, in this case, a user can initiate a vaping session using the off-device mode. If the aerosol generation capacity is exhausted while the consumable kit 10 is being used outside the device 42, the user can insert the consumable kit 10 into the device 42 and continue the vaping session using the on-device mode. Then, once the heating element 14 is sufficiently heated, the user can remove the consumable kit 10 and continue the vaping session using the off-device mode.

[0135] In some embodiments, the energy supply 42 may be further configured to perform a refill phase when used in the off-device mode. In particular, according to these embodiments, the energy supply 42 and in particular the controller 56 are configured to perform a refill phase once the vaping phase has ended and the heating element 14 needs to be refilled to continue the vaping session. According to some examples, the refill phase may be performed by the controller 56 in a similar manner to the preheat phase. The end of the refill phase also corresponds to a trigger event as explained above. According to some other examples, the refill phase may be performed by the controller 56 using specific heating profiles that ensure that the heat absorbing / releasing material is heated from a temperature higher than the ambient temperature. These heating profiles may therefore be different from the heating profiles used during the preheat phase. As with the preheat phase, the end of the refill phase may be indicated by the controller 56 using, for example, suitable visual and / or sound indicators. In some cases, the duration of the refill phase may be adjusted by using a temperature sensor placed in contact with or near the heating element 14.

[0136] Furthermore, the energy delivery device 42 may define a shape that can facilitate removal and / or insertion of the consumable kit 10 from / into the energy delivery cavity 52. ​​For example, the energy delivery device 42 can form a flat shape. In this case, the energy delivery cavity 52 can be semi-cylindrical in shape and can be formed on an outer surface of the device 42. Thus, the energy delivery device 42 can mimic a classic ashtray familiar to smokers of conventional cigarettes.

[0137] The duration of each of the vaping and refilling phases can be adapted to the habits of a smoker of a conventional cigarette. For example, the duration of the vaping phase can correspond to several successive puffs made by the user, for example two or three puffs. According to another example, the duration of the vaping phase can correspond to one puff. The duration of the refilling phase can generally correspond to the duration used by the smoker to remove ash from a conventional cigarette, in particular the duration used by some users to leave a conventional cigarette in contact with an ashtray. Such a duration can be comprised between 1 second and 60 seconds, advantageously between 2 seconds and 30 seconds, preferably between 3 seconds and 20 seconds. In some cases, this duration can be adapted by the user or learned by the controller 56 of the device 42 based on the habits of the user, for example using machine learning techniques. In some cases, the user can select a vaping profile from among a number of vaping profiles, including for example a quick vaping profile, a relaxed vaping profile, etc. Each of the vaping profiles defines the duration of the heating and refilling phases. In some cases, this duration is not constant and may vary based on the moment of the vaping session.

[0138] To adapt the duration of the pre-heat phase and / or the refill phase as described above, the controller 56 can adapt the corresponding heating profile. For example, if the duration of the refill phase needs to be extended, the controller 56 can modify the corresponding heating profile to increase the power supply. Thus, a corresponding trigger event (such as, for example, the achievement of a predetermined temperature) may occur at the end of the desired duration of the refill phase.

[0139] Second embodiment of the present invention A consumable kit 110 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 8. According to this figure, the consumable kit 110 includes a consumable item 112 and a heating element 114 integrated with the consumable item 112 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In particular, according to this embodiment, the heating element 114 forms a heating portion 123 of the consumable item 112, which will be described in more detail below.

[0140] The consumable article 112 extends according to an article axis X and has a generally cylindrical shape. This cylindrical shape may form a circle in each cross section. Advantageously, as in the previous embodiment, the consumable article 112 has a shape and / or dimensions substantially equal to those of a conventional cigarette. However, in some alternative embodiments, the consumable article 112 may have a convenient shape other than a conventional cigarette, such as a parallelepiped type, a cobblestone type shape, etc. The consumable article 112 may also be of a larger size (e.g., longitudinally or circumferentially) than a conventional cigarette without interfering with the user's handling and consumption behavior.

[0141] The consumable article 112 comprises a filter / cooling portion 121, a storage portion 122 containing a vaporizable material, and a heating portion 123 as described above. These portions may be assembled together by a common wrapper 124, which may comprise paper, aluminum foil, or a combination thereof. In the example of FIG. 8, the filter / cooling portion 121 extends according to the article axis X and is adjacent to both the storage portion and the heating portion 122, 123. In this case, each of the storage portion and the heating portion 122, 123 extends according to the article axis X on different sides of a central plane passing through the center of the article 112 according to the article axis X. In other words, in this case, each of the storage portion and the heating portion 122, 123 forms a semicircle in cross section. According to another example (not shown), the heating portion 123 extends around the storage portion 122. Thus, in each cross section, the heating portion 123 may form an annular portion around a concentric circle of the storage portion 122. According to yet another example, the storage portion 122 is arranged around the heating portion 123. In the example of FIG. 8, the heating portion 123 extends along the entire axial length of the storage portion 122. According to yet another embodiment (not shown), the portions 121, 122, and 123 extend continuously along the article axis X, with the storage portion 122 being arranged between the filter / cooling portion 121 and the heating portion 123. Of course, other portion configurations within the consumable article 112 are still possible. In an embodiment, two or more heating portions may be present within the consumable and separated from each other. For example, the heating portions may be separated longitudinally and / or circumferentially.

[0142] Filter / cooling section 121 is similar to filter / cooling section 21 described in connection with the previous embodiment.

[0143] The heating portion 123 is designed to absorb heat when the kit 110 is received in the energy supply cavity of the external energy supply device (i.e., in the pre-heating phase of operation) and to release heat to heat the storage portion 122 when the kit 110 is outside the cavity (vaping phase of operation). For this purpose, the heating portion 123 comprises a heat absorbing / releasing material, which is a thermal energy storage (TES) material, as described in detail in connection with the previous embodiment. Depending on the various examples of this material described below, the heat absorbing / releasing material can be included in a casing. The casing can be sealed or provided with at least one opening to compensate for the volume expansion of this material. In some embodiments, the casing can form a heat transfer element that facilitates the transfer of heat from the cavity to the heat absorbing / releasing material. According to other embodiments, the heat transfer element is arranged inside the casing and forms, for example, a foil, a grid, a mesh or particles designed to be in contact with at least one wall of the cavity. The heat transfer element can be made of a metal, for example aluminum.

[0144] In the example of Fig. 8, the consumable article 112 may also include an insulation body (not shown) movable between a rest position and an insulating position. In the insulating position, the insulation body is designed to cover the heating portion 123 and in the rest position, the insulation body is designed not to cover the heating portion 123. For example, in the rest position, the insulation body may cover the filter / cooling portion 121 and / or the storage portion 122. The insulation body may include an insulating sleeve or ring that is slidable along the article axis X between the rest position and the insulating position. According to another example, the insulation body may be semi-cylindrical in shape and may be rotatably mounted relative to the article axis X between the rest position and the insulating position.

[0145] The insulation may be formed from aerogel and / or phase change material (PCM). In some cases, the insulation may be sprayed or coated onto a support layer.

[0146] In the example where the storage portion 122 is arranged around the heating portion 123 and at least a portion of the external heater penetrates into the heating portion 123, the insulation may form a fixed external layer, for example comprising an aerogel and / or a phase change material (PCM). In this case, the common packaging 124 may form a support layer.

[0147] As mentioned above, in order to perform the pre-heating step, the consumable kit 110 is designed to be received in an energy supply cavity of an external energy supply device. Such a cavity and such a device are, for example, similar to those shown in and described with reference to FIG. 6. In this case, the heat generator 55 may include a resistive heater that may be arranged in the energy supply cavity so as to be in contact with the heating portion 123. For example, this resistive heater may extend only to one side of the cavity so as to be in contact with the heating portion 123. According to another embodiment, the resistive heater further extends to both sides of the cavity so as to be in contact with the storage portion 122. In some embodiments, the heat generator 55 may comprise a heating blade configured to penetrate the heating portion 123.

[0148] The method for generating an aerosol using the consumable kit 110 according to the second embodiment is similar to the method described in relation to the first embodiment. In contrast to this last, the consumable kit 110 according to the second embodiment is provided already assembled. Thus, there is no need to engage the heating element 114 with the consumable article 112. The consumable kit 110 can therefore be directly inserted into the energy supply cavity to perform the pre-heating step, and then removed from the cavity to perform the vaping step according to the off-device mode, or can be kept in the cavity to perform the vaping step according to the on-device mode. In the off-device mode, the refilling step can also be performed as described above.

[0149] Third embodiment of the present invention A consumable kit 210 according to a third embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 9. According to this figure, the consumable kit 210 includes a consumable item 212 and a plurality of heating elements 214 forming a heating portion 223 of the consumable item 212.

[0150] In particular, as shown in Fig. 9, the consumable article 212 includes a filter / cooling portion 221, a storage portion 222, and the above-mentioned heating portion 223. These portions may be assembled together by a common packaging 224. In the example of Fig. 9, the heating portion 223 is integrated with the storage portion 222. This means that the contents of the heating portion 223 are mixed with or embedded in the contents of the storage portion 222, rather than being placed side-by-side with the storage portion as in the previous embodiment, and heat is distributed to the vaporizable material from multiple directions, as described below. According to other examples (not shown), the storage and heating portions 222, 223 may be arranged in any other suitable manner.

[0151] According to some examples of the third embodiment, the consumable article 212 may further comprise insulation disposed about the storage portion 222. This insulation may be fixed and may be formed, for example, by at least a portion of the common packaging 224. As in the previous case, the insulation may be formed from an aerogel and / or a phase change material (PCM). The insulation may be sprayed or coated, for example, onto a support layer formed by the common packaging 224.

[0152] Filter / cooling section 221 is similar to the above described filter / cooling sections 21, 121. As before, storage section 222 contains a vaporizable material.

[0153] According to a third embodiment, each heating element 214 includes or forms a susceptor capable of generating heat when placed in a magnetic field. The heating elements 214 are intermixed within the storage portion 222.

[0154] Each heating element 214 further includes a heat absorbing / releasing material capable of absorbing heat generated by the susceptor during a preheating phase (i.e., when the storage portion 222 is received in the energy delivery cavity) and releasing this heat to heat the vaporizable material during a vaporizing phase (i.e., when the consumable kit 210 is removed from the cavity). The heat absorbing / releasing material may be similar to that described in connection with the previous embodiment. In particular, as before, the heat absorbing / releasing material may include a phase change material (PCM) and, in some cases, may include an additive as described above.

[0155] In the example of Fig. 9, the susceptor is formed by, for example, a ball, a disk, or a ring mixed with a vaporizable material. Furthermore, the susceptor is coated by a coating layer formed from a heat absorbing / emitting material. A holding structure may further be provided around the susceptor to hold the coating layer close to the corresponding susceptor while the heat absorbing / emitting material changes phase.

[0156] As mentioned above, in order to perform the pre-heating step, the consumable kit 210 is designed to be received in an energy supply cavity of an external energy supply device. Such a cavity and such a device are, for example, similar to those shown and described with reference to Fig. 6. In this case, the heat generator 55 may include a magnetic coil arranged around the energy supply cavity 52.

[0157] The method for generating an aerosol using the consumable kit 210 according to the second embodiment is similar to the method described in relation to the previous embodiment. As with the second embodiment, the consumable kit 210 according to the third embodiment is provided already assembled. Thus, there is no need to engage the heating element 214 with the consumable item 212. Thus, the consumable kit 210 can be directly inserted into the energy supply cavity to perform the pre-heating step, and then removed from the cavity to perform the vaping step according to the off-device mode, or can be kept in the cavity to perform the vaping step according to the on-device mode. In the off-device mode, a refilling step can also be performed as described above. In particular, during the pre-heating step, the storage portion 22 is received in the energy supply cavity, and the susceptor contained in the heating element 214 generates heat, which is absorbed by the heat absorbing / releasing material. The pre-heating step may be performed until the heat absorbing / releasing material changes its phase to a liquid phase. During the vaping step in the off-device mode, the consumable kit 210 is removed from the device. The vaporizable material is heated by the heat released from the heat absorbing / releasing material until the heat absorbing / releasing material is completely solidified.

Claims

1. A heating element (14) for a consumable item (12), wherein the consumable item (12) includes a storage portion (22) for storing a vaporizable material, and the heating element (14) engages with the consumable item (12) at an engagement position at least partially surrounding the storage portion (22) of the consumable item (12) and is configured to be disengaged, and includes an element body (24). The element body (24) is further configured to be at least partially removably received within an energy supply cavity (52) of an external energy supply device (42). The element body (24) includes a heat absorption / release material (32), and the heat absorption / release material (32) - Absorbs heat during a preheating stage that is executed when the element body (24) is engaged with the consumable item (12) and is received in the engagement position within the energy supply cavity (52) of the external energy supply device (42) together with the consumable item (12). - During a vaping stage that is executed when a trigger event occurs, while the element body (24) is in the engagement position with the consumable item (12), releases the absorbed heat to the storage portion (22) and further to the vaporizable material. The element body (24) further includes a heater (31) including at least one susceptor capable of generating heat by inductive interaction with the external energy supply device (42). The heating element (14).

2. The heat absorption / release material (32) is a phase change material (PCM) capable of absorbing / releasing heat during a phase change. Preferably, the phase change material (PCM) is selected to melt during the preheating stage and solidify during the vaping stage. Advantageously, the phase change material (PCM) includes a salt, a eutectic mixture of salts, or a salt hydrate. The heating element (14) according to Claim 1.

3. The heater (31) - Generates heat during the preheating stage, transfers this heat to the heat absorption / release material (32), and / or - During the vaping stage, transfers heat from the heat absorption / release material (32) to the vaporizable material. The heating element (14) according to Claim 1.

4. The heater (31) is designed to be arranged at least partially around at least a part of the storage portion (22) of the consumable article (12) and / or to penetrate the storage portion (22) of the consumable article (12) when the element body (24) is in the engagement position with the consumable article (12). The heating element (14) according to claim 1.

5. The heater (31) is designed to be interposed between the storage portion (22) of the consumable article (12) and the heat absorption / dissipation material (32) when the element body (24) is in the engagement position with the consumable article (12). The heating element (14) according to claim 1.

6. The heater (31) includes a plurality of susceptors mixed with or embedded in the heat absorption / dissipation material (32). The heating element (14) according to claim 1.

7. The element body (24) further includes a protruding member designed to penetrate the storage portion of the consumable article (12) when the element body (24) is in the engagement position with the consumable article. The protruding member includes at least a part of the heater (31) and / or the heat absorption / dissipation material (32). Preferably, the heater (31) includes a susceptor. The heating element (14) according to claim 1.

8. The element body (24) is a heat insulator (33), and further includes a heat insulator (33) configured to be arranged at least partially around the heat absorption / dissipation material (32) and / or at least partially around the storage portion (22). The heating element (14) according to claim 1.

9. The element body (24) forms a ring or a cup that can be engaged with the consumable article (12) by sliding along the article axis (X). The heating element (14) according to claim 1.

10. The heating element (14) according to claim 1 further includes fixing means designed to fix the element body (24) on the consumable article (12) when the element body (24) is engaged with the consumable article (12).

11. The trigger event includes achieving a predetermined temperature of the vaporizable material within the storage portion (22), expiration of a predetermined time delay, achieving a predetermined pressure in the vicinity of the consumable article (12), or consuming a predetermined amount of energy from a power source. The heating element (14) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A consumable kit (10, 110, 210), - A consumable article (12, 112, 212) comprising a storage portion (22, 122, 222) for storing a vaporizable material; - A heating element (14, 114, 214) comprising a heat absorption / emission material, wherein the heat absorption / emission material - Absorbs heat during a preheating stage that is executed when the consumable kit (10, 110, 210) is received within the energy supply cavity (52) of an external energy supply device (42); - During a vaping stage that is executed when a trigger event occurs, releases the absorbed heat to the storage portion (22, 122, 222) and further to the vaporizable material. A heating element (14, 114, 214) capable of doing so; A consumable kit (10, 110, 210) comprising.

13. A vaping set, - An external energy supply device (42) comprising an energy supply cavity (52); - The consumable kit (10, 110, 210) according to claim 12; A vaping set comprising.

14. A method for generating an aerosol from the consumable kit (10, 110, 210) according to claim 12, - When engaging the consumable kit (10, 110, 210) with an external energy supply device (42), executing a preheating stage by heating the heating element (14, 114, 214) of the consumable kit (10, 110, 210); - When a trigger event occurs, executing a vaping stage by heating the vaporizable material with the heating element (14, 114, 214); A method for generating an aerosol having.

15. - After the vaping stage, when engaging the consumable kit (10, 110, 210) with the external energy supply device (42), executing a refilling stage for reheating the heating element (14, 114, 214). The method for generating an aerosol according to claim 14, further comprising.

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