Aerosol supply system

Abstract

To provide an aerosol supply system for generating aerosol to be absorbed by a user.SOLUTION: An aerosol supply system includes: a base material 110 for providing an aerosol generating material for generating aerosol; a replaceable part 24; and a reusable part 22. The reusable part comprises: a housing 32 including an interface 26 configured to operably engage the replaceable part 24 and an air channel 50 for receiving aerosol generated from the aerosol generating material; a detection part 92 detecting a passage of air; at least one aerosol generating element 112 disposed with respect to the interface 26 and configured in use to generate aerosol from the aerosol generating material; and a control circuit which controls the aerosol generating element 112 to receive a signal from a detection part 92 indicating an amount of air and selectively generate aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material according to the amount of air drawn.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present technology relates to aerosol delivery systems, methods of generating aerosol within aerosol delivery devices (e.g., e-cigarettes, etc.), and replaceable / consumable items used in aerosol delivery devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Aerosol delivery devices are known. A typical device uses a heater to generate an aerosol from a suitable medium, which is then inhaled by the user. In many cases, a significant level of heating of the suitable medium is required before the inhaled aerosol is generated. Similarly, there is a wide variety of media capable of generating inhalable aerosols that current devices provide to the user. Current devices often require modification of the device, e.g., loading of a medium, to allow for changing the active aerosol generating medium within the device. Thus, such devices typically include replaceable parts that can provide an energy source, a heating element, and a consumable or replaceable part that contains an aerosol generating medium that is replaced when exhausted.

[0003] It is desirable for an aerosol delivery device to quickly deliver an aerosolized payload to a user, and therefore there is a desire to avoid long heating periods before the aerosolized payload is received by the user.

[0004] The present invention is directed to solving some of the problems mentioned above.

[0005] Various approaches are described herein that are intended to contribute to addressing or alleviating at least some of the problems discussed above. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to a first aspect of certain embodiments, an aerosol delivery system for generating an aerosol to be inhaled by a user is provided, the aerosol delivery system comprising a replaceable part and a reusable part. The replaceable part comprises a substrate comprising an aerosol-generating material for generating an aerosol to be inhaled by a user. In some examples, the housing of the replaceable part can include an air channel, and the substrate can be disposed relative to the air channel such that air drawn through the air channel by the user's inhalation carries the aerosol generated by the substrate to the user. In other examples, the replaceable part may not include a channel itself, but instead be configured to be disposed within an air channel provided by the reusable part. The reusable part comprises a housing including a junction configured to operably engage with the replaceable part, and an air channel configured at least partially within the housing to provide a passage for air drawn in by the user to receive an aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material. The detector is configured to detect the passage of air drawn through the air channel, and at least one aerosol generating element or battery is disposed relative to the junction and configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material in use. The control circuitry is configured to receive a signal from the detector indicative of the amount of air drawn by the user, and to control the at least one aerosol generating element to selectively generate aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material in response to the amount of air drawn through the air channel. According to this example, the at least one aerosol generating element is configured to selectively generate aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material in response to the amount of air drawn by the user, relative to a substrate of the replaceable portion, such that aerosol is generated in selectable amounts.

[0007] In some exemplary embodiments, the substrate is configured to be moved relative to the at least one aerosol generating element to enable aerosol generation from different regions of the aerosol-generating material. In other examples, the at least one aerosol generating element comprises multiple aerosol generating elements that can be selectively operated in series (sequentially) or in parallel to generate aerosol at different rates or for different durations.

[0008] In some examples, the different regions of aerosol-generating material can be discrete portions or points, while in other examples, the aerosol-generating material can be a continuous deposit, sheet, or medium and the different regions are different sections of a continuous or unbroken deposit of aerosol-generating material on the substrate.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment, the control circuit controls at least one aerosol generating element to generate aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material in proportion to one or both of the strength of the user's puff (amount of air drawn in per unit time) and the duration of the user's puff (air drawing duration).

[0010] It will be appreciated that the features and aspects of the present disclosure described in this specification in relation to the first and other aspects of the disclosure are equally applicable to embodiments of the present disclosure relating to the other aspects of the disclosure and may be combined therewith in other than the specific combinations described above as appropriate.

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aerosol delivery device (e-cigarette) including a reusable portion and a consumable portion according to an exemplary embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a three-dimensional representation of the various components of the aerosol delivery device (e-cigarette) with reusable and consumable parts of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is an expanded view of a layered representation of components of an aerosol delivery device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of components of an aerosol delivery device providing an exemplary battery according to an embodiment of the present technology. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary arrangement of multiple gel dispensed portions of an aerosol-generating material disposed relative to multiple corresponding heating elements. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic representation of an aerosol delivery device according to another exemplary embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example of a disk-shaped substrate having successively dispensed portions of aerosol-generating gel disposed thereon. [Figure 8] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of components of an aerosol delivery device providing an exemplary battery of an exemplary embodiment of the present technology corresponding to FIG. [Figure 9] 6 is a schematic representation of an aerosol delivery device according to another exemplary embodiment corresponding to FIG. 5. [Figure 10] 10 is a graphical plot of temperature proximate a heating element or elements versus time illustrating the operation of the example shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] [Detailed Description] Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and will not be discussed / described in detail for the sake of brevity. Thus, it will be appreciated that aspects and features not described in detail of the apparatus and methods discussed herein may be implemented according to any conventional technique for implementing such aspects and features.

[0014] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems, sometimes referred to as non-combustion heating systems, such as e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description, the terms "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may be used, but it will be appreciated that the terms may be used interchangeably with aerosol delivery systems / devices and electronic aerosol delivery systems / devices. Furthermore, as is common in the art, the terms "vapor" and "aerosol," and related terms such as "vaporize," "volatilize," and "aerosolize," may generally be used interchangeably.

[0015] Aerosol delivery systems (e-cigarettes) often, but not always, comprise a modular assembly that includes both a reusable part (control unit part) and a replaceable (disposable) cartridge part. In many cases, the replaceable cartridge part will comprise the vapor precursor material and the vaporizer, and the reusable part will comprise the power source (e.g., a rechargeable battery) and control circuitry. It will be appreciated that these different parts may comprise further elements depending on their functionality. For example, the reusable device part may comprise a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operational status characteristics, and the replaceable cartridge part may comprise a temperature sensor to help control the temperature. The cartridge is used in electrical and mechanical connection to the control unit, for example using threads, latching, or bayonet fastening means with appropriately mating electrical contacts. When the vapor precursor material in the cartridge is used up, or when the user wishes to replace it with a different cartridge having a different vapor precursor material, the cartridge can be removed from the control unit and a replacement cartridge installed in its place. Devices based on this type of two-part modular configuration may be commonly referred to as two-part devices. It is also common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongated shape. To provide a concrete example, certain embodiments of the present disclosure described herein shall be construed as comprising such a generally elongated two-part device employing a disposable cartridge. However, it will be appreciated that the basic principles described herein may be equally employed for different electronic cigarette configurations, such as single-part devices or modular devices comprising three or more parts, refillable devices, and single-use disposable devices, as well as devices following other overall shapes, such as those based on so-called box-mod high-performance devices that typically have a more box-like shape.More generally, it will be appreciated that certain embodiments of the present disclosure are based on techniques intended to contribute to a more reliable formation of a seal against the opening in the reservoir wall through which the wick passes, in accordance with the principles described herein, and that other structural and functional aspects of an electronic cigarette embodying a technique in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure are not of primary importance and may, for example, be implemented in accordance with any established technique.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view through an exemplary aerosol delivery device 20 according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, and a corresponding three-dimensional representation is shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the aerosol delivery device 20 comprises two main components, a reusable portion 22 and a replaceable / cartridge portion 24, also referred to as a consumable. In normal use, the reusable portion 22 and the replaceable / cartridge portion 24 are removably coupled together at an interface 26. When the replaceable / cartridge portion 24 is used up or the user simply desires to replace it with a different cartridge portion, the cartridge portion can be removed from the reusable portion and a replacement cartridge portion can be attached to the reusable portion instead. The interface 26 provides a structural, electrical, and air path connection between these two portions and can be established by conventional techniques, for example based on threads, latching mechanisms, push or friction fits, or bayonet fastening means, with electrical contacts and openings appropriately positioned to establish electrical connections and air paths between the two portions. The particular manner in which the replaceable part 24 is mechanically coupled to the reusable part 22 is not important to the principles described herein, but for the sake of illustrative simplicity, it is assumed herein that, for example, a portion of the cartridge includes a latching mechanism that is received in a corresponding receptacle with a cooperating latch-engaging element in the reusable part (not shown in FIG. 2). It will be appreciated that the interface 26 may not support an electrical and / or air path connection between the respective parts in some implementations. For example, in some implementations, a vaporizer may be provided in the reusable part rather than in the cartridge part, or the transfer of power from the reusable part to the cartridge part may be wireless (e.g., based on electromagnetic induction) such that no electrical connection between the reusable part and the cartridge part is required. Still further, in some embodiments, the airflow through the electronic cigarette may not pass through the reusable part, in which case no air path connection between the reusable part and the cartridge part is required.

[0017] The replaceable part 24 may be generally conventional, except as modified in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure, as described herein. In FIG. 1, the replaceable part 24 comprises a housing 62 formed of a plastic material. In other examples, the housing 62 may be formed, at least in part, from paper and / or card. For example, the housing 62 may be paper wrapped around one or more (cylindrical) dispensing portions of aerosol generating material. The replaceable housing 62 may support other components of the replaceable part 24 and provide a mechanical joint 26 with the reusable part 22. The replaceable housing is generally circularly symmetric about a longitudinal axis along which the replaceable part is coupled to the reusable part 22. In this example, the replaceable part has a length of about 4 cm and a diameter of about 1.5 cm. However, it will be appreciated that the detailed geometry, and more generally the overall shapes and materials used, may differ in different implementations.

[0018] Broadly speaking, however, in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, replaceable portion 24 comprises or consists of one or more portions of aerosol-generating material that, when engaged with reusable portion 22, can be used to generate an aerosol that is inhaled by a user.

[0019] In some examples, the replaceable portion 24 is comprised of or formed entirely of an aerosol-generating material. In these examples, the substrate 110 as used herein may refer to either the replaceable portion 24 or the aerosol-generating material. That is, the replaceable portion, the aerosol-generating material, and the substrate may be one and the same. In these examples, the reusable portion 22 may be configured to receive the aerosol-generating material, for example, via a suitable receptacle that serves as the interface 26.

[0020] In other examples, the reusable part 22 may comprise a support on which the aerosol-generating material may be disposed. In these implementations, the combination of the support and the aerosol-generating material may be referred to as the substrate 110. In these examples, the reusable part 22 may comprise or consist of the substrate 110. In one example, the substrate 110 may be housed within the replaceable part 24, e.g., within a plastic housing, and the plastic housing of the replaceable part 24 is configured to engage with the reusable part 22 at the interface 26. Alternatively, the replaceable part 24 may comprise the substrate 110, and the reusable part 22 may be configured to receive the substrate 110, e.g., via a suitable receptacle that functions as the interface 26. The support may be or include, e.g., paper, cardboard, paperboard, recycled material, plastic material, ceramic material, composite material, glass, metal, or metal alloy. In some embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the susceptor is on one or both sides of the material.

[0021] For purposes of specificity of the disclosure, replaceable part 24 comprises a replaceable housing 62 within which substrate 110 is housed, although it should be appreciated that certain aspects of the present disclosure may be equally applicable regardless of the form of replaceable part 24.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, within the replaceable housing 62 is a layer providing a substrate 110 on which an aerosol-generating material is disposed. The substrate is supported by one or more walls of the housing 62 in close proximity to a heating layer 112 that may protrude from the reusable portion 22 into the replaceable portion 24. As shown in FIG. 1, the replaceable portion 24 includes air channels 72, 75 in some examples. The reusable portion 22 includes an outer housing 32 having an opening that defines an air inlet 48 for the e-cigarette, a battery 46 for providing operating power to the e-cigarette, control circuitry 38 for controlling and monitoring operation of the e-cigarette, user input buttons 34, and a visual display 44.

[0023] The outer housing 32 may be formed, for example, from a plastic or metal material, and in this example has a circular cross-section that generally follows the shape and size of the replaceable portion 24, such that a smooth transition between the two portions is achieved at the junction 26. In this example, the reusable portion has a length of about 8 cm, and therefore the overall length of the e-cigarette when the replaceable and reusable portions are joined together is about 12 cm. However, as previously noted, it will be appreciated that the overall shape and scale of an electronic cigarette embodying an embodiment of the present disclosure is not critical to the principles described herein.

[0024] Air inlet 48 connects to an air pathway 50 through reusable part 22. Reusable part air pathway 50 then passes through junction 26 to connect to replaceable part air pathway 72 when reusable part 22 and replaceable part 24 are connected together. As a result, when a user inhales through mouthpiece opening 70, air is drawn in through air inlet 48, travels along reusable part air pathway 50, crosses junction 26, passes through vapor-generating region 73 adjacent the aerosol-generating material, travels along replaceable part air pathway 72, passes through air channel 75, and exits through mouthpiece opening 70 to be inhaled by the user.

[0025] Thus, according to the example shown in FIG. 1 , the replaceable part 24 includes air channels 75. However, in other embodiments, the replaceable part 24 may not include air channels. In these embodiments, the replaceable part 24 is configured with a substrate construction such that when the replaceable part 24 is engaged with the reusable part 22, the substrate 110 is positioned relative to the air channels 72 formed in the reusable part 22 such that air drawn by a user's inhalation through the air channels 50 of the reusable part 22 carries aerosols generated by the substrate 110 of the replaceable part 24 to the user. For example, the substrate 110 may be disposed within the air channels 50 to allow air to pass over one or more surfaces of the substrate 110.

[0026] The battery 46 in this example may be rechargeable and may be of a conventional type, such as the kind commonly used in e-cigarettes and other applications requiring a relatively high current for a relatively short period of time. The battery 46 may be recharged through a charging connector, such as a USB connector (not shown), in the housing 32 of the reusable part 22.

[0027] The user input buttons 34 in this example are conventional mechanical buttons, e.g., with a spring-loaded component that a user can press to establish electrical contact. In this regard, the input buttons can be considered input devices for detecting user input, and the particular manner in which the buttons are implemented is not important. For example, in other implementations, other forms of mechanical button(s) or touch-sensitive button(s) (e.g., based on capacitive or optical sensing technologies) may be used.

[0028] A display 44 is provided to provide a user with visual indications of various characteristics associated with the aerosol delivery device, such as current power setting information, remaining battery power, etc. More generally, the manner in which a display is provided and used to display information to the user is not important to the principles described herein. For example, some embodiments may not include a visual display, may include other means for providing information to a user regarding operational characteristics of the aerosol delivery device, such as using audio signaling or tactile feedback, or may not include any means for providing information to a user regarding operational characteristics of the aerosol delivery device.

[0029] The control circuitry 38 is suitably configured / programmed to control the operation of the e-cigarette to provide functionality consistent with established techniques for operating e-cigarettes. For example, the control circuitry 38 can be configured to control the supply of power from the battery 46 to a thermal control unit, which in turn controls the heating layer 112 to generate vapor from one or more doses of material in the replaceable portion 24 in response to actuation of the input button 34 by a user, or in other implementations in response to other triggers, such as in response to detection of a user inhale, via the mouthpiece outlet 70. The control circuitry (processor circuitry) 38 can be considered to logically comprise various subunits / circuit components associated with various aspects of the operation of the aerosol delivery device, such as user input detection, power supply control, display driving, etc. It will be appreciated that the functionality of the control circuitry 38 can be provided in a variety of different ways, for example, using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and / or one or more suitably configured application specific integrated circuit(s) / circuitry / chip(s) / chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality.

[0030] As will be described in more detail below, the control circuitry may also include a memory and a clock / timer for estimating the amount of gel used during a puff, and thereby the amount remaining. In this manner, the control circuitry can determine whether the gel portion has been used up.

[0031] The term puff, as used herein, refers to a continuous or substantially continuous drawing of air through an air channel by a user to draw vapor from an aerosol delivery device.

[0032] The aerosol delivery system of Figures 1 and 2 differs from conventional e-cigarettes in that a portion of the aerosol-generating material is heated to generate an aerosol that is inhaled by the user in response to the amount of air drawn through the air channels 50, 72 via the mouthpiece 70 by the user. As will be described later with reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5, the control circuitry 38 controls the heating layer 112 to selectively energize different heating elements of the heating layer 112 in response to the amount of airflow in the air channels 50, 72 detected by the airflow detection unit 92. Thus, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present technology, the aerosolizable material delivery device is configured to provide a puff response, i.e., an amount of heating and / or aerosol is generated in response to and in proportion to the user's puff strength / duration. This device finds particular application for tobacco heating product (THP) devices. Previously proposed configurations have tended to include a single heating unit, for example to generate vapor from a regenerated tobacco rod (taking a form similar to that of a combustible cigarette) where the entire tobacco rod is heated during a use session to provide the aerosol. However, a single larger heating element heating a relatively large mass of consumable naturally takes a long time (e.g., 40 seconds to a minute) to reach operating temperature and begin to vaporize the consumable. Similarly, it is very difficult to rapidly change the temperature of a heating element because the heating element has a thermal response time comparable to or greater than the typical length of a puff.

[0033] The present technology is therefore based on the recognition that a puff response can be achieved in THP when using a relatively smaller heating element that is arranged to heat a relatively smaller patch of gel, and in that case the thermal response time of the heating element / system can be relatively faster.

[0034] An exemplary consumable is a flat substrate 110 (e.g., paper / cardboard) having a plurality of aerosol-generating material (gel) portions 114 disposed on its surface, each having a predefined mass, as shown in Figures 3 and 5. Each of the gel portions 114 can be heated by an individual heating section 120 disposed below or in close proximity to the flat substrate 110 according to a configuration that can vary according to the physical properties of the aerosol delivery device.

[0035] A more detailed construction is shown in Figure 3, which shows, in an exploded view, a substrate 110 with a portion of aerosol-generating material 114 shown on a surface thereof, on a heating layer 112 which is shown on a control layer 113. It will be appreciated that the construction of the control layer 113, heating layer 112, and substrate 110 is for illustrative purposes only and may not correspond to the actual construction of an aerosol delivery device embodying the invention.

[0036] Although the example shown in FIG. 3 shows separate portions, dots, or discrete portions of aerosol-generating material that form different regions, in other examples, the aerosol-generating material may be a continuous deposit, sheet, or medium and the different regions are different sections of a continuous or unbroken deposit of aerosol-generating material on the substrate.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3, the heating layer 112 includes a plurality of aerosol generating elements, each of which includes a controllable battery 115. The heating layer 112 thus provides a controllable battery adjacent each of the gel portions 114 in the substrate 110, capable of generating heat for that gel portion. An exemplary representation of one of the batteries 115 is shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the battery is shown as including a heating element or heating portion 120 connected to a circuit including a connection to a power source 146.1, and a variable resistor or potentiometer 117 or similar device capable of varying the amount of current provided by the circuit to the heating element 120. A control channel or conductor 119 connects a control input on the potentiometer 117 to the controller 38. A signal applied to the control channel 119 from the controller 38 to the potentiometer 117 can vary the amount of current provided from the power source 146.1 to the heating element 120.

[0038] In the examples described below, the heating energy source 120 is a heating section, e.g., a resistive heating section, by which energy (in the form of heat) is provided to the aerosol-generation medium to generate heat. The device 100 may have multiple chambers or regions, which may or may not be separate from each other. The device 100 may have a power chamber (not shown) with a power source for providing power to the heating energy source 120. The heating energy source 120 in the described examples is an electrically resistive heating section 120. However, in other examples, the heating energy source 120 may be a chemically activated heating section, which may or may not operate via an exothermic reaction or the like. The heating energy source 120 may be part of an inductive heating system, in which case the heating energy source 120 is an energy source for inductive heating, e.g., a coil of copper wire, and the substrate 110 may be or include a susceptor, e.g., a sheet of aluminum foil, etc. For purposes of providing a concrete example, the heating energy source is described herein as a resistive heater, however, it should be appreciated that references to different heaters or heating system components are contemplated for use with the device.

[0039] The heating section 120 provides thermal energy, heat, to an environment surrounding the heating section 120. At least a portion of the substrate 110 is within an effective area of ​​the heating section 120. The effective area of ​​the heating section 120 is the area over which the heating section 120 can provide heat to an article.

[0040] The substrate 110 in this example includes an aerosol-generating medium disposed on a surface thereof. However, in other implementations, the substrate 110 may be formed solely of an aerosol-generating medium. In yet other implementations, the substrate 110 may have a layered structure of multiple materials. In one example, the substrate 110 may have a layer formed of at least one of a thermally conductive material, a dielectric material, a transmissive material, or a non-transmissive material.

[0041] The source of the aerosol-generating medium may take any suitable form or structure. In one embodiment, the source of the aerosol-generating medium may include a substrate (e.g., paper, cardboard, foil) including a first and second side, with the aerosol-generating medium disposed on the first side of the substrate. The substrate may then function as a carrier for the aerosol-generating medium. In some implementations, the substrate may be or may include a metal element configured to be heated by a changing magnetic field. In such implementations, the heating energy source 120 may include an induction coil that, upon application of a magnetic force, results in heating within the metal element of the source 110. The degree of heating may be affected by the distance between the metal element and the induction coil. In yet another alternative implementation, the source of the aerosol-generating medium may consist entirely (or substantially entirely) of the aerosol-generating medium (i.e., no carrier). For purposes of illustration, the source 110 described herein includes a substrate with the aerosol-generating medium disposed on the first side of the substrate, while the heating energy source 120 is herein a resistive heater.

[0042] In some examples, the aerosol-forming material is disposed on the substrate 110 such that the distance from the heating energy source 120 to the aerosol-forming material is within a range of about 0.010 mm, 0.015 mm, 0.017 mm, 0.020 mm, 0.023 mm, 0.025 mm, 0.05 mm, 0.075 mm, 0.1 mm, to about 4 mm, 3.5 mm, 3 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.0 mm, 0.5 mm, or 0.3 mm. In some cases, there may be a minimum spacing of at least about 10 μm, 15 μm, 17 μm, 20 μm, 23 μm, 25 μm, 50 μm, 75 μm, or 0.1 mm between the heating energy source 120 and the aerosol-forming material on the substrate 110.

[0043] 4 includes a power source 146.1, it will be appreciated that providing each battery with its own power source 146.1 is merely an example. Alternatively, each battery can be connected to a single power source, such as power source 46.

[0044] The batteries shown in Figure 4 provide individually controllable heating elements 120 that can be controlled by the controller 38 to produce an amount of heat that is provided to heat the gel portions 114. As shown in Figure 5, the substrate 110 includes multiple gel portions 114 and the heating layer 112 includes a corresponding number of batteries with individual heating elements 120 so that the controller 38 can control the heating elements in series or parallel to cause one or more of the gel portions to generate an aerosol.

[0045] In certain embodiments, the controller 38 is configured to control the heating layer battery 110 to vary the amount of heat, and therefore the amount of aerosol generated by the one or more gel portions 114, in response to and proportion to the amount of air drawn through the air channels 50, 72 by the user. The amount of air drawn through the air channels 50, 72 is detected by the airflow sensor 92.

[0046] The airflow sensor 92 may be a pressure transducer or an anemometer such as a hot wire anemometer, an acoustic sensor, or a sensor that measures the cooling effect of water.

[0047] In one example, the battery's power supply to the heating section 120 can be varied in response to the strength of the user's puff as measured by the airflow sensor 92. For example, the strength of the puff, based on the magnitude of the signal detected by the airflow sensor 92, is proportional to the power applied to the heating section. first to the heating portion 120 of the battery 110, and a second puff is delivered at power level P second is supplied to the heating section 120 of the battery. second P first If the puff duration measured by the airflow sensor 92 becomes longer than the time required to vaporize the entire gel portion 114, then power is applied to the second gel portion 114 by the heating element 120 of another battery 110 to continue to generate aerosol for that puff, but the heating element 120 of the first battery 110 is turned off. The configuration of multiple smaller heating elements compared to fewer (e.g., one) larger heating elements results in a relatively smaller mass of the heating elements. As a result, the heating elements may reach operating temperature in a shorter time than the larger heating elements.

[0048] The amount of aerosol produced by each gel portion can be considered to be roughly proportional to the amount of cumulative energy applied to the gel portion from the power generated by the heating portion over time. Thus, by recording an indication of the amount of power being applied to the gel portion over time, the control unit 38 can be configured to estimate the amount of aerosol that the gel portion will produce before it is used up, and therefore the amount of aerosol remaining before the gel portion is used up. To this end, the control unit 38 can include a memory for storing the amount of time that a certain amount of heat has been applied to the gel portion 114, which time is measured with reference to clocks 150, 152. The recorded time and power can be used to calculate the cumulative amount of energy applied to the gel portion 114, and therefore the amount of gel still remaining. Alternatively, the airflow sensor 92 can be used to determine the amount of air drawn through the air channel in the vicinity of the vapor-generating region 73 to detect the amount of vapor produced by the gel portion, so that the control unit 38 can determine whether it is necessary to operate a different battery and operate another gel portion if one is used up. In a second example, the heating portion 120 of the battery 115 is powered at a fixed power P fixed The strength of the user's puff can be adjusted to provide fixed If the puff strength is stronger than the default puff strength corresponding to the setting of P, additional power P is applied to increase the total volume of aerosol entering the air channel per unit time. add are simultaneously supplied to the heating portion 120 of a second one of the plurality of cells 115 for generating an aerosol from a second portion of the gel 114. Thus, in the above example, P fixed +P add P secondHowever, by operating two heating elements 120 in parallel belonging to two different batteries 115, aerosol can be generated in a shorter time than a single heating element 120 belonging to a single battery 115. This can also be considered as increasing the active surface area of ​​the heating element configuration. If, as in the first example, the duration of the puff is greater than the time required to exhaust the gel portion 114, another gel portion 114 can be heated to maintain the volume of aerosol generated per unit time.

[0049] In each instance, the total amount of power supplied to the heating element (or the active portion of the heating element in contact with the gel) at any one time is proportional to the strength of the detected puff.

[0050] In another example, the user's previous puff data, such as strength, duration, or frequency, measured by the airflow sensor 92 can be stored in memory and then used to predict the user's future puff behavior, such as the next puff to be performed. This means that the control unit 38 can be configured to deliver a certain power level to the heating unit 120 of the battery 110 before the user puffs, so that the aerosol is immediately ready for the user to inhale. As a result, the control unit 38 can be configured to activate as many batteries as necessary to produce the predicted required volume of aerosol. As in the previous example, if it is determined that the predicted puff will use up the gel portion 14 before the end of the predicted puff duration, another gel portion 14 can be heated to maintain the predicted required volume of aerosol.

[0051] According to the exemplary embodiment described above with reference to Figures 3, 4 and 5, each of the gel portions is provided with a corresponding battery 115 and heating portion 120. However, in other embodiments, a single heating element may be provided and the gel portions may be moved relative to the heating portion. Such an arrangement is disclosed in the applicant's co-pending UK patent application no. 1904841.2, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. UK patent application no. 1904841.2 discloses an aerosol delivery device in which multiple gel portions on a substrate are rotated past a single heating portion. An example is shown in Figure 6.

[0052] With respect to the exemplary embodiments described above with reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5, the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 6 includes a substrate 110 in a device 100 having a first surface 112 on which a plurality of gel portions 114 of an aerosol-generating medium are disposed. The substrate 110 has a second surface 116 facing the first surface 112. The second surface 116 faces the first surface 112, and one or both of the first surface 112 and the second surface 116 may be smooth or rough. With respect to the above example, the device 100 includes a heating energy source 120 positioned to face the second surface 116 of the substrate 110. The heating energy source 120 is an element of the aerosol delivery device 100 that transfers energy from a power source, such as a battery (not shown), to the aerosol-generating medium 114 to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating medium 114. The device 100 has a moving mechanism 130 configured to move the substrate 110 and in particular the portion 114 (or possibly the dose) of the aerosol-generating medium disposed thereon. The portion 114 of the aerosol-generating medium is rotatably moveable relative to the heating portion 120 such that a portion of the aerosol-generating medium is individually presented to the heating portion 120 in this case. The device 100 is arranged such that at least one portion 114 of the aerosol-generating medium is rotated at an angle θ relative to the second surface 116 about an axis A. The substrate 110 is substantially flat in this implementation. The substrate 110 may be formed in part or entirely of paper or cardboard in this implementation.

[0053] According to this exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the amount of power supplied to the heating section 120 and the rotation of the substrate are controlled by the controller 238 in response to the strength of the user's puff as measured by the airflow sensor 192. In other words, a signal generated by the airflow sensor 192 indicative of the amount of air drawn by the user through the aerosol delivery device 100 is sent to the controller 238, which controls the amount of heat generated by the heating section 120 and therefore the amount of aerosol produced. With respect to the above example, the amount of power supplied to the heating section 120 can be controlled to be proportional to the strength of the user's puff as indicated by the amount of air drawn by the user. Thus, the amount of power supplied to the heating section is controlled in proportion to the amount of air drawn. If the duration of the user's puff continues for a time that exceeds the amount of vapor that can be generated from the gel portion or the remaining amount of the gel portion, the controller 238 can control the rotation mechanism to rotate the substrate so that a new portion of the gel can be heated to generate vapor.

[0054] As will be appreciated, in the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 6, in contrast to the exemplary embodiments presented in Figures 3, 4, and 5, vapor may be generated from only one gel portion 114 at a time using only a single heating element, although multiple heating elements 120 may also be included with the aerosol delivery device of Figure 6 such that more than one heating element may be activated if desired to increase the amount of vapor contained in the generated aerosol in proportion to the strength of the user's puff or the duration of the user's puff.

[0055] The above embodiments are described with respect to multiple discrete gel portions, where one or more discrete heating elements are used to heat a single gel portion, which may be continuous or non-continuous. However, in other examples, the gel may be continuous and multiple heating elements may be used to vaporize the gel. For example, in the case of the second exemplary embodiment with reference to FIG. 6, the heating element surface may be divided into segments, which may be either activated or not based on the strength of the user's puff, or they may be moved towards / away from the consumable while already activated. An example is shown in FIG. 7, where the gel 214 is formed on a disk-shaped substrate 210. Two heating elements 220.1, 220.2 are located under different sections 243, 244 of the gel, which divide the continuous surface of the gel into 241, 242, 243, 244. With respect to the example of FIG. 6, the substrate may be rotated once the sections of gel are exhausted.

[0056] In some examples, humidity sensors are also included to determine the amount of water vapor in the surrounding air, which are used by the controller 238 to adjust the amount of heat applied to the gel portion or to adjust an estimate of the amount of gel remaining before activating another gel portion. Air humidity can affect the rate at which vapor is generated when heat is applied to the gel portion to form an aerosol. Thus, depending on the air humidity, the user may need to draw in more air. Thus, by estimating a measurement of air humidity, the controller can more accurately determine the amount of gel remaining in a gel portion relative to the amount of heat (energy) already applied to the gel portion, and therefore when switching to a new gel portion is necessary.

[0057] According to the above example, the controller 38 manages the heating elements 120, 120.1, 120.2 to generate steam from the gel portions in an open-loop manner, in the sense that an estimate of the amount of steam generated from the gel portions is determined without directly measuring whether steam is being generated by the gel portions. This may provide a simpler arrangement for controlling the heating elements to generate steam, but may have a disadvantage in that the manufacturing tolerances of the consumables, including the gel portions, may need to be higher to avoid either the gel portion being used up before the controller switches to a new gel portion 114, or the controller switching to a new gel portion when there is still gel remaining in the previous portion.

[0058] As will be appreciated, in other exemplary embodiments, a detector may be used to provide an estimate of the gel-derived vapor in the aerosol and thus detect when the gel portion has been used up and stopped producing vapor before or during the switch. One example of such a detector is a light obstruction or turbidity type sensor where the amount of vapor present is determined from the amount of light absorbed.

[0059] In further exemplary embodiments, one temperature sensor may be provided in proximity to the heating elements or one temperature sensor may be provided per heating element. Such exemplary embodiments are shown in Figs. 8 and 9, which correspond to the examples of Figs. 4 and 5. As shown in Fig. 8, each of the controllable cells includes a temperature sensor 300 connected to the control unit 38. The temperature sensor may thus measure the temperature in or around the gel portion 114. An alternative in which a single temperature sensor 300 is provided for multiple controllable cells with associated gel portions 114 is shown in Fig. 9. In the configuration of Fig. 9, it may be sufficient to place the temperature sensor 300 in the vicinity of the consumable. According to these exemplary embodiments, one or more temperature sensors 300 may be used to detect the rate of change of temperature. As will be appreciated, while gel is present in the gel portion 114, the temperature in the vicinity of the gel portion remains substantially constant as the gel absorbs heat as the thermal energy is converted into steam, but once the steam is used up, the temperature around the heating portion will rise rapidly. An example showing a plot 320 of temperature versus time is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 9. During the first section, there is an increase in temperature until the gel portion 114 starts producing steam. After the heating section 120 reaches ambient temperature and the gel is producing steam, the temperature around the gel portion remains relatively constant as shown in section 324. However, once the gel is used up, the heat starts to increase with time as shown in section 326. By comparing the rate of change of temperature versus time, ΔT / Δt, to a threshold value, the control section 38 can detect when the gel portion is used up. In response, the control section 38 can be configured to detect if the rate of change of temperature exceeds a predetermined limit corresponding to the gel being used up, and then turn off the heating section and switch to another gel portion.

[0060] In a further exemplary embodiment, an aerosol delivery system for generating an aerosol to be inhaled by a user may comprise a replaceable part 24 and a reusable part 22. The replaceable part 24 comprises a housing and a substrate 110 disposed within the housing, the substrate 110 comprising an aerosol-generating material 114 for generating an aerosol to be inhaled by a user. The reusable part 22 comprises a housing 32 including an interface configured to operably engage with the replaceable part 24, an air channel configured at least partially within the housing for providing a passage of air drawn by a user to receive an aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material, a detector 92 for detecting passage of air drawn through the air channel, an aerosol generating element disposed relative to the interface and configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material in use, and a control circuit 38. The control circuit is configured to receive a signal from the detector indicative of an amount of air drawn by the user, and to control the aerosol generating element to generate an aerosol in proportion to the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user in response to the detector detecting the amount of air passing through the air channel. As indicated above, the aerosol-forming material may be an amorphous solid, such as a gel.

[0061] In some examples, the aerosol generating element may be a heating unit, and the control circuit is configured to control the amount of heat generated by the heating unit in proportion to the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user to generate an aerosol from the aerosol generating material in response to the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user.

[0062] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol delivery system is an e-cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

[0063] In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is a tobacco heating system, also known as a non-combustion heating system.

[0064] In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is a hybrid system for generating aerosol using a combination of multiple aerosol-generating materials, one or more of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in solid, liquid, or gel form, and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may include, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0065] Typically, a non-combustion aerosol delivery system may comprise a non-combustion aerosol delivery device and an article for use with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device, although it is contemplated that an article that itself comprises a means for powering an aerosol generating component may itself form a non-combustion aerosol delivery system.

[0066] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol delivery device can include a power source and a controller. The power source can be, for example, a power source.

[0067] In some embodiments, articles for use with a non-combustible aerosol delivery device can include an aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating component, an aerosol-generating area, a mouthpiece, and / or an area for receiving the aerosol-generating material.

[0068] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating component is a heating element capable of interacting with the aerosol-generating material to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol.

[0069] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered can be an aerosol-generating material. An aerosol-generating material, sometimes referred to herein as an aerosol-generating material, is a material that can generate an aerosol when subjected to, for example, heat, radiation, or some other energy. The aerosol-generating material can be in the form of, for example, a solid, liquid, or gel, which may or may not contain nicotine and / or flavorings. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material can include an "amorphous solid," which may alternatively be referred to as a "monolithic solid" (i.e., non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid can be a dry gel. An amorphous solid is a solid material that can hold some fluid, e.g., a liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material can include, for example, from about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, or 70 wt% amorphous solid to about 90 wt%, 95 wt%, or 100 wt% amorphous solid.

[0070] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating material may include one or more polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, and glycerin, esters of polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol mono-, di-, or triacetate, and / or aliphatic esters mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.

[0071] In certain embodiments, the aerosol forming materials include a gelling agent, including a cellulosic and / or non-cellulosic gelling agent, an active agent, and an acid.

[0072] The gelling agent may include one or more compounds selected from cellulosic gelling agents, non-cellulosic gelling agents, guar gum, acacia gum, and mixtures thereof.

[0073] In some embodiments, the cellulosic gelling agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), cellulose acetate propionate (CAP), and combinations thereof.

[0074] In some embodiments, the gelling agent includes (or is) one or more of hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethyl cellulose, guar gum, or acacia gum.

[0075] In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more non-cellulosic gelling agents, including, but not limited to, agar, xanthan gum, gum arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan, starch, alginate, and combinations thereof. In preferred embodiments, the non-cellulose based gelling agent is alginate or agar.

[0076] The aerosol-generating material may include an acid. The acid may be an organic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of a monobasic acid, a dibasic acid, and a tribasic acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may include at least one carboxyl functional group. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of an alpha hydroxy acid, a carboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a tricarboxylic acid, and a keto acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be an alpha keto acid.

[0077] In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of succinic acid, lactic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, levulinic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, formic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, propanoic acid, and pyruvic acid.

[0078] Preferably, the acid is lactic acid. In other embodiments, the acid is benzoic acid. In other embodiments, the acid may be an inorganic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be a mineral acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, boric acid, and phosphoric acid. In some embodiments, the acid is levulinic acid.

[0079] The inclusion of an acid is particularly preferred in embodiments in which the aerosol-forming material includes nicotine. In such embodiments, the presence of an acid can stabilize dissolved species in the slurry forming the aerosol-forming material. The presence of an acid can reduce or substantially prevent evaporation of nicotine during drying of the slurry, thereby reducing loss of nicotine during production.

[0080] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiol acid (CBDA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM), and cannabiersoin (CBE), cannabicitran (CBT).

[0081] The aerosol-forming material may include one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of cannabidiol (CBD) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

[0082] The aerosol-generating material may include cannabidiol (CBD).

[0083] The aerosol-forming material may include nicotine and cannabidiol (CBD).

[0084] The aerosol-generating material may include nicotine, cannabidiol (CBD), and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

[0085] The aerosol-forming material may comprise one or more active ingredients, one or more carrier components, and optionally one or more other functional ingredients.

[0086] The active ingredient may include one or more physiological and / or olfactory active ingredients included in the aerosol-generating material to produce a physiological and / or olfactory response in the user. The active ingredient may be selected from, for example, functional foods, nootropics, and psychotropic drugs. The active ingredient may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active ingredient may include, for example, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, or any other suitable ingredient. The active ingredient may include an ingredient, derivative, or extract of tobacco or of another botanical substance. In some embodiments, the active ingredient is a physiologically active ingredient and may be selected from nicotine, nicotine salts (e.g. nicotine bitartrate / nicotine tartrate), nicotine-free tobacco substitutes, and other alkaloids such as caffeine.

[0087] In some embodiments, the active ingredient is an olfactory active ingredient and may be selected from "flavors" and / or "flavorings" that may be used to produce a desired taste, aroma, or other somatic sensation in adult consumer products to the extent permitted by local regulations. In some cases, such ingredients may be referred to as flavors, flavorings, cooling agents, heating agents, or sweetening agents. These may be naturally occurring flavor materials, botanical substances, extracts of botanical substances, synthetically derived materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice or liquorice, hydrangea, eugenol, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese peppermint, aniseed, cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, Berries, red berries, cranberries, peaches, apples, oranges, mangoes, clementines, lemons, limes, tropical fruits, papaya, rhubarb, grapes, durian, dragon fruit, cucumbers, blueberries, mulberries, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, Naswar, betel quid, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, pepper, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, peppermint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, yerba mate, olea bark, rose, tea such as green or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, shiso, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, black currant, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chives, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers,They may include bitter receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath fresheners, which may be imitation, synthetic, or natural, or mixtures thereof. These may be in any suitable form, e.g. liquids such as oils, solids such as powders, or gases, extracts (e.g. liquorice, hydrangea, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, Scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cassia, caraway, konjac ... The additives may be one or more of the following: citrus, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, pepper, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or peppermint oil from any species of the genus Mint), flavour enhancers, bitter taste receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath fresheners. These may be imitation, synthetic or natural, or mixtures thereof. They may be in any suitable form, such as oil, liquid, or powder.

[0088] In some embodiments, the flavoring includes menthol, spearmint, and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavoring includes cucumber, blueberry, citrus, and / or red berry flavoring ingredients. In some embodiments, the flavoring includes eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavoring includes flavoring ingredients extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavoring may include sensates intended to produce somatic sensations that are usually chemically induced and perceived by stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve) in addition to or instead of the aroma nerve or gustatory nerve, and these may include agents that provide a warming, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether, and a suitable cool agent may be, but is not limited to, eucalyptol, WS-3.

[0089] The carrier component may include one or more components capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the carrier component may include one or more of glycerin, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

[0090] The one or more other functional ingredients may include one or more of a pH adjuster, a colorant, a preservative, a binder, a filler, a stabilizer, and / or an antioxidant.

[0091] In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol delivery device may comprise an aerosol generating material or an area for receiving an aerosol generating material. In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol delivery device may comprise a mouthpiece. The area for receiving an aerosol generating material may be a storage area for storing the aerosol generating material. For example, the storage area may be a reservoir. In some embodiments, the area for receiving an aerosol generating material may be separate from or combined with the aerosol generating area.

[0092] Although the above embodiments have focused in some respects on some particular example aerosol delivery systems, it will be appreciated that the same principles can be applied to aerosol delivery systems using other technologies, i.e., the particular manner in which various aspects of the aerosol delivery system function is not directly related to the principles underlying the examples described herein.

[0093] For example, while the above embodiments have focused primarily on aerosol delivery systems with vaporizers that include resistive heating coils, in other examples the vaporizers may include other forms of heating, such as planar heating in contact with the liquid transport element. Still further, in other implementations the vaporizer based heating may be heated by induction. In still other examples, the principles described above may be employed in devices that do not use heating to generate vapor but instead use other vaporization techniques, such as piezoelectric excitation.

[0094] Furthermore, as already noted, although the embodiments described above have focused on approaches in which the aerosol delivery system comprises a two-part device, the same principles can be applied to other forms of aerosol delivery systems that do not utilize a replaceable cartridge, such as refillable or single-use devices.

[0095] Thus, an aerosol delivery system for generating an aerosol to be inhaled by a user has been described. The aerosol delivery system comprises a replaceable part 24 and a reusable part 22, the replaceable part comprising a housing providing an air channel 72 and a substrate 110 disposed within the air channel, the substrate 110 comprising an aerosol-generating material 114 for generating an aerosol to be inhaled by a user. The reusable part comprises a housing 32 including an interface configured to operably engage with the replaceable part 24, and the reusable part 22 comprising an air channel configured at least partially within the housing to connect to the air channel of the replaceable part and provide a passage for air drawn in by a user to receive an aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material, a detector 92 for detecting the passage of air drawn through the air channel, at least one aerosol generating element disposed relative to the interface and configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material in use, and a control circuit 38. The control circuitry is configured to receive a signal from the detector indicative of the amount of air drawn by the user and to control the at least one aerosol generating element in response to the detector detecting the amount of air passing through the air channel, the at least one aerosol generating element being configured to selectively generate aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material according to the amount of air drawn by the user relative to a substrate of the replaceable part such that aerosol is generated in selectable amounts. In this example, the replaceable part includes an air channel.

[0096] The heating section(s) may comprise one or more electrical resistive heating sections, including, for example, one or more nichrome resistive heating section(s) and / or one or more ceramic heating section(s). The one or more heating sections may comprise one or more inductive heating sections, including a structure comprising one or more susceptors that may form a chamber into which, in use, an article comprising an aerosolizable material is inserted or otherwise disposed. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosolizable material may be provided with one or more susceptors. Other heating structures may also be used.

[0097] To address various problems and advance the art, the present disclosure provides, by way of example, various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced. The advantages and features of the present disclosure are merely for a representative sample of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. They are presented merely to aid in the understanding of and to teach the claimed invention(s). It should be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, features, features, structures, and / or other aspects of the present disclosure should not be considered as limiting the present disclosure as defined by the claims or the equivalents of the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. It will be appreciated that the various embodiments suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein, and thus the features of the dependent claims may be combined with the features of the independent claims in other combinations than those explicitly set forth in the claims. This disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

[0098] The following numbered paragraphs provide further illustrative aspects and features of the present disclosure.

[0099] Paragraph 1. 1. An aerosol delivery system for generating an aerosol for inhalation by a user, comprising: a replaceable portion (24) comprising a substrate (110) comprising an aerosol-generating material (114) for generating an aerosol that is inhaled by a user; a reusable portion (22), The reusable part is a housing (32) including an interface configured to operably engage the replaceable portion (24) and an air channel configured at least partially within the housing to provide a passage for air drawn by a user to receive an aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material; a detection portion (92) for detecting the passage of air drawn through the air channel; at least one aerosol generating element disposed relative to the junction and configured, in use, to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; and a control circuit (38) configured to receive a signal from the detector indicative of the amount of air drawn in by the user, and to control at least one aerosol generating element to selectively generate aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material in response to the amount of air drawn through the air channel.

[0100] Paragraph 2. The aerosol delivery system of paragraph 1, wherein the control circuit (38) is configured to selectively generate aerosol from different regions (114) of the substrate (110) depending on one or both of the amount of air drawn through the air channel by a user and the duration of drawing air through the air channel.

[0101] Paragraph 3. The aerosol supply system of paragraph 1 or 2, wherein the substrate is movable relative to the at least one aerosol generating element, and the control circuit (38) is configured to control the movement of the substrate relative to the at least one aerosol generating element to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material on the substrate in response to one or both of an amount of air drawn through the air channel by a user and a duration of drawing air through the air channel.

[0102] Paragraph 4. The aerosol delivery system of paragraph 1 or 2, wherein the reusable part (22) includes a moving mechanism (130) configured to engage with the substrate (110) when the replaceable part (22) is attached to the reusable part (24), and the control circuit (38) is configured to control the moving mechanism to move the substrate relative to the at least one aerosol generating element to generate aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material.

[0103] Paragraph 5. The aerosol delivery system of paragraph 4, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the amount of aerosol generated by each region of the aerosolizable aerosol generating material, and to move the substrate when a region is depleted to generate aerosol from a different region.

[0104] Paragraph 6. The aerosol supply system of paragraphs 1 or 4, wherein the at least one aerosol generating element comprises a plurality of aerosol generating elements, each of which is spatially positioned relative to the substrate such that, when activated, each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements generates an aerosol from a different region of the aerosol generating material, and the control circuit is configured to individually activate one or more of the plurality of aerosol generating elements in response to a user drawing air through the air channel such that an aerosol is generated on the substrate depending on one or both of the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user and the duration of the drawing of air through the air channel.

[0105] Paragraph 7. The aerosol supply system of paragraph 6, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate two or more of the aerosol generating elements when the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0106] Paragraph 8. The aerosol supply system of paragraph 6, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate a first one of the aerosol generating elements in response to the detection unit detecting air being drawn through the air channel, and to activate a second one of the aerosol generating elements when air is drawn through the air channel by the user for a duration that exceeds a threshold time.

[0107] Paragraph 9. The aerosol supply system of paragraph 8, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the amount of aerosol generated by each region of aerosolizable aerosol generating material and to activate a second one of the aerosol generating elements when the duration of the user's drawing of air through the air channel is greater than or equal to a threshold time, the threshold time being determined from the activation time of the first one of the aerosol generating elements to use up the region of aerosolizable aerosol generating material.

[0108] Paragraph 10. The aerosol delivery system described in paragraph 8, wherein each of the multiple aerosol generation elements comprises a battery including a controllable heating element connected to a control circuit.

[0109] Paragraph 11. An aerosol supply system as described in paragraph 6, wherein each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements comprises a battery including a controllable heating element connected to a control circuit configuration, the aerosol generating material responds to heat to generate an aerosol, the system includes at least one temperature sensor arranged relative to the plurality of heating elements to estimate a temperature of the heating section and / or the aerosol generating material, and the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate a first one of the plurality of heating sections in response to the detection section detecting air being drawn through the air channel, and to activate a second one of the plurality of heating sections in response to the estimated temperature.

[0110] Paragraph 12. An aerosol supply system as described in paragraph 11, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generation elements to activate a second of the plurality of heating sections in response to the estimated temperature when the rate of change of temperature with respect to time exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0111] Paragraph 13. An aerosol supply system as described in paragraph 12, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generation elements to activate a second of the plurality of heating sections in response to the estimated temperature when the estimated temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0112] Paragraph 14. The aerosol delivery system of any one of paragraphs 11, 12, or 13, wherein the at least one temperature sensor comprises a plurality of temperature sensors, each of the plurality of temperature sensors being arranged to estimate the temperature of one of the plurality of heating sections.

[0113] Paragraph 15. 15. The aerosol delivery system of any one of paragraphs 1 to 14, wherein the replaceable portion includes a housing configured with an air channel, and the substrate is arranged relative to the air channel such that air drawn through the replaceable portion and the reusable portion by a user draws the aerosol through the air channel of the replaceable portion so that it can be inhaled by the user.

[0114] Paragraph 16. A reusable part (22) of an aerosol delivery system for generating an aerosol to be inhaled by a user, comprising: a housing including an interface configured to operably engage with the replaceable portion, the replaceable portion including a substrate having an aerosol-generating material for generating an aerosol that is inhaled by a user; an air channel configured at least partially within the housing to provide a passage for air drawn in by a user to receive aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material of the replaceable portion disposed relative to the air channel; a detection portion (92) for detecting the passage of air drawn through the air channel; at least one aerosol generating element disposed relative to the junction and configured, in use, to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; A control circuit (38) comprising: receiving a signal from a detector (92) indicative of the amount of air drawn in by a user; and a control circuit (38) configured to control the at least one aerosol generating element to selectively generate aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material in response to an amount of air drawn through the air channel; A reusable portion (22).

[0115] Paragraph 17. The reusable part of paragraph 16, wherein the control circuit (38) is configured to selectively generate aerosol from different regions (114) of the substrate (110) depending on one or both of the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user and the duration of drawing air through the air channel.

[0116] Paragraph 18. The reusable part of paragraph 16 or 17, wherein the substrate is movable relative to the at least one aerosol generating element, and the control circuit (38) is configured to control the movement of the substrate relative to the at least one aerosol generating element so as to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material on the substrate in response to one or both of an amount of air drawn through the air channel by a user and a duration of drawing air through the air channel.

[0117] Paragraph 19. The reusable part of any one of paragraphs 16 to 18, wherein the reusable part (22) includes a moving mechanism (130) configured to engage with the substrate (110) when the replaceable part (22) is attached to the reusable part (24), and the control circuit (38) is configured to control the moving mechanism to move the substrate relative to the at least one aerosol generating element to generate aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material.

[0118] Paragraph 20. 20. The reusable part of paragraph 19, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine an amount of aerosol generated by each region of the aerosol-generating material, and to move the substrate when a region is depleted to generate aerosol from a different region.

[0119] Paragraph 21. 21. The reusable part of paragraph 16 or 20, wherein the at least one aerosol generating element comprises a plurality of aerosol generating elements, each of which is spatially positioned relative to the substrate such that, upon activation, each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements generates aerosol from a different region of the aerosol-generating material, and the control circuit is configured to individually activate one or more of the plurality of aerosol generating elements in response to a user drawing air through the air channel such that aerosol is selectively generated from different regions of the aerosol-generating material depending on one or both of the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user and the duration of the drawing of air through the air channel.

[0120] Paragraph 22. The reusable part of paragraph 21, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate two or more of the aerosol generating elements when the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0121] Paragraph 23. The reusable part of paragraph 21, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate a first one of the plurality of aerosol generating elements in response to the detection unit detecting that air has been drawn through the air channel, and is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate a second one of the aerosol generating elements when air is drawn through the air channel by the user for a duration that exceeds a threshold time.

[0122] Paragraph 24. A reusable part as described in paragraph 23, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the amount of aerosol generated by each region of aerosol generating material and to activate a second one of the aerosol generating elements when the duration of the user's drawing of air through the air channel is equal to or greater than a threshold time, the threshold time being determined from the activation time of the first one of the aerosol generating elements to use up the region of aerosol generating material.

[0123] Paragraph 25. 24. The reusable part according to paragraph 23, wherein each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements comprises a battery including a controllable heating element connected to control circuitry.

[0124] Paragraph 26. A reusable part as described in paragraph 25, wherein each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements comprises a battery including a controllable heating element connected to control circuitry, the aerosol generating material responds to heat to generate an aerosol, the system includes at least one temperature sensor arranged relative to the plurality of heating elements to estimate a temperature of the heating section and / or the aerosol generating material, and the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate a first one of the plurality of heating sections in response to the detection section detecting air being drawn through the air channel, and to activate a second one of the plurality of heating sections in response to the estimated temperature.

[0125] Paragraph 27. The reusable part of paragraph 26, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate a second of the plurality of heating sections in response to the estimated temperature when the rate of change of temperature with respect to time exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0126] Paragraph 28. The reusable part of paragraph 27, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate a second of the plurality of heating sections in response to the estimated temperature when the estimated temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0127] Paragraph 29. The reusable part of any one of paragraphs 26, 27, or 28, wherein the at least one temperature sensor comprises a plurality of temperature sensors, each of the plurality of temperature sensors arranged to estimate a temperature of one of the plurality of heating sections.

[0128] Paragraph 30. 1. A replaceable part (24) for an aerosol delivery system for generating an aerosol to be inhaled by a user, the replaceable part comprising a housing and a substrate (110) disposed within the housing, the substrate (110) comprising a plurality of portions of an aerosol generating material (114) for generating an aerosol to be inhaled by a user, the replaceable part configured to engage with an interface of a reusable part to provide a plurality of aerosol generating elements, each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements being disposed adjacent one of the plurality of aerosol generating parts via the interface when the replaceable part is engaged with the reusable part via the interface, and in use, the plurality of aerosol generating elements are configured to selectively generate aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material according to an amount of air drawn by a user relative to the substrate of the replaceable part such that aerosol is generated in a selectable amount.

[0129] Paragraph 31. 2. The replaceable part (24) of paragraph 1, wherein the housing is configured with an air channel, and the substrate is disposed relative to the air channel such that air drawn through the air channel of the replaceable part by a user when engaged with the reusable part draws an aerosol through the air channel of the replaceable part for inhalation by the user.

[0130] Paragraph 32. 1. An aerosol delivery system for generating an aerosol for inhalation by a user, comprising: a replaceable part (24) comprising a housing and a substrate (110) disposed within the housing, the substrate (110) comprising an aerosol-generating material (114) for generating an aerosol that is inhaled by a user; a reusable portion (22), The reusable portion (22) is a housing including an interface configured to operably engage the replaceable portion (24) and an air channel configured at least partially within the housing to provide a passage for air drawn by a user to receive an aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material; a detection portion (92) for detecting the passage of air drawn through the air channel; an aerosol generating element disposed relative to the junction and configured, in use, to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; and a control circuit (38) configured to receive a signal from the detection unit indicative of an amount of air drawn in by the user, and to control the aerosol generating element to generate aerosol in proportion to the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user in response to the detection unit detecting the amount of air passing through the air channel.

[0131] Paragraph 33. 33. The aerosol delivery system of paragraph 32, wherein the aerosol-generating material is an amorphous solid.

[0132] Paragraph 34. 33. The aerosol delivery system of paragraph 32, wherein the aerosol-generating material is a gel.

[0133] Paragraph 35. An aerosol supply system as described in paragraph 32, wherein the aerosol generating element is a heating section, and the control circuit is configured to control the amount of heat generated by the heating section in proportion to the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user to generate an aerosol from the aerosol generating material in response to the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user.

[0134] Paragraph 36. 36. The aerosol delivery system of any one of paragraphs 32 to 35, wherein the aerosol generating element comprises a plurality of heating elements configured to selectively generate aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material according to an amount of air drawn by a user against a substrate of the replaceable portion such that aerosol is generated in selectable amounts.

Claims

1. 1. An aerosol delivery system for generating an aerosol for inhalation by a user, comprising: a replaceable portion comprising a substrate providing an aerosol-generating material for generating an aerosol that is inhaled by the user; a reusable portion; The reusable part is a housing including an interface configured to operably engage the replaceable portion and an air channel configured at least partially within the housing to provide a passage for air drawn in by a user's inhalation to receive the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material; a detector configured to detect the passage of air drawn through the air channel; at least one aerosol generating element disposed relative to the junction and configured, in use, to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; and a control circuit configured to receive a signal from the detection unit indicative of the amount of air drawn in by the user, and to control the at least one aerosol generating element to selectively generate the aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material in response to the amount of air drawn in through the air channel.

2. 2. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to selectively generate the aerosol from the different regions of the aerosol-generating material depending on one or both of the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user and the duration of the drawing of air through the air channel by the user.

3. 3. The aerosol supply system of claim 1, wherein the substrate is movable relative to the at least one aerosol generating element, and the control circuit is configured to control the movement of the substrate relative to the at least one aerosol generating element to generate the aerosol from the different regions of the aerosol generating material on the substrate in response to one or both of the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user and the duration of the drawing of air through the air channel.

4. 3. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the reusable part includes a moving mechanism configured to engage with the substrate when the replaceable part is attached to the reusable part, and the control circuitry is configured to control the moving mechanism to move the substrate relative to the at least one aerosol generating element to selectively generate the aerosol from the different regions of the aerosol generating material.

5. 5. The aerosol delivery system of claim 4, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine an amount of aerosol generated by each region of the aerosol-generating material and, when the region is depleted, to move the substrate to generate the aerosol from a different region.

6. 2. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein the at least one aerosol generating element comprises a plurality of aerosol generating elements, each of which is spatially positioned relative to the substrate such that, when activated, each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements selectively generates the aerosol from the different regions of the aerosol-generating material, and the control circuitry is configured to individually activate one or more of the plurality of aerosol generating elements in response to the user drawing air through the air channel such that the aerosol is selectively generated from the different regions of the aerosol-generating material depending on one or both of the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user and the duration of the drawing of air through the air channel.

7. The aerosol delivery system of claim 6, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate two or more of the aerosol generating elements when the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user exceeds a predetermined threshold amount.

8. 7. The aerosol delivery system of claim 6, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate a first one of the plurality of aerosol generating elements in response to the detection unit detecting that air has been drawn through the air channel, and the control circuit is configured to activate a second one of the plurality of aerosol generating elements when the air is drawn through the air channel by the user for a duration that exceeds a predetermined threshold time.

9. 9. The aerosol delivery system of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine an amount of aerosol generated by each region of the aerosol generating material and to activate the second one of the aerosol generating elements when the duration of the air drawn through the air channel by the user is equal to or greater than the threshold time, the threshold time being determined from an activation time of one of the first one of the aerosol generating elements to use up a region of the aerosol generating material.

10. The aerosol delivery system of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements comprises a battery including a controllable heating element connected to the control circuit.

11. 7. The aerosol delivery system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements comprises a battery including a controllable heating element connected to the control circuit, the aerosol generating material generates the aerosol in response to heat generated by a corresponding one of the plurality of heating elements, the system includes at least one temperature sensor disposed relative to the plurality of heating elements to estimate a temperature of the heating section and / or the aerosol generating material, and the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate a first one of the plurality of heating sections in response to the detection section detecting air being drawn through the air channel, and to activate a second one of the plurality of heating sections in response to the estimated temperature.

12. The aerosol delivery system of claim 11, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate the second of the plurality of heating sections in response to the estimated temperature when a rate of change of temperature with respect to time exceeds a predetermined rate of change.

13. The aerosol delivery system of claim 12, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate the second one of the plurality of heating sections in response to the estimated temperature when the estimated temperature exceeds a set threshold temperature.

14. 14. The aerosol delivery system of claim 11, 12, or 13, wherein the at least one temperature sensor comprises a plurality of temperature sensors, each of the plurality of temperature sensors being arranged to estimate the temperature of one of the plurality of heating sections.

15. 15. The aerosol delivery system of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the replaceable part comprises a housing configured with an air channel, and the substrate is arranged relative to the air channel such that air drawn through the replaceable part and the reusable part by the user draws the aerosol through the air channel of the replaceable part so that it can be inhaled by the user.

16. 1. A reusable portion of an aerosol delivery system for generating an aerosol to be inhaled by a user, comprising: a housing including an interface configured to operably engage a replaceable portion, the replaceable portion including a substrate comprising an aerosol-generating material for generating an aerosol that is inhaled by the user; an air channel configured at least partially within the housing to provide a passage for air drawn in by the user to receive the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material of the replaceable portion disposed relative to the air channel; a detector for detecting the passage of air drawn through the air channel; at least one aerosol generating element disposed relative to the junction and configured, in use, to generate the aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; A control circuit comprising: receiving a signal from the detector indicative of an amount of air drawn in by the user; and and the control circuit configured to control the at least one aerosol generating element to selectively generate the aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material depending on the amount of the air drawn through the air channel.

17. 17. The reusable part of claim 16, wherein the control circuit is configured to selectively generate the aerosol from the different regions of the aerosol-generating material depending on one or both of the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user and the duration of the drawing of air through the air channel by the user.

18. 18. The reusable part of claim 16 or 17, wherein the substrate is movable relative to the at least one aerosol generating element, and the control circuit is configured to control the movement of the substrate relative to the at least one aerosol generating element to generate the aerosol from the different regions of the aerosol generating material on the substrate depending on one or both of the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user and the duration of the drawing of air through the air channel.

19. 18. The reusable part of claim 16 or 17, wherein the reusable part includes a moving mechanism configured to engage with the substrate when the replaceable part is attached to the reusable part, and the control circuitry is configured to control the moving mechanism to move the substrate relative to the at least one aerosol generating element to selectively generate the aerosol from the different regions of the aerosol generating material.

20. 20. The reusable part of claim 19, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine an amount of aerosol generated by each region of the aerosol-generating material and to move the substrate when the region is depleted to generate the aerosol from a different region.

21. 17. The reusable part of claim 16, wherein the at least one aerosol generating element comprises a plurality of aerosol generating elements, each of which is spatially positioned relative to the substrate such that, upon activation, each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements is capable of generating the aerosol from the different regions of the aerosol-generating material, and the control circuitry is configured to individually activate one or more of the plurality of aerosol generating elements in response to the user drawing air through the air channel such that the aerosol is selectively generated from the different regions of the aerosol-generating material depending on one or both of the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user and the duration of drawing air through the air channel.

22. The reusable part of claim 21, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate two or more of the aerosol generating elements when the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user exceeds a predetermined threshold amount.

23. The reusable part of claim 22, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate a first one of the plurality of aerosol generating elements in response to the detection unit detecting air being drawn through the air channel, and the control circuit is configured to activate a second one of the plurality of aerosol generating elements when the air is drawn through the air channel by the user for a duration that exceeds a predetermined threshold time.

24. 24. The reusable part of claim 23, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine an amount of aerosol generated by each region of the aerosol generating material and to activate the second one of the aerosol generating elements when the duration of the air drawn through the air channel by the user is equal to or greater than the threshold time, the threshold time being determined from an activation time of one of the first one of the aerosol generating elements to use up a region of the aerosol generating material.

25. The reusable part of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements comprises a battery including a controllable heating element connected to the control circuitry.

26. 26. The reusable part of claim 25, wherein each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements comprises a battery including a controllable heating element connected to the control circuit, the aerosol generating material responding to heat to generate the aerosol, the system includes at least one temperature sensor disposed relative to the plurality of heating elements to estimate a temperature of the heating section and / or the aerosol generating material, and the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate a first one of the plurality of heating sections in response to the detection section detecting air being drawn through the air channel, and to activate a second one of the plurality of heating sections in response to the estimated temperature.

27. The reusable part of claim 26, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate the second of the plurality of heating sections in response to the estimated temperature when a rate of change of temperature with respect to time exceeds a predetermined rate of change.

28. The reusable part of claim 27, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of aerosol generating elements to activate the second one of the plurality of heating sections in response to the estimated temperature when the estimated temperature exceeds a set threshold temperature.

29. 30. The reusable part of claim 26, 27, or 28, wherein the at least one temperature sensor comprises a plurality of temperature sensors, each of the plurality of temperature sensors arranged to estimate a temperature of one of the plurality of heating sections.

30. 1. A replaceable part for an aerosol supply system for generating an aerosol to be inhaled by a user, the replaceable part comprising a substrate, the substrate comprising a plurality of portions of an aerosol generating material for generating an aerosol to be inhaled by the user, the replaceable part configured to engage with a joint of a reusable part providing a plurality of aerosol generating elements, each of the plurality of aerosol generating elements being disposed adjacent to one of the plurality of aerosol generating parts via the joint when the replaceable part is engaged with the reusable part via the joint, and in use the plurality of aerosol generating elements are configured to selectively generate aerosol from different regions of the aerosol generating material according to an amount of the air drawn by the user relative to the substrate of the replaceable part such that the aerosol is generated in a selectable amount.

31. 31. The replaceable part of claim 30, further comprising a housing, the housing configured with an air channel, and the substrate is disposed relative to the air channel such that the aerosol is drawn through the air channel of the replaceable part by air drawn through the air channel of the replaceable part by the user when engaged with the reusable part, so that the aerosol is drawn through the air channel of the replaceable part for inhalation by the user.

32. 1. An aerosol delivery system for generating an aerosol for inhalation by a user, comprising: a replaceable portion comprising a substrate providing an aerosol-generating material for generating an aerosol that is inhaled by the user; a reusable portion; The reusable part is a housing including an interface configured to operably engage the replaceable portion and an air channel configured at least partially within the housing to provide a passage for air drawn by the user to receive the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material; a detector for detecting the passage of air drawn through the air channel; an aerosol generating element disposed relative to the junction and configured, in use, to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; and a control circuit configured to receive a signal from the detection unit indicating an amount of air drawn in by the user, and to control the aerosol generating element to generate the aerosol in proportion to the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user in response to the detection unit detecting the amount of air passing through the air channel.

33. 33. The aerosol delivery system of claim 32, wherein the aerosol-forming material is an amorphous solid.

34. 33. The aerosol delivery system of claim 32, wherein the aerosol-forming material is a gel.

35. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 32 to 34, wherein the aerosol generating element is a heating unit, and the control circuit is configured to control the amount of heat generated by the heating unit in proportion to the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user to generate the aerosol from the aerosol generating material in response to the amount of air drawn through the air channel by the user.

36. 36. The aerosol delivery system of claim 32, wherein the aerosol generating element comprises a plurality of heating elements configured to selectively generate aerosol from different areas of the aerosol generating material according to the amount of air drawn by the user against the substrate of the replaceable part, such that the aerosol is generated in selectable amounts.

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