Heating smokable material

Abstract

To heat a smokable material.SOLUTION: An apparatus configured to heat a smokable material so as to volatilize at least one component for inhalation comprises a heating element (3b) on or in a substrate material (3a).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to heating smokable material. [Background technology]

[0002] Smoking articles such as cigarettes and cigars burn tobacco to produce tobacco smoke during use. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these smoking articles by producing products that release certain compounds without producing tobacco smoke. Examples of such products include so-called heat-not-burn smoking articles, which release compounds by heating but not burning tobacco. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a smoking material heating device comprising a support and at least one printed heating element arranged to heat the support to a smoking material volatilization temperature to cause the support to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material for inhalation.

[0004] The heating element may be located at least partially within the support.

[0005] The coefficient of thermal expansion of the heating element may be substantially equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the support.

[0006] The heating element may be chemically bonded to the substrate.

[0007] The heating element and support may be a single sintered structure.

[0008] The heating element may be an electrical resistance wire within the support.

[0009] The substrate may comprise a ceramic material.

[0010] The support may be adjacent to a smokable material heating chamber configured to contain the body of smokable material during heating.

[0011] The device of the present invention may include a plurality of heating elements arranged in layers in a support.

[0012] The layers of heating elements may be interconnected by heating element vias through the support.

[0013] The present invention provides an appliance comprising a heater configured to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation, the heater comprising a support and a heating element having substantially the same coefficient of thermal expansion.

[0014] The heating elements may be printed on a substrate.

[0015] The heating element may be positioned to heat the substrate to a temperature sufficient to cause the substrate to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material located within an adjacent smokable material heating chamber.

[0016] The heating element may be located at least partially within the support.

[0017] The heating element may be chemically bonded to the substrate.

[0018] The heater may be a sintered structure including a heating element and a support.

[0019] The heating element may be an electrical resistance wire in a support and / or the support may comprise a ceramic material.

[0020] The device of the present invention may include a plurality of heating elements arranged in layers within a support.

[0021] The layers of heating elements may be interconnected through the support by heating element vias.

[0022] The present invention provides an appliance comprising a heater configured to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation, the heater comprising a multi-layer structure of ceramic material and an electrical resistance heating element.

[0023] The heating element may be an electrical resistance wire in a ceramic material.

[0024] The heating element may be chemically bonded to the ceramic material in the sintered structure.

[0025] The coefficient of thermal expansion of the ceramic material may be substantially equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the heating element.

[0026] The heating element may comprise tungsten and the ceramic material may comprise aluminum nitride ceramic.

[0027] The heating elements may be printed on a substrate.

[0028] The heating element may be positioned to heat the ceramic material to a temperature sufficient to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material located within the heating chamber adjacent to the ceramic material.

[0029] The heating element may be located within the ceramic material.

[0030] The layers of the heating element may be interconnected by heating element vias through the ceramic material.

[0031] The present invention provides an appliance comprising a heater arranged to heat smokable material, the heater comprising a support and at least one heating element located within the support, for heating the support such that the support volatilizes at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation.

[0032] The heater may include a thermal expansion matched structure.

[0033] The coefficient of thermal expansion of the heating element may be substantially equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the support.

[0034] The heating element and support may be sintered to form a chemically bonded structure.

[0035] The support may comprise a ceramic material and the heating element may comprise an electrical resistance wire.

[0036] The support may be adjacent to a smokable material heating chamber configured to contain the body of smokable material during heating.

[0037] The device of the present invention may include a plurality of heating elements arranged in layers within a support.

[0038] The layers of heating elements may be interconnected by heating element vias through the support.

[0039] The device of the present invention may be configured to heat the smokable material to a volatilization temperature of the smokable material of at least 120°C.

[0040] The device of the present invention may be configured to heat the smoking material to a volatilization temperature of the smoking material between 120°C and 250°C.

[0041] The device of the present invention may be configured to heat the smoking material to a volatilization temperature of the smoking material of 130°C to 180°C.

[0042] The present invention facilitates the use of at least one printed heating element to heat the substrate to a smokable material volatilization temperature, thereby causing the substrate to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation.

[0043] The present invention facilitates the use of a heater including a support and a heating element having substantially equal coefficients of thermal expansion to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation.

[0044] The present invention facilitates the use of a heater that includes a multi-layer structure of ceramic material and an electrical resistance heating element to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation.

[0045] The present invention facilitates the use of a heater comprising a support and at least one heating element located within the support to heat the support to cause it to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material for inhalation.

[0046] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of heating smokable material, the method comprising heating a substrate using at least one printed heating element arranged to heat the substrate to a volatilization temperature of the smokable material, such that the heated substrate volatilizes at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation.

[0047] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of heating smokable material, the method comprising heating a substrate to a volatilization temperature of the smokable material using at least one heating element located within the substrate, such that the heated substrate volatilizes at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation.

[0048] By way of example only, embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0049] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of layers of a smokable material heater including supports and heating elements interconnected by vias between the layers. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a device configured to heat smoking material to release aroma compounds and / or nicotine from the smoking material. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective cutaway view of a device configured to heat smokable material to release aroma compounds and / or nicotine from the smokable material. [Figure 4]FIG. 1 is a perspective cut-away view of an apparatus configured to heat smokable material provided around an elongated heater in which the smokable material is divided into radially extending heating sections; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a partially cut away exploded view of an apparatus configured to heat smokable material provided around an elongated heater in which the smokable material is divided into radially extending heating sections; [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram showing a method for activating a heating region and opening and closing a heating chamber during a puff. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of gas flow through an appliance configured to heat smokable material. [Figure 8] 2 is a graph showing the heating pattern used to heat smokable material using a heater. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram of a smokable material compressor configured to compress smokable material during heating. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of a smokable material expansion device configured to expand smokable material during smoking. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of compressing smokable material while heating and expanding the smokable material for a puff. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vacuum insulation section configured to insulate smokable material from heat loss. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is another schematic cross-sectional view of a vacuum insulation section configured to insulate smokable material from heat loss. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a thermally resistive heat escape path following an indirect path from a hot insulating wall to a cold insulating wall. [Figure 15] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a heat shield and transparent window that is moveable relative to a body of smokable material to selectively transmit thermal energy through the window to different sections of the body of smokable material. [Figure 16] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a device configured to heat smokable material in which a heating chamber is sealed by a check valve; [Figure 17]FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a section of a deep vacuum configured to insulate an appliance configured to heat smokable material. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0050] As used herein, the term "smoking material" includes any material that provides volatilized components when heated, and includes any tobacco-containing material, which may include, for example, one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or tobacco substitutes.

[0051] The device 1 for heating smokable material includes an energy source 2, a heater 3, and a heating chamber 4. The energy source 2 may include a battery, such as a lithium ion battery, a nickel battery, an alkaline battery, and / or the like, electrically coupled to the heater 3 and providing electrical energy to the heater 3 as required. Of course, in addition to or alternatively to the battery, the energy source 2 may include other types of energy sources 2, such as one or more fuel cells and / or another non-battery electrical source. The heating chamber 4 is configured to accommodate the smokable material 5, such that the smokable material 5 can be heated in the heating chamber 4. For example, the heating chamber 4 may be located adjacent to the heater 3, such that thermal energy from the heater 3 heats the smokable material 5 therein. The heat from the heater 3 heats the smokable material 5, volatilizing aroma compounds and nicotine in the smokable material without burning the smokable material 5. The smokable material 5 may include a tobacco blend. A mouthpiece 6 is provided, through which a user of the device 1 can inhale the volatilized compounds upon use of the device 1.

[0052] The housing 7 may contain components of the device 1, such as the energy source 2 and the heater 3. As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, the housing 7 may be a generally cylindrical tube with the energy source 2 located towards a first end 8 thereof and the heater 3 and heating chamber 4 located towards an opposite second end 9 thereof. The energy source 3 and heater 3 may extend along a longitudinal axis of the housing 7. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the energy source 2 and heater 3 may be aligned along a central longitudinal axis of the housing 7 in an end-to-end configuration such that one end face of the energy source 2 faces towards one end face of the heater 3. The mouthpiece 6 may be located at the second end 9 of the housing 7 adjacent to the heating chamber 4 and smokable material 5.

[0053] The length of the housing 7 may be about 130 mm. The length of the energy source may be, for example, about 59 mm. The length of the heater 3 and the heating region 4 may be about 50 mm. The depth, for example, the diameter, of the heating chamber 4 may be about 5 mm to about 15 mm, for example, about 8 mm to about 10 mm. The diameter of the energy source 2 may be about 10.0 mm to about 15.0 mm, for example, 14.6 mm. The diameter of the housing 7 may be about 11 mm to about 18 mm. For example, the diameter of the first end 8 of the housing may be 18 mm, and the diameter of the mouthpiece 6 at the second end 9 of the housing may be 15 mm. Dimensions other than those mentioned above may also be used.

[0054] The housing 7 is suitable for being grasped by a user during use of the device 1 so as to enable the user to inhale volatilized smokable compound through the mouthpiece 6 of the device 1 .

[0055] A thermal insulator may be provided between the energy source 2 and the heater 3 to prevent direct transfer of heat from one to the other.

[0056] The heater 3 may be a printed heater 3. For example, the heater 3 may include a support 3a and one or more heating elements 3b which may be printed on or within the support 3a. As described below, the heating elements 3b may be configured to heat the support 3a rapidly such that the temperature of the support 3a substantially matches the temperature of the heating elements 3b while heating the smokable material 5.

[0057] The support 3a may be a ceramic material such as aluminum nitride ceramic, and the heating element 3b may be an electrical resistance wire element 3b that is heated by an electrical current passing through the element 3b. For example, the heating element 3b may be an electrically resistive metal such as tungsten. The electrical current in the heating element 3b may be generated by an electromotive force provided by an energy source 2 electrically coupled to the heater 3.

[0058] Heating element 3b is disposed in or on support 3 to heat support 3a. As described above, heating element 3b is disposed on or within support 3a to heat support 3a to approximately the same temperature as heating element 3b.

[0059] The support 3a may be heated by the heating element 3b to a volatilization temperature of the smokable material 5, and the heat from the heated support 3a may volatilize components of the smokable material 5 for inhalation through the mouthpiece 6. Thus, the smokable material 5 in the heating zone 4 is heated by both the heating element 3b and the heated support 3a. The rate at which the temperature of the support 3a increases during heating may be substantially the same as the rate at which the temperature of the heating element 3b increases. Thus, the temperatures of the heating element 3b and the support 3a may be approximately equal while heating the smokable material 5.

[0060] The heater 3 may be arranged such that the peripheral surface of the heater 3 is primarily that of the heated support 3a, so that the smokable material 5 is primarily heated by heat emitted from the heated support 3a, rather than directly by the heating elements 3b. For example, as described below and shown diagrammatically in Figure 1, the heating elements 3b may be primarily or entirely located within the support 3a, or there may be a number of separate heating layers of heating elements 3b separated by layers of support 3a.

[0061] The thermal expansion coefficient of the heating element 3b may be matched to the thermal expansion coefficient of the support 3a. In particular, the value of the thermal expansion coefficient of the heating element 3b may be substantially equal to the value of the thermal expansion coefficient of the support 3a. The heating element 3b and the support 3a may thus together form an expansion-matched heater structure 3.

[0062] Matched thermal expansion coefficients of the support 3a and heating element 3b mean that the thermal expansion of the heating element 3b matches the corresponding expansion of the support 3a. Similarly, the thermal contraction of the heating element 3b matches the corresponding contraction of the support 3a. The matched expansion property of the structure means that the heater 3 as a whole will substantially expand / contract at the same rate and by the same amount as the entire heater structure during heating / cooling. The expansion and contraction stresses experienced by the heater structure 3 are small, allowing the heater to undergo rapid, significant and regular temperature transitions without exerting significant material stresses on the heater structure 3.

[0063] The support 3a and the heating element 3b may be chemically bonded within the heater structure 3. For example, the chemical bond between the support 3a and the heating element 3b may be formed during a sintering process in which the support 3a and the heating element 3b are fused together by the application of heat to produce a solid heater structure 3.

[0064] More specifically, the chemically bonded heater structure 3 may be produced by first applying liquid heating element material 3b to one or more surfaces of a support material 3a, layering the support 3a with the heating element material 3b, and sintering the layered assembly to form the bonded heater structure 3. This is shown diagrammatically in Figure 1.

[0065] The application of the liquid heating element material 3b can be done, for example, by printing the liquid material 3b onto the support material 3a. The application of the liquid heating element 3b onto the support 3a may be done very precisely to obtain low tolerances, for example of a few micrometers or nanometers, in the position of the heating element material 3b on the support 3a, thereby forming heating elements 3b in very specific desired areas of the support 3a. A preferred printing method is using a screen printer to print the ink-like liquid 3b onto the support material 3a.

[0066] The support material 3a may include suitable binders and / or plasticizers that facilitate the formation of the layered heater structure 3 prior to the formation of chemical bonds during sintering. Additionally or alternatively, the liquid heating element material 3b may include suitable binders and / or plasticizers, which may be of the same composition as the binders and / or plasticizers contained in the support material 3a.

[0067] The support material 3a onto which the heating element material 3b is applied may include pre-sintered layers of support 3a, such as pre-sintered sections of ceramic tape, stacked one on top of the other to form a layered structure including both the support 3a and the heating element material 3b. One or more vias may be formed in the layers of support material 3a such that the liquid heating material 3b fills the vias and ultimately forms the interconnections between the layers 3b of the heating element in the heater 3. In particular, each layer of the heating element 3b may be interconnected to one or more other individual layers of the heating element 3b by sections of the heating element 3b that pass through vias in the support 3a.

[0068] The vias may be formed in any suitable manner. For example, the vias may be formed by drilling holes in the individual layers of the support 3a before the layers of support 3a are stacked together in the heater structure 3. The holes in the layers of the support 3a may be aligned in the layered structure such that interconnections between the layers of the heating elements 3b occur during sintering. The vias formed between the layers 3b may be of any suitable shape, including three-dimensional shapes.

[0069] If desired, a number of electrical circuits may be printed on the support 3a to provide control or measurement signals to or from the controller 12 of the device 1. For example, temperature measurement circuitry incorporating one or more resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) may be printed on, adjacent to or beneath the heater element 3b or elsewhere on the support 3a so that the temperature of the heater 3 can be monitored and adjusted by the controller 12 to provide a desired vaporization or pre-vaporization temperature for the smokable material 5.

[0070] The binder and / or plasticizer may be removed from the assembly of support layer 3a and heating element material 3b before the assembly is sintered to provide the chemical bonding and adhesion of the heater 3. The chemical bonding and matched thermal expansion coefficients provide a robust heater structure 3 that can be repeatedly reused to heat and volatilize freshly loaded smokable material 5 in the heating zone 4.

[0071] The heater 3 can be manufactured into any suitable shape using the layering techniques described above. For example, the heater 3 can be a substantially hollow cylinder positioned around a smokable material heating zone 4 such that heat is emitted radially inwardly by the heater 3. An example of this is described in relation to Figure 2. Alternatively, the smokable material heating zone 4 can be positioned around the heater 3. An example is a coaxial configuration in which the heater 3 emits heat radially outwardly into the heating zone 4, although other shapes are possible as will become apparent from the description below.

[0072] An example of an expansion-matched, chemically bonded heater structure 3 is one in which the heating support 3a comprises a pre-sintered aluminum nitride ceramic tape and the heating element material 3b comprises a tungsten-containing ink that is screen printed onto the ceramic tape 3a. Once the ceramic tape 3a has been printed with the heating element material 3b and drilled to form the vias described above, the ceramic tape 3a is layered to form a structure including an inner layer of the heating element material 3b interconnected by the vias in the tape 3a. This assembly is then sintered to form a cohesive, chemically bonded heater 3. During operation of the heater 3, the aluminum nitride support 3a and the tungsten heating element 3b expand and contract at a rate of approximately 4.5 ppm / °C, thus expanding and contracting the heater structure 3 as a whole without any stress being placed on any particular portion of the structure 3.

[0073] The heater 3 may be thin, such as less than 2 mm or less than 1 mm, which can contribute to reducing the overall dimensions of the device 1 compared to when other types of heaters are used. For example, the heater 3 may be about 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm thick, such as about 0.3 mm to about 1.0 mm thick, although a thicker heater 3 of 6.5 mm or less is equally possible.

[0074] The heater 3 can be operated over a wide range of power outputs to heat and maintain the smokable material 5 at a desired temperature range. For example, the power output of the heater 3 can range from 0 to about 2000 watts / in. 2 and may be controllable by the controller 12 of the appliance 1 such that the temperature of the smokable material 5 is maintained or adjusted within a desired temperature range. The controller 12 may adjust the output of the heater 3 based on measuring the temperature inside the heater 3, at the surrounding surface of the heater 3 and / or inside the smokable material 5 using the temperature measurement circuitry described above.

[0075] The controller 12 may cycle the heater 3 or individual zones 10 of the heater 3 between pre-set temperatures at a given time, or may vary the temperature of the heater 3 and / or individual zones 10 of the heater 3 depending on the heating modality. Examples of the controller 12 and suitable heating modalities are described in more detail below. The heater 3 has a low bulk and therefore its use helps to reduce the overall bulk of the apparatus 1.

[0076] As shown in Figure 2 and generally mentioned above, the heater 3 may comprise a number of separate heating zones 10. The heating zones 10 may be operable independently of one another such that different zones 10 may be activated at different times to heat the smokable material 5. This may be achieved by activating heating elements 3b located in particular zones 10 of the heater 3 at different times. The heating zones 10 may be arranged in any geometric arrangement within the heater 3. However, in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the heating zones 10 are geometrically arranged within the heater 3 such that each of the heating zones 10 is primarily capable of individually heating a different zone of the smokable material 5.

[0077] 2, the heater 3 may include a plurality of axially aligned heating regions 10 in a substantially elongated configuration. The regions 10 may each comprise a separate section of the heater 3, such as an independently temperature controllable section of the bonded support 3a and heating element 3b structure 3 described above. For example, the multiple heating regions 10 may all be aligned with one another along the longitudinal axis of the heater 3, providing multiple independent heating zones along the length of the heater 3.

[0078] 2, each heating zone 10 may comprise a hollow heating barrel 10, which may be a ring 10 of finite length substantially less than the overall length of the heater 3. A plurality of heating zones 10 are arranged in an axially aligned arrangement to define an exterior of a heating chamber 4, and the heating zones 10 are configured to heat smokable material 5 placed within the heating chamber 4. As described above, heat is applied primarily inwardly toward the central longitudinal axis of the heating chamber 4. The heating zones 10 are arranged along the length of the heater 3 with their radial or cross-sections facing each other. The cross-sections of each heating zone 10 and its adjacent heating zones 10 may be separated by insulation 18, as shown in FIG. 2 and described below, or may be connected or in contact with its adjacent heating zones 10.

[0079] Alternatively, the heater 3 may be located in a central region of the casing 7, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and the heating chamber 4 and smokable material 5 may be arranged around a longitudinal surface of the heater 3. In this arrangement, the thermal energy radiated by the heater 3 travels outwardly from the longitudinal surface of the heater 3 and into the heating chamber 4 and smokable material 5.

[0080] Each heating zone 10 may constitute an independent section of the heater 3. As shown in Figures 1-4, each heating zone 10 may constitute a heating barrel 10 having a finite length that is significantly shorter than the length of the entire heater 3. However, other configurations of the heater 3 may be used instead, i.e. it is not necessary to use a heater 3 with a cylindrical cross section. The heating zones 10 may be aligned such that their cross sections face each other along the length of the heater 3. The cross section of each zone 10 may be in contact with the cross section of its neighboring zone 10. Alternatively, there may be an insulating or heat-reflecting layer between the cross sections of the zones 10, so that the heat energy radiated from each zone 10 does not substantially heat the neighboring zone 10, but is transferred primarily to the heating chamber 4 and smokable material 5. Each heating zone 10 may have substantially the same dimensions as the other zones 10.

[0081] In this manner, activation of a particular one of the heating zones 10 will result in that heating zone 10 providing thermal energy to, for example, the radially adjacent smokable material 5, without substantially heating the remaining smokable material 5. With reference to Figure 3, the heating zones of smokable material 5 may constitute an annular body of smokable material 5 arranged around the activated heating zone 10. Thus, multiple, for example annular or substantially solid cylindrical, sections of smokable material 5 may be heated separately, each portion corresponding to smokable material 5 arranged immediately adjacent to a particular one of the multiple heating zones 10, and having a bulk and volume significantly smaller than the entire body of smokable material 5.

[0082] Additionally or alternatively, the heater 3 may include elongated, longitudinally extending heating zones 10 disposed at different locations about a central longitudinal axis of the heater 3. The heating zones 10 may be of different lengths or substantially the same length, such that each extends along substantially the entire length of the heater 3.

[0083] The heated portion of the smokable material 5 may constitute a longitudinal section of the smokable material 5 that lies parallel to and immediately adjacent to the longitudinal heating zone 10. Thus, as explained above, multiple sections of the smokable material 5 may be heated separately.

[0084] As further described below, the heating zones 10 may be individually and selectively activated.

[0085] The smokable material 5 may be contained within a cartridge 11 that is insertable into the heating chamber 4. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the cartridge 11 may contain a substantially solid body of smokable material 5, such as a cylinder that fits into a recess in the heater 3. In this configuration, the outer surface of the body of smokable material faces the heater 3. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, the cartridge 11 may constitute a tube of smokable material 11 that is insertable around the heater 3, such that the inner surface of the tube of smokable material 11 faces a longitudinal surface of the heater 3. The tube of smokable material 11 may be hollow. The diameter of the hollow centre of the tube 11 may be substantially the same as or slightly larger than the diameter or transverse dimension of the heater 3, such that the tube 11 fits snugly around the heater 3. The length of the cartridge 11 may be approximately the same as the length of the heater 3, allowing the heater 3 to heat the cartridge 11 along its entire length.

[0086] The housing 7 of the device 1 may comprise an opening through which the cartridge 11 can be inserted into the heating chamber 4. The opening may, for example, comprise an opening located at the second end 9 of the housing, through which the cartridge 11 can be inserted and pushed directly into the heating chamber 4. Preferably, this opening is closed during use of the device 1 to heat the smokable material 5. Alternatively, a portion of the housing 7 is removable from the device 1 at the second end 9 to allow the smokable material 5 to be inserted into the heating chamber 4. If required, the device 1 may be provided with a smoking material removal device, such as an internal user-operable mechanism configured to slide and / or separate the used smoking material 5 from the heater 3. For example, the used smoking material 5 may be pushed back through the opening in the housing 7. A new cartridge 11 can then be inserted if required.

[0087] As mentioned above, the device 1 may include a controller 12, for example a microcontroller 12, configured to control the operation of the device 1. The controller 12 is electrically connected to the energy source 2 and other components of the device 1, such as the heater 3, such that the controller 12 may transmit and receive signals to control the operation of the other components. In particular, the controller 12 is configured to control the activation of the heater 3 to heat the smokable material 5. For example, the controller 12 is configured to activate the heater 3, which may include selectively activating one or more heating zones 10 in response to a user drawing on the mouthpiece 6 of the device 1. In so doing, the controller 12 may be in communication with a puff sensor 13 via a suitable communication coupling. The puff sensor 13 is configured to detect when a puff occurs at the mouthpiece 6 and, upon detection, is configured to send a signal to the controller 12 indicative of a puff. An electronic signal may be used. The controller 12 may respond to the signal from the puff sensor 13 by activating the heater 3, thereby heating the smokable material 5. However, it is not essential to use a puff sensor 13 to activate the heater 3, and other alternative means of providing a trigger to activate the heater 3 may be used. For example, controller 12 may activate heater 3 in response to activation of another type of activation trigger, such as an actuator that can be operated by a user, such that volatilized compounds released during heating can be inhaled by a user through mouthpiece 6. Controller 12 may be located in any suitable location within housing 7. One exemplary location is between energy source 2 and heater 3 / heating chamber 4, as shown in FIG.

[0088] Where the heater 3 includes two or more heating zones 10 as described above, the controller 12 may be configured to activate the heating zones 10 in a predetermined sequence or manner. For example, the controller 12 may be configured to activate multiple heating zones 10 sequentially along or around the heating chamber 4. Each heating zone 10 may be activated in response to a puff sensor 13 detecting an inhalation, or may be activated in another manner as described below.

[0089] Referring to Figure 6, an exemplary heating method may comprise a first step S1 in which an actuating event, such as a first puff, is detected, followed by a second step S2 in which a first section of the smokable material 5 is heated in response to the first puff or other actuating event. In a third step S3, a sealable inlet / outlet valve 24 may be opened to allow air to be drawn from the heating chamber 4 and out of the device 1 through the mouthpiece 6. In a fourth step, the valves 24 are closed. These valves 24 are described in more detail below in Figure 30. In a fifth step S5, a sixth step S6, a seventh step S7 and an eighth step S8, a second section of the smokable material 5 may be heated in response to a second actuating event, such as a second puff, by opening and closing the heating chamber inlet / outlet valve 24 accordingly. In steps S9 of the ninth, S10 of the tenth, S11 of the eleventh and S12 of the twelfth, in response to a third trigger, e.g. the third puff, a third section of the smokable material 5 may be heated by opening and closing the heating chamber intake and exhaust valve 24 accordingly, and so on. As mentioned above, means other than the puff sensor 13 may be used instead. For example, the user of the device 1 may activate a control switch to indicate a new puff. In this way, a new section of the smokable material 5 may be heated to volatilize nicotine and aroma compounds with each new puff. The number of heating zones 10 of the smokable material 5 and / or the number of separately heatable sections may correspond to the expected number of puffs of the cartridge 11. Alternatively, each separately heatable section of smokable material 5 may be heated by a corresponding heating zone 10 after multiple puffs, e.g. 2, 3 or 4 puffs, and a new section of the smokable material 5 is heated only if the multiple puffs have been completed while the previous section of smokable material was being heated.

[0090] Instead of activating each heating zone 10 in response to an individual puff, multiple heating zones 10 may be activated in sequence, one after the other, in response to the first puff on the mouthpiece 6. For example, multiple heating zones 10 may be activated at regular, predetermined intervals throughout the planned puff time of a particular smokable material cartridge 11. The puff time may be, for example, about 1 to about 4 minutes. Thus, at least the fifth step S5 and the ninth step S9 shown in FIG. 6 are optional. Each heating zone 10 may be activated for a predetermined time corresponding to one or more puffs to heat a corresponding separately heatable section 5 of smokable material for this time. The controller 12 may be configured to indicate to a user the need to replace a cartridge 11 once all heating zones 10 of the cartridge 11 have been activated. The controller 12 may, for example, illuminate an indicator light on the exterior of the housing 7.

[0091] Of course, activating each individual heating zone 10 in sequence, rather than activating the entire heater 3, means that the energy required to heat the smokable material 5 is reduced compared to the energy required if the heater 3 was operated at full power for the entire draw time of the cartridge 11, and therefore the maximum required power of the energy source 2 is also lower. This means that a smaller and lighter energy source 2 can be installed in the device 1.

[0092] The controller 12 may be configured to deactivate the heater 3 or reduce the power supplied to the heater 3 between puffs. This saves energy and extends the life of the energy source 2. In response to some other trigger, such as the user switching on the device 1 or detecting that the user has placed the mouthpiece 6 in their mouth, the controller 12 may be configured to semi-activate the heater 3 or the next heating zone 10 used to heat the smokable material 5 to warm it up in preparation for vaporizing the components of the smokable material 5. This semi-activation does not heat the smokable material 5 to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the nicotine. A preferred temperature is below 100°C, but may be below 120°C. In response to some other trigger, such as the detection of a puff by the puff sensor 13 or the passage of a predetermined time, the controller 12 may heat the smokable material 5 at that heater 3 or heating zone 10 to quickly vaporize the nicotine and other aromatic compounds inhaled by the user. Where the smokable material 5 comprises tobacco, a suitable temperature for volatilizing nicotine and other aromatic compounds is a temperature above 120°C, such as 150°C to 250°C or 130°C to 180°C. Thus, an exemplary full actuation temperature is 180°C to 250°C. If necessary, a super-capacitor can be used to provide the maximum current used to heat the smokable material 5 to the volatilization temperature. An example of a suitable heating regime is shown in Figure 8, where multiple maxima represent the full activation of different heating zones 10. As can be seen, the smokable material 5 is maintained at the volatilization temperature for approximately the puff time, in this example 2 seconds.

[0093] Three examples of operating modes of the heater 3 are described below.

[0094] In a first mode of operation, while a particular heating zone 10 is fully activated, all other heating zones 10 of the heater are deactivated. Thus, when a new heating zone 10 is activated, the previous heating zone is deactivated. Power is only supplied to the activated zones 10.

[0095] Alternatively, in a second mode of operation, one or more of the other heating zones 10 may be semi-activated while a particular heating zone 10 is fully activated. Semi-activating one or more of the other heating zones 10 may include heating those other heating zones 10 to a temperature sufficient to substantially prevent agglomeration of components, such as nicotine, that have volatilized from the smokable material 5 in the heating chamber 4. The temperature of the semi-activated heating zone 10 is less than the temperature of a fully activated heating zone 10. The smokable material 5 located adjacent to the semi-activated zone 10 is not heated to a temperature sufficient to volatilize its components.

[0096] Alternatively, in the third mode of operation, once a heating zone 10 is activated, it remains fully activated until the heater 3 is switched off. Thus, the more heating zones 10 that are activated during a draw from the cartridge 11, the more power is supplied to the heater 3. As with the second mode described above, by sequentially activating the heating zones 10, the concentration of components such as nicotine volatilized from the smokable material 5 within the heating chamber 4 is substantially reduced.

[0097] The device 1 may comprise a thermal barrier 100 disposed between the heater 3 and the heating chamber 4 / smokable material 5. The thermal barrier 100 is configured to prevent substantial flow of thermal energy through the thermal barrier 100, and may thus selectively prevent the smokable material 5 from being heated, even when the heater 3 is activated and emitting thermal energy. With reference to Figure 15, the thermal barrier 100 may comprise, for example, a cylindrical layer of heat reflective material disposed coaxially around the heater 3. Alternatively, where the heater 3 is disposed around the heating chamber 4 and the smokable material 5 as described with reference to Figure 2, the thermal barrier 100 may comprise a cylindrical layer of heat reflective material disposed coaxially around the heating chamber 4 and coaxially within the heater 3. The thermal barrier 100 may additionally or alternatively comprise an insulating layer configured to isolate the heater 3 from the smokable material 5.

[0098] The thermal shield 100 includes a substantially thermally transparent window 101, which allows thermal energy to be transferred through the window 101 to the heating chamber 4 and the smokable material 5. Thus, the section of the smokable material 5 aligned with the window 101 is heated, while the remaining section is not. The thermal shield 100 and the window 101 may be rotatable or movable relative to the smokable material 5, so that different sections of the smokable material 5 can be selectively and separately heated by rotating or moving the thermal shield 100 and the window 101. The effect is similar to that obtained by selectively and separately activating the heating zones 10 described above. For example, the thermal shield 100 and the window 101 may be rotated or moved gradually in response to a signal from the puff detector 13. Additionally or alternatively, the thermal shield 100 and the window 101 may be rotated or moved gradually over a predetermined heating elapsed time. The movement or rotation of the thermal shield 100 and the window 101 may be controlled by an electronic signal from the controller 12. Relative rotation or other movement of the thermal shield 100 / window 101 and smokable material 5 may be driven by a stepper motor 3c under the control of the controller 12. This is illustrated in Figure 15. Alternatively, the thermal shield 100 and window 101 may be rotated manually using a user control such as an actuator on the housing 7. The thermal shield 100 need not be cylindrical, but may constitute one or more appropriately positioned longitudinally extending elements and / or plates if required.

[0099] It will be appreciated that similar results can be achieved by rotating or moving the smokable material 5 relative to the heater 3, the thermal shield 100 and the window 101. For example, the heating chamber 4 may be rotatable about the heater 3. In this case, the above description relating to the movement of the thermal shield 100 can be applied instead to the movement of the heating chamber 4 relative to the thermal shield 100.

[0100] The thermal shield 100 may comprise a coating on a longitudinal surface of the heater 3, in which case some areas of the heater surface are uncoated, forming a heat-transmitting window 101. The heater 3 may be rotated or moved, for example under control of the controller 12 or by a user, to heat different sections of the smokable material 5. Alternatively, the thermal shield 100 and window 101 may form a separate shield 3a, which may be rotated or moved relative to both the heater 3 and the smokable material 5, under control of the controller 12 or by another user.

[0101] The device 1 may comprise an air inlet 14, by which external air may be drawn into the housing 7 and through the heated smokable material 5 during inhalation. The air inlet 14 may define an opening 14 in the housing 7 and may be located upstream from the smokable material 5 and the heating chamber 4 towards the first end 8 of the housing 7. This is shown in Figure 2. Another embodiment is shown in Figure 7. Air drawn through the air inlet 14 travels through the heated smokable material 5, in which it becomes enriched with smokable material vapour, such as aromatic vapour, and is then inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece 6. If required, as shown in Figure 7, the device 1 may comprise a heat exchanger 15 configured to warm the air before it enters the smokable material 5 and / or to cool the air before it is drawn through the mouthpiece 6. For example, the heat exchanger 15 may be configured to use heat extracted from the air entering the mouthpiece 6 to warm fresh air before it enters the smokable material 5.

[0102] The device 1 may comprise a smokable material compressor 16, which is configured to compress the smokable material 5 when activated. The device 1 may also comprise a smokable material expander 17, which is configured to expand the smokable material 5 when activated. The smokable material compressor 16 and the expander 17 may in fact be implemented as the same device, as described below. The smokable material compressor 16 and the expander 17 may be operated as required under control of the controller 12, in which case the controller 12 is configured to send a signal, such as an electrical signal, to the compressor 16 or the expander 17, which causes the compressor 16 or the expander 17 to compress or expand the smokable material 5, respectively. Alternatively, the compressor 16 and the expander 17 may be activated by a user of the device 1 via manual controls on the housing 7, to compress or expand the smokable material 5 as required.

[0103] Essentially, the compressor 16 is configured to compress the smoking material 5, thereby increasing the density of the smoking material 5 during heating. Compression of the smoking material increases the thermal conductivity of the smoking material body 5, thus resulting in more rapid heating and consequent rapid volatilization of the nicotine and other aromatic compounds. This is preferred as it allows the user to inhale the nicotine and aromatic compounds without substantial delay in response to the detection of a puff. Thus, in response to the detection of a puff, the controller 12 may activate the compressor 16 to compress the smoking material 5 for a predetermined heating time, for example, one second. For example, under the control of the controller 12, the compressor 16 may be configured to relax the compression of the smoking material 5 after the predetermined heating time. Alternatively, the compression may be relaxed or automatically terminated in response to the smoking material 5 reaching a predetermined threshold temperature. A suitable threshold temperature may be in the range of about 120-250°C and may be user selectable. A temperature sensor may be used to detect the temperature of the smoking material 5.

[0104] Essentially, the expander 17 is configured to expand the smokable material 5, thereby decreasing the density of the smokable material 5 during puffing. As the smokable material 5 expands, it is loosely arranged within the heating chamber 4, allowing easier flow of gas, e.g., air, through the inlet 14, through the smokable material 5. This air can then carry further volatilized nicotine and aromatic compounds to the mouthpiece 6 for inhalation. The controller 12 may activate the expander 17 immediately after the compression period to expand the smokable material 5, allowing air to be more freely drawn through the smokable material 5. Activation of the expander 17 may be accompanied by an audible sound or other indication to indicate to the user that the smokable material 5 has been heated and that puffing can begin.

[0105] 8 and 9, the compressor 16 and expander 17 may comprise spring-driven rods that are configured to compress the smokable material 5 in the heating chamber 4 when the spring is released from compression. While this is illustrated diagrammatically in FIGS. 8 and 9, it will be appreciated that other implementations may be used. For example, the compressor 16 may comprise an annulus having a thickness approximately equal to that of the tubular heating chamber 4 described above, which annulus may be forced into the heating chamber 4 by a spring or other means to compress the smokable material 5. Alternatively, the compressor 16 may be part of the heater 3, which itself may be configured to compress and expand the smokable material 5 under the control of the controller 12. One method of compressing and expanding the smokable material 5 is shown in FIG. 11. The method includes a first step P1 of compressing smokable material 5 in a heating chamber 4, a second step P2 of heating the compressed smokable material 5, a third step P3 of detecting a threshold temperature of the smokable material 5, a fourth step S4 of expanding the smokable material 5, for example by releasing the compression force, and a fifth step S5 of admitting outside air into the smokable material heating chamber 4, for example by opening a sealable intake / exhaust valve 24.

[0106] The heater 3 may be integral with the insulating section 18 described above. For example, referring to Figure 2, the insulating section 18 may comprise a substantially elongated hollow body, such as a substantially cylindrical tube, which is coaxially disposed around the heating chamber 4 and to which the heating zone 10 is integral. The insulating section 18 may comprise a layer having a number of recesses defining an inwardly facing surface profile 21. The heating zone 10 is disposed in these recesses so that the heating zone 10 faces the smokable material 5 in the heating chamber 4. The surface of the heating zone 10 facing the heating chamber 4 may be flush with the inner surface 21 of the multiple zones of the insulating section 18 that are not recessed.

[0107] The integration of the heater 3 and insulation 18 results in the heating zone 10 being substantially surrounded on all sides by the insulation 18, except for the inwardly facing side of the heating zone 10 which faces towards the smokable material heating chamber 4. In that way, heat radiated by the heater 3 is concentrated on the smokable material 5 and does not dissipate to other parts of the device 1 or into the air outside the housing 7.

[0108] Integrating the heater 3 with the insulation 18 also reduces the thickness of the combined heater 3 and insulation 18, thereby allowing the diameter of the device 1 to be further reduced, in particular the outer diameter of the housing 7. Alternatively, integrating the heater 3 with the insulation 18 to reduce the thickness may allow a wider smokable heating chamber 4 to be accommodated in the device 1, or allow additional elements to be incorporated without increasing the overall width of the housing 7 by any amount.

[0109] Alternatively, heater 3 may be adjacent to insulation 18 rather than integral with insulation 18. For example, if heater 3 is located outside heating chamber 4 as shown in FIG. 2, insulation 18 may be positioned around the outside of heater 3 with its inwardly facing surface facing heater 3. If heater 3 is located inside heating chamber 4, heater 3 may be positioned around outwardly facing surface 22 of insulation 18.

[0110] If desired, there may be a barrier between the heater 3 and the insulation 18. For example, a layer of stainless steel may be between the heater 3 and the insulation 18. The barrier may comprise a stainless steel tube that fits between the heater 3 and the insulation 18. The thickness of the barrier may be thin so as not to substantially increase the size of the device. One exemplary thickness is about 0.1-1.0 mm.

[0111] Additionally, there may be a heat reflective layer between the cross sections of the heating zones 10. The heating zones 10 may be arranged relative to one another such that thermal energy radiating from one of the heating zones 10 does not substantially heat an adjacent heating zone 10 but is transferred primarily inwardly from the peripheral surface of the heating zone 10 to the heating chamber 4 and smokable material 5. Each heating zone 10 may have substantially the same dimensions as the other zones 10.

[0112] The heater 3 may be attached or secured within the device 1 using a pressure sensitive adhesive. For example, the heater 3 may be attached to the insulation 18 or barrier described above using a pressure sensitive adhesive. Alternatively, the heater 3 may be attached to the outer surface of the cartridge 11 or smokable material heating chamber 4.

[0113] As an alternative to using a pressure sensitive adhesive, the heater 3 may be secured in place within the device 1 using a self-melting tape, or may be secured with fasteners that secure it in place. All of these methods provide a secure fixation of the heater 3 and allow efficient transfer of heat from the heater 3 to the smokable material 5. Other types of fixation are also possible.

[0114] As discussed above, the insulation 18 provided between the smokable material 5 and the outer surface 19 of the housing 7 reduces heat loss from the device 1 and therefore improves the efficiency with which the smokable material 5 is heated. For example, with reference to Figure 2, the wall of the housing 7 may be provided with a layer of insulation 18 extending around the periphery of the heating chamber 4. The length of the insulation layer 18 may be substantially the length of a tube of insulation 18 disposed coaxially around the heating chamber 4 and the smokable material 5. This is shown in Figure 2. It should be noted that the insulation 18 may be configured as part of the smoking material cartridge 11, in which case the insulation 18 would be disposed coaxially outside the smokable material 5.

[0115] With reference to FIG. 12, the insulation 18 may comprise a vacuum insulation 18. For example, the insulation 18 may comprise a layer surrounded by a wall material 19, such as a metal material. An interior region or core 20 of the insulation 18 may comprise an open-cell porous material, for example comprising a polymer, an aerogel, or other suitable material, and may be evacuated to a low pressure. The pressure within the interior region 20 may be in the range of 0.1 to 0.001 mbar. The wall 19 of the insulation 18 is strong enough to withstand the forces exerted on the wall 19 by the pressure difference between the core 20 and the outer surface of the wall 19, thereby preventing the insulation 18 from collapsing. For example, the wall 19 may comprise a stainless steel wall 19 having a thickness of about 100 μm. The thermal conductivity of the insulation 18 may be in the range of 0.004 to 0.005 W / mK. The heat transfer coefficient of the insulation 18 may be about 1.10 to about 1.40 W / (m 2 K). The gas conductivity of the insulation 18 is negligible. The inner surface of the wall material 19 may be provided with a reflective coating to minimize heat loss by radiation transmission through the insulation 18. This coating may comprise an aluminum IR reflective coating having a thickness of, for example, about 0.3-1.0 μm. The reduced pressure in the central region 20 ensures that the insulation 18 will function even if the central region 20 is very thin. The insulating properties are substantially independent of its thickness. This facilitates making the overall device 1 small.

[0116] As shown in Figure 12, the wall 19 may comprise an inward section 21 and an outward section 22. The inward section 21 substantially faces the smokable material 5 and the heating chamber 4. The outward section 22 substantially faces the outside of the housing 7. During operation of the device 1, the inward section 21 may be warmer due to the thermal energy of the heater 3, while the outward section 22 cools due to the effect of the insulation 18. The inward section 21 and the outward section 22 may for example constitute a plurality of walls 19 which are substantially parallel and extend in the longitudinal direction and are at least as long as the heater 3. The inner surface of the outward section 22 of the wall, i.e. the surface facing the reduced pressure central region 20, may be provided with a coating which absorbs the gas in the central region 20. A suitable coating is a titanium oxide coating.

[0117] The insulation 18 may comprise an ultra-high vacuum insulation such as the Insulon Shaped-Vacuum Thermal Barrier described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,374,063. The overall thickness of such insulation 18 may be extremely thin. One exemplary thickness is about 1 mm to about 1 μm, e.g., about 0.1 mm, although other thicker or thinner thicknesses are possible. The insulating properties of the insulation 18 are not substantially affected by its thickness, and thus a thin insulation 18 may be used without substantially increasing heat loss from the device 1. A very thin insulation 18 may allow the housing 7 and the entire device 1 to be smaller than the dimensions previously mentioned, and may allow the thickness, e.g., diameter, of the device 1 to be approximately equal to that of smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars, and cigarillos. Additionally, the device 1 may be lightweight, providing similar benefits to the compactness discussed above.

[0118] Although the insulation 18 described above may include gas absorbing material to facilitate maintaining or creating a vacuum in the central region 20, gas absorbing material is not used in the high vacuum insulation 18. The absence of gas absorbing material helps keep the thickness of the insulation 18 very thin, which in turn facilitates keeping the overall device 1 small.

[0119] Depending on the geometry of the ultra-high insulation section 18, the vacuum level within the insulation section can be greater than the vacuum used to extract molecules from the central region 20 of the insulation section 18 during manufacture. For example, the high vacuum within the insulation section 18 can be greater than the vacuum within the vacuum furnace chamber in which it is made. The vacuum within the insulation section 18 can be, for example, 10 -7 Torr. Referring to FIG. 17, one end of the central region 20 of the high vacuum insulation section 18 may be tapered such that the outward section 22 and the inward section 21 converge to an outlet 25 through which gas within the central region 20 may be removed to create a high vacuum during manufacture of the insulation section 18. Although FIG. 17 illustrates the outward section 22 converging toward the inward section 21, the opposite arrangement may be used instead, with the inward section 21 converging toward the outward section 22. The converging end of the insulating wall 19 is configured to force gas molecules within the central region 20 out the outlet 25, thereby creating a high vacuum in the center portion 20. The outlet 25 may be sealable to maintain the high vacuum in the central region 20 after the region 20 is depressurized. The outlet 25 may be sealed, for example, by heating a brazing material for the outlet 25 after gas has been removed from the center portion 20 to create a brazing seal at the outlet 25. Alternative sealing techniques may be used.

[0120] To reduce the pressure in the central region 20, the insulating section 18 may be placed in a substantially reduced pressure low pressure environment, for example a vacuum furnace chamber, so that the gas molecules in the central region 20 flow into the low pressure environment outside the insulating section 18. When the pressure in the central region 20 is reduced, the tapered shape of the central region 20 and specifically the above-mentioned converging sections 21, 22 influence the remaining gas molecules to leave the central region 20 via the outlet 25. In particular, when the pressure of the gas in the central region 20 is low, the guiding effect of the converging inward and outward portions 21, 22 is effective in guiding the remaining gas molecules in the central region 20 to the outlet 25, making the possibility of the gas leaving the central region 20 higher than the possibility of the gas entering the central region 20 from outside the low pressure environment. In this way, the shape of the central region 20 allows the pressure in the central region 20 to be lower than the pressure of the environment outside the insulating section 18.

[0121] If desired, as mentioned above, one or more low emissivity coatings may be present on the interior surfaces of the inwardly facing and outwardly facing sections 21, 22 of the wall 19 to substantially prevent heat loss by radiation.

[0122] Although the shape of the insulation 18 has been described herein as being substantially cylindrical or similar generally, the insulation 18 can be shaped in other ways to house and insulate various configurations of the device 1, such as various shapes and sizes of heating chambers 4, heaters 3, housings 7, or energy sources 2. The size and shape of the high vacuum insulation 18, such as the Instron® Molded Vacuum Thermal Barrier discussed above, is substantially unlimited by its manufacturing process. Materials suitable for forming the focusing structures discussed above include ceramics, metals, metalloids, and combinations thereof.

[0123] Referring to the schematic illustration of Figure 13, a thermal bridge 23 may connect the inward facing section 21 of the wall to the outward facing section 22 of the wall at one or more ends of the insulating section 18 to completely surround and contain the low pressure core 20. The thermal bridge 23 may comprise a wall 19 formed from the same material as the inward facing section 21 and the outward facing section 22. A suitable material is stainless steel, as mentioned above. The thermal bridge 23 has a greater thermal conductivity than the insulating core 20 and may therefore undesirably transfer heat out of the device 1, reducing the efficiency of heating the smokable material 5.

[0124] To reduce heat loss through the thermal bridge 23, the thermal bridge 23 may be extended to provide greater resistance to heat flow from the inward section 21 to the outward section 22. This is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 14. For example, the thermal bridge 23 may follow a circuitous path between the inward section 21 of the wall 19 and the outward section 22 of the wall 19. This may be facilitated by providing insulation 18 over a longitudinal distance, which is longer than the length of the heater 3, heating chamber 4 and smokable material 5, such that the thermal bridge 23 can extend gradually along a circuitous path from the inward section 21 to the outward section 22, such that the thickness of the core 20 is zero at a longitudinal location of the housing 7 where the heater 3, heating chamber 4 and smokable material 5 are absent.

[0125] Referring to FIG. 16, as described above, the heating chamber 4 insulated by the insulation 18 may include an inlet / outlet valve 24 that closes to seal off the heating chamber 4. The valve 24 may thus prevent unwanted air from entering or leaving the chamber 4, and may prevent aromas of the smoking material from escaping the chamber 4. The inlet / outlet valve 24 may be provided, for example, in the insulation 18. For example, the valve 24 may be closed by the controller 12 between puffs, during which time the volatilized material remains in the chamber 4. The partial pressure of the volatilized material between puffs reaches saturation vapor pressure, and therefore the amount of volatilized material is determined solely by the temperature in the heating chamber 4. This promotes a reliable and constant supply of volatilized nicotine and aroma compounds from puff to puff. During puffs, the controller 12 is configured to open the valve 24, allowing air to flow through the chamber 4 and carry the volatilized smoking material components to the mouthpiece 6. A membrane may be disposed within the valve 24 to ensure that no oxygen enters the chamber 4. Valve 24 may be breath-activated, such that valve 24 opens in response to detection of a puff at mouthpiece 6. Valve 24 may close in response to detection of the end of a puff. Alternatively, valve 24 may close a predetermined time after opening. This predetermined time may be timed by controller 12. If desired, mechanical or other suitable opening / closing means may be provided such that valve 24 opens and closes automatically. For example, the movement of gas caused by a user inhaling on mouthpiece 6 may be used to open and close valve 24. Thus, use of controller 12 to activate valve 24 is not required.

[0126] The mass of the smoking material 5 heated by the heater 3, e.g. each heating zone 10, may be in the range of 0.2-1.0 g. The temperature to which the smoking material 5 is heated may be user controllable, e.g. any temperature within the temperature range of 150-250°C as mentioned above. The mass of the entire device 1 may be in the range of 70-125 g, but may be lighter if a heater 3 and / or high vacuum insulation 18 of the type mentioned above is employed. A battery 2 with a capacity of 1000-3000 mAh and a voltage of 3.7 V may be used. The heating zones 10 may be configured to separately and selectively heat approximately 10-40 sections of smoking material 5 of one cartridge 11.

[0127] Of course, any of the above options can be used alone or in combination.

[0128] To address various problems and advance the technology, the entire disclosure exemplarily illustrates various embodiments in which the claimed inventions may be practiced to provide superior devices. The advantages and features of the disclosure are merely representative examples of embodiments, and are not exhaustive or exclusive. They are provided merely to aid in the understanding and teaching of the claimed features. It is to be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects of the disclosure should not be construed as limiting the disclosure to the exact scope of the claims or to the equivalents of the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized or modified without departing from the scope and / or spirit of the disclosure. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, or other combinations. The disclosure also includes other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. A smoking material heating device comprising a support and at least one printed heating element arranged to heat the support to a smoking material volatilization temperature to cause the support to volatilize at least one component of the smoking material for inhalation.

2. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating element is located at least partially within a support.

3. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the coefficient of thermal expansion of the heating element is substantially equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the support.

4. 4. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the heating element is chemically bonded to the support.

5. 5. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the heating element and support are a single sintered structure.

6. 6. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the heating element is an electrical resistance wire within the support.

7. 7. The device of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the support comprises a ceramic material.

8. 8. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the support is adjacent a smokable material heating chamber arranged to contain the body of smokable material during heating.

9. 9. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of heating elements arranged in layers within the support.

10. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the layers of heating elements are interconnected by heating element vias through a support.

11. 1. An appliance comprising a heater configured to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation, the heater comprising a support and a heating element having substantially equal coefficients of thermal expansion.

12. 12. The device of claim 11, wherein the heating element is printed on a substrate.

13. 13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein the heating element is arranged to heat the substrate to a temperature sufficient to cause the substrate to volatilise at least one component of the smoking material located in an adjacent smoking material heating chamber.

14. 14. An apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the heating element is located at least partially within the support.

15. 15. An apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the heating element is chemically bonded to the support.

16. 16. The device of any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the heater is a sintered structure including a heating element and a support.

17. 17. An apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the heating element is an electrical resistance wire in a support, and / or the support comprises a ceramic material.

18. 18. The device according to any one of claims 11 to 17, comprising a plurality of heating elements arranged in layers within the support.

19. 20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the layers of heating elements are interconnected by heating element vias through the support.

20. 1. A device comprising a heater configured to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation, the heater comprising a multi-layer structure of ceramic material and an electrical resistance heating element.

21. 21. The device of claim 20, wherein the heating element is an electrical resistance wire in a ceramic material.

22. 22. An apparatus according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that the heating element is chemically bonded to the ceramic material of the sintered structure.

23. 23. The device according to any one of claims 20 to 22, wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the ceramic material is substantially equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the heating element.

24. 24. The instrument of claim 23, wherein said heating element comprises tungsten and said ceramic material comprises an aluminum nitride ceramic.

25. 25. An apparatus according to any one of claims 20 to 24, wherein the heating element is printed on the support.

26. 26. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 25, wherein the heating element is arranged to heat the ceramic material to a temperature sufficient to volatilise at least one component of the smokable material located within the heating chamber adjacent to the ceramic material.

27. 27. An apparatus according to any one of claims 20 to 26, wherein the heating element is located inside the ceramic material.

28. 28. An apparatus according to any one of claims 20 to 27, wherein the layers of heating elements are interconnected by heating element vias through the ceramic material.

29. 1. An appliance including a heater arranged to heat smokable material, the heater including a support and at least one heating element located within the support, the appliance heating the support such that the support volatilizes at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation.

30. 30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the heater comprises a thermal expansion matched structure.

31. 31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the heating element is substantially equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the support.

32. 32. The device of any one of claims 29 to 31, wherein the heating element and support are sintered to form a chemically bonded structure.

33. 33. An apparatus according to any one of claims 29 to 32, wherein the support comprises a ceramic material and the heating element comprises an electrical resistance wire.

34. 34. An apparatus according to any one of claims 29 to 33, wherein the support is adjacent to a smokable material heating chamber configured to contain a body of smokable material during heating.

35. 35. The device according to any one of claims 29 to 34, comprising a plurality of heating elements arranged in layers within the support.

36. 36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the layers of heating elements are interconnected by heating element vias through the support.

37. 37. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, configured to heat smokable material to a volatilisation temperature of the smokable material of at least 120°C.

38. 38. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, configured to heat smokable material to a volatilisation temperature of the smokable material between 120°C and 250°C.

39. 38. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, configured to heat smokable material to a volatilisation temperature of the smokable material between 130°C and 180°C.

40. Use of a heater including a support and a heating element having substantially equal coefficients of thermal expansion to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation.

41. Use of a heater including a support and a heating element having substantially equal coefficients of thermal expansion to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation.

42. Use of a heater comprising a multi-layer structure of ceramic material and an electrical resistance heating element to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material for inhalation.

43. Use of a heater comprising a substrate and at least one heating element located within the substrate to heat the substrate to cause the substrate to volatilize at least one component of a smoking material for inhalation.

44. A method of heating smoking material comprising heating a substrate using at least one printed heating element arranged to heat the substrate to a smoking material volatilization temperature, the heated substrate volatilizing at least one component of the smoking material for inhalation.

45. A method of heating smoking material comprising heating a substrate using at least one printed heating element arranged to heat the substrate to a smoking material volatilization temperature, the heated substrate volatilizing at least one component of the smoking material for inhalation.

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