Consumable unit and aerosol supplying means

Abstract

To provide an aerosol generating device reducing deposition of generated aerosol on components within the device.SOLUTION: The aerosol generating device includes: a consumable unit 110 having a plurality of air flow paths 112, each of the plurality of air flow paths being associated with at least a respective one of a corresponding plurality of sources of aerosol generating medium 114; and a housing 120 for housing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet 122 and an air outlet 124. The device is configured so that any of the air flow paths can be selectively brought into contact with the inlet and the outlet to form an air flow path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generation system, an aerosol generation device, a consumable part for use in an aerosol generation device, a housing for an aerosol generation device, and a method of generating an aerosol in an aerosol generation device. [Background technology]

[0002] Aerosol generating devices are known. A typical device uses a heater to generate an aerosol from a suitable medium, which is then inhaled by a user. Current devices provide the user with a variety of media capable of generating an inhalable aerosol. The generated aerosol may deposit on components within the device.

[0003] Various approaches are described herein that are intended to help address or mitigate at least some of the problems discussed above. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Aspects of the invention are defined in the accompanying claims.

[0005] According to some embodiments described herein, an aerosol generation system is provided that includes a consumable unit having a plurality of air flow paths, each of which is associated with at least one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generation medium, and a housing for accommodating the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, and is configured such that any of the air flow paths can be selectively aligned with the inlet and outlet to form the air flow path.

[0006] According to some embodiments described herein, an aerosol generating device is provided that is configured to receive a consumable unit having a plurality of air flow paths, each of the plurality of air flow paths being associated with a respective one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generating medium, the aerosol generating device comprising a housing for accommodating the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, and configured such that any of the air flow paths can be selectively aligned with the inlet and outlet to form the air flow path.

[0007] According to some embodiments described herein, there is provided a consumable part for use in an aerosol generating device.

[0008] According to some embodiments described herein, a housing portion for an aerosol generating device is provided.

[0009] According to some embodiments described herein, a method of generating aerosol in an aerosol generation device is provided, the method including the steps of: providing a consumable unit having a plurality of air flow paths, each of the plurality of air flow paths being associated with a respective one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generation medium; providing a housing for containing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet; and selectively aligning the air flow paths with the air inlet and the air outlet to form the air flow path.

[0010] According to some embodiments described herein, an aerosol generating device is provided that is configured to receive a consumable unit having a plurality of air flow paths, each of the plurality of air flow paths being associated with a respective one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generating medium, the aerosol generating device comprising a housing for accommodating the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, and configured such that any of the air flow paths can be selectively aligned with the inlet and outlet to form the air flow path.

[0011] According to some embodiments described herein, there is provided a consumable unit for use with an aerosol generation device configured to receive the consumable unit, the device having a housing for accommodating the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, the consumable unit having a plurality of air flow paths, each of the plurality of air flow paths being associated with at least one of a respective one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generation medium, and the consumable unit being positioned such that any of the air flow paths can be selectively aligned with the air inlet and air outlet to form the air flow path.

[0012] According to some embodiments described herein, an aerosol supply means is provided, comprising: a consumable unit having a plurality of air flow means, each of the plurality of air flow means being associated with a respective one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generation means; and a housing for containing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet means and an air outlet means, wherein the system is configured to selectively align any of the air flow paths with the inlet and outlet to form the air flow path.

[0013] This teaching will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following figures, in which like parts are indicated by like reference symbols, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a portion of an aerosol generation system according to an example embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a portion of an aerosol generation system according to an example embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a portion of an aerosol generation system according to an example embodiment. [Figure 4] A schematic cross-sectional view showing a consumable unit for an aerosol generation system according to an example. [Diagram 5] A schematic cross-sectional view showing a consumable unit for an aerosol generation system according to an example. [Figure 6] A schematic cross-sectional view showing a consumable unit for an aerosol generation system according to an example. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing two consumable units for an aerosol generating system according to one example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description of the specific embodiments are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0016] Aspects and features of particular examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of particular examples and embodiments may be implemented in a conventional manner and will not be discussed / described in detail for the sake of brevity. Thus, aspects and features of the apparatus and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail may be implemented according to any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

[0017] The present disclosure relates to aerosol generating systems, such as e-cigarettes, which may also be referred to as aerosol generating systems. Throughout the following description, the terms "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may be used, with the understanding that the terms may be used interchangeably with aerosol generating systems / devices and electronic aerosol generating systems / devices. Additionally, as is common in the art, the terms "aerosol" and "vapor" and related terms such as "vaporize", "volatilize" and "aerosolize" may be used interchangeably throughout.

[0018] As used herein, the term "multiple sources of aerosol generating medium" may be used interchangeably with "portions of aerosol generating medium," and the term "device" may be used interchangeably with "system," with the understanding that the device is a stand-alone tool and the system is a tool that has consumables.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a portion of an aerosol generation system 100. The system 100 includes a consumable unit 110 within the device 100. The consumable unit 100 includes a plurality of airflow paths 112, each associated with a respective one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generation medium 114. The consumable unit 110 in this example includes an upper wall and an opposing lower wall separated by a gap, and the airflow path 112 through the consumable unit 110 is disposed through or substantially defined by the gap. The device 100 includes a housing 120 for housing the consumable unit 110. The housing 120 includes an air inlet 122 and an air outlet 124. The system 100 is configured such that any of the airflow paths 112 can be selectively aligned with the inlet 122 and the outlet 124 to form an airflow path from the inlet 112 to the outlet 124.

[0020] In one example, the consumable unit 110 is selectively movable relative to the housing 120 to form an air flow path from an air inlet 122 of the housing 120 to an air outlet 124 of the housing 120 through a selected one 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, 112E of a plurality of air flow paths 112 through the consumable unit 110.

[0021] In another example, the housing 120 is selectively movable such that the airflow path of the consumable unit 110 can be selectively aligned with at least one of the inlet 122 and the outlet 124 to define an airflow path through the system 100 .

[0022] In another example, the inlet 122 is selectively movable such that the airflow path of the consumable unit 110 can be selectively aligned with at least one of the inlet 122 and the outlet 124 to form an airflow path through the system 100.

[0023] In another example, the outlet 124 is selectively movable such that the airflow path of the consumable unit 110 can be selectively aligned with at least one of the inlet 122 and the outlet 124 to form an airflow path through the system 100.

[0024] 1, the consumable unit 110 (or housing 120) may move along the direction indicated by arrow D to form an airflow path through the housing 120 and consumable unit 110. This relative movement aligns the air inlet 122 with one of the airflow paths 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, 112E, thereby allowing air to enter the device 100 from the external environment. The device 100 may have a heater (not shown) or the like disposed therein to heat either the aerosol-generating medium or the airflow before passing over or through the aerosol-generating medium.

[0025] The heater may be an electrical resistance heater. The heater may be a chemically activated heater, which may or may not be activated by an exothermic reaction or the like. The heater provides thermal energy, i.e., heat, to the environment surrounding the heater. At least a portion of the consumable unit 110 is within the active area of ​​the heater. The active area of ​​the heater is the area in which the heater can provide heat to the consumable unit 110. The heater may be a heating energy source that may be part of an induction heating system, the heating energy source being an induction heating energy source, and the consumable unit 110 may be or include a susceptor or the like. The susceptor may be, for example, a sheet of aluminum foil or the like.

[0026] In one example, the system 100 may have substantially the same distance from the consumable unit 110 to the heater to provide a more consistent user experience. In one example, the aerosol-generating medium 114 is disposed in the consumable unit 110 at a distance ranging from 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 from the heating energy source. 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 and the aerosol-generating medium in the consumable unit 110.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an example of the aerosol generating device 100 in use. The consumable unit 110 is moved relative to the housing 120 to form an air path through the device 100. A user then inhales on the device 100. The arrows in FIG. 2 indicate the general direction of airflow through the device 100. Air enters the air inlet 122 of the housing 120 and passes along the airflow path 112D. The airflow then passes over the aerosol generating medium 114D associated with the airflow path 112D. As indicated by the series of arrows in FIG. 2, components from the aerosol generating medium 114D are entrained in the airflow in the airflow path 112D and transported to the air outlet 124 of the housing 120.

[0028] The consumable unit 110 shown in FIG. 2 includes a number of partitions 116. The multiple airflow paths 112 through the consumable unit 110 are separated from one another by the multiple partitions 116. When relative movement occurs between the consumable unit 110 and the housing 120, a particular airflow path 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, 112E is moved into and out of fluid communication with an air inlet 122 of the housing 120. When an airflow path 112 is not in fluid communication with the air inlet 122, the airflow path through the device 100 from the air inlet 122 to the air outlet 124 is blocked. This blocking may be achieved by the partitions 116 of the consumable unit 110.

[0029] 3 shows an example of a portion of an aerosol generation device 100. The consumable unit 110 has a number of air inlet holes 117 and a number of air outlet holes 118. A source of aerosol generation medium 114 is disposed between one of the air inlet holes 117 and one of the air outlet holes 118.

[0030] The consumable unit 110 is in a position relative to the housing 120 to form an airflow path through the device 100 from an air inlet 122 to an air outlet 124. Incoming air enters through the air inlet 122 and is shown by arrow A. The air passes over or through a source of aerosol-generating medium 114 to form an aerosol or aerosols. Subsequent airflow of the aerosol or aerosols is shown by arrow B to exit the airflow path 112 through the consumable unit 110 towards an air outlet 124 of the housing 120. The aerosol-generating medium 114 disposed within the consumable unit 110 may be positioned to block a portion of the path through the consumable unit 110 such that the airflow must pass through the aerosol-generating medium 114 to exit the consumable unit 110 (in the direction of the airflow). See, for example, aerosol-generating medium 114E disposed between air inlet hole 117E and air outlet hole 118E. Here, "between" is taken to mean along the route of the airflow path, as shown in Figure 3. Alternatively, the aerosol-generating medium 114 may be positioned such that as the airflow passes through the consumable unit 110 (in the direction of the airflow), the airflow simply passes past the aerosol-generating medium 114. See, for example, aerosol-generating medium 114A positioned between air inlet hole 117A and air outlet hole 118A.

[0031] The consumable unit 110 shown in Figure 3 has a number of holes 117, 118 that allow airflow to enter the consumable unit 110. Thus, the holes 117, 118 may be replaced by a section of air permeable material that allows air to enter the consumable unit 110. The air permeable material should have adequate resistance to airflow so that excessive suction pressure is not required to draw the airflow through the air permeable material.

[0032] In one example of the consumable unit 110, any (or all) of the holes 117, 118 or equivalent may have a filter material disposed therein or thereon. This filter material should have adequate resistance to airflow so that excessive suction pressure is not required to draw the airflow through the filter material. The filter may assist in removing particles and the like from the incoming air or the outgoing aerosol.

[0033] The consumable unit 110 is positioned within the device 100 such that airflow entering the device 100 through the air inlet 122 can enter the airflow path 112 of the consumable unit 110. If the consumable unit 110 is positioned in the device 100 with too much distance between the air inlet 122 and the air inlet hole 117 of the consumable unit 110, the incoming airflow may not pass through the consumable unit 110, but rather may go around the consumable unit 110 to the air outlet 124. In this position, the device 100 cannot generate an aerosol for inhalation.

[0034] In one example, it is desirable to ensure that the air flow passes through only one particular air flow path 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, 112E so as to control depletion of the source of aerosol generating medium 114 contained in each particular air flow path 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, 112E, respectively.

[0035] The above identified problems can be overcome by abutting (contacting) specific air inlet holes 117A, 117B, 117C, 117D, 117E of the consumable unit 110 against the air inlet 122 of the housing 120. This ensures that, at the time of a user's inhalation, incoming air passes over the aerosol-generating medium 114 contained within the specific airflow paths 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, 112E of the specific air inlet holes 117A, 117B, 117C, 117D, 117E that contact the air inlet 122 of the housing 120.

[0036] The consumable unit 110 may be positioned substantially near the air outlet 124 of the housing 120. The closer the consumable unit 110 is to the air outlet 124 of the housing 120, the shorter the distance that the aerosol must travel while inside the device 100 but outside the consumable unit 110. Reducing this distance reduces the area inside the device 100 where the aerosol may condense. Aerosol condensation by the device 100 is undesirable as the aerosol may damage components within the device 100 and therefore further reduce the life of the device 100 overall. Thus, the above-described arrangement may extend the life of the device 100.

[0037] 3, a particular air inlet hole 117A and a corresponding air outlet hole 118A of the consumable unit 110 are disposed at an angle relative to one another. In the example shown, a particular air inlet hole 117A is disposed perpendicular to a corresponding air outlet hole 118A. In another example, some air inlet holes 117 may be disposed at a different angle relative to some air outlet holes 118. The arrangement of the air inlet holes 117 and the air outlet holes 118 may be altered to suit a desired shape of the housing 120. Alternatively, the arrangement may be manipulated to reduce the size of the consumable unit 110, allowing for a compact and efficient design.

[0038] The air inlet holes 117, or any of the air inlet holes 117, may be disposed at an angle relative to any of the air outlet holes 118. In some examples, the angle can be at least 15°, at least 20°, at least 25°, at least 30°, at least 35°, at least 40°, at least 45°, at least 50°, at least 55°, at least 60°, at least 65°, at least 70°, at least 75°, at least 80°, at least 85°, or at least 90°.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a consumable unit 110 according to one example. The consumable unit 110 of FIG. 4 has multiple (three) airflow paths 112 through the consumable unit 110. The consumable unit 110 is shown in use. Incoming airflow, indicated by arrow A, enters the consumable unit 110, passes through the aerosol-generating medium 114, and exits as outgoing aerosol, indicated by arrow B. The consumable unit 110 of this example has biasing caps for covering the air inlet hole 117 and air outlet hole 118 of the consumable unit 110, respectively, after use of the device 100 has ended, i.e., when the airflow has decreased to the point where use of the device 100 is considered to be ended. The bias level of the cap 119 may be set so that the airflow during a normal phase of a usage session (sometimes known as a smoking session or a vaping session) allows the cap 119 to move from a closed position (where the cap 119 is at rest blocking the airflow path 112) to an open position (where the cap 119 moves to open the airflow path). This bias should provide adequate resistance to the airflow pressure so that excessive suction pressure is not required to move the cap 119 to the open position, thus allowing air to be drawn through the device 100.

[0040] After use of the device 100 has ended, the caps 119 of the associated air inlet holes 117 and air outlet holes 118 move to a closed position under the bias of the caps 119. This prevents aerosols generated at or after the end of a usage session that may not leave the device 100 from leaving the consumable 110 and then condensing inside the device 100. As mentioned above, this allows the life of the device 100 to be extended. When the source of aerosol-generating medium 114 is completely depleted, the consumable unit 110 may be replaced. Removal of the consumable unit 110 thus removes the condensed aerosols contained within the consumable unit 110.

[0041] The biasing caps 119 do not have to be arranged at the air inlet holes 117 and the air outlet holes 118, but may be arranged in the consumable unit 110. Similarly, multiple biasing caps 119 may be used for each route from the air inlet holes 117 to the air outlet holes 118. FIG. 5 shows a schematic example of the consumable unit 110 according to an example. The consumable unit 110 has seven biasing caps 119. The consumable unit 110 also has three air inlet holes 117 and one air outlet hole 118. The use of the biasing caps 119 ensures that the aerosol generated by one source of the aerosol-generating medium 114 in one route in the consumable unit 110 will reach the air outlet hole 118 through the desired route without entering another route. This is desirable to ensure that the source of the aerosol-generating medium 114 is used only when the user desires. The use of multiple biasing caps 119, such as the example of FIG. 5, is useful when there are multiple routes within the consumable unit 110 that are in fluid communication with each other within the consumable unit 110.

[0042] 5 may also be useful when the sources of aerosol-generating medium 114 are of different flavors or compositions. The multiple biasing caps 119 prevent hot aerosol from one source of aerosol-generating medium 114 from taking a different route and passing through a second source of aerosol-generating medium 114, causing vaporization of the second source of aerosol-generating medium 114. This prevents the two different sources of aerosol-generating medium 114 from producing a mixed flavor, which would result in a suboptimal user experience of the device 100.

[0043] 5, the central air inlet hole 117 is aligned with the air inlet 122 (not shown) of the housing 120. Incoming air is indicated by arrow A, which moves one biasing cap 119 to an open position. The incoming air then passes over the source of aerosol-generating medium 114, picking up components from the source of aerosol-generating medium 114. This subsequent aerosol, indicated by arrow B, then moves the second biasing cap 119 to an open position. The aerosol then travels toward the air exit hole 118, which moves the biasing cap 119 covering the air exit hole 118 to an open position, and exits the consumable unit 110.

[0044] FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a consumable unit 110 according to one example. The consumable unit 110 does not have biasing caps 119 shown, but these biasing caps 119 may or may not be used in this or other examples. The consumable unit 110 shown in FIG. 6 is surrounded by a rotatable outer element 130. The outer element 130 may be part of the consumable unit 110 or part of the housing 120. The outer element 130 may be moved in a rotational movement shown by arrow R. By rotating the outer element 130, the openings 132, 134 allow air to selectively flow through one route in the consumable unit 110 to the air outlet hole 118. The distance between the openings 134 reflects the distance the opening 132 must move to align with the next air inlet hole 117 of the consumable unit 110. In this way, air is prevented from entering through more than one air inlet hole 117, and therefore only one source of aerosol-generating medium 114 is used at a time. As above, a biasing cap 119 may be used to prevent airflow through two sources of aerosol-generating medium 114 if desired.

[0045] FIG. 7 shows perspective views of two examples of the consumable unit 110. The consumable unit 110 has a thin cylindrical shape, and in FIG. 7(i) has five air inlet holes 117 and one air outlet hole 118. The five air inlet holes 117 are located on the outer curved surface of the cylindrical consumable unit 110, and the one air outlet hole 118 is located in the center of the flat end surface of the cylindrical consumable unit 110. In this example, the consumable unit 110 is rotatable to present one of the air inlet holes 117 with respect to the air inlet 122 (not shown in FIG. 7) of the housing 120. The device 100 may then be used. Airflow will enter from the selected air inlet hole 117, and airflow exiting the consumable unit 110 will pass through the air outlet hole 118. As mentioned above, the air outlet hole 118 may be located to be near the air outlet hole 124 of the housing 120. The rotation may be about a central longitudinal axis of the consumable unit 110. Thus, the centrally located air outlet holes 118 are not moved while the air inlet holes 117 located on the sides of the consumable unit 110 are moved. This allows for greater control over the location where the aerosol exits the consumable unit 110.

[0046] In Figure 7(ii) the consumable unit 110 has the same shape as the consumable unit 110 shown in Figure 7(i). The consumable unit 110 also has five air inlet holes 117. The consumable unit 110 has three air outlet holes 118 located on the same surface as the air outlet holes 118 in Figure 7(i).

[0047] The consumable unit 110 may have a rotating inner portion housed inside a non-rotating outer portion. The source of aerosol-generation medium 114, the bulkhead 116, and the airflow path 112 may be part of the rotating inner portion. The non-rotating outer portion may have an inlet and an outlet. The rotating inner portion may rotate to align a particular airflow path with an inlet and an outlet located in the non-rotating outer portion, which remains stationary. In such an arrangement, only one inlet and one outlet need be present. This further prevents contamination between sources of aerosol-generation medium 114.

[0048] The consumable unit 110 may have multiple layers disposed within the consumable unit 110. The multiple layers provide a series of condensation surfaces on which the aerosol preferentially condenses inside the device 100. Each of the multiple sources of the aerosol-generating medium 114 is disposed in one of the multiple layers. The airflow path 112 may pass through various layers of the consumable unit 110. Multiple sources of the aerosol-generating medium 114 may be present in one layer of the consumable unit 110. A partition 116 may divide multiple portions of one layer within the consumable unit 110. Multiple sources of the aerosol-generating medium 114 may be present in multiple layers of the consumable unit 110.

[0049] In any of the examples discussed, the consumable unit 110 or the housing 120 may be moved, such as by rotation or translation, to effect relative movement between the consumable unit 110 and the housing 120. The device 100 may have a gearing or a displaceable / rotatable shaft coupled to the consumable unit 110 or the housing 120 to enable the movement. The device may have a displaceable / rotatable housing 120 that can be moved in the user's hand. This movement may bring the air inlet hole 117 into contact with the air inlet 122 of the housing 120.

[0050] The movement of the consumable unit 110 relative to the housing 120 may be performed by a user of the aerosol generation device 100. In this example, this may be performed by the user pressing a button to operate a system within the aerosol generation device 100, or by manually moving or rotating the housing or a rotating crank or the like.

[0051] In another example, the movement of the consumable unit 110 relative to the housing 120 is initiated automatically. The movement may be performed automatically by a controller detecting that heating of a selected one of the sources of aerosol-generating medium 114 has begun or ended. Alternatively or additionally, the movement may be performed by the controller when the source of aerosol-generating medium 114 is depleted or when a user session has ended. This ensures that the device 100 is ready to be activated again as soon as a user session has ended.

[0052] In any of the above examples, the consumable unit 110 may be removable from the device 100, allowing the device 100 to be reused after the supply of aerosol generation medium 114 for a particular consumable unit 110 has been depleted. The device 100 may have a door or cover that can be opened to provide access to the consumable unit 110.

[0053] If it is desired to activate more than one source of aerosol-generating medium 114 at a time, minor modifications can be made to the above example.

[0054] Device 100 may have multiple chambers or regions, which may or may not be separated from one another. Device 100 of any of the above examples may have a power chamber (not shown) with an energy storage to power a heater (not shown) and / or a movement mechanism, if present (e.g., not manually actuated by a user). The heater may be an electrical resistance heater. The heater may be a chemically activated heater, which may or may not be activated by an exothermic reaction, etc.

[0055] The source of aerosol-generating medium 114 contained in device 100 may include at least one of tobacco and glycol, and may be an extract (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, Scotch, whiskey, mint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, The compositions may contain other additives such as oils of orange, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, pepper, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or peppermint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), flavor enhancers, bitter receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulants, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucrose, 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 ingredients, or mixtures thereof. They may be in any suitable form, such as oil, liquid, or powder.

[0056] The aerosol-forming layer described herein comprises an "amorphous solid," which may alternatively be referred to as a "monolithic solid" (i.e., non-fibrous) or a "dry gel." An amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as a liquid, within it. In some cases, the aerosol-forming layer comprises from about 50%, 60%, or 70% amorphous solid by weight, up to about 90%, 95%, or 100% amorphous solid by weight. In some cases, the aerosol-forming layer is composed of an amorphous solid.

[0057] In some cases, the amorphous solid may contain 1-50% by weight of gelling agent, where these weights are calculated on a dry weight basis.

[0058] Suitably the amorphous solid comprises from about 1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% or 25% to about 50%, 45%, 40%, 35%, 30% or 27% by weight of gelling agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 5-40%, 10-30% or 15-27% by weight of gelling agent.

[0059] In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises a hydrocolloid. In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more compounds selected from the group including alginic acid, pectin, starch (and derivatives), cellulose (and derivatives), gums, silica or silicone compounds, clays, polyvinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more of alginic acid, pectin, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, agarose, acacia gum, fumed silica, PDMS, sodium silicate, kaolin, and polyvinyl alcohol. In some cases, the gelling agent comprises alginic acid and / or pectin, which may be combined with a hardening agent (such as a calcium source) during the formation of the amorphous solid. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise calcium cross-linked alginic acid and / or calcium cross-linked pectin.

[0060] Suitably, the amorphous solid comprises from about 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20% to about 80%, 70%, 60%, 55%, 50%, 45%, 40%, or 35% by weight of the aerosol generating agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). The aerosol generating agent may act as a plasticizer. For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 10-60%, 15-50%, or 20-40% by weight of the aerosol generating agent. In some cases, the aerosol generating agent comprises one or more compounds selected from erythritol, propylene glycol, glycerol, triacetin, sorbitol, and xylitol. In some cases, the aerosol generating agent comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of glycerol. The inventors have demonstrated that if the plasticizer content is too high, the amorphous solid may absorb moisture, resulting in a material that does not create a suitable consumer experience during use. If the plasticizer content is too low, the amorphous solid may become brittle and break easily. The plasticizer content specified herein provides the amorphous solid with flexibility, which allows the amorphous solid sheet to be wound onto a bobbin, which is useful in the manufacture of aerosol products.

[0061] In some cases, the amorphous solid may include a flavoring. Suitably, the amorphous solid includes up to about 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%, or 5% by weight of flavoring. In some cases, the amorphous solid may include at least about 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, 20%, or 30% by weight of flavoring (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may include 10-60%, 20-50%, or 30-40% by weight of flavoring. In some cases, the flavoring (if present) includes, consists essentially of, or consists of menthol. In some cases, the amorphous solid does not include a flavoring.

[0062] In some cases, the amorphous solid further comprises tobacco material and / or nicotine. For example, the amorphous solid may further comprise powdered tobacco and / or nicotine and / or tobacco extract. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, or 25% to about 70%, 60%, 50%, 45%, or 40% tobacco material and / or nicotine by weight (calculated on a dry weight basis).

[0063] In some cases, the amorphous solid comprises tobacco extract. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise 5-60% by weight of tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, or 25% by weight to about 55%, 50%, 45%, or 40% by weight of tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 5-60%, 10-55%, or 25-55% by weight of tobacco extract. The tobacco extract may comprise nicotine in a concentration such that the amorphous solid comprises from 1%, 1.5%, 2%, or 2.5% by weight to about 6%, 5%, 4.5%, or 4% by weight of nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, no nicotine other than that obtained from the tobacco extract may be present in the amorphous solid.

[0064] In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may not include tobacco material but may include nicotine. In such cases, the amorphous solid may include from about 1%, 2%, 3%, or 4% to about 20%, 15%, 10%, or 5% nicotine by weight (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may include 1-20% or 2-5% nicotine by weight.

[0065] In some cases, the total content of tobacco material, nicotine, and flavorings may be at least about 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 25%, or 30% by weight. In some cases, the total content of tobacco material, nicotine, and flavorings may be less than about 70%, 60%, 50%, or 40% by weight (all calculated on a dry weight basis).

[0066] In some embodiments, the amorphous solid is a hydrogel and contains less than about 20% water by weight, calculated on a wet weight basis. In some cases, the hydrogel may contain less than about 15%, less than 12%, or less than 10% water by weight, calculated on a wet weight basis (WWB). In some cases, the hydrogel may contain at least about 2%, or at least about 5% water (WWB).

[0067] The amorphous solid may be made of a gel, which may further contain a solvent present at 0.1 to 50% by weight. However, the inventors have demonstrated that the inclusion of a solvent capable of dissolving the fragrance may reduce the stability of the gel and may cause the fragrance to crystallize out of the gel. Thus, in some cases, the gel does not contain a solvent capable of dissolving the fragrance.

[0068] The amorphous solid contains less than 20% by weight of filler, suitably less than 10% by weight or less than 5% by weight. The filler may include one or more inorganic filler materials, such as calcium carbonate, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, magnesium carbonate, and suitable inorganic adsorbents, such as molecular sieves. The filler may include one or more organic filler materials, such as wood pulp, cellulose, and cellulose derivatives. In some cases, the amorphous solid contains less than 1% by weight of filler, and in some cases is free of filler. In particular, in some cases, the amorphous solid does not contain calcium carbonate, such as chalk.

[0069] In some cases, the amorphous solid may consist essentially of, or consist of, a gelling agent, an aerosol generating agent, a tobacco material and / or a nicotine source, moisture, and optionally flavorings.

[0070] Thus, an aerosol generation device has been described which comprises a consumable unit having a plurality of air flow paths, each of the plurality of air flow paths being associated with a respective one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generation medium, and a housing for containing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the consumable unit is selectively movable relative to the housing so as to form an air flow path from the air inlet of the housing to the air outlet of the housing through a selected one of the plurality of air flow paths through the consumable unit.

[0071] The aerosol generating device may be used in tobacco industry products, for example in non-combustion aerosol delivery systems.

[0072] In one embodiment, a tobacco industry product includes one or more components of a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, such as a heater and an aerosolizable substrate.

[0073] In one embodiment, the aerosol delivery system is an e-cigarette, also known as a vaping device.

[0074] In one embodiment, an electronic cigarette comprises a heater, a power source capable of powering the heater, an aerosolizable substrate such as a liquid or gel, a housing, and optionally a mouthpiece.

[0075] In one embodiment, the aerosolizable substrate is contained within or on a substrate container, hi one embodiment, the substrate container is coupled to or includes a heater.

[0076] In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a heating product that releases one or more compounds by heating, but not burning, a substrate material. The substrate material is an aerosolizable material that can be, for example, a tobacco product or other non-tobacco product, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the heating device product is a tobacco heating product.

[0077] In one embodiment, the heating product is an electronic device.

[0078] In one embodiment, a tobacco heating product comprises a heater, a power source capable of powering the heater, and an aerosolizable substrate, such as a solid or gel material.

[0079] In one embodiment, the heated product is a non-electronic item.

[0080] In one embodiment, the heating product comprises an aerosolizable substrate, such as a solid or gel material, and a heat source capable of providing thermal energy to the aerosolizable substrate without electronic means, such as by burning a combustible material, such as charcoal.

[0081] In one embodiment, the heating product also includes a filter capable of filtering the aerosol generated by heating the aerosolizable substrate.

[0082] In some embodiments, the aerosolizable substrate material may include an aerosol, or an aerosol generating agent, or a humectant such as glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin, or diethylene glycol.

[0083] In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a hybrid system for generating an aerosol by heating but not burning a combination of substrate materials. The substrate materials may include, for example, solids, liquids, or gels, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system includes a liquid or gel substrate and a solid substrate. The solid substrate may be, for example, a tobacco product or other non-tobacco product, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system includes a liquid or gel substrate and tobacco.

[0084] To address various problems and advance the art, the entire disclosure illustrates various embodiments that provide an improved electronic aerosol delivery system capable of implementing the claimed invention. The advantages and features of the disclosure are merely representative examples of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. The advantages and features of the disclosure are provided solely to facilitate understanding of and teach the claimed features. The advantages, embodiments, examples, features, structures, and / or other aspects of the disclosure should not be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on the equivalents of the claims, and it should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and / or spirit of the disclosure. It is appropriate that the various embodiments may comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. Furthermore, the disclosure includes other inventions that are not expressly claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. a consumable unit having a plurality of airflow paths, each of the plurality of airflow paths being associated with at least one respective one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol-generating medium; a housing for housing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet; An aerosol generating system comprising: An aerosol generation system configured to selectively form any of the air flow paths in alignment with the inlet and the outlet.

2. 2. The aerosol generation system of claim 1, wherein the consumable unit is selectively movable such that the airflow path of the consumable unit can be selectively aligned with the inlet and the outlet to form an airflow path through the system.

3. 3. The aerosol generation system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing is selectively movable so that the airflow path of the consumable unit can be selectively aligned with the inlet and the outlet to form an airflow path through the system.

4. 4. The aerosol generation system of claim 3, wherein the inlet is selectively movable such that the airflow path of the consumable unit can be selectively aligned with the inlet and the outlet to form an airflow path through the system.

5. 5. The aerosol generation system of claim 3 or 4, wherein the outlet is selectively movable so that the airflow path of the consumable unit can be selectively aligned with the inlet and the outlet to form an airflow path through the system.

6. the consumable unit further comprising a corresponding plurality of bulkheads; The aerosol generation system of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the multiple air flow paths through the consumable unit are separated from each other by the corresponding multiple partitions of the consumable unit.

7. the consumable unit further comprising a cover; 7. The aerosol generation system according to claim 1, wherein the cover covers a portion of the consumable unit and provides a condensation surface for aerosol generated in the device.

8. the consumable unit further comprising a plurality of holes through which air can flow, one hole being an air inlet hole and one hole being an air outlet hole; 8. An aerosol generation system according to claim 1, wherein an aerosol generation medium is disposed between the air inlet hole and the air outlet hole.

9. 10. The aerosol generation system of claim 8, further comprising a filter material disposed in one of the plurality of holes through which air can flow.

10. 10. The aerosol generation system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the air inlet hole is positioned at an angle to the air outlet hole.

11. An aerosol generation system as described in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the air inlet hole of the consumable unit is in contact with the air inlet of the housing to form the air flow path from the air inlet of the housing to the air outlet of the housing.

12. An aerosol generation system as described in any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the consumable unit is provided with a biasing cap for covering the air inlet hole and the air outlet hole of the consumable unit respectively after use of the device has ended.

13. The aerosol generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the consumable unit is rotatable relative to the housing.

14. 14. The aerosol generation system according to claim 1, wherein the relative movement of the consumable unit with respect to the housing is performed by a user of the aerosol generation system.

15. The aerosol generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the relative movement of the consumable unit with respect to the housing is initiated automatically.

16. the consumable unit further comprising a plurality of layers providing a condensation surface; 16. The aerosol generating system according to claim 1, wherein each of the multiple sources of aerosol generating medium is disposed in one of the multiple layers.

17. The aerosol generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the consumable unit is removable from the aerosol generation system.

18. The consumable unit comprises: a base having an aerosol-generating medium disposed therein; A side wall protruding from the base; a corresponding plurality of partitions projecting from the base and the sidewall, the plurality of airflow paths through the consumable unit being separated from one another by the corresponding plurality of partitions; a cover covering a portion of the consumable unit, the cover providing a condensation surface for aerosols generated in the device; an aperture in the side wall through which air can flow, the aperture being adjacent to the air inlet of the housing; an opening in the cover through which air can flow, the opening being in fluid communication with the air outlet of the housing; 18. The aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising:

19. 1. An aerosol generating device configured to receive a consumable unit having a plurality of airflow paths, each of the plurality of airflow paths being associated with a respective one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generating medium, a housing for housing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet; An aerosol generating device configured to selectively form any of the air flow paths in alignment with the inlet and the outlet.

20. A consumable part for an aerosol generating device according to claim 19.

21. A housing part for an aerosol generating device according to claim 19.

22. 1. A method for generating an aerosol in an aerosol generating device, comprising: providing a consumable unit having a plurality of airflow paths, each of the plurality of airflow paths being associated with a respective one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generation medium; providing a housing for housing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet; selectively aligning an air flow path with the air inlet and the air outlet to form an air flow path; A method comprising:

23. The step of selectively aligning an air flow path with the air inlet and the air outlet to form an air flow path comprises: The consumable unit, The housing, The air inlet, and The air outlet 23. The method of claim 22, comprising selectively moving at least one of:

24. 1. A consumable unit for use with an aerosol generating device, comprising: the aerosol generating device is configured to receive the consumable unit; the aerosol generation device having a housing for containing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet; the consumable unit having a plurality of airflow paths, each of the plurality of airflow paths being associated with at least a respective one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol-generating medium; The consumable unit is arranged such that any one of the air flow paths can be selectively aligned with the air inlet and the air outlet to form an air flow path.

25. a consumable unit having a plurality of airflow means, each of said plurality of airflow means being associated with a respective one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generating means; a housing for receiving said consumable unit, said housing having air inlet means and air outlet means; An aerosol supply means comprising: The aerosol supply system is configured such that any of the airflow paths can be selectively aligned with the inlet and outlet to form an airflow path.

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