Aerosol delivery device with dual reservoir

Abstract

To provide an aerosol delivery device with enhanced functionality.SOLUTION: The present disclosure provides an aerosol delivery device 100 that comprises: a housing 104 defining an outer wall, and further including a power source 108 and a control component 106; a mouthpiece portion 102 that defines an aerosol exit path 120; a first reservoir 110A configured to contain a first liquid composition 112A; a second reservoir 110B configured to contain a second liquid composition 112B; a first atomization assembly 115A configured to vaporize the first liquid composition to generate a first aerosol having a first aerosol particle size; and a second atomization assembly 115B configured to vaporize the second liquid composition to generate a second aerosol having a second aerosol particle size. The first liquid composition may be different from the second liquid composition, and the first particle size may be different from the second particle size.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 657,219, entitled "Aerosol Delivery Device with Dual Reservoir," filed October 18, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices, and more particularly to aerosol delivery devices that include one or more reservoirs and one or more atomizing assemblies that can utilize electrical power to vaporize one or more liquid compositions to generate an aerosol. In various embodiments, the liquid compositions, which may be manufactured or derived from tobacco, may incorporate materials and / or ingredients that may incorporate tobacco or other plants, may include natural or synthetic ingredients, including flavorings, and / or may include one or more medicinal ingredients, are vaporized by the atomizing assemblies to generate an inhalable substance for human consumption. [Background technology]

[0003] Many smoking devices have been proposed over the years as an improvement or replacement for smoking products that require tobacco combustion for use.Many of these devices are designed to provide the sensation associated with smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes, but are said to not deliver a significant amount of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products resulting from tobacco combustion.For this purpose, many smoking products, flavor generators and medicinal inhalers have been proposed that utilize electrical energy to vaporize or heat volatile materials, or to provide the sensation of smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes without significantly burning tobacco.For example, see the various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices and heat sources described in the background art of Robinson et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320, Griffith Jr. et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0255702, and Sears et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0096781, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. See also, for example, the various types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electrically powered sources referenced by trade names and commercial sources set forth in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 [Patent Document 2] US Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0255702 [Patent Document 3] US Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0096781 [Patent Document 4] US Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, it would be desirable to provide an aerosol delivery device with improved functionality. In this regard, it would be desirable to provide an aerosol delivery device with advantageous characteristics. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices, methods of forming such devices, and elements of such devices. The present disclosure particularly relates to aerosol delivery devices. The present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following exemplary embodiments.

[0007] Exemplary embodiment 1: An aerosol delivery device comprising: a housing defining an outer wall and further including power and control components; a mouthpiece portion defining an aerosol exit passage; a first reservoir configured to contain a first liquid composition; a second reservoir configured to contain a second liquid composition; a first atomizing assembly configured to vaporize the first liquid composition to generate a first aerosol having a first aerosol particle size; and a second atomizing assembly configured to vaporize the second liquid composition to generate a second aerosol having a second aerosol particle size, wherein the first liquid composition is different from the second liquid composition and the first particle size is different from the second particle size.

[0008] Exemplary embodiment 2: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 1, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiment, wherein at least one of the first and second atomizing assemblies comprises a vibration assembly.

[0009] Exemplary embodiment 3: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-2, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiment, wherein one of the first and second vibrating assemblies comprises a mesh plate and a vibrating component.

[0010] Exemplary embodiment 4: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-3, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the vibrating component of one of the first and second vibrating assemblies comprises a piezoelectric ring attached to and substantially surrounding the mesh plate.

[0011] Exemplary embodiment 5: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-4, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiment, wherein the mesh plate of one of the first and second vibrating assemblies is substantially flat.

[0012] Exemplary embodiment 6: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-5, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein at least a portion of the mesh plate of at least one of the first and second vibrating assemblies is convex with respect to the respective reservoir.

[0013] Exemplary embodiment 7: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-6, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first and second reservoirs and the first and second atomizing assemblies are contained within a housing, and the mouthpiece portion is configured to be removable and replaceable from the housing.

[0014] Exemplary Embodiment 8: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-7, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first and second reservoirs are disposed on opposite sides of the aerosol exit channel.

[0015] Exemplary Embodiment 9: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-8, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first and second nebulizing assemblies are disposed on opposite sides of the aerosol exit passage.

[0016] Exemplary embodiment 10: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-9, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first and second nebulizing assemblies are angled toward each other and toward the aerosol exit path.

[0017] Exemplary embodiment 11: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-10, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiment, wherein a surface of each of the first and second atomizing assemblies forms an angle with respect to the aerosol exit path.

[0018] Exemplary embodiment 12: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-11, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiment, wherein the angle formed by the surfaces of each of the first and second atomizing assemblies is greater than 45 degrees and less than 180 degrees.

[0019] Exemplary Embodiment 13: The aerosol delivery device of any of Exemplary Embodiments 1-12, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first particle size is less than about 4 microns.

[0020] Exemplary Embodiment 14: The aerosol delivery device of any of Exemplary Embodiments 1-13, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the second particle size is greater than about 4 microns.

[0021] Exemplary Embodiment 15: The aerosol delivery device of any of Exemplary Embodiments 1-14, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the second particle size dimension is between about 4 microns and about 15 microns.

[0022] Exemplary embodiment 16: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-15, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first and second nebulizing assemblies are configured to generate the first and second aerosols substantially simultaneously.

[0023] Exemplary embodiment 17: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-16, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first nebulizing assembly is configured to generate the first aerosol after the second nebulizing assembly is configured to generate the second aerosol.

[0024] Exemplary embodiment 18: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1-17, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first and second nebulizing assemblies are configured to be independently controllable via a control component.

[0025] Exemplary Embodiment 19: The aerosol delivery device of any of Exemplary Embodiments 1-18, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first liquid composition comprises an aqueous liquid comprising nicotine.

[0026] Exemplary Embodiment 20: The aerosol delivery device of any of Exemplary Embodiments 1-19, or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the second liquid composition comprises a pulmonary surfactant.

[0027] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. The present invention includes any combination of two, three, four, or more of the above-described embodiments, as well as combinations of any two, three, four, or more features or elements described in this disclosure, regardless of whether such features or elements are explicitly combined in the description of a particular embodiment herein. The present disclosure is intended to be read as a whole such that any separable features or elements of the disclosed invention, in any of its various aspects and embodiments, appear as intended to be combinable, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0028] To aid in the understanding of aspects of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and which are provided by way of example to aid in the understanding of aspects of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic top view of an aerosol delivery device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of a spray assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] 1 shows a side schematic view of a portion of a spray assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] 1 shows a side schematic view of a portion of a spray assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3C] 1 shows a side schematic view of a portion of a spray assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3D] 1 shows a side schematic view of a portion of a spray assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3E] 1 shows a side schematic view of a portion of a spray assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3F] 1 shows a side schematic view of a portion of a spray assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 shows a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 shows a top view of a portion of an aerosol delivery device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof. These exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Indeed, this disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0031] As described below, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to aerosol delivery devices or vaporization devices, and the terms are used interchangeably herein. Aerosol delivery devices according to the present disclosure use electrical energy to vaporize materials (preferably without significantly burning and / or chemically altering the materials) to form inhalable substances, and the components of such devices most preferably have the form of items small enough to be considered handheld devices. That is, some aerosol delivery device components do not produce smoke (i.e., from byproducts of tobacco combustion or pyrolysis); rather, the use of these systems produces vapor resulting from the vaporization of an aerosol precursor composition. In some embodiments, the components of the aerosol delivery device may be characterized as electronic cigarettes, which most preferably incorporate tobacco and / or tobacco-derived components and thus deliver tobacco-derived components in aerosol form. However, it will be understood that devices according to various embodiments can be used to deliver active ingredients other than nicotine and / or tobacco components. Other examples include delivery devices for botanical ingredients (e.g., lavender, peppermint, chamomile, basil, rosemary, thyme, eucalyptus, ginger, cannabis, ginseng, maca, and tisane), stimulants (e.g., caffeine and guarana), amino acids (e.g., taurine, theanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan), and / or pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and medicinal ingredients (e.g., vitamins, e.g., B6, B12, and C, and cannabinoids, e.g., tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)).

[0032] The aerosol delivery device may provide many of the sensations (e.g., inhalation and exhalation patterns, types of tastes or flavors, sensory stimulating effects, physical sensations, modes of use, visual cues such as those provided by a visible aerosol, etc.) of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe used by lighting and burning tobacco (and thus inhaling tobacco smoke) without substantially burning any of its components. For example, a user of an aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure can hold and use the device, draw on one end of the device to inhale the aerosol produced by the device, take puffs at selected time intervals, etc., in the same way as a smoker would use a conventional type of smoking article.

[0033] The aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure may also be characterized as a vapor product or drug delivery article. Accordingly, such an article or device may be adapted to provide one or more substances (e.g., flavors and / or pharmaceutically active ingredients) in an inhalable form or state. For example, the inhalable substance may be substantially in vapor form (i.e., a substance in the gas phase at a temperature below its critical point). Alternatively, the inhalable substance may be in aerosol form (i.e., a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas). For clarity, the term "aerosol" as used herein is meant to include vapors, gases, and aerosols in any form or type suitable for human inhalation, regardless of whether they are visible or in a form that may be considered smoky.

[0034] The aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure most preferably comprises some combination of a power source (i.e., an electrical power source), at least one control component (e.g., a means (e.g., a microcontroller or microprocessor) for activating, controlling, regulating, and terminating electrical power for heat generation, such as by controlling the flow of electrical current from the power source to other components of the article), an atomizing assembly, a liquid composition (e.g., an aerosol precursor composition liquid capable of generating an aerosol, generally, such as components commonly referred to as "smoke juice," "e-liquid," and "e-juice"), and a mouthpiece or mouth area that allows the aerosol delivery device to be drawn on for aerosol inhalation (e.g., a defined air flow path through the article so that the generated aerosol can be drawn therefrom by inhalation).

[0035] The alignment of components within the aerosol delivery device may be variable. In certain embodiments, the liquid composition may be disposed between two opposing ends of the device (e.g., within a reservoir of the device, which may be replaceable and disposable or refillable in certain circumstances). However, other configurations are not excluded. Generally, the components are configured relative to one another such that energy from the atomizing assembly vaporizes the liquid composition (as well as one or more flavorings, medicaments, etc., which may also be provided for delivery to the user) to form an aerosol for delivery to the user. When the atomizing assembly vaporizes the aerosol precursor composition, an aerosol is formed, released, or generated in a physical form suitable for inhalation by the consumer. It should be noted that the foregoing terms, references to release, releasing, releases, or released, are meant to be interchangeable to include form or generate, forming or generating, forms or generates, and formed or generated. Specifically, the inhalable substance is released in the form of a vapor or an aerosol or a mixture thereof.

[0036] More specific forms, configurations, and arrangements of components within the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure will become apparent in light of the further disclosure provided below. Additionally, the selection and arrangement of various aerosol delivery device components will be understood in light of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, such as the representative products referenced in the Background section of this disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates an aerosol delivery device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an aerosol delivery device 100 comprising a mouthpiece portion 102 and a housing 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the mouthpiece portion 102 may be permanently or removably aligned in functional relationship with the housing 104. In some embodiments, for example, the mouthpiece portion and the housing may comprise a single component, while in other embodiments, the connection therebetween may be releasable, such that the housing and / or mouthpiece portion may be reusable and / or disposable and / or refillable. In other embodiments, the mouthpiece portion may not be linearly aligned with the housing, such as in embodiments in which the mouthpiece portion and the housing are positioned side-by-side. In various embodiments, a variety of different engagement means may be used to couple the mouthpiece portion and the housing to one another. For example, in some embodiments, the mouthpiece portion and the housing may be coupled via one or more of a snap-fit ​​engagement, a press-fit engagement, an interference engagement, a threaded engagement, a bayonet connection, a magnetic engagement, or the like. In some embodiments, the housing may include a chamber configured to receive at least a portion of the mouthpiece portion. In other embodiments, the mouthpiece portion may include a chamber configured to receive at least a portion of the housing. In some embodiments, an electrical connection may be formed between the mouthpiece portion and the housing. In some embodiments, such an electrical connection may exist via one or more components of a coupling mechanism. In this manner, corresponding electrical contacts in the mouthpiece portion and the housing may be substantially aligned after coupling to provide the electrical connection. It should be noted that the components illustrated in this and other figures are representative of components that may be present in the housing and / or mouthpiece portion and are not intended to limit the scope of housing and / or mouthpiece portion components encompassed by the present disclosure.Some examples of mechanical and electrical connections between components of an aerosol delivery device are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 386,940, filed April 17, 2019, entitled "Connectors for Forming Electrical and Mechanical Connections Between Interchangeable Units in an Aerosol Delivery System," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other connectors are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261495 to Novak et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0038] In various embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may have a variety of different shapes. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may be generally rod-shaped, tubular, or cylindrical. However, in other embodiments, other shapes and dimensions are possible (e.g., rectangular, oval, hexagonal, prism-shaped, regular or irregular polygonal, disc-shaped, cubic, polyhedral, etc.). It should be noted that for purposes of this disclosure, the term "substantially" should be understood to mean approximately and / or within certain manufacturing tolerances, as understood by those skilled in the art.

[0039] In certain embodiments, one or both of the housing or the mouthpiece portion may be referred to as disposable or reusable. For example, in some embodiments, the housing may include a power source. In some embodiments, the power source may comprise a replaceable or rechargeable battery and may therefore be combined with any type of recharging technology, including connection to a wall charger, connection to an automobile charger (e.g., cigarette lighter socket, USB port, etc.), connection to a computer, any of which may include a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable or connector (e.g., USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, USB Type-C), connection to a USB connector (e.g., USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, USB Type-C, which may be implemented in a wall outlet, electronic device, vehicle, etc.), connection to a photovoltaic cell (sometimes called a solar cell) or solar panel, wireless chargers such as chargers using inductive wireless charging (e.g., including wireless charging compliant with the Qi wireless charging standard by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC)), or radio frequency (RF)-based chargers, and connection to an array of external cells such as a mobile battery for charging the device via a USB connector or wireless charger. An example of an inductive wireless charging system is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0112196 to Sur et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the power source may include a photovoltaic system. In further embodiments, the power source may also include a capacitor. The capacitor can discharge faster than a battery and can be charged between puffs, allowing the battery to discharge the capacitor at a slower rate than if it were used to directly power the heating element. For example, a supercapacitor, such as an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC), may be used separately from or in combination with a battery. When used alone, the supercapacitor may be recharged before each use of the article. Accordingly, the device may also include a charger component that can be attached to the smoking article between uses to replenish the supercapacitor.Examples of power sources including supercapacitors are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0112191 to Sur et al., which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0040] 1 , the housing 104 of the illustrated embodiment includes control components 106 (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB), integrated circuits, memory components, a microcontroller, etc.) and a power source such as a battery 108. Additional components may be included, such as one or more sensors (e.g., one or more flow sensors), one or more indicators (e.g., one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs)), one or more input elements (e.g., one or more buttons), etc. Some exemplary types of electronic components, their structure and configuration, their features, and their general methods of operation are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,622 to Pan, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2009 / 0230117 to Fernando et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014 / 0060554 to Collet et al., and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014 / 0270727 to Ampolini et al., and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2015 / 0257445 to Henry et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Some examples of batteries that may be applicable to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0028766 to Peckerar et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, additional indicators (e.g., tactile feedback components, audio feedback components, etc.) may be included in addition to or as an alternative to the LED.Additional representative types of components or indicators that provide visual cues, such as LED components, and their configuration and use are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,499,766 to Newton, U.S. Pat. No. 8,539,959 to Scatterday, U.S. Pat. Application Publication No. 2015 / 0020825 to Galloway et al., and U.S. Pat. Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216233 to Sears et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. It should be understood that in various embodiments, not all of the illustrated elements are required. For example, in some embodiments, the LED may be absent or replaced with a different indicator, such as a vibrating indicator. Similarly, the flow sensor may be replaced with a manual actuator, such as one or more manually activated pushbuttons.

[0041] In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 104 also includes a first liquid reservoir 110A configured to contain a first liquid composition 112A and a second liquid reservoir 110B configured to contain a second liquid composition 112B. In some embodiments, the first and second liquid reservoirs may be part of the housing (e.g., comprise molded features of the housing), while in other embodiments, one or both of the first or second liquid reservoirs may comprise separate parts. In some embodiments, the first and second reservoirs may comprise one or more refillable liquid reservoirs. Thus, in some embodiments, one or both of the first or second liquid reservoirs may be reusable. However, in other embodiments, one or both of the first or second liquid reservoirs may be disposable. In some embodiments, at least one of the liquid reservoirs may comprise a separate container (e.g., formed from walls that are substantially impermeable to the liquid compositions). In some embodiments, at least one wall of the liquid reservoir may be flexible and / or collapsible, while in other embodiments, at least one wall of the liquid reservoir may be substantially rigid. Some examples of types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting liquid compositions are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al. and 2014 / 0059780 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Additionally, various wicking materials and the configuration and operation of wicking materials within specific types of e-cigarettes are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0042] In some embodiments, the housing and / or mouthpiece portion may be made from a polymeric material, which may be at least partially transparent or translucent in further embodiments. In some embodiments, such materials may include, but are not limited to, polycarbonate, acrylic, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), amorphous copolyester (PETG), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), liquid silicone rubber (LSR), cyclic olefin copolymer, polyethylene (PE), ionomer resin, polypropylene (PP), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), styrene methyl methacrylate (SMMA), styrene acrylonitrile resin (SAN), polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and combinations thereof. Other materials may include, for example, biodegradable polymers, such as, but not limited to, polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and polybutylene succinate (PBS). In some embodiments, the housing and / or mouthpiece portion may be made from metal or composite materials. In some embodiments, the housing and / or mouthpiece portion may be made from other materials that may be at least partially transparent or translucent, such as glass or ceramic materials.

[0043] In various embodiments, one or both of the first or second liquid compositions may comprise an aerosol precursor composition. In some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may incorporate tobacco or a tobacco-derived component. In some respects, the tobacco may be provided as tobacco parts or pieces, such as finely ground, crushed, or powdered tobacco flakes. Tobacco beads, pellets, or other solid forms may be included, as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0335070 to Sears et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In other respects, the tobacco may be provided in the form of an extract, such as a spray-dried extract incorporating many of the water-soluble components of tobacco. Alternatively, the tobacco extract may be in the form of a relatively high-concentration nicotine-containing extract that also incorporates small amounts of other extracted components derived from tobacco. In other respects, tobacco-derived components may be provided in a relatively pure form, such as certain flavoring agents derived from tobacco. In some respects, a component derived from tobacco that may be used in a highly purified or essentially pure form is nicotine (e.g., pharmaceutical-grade nicotine, USP / EP nicotine, etc.). In other embodiments, only non-tobacco materials may form the aerosol precursor composition. In some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may include tobacco-extracted nicotine with tobacco or non-tobacco flavoring and / or non-tobacco-extracted nicotine with tobacco or non-tobacco flavoring.

[0044] In some embodiments, one or both of the first or second liquid compositions, which may also be referred to as aerosol precursor compositions or vapor precursor compositions or "e-liquids," may include various ingredients, which may include, for example, water, polyhydric alcohols (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol, or mixtures thereof), nicotine, tobacco, tobacco extracts, and / or flavorings. Some examples of types of aerosol precursor components and formulations are also described and characterized in U.S. Pat. No. 7,217,320 to Robinson et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0008457 to Zheng et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0213417 to Chong et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0060554 to Collett et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0020823 to Lipowicz et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0020830 to Koller, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, and WO 2014 / 182736 to Bowen et al. Other aerosol precursors that may be used include the aerosol precursors incorporated into VUSE® products from RJ Reynolds Vapor Company, BLU™ products from Fontem Ventures BV, MISTIC MENTHOL products from Mistic Ecigs, MARK TEN products from Nu Mark LLC, JUUL products from Juul Labs, Inc., and VYPE products from CN Creative Ltd. Also desirable are so-called "smoke juices" for e-cigarettes available from Johnson Creek Enterprises LLC.Further exemplary aerosol precursor compositions are sold under the trade names BLACK NOTE, COSMIC FOG, THE MILKMAN E-LIQUID, FIVE PAWNS, THE VAPOR CHEF, VAPE WILD, BOOSTED, THE STEAM FACTORY, MECH SAUCE, CASEY JONES MAINLINE RESERVE, MITTEN VAPORS, DR. CRIMMY'S V-LIQUID, SMILEY E LIQUID, BEANTOWN VAPOR, CUTTWOOD, CYCLOPS VAPOR, SICBOY, GOOD LIFE VAPOR, TELEOS, PINUP VAPORS, SPACE JAM, MT. BAKER VAPOR, and JIMMY THE JUICE MAN.

[0045] In some embodiments, the amount of aerosol precursor incorporated into the aerosol delivery system is such that the aerosol generating device provides acceptable sensation and desirable performance characteristics. For example, a sufficient amount of aerosol-forming material (e.g., water, glycerin, and / or propylene glycol) may be used to generate a visible mainstream aerosol that resembles in many respects the appearance of cigarette smoke. The amount of aerosol precursor in the aerosol generating system may depend on factors such as the desired number of puffs per aerosol generating device. In one or more embodiments, about 1 ml or more, about 2 ml or more, about 5 ml or more, or about 10 ml or more of the aerosol precursor composition may be included.

[0046] In some of the above examples, the aerosol precursor composition contains a glycerol-based liquid. However, in other embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may be an aqueous liquid. In some embodiments, the aqueous liquid may be comprised of greater than about 80% water. For example, in some embodiments, the percentage of water in the aqueous liquid may be within the inclusive range of about 90% to about 93%. In some embodiments, the aqueous liquid may include up to about 10% propylene glycol. For example, in some embodiments, the percentage of propylene glycol in the aqueous liquid may be within the inclusive range of about 4% to about 5%. In some embodiments, the aqueous liquid may include up to about 10% flavoring. For example, in some embodiments, the percentage of flavoring in the aqueous liquid may be within the inclusive range of about 3% to about 7%. In some embodiments, the aqueous liquid may include up to about 3% nicotine. For example, in some embodiments, the percentage of nicotine in the aqueous liquid may be within the inclusive range of about 0.1% to about 0.3%. In some embodiments, the aqueous liquid may include up to about 10% cyclodextrin. For example, in some embodiments, the percentage of cyclodextrin in the aqueous liquid may be within the inclusive range of about 3% to about 5%. In still other embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may be a combination of a glycerol-based liquid and an aqueous liquid. For example, some embodiments may include up to about 50% water and less than about 20% glycerol. The remaining ingredients may include one or more of propylene glycol, flavorings, nicotine, cyclodextrin, etc.Some examples of aqueous liquid compositions that may be suitable are UK Patent No. 1817863.2, filed November 1, 2018, entitled "Aerosolisable Formulation"; UK Patent No. 1817864.0, filed November 1, 2018, entitled "Aerosolisable Formulation"; UK Patent No. 1817867.3, filed November 1, 2018, entitled "Aerosolisable Formulation"; UK Patent No. 1817865.7, filed November 1, 2018, entitled "Aerosolisable Formulation"; UK Patent No. 1817859.0, filed November 1, 2018, entitled "Aerosolisable Formulation"; No. 1817866.5, filed November 1, 2018, entitled "Gel and Crystalline Powder"; No. 1817861.6, filed November 1, 2018, entitled "Aerosolisable Formulation"; No. 1817862.4, filed November 1, 2018, entitled "Aerosolized Formulation"; No. 1817868.1, filed November 1, 2018, entitled "Aerosolized Formulation"; and No. 1817860.8, filed November 1, 2018, entitled "Aerosolized Formulation", each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0047] In some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may incorporate nicotine, which may be present in various concentrations. The source of nicotine may vary, and the nicotine incorporated in the aerosol precursor composition may be derived from a single source or a combination of two or more sources. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may include nicotine derived from tobacco. In other embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may include nicotine derived from other organic plant sources, such as non-tobacco plant sources, including plants of the Solanaceae family. In other embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may include synthetic nicotine. In some embodiments, the nicotine incorporated in the aerosol precursor composition may be derived from non-tobacco plant sources, such as other members of the Solanaceae family. The aerosol precursor composition may additionally or alternatively include other active ingredients, including, but not limited to, botanicals (e.g., lavender, peppermint, chamomile, basil, rosemary, thyme, eucalyptus, ginger, cannabis, ginseng, maca, and tisane), stimulants (e.g., caffeine and guarana), amino acids (e.g., taurine, theanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan), and / or pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and medicinal ingredients (e.g., vitamins, e.g., B6, B12, and C, and cannabinoids, e.g., tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)).

[0048] As noted above, in various embodiments, one or both of the first or second liquid compositions may include a flavoring. As used herein, reference to a "flavoring" refers to a compound or component that can be aerosolized and delivered to a user and that provides a sensory experience in terms of taste and / or aroma. Exemplary flavors include, but are not limited to, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, cream, tea, coffee, fruit (e.g., apple, cherry, strawberry, peach, and citrus flavors, including lime and lemon, mango, and other citrus flavors), maple, menthol, mint, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, nutmeg, clove, lavender, cardamom, ginger, honey, anise, sage, rosemary, hibiscus, rosehip, yerba mate, guayusa, honeybush, rooibos, amaretto, mojito, yerba santa, ginseng, chamomile, turmeric, bacopa monniera, ginkgo, ashwagandha, cinnamon, sandalwood, jasmine, cascarilla, cocoa, licorice, and flavors and flavor packages of the type and character conventionally used in cigarette, cigar, and pipe tobacco flavorings. Other examples include flavors derived from or simulating burley, oriental tobacco, flue-cured tobacco, etc. Syrups, such as high fructose corn syrup, can also be used. Exemplary plant-derived compositions that may be suitable are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 9,107,453 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0152265, both to Dube et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The selection of such additional ingredients can vary based on factors such as the sensory characteristics desired in the smoking article, and the present disclosure is intended to encompass any such additional ingredients readily apparent to those skilled in the art of tobacco and tobacco-related or tobacco-derived products. See, for example, *Gutcho*, *Tobacco Flavoring Substances and Methods*, Noyes Data Corp. (1972), and *Leffingwell et al.*, *Tobacco Flavoring for Smoking Products* (1972), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.It should be noted that reference to flavorings should not be limited to any single flavoring as described above, but may in fact represent a combination of one or more flavorings.

[0049] 1 , the first liquid composition 112A in the illustrated embodiment is in fluid communication (either directly or through one or more additional components) with at least a portion of the first atomizing assembly 115A. Similarly, the second liquid composition 112B in the illustrated embodiment is in fluid communication (either directly or through one or more additional components) with at least a portion of the second atomizing assembly 115B. While in other embodiments the first and second atomizing assemblies may have a variety of different configurations, in the illustrated embodiment the first and second atomizing assemblies 115A, 115B have an overall substantially planar or dome-shaped configuration, with each atomizing assembly 115A, 115B including a surface that forms a substantially perpendicular angle with the aerosol exit passage 120. In various embodiments, the atomizing assemblies may be fluidly coupled with respective portions of the liquid compositions such that the atomizing assemblies generate aerosols from the respective liquid compositions. In the illustrated embodiment, one or more electrical connections 116A, 116B connect the spraying assemblies 115A, 115B to the control component 106 and / or the battery 108. As such, the spraying assemblies 115A, 115B of the illustrated embodiment may be powered by the battery 108 and / or the control component 106 (e.g., to vibrate the components of the spraying assembly at a relatively high rate). Some examples of electronics / control components that may be applicable to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0014819 to Sur, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0050] As described above, in some embodiments, fluid communication between the liquid composition and each spray assembly may be direct. However, in other embodiments, fluid communication between the liquid composition and each spray assembly may be indirect. In various embodiments, indirect fluid communication may occur, for example, by transporting (e.g., via a liquid transport element) and / or depositing (e.g., via a micropump or spray device) the liquid composition into a portion of the spray assembly. In some embodiments, at least one of the liquid reservoirs may be substantially sealed to prevent passage of the liquid composition other than through any specific openings or conduits expressly provided for the passage of the liquid composition, such as through one or more transport elements described elsewhere herein.

[0051] In various embodiments, the liquid transport element may have one or more layers and may be made of a single material or multiple materials. In various embodiments, the liquid transport element may be of any shape and may be a porous, semi-porous, or non-porous absorbent / absorbent material. In other embodiments, a second liquid transport element may be disposed between the first liquid transport element and the liquid reservoir, and the second liquid transport element is configured to transfer liquid from the liquid reservoir to the first liquid transport element. In this way, the first liquid transport element may not be in direct contact with the liquid in the liquid reservoir. In various embodiments, the second liquid transport element may be made of the same or a different material as the first liquid transport element and may have the same or a different shape as the first liquid transport element. For example, in some embodiments, the liquid transport element may be made from fibrous materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose cloth, glass fiber), polymers, silk, particles, porous ceramics (e.g., alumina, silica, zirconia, SiC, SiN, AlN, etc.), porous metals, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, porous polymers, etc. In some embodiments, the liquid transport element may be any material containing an open pore network (i.e., multiple pores interconnected so that fluid can flow from one pore to another in multiple directions through the element). The pores may be nanopores, micropores, macropores, or a combination thereof. As further described herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fibrous transport elements. As such, fibrous transport elements may be explicitly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fibrous and non-fibrous transport elements may be utilized. In some embodiments, the liquid transport element can be a substantially solid, non-porous material, such as a polymer or dense ceramic or metal, configured to direct liquid through apertures or slots without necessarily relying on wicking by capillary action. Such solids can be used in combination with porous absorbent pads.The absorbent pad may be formed from silica-based fibers, organic cotton, rayon fibers, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose cloth, highly porous ceramic or metal mesh, etc. Some representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al. and 2014 / 0059780 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Additionally, various wicking materials and the construction and operation of wicking materials within specific types of electronic cigarettes are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the liquid transport element may be formed partially or entirely from a porous monolith, such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, or the like. Exemplary monolithic materials that may be suitable for use with embodiments of the present disclosure are described, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0188626 to Davis et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monolith may form a substantially solid wick.

[0052] In some embodiments, the end of the liquid transport element may be configured to be positioned proximate to the spray assembly and the liquid composition in the reservoir, such that the liquid transport element acts as a secondary reservoir that absorbs or adsorbs liquid from the reservoir, such that the mesh plate contacts the liquid composition even when there is no longer liquid in the reservoir. In this way, the liquid transport element is configured to facilitate delivery of the liquid composition to the spray assembly.

[0053] In some embodiments, the liquid composition may be forced through a component of the atomizing assembly to generate a plurality of aerosol particles. Similarly, in other embodiments, vibration of a component of the atomizing assembly may generate ultrasonic waves and / or surface acoustic waves in the liquid composition, resulting in the formation of an aerosol on the surface of the liquid composition. In some embodiments, the liquid composition may be applied and / or transferred to a component of the atomizing assembly to generate an aerosol.

[0054] In various embodiments, the housing and / or mouthpiece may include one or more air intakes (not shown), which may comprise one or more openings that allow ambient air to pass through the housing and / or mouthpiece. In some embodiments, the air intakes may draw air into and / or around one or more of the atomizing assemblies, where the air may mix with the vaporized liquid composition to produce the aerosol that is delivered to the user. Note that in some embodiments, the air intakes need not be adjacent to the housing, and may in some embodiments be located downstream of one or more of the atomizing assemblies. As discussed above, in some embodiments, the one or more air intakes may be formed through the mouthpiece (e.g., so that it does not enter the housing) or some other portion of the aerosol delivery device. Note that some embodiments need not include a mouthpiece and / or the mouthpiece may be integral with the housing.

[0055] In various embodiments, the mouthpiece portion may also include at least one electronic component, which may include an integrated circuit, memory component, sensor, etc., although such components are not necessarily included. In some embodiments including such components, the electronic component may be adapted to communicate with a control component of the housing and / or an external device by wired or wireless means. In various embodiments, the electronic component of the mouthpiece portion may be located anywhere within the mouthpiece portion.

[0056] In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may include at least one flow sensor, which may comprise a component separate from the control component. In other embodiments, the control component and the flow sensor may be combined as an electronic circuit board to which the airflow sensor is directly attached. Some examples of airflow sensors that may be applicable to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 260,901 to Sur, filed January 29, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, the airflow sensor may comprise its own circuit board or other base element to which it can be attached. In some embodiments, a flexible circuit board may be utilized. Flexible circuit boards may be configured in various shapes, including a generally tubular shape. For example, printed circuit board and pressure sensor configurations are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0245658 to Worm et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Additional types of sensing or detection mechanisms, their structure and configuration, their components, and their general methods of operation are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., and PCT Publication No. WO 2010 / 003480 to Flick, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

[0057] In some embodiments, when a user inhales on the device, airflow can be detected by a sensor, and one or both of the atomizing assemblies 115A, 115B may be activated to vaporize the respective liquid compositions. As described above, in some embodiments, inhaling on the mouth end of the device causes ambient air to enter the device. The inhaled air can then combine with the formed vapor to form an aerosol. The aerosol may then be blown, inhaled, or otherwise drawn through the atomizing assemblies, along the aerosol exit path 120, and out of the opening 118 in the mouth end of the device. In other embodiments, in the absence of an airflow sensor, one or both of the atomizing assemblies may be manually activated, for example, via one or more push buttons (not shown). Furthermore, in some embodiments, an air intake may be present through the mouthpiece portion, through the housing, and / or between the mouthpiece portion and the housing. Note that in some embodiments, one or more components may be present between one or both of the atomizing assemblies and the opening in the mouth end of the device. For example, in some embodiments, one or more heating components may be positioned downstream of either or both of the atomizing assemblies. In various embodiments, the heating component may comprise any device having any shape and / or configuration configured to increase the temperature of the generated aerosol, including, for example, one or more coil heating components, ceramic heating components, etc.

[0058] In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may include one or more input elements (which may replace or complement an airflow sensor, pressure sensor, or manual push button). In various embodiments, input elements may be included to allow a user to control device functions and / or output information to the user. Any component or combination of components may be utilized as an input for controlling device functions. For example, one or more push buttons may be used, as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0245658 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Similarly, a touchscreen may be used, as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0262454 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As a further example, a component adapted for gesture recognition based on specific movements of the aerosol delivery device may be used as an input. See U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0158782 to Henry et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As yet another example, a capacitance sensor may be implemented in the aerosol delivery device to allow a user to provide input, such as by touching a surface of the device on which the capacitance sensor is implemented.

[0059] In some embodiments, the input element may comprise a computer or computing device such as a smartphone or tablet. Specifically, the aerosol delivery device may be wired to a computer or other device, such as via a USB cord or similar protocol. The aerosol delivery device may also communicate with the computer or other device acting as input via wireless communication. See, for example, the systems and methods for controlling a device via readout requests, such as those described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0007561 to Ampolini et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In such embodiments, an application or other computer program may be used in conjunction with a computer or other computing device to input control instructions to the aerosol delivery device, including, for example, the ability to form an aerosol of a specific composition by selecting the nicotine content and / or the content of additional flavors to be included.

[0060] Still other features, controls, or components that may be incorporated into the aerosol delivery systems of the present disclosure are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,365,742 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 8,402,976 to Fernando et al. ... which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0163063 to Tucker et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0192623 to Leven et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0298905 to Leven et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0180553 to Kim et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0000638 to Sebastian et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261495 to Novak et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261408 to DePiano et al.

[0061] In various embodiments, one or both of the atomizing assemblies may comprise a variety of different components or devices configured to generate an aerosol from the liquid composition. For example, in some embodiments, the atomizing assembly may comprise a jet nebulizer assembly, which may be configured to generate an aerosol using compressed air. In other embodiments, the atomizing assembly may comprise an ultrasonic assembly, which may be configured to generate an aerosol using ultrasonic waves within the liquid composition. In other embodiments, the atomizing assembly may comprise a vibrating mesh assembly, which may comprise a piezoelectric material (e.g., a piezoelectric ceramic material) attached to and substantially surrounding a mesh plate (e.g., a perforated plate such as a micro-perforated mesh plate) that is vibrated within or in proximity to the surface of the liquid composition to generate an aerosol. In yet other embodiments, the atomizing assembly may comprise a surface acoustic wave (SAW) assembly or a Rayleigh wave assembly, which may utilize surface wave properties to generate an aerosol at the surface of the liquid composition. It should be noted that for purposes of this application, an ultrasonic assembly may be any assembly configured to generate ultrasonic waves within the liquid composition. In some embodiments, for example, a vibrating mesh assembly may also operate as an ultrasonic assembly.

[0062] Referring back to FIG. 1 , in the illustrated embodiment, first reservoir 110A contains first liquid composition 112A, and second reservoir 110B contains second liquid composition 112B. While in various embodiments, the first and second liquid compositions may contain any of the liquid compositions described above or any combination of liquid compositions, in the illustrated embodiment, first and second reservoirs 110A, 110B contain different first and second liquid compositions 112A, 112B, respectively. Furthermore, while in some embodiments the atomizing assemblies may generate aerosols having substantially the same particle size, in the illustrated embodiment, first and second atomizing assemblies 115A, 115B are configured to generate different aerosols having different particle sizes. In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, first liquid composition 112A comprises an unflavored aqueous liquid composition containing water and nicotine and may further contain relatively low concentrations of other ingredients, including, for example, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, ethyl alcohol, and the like. The first atomizing assembly 115A of the illustrated embodiment includes a first vibrating assembly configured to generate aerosol particles smaller than approximately 4 microns. In the illustrated embodiment, the second liquid composition 112B contains a liquid composition that includes pulmonary surfactants, including, but not limited to, various phospholipids, dipalmitoylphosphatidyl chlorine (DPPC), surface-active proteins (SP-A, SP-B, SP-C, SP-D, etc.), and neutral lipids (cholesterol), and may further include relatively low concentrations of other ingredients, including, for example, water, ethyl alcohol, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, etc. In some embodiments, a surfactant-soluble flavor package may be added to the liquid. In some embodiments, the viscosity and other properties of the liquid composition may be controlled and adjusted by adding other compatible solvents. The second atomizing assembly 115B of the illustrated embodiment includes a second vibrating assembly configured to generate aerosol particles larger than 4 microns. For example, in some embodiments, the second vibrating assembly may be configured to generate aerosol particles between approximately 4 microns and approximately 10 microns.In some embodiments, the second vibrating assembly may be configured to generate aerosol particles between about 4 microns and about 15 microns.

[0063] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an atomizing assembly that, in some embodiments, may represent one or both of the atomizing assemblies of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 . In particular, FIG. 2 illustrates atomizing assembly 215 including vibrating component 217 and mesh plate 219. In other embodiments, additional components may be included. For example, some embodiments may include a support component disposed on the side of the mesh plate opposite the vibrating component (e.g., such that the mesh plate is sandwiched between the support component and the vibrating component). In some embodiments, the support component may comprise a support ring, although other configurations are possible. In various embodiments, the support component may be made from any suitable material, including, but not limited to, polymeric, metallic, and / or ceramic materials. Thus, in some embodiments, the support component may extend the life of the mesh plate. In some embodiments, the support component may be replaceable, and in other embodiments, the support component may be attached to the mesh plate and / or the vibrating component. In some embodiments, an auxiliary component disposed between the mesh plate and the vibrating component may be used. In some embodiments, the auxiliary component may comprise an auxiliary ring, although other configurations are possible. In various embodiments, the auxiliary component may be made of any suitable material, including, but not limited to, a polymeric material, a metallic material, and / or a ceramic material. In this manner, the auxiliary component may facilitate interfacial contact of the components. In some embodiments, the auxiliary component may be replaceable, while in other embodiments, the auxiliary component may be attached to the mesh plate and / or the vibration component.

[0064] In some embodiments, the vibrating component and the mesh plate may be permanently attached to one another, for example, by securing the components together via an adhesive such as an epoxy or other adhesive, or by ultrasonic welding, mechanical fasteners, or the like; however, in other embodiments, the vibrating component and the mesh plate may not be permanently attached to one another. Rather, they may be separable and held or brought into contact with one another. In various embodiments, the mesh plate may have a variety of different configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the mesh plate may have a generally flat profile. In other embodiments, the mesh plate may have a generally dome-shaped profile that may be concave or convex relative to the reservoir and / or liquid composition. In other embodiments, the mesh plate may include a generally flat portion and a dome-shaped portion. In various embodiments, the mesh plate may be made from a variety of different materials. In some embodiments, the mesh plate may be made from a metallic material, such as, but not limited to, stainless steel, palladium-nickel, or titanium. In other embodiments, the mesh plate may be made from a polymeric material, such as, for example, a polyimide polymer. In still other embodiments, the mesh plate may be made from a combination of materials.

[0065] In various embodiments, the structure of one or both of the first or second atomizing assemblies may vary. For example, FIGS. 3A-3F illustrate various exemplary atomizing assembly embodiments. In some embodiments, one or both of the first or second atomizing assemblies of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 may have one of these configurations. Note that in some embodiments, both the first and second atomizing assemblies may have the same configuration, while in other embodiments, the first and second atomizing assemblies may have different configurations. In particular, FIG. 3A illustrates an atomizing assembly comprising a piezoelectric ring 217A attached to and substantially surrounding a mesh plate 219A. FIG. 3B illustrates an atomizing assembly comprising a mesh plate 219B sandwiched between two portions of a piezoelectric ring 217B. FIG. 3C illustrates an atomizing assembly comprising a piezoelectric ring 217C attached to and substantially surrounding a mesh plate 219C, at least a portion of which is curved. FIG. 3D shows an atomizing assembly including a mesh plate 219D sandwiched between two portions of a piezoelectric ring 217D, at least a portion of which is curved. FIG. 3E shows an atomizing assembly including a piezoelectric ring 217E attached to and substantially surrounding one side of a mesh plate 219E, with the other side of the mesh plate 219E including a metal ring 221E attached to and substantially surrounding it. FIG. 3F shows an atomizing assembly including a mesh plate 219F, with one side of the mesh plate 219F including a metal ring 221F attached to and substantially surrounding it, with the mesh plate 219F and metal ring 221F sandwiched between two portions of a piezoelectric ring 217F. Note that in other embodiments, one or both of the atomizing assemblies of the present invention need not be limited to these configurations.

[0066] Referring back to FIG. 2 , the mesh plate 219 in the illustrated embodiment includes a plurality of perforations. In some embodiments, the perforations may be defined by circular openings in the surface of the plate. In other embodiments, the perforations may be defined by non-circular openings in the surface of the plate, such as oval, rectangular, triangular, or regular or irregular polygonal openings. In various embodiments, the perforations may be created using a variety of different methods, including, but not limited to, via a laser (e.g., a femtosecond laser), via electroplating (e.g., lithography or focused ion beam), or via the use of high or low energy focused ion or electron beams. In various embodiments, the shape defined through the plate by the perforations may vary. For example, in some embodiments, the shape defined through the plate by the perforations may be generally cylindrical. In other embodiments, the shape defined through the plate by the perforations may be generally conical (e.g., having a frustoconical shape defining a smaller opening on one surface of the plate and a larger opening on the opposite surface of the plate). In other embodiments, the shape defined by the perforations through the plate may be rectangular or pyramidal. In some embodiments, it is believed that generally conical perforations can enhance the mesh's performance in spraying liquid compositions. While any orientation of the mesh plate may be used, in some embodiments with perforations defining a substantially conical shape through the plate, the larger openings may be positioned proximate the surface of the liquid composition, and the smaller openings may define the aerosol exit area. In some embodiments with perforations having a generally conical shape, the smaller openings may have a size ranging from about 1 micron up to about 10 microns, inclusive, with an average size of about 2 microns to about 5 microns. In other embodiments, the smaller openings may have a size ranging from about several hundred nanometers up to about 4 microns, inclusive, with an average size of about 2 microns to about 3.1 microns. In other embodiments, the smaller ends may have a size ranging from about several hundred nanometers up to about 2 microns, inclusive, with an average size of about 1 micron.In some embodiments, the larger openings may have a size ranging from about 10 microns to about 60 microns, inclusive, with an average size ranging from about 20 microns to about 30 microns. In other embodiments, the larger openings may have a size ranging from about 5 microns to about 20 microns, inclusive, with an average size of about 10 microns. In some embodiments, the size of the perforations may be substantially uniform throughout the perforated portion of the plate, while in other embodiments, the size of the perforations may vary. In this manner, the aerosol formed may have aerosol droplets of different sizes. For example, in some embodiments, the perforations may be relatively large in one portion of the plate and relatively small in another portion of the plate. Such portions may include, for example, the center and periphery of the plate, or may include alternating rings extending radially from the center of the plate.

[0067] In various embodiments, the mesh plate may have any number of perforations. In some embodiments, for example, the number of perforations in the mesh plate may be in the inclusive range of about 200 to about 6,000, with the average number of perforations being about 1,100 to about 2,500. In other embodiments, the number of perforations in the mesh plate may be in the inclusive range of about 400 to about 1,000. In various embodiments, the thickness of the vibrating component and the thickness of the mesh plate may vary. For example, in some embodiments, the thickness of the mesh plate may be in the range of a few microns to a few millimeters. In various embodiments, the overall diameter of the mesh plate may vary. For example, in some embodiments, the overall diameter of the mesh plate may be in the inclusive range of about a few millimeters to about 30 millimeters. In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the vibrating component may be larger than the overall diameter of the mesh plate. In other embodiments, the outer diameter of the vibrating component may be substantially the same size as the overall diameter of the mesh plate. In still other embodiments, the outer diameter of the vibrating component may be smaller than the overall diameter of the mesh plate. In various embodiments, the diameter of the perforated region may be smaller than the overall diameter of the mesh plate. For example, in some embodiments, the diameter of the perforated region may be within the inclusive range of about 1 millimeter to about 20 millimeters, with an average of about 4 millimeters to about 12 millimeters. In some embodiments, the inner diameter of the vibrating component may be larger than the diameter of the perforated region of the mesh plate. In other embodiments, the inner diameter of the vibrating component may be substantially the same as or smaller than the diameter of the perforated region of the mesh plate. In some embodiments, the thickness of the vibrating component may be within the inclusive range of hundreds of microns to tens of millimeters. For example, in some embodiments, the thickness of the vibrating component may be less than 1 millimeter.

[0068] In various embodiments, the vibrating component may comprise a piezoelectric component. For example, in various embodiments, the vibrating component may comprise a piezoelectric ring, and in some embodiments, the piezoelectric ring may be made from a piezoelectric ceramic material. While the illustrated embodiments describe a piezoelectric component in the form of a piezoelectric ring, it should be noted that in other embodiments, the piezoelectric component need not be limited to a ring-shaped object. For example, in some embodiments, the piezoelectric component may have a rectangular, oval, hexagonal, triangular, and regular or irregular polygonal shape. Generally, piezoelectric ceramic materials have piezoelectric properties (e.g., ferroelectric properties) and are configured to change shape slightly (e.g., 1-2 microns in this application) when exposed to an electrical stimulus. This occurs due to a change in the crystal structure of the piezoelectric ceramic material (e.g., from orthorhombic to cubic, or from hexagonal to cubic, etc.). With respect to piezoelectric ceramic rings, such a change in shape creates internal strain, causing the disk to contract and, consequently, bend due to its rigid structure. Because the ring is attached to a mesh plate, the bending of the ring is transferred to the mesh material. When the current is turned off from the piezoelectric ring, the ring and mesh plate return to their original shape and position. Thus, the continuous change in shape and position results in an oscillating motion that can be used as a vibration source. In various embodiments, the frequency of the piezoelectric ring can be in the range of several Hz to several MHz. For example, in some embodiments, the frequency of the piezoelectric ring is in the inclusive range of about 50 KHz to about 150 KHz, with an average of about 110 KHz in one embodiment, about 113 KHz in another embodiment, about 117 KHz in another embodiment, about 130 KHz in another embodiment, about 150 KHz in another embodiment, about 170 KHz in another embodiment, and about 250 KHz in another embodiment. In other embodiments, the frequency of the piezoelectric ring is in the inclusive range of about 1 MHz to about 5 MHz, with an average of about 3 MHz to about 3.5 MHz.

[0069] In various embodiments, a variety of different piezoelectric materials are possible, including natural or synthetic materials. Some non-limiting examples of natural piezoelectric materials include, for example, quartz, berlinite (AlPO), sucrose, Rochelle salt, topaz, tourmaline group minerals, lead titanate (PbTiO), and collagen. Some non-limiting examples of synthetic materials include, for example, (LaGaSiO 14 ), gallium phosphate, gallium orthophosphate (GaPO4), lithium niobate (LiNbO3), lithium tantalate (LiTaO3), AlN, ZnO, barium titanate (BaTiO3), lead zirconate titanate (Pb[Zr x Ti 1-x ]O3) (also known as PZT), potassium niobate (KNbO3), sodium tungstate (Na2WO3), Ba2NaNb5O5, Pb2KNb5O 15 , zinc oxide (ZnO), potassium sodium niobate ((K,Na)NbO3) (also known as NKN), bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3), sodium niobate NaNbO3, barium titanate (BaTiO3), bismuth titanate Bi4Ti3O 12 , sodium titanate, and bismuth sodium titanate, NaBi(TiO3)2. In other embodiments, polymers that exhibit piezoelectric properties may be used, including but not limited to polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

[0070] In various embodiments, the mesh plate of the atomizing assembly may be in contact with, and / or proximate to, and / or receive (e.g., via a delivery mechanism) at least a portion of the liquid composition. The resulting vibration of the plate generates an aerosol from the contacted liquid composition. In particular, in some embodiments, the liquid composition is forced through a plurality of microperforations, generating a plurality of aerosol particles. Similarly, in other embodiments, such as those in which the mesh plate is immersed in the liquid composition, the vibration of the plate generates ultrasound waves within the liquid composition, resulting in the formation of an aerosol on the surface of the liquid composition. As described in more detail below, in other embodiments, the liquid composition may be applied and / or transferred to the atomizing assembly to generate the aerosol. In various embodiments, the mesh plate may be made from a variety of materials, including, for example, one or more metallic materials, such as titanium, stainless steel, palladium, nickel, etc., or polymeric materials, such as polyimide materials.

[0071] Referring back to FIG. 1 , in the illustrated embodiment, one or both of the first or second spraying assemblies 115A, 115B may be controlled via control component 106 and / or power source 108. In this manner, control of one or both of the first or second spraying assemblies 115A, 115B may be automatic or on-demand. In some embodiments, automatic actuation of the first and / or second spraying assemblies may be triggered, for example, by a user inhaling on the device. In some embodiments, on-demand actuation of the first and / or second spraying assemblies may be activated using an input element, such as, for example, a pressure-activated device (e.g., one or more push buttons). In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may be configured such that the first and second spraying assemblies operate independently of one another. Thus, in some exemplary embodiments, only an aerosol containing the first liquid composition may be delivered to a user; in other exemplary embodiments, only an aerosol containing the second liquid composition may be delivered to a user; and in yet other exemplary embodiments, both an aerosol containing the first liquid composition and an aerosol including the second liquid composition may be delivered to a user. In yet other embodiments, the user may be able to adjust the amount of aerosol containing the first and / or second liquid composition that is delivered to the user.

[0072] In the illustrated embodiment, the timing of aerosol formation from the first and second spraying assemblies 115A, 155B may differ. For example, in some embodiments, the first spraying assembly may begin generating aerosol a period of time after the second spraying assembly begins generating aerosol. In some embodiments, the first spraying assembly may begin generating aerosol a fraction of a second (e.g., half a second) after the second spraying assembly begins generating aerosol (or vice versa). In other embodiments, the time difference may be greater or less than a fraction of a second. In still other embodiments, the difference in the onset of aerosol generation between the first and second spraying assemblies may not be based on time but rather may be based on different events, such as, for example, several puffs. In some embodiments, the first spraying assembly may begin generating aerosol several puffs (e.g., 1-5 puffs) after the second spraying assembly begins generating aerosol (or vice versa). It should be noted that in some embodiments, one of the atomizing assemblies may begin generating aerosol several times after the other atomizing assembly begins generating aerosol. For example, in some embodiments, one of the atomizing assemblies may generate aerosol for the first few puffs (e.g., 1-3 puffs), after which both atomizing assemblies may generate aerosol one after the other or simultaneously.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first nebulizing assembly may be configured to generate a first aerosol from a first liquid composition after the second nebulizing assembly generates a second aerosol from a second liquid composition, where the second liquid composition is different from the first liquid composition and the first aerosol has a smaller particle size than the second aerosol. In some such embodiments, this may facilitate delivery of the first aerosol to the user's lungs. For example, if the second liquid composition 112B in the illustrated embodiment includes phospholipid molecules with two ends, one hydrophilic and the other hydrophobic, the hydrophilic nature of one end and the relatively large size of the particles may tend to result in a majority of the particles being deposited in the user's mouth and throat area, with the hydrophobic end being directed toward the user's respiratory tract. This early delivery of phospholipid particles may have certain advantages. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, second liquid composition 112B contains phospholipid molecules containing flavorings aerosolized into relatively large particles, which are delivered to the user before first liquid composition 112A, which contains an aqueous liquid containing an active ingredient, such as nicotine, aerosolized into relatively small particles, is delivered. In this manner, particles from second liquid composition 112B can deposit in the user's throat and mouth area, and the hydrophobic ends of the phospholipid molecules can repel subsequently generated aqueous aerosol particles containing nicotine from first liquid composition 112A. This can increase the delivery of particles from the first liquid composition to the user's lungs.

[0074] FIG. 4 illustrates an aerosol delivery device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of a portion of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 4 . In particular, FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an aerosol delivery device 300 including a mouthpiece portion 302 and a housing 304. Certain portions of the housing 304 have been removed to facilitate description of the device. In FIG. 4 , the mouthpiece portion 302 and the housing 304 are shown transparent. In FIG. 5 , the mouthpiece portion 302 has been removed. In various embodiments, the mouthpiece portion 302 may be permanently or removably aligned in a functional relationship with the housing 304. In some embodiments, for example, the mouthpiece portion and the housing may comprise a single component, while in other embodiments, the connection therebetween may be releasable, such that, for example, the housing and / or the mouthpiece portion may be reusable and / or disposable and / or refillable. See the above description of the mouthpiece portion and the housing, and their configurations and variations. In various embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 300 may have a variety of different shapes. See also the above discussion regarding possible shapes of aerosol delivery devices.

[0075] In certain embodiments, one or both of the housing 304 and the mouthpiece portion 302 may be referred to as disposable or reusable. In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may include a reusable power source. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the housing 304 includes the control component 306 and the battery 308. In other embodiments, other power sources may be used. See the above description for possible power sources, as well as their configurations and variations. In the illustrated embodiment, the control component 306 may comprise a printed circuit board (PCB), an integrated circuit, memory components, a microcontroller, etc. Additional components may also be included. See the above description for other possible components, including the control component, sensors, indicators, input elements, etc., as well as their configurations and variations.

[0076] In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 304 includes a first liquid reservoir 310A configured to contain a first liquid composition 312A and a second liquid reservoir 310B configured to contain a second liquid composition 312B. In some embodiments, the first and second liquid reservoirs may be part of the housing (e.g., comprise molded features of the housing), while in other embodiments, one or both of the first or second liquid reservoirs may comprise separate parts. In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure may include one or more refillable liquid reservoirs. Thus, in some embodiments, one or both of the first or second liquid reservoirs may be reusable. See the above discussion regarding the housing and / or the first and second liquid reservoirs, and their configurations and variations. In the illustrated embodiment, one or both of the first or second liquid compositions 312A, 312B contains an aerosol precursor composition. See above for possible liquid compositions, aerosol precursor compositions and relative amounts, as well as configurations and variations thereof.

[0077] In the illustrated embodiment, the first liquid reservoir 310A is in fluid communication (either directly or through one or more additional components) with at least a portion of the first spray assembly 315A. Similarly, the second liquid reservoir 310B in the illustrated embodiment is in fluid communication (either directly or through one or more additional components) with at least a portion of the second spray assembly 315B. In some embodiments, at least one of the liquid reservoirs 310A, 310B may comprise a separate container (e.g., formed from walls that are substantially impermeable to the liquid composition). In some embodiments, the walls of at least one of the liquid reservoirs may be flexible and / or collapsible, while in other embodiments, the walls of at least one of the liquid reservoirs may be substantially rigid. In some embodiments, at least one of the liquid reservoirs may be substantially sealed to prevent passage of the liquid composition other than through any specific openings or conduits expressly provided for the passage of the liquid composition, such as through one or more transport elements described elsewhere herein.

[0078] In the illustrated embodiment, one or more electrical connections connect the spraying assemblies 315A, 315B to the control component 306 and / or the battery 308. As such, the spraying assemblies 315A, 315B of the illustrated embodiment may be powered by the battery 308 and / or the control component 306 (e.g., to vibrate the components of the spraying assembly at a relatively high rate). Some examples of electronic / control components that may be applicable to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0014819 to Sur, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0079] In various embodiments, the atomizing assembly may be fluidly coupled to each portion of the liquid composition such that the atomizing assembly generates an aerosol from the respective liquid composition. In various embodiments, the atomizing assembly may be fluidly coupled directly to each portion of the liquid composition, or indirectly to each portion of the liquid composition, such as via one or more liquid transport elements. See above for the description of possible liquid transport elements, and their configurations and variations.

[0080] In some embodiments, the liquid composition may be forced through a component of the atomizing assembly to generate a plurality of aerosol particles. Similarly, in other embodiments, vibration of a component of the atomizing assembly may generate ultrasonic waves and / or surface acoustic waves in the liquid composition, resulting in the formation of an aerosol on the surface of the liquid composition. In some embodiments, the liquid composition may be applied and / or transferred to a component of the atomizing assembly to generate an aerosol.

[0081] In various embodiments, the housing and / or mouthpiece may include one or more air intakes (not shown), which may comprise one or more openings that allow ambient air to pass through the housing and / or mouthpiece. In some embodiments, the air intakes may draw air into and / or around one or more of the atomizing assemblies, where the air may mix with the vaporized liquid composition to contain the aerosol that is delivered to the user. Note that in some embodiments, the air intakes need not be adjacent to the housing, and may in some embodiments be located downstream of one or more of the atomizing assemblies. As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the one or more air intakes may be formed through the mouthpiece (e.g., so that it does not enter the housing) or some other part of the aerosol delivery device. Note that some embodiments need not include a mouthpiece and / or the mouthpiece may be integral with the housing.

[0082] In some embodiments, when a user inhales on the device, airflow can be detected by a sensor, and one or both of the atomizing assemblies 315A, 315B may be activated, thereby vaporizing the respective liquid compositions. As described above, in some embodiments, inhaling on the mouth end of the device causes ambient air to enter the device. The inhaled air can then combine with the formed vapor to form an aerosol. The aerosol may then be blown, inhaled, or otherwise drawn through the atomizing assembly and exit through an opening 318 in the mouth end of the device, along an aerosol exit path 320. In other embodiments, in the absence of an airflow sensor, one or both of the atomizing assemblies may be manually activated, for example, via one or more push buttons (not shown). Furthermore, in some embodiments, an air intake may be present through the mouthpiece portion, through the housing, and / or between the mouthpiece portion and the housing. Note that in some embodiments, one or more components may be present between one or both of the atomizing assemblies and the opening in the mouth end of the device. For example, in some embodiments, one or more heating components may be positioned downstream of either or both of the atomizing assemblies. In various embodiments, the heating component may include any device configured to increase the temperature of the generated aerosol, including, for example, one or more coil heating components, ceramic heating components, etc.

[0083] In various embodiments, one or both of the atomizing assemblies may include a variety of different components or devices configured to generate an aerosol from the liquid composition. For example, in some embodiments, the atomizing assembly may comprise a jet nebulizer assembly, which may be configured to generate an aerosol using compressed air. In other embodiments, the atomizing assembly may comprise an ultrasonic assembly, which may be configured to generate an aerosol using ultrasonic waves within the liquid composition. In other embodiments, the atomizing assembly may comprise a vibrating mesh assembly, which may comprise a piezoelectric material (e.g., a piezoelectric ceramic material) attached to and substantially surrounding a mesh plate (e.g., a perforated plate such as a micro-perforated mesh plate) that is vibrated within or in proximity to the surface of the liquid composition to generate an aerosol. In yet other embodiments, the atomizing assembly may comprise a surface acoustic wave (SAW) assembly or a Rayleigh wave assembly, which may utilize surface wave properties to generate an aerosol at the surface of the liquid composition. It should be noted that for purposes of this application, an ultrasonic assembly may be any assembly configured to generate ultrasonic waves within the liquid composition. In some embodiments, for example, a vibrating mesh assembly may also operate as an ultrasonic assembly. See above for the description of possible atomizing assemblies and their configurations and variations.

[0084] In other embodiments, the first and second atomizing assemblies may be substantially collinear and / or substantially parallel to one another; however, in the illustrated embodiment, the first and second atomizing assemblies 315A, 315B are angled relative to one another. In particular, the first and second atomizing assemblies 315A, 315B in the illustrated embodiment are angled toward one another and toward the aerosol outlet passage 320. In other embodiments, the first and second atomizing assemblies may have a variety of different configurations; however, in the illustrated embodiment, the first and second atomizing assemblies 315A, 315B have an overall substantially planar shape, and each atomizing assembly 315A, 315B includes a surface that forms an angle with respect to the aerosol outlet passage 320 such that the aerosol formed thereby is directed into the aerosol outlet passage 320. In various embodiments, the angle formed by the first or second atomizing assembly with respect to the aerosol outlet passage can vary (e.g., between 0 and 180 degrees), and in some embodiments, the first and second atomizing assemblies may form different angles with respect to the aerosol outlet passage. In the illustrated embodiment, the first atomizing assembly 315A is angled α with respect to the aerosol path 320. A and the second atomizing assembly 315B is angled at an angle α B Although other configurations are possible, in the illustrated embodiment, the angle α A and α B are substantially the same and are greater than 45 degrees and less than 180 degrees, particularly less than 90 degrees.

[0085] In the illustrated embodiment, first reservoir 310A contains first liquid composition 312A, and second reservoir 310B contains second liquid composition 312B, where first liquid composition 312A is different from second liquid composition 312B. Furthermore, first atomizing assembly 315A is configured to generate a first aerosol having a first particle size, and second atomizing assembly 315B is configured to generate a second aerosol having a second particle size, where the first particle size is different from the second particle size. Please refer to the above descriptions regarding the first and second liquid compositions, first and second atomizing assemblies, their respective aerosol particle sizes, and timing, as well as their configurations and variations.

[0086] Many modifications and other embodiments of the present disclosure will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. It is to be understood, therefore, that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. 1. An aerosol delivery device comprising: a housing defining an outer wall and further containing power and control components; a mouthpiece portion defining an aerosol exit passage; a first reservoir configured to contain a first liquid composition; a second reservoir configured to contain a second liquid composition; a first atomizing assembly configured to vaporize a first liquid composition to generate a first aerosol having a first aerosol particle size; a second atomizing assembly configured to vaporize the second liquid composition to generate a second aerosol having a second aerosol particle size; Equipped with An aerosol delivery device wherein the first liquid composition is different from the second liquid composition and the first particle size is different from the second particle size.

2. one of the first and second atomizing assemblies includes a vibration assembly; Optionally, 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second vibrating assemblies comprises a mesh plate and a vibrating component.

3. the vibrating component of one of the first and second vibrating assemblies comprises a piezoelectric ring attached to and substantially surrounding the mesh plate; and / or the mesh plate of one of the first and second vibrating assemblies is substantially flat; and / or 3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the mesh plate of at least one of the first and second vibrating assemblies is convex with respect to the respective reservoir.

4. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the first and second reservoirs and the first and second atomizing assemblies are contained within a housing, and the mouthpiece portion is configured to be removable and replaceable from the housing.

5. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the first and second reservoirs are disposed on opposite sides of the aerosol exit passage.

6. the first and second atomizing assemblies are disposed on opposite sides of the aerosol exit passage; Optionally, the first and second atomizing assemblies are angled toward each other and toward the aerosol exit path; Optionally, a surface of each of the first and second atomizing assemblies forms an angle with respect to the aerosol exit path; Optionally, 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the angle formed by each surface of the first and second atomizing assemblies is greater than 45 degrees and less than 180 degrees.

7. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the first particle size is less than about 4 microns.

8. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the second particle size is greater than about 4 microns.

9. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the second particle size is from about 4 microns to about 15 microns.

10. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the first and second nebulizing assemblies are configured to generate the first and second aerosols substantially simultaneously.

11. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the first nebulizing assembly is configured to generate the first aerosol after the second nebulizing assembly is configured to generate the second aerosol.

12. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the first and second nebulizing assemblies are configured to be automatically controlled via a control component.

13. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the first liquid composition comprises an aqueous liquid containing nicotine.

14. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the second liquid composition comprises a pulmonary surfactant.

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