Aerosol delivery device with integrated thermal conductor

Abstract

To provide aerosol delivery devices and aerosol source members.SOLUTION: In one aspect, an aerosol delivery device 100 may comprise: a control body 102 having a closed distal end and an open engaging end; a heating member 132; a control component 123 located within the control body and configured to control the heating member; a power source 124 located within the control body and configured to provide power to the control component; and a removable aerosol source member 104 that includes a substrate portion 110. The substrate portion may include a continuous heat conductive framework integrated with an aerosol forming material, where the continuous thermally conductive framework is configured to enhance heat transfer from the heating member to the aerosol forming material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery articles and their use for producing tobacco components or other materials in inhalable form. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices and systems, such as smoking articles, that utilize electrically generated heat to heat materials to provide inhalable substances in the form of aerosols for human consumption. [Background technology]

[0002] Many smoking articles have been proposed over the years as improvements or replacements for smoking products based on burning tobacco. Exemplary replacements include devices in which a solid or liquid fuel is burned to transfer heat to the tobacco, or a chemical reaction is used to provide such a heat source. Examples include the smoking articles described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The goal of improving or replacing smoking articles has usually been to provide the sensation associated with cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking without delivering a significant amount of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products.To this end, many smoking products, flavor generators, and medicinal inhalers have been proposed that utilize electrical energy to vaporize or heat volatile substances, or to provide the sensation of cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking without significantly burning tobacco.See, for example, the various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and heat sources described in the background art in U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0255702 to Griffith Jr. et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0096781 to Sears et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. See also, for example, the various types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and power heat sources referenced by trade name and commercial source in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0220232 to Bless et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. See also the additional types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and power heat sources referenced by trade name and commercial source listed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0245659 to DePiano et al., which is also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.Other representative cigarettes or smoking articles that have been described, and in some cases are commercially available, are U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,875 to Brooks et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,586 to Morgan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,586 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,586 to Morgan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,671 to Counts ... Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,586 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al., U. U.S. Patent No. 5,388,594, U.S. Patent No. 5,666,977 to Higgins et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,053,176 to Adams et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,164,287 to White, U.S. Patent No. 6,196,218 to Voges, U.S. Patent No. 6,810,883 to Felter et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,854,461 to Nichols, U.S. Patent No. 7,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Patent No. 6,832,410 to Kobayashi, No. 7,513,253 to Robinson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,320 to Hamano, U.S. Pat. No. 7,896,006 to Shayan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,756 to Shayan, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2009 / 0095311 to Hon, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2006 / 0196518 to Hon, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2009 / 0126745, and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2009 / 0188490 to Thorens et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0272379 by Monsees et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0260641 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0260642 by Monsees et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0149118 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0024834 by Oglesby et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0307518 by Wang, and WO 2010 / 091593 by Hon.

[0004] Representative products that mimic many of the attributes of a traditional cigarette, cigar, or pipe include ACCORD® by Philip Morris Incorporated, ALPHA™, JOYE 510™, and M4™ by InnoVapor LLC, CIRRUS™ and FLING™ by White Cloud Cigarettes, BLU™ by Fontem Ventures BV, COHITA™, COLIBRI™, ELITE CLASSIC™, MAGNUM™, PHANTOM™, and SENSE™ by EPUFFER® International Inc., DUOPRO™, STORM™, and VAPORKING® by Electronic Cigarettes, Inc., EGAR™ by Egar Australia, eGo-C™ and eGo-T™ by Joyetech, ELUSION™ by Elusion UK Ltd, and Eonsmoke. EONSMOKE® by FIN Branding Group, LLC, FIN™ by FIN Branding Group, LLC, SMOKE® by Green Smoke Inc. USA, GREENARETTE™ by Greenarette LLC, HALLIGAN™, HENDU™, JET™, MAXXQ™, PINK™ and PITBULL™ by SMOKE STIK®, HEATBAR™ by Philip Morris International, Inc., HYDRO IMPERIAL™ and LXE™ from Crown7, LOGIC™ and THE CUBAN™ by LOGIC Technology, LUCI® by Luciano Smokes Inc., METRO® by Nicotek, LLC, NJOY® and ONEJOY™ by Sottera, Inc., NO.7™ by SS Choice LLC, PREMIUM ELECTRONIC by PremiumEstore LLC CIGARETTE(TM), Ruyan America, Inc.RAPP E-MYSTICK™ by Red Dragon Products, LLC, RED DRAGON™ by Red Dragon Products, LLC, RUYAN® by Ruyan Group (Holdings) Ltd., SF® by Smoker Friendly International, LLC, GREEN SMART SMOKER® by The Smart Smoking Electronic Cigarette Company Ltd., SMOKE ASSIST® by Coastline Products LLC, SMOKING EVERYWHERE® by Smoking Everywhere, Inc., V2CIGS™ by VMR Products LLC, VAPOR NINE™ by VaporNine LLC, VAPOR4LIFE® by Vapor 4 Life, Inc., VEPPO™ by E-CigaretteDirect, LLC, VUSE® by RJ Reynolds Vapor Company, Mistic Menthol products by Mistic Ecigs, and Vype products by CN Creative Ltd., Philip Morris and GLO™ by British American Tobacco. Still other electrically powered aerosol delivery devices, particularly those characterized as so-called e-cigarettes, are sold under the trade names COOLER VISIONS™, DIRECT E-CIG™, DRAGONFLY™, EMIST™, EVERSMOKE™, GAMUCCI®, HYBRID FLAME™, KNIGHT STICKS™, ROYAL BLUES™, SMOKETIP®, and SOUTH BEACH SMOKE™. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 [Patent Document 3] US Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0255702 [Patent Document 4] US Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0096781 [Patent Document 5] US Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0220232 [Patent Document 6] US Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0245659 [Patent Document 7] U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 [Patent Document 8] U.S. Patent No. 4,922,901 [Patent Document 9] U.S. Patent No. 4,947,874 [Patent Document 10] U.S. Patent No. 4,947,875 [Patent Document 11] U.S. Patent No. 5,060,671 [Patent Document 12] U.S. Patent No. 5,249,586 [Patent Document 13] U.S. Patent No. 5,388,594 [Patent Document 14] U.S. Patent No. 5,666,977 [Patent Document 15] U.S. Patent No. 6,053,176 [Patent Document 16] U.S. Patent No. 6,164,287 [Patent Document 17] U.S. Patent No. 6,196,218 [Patent Document 18] U.S. Patent No. 6,810,883 [Patent Document 19] U.S. Patent No. 6,854,461 [Patent Document 20] U.S. Patent No. 7,832,410 [Patent Document 21] U.S. Patent No. 7,513,253 [Patent Document 22] U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 [Patent Document 23] U.S. Patent No. 7,896,006 [Patent Document 24] U.S. Patent No. 6,772,756 [Patent Document 25] US Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0095311 [Patent Document 26] US Patent Application Publication No. 2006 / 0196518 [Patent Document 27] US Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0126745 [Patent Document 28] US Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0188490 [Patent Document 29] US Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0272379 [Patent Document 30] US Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0260641 [Patent Document 31] US Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0260642 [Patent Document 32] US Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0149118 [Patent Document 33] US Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0024834 [Patent Document 34] US Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0307518 [Patent Document 35] International Publication No. 2010 / 091593 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006]

[0003] Articles that produce the taste and sensation of smoking by electrically heating tobacco or tobacco-derived materials have suffered from inconsistent performance characteristics. Electrically heated smoking devices are often further limited by the need for large battery capacities. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a smoking article with advantageous performance characteristics that can provide the sensation of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe without substantial combustion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In various implementations, the present disclosure provides an aerosol delivery device and an aerosol source member configured to generate an inhalable substance. The present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following exemplary implementations:

[0008] Implementation Example 1: An aerosol delivery device configured to generate an inhalable substance, comprising: a control body having a closed distal end and an open engagement end; a heating member; a control component disposed within the control body and configured to control the heating member; a power source disposed within the control body and configured to supply power to the control component; and a removable aerosol source member including a base portion configured to be inserted into the engagement end of the control body and defining a heating end and a mouth end, the heating end configured to be positioned near the heating member when inserted into the control body and the mouth end configured to extend beyond the engagement end of the control body, wherein the base portion includes a continuous thermally conductive framework integrated with the aerosol-forming material, the continuous thermally conductive framework configured to enhance heat transfer from the heating member to the aerosol-forming material.

[0009] Implementation Example 2: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation example, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation example, wherein a continuous thermally conductive framework comprises a coil integrated with a generally cylindrical aerosol-forming material.

[0010] Implementation 3: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the coil is disposed around the outer surface of the aerosol-forming material.

[0011] Implementation 4: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the coil is disposed within the aerosol-forming material.

[0012] Implementation Example 5: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the coil is disposed around the outer surface of the aerosol-forming material and within the aerosol-forming material.

[0013] Implementation 6: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, comprising a continuous thermally conductive framework interwoven with a braid.

[0014] Implementation 7: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein an interwoven braid is disposed around the outer surface of the aerosol-forming material.

[0015] Implementation 8: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the interwoven braid is disposed within the aerosol-forming material.

[0016] Implementation Example 9: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation example, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation example, wherein a continuous thermally conductive framework comprises a central elongated component having a plurality of spikes extending radially therefrom.

[0017] Implementation Example 10: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework comprises at least one of a metal material, a coated metal material, a ceramic material, a carbon material, a polymer composite material, and any combination thereof.

[0018] Implementation 11: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the substrate portion comprises an extruded hollow structure.

[0019] Implementation Example 12: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation example, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation example, wherein the substrate portion has a single centrally located longitudinal hole and / or multiple longitudinal holes.

[0020] Implementation 13: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the substrate portion comprises a substantially solid structure.

[0021] Implementation 14: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the substrate portion contains tobacco or a tobacco-derived material.

[0022] Implementation 15: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the substrate portion contains a non-tobacco material.

[0023] Implementation 16: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the heating member comprises an electrically conductive heat source.

[0024] Implementation 17: An aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the heating member comprises an induction heat source.

[0025] Implementation Example 18: An aerosol source member configured to removably engage an engagement end of a control body including a heating member, the aerosol source member comprising: a heating end and a mouth end configured to be positioned adjacent to the heating member when inserted into the control body and the mouth end configured to extend beyond the engagement end of the control body; and a base portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework integrated with an aerosol-forming material, the continuous thermally conductive framework configured to enhance heat transfer from the heating member to the aerosol-forming material.

[0026] Implementation Example 19: An aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, in which a continuous thermally conductive framework comprises a coil integrated with a generally cylindrical aerosol-forming material.

[0027] Implementation 20: The aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the coil is disposed around the outer surface of the aerosol-forming material.

[0028] Implementation 21: The aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the coil is disposed within the aerosol-forming material.

[0029] Implementation Example 22: The aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the coil is disposed around the outer surface of the aerosol-forming material and within the aerosol-forming material.

[0030] Implementation Example 23: An aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework comprises interwoven or overlapping braids.

[0031] Implementation Example 24: An aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein an interwoven braid is disposed around the outer surface of the aerosol-forming material.

[0032] Implementation 25: The aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the interwoven braid is disposed within the aerosol-forming material.

[0033] Implementation Example 26: An aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation example, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation example, in which a continuous thermally conductive framework comprises a central elongated component having a plurality of spikes extending radially therefrom.

[0034] Implementation Example 27: The aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework comprises at least one of a metal material, a coated metal material, a ceramic material, a carbon material, a polymer composite material, and any combination thereof.

[0035] Implementation 28: An aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the substrate portion comprises an extruded hollow structure.

[0036] Implementation Example 29: An aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation example, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation example, wherein the substrate portion has a single centrally located longitudinal hole and / or multiple longitudinal holes.

[0037] Implementation 30: The aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the substrate portion comprises a substantially solid structure.

[0038] Implementation 31: The aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the substrate portion contains tobacco or tobacco-derived material.

[0039] Implementation 32: The aerosol source member of any preceding exemplary implementation, or any combination of any preceding exemplary implementation, wherein the substrate portion contains a non-tobacco material.

[0040] 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.

[0041] Having thus described the present disclosure in general terms, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0042] [Figure 1] 1 shows a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device comprising a control body and an aerosol source member, where the aerosol source member and the control body are coupled to each other, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2 shows a perspective view of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 1, in which the aerosol source member and the control body are separated from each other, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional front view of an aerosol delivery device according to an implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 shows a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework according to another implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 shows a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework according to another implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 shows a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework according to another implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 7]1 shows a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework according to another implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 shows a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework according to another implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 shows a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device in which the aerosol source member and control body are separated from each other, according to an implementation example of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 10 shows a schematic cross-sectional front view of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 9 according to an implementation of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] The present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to exemplary implementations thereof. These exemplary implementations are described 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, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementations set forth herein. Rather, these implementations 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," "the," and the like include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, while reference may be made herein to quantitative measures, values, geometric relationships, and the like, unless otherwise specified, any one or more, if not all, of these may be absolute or approximate to account for acceptable variations that may occur, such as those due to engineering tolerances, etc.

[0044] As described below, exemplary implementations of the present disclosure relate to aerosol delivery devices. Aerosol delivery devices according to the present disclosure use electrical energy to heat a material (preferably without burning the material to a significant extent) to form an inhalable substance, with the components of such systems having the most preferred article form being compact enough to be considered handheld devices. That is, the use of preferred aerosol delivery device components does not result in the production of smoke, in the sense that the aerosol arises primarily from by-products of tobacco combustion or thermal decomposition, but rather, the use of these preferred systems results in the production of vapor resulting from the volatilization or vaporization of certain components incorporated therein. In some implementations, the components of the aerosol delivery device can be characterized as electronic cigarettes, which most preferably incorporate tobacco and / or tobacco-derived components and thus deliver tobacco-derived components in aerosol form.

[0045] The aerosol-generating components of certain preferred aerosol delivery devices can provide many of the sensations (e.g., inhalation and exhalation rituals, taste or flavor varieties, organoleptic effects, physical feel, usage rituals, visual cues such as those provided by a visible aerosol, etc.) of cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking by lighting and burning tobacco (and thus inhaling tobacco smoke) without any appreciable combustion of any of its components. For example, a user of an aerosol-generating component of the present disclosure can hold and use the component as a smoker would use a traditional type of smoking article, draw on one end of the component to inhale the aerosol generated by the component, puff or draw on the tobacco for selected time intervals, etc.

[0046] Although the systems described herein generally relate to implementations related to aerosol delivery devices, such as so-called "electronic cigarettes" or "tobacco heating products," it should be understood that the features, components, features, and methods can be embodied in many different forms and associated with a variety of items. For example, the descriptions provided herein can be employed in combination with implementations of traditional smoking articles (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.), non-combustion heated cigarettes, and associated packaging for any of the products disclosed herein. Accordingly, it should be understood that the descriptions of the features, components, features, and methods disclosed herein are described with respect to implementations related to aerosol delivery devices by way of example only, and may be embodied and used in a variety of other products and methods.

[0047] 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 configured to provide one or more substances (e.g., flavorings and / or active pharmaceutical 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 the form of an aerosol (i.e., a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas). For simplicity, 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 and whether they are in a form that can be considered smoke-like. The physical form of the inhalable substance is not necessarily limited by the nature of the disclosed device, but may depend on the nature of the medium and the inhalable substance itself, as to whether it exists in a vapor or aerosol state. In some implementations, the terms may be interchangeable. Therefore, for simplicity, the terms used to describe the present disclosure are understood to be interchangeable unless otherwise specified.

[0048] The aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure generally includes multiple components disposed within an outer body or shell, sometimes referred to as a housing. The overall design of the outer body or shell can vary, and the format or configuration of the outer body, which can define the overall size and shape of the aerosol delivery device, can vary. Typically, the elongated body, resembling the shape of a cigarette or cigar, can be formed from a single, unitary housing, or the elongated housing can be formed from two or more separable bodies. For example, the aerosol delivery device can include an elongated shell or body that can be generally tubular in shape, resembling the shape of a traditional cigarette or cigar. However, various other shapes and configurations (e.g., rectangular or fob-shaped) can be used in other implementations. In one example, all components of the aerosol delivery device are contained within a single housing. Alternatively, the aerosol delivery device can include two or more housings that are joined and separable. For example, an aerosol delivery device can have at one end a control body comprising a housing containing one or more reusable components (e.g., an accumulator such as a rechargeable battery and / or a rechargeable supercapacitor, and various electronics for controlling the operation of the item), and at the other end, and removably connectable, an outer body or shell containing a disposable portion (e.g., a disposable flavorant-containing aerosol source member). More specific formats, configurations, and arrangements of components within a single housing-type unit or within a multi-piece separable housing-type unit will be apparent in light of the further disclosure provided herein. Furthermore, various aerosol delivery device designs and component arrangements can be appreciated by considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices.

[0049] As described in more detail below, the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure comprises some combination of a power source (i.e., an electrical power source), at least one control component (e.g., a means for activating, controlling, regulating, and deactivating electrical power for heat generation, such as by controlling current flow through the power source to other components of the article—e.g., a processing circuit), a heater or heat generating member (e.g., an electrical resistance heating element and / or an induction coil or other associated components and / or one or more radiant heating elements), and an aerosol source member including a substrate portion capable of generating an aerosol upon application of sufficient heat. In various implementations, the aerosol source member may include a mouth end or tip (e.g., a defined airflow path through the article so that generated aerosol can be drawn therefrom upon inhalation) configured to allow inhalation of the aerosol delivery device for aerosol inhalation.

[0050] The arrangement of components within the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure may vary across various implementations. In some implementations, the substrate portion may be positioned proximate to the heating member to maximize aerosol delivery to the user. However, other configurations are not excluded. Generally, the heating member may be positioned sufficiently proximate to the substrate portion so that heat from the heating member can volatilize the substrate portion (and, in some implementations, one or more flavorings, medications, etc., that may also be provided for delivery to the user) to form an aerosol for delivery to the user. When the heating member heats the substrate portion, an aerosol is formed, released, or generated in a physical form suitable for inhalation by the consumer. It should be noted that references to release, releasing, releases, or released are meant to be interchangeable, such that the foregoing terms include form or generate, forming or generating, forms or generates, and formed or generated. Specifically, inhalable substances are released in the form of vapors or aerosols or mixtures thereof, and such terms are also used interchangeably herein unless otherwise specified.

[0051] As described above, various implementations of the aerosol delivery device can incorporate a battery or other power source to provide sufficient current to provide various functions for the aerosol delivery device, such as powering the heating element, powering the control system, and powering the indicators. As described in more detail below, the power source can take various implementations. Preferably, the power source can deliver sufficient power to rapidly activate the heating element to provide aerosol formation and to power the aerosol delivery device throughout the desired duration of use. The power source is preferably sized to fit conveniently within the aerosol delivery device so that the aerosol delivery device can be easily handled. Furthermore, preferred power sources are sufficiently lightweight so as not to detract from the desired smoking experience.

[0052] As indicated above, the aerosol delivery device may include at least one control component. A suitable control component may include several electronic components and, in some examples, may be formed from a printed circuit board (PCB). In some examples, the electronic component includes a processing circuit configured to perform data processing, application execution, or other processing, control, or management services according to one or more implementations. The processing circuit may include a processor embodied in various forms, such as at least one processor core, a microprocessor, a coprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, or various other computing or processing devices, including one or more integrated circuits, such as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), or some combination thereof. In some examples, the processing circuit may include a memory coupled to or integrated with the processor and capable of storing data, computer program instructions executable by the processor, some combination thereof, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the control component may include one or more input / output peripherals coupled to or integrated with the processing circuit, such as a communication interface enabling wireless communication with one or more networks, computing devices, or other appropriately enabled devices.

[0053] 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. Furthermore, the selection of various aerosol delivery device components can be understood in light of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices. Furthermore, the arrangement of components within the aerosol delivery device can also be understood in light of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices.

[0054] In this regard, FIG. 1 illustrates an aerosol delivery device 100 according to an implementation of the present disclosure. The aerosol delivery device 100 may include a control body 102 and an aerosol source member 104. In various implementations, the aerosol source member 104 and the control body 102 can be permanently or removably aligned in a functional relationship. In this regard, FIG. 1 illustrates the aerosol delivery device 100 in a coupled configuration, while FIG. 2 illustrates the aerosol delivery device 100 in a separated configuration. Various mechanisms may connect the aerosol source member 104 to the control body 102, providing a threaded engagement, a press-fit engagement, an interference fit, a slip fit, a magnetic engagement, etc.

[0055] In various implementations, the aerosol delivery device 100 according to the present disclosure can have a variety of overall shapes, including, but not limited to, an overall shape that can be defined as generally rod-shaped, generally tubular, or generally cylindrical. In the implementation of Figures 1 and 2, the device 100 has a generally circular cross-section, although other cross-sectional shapes (e.g., oval, square, triangular, etc.) are also encompassed by the present disclosure. Such language describing the physical shape of an article can also apply to its individual components, including the control body 102 and the aerosol source member 104. In other implementations, the control body may take on another handheld shape, such as a small box-like shape.

[0056] In certain implementations, one or both of the control body 102 and the aerosol source member 104 may be referred to as disposable or reusable. For example, the control body 102 may have a replaceable or rechargeable battery, a solid-state battery, a thin-film solid-state battery, a rechargeable supercapacitor, or the like, and thus may be combined with any type of charging technology, including connection to a wall charger, a car charger (i.e., a cigarette lighter receptacle), a computer via a universal serial bus (USB) cable or connector (e.g., USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, USB Type-C), or the like, a photovoltaic cell (sometimes referred to as a solar cell) or solar panel, or a charger using inductive wireless charging (e.g., including wireless charging compliant with the Qi wireless charging standard from the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC)) or a wireless charger such as a radio frequency (RF)-based charger, and connection to a computer via a USB cable, or the like. An example of an inductive wireless charging system is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0112196 by Sur et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0057] In the illustrated implementation, the aerosol source member 104 includes a heating end 106 configured to be inserted into the control body 102 and a mouth end 108 through which a user draws to generate an aerosol. At least a portion of the heating end 106 may include a substrate portion 110. In some implementations, the substrate portion 110 may include tobacco-containing beads, tobacco shreds, tobacco strips, tobacco cast sheets, reconstituted tobacco material, or combinations thereof, and / or a mixture of finely ground tobacco, tobacco extract, spray-dried tobacco extract, or other tobacco forms that are mixed with optional inorganic materials (such as calcium carbonate), optional flavorings, and aerosol-forming materials to form a substantially solid, semi-solid, or moldable (e.g., extruded) substrate. Representative types of solid and semi-solid substrate configurations and formulations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,424,538 to Thomas et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,464,726 to Sebastian et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0083150 to Conner et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0157052 to Ademe et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017-0000188 to Nordskog et al., filed June 30, 2015, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0058] In addition to the implementations described above, in other implementations, the substrate may be configured as a liquid capable of generating an aerosol upon application of sufficient heat, having ingredients commonly referred to as "smoke juice," "e-liquid," and "e-juice." Exemplary formulations of aerosol-generating liquids are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0008457 to Zheng et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In still other implementations, the substrate may contain a gel and / or a suspension. Some representative types of solid and semi-solid substrate configurations and formulations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,424,538 to Thomas et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,464,726 to Sebastian et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0083150 to Conner et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0157052 to Ademe et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017-0000188 to Nordskog et al., filed June 30, 2015, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0059] In various implementations, the aerosol source member 104, or a portion thereof, may be wrapped in an overwrap material 112 (see FIG. 2), which may be formed from any material useful for providing additional structure and / or support to the aerosol source member 104. In various implementations, the mouth end 108 of the aerosol source member 104 may include a filter 114, which may be made from a cellulose acetate or polypropylene material. The filter 114 may increase the structural integrity of the mouth end of the aerosol source member and / or provide filtration capabilities as needed and / or provide resistance to suction. The overwrap material may include a material that resists heat transfer, which may include paper or other fibrous materials such as cellulose materials. The overwrap material may also include at least one filler material embedded or dispersed within the fibrous material. In various implementations, the filler material may have the form of water-insoluble particles. Additionally, the filler material may incorporate inorganic components. In various implementations, the overwrap may be formed from multiple layers, such as an underlying bulk layer and an overlying layer, such as a typical cigarette wrapper. Such materials can include, for example, lightweight "rag fibers" such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and / or esparto. The overwrap may also include materials commonly used in filter elements of conventional cigarettes, such as cellulose acetate. Additionally, the excess length of overwrap at the mouth end 108 of the aerosol source member may function simply to separate the substrate portion 110 from the consumer's mouth, as described below, or to provide space for placement of a filter material, or to affect inhalation of the article or the flow characteristics of the vapor or aerosol exiting the device during inhalation. Further description of the construction of overwrap materials that can be used in the present disclosure can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0060] In various implementations, other components may be present between the substrate portion 110 and the mouth end 108 of the aerosol source member 104, and the mouth end 108 may include a filter 114. For example, in some implementations, one or any combination of the following may be disposed between the substrate portion 110 and the mouth end 108 of the aerosol source member 104: an air gap; a phase change material for cooling air; a flavorant-releasing medium; ion-exchange fibers capable of selective chemical adsorption; aerogel particles as a filter medium; or other suitable materials.

[0061] As described in more detail below, the present disclosure is configured for use with conductive and / or inductive heat sources to heat aerosol-forming materials to form aerosols. In some implementations, a conductive heat source may be used and may include a heating chamber containing a resistive heating element. The resistive heating element may be configured to generate heat when an electric current is passed through it. Conductive materials useful as resistive heating elements can have low mass, low density, and moderate resistivity, and be thermally stable at temperatures experienced during use. Useful heating elements heat and cool rapidly, providing efficient use of energy. Rapid heating of an element can be beneficial for providing nearly instantaneous volatilization of aerosol precursor material in close proximity thereto. Rapid cooling prevents substantial volatilization (and thus waste) of aerosol precursor material during periods when aerosol formation is undesirable. Such heating elements can also enable relatively precise control of the temperature range experienced by the aerosol precursor material, especially when time-based current control is used. Useful conductive materials are preferably chemically non-reactive with the materials being heated (e.g., aerosol precursor materials and other inhalable materials) so as not to adversely affect the flavor or content of the resulting aerosol or vapor. Non-limiting examples of materials that can be used as conductive materials include carbon, graphite, carbon / graphite composites, metals, ceramics such as metal and non-metal carbides, nitrides, oxides, silicides, intermetallic compounds, cermets, metal alloys, and metal foils. Refractory materials would be particularly useful. Various different materials can be mixed to achieve desired properties of resistivity, mass, and thermal conductivity. In certain implementations, available metals include, for example, nickel, chromium, nickel and chromium alloys (e.g., nichrome), and steel.Materials that may be useful for providing resistive heating are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,894 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,498 ... Sprinkel et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al. No. 5,322,075 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,813 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,936 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,850 to Das, U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,656 to Das, U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,855 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,225 to Hajaligol, U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,262 to Hajaligol, U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,692 to Das et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,368 to Fleischhauer et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0062] In various implementations, the heating element can be provided in various forms, such as in the form of a foil, foam, disk, spiral, fiber, wire, film, yarn, strip, ribbon, or cylinder. Such heating elements often comprise a metallic material and are configured to generate heat as a result of electrical resistance associated with passing an electric current therethrough. Such resistive heating elements can be disposed proximate to a substrate. Alternatively, the heating element can be disposed in contact with a solid or semi-solid substrate. Such configurations can heat the substrate to generate an aerosol. Various conductive substrates that can be used in the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0255702 to Griffith et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Some non-limiting examples of various heating element configurations include configurations in which a heating element or element is disposed proximate to the aerosol source element. For example, in some instances, at least a portion of the heating element can surround at least a portion of the aerosol source element. In other instances, one or more heating elements can be disposed adjacent to the exterior of the aerosol source element when inserted into the control body. In another example, when the aerosol source member is inserted into the control body, at least a portion of the heating member can be disposed inside the hollow portion of the aerosol source member.

[0063] FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional front view of an aerosol delivery device according to an implementation of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the aerosol delivery device 100 of this implementation includes a heating chamber 116 including a resistive heating element 132 in direct or substantially direct contact with the substrate portion 110 of the aerosol source member 104. In particular, the control body 102 of the illustrated implementation includes a housing 118 including an opening 119 defined in its engagement end. The control body 102 also includes a flow sensor 120 (e.g., a puff sensor or pressure switch), a control component 123 (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB) including processing circuitry, such as a microprocessor and / or microcontroller, either separately or as part of a microcontroller), a power source 124 (e.g., a battery, which may be rechargeable, and / or a rechargeable supercapacitor), and, in some implementations, an end cap that can include an indicator 126 (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED)). In one implementation, the indicator 126 may include one or more light-emitting diodes, quantum dot-based light-emitting diodes, or the like. The indicator 126 can be in communication with the control component 123 and, when coupled to the control body 102, can be illuminated when the user inhales on the aerosol source member 104, for example, as detected by the flow sensor 120.

[0064] As mentioned above, the control component 123 may include several electronic components, such as processing circuitry. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the control component includes a voltage regulator circuit configured to step down the voltage and step up the current from the power supply 124 to the resistive heating element 132, thereby powering the resistive heating element. This voltage regulator circuit can enable the resistive heating element to receive a constant current from the power supply. In some examples, the voltage regulator circuit is a buck regulator circuit including a buck regulator controller and one or more switching elements. One example of a suitable buck regulator circuit is the Texas Instruments LM2743 synchronous buck regulator controller; an example of a suitable buck regulator circuit including an LM2743 buck regulator controller and a MOSFET gate driver is provided in "LM2743 Low Voltage N-Channel MOSFET Synchronous Buck Regulator Controller, Datasheet SNVS276H, April 2004 [Revised October 2015]."

[0065] Other operational indicators are also included in the present disclosure. For example, visual indicators of operation may also include changes in light color or intensity to indicate the progress of the smoking experience. Tactile indicators of operation and audible indicators of operation may also be included in the present disclosure. Furthermore, combinations of such operational indicators may also be suitable for use in a single smoking article. According to another aspect, the device may include one or more indicators or indicia, such as a display configured to provide information corresponding to the operation of the smoking article, such as, for example, the amount of power remaining in the power source, the progress of the smoking experience, an indicator corresponding to activation of a heat source, etc.

[0066] Examples of possible power sources are described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,484,155 to Peckerar et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0112191 to Sur et al., filed October 21, 2015, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. With respect to flow sensors, representative current regulation components and other current control components, including various microcontrollers, sensors, and switches, for aerosol delivery devices are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., U.S. Patent Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,875, all to Brooks et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen et al., and U.S. Patent No. 8,205,622 to Pan, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. See also the control scheme described in U.S. Patent No. 9,423,152 to Ampolini et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0067] Additional components may be utilized in the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al. discloses a smoking article indicator, U.S. Patent No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, Jr. discloses a piezoelectric sensor that can be associated with the mouth end of the device to trigger heating of the heating device after detecting a user's lip activity associated with taking a draw, U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al. discloses a puff sensor for controlling the flow of energy to a heating load array in response to a pressure drop through the mouthpiece, U.S. Patent No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al. discloses a receptacle in a smoking device that includes an identifier that detects non-uniformity in infrared transmittance of an inserted component and a controller that executes a detection routine when a component is inserted into the receptacle, U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al. describes a predefined executable power cycle having multiple differential phases, and U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al. discloses a puff sensor for controlling the flow of energy to a heating load array in response to a pressure drop through the mouthpiece, U.S. Patent No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al. discloses a receptacle in a smoking device that includes an identifier that detects non-uniformity in infrared transmittance of an inserted component and a controller that executes a detection routine when a component is inserted into the receptacle, and U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al. describes a predefined executable power cycle having multiple differential phases, and U.S. Patent No. 5,040,560 to Watkins et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,289 discloses photonic-optronic components; U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al. discloses means for modifying the resistance of draw through a smoking device; U.S. Pat. No. 6,803,545 to Blake et al. discloses certain battery configurations for use in smoking devices; U.S. Pat. No. 7,293,565 to Griffen et al. discloses various charging systems for use in smoking devices; U.S. Pat. No. 8,402,976 to Fernando et al. discloses computer interface means for smoking devices to facilitate charging and enable computer control of the device; U.S. Pat. No. 8,689,804 to Fernando et al. discloses an identification system for smoking devices; and WO 2010 / 003480 to Flick discloses a fluid flow detection system for indicating puffs in an aerosol generating system, all of the foregoing disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0068] Further examples of components related to electronic aerosol delivery articles and disclosed materials or components that can be used in the present articles include U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,586 to Morgan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,977 to Higgins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,176 to Adams et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,287 to White, U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,218 to Voges, U.S. Pat. No. 6,810,883 to Felter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,461 to Nichols, U.S. Pat. No. 7,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 7,513,253 to Kobayashi, U.S. Pat. No. 7,896,006 to Hamano, U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,756 to Shayan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,756 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,253 to Kobayashi, U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,006 to Hamano, U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,756 to Shayan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,253 to Kobayashi, U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,006 to Hamano, U.S. Pat. No. U.S. Patent Nos. 8,156,944 and 8,375,957 by Thorens et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,794,231 by Thorens et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,851,083 by Oglesby et al., U.S. Patent Nos. 8,915,254 and 8,925,555 by Monsees et al., U.S. Patent No. 9,220,302 by DePiano et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002 / 0024044 by Hon

[0006] US Patent Application Publication Nos. 006 / 0196518 and 2009 / 0188490, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0024834 to Oglesby et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0307518 to Wang, WO 2010 / 091593 to Hon, and WO 2013 / 089551 to Foo, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Additionally, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0099877 to Worm et al., filed October 13, 2015, discloses a capsule that can be included in an aerosol delivery device and a fob-shaped configuration for an aerosol delivery device, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.The various materials disclosed by the aforementioned documents can be incorporated into the present device in a variety of implementations, and all of the foregoing disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0069] Referring back to FIG. 3 , as noted above, the control body 102 of the illustrated implementation includes a heating chamber 116 configured to heat the substrate portion 110 of the aerosol source member 104. While the heating chamber of various implementations of the present disclosure can take a variety of forms, in the particular implementation shown in FIG. 3 , the heating chamber 116 includes a barrel 130 and a heating element 132, which in this implementation includes a trace or wire heater embedded in or attached to the inner wall of the barrel 130. In various implementations, the heating element 132 can be constructed from one or more electrically conductive materials, including, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, or any combination thereof.

[0070] As shown, the heating chamber 116 can extend near the engagement end of the housing 118 and can be configured to substantially surround a portion of the heating end 106 of the aerosol source member 104, including the substrate portion 110. In such a manner, the heating chamber 116 in the illustrated implementation can define a generally tubular configuration, although in other implementations the heating chamber can have other configurations. In various implementations, the outer barrel 130 can comprise a non-conductive insulating material and / or structure, including, but not limited to, an insulating polymer (e.g., plastic or cellulose), glass, rubber, ceramic, porcelain, a double-walled vacuum structure, or any combination thereof.

[0071] As noted above, in the illustrated implementation, the sheath 130 can also function to facilitate proper positioning of the aerosol source member 104 when the aerosol source member 104 is inserted into the housing 118. In various implementations, the sheath 130 of the heating chamber 116 can engage an inner surface of the housing 118 to provide alignment of the heating chamber 116 relative to the housing 118. The longitudinal axis of the heating chamber 116 can thereby extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing 118 as a result of the fixed connection between the heating chambers 116. In particular, the support sheath 130 can extend from the opening 119 in the housing 118 to the stop feature 134. In the illustrated implementation, the inner diameter of the sheath 130 can be slightly larger than or approximately equal to the outer diameter of the corresponding aerosol source member 104 (e.g., to form a snug fit) so that the sheath 130 is configured to guide the aerosol source member 104 into an appropriate position (e.g., a lateral position) relative to the control body 102.

[0072] During use, a consumer initiates heating of the heating chamber 116, particularly the heating element 132 adjacent to the substrate portion 110 (or a particular layer thereof). Heating of the substrate portion 110 releases the inhalable substance within the aerosol source member 104 to generate the inhalable substance. When the consumer inhales on the mouth end 108 of the aerosol source member 104, air is drawn into the aerosol source member 104 through the opening or aperture 122 in the control body 102. The combination of the inhaled air and the released inhalable substance is inhaled by the consumer as the inhaled material exits the mouth end 108 of the aerosol source member 104. In some implementations, to initiate heating, a consumer can manually activate a push button or similar component that causes the heating element of the heating chamber to receive electrical energy from a battery or other energy source. The electrical energy may be supplied for a predetermined time or may be manually controlled. In some implementations, the flow of electrical energy does not progress substantially between puffs of the device (although the flow of energy can progress to maintain a baseline temperature higher than ambient temperature—e.g., a temperature that facilitates rapid heating to the active heating temperature). However, in the illustrated implementation, heating is initiated by the consumer's puffing action through the use of one or more sensors, such as flow sensor 120. When puffing ceases, heating is stopped or reduced. When the consumer has taken a sufficient number of puffs to emit a sufficient amount of inhalable substance (e.g., an amount sufficient to represent a typical smoking experience), the aerosol source member 104 can be detached from the control body 102 and discarded. In some implementations, additional sensing elements, such as capacitive sensing elements and other sensors, can be used, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 707,461 by Phillips et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0073] In various implementations, the aerosol source member 104 can be formed from any material suitable for forming and maintaining a suitable shape, such as a tubular shape, and for holding the substrate portion 110 therein. In some implementations, the aerosol source member 104 may be formed from a single wall, or in other implementations, multiple walls, and may be formed from a material (natural or synthetic) that is heat-resistant so as to maintain its structural integrity—e.g., not degrade—at temperatures at least as high as the heating temperature provided by the electric heating element, as described further herein. In some implementations, a heat-resistant polymer can be used, while in other implementations, the aerosol source member 104 may be formed from paper, such as a substantially straw-shaped paper. As described further herein, the aerosol source member 104 can have one or more layers associated therewith that function to substantially prevent vapor transfer therethrough. In one example implementation, an aluminum foil layer can be laminated to one surface of the aerosol source member. Ceramic materials can also be used. In further implementations, insulating materials can be used to avoid unnecessary heat transfer from the substrate portion. When formed from a single layer, the aerosol source member 104 can preferably have a thickness of about 0.2 mm to about 7.5 mm, about 0.5 mm to about 4.0 mm, about 0.5 mm to about 3.0 mm, or about 1.0 mm to about 3.0 mm. Further exemplary types of components and materials that can be used to provide the functions described above or that can be used as substitutes for the materials and components described above can be of the type described in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2010 / 00186757 to Crooks et al., 2010 / 00186757 to Crooks et al., and 2011 / 0041861 to Sebastian et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0074] As described above, the aerosol source member 104 includes a substrate portion 110 adjacent the heated end 106 of the member 104. In various implementations, the substrate portion 110 can include any material that, when heated, releases an inhalable substance, such as a flavor-containing substance. In the implementation of FIG. 3, the substrate portion 110 includes a solid substrate containing an aerosol-forming material, including an inhalable substance. In various implementations, the substrate portion may specifically include tobacco components or tobacco-derived materials (i.e., materials naturally found in tobacco, which can be isolated directly from tobacco or synthetically prepared). For example, the substrate portion may contain a tobacco extract or fraction thereof combined with an inert substrate. The substrate portion may further contain unburned tobacco, or a composition including unburned tobacco, that releases an inhalable substance when heated to a temperature below its combustion temperature. In some implementations, the substrate portion may contain tobacco condensate or a fraction thereof (i.e., the condensed component of smoke produced by tobacco combustion, leaving flavor and possibly nicotine).

[0075] Tobacco materials useful in the present disclosure can be diverse and may include, for example, flue-cured tobacco, burley tobacco, Oriental or Maryland tobacco, dark tobacco, dark fire tobacco, and rustica tobacco, as well as other rare or specialty tobaccos, or blends thereof. Tobacco materials can also include so-called "blends" and processed forms, such as processed tobacco stems (e.g., cut roll or cut puff stems), volume-expanded tobaccos (e.g., puffed tobaccos such as dry ice expanded tobacco (DIET), preferably in cut filler form), and reconstituted tobaccos (e.g., reconstituted tobaccos produced using papermaking-type or cast sheet-type processes). Various representative tobacco types, processed tobacco types, and tobacco blend types are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,836,224 to Lawson et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,924,888 to Perfetti et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,056,537 to Brown et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,159,942 to Brinkley et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,220,930 to Gentry, and U.S. Patent No. 5,360,022 to Blakley et al., all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. No. 3, U.S. Patent No. 6,701,936 to Shafer et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,011,096 to Li et al., and U.S. Patent No. 7,017,585 to Li et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,025,066 to Lawson et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004 / 0255965 to Perfetti et al., WO 02 / 37990 to Bereman, and Bombick et al., Fund. Appl. Toxicol., 39, pp. 11-17 (1997). Further exemplary tobacco compositions that may be useful in smoking devices, including those according to the present disclosure, are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0076] Furthermore, the substrate portion may contain an inert substrate having an inhalable substance or its precursor integrated therein or otherwise deposited thereon. For example, a liquid containing the inhalable substance can be coated, absorbed, or adsorbed onto the inert substrate so that upon application of heat, the inhalable substance is released in a form that can be drawn from the disclosed article through application of positive or negative pressure. In some embodiments, the substrate portion may contain a flavorful, aromatic tobacco blend in cut filler form. In another embodiment, the substrate portion may contain a reconstituted tobacco material such as those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,807,809 to Pryor et al., 4,889,143 to Pryor et al., and 5,025,814 to Raker, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0077] In some implementations, the substrate portion may contain tobacco, tobacco components, and / or tobacco-derived materials that have been processed, manufactured, produced, and / or processed to incorporate an aerosol precursor composition (e.g., a humectant such as propylene glycol, glycerin, etc.), and / or at least one flavoring agent, and a burn suppressant (e.g., diammonium phosphate and / or another salt) configured to help prevent ignition, thermal decomposition, combustion, and / or seizing of the aerosol delivery component by a heat source. Various methods and techniques for incorporating tobacco into smoking articles, particularly smoking articles designed to intentionally prevent the combustion of substantially all of the tobacco within those smoking articles, are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,647,932 to Cantrell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,079,371 to Robinson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,549 to Banerjee et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0215167 to Crooks et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0078] In some implementations, other flame-retardant / combustion-suppressing materials and additives may be included within the substrate, including organophosphorus compounds, borax, hydrated alumina, graphite, potassium tripolyphosphate, dipentaerythritol, pentaerythritol, and polyols. Others, such as nitrogen-containing phosphonates, monoammonium phosphate, ammonium polyphosphate, ammonium bromide, ammonium borate, ethanolammonium borate, ammonium sulfamate, halogenated organic compounds, thiourea, and antimony oxide, may also be used. In each embodiment of the flame-retardant, flame-retardant, and / or scorch-retardant materials used in the substrate and / or other components (alone or in combination with each other and / or other materials), the desired properties are preferably provided without undesirable outgassing or melting behavior. Additional flavors, flavorings, additives, and other possible enhancing ingredients are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 707,461 by Phillips et al., incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0079] In addition to the inhalable substance (e.g., a flavor, nicotine, or pharmaceutical agent, generally), the substrate portion may contain one or more aerosol- or vapor-forming materials, such as a polyhydric alcohol (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol, or mixtures thereof) and / or water. Representative types of aerosol-forming materials are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,365 to Sensabaugh, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,839 to Jakob et al., WO 98 / 57556 to Biggs et al., and Chemical and Biological Studies on New Cigarette Prototypes that Heat Instead of Burn Tobacco, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Monograph (1988), which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the substrate portion can generate a visible aerosol upon application of sufficient heat (and, if necessary, cooling with air), and the aerosol delivery component can generate a "smoke-like" aerosol. In other aspects, the aerosol delivery components can generate aerosols that are substantially invisible but whose presence is recognized by other characteristics, such as flavoring or texture. Thus, the nature of the aerosol generated can vary depending on the particular components of the aerosol delivery components. In some aspects, the aerosol delivery components can be chemically simpler than the chemistry of smoke generated by burning tobacco.

[0080] Additional tobacco materials, such as tobacco aroma oil, tobacco essence, spray-dried tobacco extract, freeze-dried tobacco extract, and tobacco dust, may be combined with the vapor- or aerosol-forming material. It is also understood that the inhalable substance itself can be in a form that, upon heating, releases the inhalable substance as a vapor, an aerosol, or a combination thereof. In other embodiments, the inhalable substance does not necessarily need to be released in the form of a vapor or aerosol, but the vapor- or aerosol-forming material with which it can be combined can form a vapor or aerosol upon heating and essentially function as a carrier for the inhalable substance itself. Thus, the inhalable substance can be characterized as being coated on a substrate, absorbed into a substrate, adsorbed onto a substrate, or a natural component of the substrate (i.e., the material that forms the substrate, such as tobacco or a tobacco-derived material). Similarly, the aerosol- or vapor-forming material can be similarly characterized. In certain implementations, the substrate portion can comprise, inter alia, a substrate containing the inhalable substance and a separate aerosol-forming material contained therein. Thus, during use, the substrate can be heated, and the aerosol-forming material can be volatilized into vapor form, entraining the inhalable substance therewith. In certain examples, the substrate portion can comprise a solid substrate onto which a slurry of tobacco and aerosol-forming and / or vapor-forming material is coated or absorbed or adsorbed. The substrate component can be any material that does not burn or otherwise decompose at the temperatures described herein that the heating element achieves to facilitate release of the inhalable substance. For example, paper materials, including tobacco paper (e.g., paper-like materials containing tobacco fiber and / or reconstituted tobacco), can be used. Thus, in various implementations, the substrate portion can be characterized as containing an inhalable substance; as containing an inhalable substance and a separate aerosol- or vapor-forming agent; as containing an inhalable substance and a substrate; or as containing a substrate portion, a separate aerosol- or vapor-forming agent, and a substrate.Thus, the substrate may include an inhalable substance and one or both of an aerosol or vapor forming agent.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the substrate portion can be configured as an extruded material, as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0042885 by Stone et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In yet other embodiments, the substrate portion can be configured as an extruded structure and / or substrate containing or consisting essentially of tobacco, tobacco-related materials, glycerin, water, and / or binder materials, although certain formulations exclude binder materials. In various implementations, the binder material can be any binder material commonly used in tobacco formulations, including, for example, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), gums (e.g., guar gum), xanthan, pullulan, and / or alginates. According to some embodiments, the binder material included in the aerosol delivery component can be configured to substantially maintain the structural shape and / or integrity of the aerosol delivery component. Various representative binders, binder properties, binder uses, and binder amounts are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,887 to Raker et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0082] In some implementations, the substrate can be further configured to substantially maintain its structure throughout the aerosol generation process. That is, the substrate can be configured to substantially maintain its shape throughout the aerosol generation process (i.e., the aerosol delivery component does not continuously deform under applied shear stress). In some implementations, the substrate component can contain liquid and / or some moisture content, but in some implementations, the substrate is configured to remain substantially solid throughout the aerosol generation process and substantially maintain its structural integrity throughout the aerosol generation process. Examples of tobacco and / or tobacco-related materials suitable for substantially solid aerosol delivery components are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0157052 to Ademe et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0335070 to Sears et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,204,287 to White, and U.S. Patent No. 5,060,676 to Hearn et al., each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0083] In yet another embodiment, the substrate portion may comprise a press structure and / or substrate formed from marmalized and / or unmarmalized tobacco. Marmalized tobacco is known, for example, from U.S. Patent No. 5,105,831 to Banerjee et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Marmalized tobacco comprises about 20 to about 50 percent (by weight) of a tobacco blend in powder form, glycerol (about 20 to about 30 percent by weight), calcium carbonate (generally about 10 to about 60 percent by weight, often about 40 to about 60 percent by weight), along with binders and / or flavoring agents as described herein.

[0084] In another embodiment, the substrate portion may include a plurality of microcapsules, beads, granules, etc., containing tobacco-related materials. For example, a typical microcapsule may be generally spherical in shape and have an outer cover or shell containing a liquid center region of tobacco-derived extract and / or analogs thereof. In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery component may include a plurality of microcapsules, each formed into a hollow cylindrical shape. In one embodiment, the aerosol delivery component may include a binder material configured to maintain the structural shape and / or integrity of the plurality of hollow cylindrically formed microcapsules. Various other configurations and components that may be included in the substrate portion of the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In another embodiment, the substrate portion may include one or more thermally conductive materials. Examples of substrate portions including thermally conductive materials are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 905,320 to Sebastian, filed February 26, 2018, entitled "Heat Conducting Substrate For Electrically Heated Aerosol Delivery Device," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Various other configurations for the substrate portion of the aerosol source member can be found in the description of similar configurations found in U.S. Pat. No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0085] In addition to the implementations described above, in some implementations, the substrate portion can be configured as a liquid capable of generating an aerosol upon the application of sufficient heat, having components commonly referred to as "smoke juice," "e-liquid," and "e-juice." Exemplary formulations of aerosol-generating liquids are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0008457 to Zheng et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some implementations, the aerosol-forming material can include a gel and / or a suspension. Some representative types of solid and semi-solid substrate configurations and formulations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,424,538 to Thomas et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,464,726 to Sebastian et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0083150 to Conner et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0157052 to Ademe et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017-0000188 to Nordskog et al., filed June 30, 2015, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0086] Referring back to FIG. 3 , the heated end 106 of the aerosol source member 104 is sized and shaped for insertion into the control body 102. In various implementations, the barrel 130 of the control body 102 can be characterized as defined by a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining the interior volume of the barrel 130. Thus, the maximum outer diameter (or other dimension, depending on the particular cross-sectional shape of the implementation) of the aerosol source member 104 can be sized to be smaller than the inner diameter (or other dimension) of the inner surface of the wall of the open end of the barrel 130 of the control body 102. In some implementations, the difference in their respective diameters can be small enough so that the aerosol source member fits snugly within the barrel 130, and frictional forces can prevent the aerosol source member 104 from moving without the application of force. On the other hand, the difference can be sufficient to allow the aerosol source member 104 to slide in and out of the barrel 130 without requiring excessive force.

[0087] In some implementations, the overall size of the aerosol delivery device 100 can be comparable to the shape of a cigarette or cigar. Accordingly, the device may have a diameter of about 5 mm to about 25 mm, about 5 mm to about 20 mm, about 6 mm to about 15 mm, or about 6 mm to about 10 mm. In various implementations, such dimensions can correspond, inter alia, to the outer diameter of the control body 102. In some implementations, the aerosol source member 104 may have a diameter between about 4 mm and about 6 mm. Furthermore, the control body 102 and the aerosol source member can similarly be characterized in terms of overall length. For example, in some implementations, the control body may have a length of about 40 mm to about 140 mm, about 45 mm to about 110 mm, or about 50 mm to about 100 mm. The aerosol source member may have a length of about 20 mm to about 60 mm, about 25 mm to about 55 mm, or about 30 mm to about 50 mm.

[0088] In the illustrated implementation, the control body 102 includes a control component 123 that controls various functions of the aerosol delivery device 100, including the supply of power to the electric heating member 132. For example, the control component 123 may include control circuitry (e.g., processing circuitry) that can be connected to additional components, as further described herein, and that is connected to the power source 124 by conductive wires (not shown). In various implementations, the control circuitry can control when and how the heating chamber 116, and particularly the heating member 132, receives electrical energy to heat the substrate portion 110 to release the inhalable substance for inhalation by the consumer. In some implementations, such control can be activated by the actuation of a flow sensor and / or a pressure-sensitive switch, etc., which are described in more detail below.

[0089] As mentioned above, the control component can be configured to precisely control the amount of heat provided to the substrate portion 110. While the heat required to volatilize a sufficient amount of aerosol-forming substance to provide the desired dosage of inhalable substance in a single puff can vary for each particular substance used, in some implementations, the heating element can heat to a temperature of at least 120°C, at least 130°C, or at least 140°C. In some implementations, the heating temperature can be at least 150°C, at least 200°C, at least 220°C, at least 300°C, or at least 350°C to volatilize an adequate amount of aerosol-forming substance and thus provide the desired dosage of inhalable substance. However, it can be particularly desirable to avoid heating to temperatures substantially above about 550°C to avoid decomposition and / or excessive premature volatilization of the aerosol-forming substance. In particular, heating must be sufficiently low and sufficiently short to avoid significant combustion (preferably any combustion) of the substrate portion. The present disclosure provides, inter alia, components of the device in combinations and modes of use that produce a desired amount of inhalable substance at relatively low temperatures. Thus, production can refer to one or both of the generation of aerosol within the device and its delivery to the consumer. In certain implementations, the heating temperature can be about 130°C to about 310°C, about 140°C to about 300°C, about 150°C to about 290°C, about 170°C to about 270°C, or about 180°C to about 260°C. In other embodiments, the heating temperature can be about 210°C to about 390°C, about 220°C to about 380°C, about 230°C to about 370°C, about 250°C to about 350°C, or about 280°C to about 320°C.

[0090] The duration of heating may be controlled by several factors, as described in more detail below. The heating temperature and duration can depend on the desired amount of aerosol and ambient air desired to be drawn through the aerosol delivery device, as further described herein. However, the duration can vary depending on the heating rate of the heating element, as the device can be configured so that the heating element is energized only until the desired temperature is reached. Alternatively, the duration of heating can be tied to the duration of the consumer's puff on the article. Generally, the temperature and duration of heating are controlled by one or more components contained in the control housing, as described above.

[0091] In various implementations, the electric heating element can include any device suitable for providing sufficient heat to facilitate the release of the inhalable substance for inhalation by the consumer. In certain implementations, the electric heating element can include a resistive conductive heating element. In other implementations, the electric heating element can include an inductive heating element. Useful heating elements can have low mass, low density, and moderate resistivity, and be thermally stable at temperatures experienced during use. Useful heating elements can heat and cool rapidly, thus providing efficient use of energy. Rapid heating of the element also provides nearly instantaneous volatilization of the aerosol-forming substance. Rapid cooling prevents substantial volatilization (and thus waste) of the aerosol-forming substance during periods when aerosol formation is undesirable. Such heating elements also allow for relatively precise control of the temperature range experienced by the aerosol-forming substance, especially when time-based current control is used. Useful heating elements can also be chemically non-reactive with materials, including the substrate portion, being heated so as not to adversely affect the flavor or content of the aerosol or vapor produced. Non-limiting example materials that can comprise the heating element include carbon, graphite, carbon / graphite composites, metals, metal and non-metal carbides, nitrides, silicides, intermetallic compounds, cermets, metal alloys, and metal foils. Refractory materials can be particularly useful. A variety of different materials can be blended to achieve desired properties of resistivity, mass, thermal conductivity, and surface characteristics. In some implementations, refractory materials can be useful. A variety of different materials can be blended to achieve desired properties of resistivity, mass, and thermal conductivity. In certain embodiments, usable metals include, for example, nickel, chromium, alloys of nickel and chromium (e.g., nichrome), and steel.Materials that may be useful for providing resistance or resistive heating are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,894 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,498 to Deevi et al., Sprinkel et al. No. 5,322,075 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,813 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,936 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,850 to Das, U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,656 to Das, U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,855 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,225 to Hajaligol, U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,262 to Hajaligol, U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,692 to Das et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,368 to Fleischhauer et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0092] The amount of inhalable material emitted by the aerosol delivery device 100 may vary based on the properties of the inhalable material. Preferably, the device 100 is configured with a sufficient amount of aerosol-forming agent to function at a sufficient temperature for a sufficient time to emit the desired amount over the course of use. The amount can be provided in a single inhalation from the device 100, or can be divided up to be provided via multiple puffs from the article over a relatively short period of time (e.g., less than 30 minutes, less than 20 minutes, less than 15 minutes, less than 10 minutes, or less than 5 minutes). Examples of nicotine levels and wet total particulate matter that can be delivered are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0093] As mentioned above, in various implementations, the control body 102 may include one or more openings or apertures 122 therein to allow ambient air to enter the interior of the barrel 130. In that manner, in some implementations, the stop feature 134 may also include an aperture. Thus, in some implementations, when a consumer draws on the mouth end of the aerosol source member 104, air is drawn into the barrel 130 through the apertures in the control body 102 and the stop feature 134, enters the aerosol source member 104, and can be drawn through the base portion 110 of the aerosol source member 104 for inhalation by the consumer. In some implementations, the drawn air carries the inhalable substance through the optional filter 114 and out the opening in the mouth end 108 of the aerosol source member 104.

[0094] In some implementations, it may be useful to provide some indication as to when the aerosol source member 104 has achieved the proper insertion distance into the barrel 130 so that the heating member 132 is positioned near the substrate 110. For example, the aerosol source member 104 may include one or more markings on its exterior (e.g., on the outer surface of the aerosol source member 104). In other implementations, a single marking may indicate the depth of insertion required to achieve this position. Alternatively, the proper insertion distance may be indicated by the aerosol source member 104 “bottoming out” against the stop feature 134, or by any other means that may enable a consumer to recognize and understand that the aerosol source member 104 has been sufficiently inserted into the barrel 130 to position the heating member 132 in the proper position relative to the substrate 110.

[0095] In some implementations, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include a push button that can be linked to a control component for manual control of the heating element. For example, in some implementations, a consumer can energize the heating element 132 using a push button. Similar functionality associated with a push button can be achieved by other mechanical or non-mechanical means (e.g., magnetic or electromagnetic). Thus, activation of the heating element 132 can be controlled by a single push button. Alternatively, multiple push buttons may be provided to individually control various operations. If present, the one or more push buttons can be substantially flush with the casing of the control body 102.

[0096] The aerosol delivery device 100 of the present disclosure may include a component that energizes the heating element 132 in response to a consumer's draw on the item (i.e., puff-activated heating) instead of (or in addition to) any push button. For example, the device may include a switch or flow sensor 120 (i.e., a puff-activated switch) within the control body 102 that is sensitive to either pressure or airflow changes when the consumer inhales on the item. Other suitable current activation / deactivation mechanisms may include a temperature-activated on / off switch or a lip-pressure-activated switch. An example of a mechanism that can provide such puff-activation functionality includes the Model 163PC01D36 silicon sensor manufactured by the Microswitch Division of Honeywell, Inc. of Freeport, Illinois. Using such a sensor, the heating element can be rapidly activated by changes in pressure when the consumer inhales on the device. Additionally, a flow-sensing device, such as one that uses the principles of hot wire anemometry, may be used to detect changes in airflow and subsequently energize the heating element 132 sufficiently quickly. Another puff-actuated switch that can be used is a pressure differential switch, such as Model No. MPL-502-V, Range A, from Micro Pneumatic Logic, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Another suitable puff-actuating mechanism is a highly sensitive pressure transducer (e.g., with an amplifier or gain stage) coupled with a comparator for detecting a predetermined threshold pressure. Yet another suitable puff-actuating mechanism is a vane deflected by the airflow, the movement of which is detected by a motion-sensing means. Yet another suitable actuating mechanism is a piezoelectric switch. Also useful is a properly connected Honeywell MicroSwitch Microbridge airflow sensor, part number AWM 2100V, from the Microswitch Division of Honeywell, Inc., Freeport, Illinois. Further examples of demand-operated electrical switches that can be used in heating circuits according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other suitable differential switches, analog pressure sensors, flow sensors, and the like will be apparent to those skilled in the art with knowledge of this disclosure.In some implementations, a pressure sensing tube or other passageway may be included in control body 102 that provides a fluid connection between the puff-activated switch and barrel 130 so that pressure changes during aspiration can be easily identified by the switch. Other exemplary puff-activated devices that may be useful according to the present disclosure are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,874, all to Brooks et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., and U.S. Patent No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0097] When a consumer inhales on the oral end of the device 100, the current actuation means can allow an unlimited or uninterrupted flow of current through the heating element 132 to rapidly generate heat. For rapid heating, it can be useful to include a current regulation component to (i) regulate the current through the heating element to control heating of the resistive element and the resulting temperature, and (ii) prevent overheating and degradation of the substrate portion 110. In some implementations, the current regulation circuitry may be time-based. Specifically, such a circuitry may include means for allowing uninterrupted current through the heating element for an initial period during inhalation, and timer means for subsequently regulating the current until inhalation is complete. For example, subsequent regulation may include rapid on / off switching of the current (e.g., on the order of about every 1 to 50 milliseconds) to maintain the heating element within a desired temperature range. Furthermore, regulation may comprise simply allowing uninterrupted current until the desired temperature is achieved, and then turning the current off completely. The heating element may be reactivated by the consumer initiating another puff on the article (or by manually activating a push button, depending on the particular switch implementation used to activate the heater). Alternatively, subsequent adjustments may involve modulating the current through the heating element to maintain the heating element within a desired temperature range. In some implementations, the heating element may be energized for a duration of about 0.2 seconds to about 5.0 seconds, about 0.3 seconds to about 4.0 seconds, about 0.4 seconds to about 3.0 seconds, about 0.5 seconds to about 2.0 seconds, or about 0.6 seconds to about 1.5 seconds to release the desired dose of inhalable substance. An example time-based current adjustment circuit may include a transistor, a timer, a comparator, and a capacitor. Suitable transistors, timers, comparators, and capacitors are commercially available and would be apparent to one skilled in the art. Examples of timers are available as C-1555C from NEC Electronics, ICM7555 from General Electric Intersil, Inc., and other so-called "555 timers" in various sizes and configurations. An example of a comparator is available as LM311 from National Semiconductor.Further description of such time-based current regulation circuits is provided in US Pat. No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0098] In light of the above, it can be seen that various mechanisms can be used to facilitate activation / deactivation of current to the heating element. For example, the device may include a timer for regulating the current in the item (e.g., during draw by the consumer). The device may further include a timer-responsive switch for enabling and disabling current to the heating element. Current regulation can also include the use of a capacitor and components for charging and discharging the capacitor at a defined rate (e.g., a rate approximating the rate at which the heating element heats and cools). The current can be regulated so that there is uninterrupted current through the heating element, particularly for an initial period during draw, but the current can be turned off after the initial period or cycled alternately off and on until draw is complete. Such cycling can be controlled by a timer capable of generating preset switching cycles, as described above. In certain implementations, the timer can generate a periodic digital waveform. The flow during the initial period can be further regulated by using a comparator that compares a first voltage at a first input with a threshold voltage at a threshold input and generates an output signal that enables the timer when the first voltage equals the threshold voltage. Such implementations may further include a component for generating a threshold voltage at the threshold input, and a component for generating a threshold voltage at the first input upon passage of an initial period of time.

[0099] As noted above, the power supply 124 used to power the various electrical components of the device 100 can take on a variety of implementations. Preferably, the power supply provides sufficient energy to rapidly heat the heating element in the manner described above and can be used with multiple aerosol source elements 104 to power the device while still conveniently fitting into the device 100. One example of a power supply is the TKI-1550 rechargeable lithium-ion battery manufactured by Tadiran Batteries GmbH of Germany. In another implementation, a useful power supply can be the N50-AAA CADNICA nickel-cadmium battery manufactured by Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. of Japan. In other implementations, multiple such batteries can be connected in series, each providing, for example, 1.2 volts. Other power sources, such as rechargeable lithium-manganese dioxide batteries, can also be used. While any one or a combination of these batteries can be used for the power supply, rechargeable batteries are preferred due to the cost and disposal associated with disposable batteries. In implementations in which a rechargeable battery is used, the power source 124 may further include charging contacts for interacting with corresponding contacts on a conventional charging unit (not shown) that obtains power from a standard 120-volt AC wall outlet, or other power source, such as an automobile electrical system or another portable power source. In further implementations, 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 into the capacitor at a slower rate than if it were used to directly power the heating element. For example, a supercapacitor, i.e., an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC), can be used separately from or in combination with a battery. When used alone, the supercapacitor can be recharged after each use of the device 100. Accordingly, the present disclosure may also include a charger component that can be attached to the device between uses to replenish the supercapacitor. Thin-film batteries may also be used in certain implementations of the present disclosure.

[0100] As noted above, in various implementations, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include one or more indicators 126. In the illustrated implementation, the indicator 126 is shown on the end of the control body 102, but in various implementations, the indicator 126 may be located on another portion of the control body 102 or elsewhere. In some implementations, the indicator may be a light (e.g., a light-emitting diode) that can provide an indication of multiple aspects of the device's use. For example, a series of lights may correspond to the number of puffs of a given aerosol source member. Specifically, the lights may be illuminated sequentially with each puff, such that when all lights are illuminated, the consumer is notified that the aerosol source member has been used. Alternatively, all lights may be illuminated when the aerosol source member is inserted into the housing, and the lights may be turned off with each puff, such that when all lights are off, the consumer is notified that the aerosol source member has been used. In still other implementations, there may be only a single indicator, the illumination of which may indicate that current is flowing through the heating member and that the device is actively heating. This can prevent consumers from unintentionally leaving the device in active heating mode. In alternative implementations, one or more indicators can be components of the aerosol source member. While the indicators are described above in connection with on / off visual indicators, other operational indicators are also included. For example, visual indicators may also include changes in light color or intensity to indicate the progression of the smoking experience. Tactile and audible indicators are also included in the present disclosure. Furthermore, combinations of such indicators can be used in a single device.

[0101] As described herein, the present disclosure provides an aerosol source member and an aerosol delivery device for use with the aerosol source member, the aerosol source member including a substrate portion, the substrate portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework integrated with an aerosol-forming material, the continuous thermally conductive framework configured to enhance heat transfer from the heating element to the aerosol-forming material. For example, FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 4 illustrates a substrate portion 110 including a continuous thermally conductive framework in the form of a thermally conductive coil 111 wrapped around an outer surface 115 of an aerosol-forming material 113. The thermally conductive coil 111 in the illustrated implementation can be composed of a metallic material, such as, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, or any combination thereof. In other implementations, the thermally conductive coil 111 can be composed of a coated metal, such as, for example, aluminum-coated copper, or other combinations of coating and base materials selected from the list above. In still other implementations, the thermally conductive coil 111 can be composed of a ceramic material, such as, but not limited to, aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, or any combination thereof. In still other implementations, the thermally conductive coil 111 can be composed of a carbon material, such as, but not limited to, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanoribbons, diamond-like structure carbon materials, or combinations thereof. And in still other implementations, the thermally conductive coil 111 can be composed of a metal, ceramic, or polymer composite material, such as a polymer material with carbon fibers, including, but not limited to, polyimide, epoxy, or silicon polymer, boron nitride, zinc oxide, or alumina fibers. In further implementations, the present disclosure contemplates that the thermally conductive framework of various implementations can be composed of any one or any combination of the above materials, or a composite material including two or more of the above materials.

[0102] In various implementations, the aerosol-forming material 113 may include any of the configurations and formulations of the substrate materials described above, and therefore, reference is made to those descriptions. In various implementations, the size and configuration of the thermally conductive coil 111 and / or the aerosol-forming material 113 may vary. For example, in various implementations, one or more of the length, outer diameter, inner diameter, pitch, and wire diameter, among other characteristics, may be selected to address particular design requirements. Furthermore, the size of the aerosol-forming material 113 may vary. For example, in various implementations, one or more of the length, outer diameter, inner diameter (if applicable), among other characteristics, may be selected to address particular design requirements.

[0103] In the illustrated implementation, the thermally conductive coil 111 covers substantially the entire length of the aerosol-forming material 113; however, in other implementations, the thermally conductive coil 111 may cover only a portion of the length of the aerosol-forming material 113. The aerosol-forming material 113 in the illustrated implementation comprises an extruded cylindrical structure comprising tobacco or tobacco-derived materials, as described above. Additionally, the aerosol-forming material 113 in the illustrated implementation may also contain various additives and other ingredients, as described above. However, as noted above, in other implementations, the aerosol-forming material 113 may have a different shape and / or a different composition.

[0104] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework according to another implementation of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 5 illustrates a substrate portion 110 including a continuous thermally conductive framework in the form of a thermally conductive braid 211 wrapped around an outer surface 215 of an aerosol-forming material 213. In various implementations, the thermally conductive braid may comprise an interwoven braid or an overlapping braid. In the illustrated implementation, the thermally conductive braid 211 comprises an interwoven braid. The thermally conductive braid 211 in the illustrated implementation can be composed of a metallic material, such as, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, or any combination thereof. In other implementations, the thermally conductive braid 211 may be composed of a coated metal, such as, for example, aluminum-coated copper, or other combinations of coating and base materials selected from the list above. In still other implementations, the thermally conductive braid 211 may be composed of a ceramic material, such as, but not limited to, aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, or any combination thereof. In still other implementations, the thermally conductive braid 211 may be composed of a carbon material, such as, but not limited to, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanoribbons, diamond-like carbon materials, or combinations thereof. And in still other implementations, the thermally conductive braid 211 may be composed of a metal, ceramic, or polymer composite material, such as a polymer material with carbon fibers, including, but not limited to, polyimide, epoxy, or silicon polymer, boron nitride, zinc oxide, or alumina fibers. In further implementations, the present disclosure contemplates that the thermally conductive framework of various implementations may be composed of any one or any combination of the above materials, or a composite material including two or more of the above materials.

[0105] In various implementations, the aerosol-forming material 213 can include any of the configurations and formulations of the substrate materials described above, and therefore, reference is made to those descriptions. In various implementations, the size and configuration of the thermally conductive braid 211 and / or the aerosol-forming material 213 can vary. For example, in various implementations, one or more of the length, outer diameter, inner diameter, pitch, and wire diameter, among other characteristics, can be selected to address particular design requirements. Furthermore, the size of the aerosol-forming material 213 can vary. For example, in various implementations, one or more of the length, outer diameter, inner diameter, among other characteristics, can be selected to address particular design requirements.

[0106] In the illustrated implementation, the thermally conductive braid 211 covers substantially the entire length of the aerosol-forming material 213; however, in other implementations, the thermally conductive braid 211 may cover only a portion of the length of the aerosol-forming material 213. The aerosol-forming material 213 in the illustrated implementation comprises an extruded cylindrical structure comprising tobacco or tobacco-derived materials, as described above. Additionally, the aerosol-forming material 213 in the illustrated implementation may also include various additives and other ingredients, as described above. As described above, in other implementations, the aerosol-forming material 213 may have a different shape and / or a different composition.

[0107] FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework according to another implementation of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 6 illustrates a substrate portion 310 including a continuous thermally conductive framework in the form of a thermally conductive coil 311 disposed within an aerosol-forming material 313. The thermally conductive coil 311 in the illustrated implementation is constructed from a metallic material such as, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, or any combination thereof. In other implementations, the thermally conductive coil 311 may be constructed from a coated metal, such as, for example, aluminum-coated copper, or other combinations of coating and base materials selected from the list above. In still other implementations, the thermally conductive coil 311 may be constructed from a ceramic material such as, but not limited to, aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, or any combination thereof. In still other implementations, the thermal coil 311 may be composed of a carbon material, such as, but not limited to, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanoribbons, diamond-like carbon materials, or combinations thereof. And, in still other implementations, the thermally conductive coil 311 may be composed of a metal, ceramic, or polymer composite material, such as a polymer material with carbon fibers, including, but not limited to, polyimide, epoxy, or silicon polymer, boron nitride, zinc oxide, or alumina fibers. In further implementations, the present disclosure contemplates that the thermally conductive framework of various implementations may be composed of any one or any combination of the above materials, or a composite material including two or more of the above materials.

[0108] In various implementations, the aerosol-forming material 313 can include any of the configurations and formulations of the substrate materials described above, and therefore, reference is made to those descriptions. In various implementations, the size and configuration of the thermally conductive coil 311 and / or the aerosol-forming material 313 can vary. For example, in various implementations, one or more of the length, outer diameter, inner diameter, pitch, and wire diameter, among other characteristics, can be selected to address particular design requirements. Furthermore, the size of the aerosol-forming material 313 can vary. For example, in various implementations, one or more of the length, outer diameter, inner diameter, among other characteristics, can be selected to address particular design requirements.

[0109] In the illustrated implementation, the thermally conductive coil 311 covers substantially the entire length of the aerosol-forming material 313; however, in other implementations, the thermally conductive coil 311 may cover only a portion of the length of the aerosol-forming material 313. The aerosol-forming material 313 in the illustrated implementation comprises an extruded cylindrical structure containing tobacco or tobacco-derived materials, as described above. Additionally, the aerosol-forming material 313 in the illustrated implementation may also contain various additives and other ingredients, as described above. However, as noted above, in other implementations, the aerosol-forming material 313 may have a different shape and / or a different composition.

[0110] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework according to another implementation of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 7 illustrates a substrate portion 410 including a continuous thermally conductive framework in the form of a thermally conductive braid 411 disposed within an aerosol-forming material 413. In various implementations, the thermally conductive braid may comprise an interwoven braid or an overlapping braid. In the illustrated implementation, the thermally conductive braid 411 comprises an interwoven braid. The thermally conductive braid 411 in the illustrated implementation is comprised of a metallic material such as, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, or any combination thereof. In other implementations, the thermally conductive braid 411 may be comprised of a coated metal, such as, for example, aluminum-coated copper, or other combinations of coating and base materials selected from the list above. In still other implementations, the thermally conductive braid 411 may be composed of a ceramic material, such as, but not limited to, aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, or any combination thereof. In still other implementations, the thermally conductive braid 411 may be composed of a carbon material, such as, but not limited to, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanoribbons, diamond-like carbon materials, or combinations thereof. And in still other implementations, the thermally conductive braid 411 may be composed of a metal, ceramic, or polymer composite material, such as a polymer material with carbon fibers, including, but not limited to, polyimide, epoxy, or silicon polymer, boron nitride, zinc oxide, or alumina fibers. In further implementations, the present disclosure contemplates that the thermally conductive framework of various implementations may be composed of any one or any combination of the above materials, or a composite material including two or more of the above materials.

[0111] In various implementations, the aerosol-forming material 413 can include any of the configurations and formulations of the substrate materials described above, and therefore, reference is made to those descriptions. In various implementations, the size and configuration of the thermally conductive braid 411 and / or the aerosol-forming material 413 can vary. For example, in various implementations, one or more of the length, outer diameter, inner diameter, pitch, and wire diameter, among other characteristics, can be selected to address particular design requirements. Furthermore, the size of the aerosol-forming material 413 can vary. For example, in various implementations, one or more of the length, outer diameter, and inner diameter, among other characteristics, can be selected to address particular design requirements.

[0112] In the illustrated implementation, the thermally conductive braid 411 covers substantially the entire length of the aerosol-forming material 413; however, in other implementations, the thermally conductive braid 411 may cover only a portion of the length of the aerosol-forming material 413. The aerosol-forming material 413 in the illustrated implementation comprises an extruded cylindrical structure comprising tobacco or tobacco-derived materials, as described above. Additionally, the aerosol-forming material 413 in the illustrated implementation may also include various additives and other ingredients, as described above. However, as noted above, in other implementations, the aerosol-forming material 413 may have a different shape and / or a different composition.

[0113] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member illustrating a substrate portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework according to another implementation of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 8 shows a substrate portion 510 including a continuous thermally conductive framework in the form of a thermally conductive elongated element 517 including a plurality of thermally conductive bristle-like spikes 519 extending radially therefrom. In the illustrated implementation, one or both of the thermally conductive elongated element 517 and the plurality of thermally conductive spikes 519 are comprised of a metallic material such as, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, or any combination thereof. In other implementations, one or both of the thermally conductive elongated element 517 and the plurality of thermally conductive spikes 519 may be comprised of a coated metal, such as, for example, aluminum-coated copper or other combinations of coating and base materials selected from the list above. In still other implementations, one or both of the thermally conductive elongated element 517 and the plurality of thermally conductive spikes 519 may be made of a ceramic material, such as, but not limited to, aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, or any combination thereof. In still other implementations, one or both of the thermally conductive elongated element 517 and the plurality of thermally conductive spikes 519 may be made of a carbon material, such as, but not limited to, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanoribbons, diamond-like carbon materials, or combinations thereof. And in still other implementations, one or both of the thermally conductive elongated element 517 and the plurality of thermally conductive spikes 519 may be made of a metal, ceramic, or polymer composite material, such as a polymer material with carbon fibers, including, but not limited to, polyimide, epoxy, or silicon polymer, boron nitride, zinc oxide, or alumina fibers. In further implementations, the present disclosure contemplates that the thermally conductive framework of various implementations may be composed of any one or any combination of the above materials, or a composite material including two or more of the above materials.For example, in some implementations, the central thermally conductive elongated component may be constructed of one material and the thermally conductive spikes may be constructed of another material.

[0114] In various implementations, the aerosol-forming material 513 can include any of the configurations and formulations of the substrate materials described above, and therefore, reference is made to those descriptions. In various implementations, the size and configuration of the thermally conductive elongated element 517, the thermally conductive spikes 519, and / or the aerosol-forming material 513 can vary. For example, in various implementations, one or more of the length and diameter of the elongated thermally conductive element 517 and the number, frequency, and length of the spikes 519, among other characteristics of these elements, can be selected to address particular design requirements. Furthermore, the size of the aerosol-forming material 513 can vary. For example, in various implementations, one or more of the length, outer diameter, and inner diameter, among other characteristics, can be selected to address particular design requirements.

[0115] In the illustrated implementation, both the thermally conductive elongate element 517 and the plurality of thermally conductive spikes 519 cover substantially the entire length of the aerosol-forming material 513. However, in other implementations, one or both of the thermally conductive elongate element 517 and the plurality of thermally conductive spikes 519 may cover only a portion of the length of the aerosol-forming material 513. The aerosol-forming material 513 in the illustrated implementation comprises a tubular structure containing tobacco or tobacco-derived material as described above. Furthermore, the aerosol-forming material 513 in the illustrated implementation can also contain various additives and other ingredients, as described above. However, as noted above, in other implementations, the aerosol-forming material 513 may have a different shape and / or a different composition.

[0116] For example, in various implementations, including the implementation of FIG. 8 , the heating element can be configured to heat the substrate portion from the outside inward and / or from the inside outward. Thus, in some implementations, the heating element may include a stop feature and / or another feature configured to generate heat from approximately the center outward of the substrate portion. With reference to FIG. 8 , in addition to or as an alternative to a heating element capable of generating heat from the outer surface of the substrate portion 510 inward, heat may be generated from approximately the center outward of the substrate portion 510, such as by heating a thermally conductive elongated element 517.

[0117] In addition to being configured for use with conductive heat sources, the present disclosure can also be configured for use with induction heat sources to heat a substrate portion and form an aerosol. In various implementations, the induction heat source may include a resonant transformer, which may include a resonant transmitter and a resonant receiver (e.g., a susceptor). In some implementations, the resonant transmitter and the resonant receiver may be disposed in the control body. As described in more detail below, in some implementations, the resonant transmitter may include a helical coil configured to surround a cavity in which the aerosol source member, particularly the substrate portion of the aerosol source member, is received. In some implementations, the helical coil may be disposed between the outer wall of the device and the receiving cavity. In one implementation, the coil wire may have a circular cross-sectional shape, while in other implementations, the coil wire may have various other cross-sectional shapes, including, but not limited to, oval, rectangular, L-shaped, T-shaped, and triangular cross sections, and combinations thereof. Some examples of possible resonant transformer components, including resonant transmitters and receivers, are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 799,365, filed October 31, 2017, entitled "Induction Heated Aerosol Delivery Device," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Further examples of various induction-based control components and associated circuitry are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 352,153, filed November 15, 2016, entitled "Induction-Based Aerosol Delivery Device," and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0202266 by Sur et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0118] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of another implementation of an aerosol delivery device in which the aerosol source member and the control body are separated from one another, and FIG. 10 shows a schematic cross-sectional front view of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 9. In particular, the implementation shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 includes an aerosol delivery device 600 with a control body 602 configured to receive an aerosol source member 604. As described above, the aerosol source member 604 can include a heating end 606 configured to be inserted into the control body 602 and a mouth end 608 through which a user inhales to generate an aerosol. At least a portion of the heating end 606 can include a substrate portion 610, which can include tobacco-containing beads, tobacco shreds, tobacco strips, reconstituted tobacco material, or combinations thereof, and / or a mixture of finely ground tobacco, tobacco extract, spray-dried tobacco extract, or other tobacco forms that are mixed with optional inorganic materials (such as calcium carbonate), optional flavorings, and aerosol-forming materials to form a substantially solid or moldable (e.g., extrudable) substrate. In various implementations, the aerosol source member 604, or a portion thereof, can be wrapped with an overwrap material 612, which can be formed from any material useful for providing additional structure and / or support to the aerosol source member 604. In various implementations, the overwrap material can include a material that resists the transfer of heat, which can include paper or other fibrous materials, such as cellulosic materials. Various configurations of possible overwrap materials are described with respect to the example implementation of FIG. 3 above.

[0119] In various implementations, the mouth end of the aerosol source member 604 may include a filter 614, which may be made from a cellulose acetate or polypropylene material. As noted above, in various implementations, the filter 614 may increase the structural integrity of the mouth end of the aerosol source member and / or provide filtering capabilities as needed and / or provide resistance to suction. In some embodiments, the filter may be separate from the overwrap, or the filter may be held in position near the cartridge by the overwrap. Various configurations of possible filter characteristics have been described with respect to the example implementation of FIG. 3 above.

[0120] The control body 602 can comprise a housing 618 including an opening 619 defined therein, a flow sensor 620 (e.g., a puff sensor or pressure switch), a control component 623 (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB) including processing circuitry, etc.), a power source 624 (e.g., a battery, which may be rechargeable, and / or a rechargeable supercapacitor), and an end cap including an indicator 626 (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED). As noted above, in one implementation, the indicator 626 can comprise one or more light emitting diodes, quantum dot-based light emitting diodes, etc. The indicator can be in communication with the control component 623 and, when coupled to the control body 602, can be illuminated when a user inhales on the aerosol source member 604, as detected by the flow sensor 620. Examples of power sources, sensors, and various other possible electrical components are described above with respect to the implementation of FIG. 3 above.

[0121] The control body 602 of the implementation shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 includes a resonant transmitter and a resonant receiver, which together form a resonant transformer. Note that the resonant transformer of various implementations of the present disclosure can take various forms, including implementations in which one or both of the resonant transmitter and the resonant receiver are disposed in the control body. In the particular implementation shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the resonant transmitter of the illustrated implementation comprises a helical coil 628 surrounding a support tube 630. In various implementations, the resonant transmitter and the resonant receiver can be constructed from one or more conductive materials, and in further implementations, the resonant receiver can be constructed from a ferromagnetic material, including, but not limited to, cobalt, iron, nickel, and combinations thereof. In the illustrated implementation, the helical coil 628 is constructed from a conductive material. In further implementations, the helical coil may include a non-conductive insulating cover / wrap material.

[0122] The resonant receiver in the illustrated implementation includes a single receiver prong 632 extending from a receiver base member 634. In various implementations, the receiver prong, whether a single receiver prong or part of multiple receiver prongs, can have a variety of different geometric configurations. For example, in some implementations, the receiver prong can have a cylindrical cross-section, which in some implementations may comprise a solid structure and in other implementations may comprise a hollow structure. In other implementations, the receiver prong can have a square or rectangular cross-section, which in some implementations may comprise a solid structure and in other implementations may comprise a hollow structure. In various implementations, the receiver prong can be constructed from a conductive material. In the illustrated implementation, the receiver prong 632 is constructed from a ferromagnetic material, including, but not limited to, cobalt, iron, nickel, and combinations thereof. In various implementations, the receiver base member 634 can be constructed from a non-conductive and / or insulating material.

[0123] As shown, the resonant transmitter 628 may extend near the engagement end of the housing 618 and may be configured to substantially surround the portion of the heated end 606 of the aerosol source member 604 containing the inhalable substance medium 610 and surround the support tube 630. The support tube 630, which may define a tubular configuration, may be configured to support the helical coil 628 so that the coil does not move into contact with the resonant receiver prongs 632 and thereby short-circuit. In such a manner, in some implementations, the support tube 630 may comprise a non-conductive material that may be substantially transparent to the oscillating magnetic field generated by the helical coil. In various implementations, the helical coil 628 may be embedded or otherwise coupled to the support tube 630. In the illustrated implementation, the helical coil 628 is engaged with the outer surface of the support tube 630, but in other implementations, the helical coil may be disposed on the inner surface of the support tube or may be completely embedded in the support tube.

[0124] In the illustrated implementation, the support barrel 630 can also function to facilitate proper positioning of the aerosol source member 604 when the aerosol source member 604 is inserted into the housing. In particular, the support barrel 630 can extend from the opening 619 in the housing 618 to the receiver base member 634. In the illustrated implementation, the inner diameter of the transmitter source barrel 630 can be slightly larger than or approximately equal to the outer diameter of the corresponding aerosol source member 604 (e.g., to form a snug fit) so that the support barrel 630 guides the aerosol source member 604 into an appropriate position (e.g., a lateral position) relative to the control body 602. In the illustrated implementation, the control body 602 is configured such that the receiver prongs 632 are approximately radially centered on the heated end 606 of the aerosol source member 604 when the aerosol source member 604 is inserted into the control body 602. When used in such a manner in conjunction with an extruded substrate portion defining a hollow structure, the receiver prong is positioned inside the cavity defined by the inner surface of the hollow structure and therefore does not contact the inner surface of the extruded hollow structure.

[0125] 9 and 10 can be used with any portion of the aerosol source member described or contemplated herein, including those described with respect to Figures 4-8. In particular, the induction heating assemblies of various implementations of the present disclosure can be used to heat a substrate portion that includes a continuous, thermally conductive framework integrated with an aerosol-forming material, as described above.

[0126] In various implementations, the support barrel can engage an inner surface of the housing to provide alignment of the support member relative to the housing. As a result of the fixed coupling between the support member and the inductive transmitter, the longitudinal axis of the inductive transmitter can extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing. In various implementations, the resonant transmitter can be positioned so as not to contact the housing to avoid the transfer of current from the transmitter coupling device to the external body. In some implementations, an insulator can be positioned between the resonant transmitter and the housing to prevent contact therebetween. As can be appreciated, the insulator and the support member can include any non-conductive material, such as an insulating polymer (e.g., plastic or cellulose), glass, rubber, ceramic, and porcelain. Alternatively, the resonant transmitter may contact the housing in implementations in which the housing is formed from a non-conductive material, such as plastic, glass, rubber, ceramic, or porcelain.

[0127] The present disclosure provides devices and methods of using the devices that use electrical energy to heat a heat source, which in turn heats tobacco or tobacco-derived materials (preferably without burning the tobacco or tobacco-derived materials to a significant extent) to form an inhalable substance, such as an aerosol, and the article is compact enough to be considered a "handheld" device. In certain implementations, the device can be specifically characterized as a smoking article. As used herein, this term is intended to mean a device or article that provides the taste and / or sensation (e.g., feel or mouthfeel) of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe without the actual combustion of any components of the device. The term smoking device or article does not necessarily indicate that the device produces smoke in the sense of combustion or pyrolysis byproducts during operation. Rather, smoking refers to the physical action of an individual when using the device—e.g., holding the device in one's hand, drawing on one end of the device, or inhaling from the device. In further implementations, the devices of the present invention can be characterized as vapor-generating devices, aerosolization devices, or drug delivery devices. Thus, the device can be configured to provide one or more substances in an inhalable state.

[0128] It should be noted that while the aerosol source member and control body are generally provided together as a complete smoking article or drug delivery article, the components can also be provided separately. For example, the present disclosure also encompasses disposable units for use with reusable smoking articles or reusable drug delivery articles. In certain implementations, such disposable units (which may be aerosol source members as shown in the accompanying figures) can include a substantially tubular body having a heating end configured to engage with a reusable smoking article or drug delivery article, an opposing mouth end configured to allow passage of an inhalable substance to a consumer, and a wall with outer and inner surfaces defining an interior space. Various implementations of aerosol source members (or cartridges) are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0129] In addition to disposable units, the present disclosure can further be characterized as providing a separate control body for use with a reusable smoking article or a reusable drug delivery article. In certain implementations, the control body may generally be a housing having a receiving end (which may include a receiving chamber with an open end) for receiving the heating end of a separately provided aerosol source member. The control body may further include an electrical energy source that provides power to an electric heating element that may be a component of the control body or that may be included in an aerosol source member used with the control unit. For example, in some implementations, the electrical energy source may power a heating assembly that may include one or more prongs forming the heating element, and the heating assembly may have associated electrical contacts that connect the heating element to the electrical energy source. In other implementations, the heating assembly may include a flexible heating element that substantially encases the heating barrel. In other implementations, instead of including a single heating element, the heating assembly may include separate heating element components, one component as part of the control body and another component as part of the aerosol source member.

[0130] In various implementations, the control body may also include additional components, including a power source (such as a battery), components for activating current flow to the heating element, and components for regulating such current flow to maintain a desired temperature for a desired period of time and / or for cycling or stopping current flow when the desired temperature is reached or the heating element has heated for a desired length of time. In some implementations, the control unit may further comprise one or more push buttons associated with one or both of the components for activating current flow to the heating element and components for regulating such current flow. The control body may also include one or more indicators, such as a light that indicates that the heater is heating and / or a light that indicates the number of puffs remaining in an aerosol source element used with the control body.

[0131] Although the various figures described herein show the control body and aerosol source member in an operative relationship, it is understood that the control body and aerosol source member may exist as separate devices, and therefore any discussion provided elsewhere herein regarding combined components should also be understood as applying to the control body and aerosol source member as individual and separate components.

[0132] In another aspect, the present disclosure may be directed to a kit providing various components as described herein. For example, the kit may include a control body having one or more aerosol source members. The kit may further include a control body having one or more charging components. The kit may further include a control body with one or more batteries. The kit may further include a control body with one or more aerosol source members and one or more charging components and / or one or more batteries. In further implementations, the kit may include multiple aerosol source members. The kit may further include multiple aerosol source members and one or more batteries and / or one or more charging components. In the above implementations, the aerosol source member or the control body may include a heating element therein. The kit of the present invention may further include a case (or other packaging, carrying, or storage component) for housing one or more of the additional kit components. The case can be a reusable rigid or flexible container. Furthermore, the case can simply be a box or other packaging structure.

[0133] 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 configured to generate an inhalable substance, comprising: a control body having a closed distal end and an open engagement end; A heating element; a control component disposed within the control body and configured to control the heating member; a power source disposed within the control body and configured to provide power to the control components; a removable aerosol source member including a base portion configured to be inserted into the engagement end of the control body and defining a heating end and a mouth end, the heating end configured to be positioned adjacent the heating member when inserted into the control body and the mouth end configured to extend beyond the engagement end of the control body; Equipped with An aerosol delivery device, wherein the substrate portion includes a continuous thermally conductive framework integrated with an aerosol-forming material, the continuous thermally conductive framework being configured to enhance heat transfer from the heating element to the aerosol-forming material.

2. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the continuous, thermally conductive framework comprises a coil integrated with a generally cylindrical aerosol-forming material.

3. 3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2, wherein the coil is disposed around an outer surface of the aerosol-forming material.

4. 3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2, wherein the coil is disposed within the aerosol-forming material.

5. 3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2, wherein the coil is disposed around an outer surface of the aerosol-forming material and within the aerosol-forming material.

6. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework comprises an interwoven braid.

7. 7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 6, wherein the interwoven braid is disposed around an outer surface of the aerosol-forming material.

8. 7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 6, wherein the interwoven braid is disposed within the aerosol-forming material.

9. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework comprises a central elongated component having a plurality of spikes radially extending therefrom.

10. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework comprises at least one of a metal material, a coated metal material, a ceramic material, a carbon material, a polymer composite material, and any combination thereof.

11. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the substrate portion comprises an extruded hollow structure.

12. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the substrate portion comprises a single centrally located longitudinal aperture and / or a plurality of longitudinal apertures.

13. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the substrate portion comprises a substantially solid structure.

14. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises tobacco or a tobacco-derived material.

15. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the substrate portion comprises a non-tobacco material.

16. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the heating member comprises an electrically conductive heat source.

17. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the heating member comprises an induction heat source.

18. an aerosol source member configured to removably engage an engagement end of a control body including a heating member, a heating end and a mouth end configured to be positioned proximate to the heating element when inserted into the control body, the mouth end configured to extend beyond the engagement end of the control body; a substrate portion including a continuous thermally conductive framework integrated with an aerosol-forming material; Equipped with An aerosol source member, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework is configured to enhance heat transfer from the heating member to the aerosol-forming material.

19. 20. The aerosol source member of claim 18, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework comprises a coil integrated with a generally cylindrical aerosol-forming material.

20. 20. The aerosol source member of claim 19, wherein the coil is disposed around an outer surface of the aerosol-forming material.

21. 20. The aerosol source member of claim 19, wherein the coil is disposed within the aerosol-forming material.

22. 20. The aerosol source member of claim 19, wherein the coil is disposed around an outer surface of the aerosol-forming material and within the aerosol-forming material.

23. 20. The aerosol source member of claim 18, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework comprises an interwoven or overlapping braid.

24. 24. The aerosol source member of claim 23, wherein the interwoven braid is disposed about an outer surface of the aerosol-forming material.

25. 24. The aerosol source member of claim 23, wherein the interwoven braid is disposed within the aerosol-forming material.

26. 20. The aerosol source member of claim 18, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework comprises a central elongated element having a plurality of spikes extending radially therefrom.

27. 20. The aerosol source member of claim 18, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework comprises at least one of a metal material, a coated metal material, a ceramic material, a carbon material, a polymer composite material, and any combination thereof.

28. 20. The aerosol source member of claim 18, wherein the substrate comprises an extruded hollow structure.

29. 20. The aerosol source member of claim 18, wherein the substrate portion comprises a single centrally located longitudinal aperture and / or a plurality of longitudinal apertures.

30. 20. The aerosol source member of claim 18, wherein the substrate portion comprises a substantially solid structure.

31. 20. The aerosol source member of claim 18, wherein the substrate comprises tobacco or a tobacco-derived material.

32. 20. The aerosol source member of claim 18, wherein the substrate comprises a non-tobacco material.

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