Steam Generation System

Abstract

The aerosol generating system includes a cartridge (2) containing a supply of aerosol generating material (15) and an aerosol generating device (4) for receiving the cartridge (2). When the cartridge (2) is received in the aerosol generating device (4), projections (38) on the cartridge (2) enter a set of recesses (40) in the device (4) and exert pressure on a pressure responsive surface (20) disposed at the bottom of the recesses (40), thereby enabling the determination of correct insertion of an authentic cartridge (2). The pressure responsive surface (20) may be part of a plate (50) that moves in response to the exerted pressure to complete a power or test circuit. Preferably, the pattern of recesses (40) entails arranging complementary projections (38) in the shape of letters, symbols, or other patterns capable of conveying visual information, such as the trademark of the supplier of the authentic cartridge (2).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to an aerosol generating system configured to convert an aerosol generating material into an aerosol for inhalation by a user of the system. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to ensuring that an aerosol generating device may only be used with an approved aerosol generating cartridge. [Background technology]

[0002] The term aerosol generating system (or more generally, electronic cigarette or e-cigarette) refers to a portable electronic device intended to simulate the sensation or experience of smoking a traditional cigarette. Electronic cigarettes typically work by heating an aerosol-generating liquid to produce a vapor that cools and condenses to form an aerosol that is then inhaled by the user. Hence, the use of an e-cigarette is sometimes referred to as "vaping". The aerosol-generating liquid typically contains nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin, and flavorings.

[0003] A typical e-cigarette comprises a vaporization unit, i.e., a system or subsystem for vaporizing an aerosol-generating liquid by utilizing a heating element to generate vapor from the liquid stored in a capsule, tank or reservoir. When a user operates the e-cigarette, liquid from the reservoir is conveyed through a liquid transport element, e.g., a cotton wick or a porous ceramic block, and is heated by the heating element to generate vapor, which cools and condenses to form an inhalable aerosol. To facilitate ease of use of electronic cigarettes, removable cartridges are often employed. These cartridges are often configured as "cartomizers", meaning an integrated part that comprises a liquid reservoir, a liquid transport element and a heater. An electrical connector may also be provided to establish an electrical connection between the heating element and a power source. Such cartridges may be disposable, i.e., not intended to be reusable after the supply of liquid in the reservoir has been exhausted. Alternatively, they may be reusable, with means provided to allow the reservoir to be refilled with a new supply of vapor-generating liquid.

[0004] By using alternative technologies such as jet heads or nebulizers, it may be possible to generate droplets of a suitable size to form an aerosol directly from a liquid, without the need for an intermediate step of forming a vapor, and perhaps without heating the liquid at all. In some cartridges, the aerosol-generating liquid may be absorbed into a solid material, or the aerosol-generating material may itself be a solid, such as a gel, from which a liquid or vapor can be released upon heating. The use of such technologies is not excluded from the application of the present invention, which relates to the certification of the cartridge and not the aerosol generation method.

[0005] An e-cigarette cartridge typically comprises an inlet at a first end and an outlet at an opposite second end. (From the perspective of a user of the system, the first end of the cartridge may also be referred to as the distal end, and the second end of the cartridge may also be referred to as the proximal or mouth end.) The first end of the cartridge is configured to be removably connected to a body of an aerosol generation system, which may house, for example, a power source and control electronics. The user inhales through a mouthpiece at the second end of the cartridge, drawing air along an air flow path from the inlet to the outlet. The air flow path passes through an aerosol generation chamber, where vapor or droplets formed from the liquid mix with the air to form an aerosol.

[0006] In use, such a cartridge is received in an aerosol generating device to form a complete aerosol generating system. The aerosol generating device is typically not disposable, i.e. it is intended to be reused multiple times with different cartridges. The device comprises a body in which a user can hold the device and houses a power source for the heater in the cartridge, and a control circuit. The device may further comprise means, such as buttons, for the user to input commands to the aerosol generating system, and / or means, such as lights or a display screen, for the system to output information to the user. Additionally or alternatively, the device may comprise means for communicating with an external device, such as a mobile phone, providing an interface for the user to interact with the aerosol generating system.

[0007] There is a desire that a certain aerosol generating device should only be usable with genuine cartridges originating from or authorized by the manufacturer or supplier of the device. This is not only to protect the supplier's market in selling replacement cartridges. It also allows the supplier to ensure that the device can control the operation of the cartridge in a proper manner that complies with safety standards accepted by the user (e.g. related to the operating temperature of the cartridge and the substances contained in the aerosol generated) and that does not risk damaging the device itself (e.g. by drawing excessive current from the power supply or by leakage of aerosol generating liquid from a poorly designed cartridge). Preferably, a system that allows the aerosol generating device to detect or disable a non-genuine cartridge will also allow such a non-genuine cartridge to be detected by human visual inspection.

[0008] A prior art aerosol generating system capable of detecting non-authentic cartridges is disclosed in China Utility Model No. 212306822U. The authentication of the cartridge is performed by a camera assembly in the device, which records the "anti-counterfeit marking number" on the mating surface of the cartridge. Providing a camera and software capable of identifying whether the imaged number represents an authentic cartridge would significantly increase the cost of the device. Therefore, a cheaper and simpler system is desirable. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention provides an aerosol generation system comprising a cartridge containing a supply of aerosol-generating fluid and an aerosol generation device for receiving the cartridge, wherein the cartridge comprises one or more protrusions, the aerosol generation device comprises one or more recesses configured to receive the one or more protrusions when the cartridge is received in the aerosol generation device, and the aerosol generation device further comprises a pressure responsive surface disposed at a bottom of the first set of one or more of the recesses for detecting pressure exerted by one or more of the protrusions when received in the first set of recesses. In a preferred embodiment, the pressure responsive surface is a surface of a plate configured to move in response to pressure applied to the pressure responsive surface, thereby completing an electrical circuit.

[0010] In order for the protrusions of the cartridge to exert pressure on the pressure-responsive surface disposed at the bottom of the recess, the pattern of the protrusions must complement the pattern of the recess. This provides a way to ensure that only cartridges with a complementary set of conductive elements can be used with any aerosol generating device. If an inauthentic cartridge with a different pattern of conductive elements is used, the cartridge will not fit the device at all, or if the protrusions are simply omitted from the cartridge, for example to avoid interference, no pressure will be applied to the pressure-responsive surface and the device will be able to determine that an inauthentic cartridge has been installed. The device controller can then take appropriate action, such as issuing a warning to the user or cutting off the power supply to the cartridge. Although forming control electronics responsive to pressure applied to the protrusions, recesses, and pressure-responsive surfaces would somewhat increase the complexity and cost of the assembly of the device and cartridge, these are simple mechanical / electrical components that can be easily integrated into conventional assembly processes. The present invention does not require the addition of expensive components such as cameras or significant additional software or processing power.

[0011] The plate may be mounted such that unevenly applied pressure to the pressure responsive surface may cause the plate to tilt, thereby preventing the electrical circuit from being completed. This arrangement may therefore be able to determine not only whether the total pressure exerted by the projections of the cartridge reaches a predetermined level, but also whether the pressure is exerted in an expected distribution over the area of ​​the pressure responsive surface. This has the advantage that the device can identify whether a non-genuine cartridge has been installed, which contains some but not all of the required pattern of projections.

[0012] As with many known aerosol generating systems, the cartridge may include an electrically powered aerosol generator, such as a heater, and the aerosol generating device may include a power source. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plate is configured to move in response to pressure applied to the pressure responsive surface, thereby completing an electrical circuit, which when completed may be configured to provide electrical current from the power source to the aerosol generator. Thus, if the device is used with an inauthentic cartridge, such as one in which the projections of the cartridge are not in a complementary pattern with the recesses of the device, the electrical circuit will not provide electrical current from the power source to the aerosol generator. Thus, an inauthentic cartridge will automatically be prevented from being used with the device to generate aerosol.

[0013] Alternatively, if the aerosol generating device includes a power source and a controller, the controller may be configured to provide current from the power source to an electrical circuit to verify that the cartridge is properly received by the aerosol generating device. The electrical circuit thus functions as a test circuit. If the device is used with an inauthentic cartridge, such as one in which the protrusions of the cartridge are not in a complementary pattern with the recesses of the device, a continuous conductive path will not be formed through the electrical circuit. If the controller does not detect a current flow through the test circuit, the controller can determine that the cartridge is inauthentic or not properly inserted, and can take appropriate action, such as disabling the supply of power to the cartridge and / or generating a warning to the user.

[0014] The test circuitry is not necessarily distinct from the circuitry for powering the heater. If a common circuitry is used, when a cartridge is inserted into the device, the controller will first attempt to send a small test current through the test / power circuitry to verify that the cartridge is authentic and properly inserted. Only if those conditions are met will the controller deliver the higher current needed to power the heater.

[0015] Providing the pressure responsive surface as a surface of a plate is technically simple and therefore potentially inexpensive to manufacture. However, it may not be capable of outputting a pressure measurement, but may simply act like an on / off switch indicating whether the required level of pressure is being applied. In an alternative embodiment, the pressure responsive surface may form part of or be engaged with a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor being configured to generate a signal when pressure is applied to the pressure responsive surface. The current availability of small and relatively inexpensive pressure sensors provides a practical and efficient way of determining the pressure applied to the pressure responsive surface of the device by the protrusions of the cartridge.

[0016] Such a pressure sensor may be capable of producing different signals when pressure is applied to different regions of the pressure responsive surface. Thus, the sensor may be able to determine, at least with low resolution, not just the total pressure exerted by the protrusions of the cartridge, but also the distribution of pressure over the area of ​​the pressure responsive surface. This has the advantage that the device can identify whether a non-genuine cartridge has been installed, which contains some but not all of the required pattern of protrusions.

[0017] The aerosol generating device preferably includes a controller configured to selectively activate the aerosol generating system in response to a signal from the pressure sensor. Providing a pressure sensor capable of converting the presence or absence of pressure (and optionally the amount of pressure) into an electronic signal facilitates the electronic control circuitry to receive, process and appropriately respond to the signal.

[0018] In some embodiments of the invention, the first set of recesses includes a plurality of recesses, and may include all of the recesses. Thus, there is only a single pressure responsive surface disposed at the bottom or bottoms of the recesses, which pressure responsive surface extends across the bottom or bottoms of the recesses. This operates as described above.

[0019] Alternatively, the aerosol generating system may comprise a second pressure-responsive surface disposed at the bottom of the second set of recesses or recesses, the second set of recesses being different from the first set of recesses, for detecting the pressure exerted by one or more of the protrusions when received in the second set of recesses. Thus, whether the pressure-responsive surfaces are configured as pressure sensors or pressure-sensitive switches, they are each associated with a different set of recesses. This arrangement makes it possible to determine whether the pressure exerted by the protrusions of the cartridge reaches a predetermined level on each of the two or more pressure-responsive surfaces. This has the advantage that, to be recognized as authentic, the cartridge must comprise protrusions corresponding to each set of recesses. Thus, it becomes more difficult for the manufacture of an inauthentic device to circumvent the verification by omitting some of the protrusions.

[0020] Preferably, the protrusions are in the form of letters, symbols, or other patterns capable of conveying visual information. From the information conveyed by the pattern of recesses, a human observer can easily recognize whether the cartridge is authentic or not. For example, the pattern may be a distinctive name, logo, or other indicia by which a supplier of authentic cartridges is recognized. This example provides the further advantage that such indicia can often be legally protected as a registered trademark or through other intellectual property rights such as copyright. Thus, in order for a competing manufacturer to supply an inauthentic cartridge that is operable with a genuine device, the manufacturer must necessarily form the protrusions of the cartridge in a pattern that replicates the protected indicia. This allows the use of intellectual property laws to prevent the distribution and sale of inauthentic cartridges.

[0021] The present invention further provides a method of operating an aerosol generation system comprising a cartridge containing a supply of aerosol generating material and comprising one or more protrusions, and an aerosol generation device for receiving the cartridge, the aerosol generation device comprising one or more recesses and a pressure responsive surface disposed at a bottom of a first set of one or more of the recesses, the method comprising inserting the cartridge into the aerosol generation device such that one or more of the protrusions are received in the first set of recesses, and operating the aerosol generation system when the pressure responsive surface detects pressure exerted by the protrusions received in the first set of recesses.

[0022] As explained above, this ensures that only authentic cartridges having a set of protrusions complementary to the pattern of recesses in the device can be used with any aerosol generating device: other cartridges will not exert the expected pressure on the pressure responsive surface and therefore can be identified as not authentic.

[0023] Preferably, the pressure responsive surface is a surface of a plate configured to move in response to pressure applied to the pressure responsive surface, thereby completing an electrical circuit. The step of actuating the aerosol generation system may be performed in response to completion of the electrical circuit.

[0024] Alternatively, the pressure responsive surface is part of or engaged with the pressure sensor, and the step of activating the aerosol generation system is performed in response to a signal generated by the pressure sensor.

[0025] As used herein, "authentication" or "validation" refers to the process of determining whether a cartridge received in an aerosol generating device is an authentic cartridge according to criteria determined by the device manufacturer or supplier. Hence, the outcome of authentication or validation can be positive or negative. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating system of the type in which the present invention may be used, according to the prior art. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a cartridge and part of a device according to a first embodiment of the invention, prior to insertion of the cartridge into the device; [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an end view of the cartridge of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an end view of the device of FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a part of an apparatus according to a second embodiment of the invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a part of an apparatus according to a third embodiment of the invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a part of an apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] 1 illustrates a general arrangement of an aerosol generation system of the type in which the present invention may be used. The system comprises a replaceable cartridge 2 that is removably attached to or received by an aerosol generation device 4. The aerosol generation device 4 comprises a housing 6 that contains a power source 8, such as a rechargeable battery, and a control circuit 10 that receives power from the power source 8 and selectively delivers the power to a pair of electrical terminals 12 facing the cartridge 2. The device 4 may further comprise components not illustrated, including, but not limited to, any or all of the following: A button, switch or touch screen on the exterior of the housing 6, allowing a user to input commands to the aerosol generation system. An indicator light or display screen on the exterior of the housing 6, allowing the aerosol generating system to output information to the user. A communication means, such as a port or a wireless antenna, which allows the aerosol generation system to exchange data with external devices, such as a user's mobile phone or a manufacturer's customer support system.

[0028] The cartridge 2 engages with the aerosol generation device 4 and may be removably secured to the aerosol generation device 4 by magnetic and / or mechanical means (not shown), such as magnets, clips, bayonet and / or threaded fittings. The cartridge 2 may be mounted on a housing 6 of the device 4 in an end-to-end arrangement as shown, or may be received in a cavity within the housing 6, for example behind a cover (not shown).

[0029] The cartridge 2 comprises a reservoir 14 which contains a supply of aerosol-generating liquid 15. The cartridge 2 further comprises an air flow path 16 from an air inlet 18 to a mouthpiece 20. The mouthpiece 20 may be integral with the cartridge 2, may be removably attached to the cartridge 2, or may form part of the device 4 in systems in which the cartridge 2 is received within the housing 6 of the device 4.

[0030] The cartridge 2 further comprises electrically powered means for generating an aerosol from the liquid 15. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the aerosol generator comprises a simple resistive heater 22 with a coil wound around a liquid-permeable wick 23. The heater 22 is disposed in the air flow passage 16, possibly in a dedicated heating chamber (not shown). The liquid 15 from the reservoir 14 steadily permeates up to the surface of the wick 23, where it is heated by the heater 22 and evaporated as vapor into the air flow passage 16. As the inhaled air flows along the air flow passage 16 from the heater 22 towards the mouthpiece 20, the vapor mixes with it, cools and condenses into droplets, forming an aerosol suitable for inhalation by the user. Even with the resistive heater 22, the cartridge 2 and its components can be constructed in a completely different way than illustrated. Moreover, instead of the depicted coil and wick resistive heater 22, other resistive heating solutions such as ceramic heaters, planar die-cut or printed resistive heaters, or heating technologies such as induction and corresponding heater elements or systems can be used to increase the temperature of the liquid. Aerosol generation can also be based on alternative aerosolization techniques such as nebulization, which do not necessarily require heating of the liquid 15, but rather generate or inject appropriately sized droplets of the liquid 15 directly into the air flow path to form the aerosol without heating the liquid. All of these variations are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention, which is not related to the particular device or method by which the aerosol is generated.

[0031] A heater 22 or other aerosol generator is coupled between a pair of terminals 24 on the exterior surface of the cartridge 2 that faces the device 4. Thus, when the cartridge 2 is received in the device 4, the respective terminals 12, 24 come into contact, completing a circuit that can deliver power from the power source 8 in the device 4 to the aerosol generator 22 in the cartridge under the control of the control circuit 10.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a cartridge 2 according to a first embodiment of the invention, together with the proximal end of a device 4 that is to receive the cartridge 2. As in FIG. 1, the cartridge 2 comprises a reservoir 14 that delivers a supply of aerosol-generating liquid 15 to a wick 23. A heater 22 vaporizes the liquid 15 from the surface of the wick 23 such that the vapor generated mixes with air in the air passage 16 and condenses to form an aerosol. The air inlet of the air passage 16 is not visible in FIG. 2, as it lies out of the plane of the drawing. Also as in FIG. 1, the heater 22 is electrically connected to a power source (not shown in FIG. 2) in the device 4 via a pair of terminals 24 on the cartridge 2 that engage a respective pair of terminals 12 on the device 4. The device terminals 12 may be in the form of spring-loaded "pogo pins" to ensure good contact pressure at the junction of the terminals 12, 24.

[0033] According to the present invention, the engagement between the cartridge 2 and the device 4 involves a set of projections 38 on the cartridge 2 that are received in a complementary set of recesses 40 in the device 4. The projections 38 on the cartridge 2 form a distinctive pattern, such as a word or logo. In this case, the word "Logic" as seen in FIG. 3. The recesses 40 in the device 4 form a complementary pattern, i.e., the inverted word "Logic", as seen in FIG. 4. Since the cartridge 2 must have a pattern of projections 38 that is complementary to the recesses 40 in order to work with the device 4, the cartridge 2 must bear the same word "Logic" that is readable by an observer looking at the distal end of the cartridge when not in use. FIG. 2 shows that the projections 38 and recesses 40 are substantially equal in width. Naturally, the recesses 40 must be slightly wider than the projections 38 to accommodate the projections 38. It is preferred that the recesses 40 are not much wider than the projections 38, as this would allow for a wider range of variation in the pattern of the projections 38.

[0034] The distinctive pattern of recesses 40 required for the cartridge 2 to work with the device preferably includes letters or symbols that convey information about the cartridge 2. For example, the pattern may be a brand name or logo that identifies both the device 4 and the supplier of authentic cartridges 2 for use with the device 4, allowing a potential purchaser or other person to immediately recognize whether a given cartridge can be used with the device 4. Preferably, the pattern is one that is legally protected by intellectual property rights, such as a registered trademark or copyrighted work. This means that if an inauthentic cartridge 2 is provided with a pattern of protrusions 38 required to fit the device 4, it will infringe those rights and the rights holders can take legal action to prevent the supply of such cartridges 2.

[0035] According to the invention, the aerosol generating device 4 further comprises a pressure-responsive surface 20 disposed at the bottom of one or more of the recesses 40. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the pressure-responsive surface 20 extends across the bottom of all the recesses 40 and is the active surface of the pressure sensor 30. The projections 38 of the cartridge 2 are slightly longer than the depth of the recesses 40, so that when the cartridge 2 is properly coupled to the device 4, the projections 38 exert a pressure on the pressure-responsive surface 20 that can be detected by the sensor 30. The preferred type of sensor 30 is a capacitive pressure sensor, since they are low power and highly sensitive even at low pressures. They are also robust, low cost and can be made on a MEMS scale, making them suitable for this application. Piezoelectric sensors may also be suitable, as they are more sensitive but more complex and costly.

[0036] 2 shows a schematic of a pair of terminals 32 through which the pressure sensor 30 can communicate with the control circuit 10, in particular the output of the pressure sensor 30 can be transmitted to the control circuit 10, which can then determine whether the cartridge is authentic and activate or disable the heater 22 to generate aerosol as required by the user. Since a simple yes or no decision is required, it may be sufficient for the sensor 30 to emit a binary signal representing the presence or absence of pressure. In practice, most pressure sensors 30 emit a signal representing the level of applied pressure. From this, the control circuit can determine that an authentic cartridge 2 is installed when the detected pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0037] A simple pressure sensor 30 may be insensitive to where on the pressure responsive surface 20 pressure is applied. Thus, by providing a reduced number of protrusions that apply pressure only to a portion of the surface 20, it may be possible for a non-authentic cartridge to circumvent the authentication process. Such a pattern of protrusions 38 may not match a protected pattern that is exclusive to manufacturers of genuine cartridges. A more sophisticated pressure sensor 30 may avoid this problem by providing an output that represents both the level of pressure and its location or distribution on the pressure responsive surface 20. For maximum safety, a control circuit 10 responsive to such a sensor may be configured to authenticate the cartridge 2 based on recognizing, with some desired level of resolution, the two-dimensional pattern of pressure exerted by the protrusions 38. FIG. 5 shows an alternative solution in which a first and a second pressure sensor 30 are provided at the bottom of the first and second sets of recesses 40, respectively. The output of each pressure sensor 30 is communicated independently to the control circuit 10, which can determine that a genuine cartridge 2 has been inserted into the device only if pressure is detected by both sensors 30 simultaneously. This requires that the cartridge must include at least some protrusions 38 in locations corresponding to the first and second sets of recesses 40. It is easy to see how this concept can be extended to an array of three or more pressure sensors 30 disposed across the bottom of each set of recesses 40 in different areas of the pattern. With an ever increasing number of pressure sensors 30, it becomes increasingly difficult for a counterfeiter to design a pattern of protrusions 38 that differs substantially from the protected pattern while still being able to activate all pressure sensors 30 simultaneously.

[0038] 6 shows a schematic representation of a further embodiment of the invention, which differs from the previous embodiment in that the pressure responsive surface 20 is a surface of a movable plate 50. The plate 50 is mounted on one or more biasing elements 52 in a cavity 54 in the device 4 and is configured to move against the restoring force of the biasing elements 52 when pressure is exerted on the pressure responsive surface 20. The biasing elements 52 are illustrated as coil springs, but may also be other elastic or resilient elements that deform when pressure is applied to the pressure responsive surface 20 and that will return the movable plate 50 to its initial position when the pressure is released.

[0039] Electrical conductors 56 extend across the movable plate 50. Two terminals 58 of a test circuit are exposed within the cavity 54 so that when the plate 50 moves in response to an applied pressure, the conductors 56 can contact the two terminals 58 to complete the test circuit. The test circuit is coupled to the control circuit 10 (not shown in FIG. 6 ) so that the control circuit 10 can apply a voltage to the test circuit. If current can flow through the test circuit, the control circuit 10 can determine that a genuine cartridge 2 has been inserted into the device 4 such that its protrusions 38 have pushed the conductors 56 of the movable plate 50 into contact with the terminals 58.

[0040] Means (not shown) may be provided to guide the movable plate 50 so that it remains parallel. However, it is preferred that the movable plate 50 is able to tilt if the applied pressure is not evenly distributed across the pressure responsive surface 20. This reduces the opportunity for a non-genuine cartridge manufacturer to circumvent the validation process by providing the cartridge 2 with only a limited set of projections 38 that do not exactly replicate the protected pattern reserved for genuine cartridge manufacturers. The test circuit terminals 58 are not necessarily on either side of the cavity 54 as shown, but are preferably disposed on either side of an axis about which the plate 50 is expected to tilt. If the plate 50 is able to tilt about more than one axis, a second pair of terminals 58 may also be provided on either side of a second axis. The movable plate 50 would then comprise first and second conductors 56 each configured to connect between two (not necessarily opposing pairs) of the terminals 58. Each pair of terminals can be part of an individual test circuit, but more efficiently a single test circuit can be arranged such that its conductive path crosses plate 50 twice through both of conductors 56.

[0041] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a further embodiment of the invention, which is substantially similar to FIG. 6, in which the movable plate 50 is mounted in the same way to move in response to pressure applied to the pressure-responsive surface when the projection 38 of the genuine cartridge 2 is inserted into the recess 40 of the device 40. This embodiment differs in its electrical connection, whereby the conductor 56 on the movable plate 50 can form an electrical coupling between two terminals 60 of a circuit that supplies power from the battery 8 in the device 4 to the heater 22 in the cartridge 2. Thus, if the inserted cartridge 2 is not genuine, the power circuit will not be completed and the heater 22 in the cartridge 2 cannot be operated. This embodiment does not include a separate test circuit. However, the control circuit 10 of the device 4 can first apply a low voltage to the power circuit to test whether current can flow before attempting to supply sufficient power to operate the heater 22, to make a preliminary determination of whether a genuine cartridge is installed.

[0042] Alternative means may be provided by which the control circuit 10 can detect movement of the plate 50 under pressure exerted by the protrusions 38, for example a capacitance sensor, or a mechanical or magnetic switch.

[0043] Although all illustrated embodiments of the invention show the aerosol generator 22 - specifically the heater - forming part of the disposable cartridge 2, this is not essential to the invention. Disposing of the aerosol generator 22 each time the cartridge 2 is replaced may be undesirable, especially if the generator 22 is based on more complex technologies such as a jet head. The aerosol generator 22 may therefore instead form part of a reusable device 4, the cartridge 2 only serving as a source of aerosol generating material. It is still possible that the power circuit supplying such a generator 22 passes through a conductive path that is completed only when the projection 38 of the cartridge 2 exerts pressure on a pressure-responsive surface 20 in the device 4. Alternatively, the control circuit 10 may be configured to supply power to such an aerosol generator 22 only when it has determined that the test circuit has been correctly established, as described in relation to FIG. 7, or only when it has received the required signal from one or more pressure sensors, as described in relation to FIGS. 2-5.

Claims

1. 1. An aerosol generating system comprising: a cartridge (2) containing a supply of aerosol-generating material (15); an aerosol generating device (4) for receiving said cartridge (2); Equipped with The cartridge (2) comprises one or more protrusions (38); the aerosol generation device (4) comprises one or more recesses (40) configured to receive the one or more protrusions (38) when the cartridge (2) is received in the aerosol generation device (4); the aerosol generating device (4) further comprises a pressure responsive surface (20) disposed at a bottom of the one or more of the first set of recesses (40) for detecting a pressure exerted by one or more of the protrusions (38) when received in the first set of recesses (40); the pressure responsive surface (20) being a surface of a plate configured to move in response to pressure applied thereto, thereby completing an electrical circuit; Aerosol generation systems.

2. the plate is mounted such that unevenly applied pressure on the pressure responsive surface (20) may cause the plate to tilt, thereby causing the electrical circuit to not be completed; 10. The aerosol generating system of claim 1.

3. The cartridge (2) comprises an electrically-driven aerosol generator (22), The aerosol generating device (4) comprises a power source (8); The electrical circuit, when completed, is configured to provide electrical current from the power source (8) to the aerosol generator (22).

3. An aerosol generating system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The aerosol generating device (4) comprises: A power source (8); A controller (10) Equipped with the controller (10) is configured to supply a current from the power source (8) to the electrical circuit to verify that the cartridge (2) is properly received in the aerosol generating device (4); 3. An aerosol generating system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. said first set of recesses (40) includes all said recesses (40); 5. An aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. a second pressure responsive surface (21) disposed at a bottom of the one or more of the second set of recesses (40) for detecting pressure exerted by one or more of the protrusions (38) when received in the second set of recesses (40); the second set of recesses (40) is different from the first set of recesses (40); 5. An aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. the protrusions (38) are in the form of letters, symbols, or other patterns capable of conveying visual information; 7. An aerosol generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. 1. A method of operating an aerosol generating system, comprising: The aerosol generating system comprises: a cartridge (2) containing a supply of aerosol-generating material (15) and including one or more protrusions (38); an aerosol generation device (4) for receiving the cartridge (2), the aerosol generation device (4) comprising one or more recesses (40) and a pressure responsive surface (20) disposed at a bottom of a first set of one or more of the recesses (40), the pressure responsive surface (20) being a surface of a plate configured to move in response to pressure applied to the pressure responsive surface (20), thereby completing an electrical circuit; Equipped with The method comprises: inserting the cartridge (2) into the aerosol generation device (4) such that one or more of the protrusions (38) are received in the first set of recesses (40); activating the aerosol generation system when the pressure responsive surface (20) detects pressure exerted by the protrusions (38) received in the first set of recesses (40); Including, method.

9. the step of operating the aerosol generation system is performed in response to completion of the electrical circuit. The method according to claim 8.

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