Genuine consumable smoking items

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for delivering an inhalable aerosol from an aerosol-generating substrate contained in a consumable product, the consumable product including a compartment containing a substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate including an electrically conductive material therein, the electrically conductive material being configured to conduct an electric current within the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate and to heat the aerosol-generating substrate to a level at which an inhalable aerosol is generated. The method includes the steps of: performing a first measurement of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate and one or more subsequent measurements of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate, the subsequent measurement being performed after the aerosol-generating substrate has been heated; determining a characteristic based on the measurements; and determining whether the characteristic satisfies a predetermined condition, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate is heated to a level at which an aerosol is formed if the characteristic satisfies the predetermined condition, and / or notifying a user that the aerosol-generating substrate will not be heated to such a level if the characteristic does not satisfy the predetermined condition. The present invention also relates to a system configured to perform the above steps.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and system for providing a user with an inhalable aerosol when a consumable product is heated within an aerosol generating device. [Background technology]

[0002] Aerosol generating devices, or e-cigarettes, are currently mainstream products that simulate traditional cigarettes. There are many types of aerosol generating devices, one of which has an operating method of heating the tobacco product but not burning it to generate aerosol. This type of aerosol generating device is also called a non-combustion heating device. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] Non-combustion heating devices are typically configured with a heating assembly, such as a resistive heating element in contact with a consumable containing a tobacco product, configured to heat the tobacco product until an aerosol is formed from the tobacco. In conventional non-combustion heating devices, the heating assembly typically defines a cavity into which the tobacco product is inserted and is configured to heat the product within the cavity. Because the heating assembly is located in the area between the exterior surface of the device and the tobacco product, in some devices the heating assembly increases the temperature of the exterior surface of the device. To prevent this, conventional devices often add insulating members to the heating assembly, which occupy a significant portion of the volume of the non-combustion heating device.

[0004] It would be desirable to provide a device and method for delivering an aerosol to a user that protects the user while reducing the excessive space requirements and cost of the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention provides an apparatus and method that solves some or all of the above problems.

[0006] A first embodiment of the present invention is directed to a consumable product which, when heated in an aerosol generating device, provides a user with an inhalable aerosol, the consumable product comprising a compartment containing a substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate comprising an electrically conductive material within the aerosol-generating substrate, the electrically conductive material being configured to conduct an electric current within the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate, thereby heating the aerosol-generating substrate to a degree that generates an inhalable aerosol.

[0007] By providing the aerosol-generating substrate with a conductive material, an electric current can be directly supplied to the aerosol-generating substrate to heat it and generate an aerosol. Therefore, the above-described configuration allows aerosol generation without the need for a separate heating element. The above-described insulator is no longer necessary. This reduces the space requirements within the aerosol-generating device, allowing for a lighter, more compact device design and reducing the overall cost of the device.

[0008] According to a second embodiment, the conductive material in the first embodiment is a porous and / or hygroscopic material, preferably charcoal or graphite.

[0009] The use of porous or hygroscopic conductive materials facilitates uniform dispersion and mixing of the conductive material within the substantially solid aerosol-forming substrate, and porous and hygroscopic materials are particularly easy to handle.

[0010] According to a third embodiment, in any one of the previous embodiments, the electrical conductivity of the conductive material is at least 100 S / m, preferably at least 500 S / m, more preferably at least 1000 S / m, and most preferably at least 1500 S / m.

[0011] According to a fourth embodiment, in any one of the preceding embodiments, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises at least 5% by weight, preferably at least 10% by weight, more preferably at least 15% by weight, and / or at most 35% by weight, preferably at most 30% by weight, more preferably at most 25% by weight, of electrically conductive material on a dry weight basis.

[0012] According to a fifth embodiment, in any one of the previous embodiments, the conductive material is in powder or granular form.

[0013] According to a sixth embodiment, in the previous embodiment, the average particle size of the conductive material is close to the distance between the first and second electrodes, preferably within a tolerance of at most 100 μm, preferably at most 200 μm, more preferably at most 500 μm, and most preferably at most 1000 μm.

[0014] The use of powdered or granular conductive material facilitates uniform distribution and mixing of the conductive material within the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate, which is beneficial because it allows for more uniform heating of the conductive material.

[0015] A seventh embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for delivering an inhalable aerosol from an aerosol-generating substrate included in a consumable product according to any one of the previous embodiments, the method comprising the step of applying an electric current to the aerosol-generating substrate, the electric current being conducted within a compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate, thereby heating the aerosol-generating substrate to such an extent that an inhalable aerosol is generated, preferably without burning the aerosol-generating substrate.

[0016] An eighth embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for delivering an inhalable aerosol from an aerosol-generating substrate included in a consumable product according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6, the method comprising the steps of: performing a first measurement of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate and one or more subsequent measurements of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate, the subsequent measurements being made after the aerosol-generating substrate has been heated; determining a characteristic based on these measurements; determining whether the first characteristic satisfies a predetermined condition; and informing a user that if it is determined that the first characteristic satisfies the predetermined condition, heating the aerosol-generating substrate to an extent that an aerosol is formed, and / or not heating the aerosol-generating device to such an extent if it is determined that the characteristic does not satisfy the predetermined condition.

[0017] This ensures that the aerosol-generating device is safe to use. For example, from the measurements described above, it can be inferred whether the consumable is properly inserted into the device, and / or whether the consumable is properly manufactured, and / or whether there is a sufficient amount of conductive material and aerosol-generating substrate remaining. By heating the consumable only when certain conditions are met, it is possible to effectively protect the user or prevent current from being supplied when the consumable is not inserted.

[0018] According to a ninth embodiment, in any one of the above-mentioned embodiments, the predetermined condition is met when the characteristic exhibits one or more of the following: an electrical resistance value exceeding a first predetermined electrical resistance threshold; an electrical resistance value below a second predetermined electrical resistance threshold; one or more predetermined electrical resistance values over a predetermined period of time; and / or one or more predetermined electrical resistance values.

[0019] According to a tenth embodiment, in any one of the above-mentioned embodiments, the conductive material is hygroscopic, and the predetermined condition is met when the characteristic indicates that the electrical resistance value at the first measurement time point is relatively high and the electrical resistance value at the subsequent measurement time point is relatively low, or the predetermined condition is met when the characteristic indicates that the magnitude of the difference between the resistance value at the first measurement time point and the resistance value at the subsequent measurement time point is greater than a predetermined threshold.

[0020] A wide variety of predetermined conditions are possible, allowing them to be tailored to each mixture of substantially solid aerosol-generating substrates. In particular, when using hygroscopic conductive materials, the characteristic change in electrical resistance after heating has proven to be a particularly reliable indicator of the proper manufacture of the consumable. The characteristic change also indicates that the consumable is unused.

[0021] According to an eleventh embodiment, in any one of the previous embodiments, the method further includes a step of performing one or more measurements of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate in one or more subsections of the section containing the aerosol-generating substrate, and a step of determining an insertion state indicating whether the aerosol-generating substrate is fully inserted into the aerosol-generating device based on the one or more measurements of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate in one or more subsections of the section containing the aerosol-generating substrate, based on a characteristic.

[0022] By determining the insertion state, it is possible to prevent current from being supplied when the consumable is not yet fully inserted, which improves the safety of the device, especially when a user forgets to turn off the device while it is in their pocket, or when a child gets hold of the device.

[0023] According to a twelfth embodiment, the method of any of the previous embodiments further comprises determining the amount of unused aerosol-generating substrate in the consumable based on the characteristic.

[0024] This prevents the user from inhaling when the consumable is depleted, thereby ensuring that the user does not feel uncomfortable when using the device.

[0025] A thirteenth embodiment of the present invention is directed to an aerosol-generating device for heating a consumable aerosol-generating substrate according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6, the device comprising an electrode configured to supply an electric current to the aerosol-generating substrate and configured to perform the method of any one of embodiments 7 to 12, wherein the electrode is in direct contact with the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate when the consumable is inserted into the aerosol-generating device.

[0026] According to a 14th embodiment, in any one of the previous embodiments, the one or more electrodes are configured to contact the outer surface of the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate or to be inserted into the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate.

[0027] According to a 15th embodiment, in any one of the above-mentioned embodiments, the device includes a plurality of partial sections, each of the partial sections of the aerosol generating device includes a subset of electrodes, and each of the partial sections of the aerosol generating device is adjacent to each of one or more predetermined partial sections of the section including the aerosol generating substrate when the consumable is inserted into the aerosol generating device, and / or the partial section of the aerosol generating device is arranged adjacent to a cavity into which the consumable is inserted to generate an aerosol, and the partial section is arranged at one end of the cavity in the direction of insertion of the consumable into the cavity.

[0028] A 16th embodiment of the present invention is directed to an aerosol generation system including an aerosol generation device according to any one of embodiments 13 to 15 and a consumable according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6 configured to perform a method according to any one of embodiments 7 to 12.

[0029] Preferred embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device and consumables in an exemplary embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device and consumable of FIG. 1 when the consumable is inserted into the device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for delivering an aerosol to a user. [Figure 4] 1 is a graph showing the measured electrical resistance of an aerosol-generating substrate at a first power. [Figure 5] 10 is a graph showing the measured electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate at a second power level. [Figure 6] 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device with the consumable inserted into the device, with several highlighted sub-compartments and consumables of FIG. 1 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0032] 1 illustrates an aerosol-generating device 200 having an electrode 210 and a consumable product 100 that generates an aerosol within the aerosol-generating device 200 upon heating, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The consumable product 100 includes a compartment containing a substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110. The substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 includes an electrically conductive material configured to be able to conduct an electric current. In particular, the material is configured to heat the aerosol-generating substrate 110 to a degree that allows it to conduct an electric current within the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate 110, thereby generating an inhalable aerosol.

[0033] The substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 comprises a material configured to generate an aerosol upon heating. For example, the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 may comprise a tobacco material or a cellulosic material. In some embodiments, an aerosol-generating agent configured to increase the amount of aerosol delivered from the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110, the flavor of the aerosol, and / or the amount of nicotine in the aerosol is provided to the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110. Exemplary aerosol-generating agents include propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerol (VG), nicotine, and / or flavoring agents.

[0034] The substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 further comprises an electrically conductive material configured to conduct an electric current, the electrically conductive material having an electrical conductivity of at least 100 S / m, preferably at least 500 S / m, more preferably at least 1,000 S / m, and most preferably at least 1,500 S / m.

[0035] When a voltage is applied to the compartment containing the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110, the electrically conductive material is configured to conduct an electric current through the compartment containing the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110, thereby heating the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110. When the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 is heated to a point where an aerosol is generated, preferably without combustion. The substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 is configured to form an aerosol in the range of 180°C to 400°C, more preferably 190°C to 370°C, and most preferably 200°C to 350°C. To achieve uniform and thorough heating of the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110, it is preferable to uniformly distribute / distribute the conductive material throughout the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110. The substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 may contain at least 5% by weight, preferably at least 10% by weight, more preferably at least 15% by weight and / or at most 35% by weight, preferably at most 30% by weight, and more preferably at most 25% by weight, of the conductive material on a dry weight basis. The conductive material is preferably a porous and / or hygroscopic material such as charcoal or graphite / graphene. To achieve uniform distribution / distribution of the conductive material throughout the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110, the conductive material is preferably in powder or granular form. Preferably, the average particle size of the conductive material is close to the distance between the electrodes, preferably within a tolerance of at most 100 μm, more preferably at most 200 μm, even more preferably at most 500 μm, and most preferably at most 1000 μm. In another embodiment, the average particle size of the conductive material is 1:1 relative to the distance between the electrodes, preferably 1:5 relative to the distance between the electrodes, more preferably 1:50 relative to the distance between the electrodes, even more preferably 1:100 relative to the distance between the electrodes, and most preferably 1:500 relative to the distance between the electrodes.

[0036] The consumable item 100 or the aerosol generation device 200 may further include a mouthpiece 120. The mouthpiece 120 preferably includes an aerosol filter configured to remove undesirable materials and / or particles from the aerosol. When the mouthpiece 120 is part of the aerosol generation device 200, the mouthpiece 120 may include the aerosol filter, and / or the consumable item 100 may include the aerosol filter. The mouthpiece 120 as part of the aerosol generation device 200 may be configured as a detachable component.

[0037] The aerosol generation device 200 may further define a cavity 220 configured to receive the consumable item 100 within the aerosol generation device 200. The cavity 220 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 has an opening at the proximal end of the aerosol generation device 200 through which the consumable item 100 can be received. However, the consumable item 100 may also be inserted into an opening in the side of the aerosol generation device 200 or using a mechanism for forming the opening of the cavity 220. For example, the aerosol generation device 200 may include two main portions, a distal end including the mouthpiece 120 and a proximal end, which are detachably connectable to form the aerosol generation device 200. In this example, the cavity 220 is formed in one or both of the distal end and / or proximal end of the aerosol generation device 200. To insert the consumable 100 into the aerosol generation device 200, a user can disassemble the aerosol generation device 200 by separating the distal end from the proximal end and insert the consumable 100 into the cavity 220. Once the consumable 100 has been inserted, the user may reassemble the aerosol generation device 200 by reattaching the distal end to the proximal end to create the aerosol generation device 200.

[0038] 1, the electrode 210 is configured to be positioned proximate to the cavity 220 so that an electric field (i.e., a potential difference) is generated within the cavity 220. The electric field can be generated by applying power to the electrode 210. The electrode 210 may also supply current directly to the sidewalls of the cavity 220. The electrode 210 may be in contact with, or configured to be in contact with, a power source, such as a battery. The power source is preferably part of the aerosol generation device 200 or the consumable 100. Although the electrode 210 is shown as part of the aerosol generation device 200, the electrode 210 may also be part of the consumable 100.

[0039] In the following, the combinations "applying / inducing voltage / current" are not related to individual embodiments, but are different expressions of the same principle, namely applying power directly to the aerosol-generating substrate 110.

[0040] The aerosol-generating device 200 and / or the consumable 100 may further include one or more sensors configured to measure the electrical resistance of the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110. The one or more sensors may be one or more of a voltmeter, an ammeter, and / or a wattmeter. For example, such a voltmeter may be formed by a voltage divider circuit, and such an ammeter may be formed by a combination of a shunt resistor and an operational amplifier. Such an output may be input to an input terminal connected to an internal A / D converter of the controller (not shown in FIG. 1 ). The one or more sensors may be disposed in or on the surface of the cavity 220 in close proximity to the surface of the cavity 220 and / or may be disposed as part of the electrode 210. Based on the measured resistance, heating of the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 can be controlled. A detailed description of the heating process is provided below with reference to FIGS. 3-5.

[0041] 2 shows an aerosol generation device 200 and a consumable 100, where the consumable is inserted into the device 200, preferably into a cavity 220 of the aerosol generation device 200. In a preferred embodiment, an electrode 210 of the aerosol generation device 200 is positioned in contact with the consumable 100.

[0042] The consumable product 100 is configured so that once the consumable product 100 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 200, a user can consume the aerosol by inhaling the consumable product 100, preferably by drawing on the mouthpiece 120. As described above with reference to Figure 1, the mouthpiece 120 may be part of the consumable product 100 or the aerosol generation device 200.

[0043] As described above with reference to FIG. 1 , the electrode 210 is configured to generate an electric field within the cavity 220 of the aerosol-generating device 200. When the consumable 100 is inserted into the cavity 220 of the aerosol-generating device 200 and the electrode 210 is brought relatively close to the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate 110, an electric field is generated within the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate 110. Due to the conductivity of the conductive material within the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110, an electric current is induced within the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110. This heats the conductive material, which in turn heats the surrounding substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110. If the induced current is sufficiently high, the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 is heated to the point where an aerosol is formed from the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110. In another embodiment, the electrode 210 may be in contact with a substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 comprising a conductive material, and current may be supplied directly to the substrate 110 to measure the resistance and / or heat the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110.

[0044] In a typical aerosol-generating device, a user initiates heating of the aerosol-generating substrate 110, for example by pressing a button. If the user forgets to shut off the device, or if the device is started without the user's knowledge, an undesirable situation can arise.

[0045] A method of delivering an aerosol from a consumable product 100 that overcomes the above-mentioned problems, according to an exemplary embodiment, is described below with reference to FIGS.

[0046] 3 shows a block diagram of a method for delivering an aerosol from a consumable 100, according to an exemplary embodiment. As mentioned above, the consumable 100 and / or the aerosol-generating device 200 may include one or more sensors that measure the electrical resistance of the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110.

[0047] In the exemplary method shown in FIG. 3, the method of delivering an aerosol from a consumable 100 includes a first step (S100) of performing a first measurement of the electrical resistance of a substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate, preferably by one or more sensors configured to measure electrical resistance.

[0048] In a second step (S200), the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 is heated by applying a relatively low power to the aerosol-generating substrate. The step of applying a relatively low power to the aerosol-generating substrate 110 is considered a low-power mode. The power applied in the low-power mode is lower than the power required to heat the aerosol-generating substrate 110 so that an aerosol is formed. Nevertheless, the power is high enough to heat the conductive material and evaporate any liquid adhering to or contained in the conductive material. Preferably, if the conductive material is porous and / or hygroscopic, it absorbs moisture from the surrounding atmosphere when no power is applied to the cartridge 100 and releases the moisture when power is applied to the cartridge 100. The power applied in the low-power mode can be generated by PWM control of a power transistor or a dedicated conversion circuit (e.g., an LDO or DC / DC converter).

[0049] After heating the aerosol-generating substrate 110 by applying low power to the cartridge 100 in step S200, one or more subsequent measurements of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate 110 are performed in step S300. The one or more subsequent measurements may be performed using the same one or more sensors that were used to perform the first measurement. The one or more subsequent measurements may be performed over a predetermined time period and / or at predetermined times, preferably each time a user uses or intends to use the device. The determination that a user may intend to use the device may be made by a gyro sensor included in the device and / or cartridge 200 and / or by detecting a button press. For example, if the gyro sensor detects that the device 200 and / or cartridge 100 has been moved, this may be considered an "intent to use," and one or more subsequent measurements may be performed.

[0050] Based on the measurements obtained in steps S100 and S300, a characteristic is determined in step S400. The characteristic represents the measurement results and includes information about the first measurement and one or more subsequent measurements. For example, the characteristic may represent one or more of a particular resistance value, an average of one or more measurements, one or more changes in electrical resistance, the degree of change in electrical resistance, or whether the resistance value is maintained or changes over a period of time.

[0051] Exemplary resistivity measurement results obtained by current measurement in low power mode from which characteristics can be determined are shown in Figure 4. Figure 4 shows two iterations (cycles) of performing steps S100-S300 (i.e., two cycles of performing a first measurement of electrical resistance followed by heating the substrate and performing one or more subsequent measurements after / during heating).

[0052] According to the example of Figure 4, the first cycle of steps S100-S300 is performed at intervals of 9-20 seconds, and the second cycle of each step is performed at intervals of 30-40 seconds (the exact times shown may vary depending on the measurement accuracy of the measurement setup). The first cycle may be associated with a first use of the device, and the second cycle may be associated with a subsequent use of the device. In other examples, the first and second cycles of Figure 4 may be considered part of one cycle, and the second cycle may be considered part of one or more measurements subsequent to the first cycle.

[0053] In the first section of the graph in FIG. 4 , which relates to the first cycle, the initial measured resistance is relatively high compared to one or more subsequent measurements. This peak resembles a high initial electrical resistance due to moisture attracted to / attached to / contained in the conductive material. The decrease in electrical resistance is caused by heating the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110, which preferably contains a conductive material. That is, when the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 is heated, the liquid attracted to / attached to the conductive material evaporates. Because liquids, such as water, have a relatively high electrical resistance compared to the conductive material, the resistance decreases as the liquid evaporates. Once the liquid attracted to / attached to the conductive material has completely evaporated, the electrical resistance becomes substantially constant. This behavior can be considered a first characteristic. The first characteristic may be the characteristic determined in step S400. However, the first characteristic may also be only a part of the characteristic determined in step S400, and the characteristic determined in step S400 may also require a second characteristic and / or a third characteristic, such as a specific resistance value and / or a specific amount of change in electrical resistance.

[0054] The second section of the graph in Figure 4 shows the second measurement cycle. This cycle also includes a first measurement followed by one or more subsequent measurements. The measurement results of the second cycle behave similarly to those of the first cycle: an initial high resistance measured in the first measurement (before heating) is followed by one or more relatively low resistances (after heating). However, compared to the initial resistance of the first cycle, the initial resistance of the second cycle is lower (by about 50%). This initial resistance of the second cycle can be explained by the capture of atmospheric liquid by the aerosol-generating substrate 110.

[0055] The first characteristic and the second characteristic may form the characteristic determined in step S400, or may be considered individual characteristics for each individual application of the method for heating the consumable 100, as shown in FIG.

[0056] After obtaining the characteristic, in step S500, it is determined whether the characteristic satisfies a predetermined condition, for example, if the characteristic exhibits one or more of an electrical resistance value above a first predetermined electrical resistance threshold, an electrical resistance value below a second predetermined electrical resistance threshold, one or more predetermined electrical resistance values, and / or one or more predetermined electrical resistance values over a predetermined time period.

[0057] In another example, preferably when the conductive material is hygroscopic, the predetermined condition may be met when the characteristic indicates that the electrical resistance value at the first measurement time is relatively high and the electrical resistance value at the subsequent measurement time is relatively low, or the predetermined condition may be met when the characteristic indicates that the difference between the resistance value at the first measurement time and the resistance value at the subsequent measurement time is greater than a predetermined threshold.

[0058] The above-mentioned predetermined condition is believed to be satisfied by the first and second cycles shown in Figure 4. It can be seen that each cycle has a relatively large initial resistance followed by a series of relatively constant low electrical resistance values. In fact, the subsequent series of relatively constant low electrical resistance values may also be an additional or alternative characteristic that may satisfy the predetermined condition.

[0059] Additionally or alternatively, the predetermined condition may require that the initial resistance of a cycle subsequent to the first cycle also have an initial resistance of at least a particular value relative to the initial resistance of the first (or prior) cycle. For example, if the predetermined condition requires that the initial resistance of the second cycle be at least 70% of the initial resistance of the first cycle, the example shown in Figure 4, where the initial resistance of the second cycle is about 50% of the first initial resistance, would not satisfy the predetermined condition.

[0060] In fact, the correlation of the initial electrical resistance value in the second cycle with the initial electrical resistance value in the first cycle may be time-dependent. In this embodiment, the conductive material is hygroscopic, absorbing moisture from the ambient atmosphere. Over time, more moisture is absorbed by the conductive material, further increasing the initial resistance. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the time between the first and second cycles is approximately 9 seconds. That is, 9 seconds elapse between the end of the first cycle and the start of the second cycle. After this 9-second period, it can be seen that the initial resistance of the first measurement in the second cycle is 50% lower than the initial resistance of the first cycle. The longer the time between the first and second measurement cycles, the higher the initial resistance of the second cycle, and vice versa. For example, if the time between the two measurements is short, such as a few milliseconds, the initial resistance of the second cycle may be 30% lower than the initial resistance of the first cycle. On the other hand, if the time between the first and second cycles is several minutes, the initial resistance of the second cycle may be more than 90% of the initial resistance of the first cycle.

[0061] The relative amount of initial resistance can be used as an indicator of the amount of unused, substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 remaining in the consumable product 100. That is, the more unused, wet aerosol-generating substrate 110 there is in the consumable product 100, the higher the measured initial resistance, and therefore the extent to which the aerosol-generating substrate 110 has dried out due to heating.

[0062] Furthermore, the amount of initial resistance over one or more subsequent cycles may indicate a characteristic of the material of the consumable 100. That is, if the conductive material has a higher hygroscopicity, the resistance measured initially will be higher and therefore will increase faster over that time period. Furthermore, a high initial resistance followed by a significant drop in resistance may be an indicator of a highly hygroscopic conductive material. This is because the more hygroscopic the material, the more moisture the conductive material will absorb from its surroundings and release after heating. This can determine the material composition of the substrate and can be used as a quality indicator to prevent the consumption of improperly manufactured products due to impurities in the substrate, for example.

[0063] If a predetermined condition is met, for example, a relatively high electrical resistance value at a first measurement followed by a relatively low electrical resistance value at a subsequent measurement, the consumable 100 is heated to form an aerosol in step S600. The user may then receive notification from the device 200 and / or cartridge 100 that the consumable 100 has been heated in step S610.

[0064] If it is determined that the predetermined condition is not met, e.g., a relatively high electrical resistance value at the first measurement time point is not followed by a relatively low electrical resistance value at the subsequent measurement time point, then in step S700, the consumable 100 is not heated and no aerosol is formed. This may occur if the wrong consumable is used, if the consumable is fully used, and / or if no consumable is inserted into the aerosol generation device 200. The user may then receive notification in step S710 that the consumable 100 is not heating.

[0065] The above measurements are preferably performed in low power mode, however, the first measurement and one or more subsequent measurements may also be performed in high power mode where aerosol is formed from the aerosol-generating substrate 110. Measurements in high power mode may be used to determine defects in the consumable 100 that may lead to an unpleasant taste for the user and / or when the aerosol-generating substrate 110 has begun to be fully used up from the consumable 100.

[0066] FIG. 5 shows measurements in high-power mode according to another embodiment of the present invention. Note that the horizontal lines in FIGS. 3 and 4 represent the same power value, i.e., the first horizontal line in FIGS. 3 and 4 represents value n, the second horizontal line represents value 2n, the third horizontal line represents value 3n, the fourth horizontal line represents value 4n, and so on. In this embodiment, the target applied power was in the range of 2 to 2.5 times the target power in low-power mode. This is sufficient to heat the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 so that aerosol is formed. The power applied in high-power mode can be generated by a dedicated conversion circuit (e.g., a DC / DC converter). As mentioned above, measurements can also be performed in this mode to verify the quality of the consumable 100. The example shown in FIG. 5 is for a suitable product. That is, despite the relatively wider range of electrical resistance compared to the example shown in FIG. 4, the power range is relatively constant between 15 and 20 watts. This can be defined, for example, as a predetermined condition. The power level of an incorrect product may be greater than 30 watts, 40 watts, or 50 watts, or less than 10 watts or 5 watts, so that if, for example, an aerosol-generating substrate 110 with a manufacturing error is inserted, the device will stop heating, preventing an unpleasant experience for the user.

[0067] 6 shows another embodiment in which the above-described method may also be used to determine whether the consumable 100 is properly inserted into the cavity 220 of the device. In this case, electrical resistance measurements are made in one or more sub-sections of the compartment containing the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 311. Based on one or more measurements of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate 110 in one or more sub-sections 311, an insertion state is determined that indicates whether the consumable 100 is fully inserted, partially inserted, or not inserted into the aerosol-generating device 200.

[0068] The aerosol generating device 200 may also include multiple subsections 310 to enable multiple measurements to be performed simultaneously in multiple subsections of the compartment containing the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate. Each of the subsections of the aerosol generating device may include a subset of electrodes. When the consumable 100 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 200, each of the subsections 310 of the aerosol generating device is adjacent to one or more of the subsections of the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate 311 to perform measurements in each of the subsections of the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate 311. Preferably, the subsection of the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate 311 is predetermined. Additionally or alternatively, the subsection of the aerosol generating device 310 may be positioned adjacent to the cavity 220 into which the consumable 100 is inserted, with the subsection 310 being positioned at least at the end of the cavity 220 in the direction of insertion of the consumable 100 into the cavity 220. A measurement of the electrical resistance in the subsection 310 located at the end of the cavity 220 indicates the presence of a subsection of the compartment containing a substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 311. Thus, it is determined that the consumable 100 is properly inserted. This may be a property, part of a property, a predetermined condition, or part of a predetermined condition.

[0069] While the above-described embodiments have been described with reference to heating the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 by applying electrical power directly to the aerosol-generating substrate 110, the cartridge 100 may also be configured for use with aerosol-generating devices 200 having conventional heating elements, particularly induction or resistance heating elements that heat the substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 110 by conductive heating. Even if electrically conductive materials are not used in these cases, electrically conductive materials are often good thermal conductors, which can have the beneficial effect of more complete / uniform distribution of heat from the heating element. Furthermore, if a device including a heating element includes a sensor configured to measure electrical resistance, the method of delivering aerosol to a user, such as those described with reference to FIGS. 3-5, can be used to improve device safety.

[0070] The above-described embodiments may be used independently or in combination with one another. For example, in one embodiment, a low-power measurement before aerosol generation may be performed together with a high-power measurement during aerosol generation. If the low-power measurement before aerosol generation is omitted, an initial high resistance may also be observed in the high-power mode. Similarly, the insertion status and remaining amount of unused aerosol-generating substrate 110 may be determined in conjunction with determining a specific electrical resistance range and / or change in resistance after initial heating.

[0071] The aerosol generating device 200 and consumable 100 according to any of the above-described embodiments and examples may also be used in an aerosol generating system configured to provide an aerosol to a user. Of course, any of the above-described methods / embodiments may be implemented as a computer program executed by a processor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 100 consumables 110 Substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate 120 mouthpiece 200 Aerosol Generator 210 Electrode 220 Cavity 310 Partial section of aerosol generating device 311 Compartment of substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate

Claims

1. 1. A method for delivering an inhalable aerosol from an aerosol-generating substrate contained in a consumable product comprising a compartment containing a substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate comprising an electrically conductive material within the aerosol-generating substrate, the method comprising: the electrically conductive material being capable of conducting an electric current within the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate, thereby heating the aerosol-generating substrate to such an extent that the inhalable aerosol is generated, the method comprising: performing a first measurement of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate and one or more subsequent measurements of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate, the one or more subsequent measurements of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate are carried out after the aerosol-generating substrate has been heated; determining a characteristic based on the measurement; determining whether the characteristic satisfies a predetermined condition; A method in which, if it is determined that the characteristics satisfy the predetermined condition, the aerosol-generating substrate is heated to a degree that the aerosol is formed, and / or, if it is determined that the characteristics do not satisfy the predetermined condition, a user is notified that the aerosol-generating substrate will not be heated to such a degree.

2. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is met when the characteristic exhibits one or more of an electrical resistance value above a first predetermined electrical resistance threshold, an electrical resistance value below a second predetermined electrical resistance threshold, one or more predetermined electrical resistance values, and / or one or more predetermined electrical resistance values ​​over a predetermined period of time.

3. 10. The method of claim 1, the conductive material is hygroscopic; The predetermined condition is met when the characteristic indicates that the electrical resistance at the first measurement time is relatively high and the electrical resistance at the subsequent measurement time is relatively low, or The method wherein the predetermined condition is met when the characteristic indicates that the magnitude of the difference between the resistance value at the first measurement time and the resistance value at the subsequent measurement time is greater than a predetermined threshold.

4. 10. The method of claim 1, performing one or more measurements of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate in one or more sub-sections of the section containing the aerosol-generating substrate; determining an insertion state based on the one or more measurements of the electrical resistance of the aerosol-generating substrate in the one or more sub-sections of the section containing the aerosol-generating substrate based on the characteristics, the insertion state indicating whether the aerosol-generating substrate is fully inserted into the aerosol-generating device; The method further comprises:

5. 10. The method of claim 1, The method further comprises determining an amount of unused aerosol-generating substrate within the consumable product based on the characteristic.

6. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive material is a porous and / or hygroscopic material, preferably charcoal or graphite.

7. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive material has a conductivity of at least 100 S / m, preferably at least 500 S / m, more preferably at least 1000 S / m, and most preferably at least 1500 S / m.

8. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate comprises, on a dry weight basis, at least 5%, preferably at least 10%, more preferably at least 15% and / or at most 35%, preferably at most 30%, more preferably at most 25% by weight of the electrically conductive material.

9. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive material is in powder or granular form.

10. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the average particle size of the conductive material is close to the distance between the first and second electrodes, preferably within a tolerance of at most 100 μm, preferably at most 200 μm, more preferably at most 500 μm, and most preferably at most 1000 μm.

11. an aerosol generating device comprising a compartment containing a consumable aerosol-generating substrate comprising a substantially solid aerosol-generating substrate containing an electrically conductive material therein, the electrically conductive material being configured to conduct an electric current within the compartment containing the aerosol-generating substrate, thereby heating the aerosol-generating substrate to such an extent that the inhalable aerosol is generated; the aerosol generating device comprising electrodes configured to supply an electric current to the aerosol-generating substrate and to carry out the method of claim 1; An aerosol generating device, wherein the electrode is in contact with a compartment containing the aerosol generating substrate when the consumable is inserted into the aerosol generating device (200).

12. 12. An aerosol generating device as described in claim 11, wherein the one or more electrodes are configured to contact the outer surface of the compartment containing the aerosol generating substrate or to be inserted within the compartment containing the aerosol generating substrate.

13. 12. The aerosol generating device according to claim 11, comprising a plurality of sub-sections, each of the sub-sections comprising a subset of the electrodes; each sub-compartment of the aerosol generating device is adjacent to one or more predetermined sub-compartments of the compartment that contain the aerosol-generating substrate when the consumable is inserted into the aerosol generating device; and / or An aerosol generating device, wherein a partial section of the aerosol generating device is positioned adjacent to a cavity into which the consumable is inserted to generate an aerosol, and the partial section is positioned at an end of the cavity in the direction of insertion of the consumable into the cavity.

14. An aerosol generation system comprising the aerosol generating device of any one of claims 11 to 13 and a consumable including a compartment containing a substantially solid aerosol generating substrate comprising an electrically conductive material within the aerosol generating substrate, wherein the electrically conductive material is configured to conduct an electric current within the compartment containing the aerosol generating substrate, thereby heating the aerosol generating substrate to a degree that generates the inhalable aerosol, and the aerosol generating system is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 10.

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