Use of infrared temperature detection in an aerosol delivery device

Abstract

To provide an aerosol delivery device with improved electronics that can extend the usefulness of the device.SOLUTION: The aerosol delivery device 100 includes a power source 212 and a heating element 220 that can be powered to heat and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition. The aerosol delivery device also includes processing circuitry 208 configured to control voltage from the power source to the heating element to power the heating element. The aerosol delivery device further includes an infrared temperature sensor coupled to the processing circuitry and configured to measure infrared energy emitted by the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition. The processing circuitry is configured to determine, from the infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor, a temperature of the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition and adjust a voltage from the power source to the heating element when the temperature deviates from a predetermined set point.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices such as smoking articles, and more particularly to aerosol delivery devices (e.g., smoking articles commonly referred to as e-cigarettes) that may utilize electrically generated heat for the generation of an aerosol. The smoking article may be configured to heat an aerosol precursor, which may be made from tobacco, derived from tobacco, or may otherwise incorporate materials that may incorporate tobacco, and the precursor can form an inhalable substance for human consumption. [Background technology]

[0002] Many smoking articles have been proposed over the years as an improvement or replacement for smoking products based on tobacco combustion.Some exemplary alternatives include devices in which solid or liquid fuel is burned to transfer heat to tobacco, or devices in which chemical reactions are used to provide such a heat source.Another exemplary alternative uses electrical energy to heat tobacco and / or other aerosol-generating substrate materials, as described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The gist of the improvement or replacement of smoking article is typically to provide the sensation associated with smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes without delivering a significant amount of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products.For this purpose, many smoking products, flavor generators and medicinal inhalers have been proposed, which utilize electrical energy to vaporize or heat volatile materials, or to provide the sensation of smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes without significantly burning tobacco.For example, see the various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices and heat sources described in the background art of Robinson et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320, and Griffith, Jr. et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0255702 and Sears et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0096781, which are incorporated herein by reference. See also, for example, the various types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electrically powered heating sources referenced by trade names and commercial sources described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0220232 to Bless et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. Additional types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electrically powered heating sources referenced by trade names and commercial sources are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0245659 to DePiano et al., which is also incorporated herein by reference.Other representative cigarettes or smoking articles that have been described, and in some cases are commercially available, include 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 Count ...249,586 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,586 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,586 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,586 to Counts et al., U.S U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,594, 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 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. Publication Nos. 2009 / 0095311 to Hon, U.S. Pat. Publication Nos. 2006 / 0196518 to Hon, U.S. Pat. Publication Nos. 2009 / 0126745 and 2009 / 0188490 to Thorens et al. No. 2009 / 0272379, U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2009 / 0260641 and 2009 / 0260642 to Monsees et al., U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2008 / 0149118 and 2010 / 0024834 to Oglesby et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010 / 0307518 to Wang, and WO 2010 / 091593 to Hon.

[0004] Representative products that mimic many of the attributes of a traditional cigarette, cigar or pipe include ACCORD® from Philip Morris Incorporated, ALPHA™, JOYE 510™ and M4™ from InnoVapor LLC, CIRRUS™ and FLING™ from White Cloud Cigarettes, BLU™ from Fontem Ventures BV, COHITA™, COLIBRI™, ELITE CLASSIC™, MAGNUM™, PHANTOM™ and SENSE™ from EPUFFER® International Inc., DUOPRO™, STORM™ and VAPORKING® from Electronic Cigarettes, Inc., EGAR™ from Egar Australia, eGo-C™ and eGo-T™ from Joyetech, ELUSION™ from 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™ by 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; VYPE products by CN Creative Ltd; Philip Morris These devices are commercially available under the trade names IQOS™ manufactured by Juul International, GLO™ manufactured by British American Tobacco, MARK TEN products manufactured by Nu Mark LLC, and JUUL products manufactured by Juul Labs, Inc. Still other electrically powered aerosol delivery devices, particularly those characterized as so-called electronic cigarettes, are commercially available 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] U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent No. 4,922,901 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent No. 4,947,874 [Patent Document 6] U.S. Patent No. 4,947,875 [Patent Document 7] U.S. Patent No. 5,060,671 [Patent Document 8] U.S. Patent No. 5,249,586 [Patent Document 9] U.S. Patent No. 5,388,594 [Patent Document 10] U.S. Patent No. 5,666,977 [Patent Document 11] U.S. Patent No. 6,053,176 [Patent Document 12] U.S. Patent No. 6,164,287 [Patent Document 13] U.S. Patent No. 6,196,218 [Patent Document 14] U.S. Patent No. 6,810,883 [Patent Document 15] U.S. Patent No. 6,854,461 [Patent Document 16] U.S. Patent No. 7,832,410 [Patent Document 17] U.S. Patent No. 7,513,253 [Patent Document 18] U.S. Patent No. 7,896,006 [Patent Document 19] U.S. Patent No. 6,772,756 [Patent Document 20] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009 / 0095311 [Patent Document 21] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006 / 0196518 [Patent Document 22] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009 / 0126745 [Patent Document 23] US Patent Publication No. 2009 / 0188490 [Patent Document 24] US Patent Publication No. 2009 / 0272379 [Patent Document 25] US Patent Publication No. 2009 / 0260641 [Patent Document 26] US Patent Publication No. 2009 / 0260642 [Patent Document 27] US Patent Publication No. 2008 / 0149118 [Patent Document 28] US Patent Publication No. 2010 / 0024834 [Patent Document 29] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010 / 0307518 [Patent Document 30] International Publication No. 2010 / 091593 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, it may be desirable to provide an aerosol delivery device with improved electronics that may extend the usefulness of the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device configured to generate an aerosol, which in some embodiments may be referred to as an electronic cigarette or a non-combustion heated tobacco product. The present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following exemplary embodiments.

[0008] and a processing circuit configured to adjust the voltage from the power source to the heating element when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target.

[0009] Exemplary Embodiment 2: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 1, wherein the housing is structured to hold an aerosol precursor composition that is a solid substrate comprising the aerosol precursor composition, and the heating element is powerable to volatilize the aerosol precursor composition.

[0010] Exemplary Embodiment 3: The aerosol delivery device of Exemplary Embodiment 1 or Exemplary Embodiment 2, which is disposable and wand-shaped, and wherein the housing is structured to hold an aerosol source member containing an aerosol precursor composition.

[0011] Exemplary Embodiment 4: The aerosol delivery device of Exemplary Embodiment 3, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to measure infrared energy emitted from the exterior surface of the aerosol source member and, therefore, the aerosol precursor composition.

[0012] Exemplary embodiment 5: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the processing circuitry configured to adjust the voltage from the power source to the heating element includes processing circuitry configured to increase or decrease the voltage from the power source to the heating element when the temperature is below or above a predetermined target, respectively.

[0013] Exemplary embodiment 6: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1 to 5, further comprising a switch coupled to the power source and the heating element and between the power source and the heating element, wherein the processing configured to control the voltage includes a processing circuit configured to output a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal to cause the switch to switchably connect and disconnect the voltage to the heating element to power the heating element, and wherein the processing circuit configured to adjust the voltage includes a processing circuit configured to adjust the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target.

[0014] Exemplary embodiment 7: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 6, wherein the processing circuitry configured to adjust the duty cycle of the PWM signal includes processing circuitry configured to increase or decrease the duty cycle when the temperature is below or above a predetermined target, respectively.

[0015] Exemplary Embodiment 8: The aerosol delivery device of any of Exemplary Embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is further configured to convert infrared energy into a corresponding electrical signal, and wherein the processing circuit is configured to input the corresponding electrical signal into a function that maps the corresponding electrical signal to a temperature of the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition, and thus the processing circuit is configured to determine the temperature of the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition.

[0016] Exemplary embodiment 9: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 8, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered, and the processing circuit is configured to determine an ambient temperature of the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor, and a function defines a relationship between the electrical signal and the temperature and compensates for the ambient temperature determined by the processing circuit.

[0017] Exemplary embodiment 10: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 9, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to periodically measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered between heating periods when the heating element is powered, and the processing circuitry is configured to periodically determine the ambient temperature of the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor.

[0018] Exemplary embodiment 11: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1 to 10, further comprising a sensor configured to measure pressure caused by airflow through at least a portion of the housing and convert the pressure into a corresponding signal, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive the corresponding signal and initiate a heating period in response thereto, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control voltage from the power source to the heating element to power the heating element during the heating period.

[0019] Exemplary embodiment 12: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1 to 11, further comprising a sensor configured to measure pressure caused by airflow through at least a portion of the housing, and the target is variable according to the pressure so measured.

[0020] Exemplary Embodiment 13: The aerosol delivery device of any of Exemplary Embodiments 1 to 12, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to measure infrared energy emitted by the aerosol precursor composition, the infrared temperature sensor includes a plurality of photodetectors configured to measure infrared energy emitted by the plurality of compartments of the aerosol precursor composition, the processing circuit or the infrared temperature sensor is configured to determine temperatures of the plurality of compartments of the aerosol precursor composition from the infrared energy measured by the plurality of photodetectors, and the processing circuit is configured to adjust the voltage when the average of the temperature deviates from a predetermined target.

[0021] Exemplary embodiment 14: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1 to 13, further comprising a segmented heater having a plurality of heating elements, the plurality of heating elements being powerable to heat a plurality of compartments of the aerosol precursor composition.

[0022] Exemplary Embodiment 15: The aerosol delivery device of Exemplary Embodiment 14, wherein the heating elements of the plurality of heating elements are electrically conductive prongs that are physically separated and spaced apart longitudinally along the aerosol precursor composition.

[0023] Exemplary Embodiment 16: The aerosol delivery device of Exemplary Embodiment 14 or Exemplary Embodiment 15, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control voltage from the power source to the heating elements to simultaneously power the heating elements to heat each of the multiple compartments of the aerosol precursor composition.

[0024] Exemplary Embodiment 17: The aerosol delivery device of any of Exemplary Embodiments 14 to 16, wherein the heating elements of the plurality of heating elements are separately powerable, and the processing circuitry is configured to separately control voltage from the power source to one or more of the heating elements to power one or more of the heating elements to heat each one or more compartments of the plurality of compartments of the aerosol precursor composition, and wherein any other heating elements of the plurality of heating elements are not simultaneously powered.

[0025] Exemplary embodiment 18: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 14 to 17, wherein the infrared temperature sensor includes a plurality of photodetectors, each photodetector of the plurality of photodetectors configured to measure infrared energy emitted by a respective heating element of the plurality of heating elements or by one of a plurality of compartments of the aerosol precursor composition that is powerable to heat by a respective heating element.

[0026] Exemplary embodiment 19: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 18, wherein for each photodetector and compartment of the aerosol precursor composition, a processing circuit or infrared temperature sensor is configured to determine the temperature of the respective heating element or compartment from the infrared energy measured by the photodetector, and the processing circuit is configured to adjust the voltage from the power source to the respective heating element when the temperature of the compartment deviates from a predetermined target for the compartment.

[0027] Exemplary embodiment 20: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 19, wherein the predetermined target of the compartments is common across multiple compartments.

[0028] Exemplary Embodiment 21: The aerosol delivery device of Exemplary Embodiment 19 or Exemplary Embodiment 20, wherein the predetermined targets of the compartments are different for at least two of the plurality of compartments.

[0029] Exemplary embodiment 22: The aerosol delivery device of any of exemplary embodiments 1 to 21, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to perform a lockout of the heating element when the temperature is above a threshold temperature.

[0030] Exemplary Embodiment 23: The aerosol delivery device of any of Exemplary Embodiments 1 to 22, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered, and the processing circuit is configured to determine an ambient temperature of the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor, and authenticate the aerosol precursor composition based on a comparison of the ambient temperature with a known ambient temperature of an authentic aerosol precursor composition.

[0031] Exemplary embodiment 24: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 23, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to change the lock state of the aerosol delivery device based on the authentication.

[0032] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. The present disclosure includes any combination of two, three, four, or more features or elements described in this disclosure, regardless of whether such features or elements are explicitly combined or otherwise recited in a specific exemplary embodiment described herein. The present disclosure is intended to be read as a whole such that any separable features or elements of the disclosure appear combinable, in any of its aspects and exemplary embodiments, unless the context of the disclosure clearly dictates otherwise.

[0033] It will therefore be understood that this summary is provided only for purposes of summarizing some exemplary embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it will be understood that the above exemplary embodiments are merely examples, and should not be construed in any way as narrowing the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. Other exemplary embodiments, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of some described exemplary embodiments.

[0034] Aspects of the present disclosure having been described in general terms above, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] 1 shows a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device including a cartridge and a control body coupled together according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 1, in which the cartridge and control body are separated from one another, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device including a control body and an aerosol source member coupled to one another according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device including a control body and an aerosol source member separated from each other according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 5 shows a front view of the aerosol delivery device of FIGS. 3 and 4 according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the aerosol delivery device of FIGS. 3 and 4 according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device according to another exemplary embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 shows a circuit diagram of an aerosol delivery device according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] The present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof. These exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Indeed, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and the like, include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, while the specification may refer to quantitative measures, values, geometric relationships, and the like, unless otherwise stated, any one or more, if not all, of these may be absolute or approximate, to account for possible permissible variations, such as within technical tolerances.

[0037] As described below, exemplary embodiments 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 significantly burning the material) to form an inhalable substance. Components of such systems most preferably have the form of an item small enough to be considered a handheld device. That is, preferred aerosol delivery device components do not produce smoke, in the sense that the aerosol is primarily generated from by-products of tobacco combustion or pyrolysis; rather, these preferred systems produce vapor resulting from the volatilization or vaporization of certain components incorporated therein. In some exemplary embodiments, aerosol delivery device components may be characterized as electronic cigarettes, which most preferably incorporate tobacco and / or tobacco-derived components and thus deliver the tobacco-derived components in aerosol form.

[0038] The aerosol-generating component of certain preferred aerosol delivery devices can provide many of the sensations (e.g., inhalation and exhalation patterns, types of tastes or flavors, sensory stimulating effects, physical sensations, modes of use, visual stimuli such as those provided by a visible aerosol, etc.) of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe used by lighting and burning tobacco (and thus inhaling tobacco smoke) without substantially burning any of its components. For example, a user of an aerosol delivery device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can hold and use the component in the same way as a smoker uses a conventional smoking article, drawing on one end of the component to inhale the aerosol generated by the component and puffing at selected time intervals.

[0039] Although the systems are generally described herein with respect to embodiments relating to aerosol delivery devices, such as so-called "electronic cigarettes" and "tobacco heating products," it should be understood that the features, components, features, and methods may be embodied in many different forms and associated with a variety of items. For example, the descriptions provided herein may be used in conjunction with traditional smoking articles (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.), non-combustion heated tobacco products, and related packaging embodiments 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 discussed with respect to embodiments relating to aerosol delivery devices by way of example only, and may be embodied and used in a variety of other products and methods.

[0040] The aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure may also be characterized as a vapor product or drug delivery article. Accordingly, such articles or devices may be adapted to provide one or more substances (e.g., flavors and / or pharmaceutically active ingredients) in an inhalable form or state. For example, the inhalable substance may be substantially in vapor form (i.e., a substance in the gas phase at a temperature below its critical point). Alternatively, the inhalable substance may be in aerosol form (i.e., a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas). For clarity, the term "aerosol" as used herein is meant to include vapors, gases, and aerosols in any form or type suitable for human inhalation, whether or not they are visible and whether or not they are in a form that can be considered smoky.

[0041] In use, the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure can undergo many of the physical actions used by an individual when using a traditional type of smoking article (e.g., a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, which is used by lighting tobacco and inhaling. For example, a user of the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure can hold the article like a traditional type of smoking article, draw on one end of the article to inhale the aerosol produced by the article, puff at selected time intervals, etc.

[0042] The aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure generally includes multiple components disposed within an outer housing, which may be referred to as a body or shell. The overall design of the housing may vary, and the type or configuration of the housing may vary, which may define the overall dimensions and shape of the aerosol delivery device. Typically, an elongated body resembling the shape of a cigarette or cigar may be formed from a single, integral housing, or the elongated housing may be formed from two or more separable bodies. For example, the aerosol delivery device may include an elongated housing that may be substantially tubular in shape and may resemble the shape of a traditional cigarette or cigar. In one example, all components of the aerosol delivery device are contained within a single housing. Alternatively, the aerosol delivery device may include two or more housings that are joined and separable. For example, an aerosol delivery device can have a control body at one end including a housing containing one or more reusable components (e.g., an accumulator, e.g., a rechargeable battery, a rechargeable supercapacitor, a solid-state battery (SSB), a thin-film SSB, a lithium-ion supercapacitor, or a hybrid lithium-ion supercapacitor, and various electronics for controlling the operation of the article) and a removably connectable outer body or shell at the other end including a disposable portion (e.g., a disposable flavor-containing cartridge). More specific formats, configurations, and arrangements of components within a single-housing type unit or a multi-part separable-housing type unit will become apparent in light of the further disclosure provided herein. Furthermore, various aerosol delivery device designs and component configurations can be understood in light of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices. It will be understood that alternative non-tubular housing form factors can also be used, including device housings having shapes and dimensions generally approximating cigarette packs and form factors, such as those used in GLO™ from British American Tobacco and IQOS™ from Philip Morris International, Inc.

[0043] As described in further detail below, the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure includes some combination of a power source (i.e., a source of electrical power), at least one control component (e.g., a means for activating, controlling, regulating, and terminating electrical power for heat generation, such as by controlling the flow of electrical current from the power source to other components of the aerosol delivery device), a heating element (e.g., an electrical resistance heating element or other component and / or an induction coil or other related component and / or one or more radiant heating elements), and an aerosol precursor composition (e.g., a solid tobacco material, a semi-solid tobacco material, or a liquid aerosol precursor composition) that can generate an aerosol upon application of sufficient heat, and a mouth-end region or tip (e.g., a defined air flow path through the article so that the generated aerosol can be drawn therefrom by suction) that allows the aerosol delivery device to be drawn on for aerosol inhalation. In some embodiments, the power source includes a single battery or a single battery cell. The power source can power a heating element configured to convert electricity into heat, thereby vaporizing components of the aerosol precursor composition.

[0044] The positioning of components within the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure may vary. In certain embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may be positioned near an end of the aerosol delivery device that may be configured to be positioned proximate the user's mouth to maximize aerosol delivery to the user, although other configurations are not excluded. Generally, the heating element may be positioned sufficiently close to the aerosol precursor composition so that heat from the heating element can volatilize the aerosol precursor (as well as one or more flavorings, medicinal agents, etc. that may be provided for delivery to the user) and form an aerosol for delivery to the user. When the heating element heats the aerosol precursor composition, an aerosol is formed, released, or generated in a physical form suitable for inhalation by the consumer. It should be noted that the foregoing terms mean that references to release, releasing, releases, or released can be interpreted to 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 used interchangeably herein unless otherwise specified.

[0045] As described above, the aerosol delivery device may incorporate a battery, supercapacitor, SSB, 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, powering the indicators, etc. The power source can take a variety of embodiments. Preferably, the power source delivers sufficient power to rapidly activate the heating element to form the aerosol and power the aerosol delivery device throughout use for a desired duration. 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 lightweight enough so as not to detract from the desired smoking experience.

[0046] More specific forms, configurations, and arrangements of components within the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure will become apparent in light of the further disclosure provided below. Additionally, the selection of various aerosol delivery device components can be understood in light of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices. Additionally, the configuration of components within the aerosol delivery device can be understood in light of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices.

[0047] As described below, the present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device. The aerosol delivery device may be configured to heat an aerosol precursor composition (sometimes referred to as an inhalable substance medium) to generate an aerosol (inhalable substance). The aerosol precursor composition may include one or more of a solid tobacco material, a semi-solid tobacco material, or a liquid aerosol precursor composition. In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may be configured to heat a fluid aerosol precursor composition (e.g., a liquid aerosol precursor composition) and generate an aerosol from the fluid aerosol precursor composition (e.g., a liquid aerosol precursor composition). Such aerosol delivery devices may include so-called electronic cigarettes. In other embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may include a non-combustion heating device.

[0048] Liquid aerosol precursor compositions, also referred to as vapor precursor compositions or "e-liquids," are particularly useful for electronic cigarettes and no-heat-no-combustion devices, as well as other devices that atomize or otherwise aerosolize liquids to generate inhalable aerosols. Liquid aerosol precursor compositions may include a variety of ingredients, including, for example, a polyhydric alcohol (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol, or mixtures thereof), nicotine, tobacco, tobacco extract, and / or flavorings. In some examples, the aerosol precursor composition includes glycerin and nicotine.

[0049] Some liquid aerosol precursor compositions that may be used in combination with various embodiments may include one or more acids, such as levulinic acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, pyruvic acid, benzoic acid, fumaric acid, combinations thereof, etc. Including an acid in a liquid aerosol precursor composition that includes nicotine may provide a protonated liquid aerosol precursor composition that includes nicotine in salt form. Representative types of liquid aerosol precursor components and formulations are described and characterized in U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al., U.S. Patent No. 9,254,002 to Chong et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0008457 to Zheng et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0020823 to Lipowicz et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0020830 to Koller, as well as PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2014 / 182736 to Bowen et al. and U.S. Patent No. 8,881,737 to Collett et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Other aerosol precursors that can be used include those incorporated into any of the numerous representative products identified above. So-called "smoke juice" for e-cigarettes, available from Johnson Creek Enterprises LLC, is also desirable. Further exemplary aerosol precursor compositions are sold under the trade names BLACK NOTE, COSMIC FOG, THE MILKMAN E-LIQUID, FIVE PAWNS, THE VAPOR CHEF, VAPE WILD, BOOSTED, THE STEAM FACTORY, MECH SAUCE, CASEY JONES MAINLINE RESERVE, MITTEN VAPORS, DR. CRIMMY'S V-LIQUID, SMILEY E LIQUID, BEANTOWN VAPOR, CUTTWOOD, CYCLOPS VAPOR, SICBOY, GOOD LIFE VAPOR, TELEOS, PINUP VAPORS, SPACE JAM, MT. BAKER VAPOR, and JIMMY THE JUICE MAN.Embodiments of foamable materials may be used with aerosol precursors, and are described, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0055494 to Hunt et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. Further, the use of foamable materials is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,368 to Niazi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,878 to Wehling et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,264 to Wehling et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,974,590 to Pather et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,381,667 to Bergquist et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,424,541 to Crawford et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,627,828 to Strickland et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 9,307,787 to Sun et al., as well as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0018539 to Brinkley et al. and PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 97 / 06786 to Johnson et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0050] The aerosol precursor composition may additionally or alternatively include other active ingredients, including, but not limited to, botanicals (e.g., lavender, peppermint, chamomile, basil, rosemary, thyme, eucalyptus, ginger, cannabis, ginseng, maca, and tisane), stimulants (e.g., caffeine and guarana), amino acids (e.g., taurine, theanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan), and / or pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and medicinal ingredients (e.g., vitamins, e.g., B6, B12, and C, and cannabinoids, e.g., tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

[0051] Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0059780 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, various wicking materials and the configuration and operation of those wicking materials within certain types of electronic cigarettes are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0052] In other embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may include a non-combustion heating device configured to heat a solid aerosol precursor composition (e.g., an extruded tobacco rod) or a semi-solid aerosol precursor composition (e.g., a glycerinated tobacco paste). The aerosol precursor composition may include tobacco-containing beads, shredded tobacco, shredded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco material, or a combination thereof, and / or a mixture of finely ground tobacco, tobacco extract, spray-dried tobacco extract, or other tobacco forms mixed with optional inorganic materials (such as calcium carbonate), optional flavors, and aerosol-forming materials to form a substantially solid or moldable (e.g., extrudable) substrate. Representative types of solid and semi-solid aerosol precursor compositions and formulations are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,424,538 to Thomas et al., U.S. Patent 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., all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Further representative types of solid and semi-solid aerosol precursor compositions and configurations include those found in the NEOSTIKS™ consumable aerosol source member for British American Tobacco's GLO™ products and the HEETS™ consumable aerosol source member for Philip Morris International, Inc.'s IQOS™ products.

[0053] In various embodiments, the inhalable substance may specifically be a tobacco component or a tobacco-derived material (i.e., a material that can be isolated directly from tobacco, found naturally in tobacco, or synthetically prepared). For example, the aerosol precursor composition may include a tobacco extract or fraction thereof combined with an inert substrate. The aerosol precursor composition may further include unburned tobacco or a composition containing unburned tobacco that releases an inhalable substance when heated to a temperature below combustion temperature. In some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may include tobacco condensate or a fraction thereof (i.e., a condensed component of smoke produced by the combustion of tobacco, leaving behind flavor and possibly nicotine).

[0054] Tobacco materials useful in the present disclosure may vary and may include, for example, flue-cured, burley, Oriental or Maryland, dark, dark-fired, and rustica tobaccos, as well as other rare or specialty tobaccos, or blends thereof. Tobacco materials may also include so-called "blend" forms and processed forms, such as processed tobacco stems (e.g., cut roll stems or cut puff stems), volume-expanded tobacco (e.g., puffed tobacco, advantageously in cut filler form, e.g., dry ice expanded tobacco (DIET)), and reconstituted tobacco (e.g., reconstituted tobacco produced using a paper-forming type process or a cast sheet type process). 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, U.S. Patent No. 5,360,023 to Blakley et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,360,023 to Shafe, which are incorporated herein by reference. No. 6,701,936 to Robinson et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,011,096 to Li et al., 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., PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 02 / 37990 to Bereman, and Fund. Appl. Toxicol., 39, pp. 11-17 (1997) to Bombick et al. 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.

[0055] Additionally, the aerosol precursor composition may include an inert substrate into which an inhalable substance or its precursor is incorporated or otherwise deposited. For example, a liquid containing the inhalable substance may be coated onto, absorbed into, or adsorbed onto the inert substrate, such that upon application of heat, the inhalable substance is released in a form that can be drawn from the article of the present invention by application of positive or negative pressure. In some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may include a flavorful, aromatic tobacco blend in cut filler form. In another embodiment, the aerosol precursor composition may include reconstituted tobacco material as described in U.S. Pat. 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. For more information regarding suitable aerosol precursor compositions, see U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 916,834, filed March 9, 2018, to Sur et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0056] Regardless of the type of aerosol precursor composition being heated, the aerosol delivery device may include a heating element configured to heat the aerosol precursor composition. In some embodiments, the heating element is an induction heater. Such heaters often include an induction transmitter and an induction receiver. The induction transmitter may include a coil configured to form an oscillating magnetic field (e.g., a magnetic field that changes periodically with time) when an alternating current is conducted therethrough. The induction receiver may be at least partially disposed within or received within the induction transmitter and may include a conductive material (e.g., a ferromagnetic material or an aluminum-coated material). By conducting an alternating current through the induction transmitter, eddy currents may be generated in the induction receiver via induction. The eddy currents flowing through the resistance of the material defining the induction receiver may heat it by Joule heating (i.e., by the Joule effect). The induction receiver, which may define a nebulizer, may be wirelessly heated to form an aerosol from an aerosol precursor composition positioned proximate to the induction receiver. Various embodiments of aerosol delivery devices having induction heaters are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0127722 to Davis et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0202266 to Sur et al., U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 352,153 to Sur et al., filed November 15, 2016, U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 799,365 to Sebastian et al., filed October 31, 2017, and U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 836,086 to Sur, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0057] In other embodiments, including those described in more detail herein, the heating element is a conductive heater, such as an electrical resistance heater. These heaters may be configured to generate heat when an electric current is directed therethrough. In various embodiments, the conductive heater may be provided in various forms, such as in the form of a foil, foam, plate, disk, spiral, fiber, wire, film, thread, strip, ribbon, or cylinder. Such heaters often include a metallic material and are configured to generate heat as a result of electrical resistance associated with the passage of an electric current. Such a resistive heater may be positioned in proximity to the aerosol precursor composition to heat the aerosol precursor composition and generate an aerosol. Various conductive substrates that may be used with the present disclosure are described in the above-cited U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0255702 to Griffith et al. Other examples of suitable heaters are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,491,974 to DePiano et al., incorporated herein by reference.

[0058] In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may include a control body and a cartridge in the case of a so-called electronic cigarette, or a control body and an aerosol source member in the case of a non-combustion heated device. In either the electronic cigarette or the non-combustion heated device, the control body may be reusable, while the cartridge / aerosol source member may be configured for a limited number of uses and / or may be configured to be disposable. The cartridge / aerosol source member may contain an aerosol precursor composition. To heat the aerosol precursor composition, a heating element may be disposed in contact with or in proximity to the aerosol precursor composition, for example, across the control body and cartridge, or within the control body in which the aerosol source member may be disposed. The control body may include a power source, which may be rechargeable or replaceable, thereby allowing the control body to be reused with multiple cartridges / aerosol source members.

[0059] The control body may also include means for manual control of the device to activate the aerosol delivery device, e.g., a push button, a touch-sensitive surface, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the control body may include a flow sensor for detecting when a user draws on the cartridge / aerosol source member, thereby activating the aerosol delivery device.

[0060] In various embodiments, the aerosol delivery device according to the present disclosure may have a variety of overall shapes, including, but not limited to, an overall shape that may be defined as substantially rod-like, rod-shaped, or substantially tubular, or substantially cylindrical. In the embodiments shown in and described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the aerosol delivery device has a substantially circular cross-section, although other cross-sectional shapes (e.g., oval, square, rectangular, triangular, etc.) are also encompassed by the present disclosure. Such language describing the physical shape of an article may also apply to its individual components, including the control body and cartridge / aerosol source member. In other embodiments, the control body may have another handheld shape, such as a small box.

[0061] In more specific embodiments, one or both of the control body and the cartridge / aerosol source member may be referred to as disposable or reusable. For example, the control body may have a power source such as a replaceable or rechargeable battery, an SSB, a thin-film SSB, a rechargeable supercapacitor, a lithium-ion supercapacitor, or a hybrid lithium-ion supercapacitor. One example of a power source is the TKI-1550 rechargeable lithium-ion battery manufactured by Tadiran Batteries GmbH of Germany. In another embodiment, a useful power source may be the N50-AAA CADNICA nickel-cadmium battery manufactured by Sanyo Electric Company, Ltd. of Japan. In other embodiments, multiple such batteries may be connected in series, each providing, for example, 1.2 volts.

[0062] In some examples, the power source may be connected to, and thereby combined with, any type of recharging technology. Examples of suitable chargers include chargers that simply provide constant current or pulsed direct current (DC) power to the power source, fast chargers that add control circuitry, three-stage chargers, inductively powered chargers, smart chargers, motion-powered chargers, pulse chargers, solar chargers, USB-based chargers, etc. In some examples, the charger includes a power adapter and any suitable charging circuitry. In other examples, the charger includes a power adapter and the control unit is equipped with the charging circuitry. In these other examples, the charger may simply be referred to as a power adapter.

[0063] The control body may include any of several different terminals, electrical connectors, etc., for connecting to a suitable charger and, in some examples, for connecting to other peripheral devices for communication. More specific suitable examples include direct current (DC) connectors, e.g., cylindrical connectors, cigarette lighter connectors, and USB connectors, including those designated by USB 1.x (e.g., Type A, Type B), USB 2.0 and its updates and additions (e.g., Mini A, Mini B, Mini AB, Micro A, Micro B, Micro AB), and USB 3.x (e.g., Type A, Type B, Micro B, Micro AB, Type C), proprietary connectors, e.g., Apple's Lightning connector, etc. The control body may connect directly to the charger or other peripheral device, or the two may connect via an appropriate cable that also has a suitable connector. In examples where the two are connected by a cable, the control body and charger or other peripheral device may have the same or different types of connectors, with one type of connector or a cable having both types of connectors.

[0064] In examples involving inductive power supply charging, the aerosol delivery device may be equipped with inductive wireless charging technology and may include an inductive receiver for connecting to a wireless charger, charging pad, or the like that includes an inductive transmitter and uses inductive wireless charging (e.g., including wireless charging according to the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) Qi wireless charging standard). Alternatively, the power source may be recharged from a radio frequency (RF)-based charger. An example of an inductive wireless charging system is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0112196 to Sur et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Furthermore, in some embodiments in the case of e-cigarettes, the cartridge may include a disposable cartridge such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,639 to Chang et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0065] One or more connections may be used to connect the power source to the recharging technology, and some may include a charging case, cradle, dock, sleeve, etc. More specifically, for example, the control body may be configured to mate with a cradle that includes a USB connector for connecting to a power source. Or, in another example, the control body may be configured to fit within and mate with a sleeve that includes a USB connector for connecting to a power source. In these and similar examples, the USB connector may connect directly to the power source, or the USB connector may connect to the power source via a suitable power adapter.

[0066] Examples of power sources are described in U.S. Patent 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 which are incorporated herein by reference. With respect to flow sensors, exemplary current regulating and other current controlling 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 of which are incorporated herein by reference, and U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al. No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,622 to Pan, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 8,881,737 to Collet et al., U.S. Pat. No. 9,423,152 to Ampolini et al., U.S. Pat. No. 9,439,454 to Fernando et al., and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2015 / 0257445 to Henry et al.

[0067] The aerosol delivery device may include an input element (which may replace or complement the flow sensor). The input may be included to allow a user to control the device's functions and / or output information to the user. Any component or combination of components may be utilized as an input to control the device's functions. For example, one or more push buttons may be used, as described in U.S. Publication No. 2015 / 0245658 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. Similarly, a touchscreen may be used, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 643,626 to Sears et al., filed March 10, 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference. As a further example, a component adapted for gesture recognition based on specific movements of the aerosol delivery device may be used as an input. See U.S. Publication No. 2016 / 0158782 to Henry et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. As yet another example, a capacitance sensor may be implemented in the aerosol delivery device to allow a user to provide input, such as by touching a surface of the device on which the capacitance sensor is implemented. In another example, a sensor (e.g., an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a photoelectric proximity sensor, etc.) capable of detecting motion relative to the device may be implemented in the aerosol delivery device to allow a user to provide input. Examples of suitable sensors are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0132528 to Sur et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0158782 to Henry et al., which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0068] As described above, the aerosol delivery device may include various electronic components, such as at least one control component. A suitable control component may include several electronic components and, in some examples, may be formed from a circuit board such as a printed circuit board (PCB). In some examples, the electronic components include a processing circuit configured to perform data processing, application execution, or other processing, control, or management services according to one or more exemplary embodiments. 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), some combination thereof, etc. In some examples, the processing circuit may include a memory coupled to or integrated with the processor, which may store data, computer program instructions executable by the processor, some combination thereof, etc.

[0069] In some examples, the control component may include one or more input / output peripherals that may be coupled to or integrated with the processing circuit. More specifically, the control component may include a communication interface to enable wireless communication with one or more networks, computing devices, or other appropriately enabled devices. An example of a suitable communication interface is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0261020 to Marion et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Another example of a suitable communication interface is the CC3200 single-chip wireless microcontroller unit (MCU) manufactured by Texas Instruments. Also, examples of suitable ways in which an aerosol delivery device may be configured to communicate wirelessly are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0007651 to Ampolini et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0219933 to Henry, Jr. et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0070] The aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure may further utilize other components. One example of a suitable component is an indicator, such as a light-emitting diode (LED), quantum dot-based LED, or the like, that can be illuminated using the aerosol delivery device. Examples of suitable LED components and their construction and use are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,499,766 to Newton, U.S. Patent No. 8,539,959 to Scatterday, and U.S. Patent No. 9,451,791 to Sears et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0071] Other indicators of operation are also encompassed by the present disclosure. For example, visual indicators of operation may also include changes in light color or intensity to indicate the progression of the smoking experience. Haptic indicators of operation and audio indicators of operation are also encompassed by the present disclosure. Furthermore, combinations of such indicators of operation may be suitable for use in a single smoking article. According to another embodiment, the aerosol delivery device may include one or more indicators or indicators, such as a display configured to provide information corresponding to the operation of the smoking article, such as the amount of power remaining in the power source, the progression of the smoking experience, an indication corresponding to the activation of a heat source, etc.

[0072] Still other components are contemplated. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al. discloses an indicator for a smoking article; U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, Jr. discloses a piezoelectric sensor that may be associated with the mouth end of a device that detects a user's lip movement associated with inhalation and then triggers heating of the heating device; U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al. discloses a puff sensor for controlling energy flow to a heat load array in response to a drop in pressure through the mouthpiece; U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al. discloses a receptacle within a smoking device that includes an identifier that detects non-uniformities in infrared transparency of an inserted component and a controller that executes a detection routine when a component is inserted into the receptacle; U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al. describes predefined executable power cycles having multiple differential phases; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al. discloses a photoelectric sensor that detects non-uniformities in infrared transparency of an inserted component. 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 with 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 PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2010 / 003480 to Flick discloses a fluid flow sensing system to indicate puffs with an aerosol generating system, all of the foregoing disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0073] Further examples of components related to electronic aerosol delivery articles and disclosed materials or components that may be used in the present article include those described in 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, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,756 to Shayan, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Nos. 8,156,944 and 8,375,957 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 8,794,231 to Thorens et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,851,083 to Oglesby et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,915,254 and 8,925,555 to Monsees et al., U.S. Pat. No. 9,220,302 to DePiano et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006 to Hon Examples of such publications include U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009 / 0196518 and 2009 / 0188490 to Oglesby et al., 2010 / 0024834 to Wang, 2010 / 0307518 to Wang, PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2010 / 091593 to Hon, and PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2013 / 089551 to Foo. Furthermore, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0099877 to Worm et al. discloses a capsule that can be included in an aerosol delivery device and a fob-shaped configuration for the aerosol delivery device, and is incorporated herein by reference. In various embodiments, various materials disclosed by the aforementioned documents may be incorporated into the device, and all of the aforementioned disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.

[0074] Still other features, controls, or components that can be incorporated into the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,365,742 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 8,402,976 to Fernando et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,560 to Katase, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. No. 2005 / 0016550 to Fernando et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,689,804 to Fernando et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2013 / 0192623 to Tucker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 9,427,022 to Leven et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2013 / 0180553 to Kim et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2014 / 0000638 to Sebastian et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2014 / 0261495 to Novak et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 9,220,302 to DePiano et al.

[0075] 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment of an aerosol delivery device including a control body and cartridge in the case of an electronic cigarette. More specifically, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an aerosol delivery device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the aerosol delivery device may include a control body 102 and a cartridge 104. The control body and cartridge may be permanently or removably aligned in a functional relationship. In this regard, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the aerosol delivery device in a coupled configuration, and FIG. 2 illustrates a partial cross-sectional side view of the aerosol delivery device in a separated configuration. The aerosol delivery device may, in some embodiments, be substantially rod-like or bar-shaped, substantially tubular, or substantially cylindrical, for example, when the control body and cartridge are in an assembled configuration.

[0076] The control body 102 and the cartridge 104 may be configured to engage with each other via various connections, such as, for example, a press-fit (or interference fit) connection, a threaded connection, a magnetic connection, etc. Thus, the control body may include a first engaging element (e.g., a coupler) adapted to engage with a second engaging element (e.g., a connector) on the cartridge. The first engaging element and the second engaging element may be reversible. As an example, one of the first engaging element and the second engaging element may be male threaded, and the other may be female threaded. As a further example, either the first engaging element or the second engaging element may be a magnet, and the other may be a metal or a matching magnet. In certain embodiments, the engaging elements may be directly defined by existing components of the control body and cartridge. For example, the housing of the control body may define a cavity at its end configured to receive at least a portion of the cartridge (e.g., a reservoir tank or other shell-forming element of the cartridge). In particular, the reservoir of the cartridge may be at least partially received within the cavity of the control body while the mouthpiece of the cartridge remains exposed outside the cavity of the control body. The cartridge may be retained within the cavity formed by the control body housing by, for example, an interference fit (e.g., by the use of detents and / or other mechanisms that form an interference engagement between the outer surface of the cartridge and the inner surface of the wall forming the control body cavity), by magnetic engagement (e.g., by the use of magnets and / or magnetic metals disposed within the cavity of the control body and on the cartridge), or by other suitable techniques.

[0077] As can be seen in the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 2, the control body 102 and cartridge 104 each include several respective components. The components shown in Figure 2 are representative of the components that may be present within the control body and cartridge and are not intended to limit the scope of components encompassed by the present disclosure. As shown, for example, the control body may be formed from a housing 206 (sometimes referred to as a control body shell) that may include a control component 208 (e.g., processing circuitry, etc.), a flow sensor 210, a power source 212 (e.g., a battery, a supercapacitor), and an indicator 214 (e.g., an LED, a quantum dot-based LED), and such components may be variably aligned.

[0078] The cartridge 104 may be formed from a housing 216 (sometimes referred to as a cartridge shell) that encloses a reservoir 218 configured to hold an aerosol precursor composition and includes a heating element 220 (sometimes referred to as a heater). In various configurations, this structure may be referred to as a tank. Thus, the terms "cartridge," "tank," and the like may be used interchangeably to refer to a shell or other housing that encloses a reservoir of aerosol precursor composition and includes a heating element.

[0079] As shown, in some examples, reservoir 218 may be in fluid communication with a liquid transport element 222 adapted to siphon or otherwise transport the aerosol precursor composition stored within the reservoir housing to heating element 220. Other configurations of the liquid transport element are also contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in some embodiments, the liquid transport element may be positioned proximate the distal end of the reservoir and positioned across the longitudinal axis of the reservoir. In some examples, a valve may be positioned between the reservoir and the heating element and configured to control the amount of aerosol precursor composition pumped or delivered from the reservoir to the heating element.

[0080] Various examples of materials configured to generate heat upon application of an electric current may be used to form the heating element 220. In these examples, the heating element may be a resistive heating element such as a wire coil, a flat plate, a microheater, etc. Examples of materials that may form the heating element include Kanthal (FeCrAl), nichrome, nickel, stainless steel, indium tin oxide, tungsten, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), aluminum-doped molybdenum disilicide (Mo(Si,Al)), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite and graphite-based materials (e.g., carbon-based foams and yarns), conductive inks, boron-doped silica, and ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). The heating element may be a resistive heating element or a heating element configured to generate heat by induction. The heating element may be coated with a thermally conductive ceramic, such as aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, beryllium oxide, alumina, silicon nitride, or a composite thereof. Exemplary embodiments of heating elements useful in aerosol delivery devices according to the present disclosure are further described below and may be incorporated into devices such as those described herein.

[0081] An opening 224 may be present in the housing 216 (eg, at the mouth end) to allow the formed aerosol to be released from the cartridge 104 .

[0082] The cartridge 104 may also include one or more electronic components 226, which may include integrated circuits, memory components (e.g., EEPROM, flash memory), sensors, etc. The electronic components may be configured to communicate with the control component 208 and / or external devices by wired or wireless means. The electronic components may be located anywhere within the cartridge or its base 228.

[0083] While the control component 208 and the flow sensor 210 are shown separately, it should be understood that various electronic components, including the control component and the flow sensor, may be combined on a circuit board (e.g., PCB) that supports and electrically connects the electronic components. Furthermore, the circuit board may be oriented horizontally relative to the view of FIG. 1 , in that the circuit board may be longitudinally parallel to the central axis of the control body. In some examples, the air flow sensor may include its own circuit board or other base element to which it may be mounted. In some examples, a flexible circuit board may be utilized. The flexible circuit board may be configured in various shapes, including a substantially tubular shape. In some examples, the flexible circuit board may be combined with, laminated on, or form part or all of the heater substrate.

[0084] The control body 102 and cartridge 104 may include components configured to facilitate fluid engagement therebetween. As shown in FIG. 2 , the control body may include a coupler 230 having a cavity 232 therein. The base 228 of the cartridge may be configured to engage with the coupler and may include a protrusion 234 configured to fit within the cavity. Such engagement may facilitate a stable connection between the control body and the cartridge and establish an electrical connection between the power source 212 and control component 208 in the control body and the heating element 220 in the cartridge. Additionally, the housing 206 may include an air inlet 236, which may be a notch in the housing that connects to the coupler, allowing ambient air around the coupler to pass into the housing, then through the cavity 232 in the coupler, and into the cartridge through the protrusion 234.

[0085] Useful couplers and bases according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261495 to Novak et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. For example, as seen in FIG. 2 , coupler 230 may define an outer periphery 238 configured to mate with an inner periphery 240 of base 228. In one example, the inner periphery of the base may define a radius substantially equal to or slightly greater than the radius of the outer periphery of the coupler. Additionally, the coupler may define one or more protrusions 242 on its outer periphery configured to engage with one or more recesses 244 defined in the inner periphery of the base. However, various other example structures, shapes, and components may be used to couple the base to the coupler. In some examples, the connection between the base of cartridge 104 and the coupler of control body 102 may be substantially permanent, while in other examples, the connection therebetween may be releasable, for example, so that the control body may be reused with one or more additional cartridges, which may be disposable and / or refillable.

[0086] The reservoir 218 shown in FIG. 2 may be a container or, as described herein, a fibrous reservoir. For example, in this example, the reservoir may include one or more layers of nonwoven fibers formed substantially in the shape of a tube that surrounds the interior of the housing 216. The aerosol precursor composition may be held within the reservoir. For example, the reservoir may adsorb and hold a liquid component. The reservoir may be fluidly connected to a liquid transport element 222. The liquid transport element may transport the aerosol precursor composition stored in the reservoir via capillary action (or a micropump) to a heating element 220, which in this example is in the form of a metal wire coil. Thus, the heating element is in a heating configuration with the liquid transport element.

[0087] In some examples, a microfluidic chip may be embedded in the reservoir 218, and the amount and / or mass of the aerosol precursor composition delivered from the reservoir may be controlled by a micropump, such as one based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. Other exemplary embodiments of reservoirs and transport elements useful in aerosol delivery devices according to the present disclosure are further described herein, and such reservoirs and / or transport elements may be incorporated into devices such as those described herein. In particular, certain combinations of heating members and transport elements, further described herein, may be incorporated into devices such as those described herein.

[0088] In use, when a user draws on the aerosol delivery device 100, airflow is detected by the flow sensor 210, activating the heating element 220 to vaporize the components of the aerosol precursor composition. Drawing on the mouth end of the aerosol delivery device causes ambient air to enter the intake port 236 and pass through the cavity 232 in the coupler 230 and the central opening in the protrusion 234 of the base 228. In the cartridge 104, the drawn-in air combines with the formed vapor to form an aerosol. The aerosol is blown, inhaled, or otherwise drawn through the heating element and exits through the opening 224 in the mouth end of the aerosol delivery device.

[0089] For further details regarding embodiments of aerosol delivery devices including a control body and cartridge for electronic cigarettes, see the above-cited U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 836,086 to Sur and U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 916,834 to Sur et al., and U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 916,696 to Sur, filed March 9, 2018, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0090] 3-6 illustrate embodiments of aerosol delivery devices including a control body and an aerosol source member for non-combustion-heated devices. More specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates an aerosol delivery device 300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The aerosol delivery device may include a control body 302 and an aerosol source member 304. In various embodiments, the aerosol source member and the control body may be permanently or removably aligned in a functional relationship. In this regard, FIG. 3 illustrates the aerosol delivery device in a coupled configuration, while FIG. 4 illustrates the aerosol delivery device in a separated configuration. Various mechanisms may connect the aerosol source member to the control body, providing a threaded engagement, a press-fit engagement, an interference fit, a sliding fit, a magnetic engagement, etc.

[0091] 4, in various embodiments of the present disclosure, the aerosol source member 304 can include a heated end 406 configured to be inserted into the control body 302 and a mouth end 408 through which a user inhales to generate an aerosol. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the heated end can include an aerosol precursor composition 410.

[0092] In various embodiments, the aerosol source member 304, or a portion thereof, may be wrapped around an outer overwrapping material 412, which may be formed from any material useful for providing additional structure and / or support to the aerosol source member. In various embodiments, the outer overwrapping material may include a material that resists the transfer of heat, which may include paper or other fibrous materials, such as cellulosic materials. The outer overwrapping material may also include at least one filler material embedded or dispersed within the fibrous material. In various embodiments, the filler material may have the form of water-insoluble particles. Additionally, the filler material may incorporate inorganic components. In various embodiments, the outer overwrapping may be formed from multiple layers, such as an underlying bulk layer, and an overlying layer, such as a typical cigarette wrapper. Such materials may include, for example, lightweight "rag fibers" such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and / or esparto. The outer overwrapping may also include materials typically used in conventional cigarette filter elements, such as cellulose acetate. Additionally, the excess length of overwrap at the mouth end 408 of the aerosol source member may function to simply separate the aerosol precursor composition 410 from the consumer's mouth, as described below, or to provide space for placement of a filter material, or to affect suction on the article, or to affect the flow characteristics of vapor or aerosol exiting the device during inhalation. Further description of configurations for overwrap materials that may be used with the present disclosure may be found in the above-cited U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al.

[0093] In various embodiments, other components may be present between the aerosol precursor composition 410 and the mouth-end 408 of the aerosol source member 304, and the mouth-end may include a filter 414, which may be made of, for example, a cellulose acetate or polypropylene material. The filter may additionally or alternatively include strands of tobacco-containing material, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,814 to Raker et al., incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In various embodiments, the filter may enhance the structural integrity of the mouth-end of the aerosol source member and / or provide optional filtration capabilities and / or resistance to suction. In some embodiments, one or any combination of the following may be disposed between the aerosol precursor composition and the mouth-end: an air gap; a phase change material for cooling air; a flavor-releasing medium; ion-exchange fibers capable of selective chemical adsorption; aerogel particles as a filter medium; and other suitable materials.

[0094] Various embodiments of the present disclosure use one or more electrically conductive heating elements to heat the aerosol precursor composition 410 of the aerosol source member 304. In various embodiments, the heating elements may be provided in various forms, such as in the form of a foil, foam, mesh, hollow ball, half-ball, disk, spiral, fiber, wire, film, thread, 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 through them. Such resistive heating elements may be positioned in direct contact with or in close proximity to the aerosol source member, particularly the aerosol precursor composition of the aerosol source member 304. The heating elements may be located within the control body and / or the aerosol source member. In various embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may include components embedded in or otherwise part of a substrate portion (i.e., thermally conductive components) that may function as or facilitate the function of the heating assembly. Some examples of various heating members and heating elements are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al.

[0095] Some non-limiting examples of various heating element configurations include configurations in which the heating element is placed in close proximity to the aerosol source member 304. For example, in some examples, at least a portion of the heating element may surround at least a portion of the aerosol source member. In other examples, one or more heating elements may be positioned adjacent to the exterior of the aerosol source member when inserted into the control body 302. In other examples, at least a portion of the heating element may penetrate at least a portion of the aerosol source member when inserted into the control body (e.g., one or more prongs and / or spikes that penetrate the aerosol source member, etc.). In some cases, the aerosol precursor composition may include a structure in contact with the aerosol precursor composition, or a plurality of beads or particles embedded in the aerosol precursor composition, or otherwise part of the aerosol precursor composition, that may function as a heating element or facilitate the function of the heating element.

[0096] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5 shows a front view of an aerosol delivery device 300, and Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the aerosol delivery device of Figure 5. In particular, the control body 302 of the illustrated embodiment may include a housing 516 including an opening 518 defined in an engagement end thereof, a flow sensor 520 (e.g., a puff sensor or pressure switch), a control component 522 (e.g., processing circuitry, etc.), a power source 524 (e.g., a battery, a supercapacitor), and an end cap including an indicator 526 (e.g., an LED).

[0097] In one embodiment, indicator 526 may include one or more LEDs, quantum dot-based LEDs, etc. The indicator may be in communication with control component 522 and, for example, when coupled to control body 302, illuminated when a user inhales on aerosol source member 304, as detected by flow sensor 520.

[0098] The control body 302 of the illustrated embodiment includes one or more heating assemblies 528 (individually or collectively referred to as heating assemblies) configured to heat the aerosol precursor composition 410 of the aerosol source member 304. While the heating assemblies of various embodiments of the present disclosure can take various forms, in the specific embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the heating assembly includes an outer cylinder 530 and a heating element 532, which in this embodiment includes multiple heater prongs extending from a receiving base 534 (in various configurations, the heating assembly, or more specifically the heater prongs, may be referred to as heaters). In the illustrated embodiment, the outer cylinder includes a double-walled vacuum tube constructed from stainless steel to maintain heat generated by the heater prongs within the outer cylinder, and more specifically, within the aerosol precursor composition. In various embodiments, the heater prongs may 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.

[0099] As shown, the heating assembly 528 may extend proximate the engagement end of the housing 516 and may be configured to substantially surround a portion of the heated end 406 of the aerosol source member 304 containing the aerosol precursor composition 410. In this manner, the heating assembly may define a generally tubular configuration. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the heating element 532 (e.g., multiple heater prongs) is surrounded by an outer cylinder 530 to form a receiving chamber 536. As such, in various embodiments, the outer cylinder may comprise a non-conductive, insulating material and / or construction, including, but not limited to, an insulating polymer (e.g., plastic or cellulose), glass, rubber, ceramic, porcelain, a double vacuum structure, or any combination thereof.

[0100] In some embodiments, one or more portions or components of the heating assembly 528 may be combined with, packaged with, and / or integral with (e.g., embedded within) the aerosol precursor composition 410. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may be formed from materials such as those described above and may include one or more electrically conductive materials mixed therein. In some of these embodiments, contacts may be directly connected to the aerosol precursor composition such that the contacts electrically connect with the electrical energy source when the aerosol source member is inserted into the receiving chamber of the control body. Alternatively, the contacts may be integral with the electrical energy source and extend into the receiving chamber such that the contacts electrically connect with the aerosol precursor composition when the aerosol source member is inserted into the receiving chamber of the control body. Due to the presence of electrically conductive materials in the aerosol precursor composition, when power is applied from the electrical energy source to the aerosol precursor composition, an electric current flows, which in turn generates heat from the electrically conductive material. Thus, in some embodiments, the heating element may be described as integral with the aerosol precursor composition. As a non-limiting example, graphite or other suitable conductive material may be mixed with, embedded in, or otherwise directly present on or in the material forming the aerosol precursor composition, making the heating element integral with the medium.

[0101] As noted above, in the illustrated embodiment, the outer cylinder 530 may also function to facilitate proper positioning of the aerosol source member 304 when the aerosol source member is inserted into the housing 516. In various embodiments, the outer cylinder of the heating assembly 528 may engage an inner surface of the housing to align the heating assembly relative to the housing. This may result in a fixed connection between the heating assemblies such that the longitudinal axis of the heating assembly extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing. In particular, the support cylinder may extend from the housing opening 518 to the receiving base 534 to form a receiving chamber 536.

[0102] The heated end 406 of the aerosol source member 304 is sized and shaped for insertion into the control body 302. In various embodiments, the receiving chamber 536 of the control body can be characterized as being defined by a wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, with the inner surface defining the interior volume of the receiving chamber. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the outer cylinder 530 defines an inner surface that defines the interior volume of the receiving chamber. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner diameter of the outer cylinder can be slightly larger than or approximately equal to the outer diameter of the corresponding aerosol source member (e.g., to form a sliding fit), such that the outer cylinder is configured to guide the aerosol source member into an appropriate position (e.g., a lateral position) relative to the control body. Thus, the maximum outer diameter (or other dimension, depending on the particular cross-sectional shape of the embodiment) of the aerosol source member can be smaller than the inner diameter (or other dimension) of the inner surface of the wall of the open end of the receiving chamber of the control body. In some embodiments, the difference in their respective diameters may be small enough so that the aerosol source member fits snugly into the receiving chamber and frictional forces prevent the aerosol source member from moving without the application of force, while the difference may be sufficient to allow the aerosol source member to slide into or out of the receiving chamber without the need for excessive force.

[0103] In the illustrated embodiment, the control body 302 is configured such that, when the aerosol source member 304 is inserted into the control body, the heating element 532 (e.g., heater prongs) is positioned approximately radially centered on at least a portion of the aerosol precursor composition 410 at the heated end 406 of the aerosol source member. Thus, when used in conjunction with a solid or semi-solid aerosol precursor composition, the heater prongs may be in direct contact with the aerosol precursor composition. In other embodiments, for example, when used in conjunction with an extruded aerosol precursor composition defining a tubular structure, the heater prongs may be positioned inside a cavity defined by the inner surface of the extruded tubular structure, without contacting the inner surface of the extruded tubular structure.

[0104] During use, a consumer initiates heating of the heating assembly 528, particularly the heating element 532 adjacent to the aerosol precursor composition 410 (or a particular layer thereof). Heating of the aerosol precursor composition releases the inhalable substance within the aerosol source member 304, generating the inhalable substance. When the consumer inhales on the mouth end 408 of the aerosol source member, air is drawn into the aerosol source member through an air inlet 538, e.g., an opening or aperture in the control body 302. As the inhaled material exits the mouth end of the aerosol source member, a combination of the inhaled air and the released inhalable substance is inhaled by the consumer. In some embodiments, the consumer manually activates a push button or similar component to initiate heating, causing the heating element of the heating assembly to receive electrical energy from a battery or other energy source. The electrical energy may be supplied for a predetermined amount of time or may be manually controlled.

[0105] In some embodiments, the flow of electrical energy does not substantially continue between puffs using device 300 (although energy flow may continue to maintain a baseline temperature above ambient temperature (e.g., a temperature that facilitates rapid heating to an operating heating temperature)). However, in the illustrated embodiment, heating is initiated by the consumer's puffing action using one or more sensors, such as flow sensor 520. When a puff is discontinued, heating is stopped or reduced. Once the consumer has taken a sufficient number of puffs and released a sufficient amount of inhalable substance (e.g., an amount sufficient to equate to a typical smoking experience), aerosol source member 304 can be detached from control body 302 and discarded. In some embodiments, additional sensing elements, such as capacitance sensing elements and other sensors, may be used, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 707,461 to Phillips et al., incorporated herein by reference.

[0106] In various embodiments, the aerosol source member 304 may be formed from any material suitable for forming and maintaining a suitable structure, such as a tube, and for retaining the aerosol precursor composition 410 therein. In some embodiments, the aerosol source member may be formed from a single wall, or in other embodiments, multiple walls, and may be formed from a heat-resistant material (natural or synthetic) so as to maintain its structural integrity (e.g., not deteriorate) at least at certain temperatures, such as the heating temperatures provided by the electric heating element, as described further herein. In some embodiments, a heat-resistant polymer may be used, while in other embodiments, the aerosol source member may be formed from paper, such as substantially straw-shaped paper. As described further herein, the aerosol source member may have one or more layers associated therewith that function to substantially prevent vapor transfer therethrough. In one exemplary embodiment, an aluminum foil layer may be laminated to one surface of the aerosol source member. Ceramic materials may also be used. In further embodiments, thermal insulation may be used to prevent unnecessary transfer of heat from the aerosol precursor composition. Further exemplary types of components and materials that may be used to provide the above functions or that may be used as substitutes for the above materials and components may 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., all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0107] In the illustrated embodiment, the control body 302 includes a control component 522 that controls various functions of the aerosol delivery device 300, including powering the electric heating element 532. For example, the control component may include a processing circuit (which may be connected to additional components, as further described herein) connected to the power source 524 by electrically conductive wires (not shown). In various embodiments, the processing circuit may control when and how the heating assembly 528, particularly the heater prongs, receive electrical energy to heat the aerosol precursor composition 410 for release of an inhalable substance for inhalation by the consumer. In some embodiments, such control may be activated by a flow sensor 520, as described in further detail above.

[0108] 5 and 6 , the heating assembly 528 of the illustrated embodiment includes an outer cylinder 530 and a heating element 532 (e.g., multiple heater prongs) extending from a receiving base 534. In some embodiments, such as those in which the aerosol precursor composition 410 includes a tubular structure, the heater prongs may be configured to extend into a cavity defined by the interior surface of the aerosol precursor composition. In other embodiments, such as the illustrated embodiment in which the aerosol precursor composition includes a solid or semi-solid, the multiple heater prongs are configured to penetrate the aerosol precursor composition contained in the heated end 406 of the aerosol source member 304 when the aerosol source member is inserted into the control body 302. In such embodiments, one or more of the components of the heating assembly, including the heater prongs and / or the receiving base, may be constructed from a non-stick or stick-resistant material, such as certain aluminum, copper, stainless steel, carbon steel, and ceramic materials. In other embodiments, one or more of the components of the heating assembly, including the heater prongs and / or receiving base, may include, for example, a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating, e.g., Teflon®, or other coating, e.g., a stick-resistant enamel coating, or a ceramic coating, e.g., Greblon® or Thermolon™, or a non-stick coating including a ceramic coating, e.g., Greblon® or Thermolon™.

[0109] Furthermore, while in the illustrated embodiment, there are multiple heater prongs 532 substantially evenly distributed around the receiving base 534, it should be noted that in other embodiments, any number of heater prongs, including as few as one, may be used, along with any other suitable spatial configuration. Furthermore, in various embodiments, the length of the heater prongs may vary. For example, in some embodiments, the heater prongs may include small protrusions, while in other embodiments, the heater prongs may extend any portion of the length of the receiving chamber 536, including up to about 25%, up to about 50%, up to 75%, and up to nearly the entire length of the receiving chamber 536. In still other embodiments, the heating assembly 528 may have other configurations. Examples of other heater configurations that may be adapted for use in the present invention in accordance with the description provided above include 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.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,498 to Sprinkel et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference. 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.

[0110] In various embodiments, the control body 302 may include an air inlet 538 (e.g., one or more openings or apertures) therein to allow entry of ambient air into the interior of the receiving chamber 536. Thus, in some embodiments, the receiving base 534 may also include an air inlet. Thus, in some embodiments, when a consumer draws on the mouth-end of the aerosol source member 304, air is drawn through the air inlets in the control body and receiving base into the receiving chamber, through the aerosol source member, and through the aerosol precursor composition 410 of the aerosol source member, where it may be inhaled by the consumer. In some embodiments, the drawn air passes through the optional filter 414 and carries the inhalable substance out the opening in the mouth-end 408 of the aerosol source member. With the heating element 532 positioned inside the aerosol precursor composition, the heater prongs may be activated to heat the aerosol precursor composition and release the inhalable substance through the aerosol source member.

[0111] As discussed above, particularly with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 , various embodiments of the present disclosure use an electrically conductive heater to heat the aerosol precursor composition 410. Also, as discussed above, various other embodiments use an induction heater to heat the aerosol precursor composition. In some of these embodiments, the heating assembly 528 may be configured as an induction heater including a transformer with an induction transmitter and an induction receiver. In embodiments in which the heating assembly is configured as an induction heater, the outer cylinder 530 may be configured as an induction transmitter, and the heating element 532 (e.g., multiple heater prongs) extending from the receiving base 534 may be configured as an induction receiver. In various embodiments, one or both of the induction transmitter and the induction receiver may be located within the control body 302 and / or the aerosol source member 304.

[0112] In various embodiments, the outer cylinder 530 and heating element 532 as the induction transmitter and receiver may be constructed from one or more conductive materials, and in further embodiments, the induction receiver may be constructed from a ferromagnetic material, including, but not limited to, cobalt, iron, nickel, and combinations thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, the foil material is constructed from a conductive material and the heater prongs are constructed from a ferromagnetic material. In various embodiments, the receiving base may be constructed from a non-conductive material and / or a thermal insulating material.

[0113] The outer cylinder 530 as an induction transmitter may include a laminate having a foil material surrounding a support cylinder. In some embodiments, the foil material may include electrical traces printed thereon, such as one or more electrical traces that may form a spiral coil pattern when the foil material is placed around the heating element 532 as an induction receiver. The foil material and the support cylinder may each define a tubular configuration. The support cylinder may be configured to support the foil material so that the foil material does not contact the heater prongs and thereby short-circuit with the heater prongs. As such, the support cylinder may include a non-conductive material that may be substantially permeable to the oscillating magnetic field generated by the foil material. In various embodiments, the foil material may be embedded or otherwise coupled to the support cylinder. In the illustrated embodiment, the foil material is engaged with the outer surface of the support cylinder, but in other embodiments, the foil material may be disposed on the inner surface of the support cylinder or may be fully embedded in the support cylinder.

[0114] The foil material of the outer cylinder 530 may be configured to form an oscillating magnetic field (e.g., a magnetic field that changes periodically with time) when an alternating current is directed therethrough. The heater prongs of the heating element 532 are at least partially located or received within the outer cylinder and may comprise an electrically conductive material. By directing an alternating current through the foil material, eddy currents may be generated in the heater prongs by induction. The eddy currents flowing through the resistance of the material defining the heater prongs may heat them by Joule heating (i.e., by the Joule effect). The heater prongs may be wirelessly heated to form an aerosol from the aerosol precursor composition 410 positioned proximate to the heater prongs.

[0115] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device 700 according to another illustrative embodiment. The aerosol delivery device 700 of Figure 7 is similar to the aerosol delivery device 300 of Figures 3-6 and is particularly suited for segmented heating of the aerosol precursor composition 410. The aerosol delivery device 700 includes a control body 702 similar to the control body 302, but including one or more heating assemblies 728 (individually or collectively referred to as heating assemblies) configured to heat the aerosol precursor composition in the aerosol source member 304.

[0116] In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 7 , the heating assembly includes an outer cylinder 530 and a segmented heater 730 including multiple heating elements 732, such as multiple electrically conductive prongs (heater prongs), that are physically separate and spaced apart from one another. In some examples, each prong of the multiple electrically conductive prongs is a heating element of the multiple heating elements of the segmented heater. In another example, the multiple heating elements can be or include physically insulated resistive heating elements that can be positioned adjacent to respective exterior surface regions of the aerosol source member. In yet another example, the multiple heating elements can be or include physically insulated coils that can generate localized / regional eddy currents in respective segments of the aerosol source member.

[0117] In examples where the plurality of heating elements 732 are a plurality of heater prongs, the heater prongs may extend radially inward from the inner surface of the outer cylinder 330 along the inner surface of the outer cylinder 330, thereby extending longitudinally along the aerosol precursor composition 410. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer cylinder includes a double-walled vacuum tube constructed from stainless steel to maintain heat generated by the heating elements (e.g., heater prongs) within the outer cylinder, and more specifically, to maintain heat generated by the heating elements within the aerosol precursor composition. As above, in various embodiments, the heating elements may 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.

[0118] In some examples, the heating elements 732 of the segmented heater 730 can be powered to heat multiple sections of the aerosol precursor composition 410. The heating elements may be powered simultaneously to heat each of the multiple sections of the aerosol precursor composition. In some examples, the heating elements of the multiple heating elements may be separately powerable. In some of these examples, one or more of the heating elements may be powered separately to heat each of the multiple sections of the aerosol precursor composition, with any other heating elements of the multiple heating elements not being powered simultaneously.

[0119] Other embodiments of aerosol delivery devices, control bodies and aerosol source members are described in the above-cited U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 916,834 to Sur et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 916,696 to Sur, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 836,086 to Sur and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 976,526 to Sur.

[0120] As mentioned above, the aerosol delivery device of the exemplary embodiment may include various electronic components in the context of either an e-cigarette or a non-combustion heated device, or even in the case of a device including both functions. Figure 8 is a circuit diagram of an aerosol delivery device 800 that may be or incorporate the functionality of at least aerosol delivery devices 100, 300, and 700 according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the aerosol delivery device includes a control body 802 having electronic components 804 that include a control component 806 (having a processing circuit 808), a sensor 810, a power source 812, and an indicator 814 that may correspond to or include the functionality of the control body 102, 302, electronic components 226, control component 208, 522, flow sensor 210, power source 212, 524, and indicator 214, respectively. The aerosol delivery device also includes one or more heating elements 816 that may correspond to or include the functionality of heating elements 220, 532, and 732. The heating element is configured to convert electricity into heat, thereby vaporizing the components of the aerosol precursor composition.

[0121] Aerosol delivery device 800 may include first and second power terminals 818a and 818b (e.g., positive and negative power terminals, respectively) configured to connect power source 812 to the aerosol delivery device. Also, in some examples, such as those in which aerosol delivery device 800 is a function of or incorporates aerosol delivery device 100, aerosol delivery device 800 (or more specifically its control body 802) may include terminals 820 configured to connect heating element 816 to the control body.

[0122] As described in more detail above with respect to flow sensor 210, in some examples, sensor 810 is configured to generate a measurement of pressure induced by airflow through at least a portion of a housing (e.g., housing 216) of aerosol delivery device 800. The sensor is configured to convert the pressure measurement into a corresponding electrical signal, which may include conversion from an analog signal to a digital signal. The sensor may be a digital sensor, a digital pressure sensor, etc., some suitable examples of which are manufactured by Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

[0123] The processing circuit 808 is configured to receive a corresponding electrical signal from the sensor 810, and in response, the processing circuit controls the voltage provided by the power supply 812 to a load 822, including the heating element 816, thereby initiating a heating period that may be configured to power the heating element. The processing circuit may be configured to process the corresponding electrical signal to determine an on / off state and may modulate a switching connection of the power supply to the load in proportion to the pressure measurement generated by the sensor. In some examples, the control component 806 further includes a high-side load switch (LS) 824 between the first power supply terminal 818a and the heating element 816 or between the sensor and the load. In these examples, the processing circuit may be configured to control the high-side LS to switchably connect the power supply to the heating element. The high-side LS may also function as a safety feature in the event of a current surge, if some components are shorted, or if the power supply experiences a solid electrode interphase.

[0124] The heating element 816 emits infrared energy that is variable and proportional to the temperature of the heating element. Additionally or alternatively, a liquid transport element for an aerosol precursor composition that is liquid (e.g., liquid transport element 222), or an aerosol precursor composition when solid or semi-solid (e.g., aerosol precursor composition 410), can emit infrared energy that is variable and proportional to the temperature of the liquid transport element or aerosol precursor composition, respectively. In this regard, as also shown, the electronic component 804 further includes one or more infrared temperature sensors 826 coupled to the processing circuit 808. The infrared temperature sensors may include one or more photodetectors 828. According to exemplary embodiments, the infrared temperature sensors may be configured to measure infrared energy emitted by the heating element 816, the liquid transport element, and / or the aerosol precursor composition, such as during a heating period. In some examples, measuring the infrared energy emitted by the aerosol precursor composition may include an infrared temperature sensor configured to measure infrared energy emitted from the outer surface of the aerosol source member 304 and, therefore, the aerosol precursor composition 410. Examples of suitable infrared temperature sensors include those manufactured by Excelitas Technologies of Waltham, Massachusetts.

[0125] In some examples, the processing circuit 808 or the infrared temperature sensor 826 is configured to determine the temperature of the heating element 816, the liquid transport element, and / or the aerosol precursor composition from the infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor 826. The processing circuit may then be configured to adjust the voltage from the power supply to the heating element when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target, such as by adjusting a signal controlling the high-side LS 824. In one example, the processing circuit 808 is configured to increase or decrease the voltage from the power supply to the heating element when the temperature is below or above the predetermined target, respectively. This may be accomplished by the processing circuit being configured to adjust a signal to cause the high-side LS to connect or disconnect the power supply 812 to the heating element 816 when the temperature is below or above the predetermined target, respectively.

[0126] In some examples, the target may be a target setpoint temperature. In other examples, the target may be a range of temperatures. An example of a suitable temperature range is reflected by the target setpoint temperature plus or minus an allowable tolerance from the target setpoint temperature. The suitable temperature range may also be used to reflect an amount of added hysteresis. In some of these examples, the high-side LS 824 may connect the power supply 812 to the heating element 816 when the temperature is below a first target setpoint temperature and disconnect power from the heating element when the temperature is above a second target setpoint temperature that is higher than the first target setpoint temperature.

[0127] In some examples, the target may change over time according to a temperature or power control profile that may be applied during use. This may be particularly useful for non-combustion heated devices, where the solid or semi-solid aerosol precursor composition may be heated for a longer period than the liquid aerosol precursor composition in an e-cigarette. In particular, in non-combustion heated devices, a relatively high temperature may be applied during the initial period when the aerosol precursor composition is prepared for inhalation, followed by a temperature reduction after a certain period. For more information regarding examples of suitable control profiles, see U.S. Patent No. 9,498,000 to Kuczaj, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0128] In some examples, the target may change or be otherwise variable according to a measurement of pressure caused by airflow through at least a portion of a housing (e.g., housing 216) of aerosol delivery device 800, generated by sensor 810. In more specific examples, the target may be variable according to a predetermined relationship between pressure and target. Examples of suitable predetermined relationships may be described by a step function, a linear function, a nonlinear function, or a combination thereof.

[0129] In some examples, the signal output by processing circuitry 808 to control the high-side LS is a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal, and processing circuitry 808 is configured to adjust the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the temperature of heating element 816, liquid transport element, and / or aerosol precursor composition deviates from a predetermined target. In some more specific examples, processing circuitry 808 is configured to increase or decrease the duty cycle when the temperature falls below or exceeds the predetermined target, respectively.

[0130] In some examples, the infrared temperature sensor 826 may be configured to convert the infrared energy into a corresponding electrical signal. The processing circuit 808 may then be configured to input the corresponding electrical signal into a function that maps the corresponding electrical signal to the temperature of the heating element 816, the liquid transport element, and / or the aerosol precursor composition. The function may be specified or otherwise represented in a number of different ways, for example, by an equation, a list of function values, a graph, a plot, a bar graph, a table, etc. The processing circuit may thereby be configured to determine the temperature of the heating element, the liquid transport element, and / or the aerosol precursor composition.

[0131] In various embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 800 may implement a calibration routine to compensate for ambient temperature and thereby promote the accuracy of the temperature determined by the infrared temperature sensor 826 or the processing circuit 808. For example, the infrared temperature sensor may be further configured to measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the heating element 816, the liquid transport element, and / or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered. The processing circuit may be configured to determine the ambient temperature of the heating element, the liquid transport element, and / or the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor, and a function may define a relationship between the electrical signal and the temperature to compensate for the ambient temperature determined by the processing circuit. Furthermore, the infrared temperature sensor may periodically measure the ambient infrared energy when the heating element is not powered between heating periods when the heating element is powered. The processing circuit may then periodically determine the ambient temperature of the heating element, the liquid transport element, and / or the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor.

[0132] In various embodiments, the infrared temperature sensor 826 may include multiple photodetectors to increase the accuracy of the temperature determined by the infrared temperature sensor or processing circuit 808, which may be particularly useful as the surface area over which infrared energy is measured increases. Thus, in some examples where the infrared temperature sensor is configured to measure infrared energy emitted by an aerosol precursor composition (e.g., aerosol precursor composition 410), the infrared temperature sensor may include multiple photodetectors 828 configured to measure infrared energy emitted by multiple sections of the aerosol precursor composition. This may include infrared temperature sensors configured to measure infrared energy emitted from different portions of the exterior surface of the aerosol source member 304 and, therefore, from multiple sections of the aerosol precursor composition 410. In some examples, the processing circuit or infrared temperature sensor may then be configured to determine the temperature of the multiple sections of the aerosol precursor composition from the infrared energy measured by the multiple photodetectors, and the processing circuit may be configured to adjust the voltage when the average of the temperature deviates from a predetermined target. In this regard, an average temperature is a temperature taken as a representative temperature. In some examples, the average temperature may be an arithmetic mean of the temperatures. In other examples, the average temperature may be the geometric mean, harmonic mean, median, mode, or mid-range of the temperatures.

[0133] In some examples where the heating element 816 corresponds to or includes the functionality of a heating element 732 of a segmented heater 730 including multiple heating elements, the infrared temperature sensor 826 may include multiple photodetectors 828. In some of these examples, each photodetector may be configured to measure infrared energy emitted by a respective heating element of the multiple heating elements or by one of multiple sections of the aerosol precursor composition to which the respective heating element is powered and heatable. For each photodetector and section of the aerosol precursor composition, the processing circuit 808 or infrared temperature sensor may be configured to determine the temperature of the respective heating element or section from the infrared energy measured by the photodetector. The processing circuit may then be configured to adjust the voltage from the power supply 812 to the respective heating element when the temperature of the section deviates from the predetermined target for the section. The predetermined target for the section may be common across the multiple sections, or the predetermined target for the section may be different for at least two of the multiple sections.

[0134] In various exemplary embodiments, infrared temperature sensor 826 may enable functions of aerosol delivery device 800 in addition to or instead of those described above. For example, processing circuit 808 may be configured to perform a lockout of heating element 816 when the temperature is above a threshold temperature.

[0135] In some examples, the infrared temperature sensor 826 may be configured to measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element 816 is not powered. In some of these examples, the processing circuit 808 may be configured to determine the ambient temperature of the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor. The processing circuit may then be configured to authenticate the aerosol precursor composition based on a comparison of the ambient temperature to a known ambient temperature of the authentic aerosol precursor composition or the aerosol precursor composition, which is the specific aerosol precursor composition. In some further examples, the processing circuit may be further configured to change the lock state of the aerosol delivery device 800 based on the authentication. The processing circuit may unlock the aerosol delivery device when the aerosol precursor composition matches or is otherwise substantially similar to the authentic (specific) aerosol precursor composition. Conversely, the processing circuit may lock the aerosol delivery device when the aerosol precursor composition does not match or is otherwise substantially similar to the authentic (specific) aerosol precursor composition.

[0136] The above description of the use of the article may be applied to the various exemplary embodiments described herein through minor modifications that may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the further disclosure provided herein. However, the above description of use is not intended to limit the use of the article, but is provided to comply with all necessary disclosure requirements of the present disclosure. Any of the elements shown in Figures 1 through 8 or otherwise shown in the articles described above may be included in an aerosol delivery device according to the present disclosure.

[0137] Many modifications and other embodiments of the present disclosure will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. It is to be understood, therefore, that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. 1. An aerosol delivery device comprising: a power supply configured to provide a voltage; a housing structured to hold an aerosol precursor composition that is a solid or semi-solid; a heating element that is powerable to heat and vaporize the components of the aerosol precursor composition; a processing circuit configured to control a voltage from the power supply to the heating element to power the heating element; an infrared temperature sensor coupled to the processing circuit and configured to measure infrared energy emitted by one or both of the heating element and the aerosol precursor composition, wherein the infrared energy emitted by one or both of the heating element and the aerosol precursor composition is variable and proportional to the temperature of one or both of the heating element and the aerosol precursor composition, respectively; Including, An aerosol delivery device in which a processing circuit or an infrared temperature sensor is configured to determine the temperature of the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition from the infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor, and the processing circuit is configured to adjust the voltage from the power source to the heating element when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target.

2. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the housing is structured to hold an aerosol precursor composition that is a solid substrate comprising the aerosol precursor composition, and the heating element is powerable to volatilize the aerosol precursor composition.

3. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol delivery device is disposable and wand-shaped, and the housing is structured to hold an aerosol source member containing an aerosol precursor composition.

4. 4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 3, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to measure infrared energy emitted from the exterior surface of the aerosol source member and, therefore, the aerosol precursor composition.

5. 2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry configured to adjust the voltage from the power source to the heating element includes processing circuitry configured to increase or decrease the voltage from the power source to the heating element when the temperature is below or above a predetermined target, respectively.

6. a switch coupled to the power source and the heating element, the switch between the power source and the heating element; Furthermore, the processing configured to control the voltage includes processing circuitry configured to output a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal to cause a switch to switchably connect and disconnect the voltage to the heating element to power the heating element; 2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry configured to adjust the voltage includes processing circuitry configured to adjust the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target.

7. 7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 6, wherein the processing circuitry configured to adjust the duty cycle of the PWM signal includes processing circuitry configured to increase or decrease the duty cycle when the temperature is below or above a predetermined target, respectively.

8. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is further configured to convert infrared energy into a corresponding electrical signal, and the processing circuit is configured to input the corresponding electrical signal into a function that maps the corresponding electrical signal to the temperature of the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition, thereby determining the temperature of the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition.

9. an infrared temperature sensor configured to measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered, and a processing circuit configured to determine an ambient temperature of the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor; 9. The aerosol delivery device of claim 8, wherein the function defines a relationship between the electrical signal and temperature and compensates for the ambient temperature determined by the processing circuitry.

10. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 9, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to periodically measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered between heating periods when the heating element is powered, and the processing circuit is configured to periodically determine the ambient temperature of the heating element or the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor.

11. a sensor configured to measure a pressure caused by airflow through at least a portion of the housing and convert the pressure into a corresponding signal; 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to receive a corresponding signal and initiate a heating period in response thereto, and the processing circuit is configured to control voltage from the power source to the heating element to power the heating element during the heating period.

12. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to measure a pressure caused by airflow through at least a portion of the housing, the target being variable according to the pressure so measured.

13. an infrared temperature sensor configured to measure infrared energy emitted by the aerosol precursor composition, the infrared temperature sensor including a plurality of photodetectors configured to measure infrared energy emitted by the plurality of compartments of the aerosol precursor composition; 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit or infrared temperature sensor is configured to determine the temperature of multiple compartments of the aerosol precursor composition from infrared energy measured by the multiple photodetectors, and the processing circuit is configured to adjust the voltage when the average temperature deviates from a predetermined target.

14. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, further comprising a segmented heater having multiple heating elements, the multiple heating elements being powerable to heat multiple compartments of the aerosol precursor composition.

15. 15. The aerosol delivery device of claim 14, wherein the heating elements of the plurality of heating elements are electrically conductive prongs that are physically separated and spaced apart longitudinally along the aerosol precursor composition.

16. 15. The aerosol delivery device of claim 14, wherein the processing circuit is configured to control the voltage from the power source to the heating elements to simultaneously power the heating elements to heat each of the multiple compartments of the aerosol precursor composition.

17. 15. The aerosol delivery device of claim 14, wherein the heating elements of the plurality of heating elements are separately powerable, and the processing circuit is configured to separately control the voltage from the power source to one or more of the heating elements to power one or more of the heating elements to heat each one or more compartments of the plurality of compartments of the aerosol precursor composition, and wherein any other heating elements of the plurality of heating elements are not simultaneously powered.

18. 15. The aerosol delivery device of claim 14, wherein the infrared temperature sensor comprises a plurality of photodetectors, each photodetector of the plurality of photodetectors configured to measure infrared energy emitted by a respective heating element of the plurality of heating elements or by one of a plurality of sections of the aerosol precursor composition that the respective heating element is capable of powering to heat.

19. 19. The aerosol delivery device of claim 18, wherein for each photodetector and compartment of the aerosol precursor composition, a processing circuit or infrared temperature sensor is configured to determine the temperature of the respective heating element or compartment from the infrared energy measured by the photodetector, and the processing circuit is configured to adjust the voltage from the power source to the respective heating element when the temperature of the compartment deviates from a predetermined target for the compartment.

20. 20. The aerosol delivery device of claim 19, wherein the predetermined target of a compartment is common across multiple compartments.

21. 20. The aerosol delivery device of claim 19, wherein the predetermined targets of the compartments are different for at least two of the plurality of compartments.

22. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to perform a lockout of the heating element when the temperature is above a threshold temperature.

23. an infrared temperature sensor configured to measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered, and a processing circuit configured to: determining an ambient temperature of the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor; Authenticating the aerosol precursor composition based on a comparison of the ambient temperature with the known ambient temperature of an authentic aerosol precursor composition. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 , configured to:

24. 24. The aerosol delivery device of claim 23, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to change a lock state of the aerosol delivery device based on the authentication.

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