Aerosol delivery device

Abstract

An aerosol provision device having one or more inductor coils (401) is provided.SOLUTION: Disclosed is an aerosol provision device having one or more inductor coils 401, and in use, an article 402 for use with the aerosol provision device is incorporated or otherwise arranged within or between at least one of the one or more inductor coils or windings of the one or more inductor coils.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol delivery device, an aerosol delivery system, and a method for generating an aerosol. [Background technology]

[0002] Smoking articles, such as cigarettes and cigars, burn tobacco to produce tobacco smoke during use. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these items by creating products that release compounds without combustion. Examples of such products are so-called "heat-and-burn" products, or tobacco heating devices or products, which release compounds by heating rather than burning a material. The material may be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine.

[0003] Aerosol delivery systems are known that encompass the aforementioned devices or products. Typical systems use a heater to generate an aerosol from a suitable medium, which is then inhaled by a user. Often, the medium used must be replaced or changed to deliver and inhale different aerosols. It is known to use an induction heating system as a heater to generate an aerosol from a suitable medium. An induction heating system generally consists of a magnetic field generating device for generating a varying magnetic field and a susceptor or heating material that can be heated by the penetration of the varying magnetic field to heat the suitable medium.

[0004] Conventional aerosol delivery devices include a cylindrical heating chamber into which a rod-shaped consumable is inserted.

[0005] Next-generation devices are being considered in which a consumable with a flat aluminum substrate can be inserted into an aerosol delivery device. However, a problem with such a contemplated configuration is that inductive heating of the aluminum consumable can cause the consumable to move in an undesirable manner relative to the aerosol delivery device.

[0006] It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved aerosol delivery device. Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect, An aerosol delivery device is provided, comprising an aerosol generator comprising one or more inductor coils; In use, an article for use with an aerosol delivery device is incorporated into or otherwise positioned within at least one of the one or more inductor coils, or within or between the windings of the one or more inductor coils.

[0008] The aerosol delivery device is configured so that the article can be incorporated or otherwise disposed between the loops or windings of the inductor coil such that the article is disposed generally in a plane parallel to a single loop or winding of the inductor coil. It will be appreciated that this arrangement differs substantially from conventional configurations in which an article in the form of a rod is inserted longitudinally into a heating region of the aerosol delivery device, and the heating region is a longitudinal cavity formed within the body of the aerosol delivery device.

[0009] It is not known to insert a different type of article, i.e., a flat aluminum sheet with aerosol-generating material deposited thereon, such that the article is positioned between the windings of an inductor coil in such a manner that the article is interwoven.

[0010] Placing the item within or between the windings of the inductor coil helps to stabilize the item and substantially prevents any undesired movement of the item.

[0011] Optionally, multiple items for use with the aerosol delivery device may be incorporated or otherwise positioned within at least one of the one or more inductor coils, or within or between the windings of the one or more inductor coils.

[0012] The one or more inductor coils may be configured to form a heating region within a region defined by the one or more inductor coils. The heating region may have a longitudinal axis. The article for use with the aerosol delivery device may be configured to be axially inserted in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

[0013] An article for use with an aerosol delivery device may be configured to be inserted in a plane substantially parallel to a plane in which a single winding of one or more inductor coils lies.

[0014] Optionally, the aerosol generator may include multiple inductor coils, with each item of the multiple articles for use with the aerosol delivery device being incorporated into or otherwise positioned within a respective inductor coil of the multiple inductor coils, or within or between the windings of one or more inductor coils.

[0015] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device may comprise one or more susceptors.

[0016] Optionally, one or more articles for use with the aerosol delivery device may be positioned in proximity to the one or more susceptors.

[0017] Optionally, one or more susceptors may be disposed within or between the windings of one or more inductor coils.

[0018] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device may comprise a first inductor coil and a second inductor coil, and in use, the article for use with the aerosol delivery device may be incorporated or otherwise positioned within or between the first inductor coil, and the second inductor coil may comprise a central inductor coil positioned radially inward or outward of the first inductor coil.

[0019] Optionally, the article for use with the aerosol delivery device may be incorporated or otherwise positioned within or between the first inductor coil so that the number of turns in the first inductor coil above and below the article is substantially equal.

[0020] Optionally, the central inductor coil may be disposed radially inward of the first inductor coil.

[0021] Optionally, the central inductor coil may be positioned radially outward of the first inductor coil.

[0022] Optionally, the one or more inductor coils may comprise a first inductor coil and a second inductor coil, and in use, an article for use with the aerosol delivery device may be positioned equidistant between the first inductor coil and the second inductor coil, and the article does not extend inside the first and second inductor coils.

[0023] Optionally, the first inductor coil and the second inductor coil may be connected in series.

[0024] Optionally, the first inductor coil and the second inductor coil may not be electrically connected and may be substantially electrically independent or isolated from one another.

[0025] Optionally, the article for use with the aerosol delivery device defines a first surface outline and a second surface outline, wherein, in use, the first surface outline faces the first inductor coil and the second surface outline faces the second inductor coil. The first surface outline and / or the second surface outline may be substantially planar.

[0026] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device may include or be configured to provide power to one or more inductor coils, the power providing device being configured to allow an oscillating current to flow through the one or more inductor coils.

[0027] Optionally, the device for supplying power to the one or more inductor coils may comprise one or more power sources.

[0028] Optionally, the device for supplying power to the one or more inductor coils may comprise one or more electrical connectors, which, in use, connect to one or more power sources for use with the aerosol delivery device, and the one or more power sources supply power to the one or more inductor coils through the one or more electrical connectors.

[0029] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device may comprise multiple inductor coils, and the device for supplying power to one or more inductor coils may be configured to supply power to the multiple inductor coils independently.

[0030] Optionally, at least one of the one or more inductor coils may comprise a planar non-helical inductor coil.

[0031] Optionally, at least one of the one or more inductor coils comprising the planar non-helical inductor coil may have a substantially square shape or a substantially rectangular shape.

[0032] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device may comprise two or more planar non-helical inductor coils.

[0033] Optionally, the planar non-helical inductor coil may comprise multiple mandrel loops, the multiple mandrel loops being arranged in a multi-layer configuration.

[0034] Optionally, the mandrel loop may comprise a single turn coil.

[0035] Optionally, the mandrel loop may comprise a four-turn coil.

[0036] Optionally, the mandrel loop may be disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0037] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device may further comprise a flux concentrator.

[0038] Optionally, the flux concentrator may include a ferrite material and / or may be a continuous sheet or strip of ferrite material.

[0039] Optionally, at least one of the one or more inductor coils may comprise a conductive element having a conductive first portion coincident with the first plane, a conductive second portion coincident with a second plane spaced apart from the first plane, and a conductive connector electrically connecting the first portion to the second portion.

[0040] Optionally, the first portion may be a first partial ring and the second portion may be a second partial ring.

[0041] Optionally, the first portion or first sub-annulus may be a first arc and the second portion or second sub-annulus may be a second arc.

[0042] Optionally, when viewed orthogonal to the first plane, the first portion or partial ring and the second portion or partial ring may extend in opposite rotations from the conductive connector.

[0043] Optionally, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first plane, the first portion or first partial annular body may only partially overlap the second portion or second partial annular body.

[0044] Optionally, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first plane, the first portion or the first partial annular body may at least partially overlap the conductive connector.

[0045] Optionally, the first and second planes may be flat planes.

[0046] Optionally, the distance between the first and second planes measured in a direction perpendicular to the first and second planes may be less than 2 mm.

[0047] Optionally, the first portion or sub-annulus and the second portion or sub-annulus together define at least 0.9 turns about an axis perpendicular to the first and second planes.

[0048] Optionally, the element may comprise further conductive portions or conductive partial rings coinciding with the respective spaced apart planes.

[0049] Optionally, the total number of turns around the axis defined by all of the conductive portions or sub-rings of the element together may be between 1 and 10 turns.

[0050] Optionally, the distance between each adjacent pair of portions or sub-annuli of the elements may be equal to or differ from the distance between each other adjacent pair of portions or sub-annuli of the elements by less than 10%.

[0051] Optionally, each of the first and second portions or sub-annuli has a thickness measured in a direction perpendicular to the first plane of between 10 micrometers and 200 micrometers.

[0052] Optionally, at least one of the one or more inductor coils may comprise a coil with a pitch of less than 2 mm.

[0053] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device may further comprise an electrically insulating support having opposite first and second sides, and the first portion or first partial ring may be on the first side of the support, and the second portion or second partial ring is on the second side of the support.

[0054] Optionally, the electrically insulating support may have a through hole which may be radially inwardly and coaxial with the first and second portions or partial annular bodies.

[0055] Optionally, the conductive connector of the inductor extends through the support.

[0056] Optionally, the thickness of the support is between 0.2 mm and 2 mm.

[0057] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device further comprises a printed circuit board, and the support may be a non-conductive substrate of the printed circuit board, and the first and second portions or partial annular bodies may be tracks on the substrate.

[0058] Optionally, at least one of the one or more inductor coils may comprise a layered inductor structure, which may comprise multiple layers, and optionally, three or more layers.

[0059] Optionally, the layered inductor structure may comprise a conductive element, the conductive element comprising: a first layer having a conductive first portion; a second layer including a conductive second portion, the second layer optionally being disposed a first distance from the first layer along a first direction; a third layer including a conductive third portion, the third layer being optionally disposed a second distance from the second layer along the second direction; Equipped with.

[0060] Optionally, the layered inductor structure comprises: a first conductive connector electrically connecting the first portion to the second portion; a second conductive connector electrically connecting the second portion to the third portion; Equipped with.

[0061] Optionally, the first layer may coincide with a first plane, the second layer may coincide with a second plane, and the third layer may coincide with a third plane.

[0062] Optionally, at least one of the first plane, the second plane, and the third plane may be a flat plane, and optionally, the first direction may be perpendicular to the first plane and / or the second direction may be perpendicular to the second plane.

[0063] Optionally, the first plane, the second plane and the third plane may be flat parallel planes.

[0064] Optionally, the third layer may be spaced apart from the second layer along a second direction, and the second layer may be spaced apart from the first layer along a first direction, and the second direction may be at an angle other than 180 degrees with respect to the first direction, such that the layered inductor structure may comprise a staggered structure formed from the first, second, and third portions.

[0065] Optionally, the third layer may be spaced apart from the second layer along a second direction, and the second layer may be spaced apart from the first layer along a first direction, and the second direction may be substantially opposite to the first direction, such that the layered inductor structure may comprise a staggered structure formed from the first, second, and third portions.

[0066] Optionally, the first interval and the second interval may have equal lengths.

[0067] Optionally, the first interval and the second interval may have different lengths.

[0068] Optionally, at least one of the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion comprises any of a spiral, an irregular spiral, a circular, a partial spiral, a partial irregular spiral, a partial circular, a non-helical, or a combination thereof.

[0069] Optionally, the spiral, irregular spiral, partial spiral, partial irregular spiral, partial loop, or combinations thereof may comprise tails or vias.

[0070] Optionally, the first portion may define at least a first partial turn around a first point on a first plane, and / or the second portion may define at least a second partial turn around a second point on a second plane, and / or the third portion may define at least a third partial turn around a third point on a third plane.

[0071] Optionally, the first partial turn and / or the second partial turn and / or the third partial turn is less than one full turn.

[0072] Optionally, the first partial turn and / or the second partial turn and / or the third partial turn is more than one full turn.

[0073] Optionally, the first point and the second point lie on a first axis that coincides with the first direction, and / or the second point and the third point lie on a second axis that coincides with the second direction.

[0074] Optionally, the partial spiral may comprise a portion of (i) a circular or oval spiral, (ii) a square or rectangular spiral, (iii) a trapezoidal spiral, or (iv) a triangular spiral.

[0075] Optionally, the spiral comprises (i) a circular or oval spiral, (ii) a square or rectangular spiral, (iii) a trapezoidal spiral, or (iv) a triangular spiral.

[0076] Optionally, the annular shape comprises (i) a circle or ellipse, (ii) a square or rectangle, (iii) a trapezoid, or (iv) a triangle, (v) a regular polygon, or (vi) an irregular polygon.

[0077] Optionally, the partial annular body may comprise a portion of (i) a circle or ellipse, (ii) a square or rectangle, (iii) a trapezoid, or (iv) a triangle, (v) a regular polygon, or (vi) an irregular polygon.

[0078] Optionally, the first layer and the third layer coincide with the same plane.

[0079] Optionally, the first layer and the third layer may be different regions of the same layer.

[0080] Optionally, one of the first and third portions may be disposed radially inward of the other of the first and third portions.

[0081] Optionally, at least one of the first portion and the third portion at least partially overlaps the second portion when viewed towards the layer.

[0082] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device comprises one or more tracks containing magnetic material, and the one or more tracks may be arranged within or between the staggered structure.

[0083] Optionally, the magnetic material may include ferrite.

[0084] Optionally, at least one of the one or more inductor coils may comprise one or more cone-shaped inductor coil(s).

[0085] Optionally, the pitch of the conical inductor coil may be constant.

[0086] According to an alternative configuration, the pitch of the conical inductor coil may be varied. The varying pitch of the conical inductor coil may be configured to provide uniform inductive coupling or constant magnetic flux through the susceptor, which may optionally be a flat susceptor.

[0087] Optionally, the cone-shaped inductor coil may have a smaller cone height relative to the width at the base of the cone.

[0088] Optionally, the cone-shaped inductor coil may comprise a coil of conductive material that includes a projected shape of (i) a circular spiral, (ii) a square or rectangular spiral, (iii) a trapezoidal spiral, or (iv) a triangular spiral; The cone-shaped inductor coil may have a cone base, and the projected shape is the shape formed by projecting the coil onto the cone base.

[0089] Optionally, the projected shape may include at least one of: (i) straight sides, (ii) curved sides, or (iii) a mixture thereof.

[0090] Optionally, the cone-shaped inductor coil has a cone axis and a cone base, the cone-shaped inductor coil has a cone apex, and the cone axis may be a line passing through the apex and the center of the cone base.

[0091] Optionally, the axis of the cone may be perpendicular to the base of the cone.

[0092] Optionally, the axis of the cone may be at an angle other than 90 degrees to the base of the cone.

[0093] Optionally, the cone-shaped inductor coil may include a coil of conductive material having a thickness or cross-sectional area that may (i) vary along the coil or (ii) be uniform along the coil.

[0094] Optionally, the conductive material may be substantially uniform along the length of the coil, or alternatively, the conductive material may have a composition that varies along the length of the coil.

[0095] A cone-shaped inductor coil may be formed around a curved, planar or three-dimensional surface.

[0096] Optionally, the curved plane or three-dimensional surface may include a cylinder.

[0097] Optionally, the cone-shaped inductor coil may comprise a base of a cone, which may be formed around a curved plane or three-dimensional surface.

[0098] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device may comprise a plurality of cone-shaped inductor coils.

[0099] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device may comprise a conical-shaped bifilar inductor coil, which may comprise two or more closely spaced parallel windings.

[0100] Optionally, at least one of the one or more inductor coils may comprise a wound planar coil comprising a cylindrically wound planar shaped inductor coil, and optionally the wound planar coil may be embedded in the substrate.

[0101] Optionally, the wound planar coil may be configured to hold its structure within the substrate.

[0102] Optionally, the substrate may be a resin.

[0103] Optionally, the one or more inductor coils may be configured to generate a varying magnetic field, and the aerosol delivery device further comprises one or more susceptors heated by the varying magnetic field.

[0104] Optionally, the one or more susceptors may be positioned and configured to heat, without burning, aerosol-forming material provided on one or more articles for use with the aerosol delivery device.

[0105] Optionally, the one or more susceptors may be positioned and configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-forming material provided on one or more articles for use with the aerosol delivery device.

[0106] According to another aspect, an aerosol delivery device as described above; one or more articles comprising an aerosol-forming material; An aerosol delivery system is provided comprising:

[0107] Optionally, one or more articles may be disposed within or between the windings of one or more inductor coils.

[0108] Optionally, the one or more articles are substantially planar.

[0109] Optionally, the one or more articles have an article cross-section that substantially matches an inductor coil cross-section of at least one of the one or more inductor coils.

[0110] Optionally, at least one of the plurality of articles has a first article cross-section that may be different from a second article cross-section of at least one of the plurality of articles, and at least one of the first article cross-section and the second article cross-section substantially matches an inductor coil cross-section of one or more inductor coils.

[0111] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device may comprise a plurality of inductor coils, each article of the plurality of articles having an article cross section that substantially matches an inductor coil cross section of a respective one of the plurality of inductor coils.

[0112] Optionally, each article having a particular article cross-section may be positioned within or between the windings of an inductor coil having an inductor coil cross-section that substantially matches the particular article cross-section.

[0113] Optionally, one or more articles disposed within or between the windings of one or more inductor coils may substantially follow or track the windings of one or more inductor coils.

[0114] Optionally, one or more susceptors disposed within or between the windings of the one or more inductor coils substantially follow or track the windings of the one or more inductor coils.

[0115] Optionally, the one or more articles comprise one or more susceptors.

[0116] Optionally, the one or more articles are inserted into the aerosol delivery device such that at least a portion of one of the one or more susceptor elements can be positioned in close proximity to at least a portion of the one or more inductor coils.

[0117] Optionally, the one or more articles comprise an aerosol-forming material.

[0118] Optionally, the aerosol-generating material may be provided (i) as a solid, (ii) as a liquid, (iii) in the form of a gel, (iv) in the form of a thin film substrate, (v) in the form of a thin film substrate having multiple regions, or (vi) in the form of a thin film substrate having multiple regions, at least two of the regions comprising aerosol-generating material having different compositions.

[0119] According to another aspect, providing an aerosol delivery device having one or more inductor coils; incorporating or otherwise disposing an article for use with an aerosol delivery device within at least one of the one or more inductor coils, or within or between windings of the one or more inductor coils, the article comprising an aerosol-generating material; energizing one or more inductor coils or windings; A method for producing an aerosol comprising:

[0120] Various embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0121] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of an example aerosol delivery system. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for heating an aerosol-forming material. [Figure 3] 10 is a flow chart illustrating another example of a method for heating an aerosol-forming material. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a configuration comprising an inductor coil and an article. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram of a configuration in which the article is incorporated into two or more inductor coils simultaneously. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram of a configuration in which the aerosol delivery device includes a first inductor coil and a second inductor coil with a central inductor coil. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an arrangement comprising a first inductor coil and a second inductor coil, where in use the article is positioned equidistant between the first inductor coil and the second inductor coil. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a planar non-helical coil in the form of a mandrel loop formed on a PCB according to one configuration. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of an inductor coil of a heating unit according to one configuration. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic perspective view of an inductor according to one configuration. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a layered inductor structure according to one configuration. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a layered inductor structure comprising four layers according to one configuration. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conical inductor coil according to one configuration. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a side view of a conical inductor coil according to one configuration. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an inductor coil, which is a flat or planar inductor coil formed around a cylinder or wrapped around a cylinder. [Figure 16A] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a planar aerosol generator according to one configuration. [Figure 16B] 1 is an end view of an aerosol generating article showing multiple susceptors embedded in the aerosol generating article. [Figure 16C] 1 is a side view of an aerosol generating article showing multiple susceptors embedded in the aerosol generating article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0122] [Detailed explanation] As used herein, the term "aerosolizable material," sometimes referred to as an aerosol-generating material, includes materials that, upon heating, provide volatile components, typically in the form of a vapor or an aerosol. "Aerosolizable material" may be tobacco-free or tobacco-containing. "Aerosolizable material" may include, for example, one or more of tobacco itself, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco extract, homogenized tobacco, or tobacco substitutes. Aerosolizable material may be in the form of ground tobacco, cut rag tobacco, extruded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, reconstituted aerosolizable material, liquid, gel, gelled sheet, powder, or mass. "Aerosolizable material" may also include other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine, depending on the product. "Aerosolizable material" may also include one or more humectants, such as glycerol or propylene glycol.

[0123] As used herein, the term "sheet" refers to an element whose width and length are greater than its thickness. A sheet may be, for example, a strip.

[0124] As used herein, the terms "heating material" or "heater material" refer to a material that can be heated by the penetration of a varying magnetic field.

[0125] Induction heating is a process in which a conductive object is heated by penetrating a changing magnetic field into the object. This process is explained by Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater can include an electromagnet and a device for passing a changing current, such as an alternating current, through the electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the object to be heated are positioned relative to each other so that the changing magnetic field generated by the electromagnet penetrates the object, one or more eddy currents are generated within the object. The object has a resistance to the flow of current. Therefore, when such eddy currents are generated within the object, they flow against the object's electrical resistance, thereby heating the object. This process is called Joule heating, ohmic heating, or resistive heating. An object that can be heated by electromagnetic induction is known as a susceptor.

[0126] In one example, the susceptor is in the form of a closed circuit. It has been found that when the susceptor is in the form of a closed electrical circuit, in use, there is a stronger magnetic coupling between the susceptor and the electromagnet, resulting in increased or improved Joule heating.

[0127] Magnetic hysteresis heating is the process by which an object made from a magnetic material is heated by the penetration of a changing magnetic field. Magnetic materials can be thought of as containing many atomic-scale magnets, or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field penetrates such a material, the magnetic dipoles align along the field. Thus, when a changing magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field produced by an electromagnet, penetrates a magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes with the applied changing magnetic field. This change in orientation of the magnetic dipoles generates heat within the magnetic material.

[0128] When an object is both conductive and magnetic, the penetration of a varying magnetic field into the object can cause both Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating in the object. Furthermore, the use of magnetic materials can enhance the magnetic field, thereby enhancing Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating.

[0129] In each of the above processes, because heat is generated within the object itself rather than by conduction from an external heat source, rapid temperature rise and more uniform heat distribution within the object can be achieved, particularly by appropriate selection of the object's material and geometry, and the magnitude and orientation of the varying magnetic field relative to the object. Furthermore, induction heating and magnetic hysteresis heating do not require a physical connection between the varying magnetic field source and the object, thereby increasing design freedom and control of the heating profile and reducing costs.

[0130] 1, there is shown a schematic cross-sectional side view of an example aerosol delivery system 1. The aerosol delivery system 1 includes an aerosol delivery device 100 and an article 10 comprising an aerosol-forming material 11. The aerosol-forming material 11 may be, for example, any of the types of aerosol-forming materials discussed herein.

[0131] In some examples, aerosol-forming material 11 is a non-liquid material. In some examples, aerosol-forming material 11 is a gel. In some examples, aerosol-forming material 11 may include tobacco. However, in other examples, aerosol-forming material 11 may be composed of tobacco, may consist essentially entirely of tobacco, may include tobacco and aerosol-forming materials other than tobacco, may include aerosol-forming materials other than tobacco, or may be tobacco-free. In some examples, aerosol-forming material 11 may include a vapor or aerosol-forming agent or a humectant (e.g., glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin, or diethylene glycol). In some examples, aerosol-forming material 11 may include a reconstituted aerosol-forming material, such as reconstituted tobacco.

[0132] In some examples, aerosol-forming material 11 is substantially cylindrical with a substantially circular cross-section and longitudinal axis, while in other examples, aerosol-forming material 11 may have another cross-sectional shape and / or may not be elongated.

[0133] The article 10 may also include a wrapper (not shown) wrapped around the aerosol-forming material 11 and the filter element 12 to hold the filter element 12 against the aerosol-forming material 11. The wrapper may be wrapped around the aerosol-forming material 11 and the filter element 12 such that the free ends of the wrapper overlap each other. The wrapper may form part or all of the circumferential outer surface of the article 10. The wrapper may be made from any suitable material, such as paper, cardboard, or recycled aerosol-forming material (e.g., reconstituted tobacco). The paper may be tipping paper, as known in the art. In other examples, the adhesive may be omitted, or the wrapper may take a different form than described. In some examples, the filter element 12 may be omitted.

[0134] Aerosol delivery device 100 may include a heated region 110 for receiving at least a portion of article 10, an outlet 120 through which, in use, aerosol can be delivered from heated region 110 to a user, and a heating apparatus 130 for generating aerosol by heating article 10 when article 10 is at least partially disposed within heated region 110. In some examples, such as that shown in FIG. 1 , aerosol can be delivered from heated region 110 to a user through article 10 itself, rather than through any gaps adjacent to article 10. Nevertheless, in such examples, aerosol still passes through outlet 120 while traveling within article 10.

[0135] Aerosol delivery device 100 may define at least one air inlet (not shown) that fluidly connects heated region 110 with the exterior of aerosol delivery device 100. A user can inhale the volatile component(s) of the aerosol-generating material by breathing the volatile component(s) from heated region 110 through article 10.

[0136] In this example, the heating region 110 extends along an axis AA and is sized and shaped to accommodate only a portion of the article 10. In this example, the axis AA is a central axis of the heating region 110. Further, in this example, the heating region 110 is elongated, and thus the axis AA is a longitudinal axis AA of the heating region 110. The article 10 is at least partially insertable into the heating region 110 through the outlet 120 and protrudes from the heating region 110 through the outlet 120 during use. In other examples, the heating region 110 may or may not be elongated and may be sized to accommodate the entire article 10. In some such examples, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include a mouthpiece that can be positioned over the outlet 120 and through which aerosol can be drawn from the heating region 110 and the article 10.

[0137] In this example, when the article 10 is at least partially disposed within the heated zone 110, different portions 11a-11e of the aerosol-generating material 11 are disposed at different respective locations 111a-110e within the heated zone 110. In this example, these locations 110a-110e are at different respective axial locations along the axis AA of the heated zone 110. Furthermore, in this example, because the heated zone 110 is elongated, the locations 111-115 can be considered to be different longitudinally spaced locations along the length of the heated zone 110. In this example, the article 10 can be considered to include five such portions 11a-11e of the aerosol-generating material 11 disposed at a first location 111, a second location 112, a third location 113, a fourth location 114, and a fifth location 115, respectively.

[0138] The heating apparatus 130 may include multiple heating units 140a-140e, each capable of heating a respective one of the portions 11a-11e of the aerosol-forming material 11 to a temperature sufficient to aerosolize its components when the article 10 is at least partially disposed within the heating zone 110. The multiple heating units 140a-140e may be axially aligned with one another along the axis AA. Each of the portions 11a-11e of the aerosol-forming material 11 thus heatable may have a length along the axis AA of 1 mm to 20 mm, such as 2 mm to 10 mm, 3 mm to 8 mm, or 4 mm to 6 mm.

[0139] The heating device 130 may also include a controller 135 configured to operate the heating units 140a-140e to heat respective portions 11a-11e of the aerosol-generating material 11 during use. In this example, the controller 135 is configured to operate the heating units 140a-140e independently of one another, thereby allowing respective portions 11a-11e of the aerosol-generating material 11 to be heated independently. This may be desirable for progressive heating of the aerosol-generating material 11 during use. Furthermore, in examples where the portions 11a-11e of the aerosol-generating material 11 have different morphologies or characteristics, such as different tobacco blends and / or different applied or inherent flavors, being able to independently heat the portions 11a-11e of the aerosol-generating material 11 may enable heating of selected portions 11a-11e of the aerosol-generating material 11 at different times during a use session to generate aerosols with predetermined characteristics depending on time.

[0140] In this example, heating units 140a-140e comprise respective induction heating units configured to generate respective varying magnetic fields, such as alternating current magnetic fields. Accordingly, heating apparatus 130 can be considered to comprise a magnetic field generator, and controller 135 can be considered to be a device operable to apply varying current to the inductors of respective heating units 140a-140e. The inductors of each heating unit 140a-140e may comprise any one or more of the inductor coils described below, such as any one or more of the inductor coil configurations 400, 500, 600, and 700 shown in FIGS. 4-7. Additionally, in this example, aerosol delivery device 100 may comprise a susceptor 190 that is heatable by the penetration of the varying magnetic field, thereby heating heating region 110 and items 10 therein during use. That is, multiple portions of susceptor 190 are heatable by the penetration of the respective fluctuating magnetic fields, thereby heating respective portions 11a-11e of aerosol-generating material 11 at respective locations 111-115 of heating region 110.

[0141] In some examples, the susceptor 190 is made of or includes aluminum. However, in other examples, the susceptor 190 may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of an electrically conductive material, a magnetic material, and a magnetically conductive material. In some examples, the susceptor 190 may include a metal or a metal alloy. In some examples, the susceptor 190 may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gold, iron, nickel, cobalt, conductive carbon, graphite, steel, plain carbon steel, mild steel, stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, molybdenum, silicon carbide, copper, and bronze. Other material(s) may be used in other examples.

[0142] In some examples, such as those in which the susceptor 190 comprises iron, e.g., steel (e.g., mild steel or stainless steel), or aluminum, the susceptor 190 may include a coating that helps prevent corrosion or oxidation of the susceptor 190 during use. Such coatings may include, for example, nickel plating, gold plating, or a ceramic or inert polymer coating.

[0143] In this example, susceptor 190 is tubular and surrounds heating zone 110. Indeed, in this example, the inner surface of susceptor 190 partially defines heating zone 110. The inner cross-sectional shape of susceptor 190 may be circular or a different shape, such as elliptical, polygonal, or irregular. In other examples, susceptor 190 may take a different form, such as a non-tubular structure that also partially surrounds heating zone 110, or a protruding structure, such as a rod, pin, or blade, that penetrates heating zone 110. In some examples, susceptor 190 may be replaced by multiple susceptors, each of which is heatable by the penetration of a respective one of the varying magnetic fields, thereby heating a respective one of portions 11a-11e of aerosol-generating material 11. Each of the multiple susceptors may be tubular or may take one of the other forms discussed herein for susceptor 190, for example. In a further example, aerosol-delivery device 100 may not include susceptor 190, and article 10 may include one or more susceptors that are heatable by the penetration of a varying magnetic field to heat respective portions 11a-11e of aerosol-generating material 11. Each of one or more susceptors of article 10 may take any suitable form, such as a structure wrapped around or otherwise surrounding aerosol-generating material 11 (e.g., a metal foil such as aluminum foil), a structure disposed within aerosol-generating material 11, or a group of particles or other elements mixed with aerosol-generating material 11.

[0144] In this example, the heating device 130 may include a power source (not shown) and a user interface (not shown) for user operation of the device. The power source in this example is a rechargeable battery. In other examples, the power source may be other than a rechargeable battery, such as a non-rechargeable battery, a capacitor, a battery-capacitor hybrid, or a connection to a mains power source.

[0145] In this example, controller 135 is electrically connected between the power source and heating units 140a-140e. In this example, controller 135 is also electrically connected to the power source. More specifically, in this example, controller 135 is for controlling the supply of power from the power source to heating units 140a-140e. In this example, controller 135 may comprise an integrated circuit (IC), such as an IC on a printed circuit board (PCB). In other examples, controller 135 may take different forms. Controller 135, in this example, is operated by a user operating a user interface. The user interface may comprise push buttons, toggle switches, dials, a touch screen, or the like. In other examples, the user interface may be remote and wirelessly connected to the rest of aerosol delivery device 100, such as via Bluetooth™.

[0146] The configuration of each of the heating units 140a-140e is discussed further below with reference to Figures 2 and 3. However, it should be noted at this stage that the magnitude or extent of the varying magnetic field, as measured along the axis AA, is relatively small, and as a result, the portion of the susceptor 190 penetrated by the varying magnetic field during use is correspondingly small. It may therefore be desirable for the susceptor 190 to have a thermal conductivity sufficient to increase the proportion of the susceptor 190 that is heated by thermal conduction as a result of the penetration of the varying magnetic field, thereby correspondingly increasing the proportion of the aerosol-generating material 11 that is heated by operation of each of the heating units 140a-140e. It has been found desirable to provide a susceptor 190 with a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W / m / K, optionally at least 50 W / m / K, and even optionally at least 100 W / m / K. In this example, susceptor 190 is made of aluminum and has a thermal conductivity of 200-250 W / m / K, e.g., greater than 200 W / m / K, such as about 205 W / m / K or 237 W / m / K. As mentioned above, each of portions 11a-11e of aerosol-generating material 11 may have a length along axis AA of 1 mm to 20 mm, e.g., 2 mm to 10 mm, 3 mm to 8 mm, or 4 mm to 6 mm.

[0147] In this example, the heating device 130 is configured to heat the first portion 11a of the aerosol-generating material 11 to a temperature sufficient to aerosolize the components of the first portion 11a of the aerosol-generating material 11 during a heating session, before or more quickly than the heating of the second portion 11b of the aerosol-generating material 11. More specifically, the controller 135 is configured to operate the first and second heating units 140a, 140b during a heating session to heat the first portion 11a of the aerosol-generating material 11 before or more quickly than the heating of the second portion 11b of the aerosol-generating material 11. Thus, during a heating session, the location at which thermal energy is applied to the aerosol-generating material 11 of the article 10 is initially located relatively fluidly spaced from the outlet 120 and the user, and then the location moves toward the outlet 120.

[0148] 2, a flow diagram illustrating an example method for heating an aerosol-generating material during a heating session using an aerosol delivery device is shown. The aerosol delivery device used in method 200 may include a heating region for receiving at least a portion of an article comprising the aerosol-generating material, an outlet through which, in use, an aerosol can be delivered from the heating region to a user, and a heating apparatus for generating an aerosol by heating the article when the article is at least partially disposed within the heating region. The aerosol delivery device may be, for example, the one shown in FIG. 1 or any suitable variation thereof discussed herein.

[0149] The method 200 may include a step 210 in which the heating device 130 heats the first portion 11a of the aerosol-generating material 11 of the article 10 to a temperature sufficient to aerosolize the components of the first portion 11a of the aerosol-generating material 11 when the article 10 is at least partially positioned within the heating region 110, before or faster than a step 220 in which the heating device 130 heats the second portion 11b of the aerosol-generating material 11 of the article 10 to a temperature sufficient to aerosolize the components of the second portion 11b of the aerosol-generating material 11, the second portion 11b of the aerosol-generating material 11 being fluidly positioned between the first portion 11a of the aerosol-generating material 11 and the outlet 120.

[0150] It will be understood from the teachings herein that method 200 can be suitably configured so that, as discussed above, heating device 130 also includes a step of heating at least one further portion 11b-11e of aerosol-generating material 11 to a temperature sufficient to aerosolize the components of the further portion 11b-11e of aerosol-generating material 11 before or more quickly than heating the still further portion 11c-11e of aerosol-generating material 11 that is fluidly closer to outlet 120.

[0151] Referring to FIG. 3 , a flow chart illustrating another example of a method for heating an aerosol-generating material during a heating session using an aerosol delivery device is shown. The aerosol delivery device used in method 300 may include a heating region for receiving at least a portion of an article comprising the aerosol-generating material, an outlet through which, in use, an aerosol can be delivered from the heating region to a user, and a heating apparatus for generating an aerosol by heating the article when the article is at least partially disposed within the heating region. The heating apparatus may include a first heating unit, a second heating unit, a third heating unit, and a controller configured to operate the first, second, and third heating units. The aerosol delivery device may be, for example, the one shown in FIG. 1 or any of the suitable variations thereof discussed herein.

[0152] The method 300 includes step 310 in which the controller 135, when the article 10 is at least partially disposed within the heating zone 110, controls the first, second, and third heating units 140 a, 140 b, 140 c independently of one another to cause the first heating unit 140 a to heat the first portion 11 a of the aerosol-generating material 11 of the article 10 (e.g., before or faster than the second portion 11 b) to a temperature sufficient to aerosolize the components of the first portion 11 a of the aerosol-generating material 11 of the article 10, and to cause the second heating unit 140 b to heat the second portion 11 b of the aerosol-generating material 11 of the article 10 (e.g., before or faster than the third portion 11 c). The method may include step 320 of causing a third heating unit 140c to heat the second portion 11b of the aerosol-generating material 11 of the article 10 to a temperature sufficient to aerosolize the components of the second portion 11b of the aerosol-generating material 11, and step 330 of causing a third heating unit 140c to heat the third portion 11c of the aerosol-generating material 11 of the article 10 to a temperature sufficient to aerosolize the components of the third portion 11c of the aerosol-generating material 11, wherein the second portion 11b of the aerosol-generating material 11 is fluidly disposed between the first portion 11a of the aerosol-generating material 11 and the outlet 120, and the third portion 11c of the aerosol-generating material 11 is fluidly disposed between the second portion 11b of the aerosol-generating material 11 and the outlet 120.

[0153] When the aerosol supply device used in method 300 can be equipped with sufficient heating units, it will be understood from the teachings of this specification that method 300 can be suitably configured to include a heating device 130 that also controls the fourth and fifth heating units 140d, 140e independently of each other when the item 10 is at least partially positioned within the heating region 110, causing the fourth heating unit 140d to heat the fourth portion 11d of the aerosol-generating material 11 of the item 10 to a temperature sufficient to aerosolize the components of the fourth portion 11d of the aerosol-generating material 11, and causing the fifth heating unit 140e to heat the fifth portion 11e of the aerosol-generating material 11 of the item 10 to a temperature sufficient to aerosolize the components of the fifth portion 11e of the aerosol-generating material 11. Here, the fourth portion 11d of the aerosol-generating material 11 is fluidly disposed between the third portion 11c of the aerosol-generating material 11 and the outlet 120, and the fifth portion 11e of the aerosol-generating material 11 is fluidly disposed between the fourth portion 11d of the aerosol-generating material 11 and the outlet 120.

[0154] The heating units 140a-140e of the heating device 130 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 4-15, which disclose various features of one or more inductor coils 400, 500, 600, 700 of the heating units.

[0155] Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown an inductor coil 401 and an article 402, where in use article 402 is interdigitated or otherwise positioned within or between inductor coil 401.

[0156] 5, in some configurations, article 502 may incorporate two or more inductor coils 501a, 501b simultaneously. Articles 402, 502 may correspond to article 10 for use with aerosol delivery device 100 of FIG.

[0157] In some configurations, the plurality of articles 402, 502 may be incorporated or otherwise disposed within or between at least one of the one or more inductor coils 401. In some configurations, each article of the plurality of articles for use with the aerosol delivery device is incorporated or otherwise disposed within or between a respective inductor coil of the plurality of inductor coils.

[0158] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the article or articles are positioned within or between the windings of one or more inductor coils.

[0159] In some configurations, the article or articles are substantially planar. Article 402 shown in FIG. 4 is substantially square or rectangular, while coil 401 is substantially cylindrical. However, in some configurations, the article may have a cross-section that substantially matches the cross-section of the inductor coil. For example, the article may be substantially circular or disc-shaped, to match the cylindrical coil shown in FIG. 4. It will be understood that the inductor coil may have any of the configurations disclosed.

[0160] In a configuration comprising a plurality of articles, at least one of the plurality of articles has a first article cross-section that is different from a second article cross-section of at least one other article of the plurality of articles, and at least one of the first article cross-section and the second article cross-section substantially matches an inductor coil cross-section of one or more inductor coils. In a configuration comprising a plurality of inductor coils, each article of the plurality of articles may have an article cross-section that substantially matches an inductor coil cross-section of a respective one of the plurality of inductor coils. Each article having a particular article cross-section may be positioned within or between windings of an inductor coil having an inductor coil cross-section with which the particular article cross-section substantially matches.

[0161] In some configurations, the article(s) are incorporated or otherwise positioned within or between the inductor coil(s) such that the number of turns in each inductor coil above and below each incorporated article is substantially equal.

[0162] In some configurations, the article or articles disposed within or between the windings of the one or more inductor coils may have a complex shape such that the article(s) substantially follow or track the windings of the inductor coil(s).

[0163] In some configurations, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include one or more susceptors. In use, the article(s) may be positioned proximate to the one or more susceptors. In some configurations, the one or more susceptors are positioned within or between the windings of the inductor coil(s). The susceptor(s) positioned within or between the windings of the inductor coil(s) may substantially follow or track the windings of the one or more inductor coils.

[0164] In some configurations, the article or articles comprise one or more susceptors.

[0165] By incorporating or otherwise arranging an article in an inductor coil as described, it has been found that the inductor coil induces a temperature gradient across the article. This may be desirable, for example, to tailor the properties of an aerosol generated from the article. For example, an aerosol can be generated from an aerosol-generating material having a first flavoring by using heat from a first portion of the article having a first temperature distribution, and an aerosol can be generated having a second flavoring by using heat from a second portion of the article having a second temperature distribution.

[0166] 6 , an aerosol delivery device may include an inductor coil configuration 600 comprising a first inductor coil 601 and a second inductor coil 603, and in use, an article 602 for use with the aerosol delivery device is interleaved or otherwise disposed within or between the first inductor coil 601. The second inductor coil 603 may include a central inductor coil 603 that may be positioned radially inward of the first inductor coil 603. In other configurations, the central inductor coil 603 may be positioned radially outward of the first inductor coil 601.

[0167] In some configurations, the item 602 is embedded or otherwise positioned within or between the first inductor coil 601 so that the number of turns in the first inductor coil 601 above and below the item 602 is substantially equal.

[0168] The temperature gradient across the article 602 can be adjusted or controlled by using the second inductor coil 603. The second inductor coil 603 may be operated independently of the first inductor coil 601.

[0169] Referring to FIG. 7, a first inductor coil 701a and a second inductor coil 701b are shown, and when in use, an item 702 is positioned equidistant 703 between the first inductor coil and the second inductor coil, and the item 702 does not penetrate into either the first inductor coil 701a or the second inductor coil 701b.

[0170] In some configurations, the first inductor coil 701a and the second inductor coil 701b are connected in series, however, in some configurations, the first inductor coil 701a and the second inductor coil 701b may not be electrically connected or may be substantially electrically independent or isolated from one another.

[0171] The article 702 may have a shape that defines a first surface outline and a second surface outline, where in use the first surface outline faces the first inductor coil 701a and the second surface outline faces the second inductor coil 702b.

[0172] In some configurations, there may be a device for supplying power to the one or more inductor coils, where the device for supplying power is configured to allow an oscillating current to flow through the one or more inductor coils. For example, the device for supplying power to the one or more inductor coils may comprise one or more power sources. In some configurations, the controller 135 of FIG. 1 may comprise one or more power sources.

[0173] Alternatively, the device for supplying power to the one or more inductor coils may include one or more electrical connectors, such that the inductor coils of each heating unit 140a-140e in Figure 1 and article 10 together form a disposable consumable. In this configuration, in use, the one or more electrical connectors connect to one or more power sources of a non-disposable device, such that power is supplied to the one or more inductor coils through the one or more electrical connectors.

[0174] In configurations with multiple inductor coils, the device for supplying power to one or more inductor coils may be configured to supply power to the multiple inductor coils independently.

[0175] It is known that placing an article comprising one or more susceptors or other metal elements in close proximity to an inductor increases the mechanical or positional instability of the article. This is because the oscillating magnetic field generated by the inductor during use can induce forces on the susceptor(s) or metal elements large enough to physically move the article. Accordingly, it has been discovered that providing an aerosol delivery device having one or more inductor coils, in which the article is embedded or otherwise positioned within or between at least one of the one or more inductor coils during use, can provide a mechanical cancellation effect. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , by embedding article 402 within or between the windings of inductor coil 401, article 402 experiences forces induced by the inductor. These forces are in opposite directions to each other, resulting in a mechanical cancellation effect. Similarly, it will be appreciated that placing article 702 equidistant between two inductor coils 701a and 701b, as shown in FIG. 7 , provides a similar mechanical cancellation effect.

[0176] It will be appreciated that the one or more inductor coils of the above configurations may be in any number of forms such that, in use, an article is incorporated or otherwise disposed within or between the inductor coil(s).

[0177] In some configurations, at least one of the one or more inductor coils may comprise a planar non-helical inductor coil. For example, at least one of the one or more inductor coils comprising a planar non-helical inductor coil may comprise (i) a substantially square shape or (ii) a substantially rectangular shape. In some configurations, the aerosol delivery device may comprise two or more planar non-helical inductor coils.

[0178] In some configurations, the planar non-helical inductor coil may comprise multiple mandrel loops, the multiple mandrel loops being arranged in a multi-layer configuration.

[0179] 8, there is shown a schematic perspective view of a planar non-helical coil 80 in the form of a mandrel loop 84 formed on a PCB, according to one configuration. The coil 80 may be used in a layered configuration to form a layered inductor coil.

[0180] Coil 80 comprises a PCB 82 and a planar non-helical inductor coil disposed on PCB 82 in the form of a mandrel loop 84, with an insulator 86 disposed on mandrel loop 84. The mandrel loop is formed from a conductive material, such as copper.

[0181] While this configuration includes a PCB 82, other configurations are contemplated in which the mandrel loop 82 is not disposed on the PCB. Instead, there is only the mandrel loop 84, or only the mandrel loop 84 and the insulator 86.

[0182] The successive mandrel loops 82 may be arranged to form a coil, so that articles may be interwoven or otherwise disposed within or between the coil.

[0183] 8, the mandrel loop 84 may include only a single turn. However, other configurations are contemplated in which the mandrel loop 84 may include more than one turn, such as two turns, three turns, four turns, or more than four turns.

[0184] Insulator 86 in this configuration is in the form of a planar plate. Insulator 86 may be made from a non-conductive material, such as a plastic material, so as to electrically insulate mandrel loop 84. In this configuration, insulator 86 is made from FR-4, a composite material made of woven fiberglass cloth with a flame-retardant epoxy resin binder.

[0185] In other examples, there are no individual PCBs 82 or insulators 86, and instead multiple mandrel loops 84 are arranged in multiple layers. In such examples, the mandrel loops 84 may be electrically isolated from one another in different ways, such as by air gaps. In other configurations, the article may be placed within or between such air gaps during use.

[0186] Turning now to the example where PCB 82 is present, mandrel loop 84 may be affixed to PCB 82 in any suitable manner. In the configuration shown in Figure 8, portion 80 is formed from a printed circuit board (PCB), and thus mandrel loop 84 is formed during the manufacture of PCB 82 by printing a conductive material onto each of first and second sides of PCB 82 and then removing (such as by etching) selected portions of the conductive material to leave a pattern of conductive material in the form of a mandrel loop. Mandrel loop 84 is thus a thin film or coating of conductive material on PCB 82.

[0187] Reference is now made to Figures 9 and 10, which are a schematic cross-sectional side view of an inductor coil 150 and a schematic perspective view of an inductor 160 of a heating unit, respectively.

[0188] Inductor coil 150 may include an electrically insulating support 172 and an inductor 160. Support 172 has opposing first and second sides 172a, 172b, with portions 162, 164 of inductor 160 on respective first and second sides 172a, 172b of support 172.

[0189] More specifically, the inductor 160 may include a conductive element 160. The element 160 may include a conductive first portion 162 that coincides with a first plane P1 and a conductive second portion 164 that coincides with a second plane P2 that is spaced apart from the first plane P1. In this example, the second plane P2 is parallel to the first plane P1, but this need not be the case in other examples. For example, the second plane P2 may be at an angle of 20 degrees or less, 10 degrees or less, or 5 degrees or less, relative to the first plane P1. The inductor 160 may also include a first conductive connector 163 that electrically connects the first portion 162 to the second portion 164. The first portion 162 is on a first side 172a of the support 172, and the second portion 164 is on a second side 172b of the support 172. The conductive connector 163 penetrates the support 172 from the first side surface 172a to the second side surface 172b. The conductive connector 163 may have a structure in which the surface of a through hole provided in the support 172 is plated (for example, copper plated).

[0190] The support 172 can be made from any suitable electrically insulating material(s). In some examples, the support 172 may comprise a matrix (such as an epoxy resin, optionally with a filler such as a ceramic) and a reinforcing structure (such as a woven or non-woven material such as fiberglass or paper).

[0191] In some examples, the support 172 may include one or more gaps or cavities, and in use, may be arranged such that articles are incorporated or positioned within or between the inductor coils 150.

[0192] Inductor 160 may be made from any suitable conductive material(s). In some examples, inductor 160 is made from copper.

[0193] In some examples, the inductor coil 150 includes or is formed from a PCB. In such examples, the support 172 is a non-conductive substrate of the PCB, which may be formed from a material such as FR-4 glass epoxy or cotton paper impregnated with phenolic resin, and the first and second portions 162, 164 of the inductor 160 are tracks on the substrate. This facilitates manufacturing of the inductor structure 150 and also allows the portions 162, 164 of the element 160 to be thin and closely spaced, as discussed in more detail below.

[0194] In this example, the first portion 162 is a first partial annulus 162 and the second portion 164 is a second partial annulus 164. Furthermore, in this example, each of the first and second portions 162, 164 follows only a portion of their respective circular paths.

[0195] Thus, the first portion or first partial annulus 162 is a first arc of a circle, and the second portion or second partial annulus 164 is a second arc of a circle. In other examples, the first and second portions 162, 164 may follow a path other than a circle, such as an ellipse, a polygon, or an irregular shape. However, matching the shape of the first and second portions 162, 164 to the shape (or at least an aspect of the shape, such as the periphery) of the portion of the respective adjacent susceptor 190 (whether provided on the aerosol delivery device 100 or the article 10) can help improve and make the magnetic coupling between the inductor 160 and the susceptor 190 more consistent.

[0196] Furthermore, in examples where the first and second portions 162, 164 are respective arcs, making the radii of the arcs equal can also help to produce a more consistent magnetic field along the length of the inductor 160, and therefore more consistent heating of the susceptor 190.

[0197] The inductor structure 150 has a through-hole 152 radially inwardly and coaxially with the first and second portions 162, 164 or partial annulus. In the assembled aerosol delivery device 100, the susceptor 190 and heating region 110 extend through the through-hole 152, such that the portions 162, 164 of the element 160 together at least partially surround the susceptor 190 and heating region 110. In examples where the susceptor 190 is replaced by multiple susceptors, each of the multiple susceptors may be positioned to extend through the through-hole 152 of one or more inductor structures 150 of a respective heating unit 140a-140e. In some examples, the or each susceptor does not extend through the through-hole 152, but rather is adjacent (e.g., axially) to the associated element 160.

[0198] 10 , when viewed perpendicular to first plane P1, and thus along axis BB of inductor 160, first portion 162 and second portion 164 extend in counter-rotating directions from first conductive connector 163. For example, when viewing inductor 160 in FIG. 10 along axis BB from left to right as depicted in FIG. 10 , first portion 162 of inductor 160 extends in a counterclockwise direction from connector 163, while second portion 164 of inductor 160 extends in a clockwise direction from connector 163.

[0199] Furthermore, in this example, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first plane P1, the first portion 162 or first partial annular body only partially overlaps the second portion 164 or second partial annular body. In this example, the first portion 162 and the second portion 164 together define approximately 1.75 turns about an axis BB perpendicular to the first and second planes P1 and P2. In other examples, the number of turns may be other than 1.75 turns, such as at least 0.9 turns. For example, the number of turns may be between 0.9 and 1.5 turns, or between 1 and 1.25 turns. In other examples, the number of turns may be less than 0.9 turns, but reducing the number of turns per support 172 may increase the axial length of the inductor assembly 150.

[0200] Furthermore, when viewed orthogonal to the first plane P1, the first portion 162 or first partial annular body and the second portion 164 or second partial annular body at least partially overlap the first conductive connector 163. This is facilitated by the inductor structure 150 comprising or formed from a PCB (or, more generally, a planar substrate layer). Notably, in such examples, the first conductive connector 163 takes the form of a “via” extending through the support 172. Even in examples where the inductor structure 150 is not formed from a PCB, the connector 163 may still extend through the support 172. This overlapping arrangement allows the inductor 160 to occupy a relatively small footprint when viewed orthogonal to the first plane P1, compared to a comparative example in which the first and second portions 162, 164 are connected by the connector 163 spaced radially outward from the first and second portions 162, 164. Furthermore, this overlapping arrangement allows the width of the through hole 152 to be increased compared to a comparative example in which the first and second portions 162, 164 are connected by a connector 163 spaced radially inward of the first and second portions 162, 164. Nevertheless, in some examples, the connector 163 may be radially inward or radially outward of the first and second portions 162, 164. This can be achieved by the connector 163 being formed by a "through via" that extends through the support 172. Through vias tend to be cheaper to form than blind vias because they can be formed after the PCB is manufactured.

[0201] It should be noted that in this example, the inductor coil 150 comprises two further supports 174, 176, and the element 160 can comprise two further conductive portions 166, 168 coinciding with two respective spaced apart planes P3, P4 parallel to the first plane P1.

[0202] In some configurations, each of the first, second, and third supports 172, 174, 176 may have one or more gaps or cavities, and in use, may be arranged so that an article is incorporated or positioned within or between the inductor coil 150.

[0203] In other examples, one or each of the spaced apart planes P3, P4 may be at an angle relative to the first plane P1, such as an angle of 20 degrees or less, 10 degrees or less, or 5 degrees or less. The second conductive portion 164 and the third conductive portion 166 are on opposite sides of the second support 174 and are electrically connected by a second conductive connector 165. The third conductive portion 166 and the fourth conductive portion 168 are on opposite sides of the third support 176 and are electrically connected by a third conductive connector 167. The second and third conductive connectors 165, 167 are rotationally offset from the first conductive connector 163. In configurations in which the supports 172, 174, and 176 are formed as PCBs, the connectors 163 and 167 may be formed as “blind vias,” while the connector 165 may be formed as a “buried via.”

[0204] In this example, first portion or partial ring 162, second portion or partial ring 164, third portion or partial ring 166, and fourth portion or partial ring 168 together define a total of approximately 3.6 turns about axis BB, which is perpendicular to first and second planes P1 and P2. In other examples, the total number of turns may be another number other than 3.6 turns, such as 1 to 10 turns. For example, the total number of turns may be 1 to 8 turns, or 1 to 4 turns. A relatively small total number of turns is believed to increase the voltage available at susceptor 190 (whether provided in aerosol delivery device 100 or article 10) to pass current along or around susceptor 190.

[0205] It should be noted that the inductor 160 may also include a first terminal 161 and a second terminal 169 at opposite ends of the inductor 160, which terminals are for conducting current through the inductor 160 during use.

[0206] In this example, the thickness of each of the first, second, and third supports 172, 174, and 176 is approximately 0.85 mm. In some examples, the thickness of one or more of the supports 172, 174, and 176 may be other than 0.85 mm, for example, in the range of 0.2 mm to 2 mm. For example, each of these thicknesses may be 0.5 mm to 1 mm, or 0.75 mm to 0.95 mm. In some examples, the thicknesses of each of the supports 172, 174, and 176 are equal to or substantially equal to one another. In other examples, the thickness of one or more of the supports 172, 174, and 176 may be different from the thickness of one or more of the other supports 172, 174, and 176.

[0207] In this example, each of the portions 162, 164, 166, and 168 of the inductor 160 has a thickness measured in a direction perpendicular to the first plane P1 of approximately 142 micrometers. In some examples, the thickness of one or more of the portions 162, 164, 166, and 168 of the inductor 160 may be another thickness other than 142 micrometers, for example, in the range of 10 micrometers to 200 micrometers. For example, each of these thicknesses may be between 25 micrometers and 175 micrometers, or between 100 micrometers and 150 micrometers.

[0208] In examples where the inductor coil 150 is fabricated from a PCB, the thickness of the material for the inductor 160 can be determined by “plating up” the material to the substrate prior to constructing the PCB. Some standard circuit boards have a 1-ounce layer of conductive material, such as copper, on the substrate. The thickness of the 1-ounce layer is approximately 38 micrometers. Plating up to a 4-ounce layer increases the thickness to approximately 142 micrometers. The increased thickness makes the structure of the inductor structure more robust and reduces system losses by proportionally reducing resistive losses. Increasing the volume of the material for the inductor 160 increases the thermal capacity of the inductor 160, reducing the temperature rise for a given heat input. This can be beneficial because it can be used to help ensure that the temperature of the inductor 160 itself during use does not become so high as to cause damage to the structure of the inductor structure 150. In some examples, the thicknesses of the respective portions 162, 164, 166, and 168 of the inductor 160 are equal to one another or substantially equal to one another. This can result in a more consistent heating effect produced by different portions of inductor 160. In other examples, the thickness of one or more of portions 162, 164, 166, 168 of inductor 160 may be different from the thickness of one or more of other portions 162, 164, 166, 168 of inductor 160. In some examples, this may be done intentionally to increase the heating effect produced by a particular portion(s) of inductor 160 relative to the heating effect produced by other portion(s) of inductor 160.

[0209] In this example, each of the planes P1 to P4 is a flat plane or a substantially flat plane, but in other examples this need not be the case.

[0210] The first plane P1 and the second plane P2 are spaced apart by a distance D1 in the direction of the axis BB of the inductor 160, as shown in Figure 5. In this example, the distance D1 between the first plane P1 and the second plane P2 measured in a direction perpendicular to the first and second planes P1 and P2 is less than 2 mm, such as less than 1 mm. In other examples, the distance D1 may be, for example, between 1 mm and 2 mm, or may be greater than 2 mm.

[0211] The combination of the first conductive connector 163 and the first and second portions 162, 164 of the conductive element 160 can be considered to be a helical coil, or approximately a helical coil. Indeed, the complete inductor 160 can be considered to be a helical coil, or approximately a helical coil.

[0212] Considering the distances D1, D2, and D3 between adjacent pairs of planes P1, P2, P3, and P4, the pitch of the coil in this example can be considered to be less than 2 mm, such as less than 1 mm. In other examples, the pitch may be between 1 mm and 2 mm, or may be greater than 2 mm. Optionally, the distance between each adjacent pair of portions 162, 164, 166, and 168 of element 160 is equal to or differs by less than 10% from the distance between each adjacent pair of portions 162, 164, 166, and 168 of element 160. This allows the magnetic field to be generated more consistently along the length of inductor 160, thereby heating susceptor 190 more consistently.

[0213] The narrower the pitch, the greater the ratio of magnetic field strength to the mass of the susceptor 190 (whether in the aerosol delivery device 100 or the article 10) to which energy is applied. However, this must be balanced against the negative impact of the "proximity effect." In particular, as the pitch decreases, losses due to the proximity effect increase. Therefore, the pitch must be carefully selected to reduce losses in the inductor 160 while increasing the energy available to heat the susceptor 190. In some examples, the inductor 160 and controller 135, when properly configured, have been found to produce a magnetic field having a magnetic flux density of at least 0.01 Tesla. In some examples, the magnetic flux density is at least 0.1 Tesla.

[0214] Fabricating inductor coil 150 from a PCB allows for a relatively narrow pitch. Given the present teachings, one skilled in the art will be able to conceive of other methods of fabricating inductor coils with similarly narrow pitches. However, fabricating inductor coil 150 from a PCB is also likely to be less expensive than some other methods of fabricating inductor coils, such as winding LITZ® wire.

[0215] 9-10 includes three supports 172, 174, and 176 and an inductor 160 with four sections 162, 164, 166, and 168, but this need not be the case in other examples. In some examples, the inductor 160 may have more or fewer sections than four, such as only three sections 162, 164, and 166, or only two sections 162 and 164. In some examples, the inductor structure 150 may have more or fewer supports than three, such as only two supports 172 and 174, or only one support 172. Indeed, in some examples, the inductor coil 150 may have only one support and the inductor 160 may have only two sections, with the two sections 162 and 164 of the inductor 160 on opposite sides of a single support 172. It will be appreciated that the number of conductive connectors 163, 165, 167 must be adjusted accordingly depending on the number of two sections 162, 164, 166, 168 present in inductor 160. In some examples, inductor 160 may be provided without any supports between sections 162, 164, 166, 168 of inductor 160. In such examples, it is desirable for inductor 160 to be strong enough to be self-supporting.

[0216] 11 , it can be seen that the inductor coil of the above-described structure may be a layered inductor structure 1100. In this example, the layered inductor structure 1100 includes three layers: a first layer 41, a second layer 42, and a third layer 43. The first layer 41 may include a conductive first portion 41 a, the second layer 42 may include a conductive second portion 42 a, and the third layer 43 may include a conductive third portion 43 a. The second layer 42 may be disposed a first distance from the first layer 41 along a first direction indicated by arrow 46. The third layer 43 may be disposed a second distance from the second layer 42 along a second direction indicated by arrow 47.

[0217] 11 , layered inductor structure 1100 may form a single conductive element. For example, layered inductor structure 1100 may include first conductive connector 44 electrically connecting first portion 41 a to second portion 42 a and second conductive connector 45 electrically connecting second portion 42 a to third portion 43 a. In the example of FIG. 11 , first layer 41 is coincident with the first plane, second layer 42 is coincident with the second plane, and third layer 43 is coincident with the first plane.

[0218] The first, second, and third planes are all depicted as flat, parallel planes, e.g., planes parallel to the XY plane. However, in some configurations, not all planes need to be flat. For example, one of the three planes may be a planar plane and the remaining planes may be non-planar. In some configurations, all of the planes may be non-planar. A non-planar plane may be a curved surface, a surface defined by a surface of revolution, a plane containing a discontinuity, or a combination thereof. A plane containing a discontinuity may be a plane having a first portion that is flat or described by a continuous function and a second portion connected to the first portion such that the first portion is discontinuous with respect to the second portion. For example, a non-planar plane may comprise two flat planes connected to each other at an angle to form an elongated V-shape.

[0219] In FIG. 11 , the first plane, the second plane, and the third plane are flat, parallel planes. Therefore, the first direction 46 and the second direction 47 are perpendicular to these planes and point in opposite directions. Thus, the layered inductor structure may have a staggered structure formed from a first portion 41 a, a second portion 42 a, and a third portion 43 a. For example, successive portions are spaced apart from each other so that the successive portions are staggered in the z-direction. In the configuration of FIG. 11 , the first spacing between the first layer 41 and the second layer 42 and the second spacing between the second layer 42 and the third layer 43 are equal in length. Thus, the first layer 41 and the third layer 43 coincide in the same plane such that the third portion 43 a of the third layer 43 is disposed radially inward or internal to the first portion 41 a of the first layer 41.

[0220] It will be appreciated that the first layer 41 and the third layer 43 may be different regions of the same layer. In configurations in which the first layer 41 and the third layer 43 are different regions of the same layer, the inter-portion region between the first portion 41 a and the third portion 43 a may comprise a non-conductive material, as discussed below, or an insulating gas, such as air. It is contemplated that the layered inductor structure 150 may be fabricated by simultaneously laminating the first layer 41 and the third layer 43 on the same plane onto the second layer 42. In some configurations, fabrication techniques include PCB fabrication techniques, laser direct structuring, laser active plating, and / or sintered ceramics.

[0221] In other configurations, the first interval and the second interval have different lengths.

[0222] In some configurations, a staggered structure may be formed from first, second, and third portions of any of the aforementioned structures, and the second direction 47 may be at an angle other than 180 degrees relative to the first direction. In this manner, a layered inductor structure may comprise any number of complex staggered shapes.

[0223] In the configuration of Figure 11, each of the first portion 41a, second portion 42a, and third portion 43a follows a non-helical shape, and the non-helical shape may be a square or rectangular non-helical shape. Each non-helical shape may comprise approximately one complete turn. For example, each portion may individually comprise a planar non-helical coil in the form of a mandrel loop.

[0224] In some configurations, any number of different shapes are possible for the conductive portions.

[0225] In some configurations, any one of the conductive portions may define a partial turn, which may be less than or more than one full turn. Each partial turn of each portion may be defined as a turn about the same axis, such as axis 48 in FIG. 11. Alternatively, each portion may follow a partial turn about a respective planar point, where the respective planar point does not lie on a shared axis. For example, two of the portions may follow a respective turn about a shared axis, while the other portion may follow a turn about a point that does not lie on a shared axis.

[0226] In the configuration of FIG. 11 , neither the first portion 41 nor the third portion 43 overlaps the second portion 42 when viewed toward the layer, i.e., along the z-axis. However, in some configurations, at least one of the first portion and the third portion at least partially overlaps the second portion when viewed toward the layer. It will be appreciated that this increases track density relative to the XY plane. In this manner, the magnetic field that can be generated by the layered inductor configuration can have a stronger field strength compared to an inductor configuration comprising only a single planar inductor or a single planar spiral. This is because the track width of the conductive portions is limited / the distance between the conductive portions or tracks is limited due to mechanical / electrical constraints. Thus, by offsetting the inductor configuration in the z-direction or out-of-plane direction, track density is effectively increased while avoiding the aforementioned limitations. However, it will be appreciated that the layered inductor configuration 1100 can further benefit from convenient sizing to facilitate various different component arrangements within and between the aerosol delivery device 100.

[0227] In some configurations, in use, the article may be disposed or incorporated within or between successive layers of the layered inductor structure 1100.

[0228] The inductor structure 1100 may include a support 40, such as that provided by a PCB. One or more layers may be supported by one or more supports, such as by being disposed on or embedded (partially or completely) within the one or more supports. In the configuration of FIG. 11 , the third layer 43 is shown disposed on the support 40, and the other two layers are shown self-supported by the first and second conductive connectors. However, other configurations are contemplated in which more layers are supported by additional supports, such as all layers being disposed on or embedded within their respective supports. Alternatively, only some of the layers may be supported, and the inductor structure may include one or more supports. For example, each of the supported layers may be disposed on or embedded within a respective support, or a single support may be configured such that two or more layers are supported by the same single support, or a combination thereof. In still other configurations, the inductor structure 150 may not include a support(s). It will be understood that the one or more supports may be made of any suitable electrically insulating material(s). In some examples, the support 140 may comprise a matrix (such as an epoxy resin, optionally with a filler such as a ceramic) and a reinforcing structure (such as a woven or non-woven material such as fiberglass or paper).

[0229] Conductive portions 41 a-43 a and conductive connectors 44, 45 can be made from any suitable conductive material(s). In some examples, portions 41 a-43 a and connectors 44, 45 are made from copper. In configurations where inductor structure 150 can include one or more supports 40, conductive connectors 44, 45 can take the form of "vias" that extend through one or more supports 40. In examples where inductor structure 1100 is not formed from a PCB, connectors 44, 45 can still extend through one or more supports 40.

[0230] In some configurations, one or more tracks containing magnetic material may be disposed within or between the staggered structures. The magnetic material may be ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic. For example, the magnetic material may be a hard ferromagnetic material, a hard ferrimagnetic material, a soft ferromagnetic material, or a soft ferrimagnetic material, where hard or soft corresponds to a high or low coercive field, respectively. The magnetic material may include, for example, ferrite or magnetite.

[0231] It will be appreciated that the layered inductor structure described above may be formed from conductive elements comprising any number of additional spaced apart layers comprising respective conductive portions. In some configurations, the layered inductor structure may comprise four to six, seven to nine, or even more than ten layers. For example, FIG. 12 illustrates a layered inductor structure 60 comprising four layers 61-64 from a top perspective 60a and a side perspective 60b. In FIG. 12, respective conductive connectors 65-66 are not shown in the side perspective 60b for clarity. In the structure of FIG. 12, as can be seen from the side perspective 60b, the spacing between successive layers is unequal, resulting in at least three of the layers each coinciding with a different plane. Thus, the degree to which successive layers of the layered inductor structure are staggered and spaced relative to one another provides additional parameters for tailoring the configuration of the induced magnetic field induced by the layered inductor structure. As a result, the heat concentration caused by the magnetic field of a nearby susceptor (such as susceptor 190 in FIG. 1) can be selectively adjusted by appropriate design of the staggered structure of the layered inductor structures 1100,60.

[0232] As shown in FIG. 13, one or more of the inductor coils of the above arrangements may include a conical inductor coil.

[0233] 13 and 14, there are shown schematic perspective and side views, respectively, of an example of a conical induction coil 1300, 1400 according to one configuration.

[0234] The induction coils 1300, 1400 shown in Figures 13 and 14 may comprise a conical spiral of a conductive material, such as copper. As shown in Figure 14, the cone-shaped inductor coil has a cone height 1401 and a cone base or base width 1402. In some configurations, the cone-shaped inductor coil may have a cone height that is less than the cone base width. In other words, the coil height 1401 may be less than the coil width 1402.

[0235] An inductor coil without a conical height may be referred to as a flat or planar inductor coil, such as one having a flat spiral shape. Compared to flat or planar inductor coils, the conical-shaped inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 shown and described in connection with FIGS. 7, 13, and 14 and associated with various configurations advantageously facilitate electrical connection to a power source in a compact manner. Here, the power source may be configured to provide an oscillating current to the conical-shaped inductor coil. It will be appreciated that when the inductor coil receives an oscillating current, resistive heating can be induced within or between the inductor coil. Thus, while a planar inductor coil with multiple turns dissipates more heat within or between the surfaces due to the multiple turns within the surface, because the turns of a conical inductor coil are not all within or between the same surface, the conical-shaped inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 may be configured to better dissipate heat in a controlled manner compared to flat inductor coils.

[0236] Referring again to FIG. 7, there is shown a schematic side view of two cone-shaped inductor coils 701a-701b positioned relative to an article 702. The article 702 shown in FIG. 7 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The thickness of the article 702 may be substantially less than its width. The article 702 may be substantially planar. However, in other configurations, the article 702 may have a different shape or configuration, as described below.

[0237] 7 with the base of each cone facing the article 702 and oriented so that the base of the cone is parallel to the planar surface of the article 702. However, in some configurations, the bases of the cones of the cone-shaped inductor coils 701a-701b may not face toward the article 702. In some configurations, the bases of the cones may be oriented non-parallel to the planar surface of the article 702, i.e., obliquely relative to the article 702.

[0238] Although only a single item 702 is shown in Figure 7, it is contemplated that in some configurations multiple items 702 may be provided. Similarly, although two conical inductor coils 701a-701b are shown in Figure 7, other configurations are contemplated in which only a single conical inductor coil is provided. According to another configuration, three or more conical inductor coils 701a-701b may be provided.

[0239] Thus, in some configurations, one or more cone-shaped inductor coils and one or more articles may be provided, where the number of cone-shaped inductor coils need not equal the number of articles. For example, multiple coils and / or susceptors may be provided along the length and / or width of the consumable. In particular, multiple coils and / or susceptors may be provided along the length and / or width of a flat consumable.

[0240] Additionally, in some configurations, the first conical inductor coil and the first susceptor may face each other in a first orientation, and the second conical inductor coil and the second susceptor may face each other in a second orientation.

[0241] In some configurations, the first orientation and the second orientation may be the same. Alternatively, the first orientation and the second orientation may be different. In yet other configurations, some orientations between some cone-shaped inductor coils and some susceptors may be the same, while other orientations between other cone-shaped inductor coils and other susceptors may be different.

[0242] The height of the cone of the cone-shaped inductor coils 701a to 701b, 1300, 1400 according to various configurations as shown in FIGS. 7, 13, and 14 is small relative to the width of the base of the cone.

[0243] A device (not shown) may be provided to apply a varying current to the cone-shaped inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 so that a varying magnetic field is generated. In configurations with multiple cone-shaped inductor coils, the device may be configured to be operable to generate a respective varying magnetic field from each one of the cone-shaped inductor coils, where each varying magnetic field is generated independently of the others. The varying magnetic field may cause heating in one or more susceptors. A small ratio of height to width of the cone of the cone-shaped inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 can generate strong inductive coupling between the cone-shaped inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 and the article 702. For example, this may be because the article 702 can have a shape that matches the shape of the cone-shaped inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400. In some configurations, the article 702 can have a substantially planar surface that is parallel to and faces the base of the cone of the cone-shaped inductor coil 701a-701b, 1300, 1400, so that the shape of the article 702 matches the shape of the cone-shaped inductor coil 701a-701b, 1300, 1400.

[0244] Similarly, in some configurations, a small ratio of height to width of the cone of the conical inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 can also result in substantially uniform inductive coupling over a relatively large portion of the article 702 or over substantially the entire article 702.

[0245] The pitch 1302 of the conical induction coils 1300, 1400 as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 is constant, where the pitch 1302 is the distance separating a point on the coil from an adjacent point one turn of the coil. However, according to other configurations, the pitch of the conical inductor coil may vary. In some configurations, the variation in pitch may be configured to enable the conical induction coil to induce substantially uniform inductive coupling across a majority of the article 702 or across substantially the entire article 702. In some configurations, the variation in pitch may be configured to enable the conical induction coil to induce stronger coupling across a first portion of the susceptor compared to a second portion of the susceptor.

[0246] The induction coils 1300, 1400 shown in Figures 13 and 14 can be described as having a projected shape of a circular spiral, where the projected shape is the shape formed by projecting the shape of the inductor coil onto the base of a cone. However, in other configurations, the cone-shaped inductor coil may have a projected shape of a square or rectangular spiral, a trapezoidal spiral, a triangular spiral, or any other two-dimensional shape.

[0247] The projected shape can be chosen to allow for small, compact placement of other components within or between the devices. In some configurations, the projected shape may have one or more straight sides. In some configurations, the projected shape may have one or more curved sides. In other configurations, the projected shape may have a mixture of straight and curved sides. In some configurations, the projected shape of the conical inductor coil matches or substantially matches the shape of the susceptor.

[0248] The induction coils 1300, 1400 shown in Figures 13 and 14 can be described as having a cone axis. Here, the cone-shaped inductor coil can have an apex of the cone, and the cone axis is a line passing through the apex and the center of the base of the cone. The induction coils 1300, 1400 shown in Figures 13 and 14 have a cone axis that is perpendicular to the base of the cone. In other configurations, the cone axis can be at an angle other than 90 degrees relative to the base of the cone.

[0249] Other configurations are possible where the induction coils 1300, 1400 do not have a conical axis, if the wire around which the coils are wound is curved or non-linear.

[0250] The induction coils 1300, 1400 shown in Figures 13 and 14 comprise a coil of conductive material having a uniform thickness or cross-sectional area along the coil. However, in other configurations, the thickness or cross-sectional area may vary along the coil. In some configurations, the variation in thickness or cross-sectional area may be configured such that the cone-shaped induction coil can induce substantially uniform inductive coupling across a majority of the article 702 or across substantially the entire article 702. In some configurations, the variation in thickness or cross-sectional area may be configured such that the cone-shaped induction coil can induce stronger coupling across a first portion of the susceptor compared to a second portion of the susceptor.

[0251] In some configurations, the composition of the conductive material may vary along the coil. For example, in some configurations, a first portion of the conical inductor coil may be formed from a first conductive material, and a second portion of the conical inductor coil may be formed from a second conductive material. The material properties of the first and second portions of the conical inductor coil may differ. In some configurations, these material properties may include electrical properties such as resistivity or conductivity. In some configurations, the variation in the composition of the conductive material along the conical inductor coil may be configured to enable the conical inductor coil to induce substantially uniform inductive coupling across a majority of the article 702 or across substantially the entire article 702. In some configurations, the variation in the composition of the conductive material along the conical inductor coil may be configured to enable the conical inductor coil to induce stronger coupling across a first portion of the susceptor compared to a second portion of the susceptor.

[0252] In some configurations, the conical inductor coil may be a conical bifilar inductor coil, where the bifilar coil may include two or more closely spaced parallel windings. Providing a conical bifilar inductor coil may enhance inductive coupling between the coil and the susceptor, thereby improving system efficiency. For example, in some configurations, the conical bifilar inductor coil may increase the surface area over which a varying magnetic field can be generated. In some configurations, the conical bifilar inductor coil may additionally or alternatively reduce self-induction of the inductor coil.

[0253] Another configuration will now be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 15 . According to this configuration, an inductor coil 1500 is formed around a curved plane or three-dimensional surface, such that an initially flat inductor coil may be wrapped around or into a curved plane. For example, in some configurations, the curved plane or three-dimensional surface may include a cylinder. However, it should be understood that the inductor coil 1500 can be wrapped around other curved planes or three-dimensional surfaces. For example, the inductor coil 1500 can be folded around the corner of a cube shape.

[0254] 15 illustrates an inductor coil 1500 that is a flat or planar inductor coil formed or wrapped around a cylinder. However, in other configurations, the inductor coil 1500 may be a cone-shaped inductor coil 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 as discussed above, where the height of the cone is non-zero. For example, the cone-shaped inductor coil 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 may be formed around a curved plane or three-dimensional surface by forming the base of the cone of the cone-shaped inductor coil 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 around the curved plane or three-dimensional surface.

[0255] In some configurations, the inductor coil 1500 or the conical inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 may be provided on or embedded within a support. Configurations are contemplated in which one or more of the inductor coils 1500 and / or one or more of the conical inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 may be embedded in or form a mesh with a substrate or support 1501. The substrate, mesh, or support may be made from a non-conductive material, such as a plastic material, to electrically insulate the one or more inductor coils 1500 or one or more of the conical inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 from other electronic components or other inductor coils or conical inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400. In one configuration, the support or substrate may be made from FR-4, a composite material made of woven glass fiber with a flame-retardant epoxy resin binder. The one or more inductor coils 1500 and / or the one or more cone-shaped inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 may be affixed to a support, substrate, or mesh in any suitable manner. For example, the one or more cone-shaped inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 and / or the one or more inductor coils 1500 may be formed from a printed circuit board (PCB) and, during PCB manufacturing, may be formed by printing a conductive material onto a support and then removing (such as by etching) selected portions of the conductive material so that a pattern of the conductive material in the form of the inductor coil 1500 or cone-shaped inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 remains on the support, substrate, or mesh. In some configurations, the one or more inductor coils 1500 and / or the one or more cone-shaped inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 may comprise a thin film or coating of conductive material on the support.

[0256] It should be understood that configurations are contemplated that may provide a mixture of conical shaped inductor coils 701a-701b, 1300, 1400 and planar inductor coils 1500.

[0257] 15, one or more inductor coils 1500 may be cylindrically wound and embedded in a substrate. In some configurations, the wound planar coil 1500 may be configured to retain its structure within the substrate. In some configurations, the substrate may include a resin.

[0258] In some configurations, the support may be formed other than by a layer of the PCB, for example, the layer may be a layer or sheet of material such as a dried, cured, or hardened resin or adhesive.

[0259] In some configurations, article 10 is a consumable item or an article for use with an aerosol delivery device. Once all or substantially all of the volatilizable component(s) of aerosol-generating material 11 in article 10 have been consumed, a user can remove article 10 from heating region 110 of aerosol delivery device 100 and discard article 10. The user can subsequently reuse aerosol delivery device 100 with another article 10. However, in other configurations, article 10 may not be consumable with respect to heating device 130. That is, once the volatilizable component(s) of aerosol-generating material 11 have been consumed, heating device 130 and article 2 may be discarded together.

[0260] In some configurations, article 10 is sold, supplied, or otherwise provided separately from the aerosol delivery device 100 in which article 10 can be used. However, in some configurations, aerosol delivery device 100 and one or more articles 10 may be provided together as a system, such as a kit or assembly, possibly with additional components such as cleaning equipment.

[0261] The present aerosol delivery device, aerosol generation system, and inductor coils have proven particularly useful when generating aerosol from a substantially flat consumable item.

[0262] The substantially flat consumable may be provided in either an array or a circular configuration. Other configurations are also contemplated.

[0263] In some configurations, for example where a substantially planar consumable is provided in the form of an array, multiple heating regions may be provided, for example, according to one configuration, one heating region may be provided per portion, pixel, or section of the consumable.

[0264] In another configuration, a substantially planar consumable may be rotated so that segments of the consumable are heated by similarly shaped heaters. In this configuration, a single heating zone may be provided.

[0265] In particular, the inductor arrangements of various configurations may be provided as part of an aerosol delivery device configured to non-combustibly heat a consumable as part of a non-combustible aerosol delivery system. In particular, the consumable may comprise multiple individual portions of aerosol-generating material.

[0266] The consumable may include a support on which the aerosol-generating material is provided. The support serves as a support for the aerosol-generating material to form, facilitating manufacturing. The support may provide tensile strength to the aerosol-generating material, facilitating handling. In some cases, multiple individual portions of the aerosol-generating material are deposited on such a support. In some cases, multiple individual portions are deposited on such a support. In some cases, the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material are deposited on such a support such that each individual portion can be separately heated and aerosolized. In an exemplary configuration, the consumable may include multiple individual portions of the aerosol-generating material, the individual portions being provided on a support, each individual portion containing less than 15 mg of water.

[0267] The individual portions of aerosol-generating material are preferably provided on a support such that each individual portion can be separately heated and aerosolized, and consumables having this configuration have been found to be able to deliver a consistent aerosol to the user with each puff.

[0268] In some cases, the substrate may be formed from a material selected from metal foil, paper, carbon paper, greaseproof paper, ceramic, carbon allotropes such as graphite and graphene, plastic, cardboard, wood, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the substrate may include or consist of a tobacco material, such as a sheet of reconstituted tobacco. In some cases, the substrate may be formed from a material selected from metal foil, paper, cardboard, wood, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the substrate itself is a laminated structure comprising layers of materials selected from the foregoing list.

[0269] In some cases, the support may be non-magnetic. In some cases, the support may be magnetic.

[0270] 16A-16C, according to one configuration, a consumable or aerosol generating product 204 can be provided for use with an aerosol delivery device, including a planar aerosol generating product 204. The planar aerosol generating product 204 may comprise a carrier component 242, one or more susceptor elements 224b, and one or more portions 244a-244f of aerosol-generating material, as shown and described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

[0271] Figure 16A is a top view of an aerosol generating product 204 according to one configuration, Figure 16B is an end view of the aerosol generating product 204 according to one configuration along its longitudinal (length) axis, and Figure 16C is a side view of the aerosol generating product 204 according to one configuration along its width axis.

[0272] One or more susceptor elements 224b may be formed from aluminum foil, although it should be understood that other metallic and / or conductive materials may be used in other embodiments. As seen in Figure 16C, carrier member 242 may include several susceptor elements 224b corresponding in size and position to discrete portions 244a-244f of aerosol-forming material disposed on the surface of carrier member 242. That is, susceptor elements 224b may have widths and lengths similar to discrete portions 244a-244f of aerosol-forming material.

[0273] The susceptor element 224b is shown embedded in the carrier component 242. However, in other configurations, the susceptor element 224b may rest or be disposed on a surface of the carrier component 242. According to another configuration, the susceptor may be provided as a single layer that substantially covers the carrier component 244. According to one configuration, the aerosol-generating article 204 may comprise a substrate or support layer, a single layer of aluminum foil that functions as a susceptor, and one or more regions of aerosol-generating material 244 deposited on the aluminum foil susceptor layer.

[0274] According to one configuration, an array of induction heating coils may be provided to energize individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 244. However, according to other configurations, a single induction coil may be provided, and the aerosol-generating article 204 may be configured to move relative to the single induction coil. Thus, there may be fewer induction coils than individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 244 provided on the carrier component 242 of the aerosol-generating article 204, and as a result, relative movement of the aerosol-generating article 204 and the induction coil(s) is required to enable each of the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 244 to be individually energized.

[0275] Alternatively, a single induction coil may be provided and the aerosol generator 204 may be rotated relative to the single induction coil.

[0276] While the above describes embodiments in which spatially distinct portions of aerosol-generating material 244 are deposited on carrier component 242, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, aerosol-generating material 244 is not provided in spatially distinct portions, but instead may be provided as a continuous sheet, film, or layer of aerosol-generating material 244. In these embodiments, specific regions of the sheet of aerosol-generating material 244 can be selectively heated to generate an aerosol, much as described above. In particular, regions (corresponding to portions of the aerosol-generating material) may be defined in the continuous sheet of aerosol-generating material 244 based on the dimensions of one or more induction heating elements.

[0277] According to various configurations, the aerosol-generating article 204 may comprise a disk-shaped or circular article.

[0278] To address various challenges and advance the art, this disclosure provides various exemplary configurations throughout. These configurations may practice the claimed inventions and provide improved heating elements for use with devices for heating aerosolizable material, methods for forming heating elements for use with devices for heating aerosolizable material to volatilize at least one component of the aerosolizable material, systems including devices for heating aerosolizable material to volatilize at least one component of the aerosolizable material, and heating elements heatable by such devices. The advantages and features of this disclosure are merely representative examples of some configurations and are not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive of all advantages or features. They are presented solely to aid in understanding and teaching of the claims and other disclosed features. The advantages, configurations, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects of the present disclosure should not be construed as limiting the disclosure as defined by the claims or the equivalents of the claims, and it is understood that other configurations may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and / or spirit of the present disclosure. Various configurations may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. The present disclosure may include other inventions not currently claimed but which may be claimed in the future. The following provisions are included in this specification: [Article 1] 1. An aerosol delivery device comprising an aerosol generator comprising one or more inductor coils, An aerosol delivery device in which, in use, an article for use with the aerosol delivery device is incorporated or otherwise positioned within or between the windings of at least one of the one or more inductor coils or the one or more inductor coils. [Clause 2] The aerosol delivery device described in clause 1, wherein the aerosol delivery device comprises a first inductor coil and a second inductor coil, and when in use, an item for use with the aerosol delivery device is incorporated or otherwise positioned within or between the first inductor coil, and the second inductor coil comprises a central inductor coil positioned radially inward or outward of the first inductor coil. [Article 3] An aerosol delivery device as described in clause 1 or 2, wherein the one or more inductor coils comprise a first inductor coil and a second inductor coil, and when in use, an article for use with the aerosol delivery device is positioned equidistant between the first inductor coil and the second inductor coil, and the article does not extend inside the first and second inductor coils. [Article 4] The aerosol delivery device of any one of clauses 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the one or more inductor coils comprises a planar non-helical inductor coil. [Article 5] An aerosol delivery device described in any one of clauses 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the one or more inductor coils comprises a conductive element, the conductive element comprising a conductive first portion coincident with a first plane, a conductive second portion coincident with a second plane spaced apart from the first plane, and a conductive connector electrically connecting the first portion to the second portion. [Article 6] An aerosol delivery device described in any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein at least one of the one or more inductor coils comprises a layered inductor structure, the layered inductor structure comprising multiple layers, optionally comprising three or more layers. [Article 7] 7. The aerosol delivery device of any one of clauses 1-6, wherein at least one of the one or more inductor coils comprises one or more cone-shaped inductor coils. [Article 8] An aerosol delivery device described in any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the one or more inductor coils are configured to generate a varying magnetic field, and the aerosol delivery device further comprises one or more susceptors configured to be heated by the varying magnetic field. [Article 9] an aerosol delivery device according to any one of clauses 1 to 8; one or more articles comprising an aerosol-forming material; An aerosol delivery system comprising: [Article 10] 10. The aerosol delivery system of clause 9, wherein the one or more articles are disposed within or between the windings of the one or more inductor coils. [Article 11] 11. The aerosol delivery system of clause 9 or 10, wherein the one or more articles are substantially planar. [Article 12] 12. The aerosol delivery system of any one of clauses 9, 10, or 11, wherein the one or more articles comprise one or more susceptors. [Article 13] 14. The aerosol delivery system of any one of clauses 9 to 13, wherein the one or more articles comprise an aerosol-generating material. [Article 14] 14. The aerosol delivery system of claim 13, wherein the aerosol-generating material is provided (i) as a solid, (ii) as a liquid, (iii) in the form of a gel, (iv) in the form of a thin film substrate, (v) in the form of a thin film substrate having multiple regions, or (vi) in the form of a thin film substrate having multiple regions, at least two of the regions comprising aerosol-generating material having different compositions. [Article 15] providing an aerosol delivery device having one or more inductor coils; incorporating or otherwise disposing an article for use with an aerosol delivery device within or between windings of at least one of the one or more inductor coils or the one or more inductor coils, the article comprising an aerosol-generating material; energizing the one or more inductor coils or windings; A method for generating an aerosol, comprising:

Claims

1. an aerosol generator comprising one or more inductor coils, including a first inductor coil; a heating region for receiving an article comprising an aerosol-generating material, An aerosol delivery device wherein, in use, the item received in the heating region does not penetrate inside the first inductor coil.

2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the article is substantially planar.

3. 3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2, wherein the article has a shape that defines a contour of a first surface, and in use, the contour of the first surface of the article faces the first inductor coil.

4. 3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the first inductor coil has a plurality of turns around an axis of the first inductor coil.

5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 4 , wherein, in use, the axis of the first inductor coil extends through the article.

6. 5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 4 when relying on claim 2, wherein, in use, the axis of the first inductor coil is at an angle to the plane of the article.

7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 6 , wherein the axis of the first inductor coil is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the article.

8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more inductor coils are cone-shaped.

9. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first inductor coil is helical.

10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first inductor coil is planar.

11. 11. The aerosol delivery device of claim 10, wherein the first inductor coil has a flattened spiral shape.

12. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more inductor coils comprise the first inductor coil and a second inductor coil.

13. 13. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12, wherein, in use, the item received in the heating region is positioned between the first inductor coil and the second inductor coil.

14. 13. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12, wherein, in use, the item within the heating zone is positioned equidistant between the first inductor coil and the second inductor coil.

15. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 9, wherein, in use, the item in the heated region does not penetrate inside the second inductor coil.

16. An aerosol delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 15; an article comprising an aerosol-forming material; An aerosol delivery system comprising:

17. providing an aerosol delivery device having one or more inductor coils, including a first inductor coil; receiving an article comprising an aerosol-generating material into a heating region of the aerosol delivery device, the article received in the heating region not penetrating into the first inductor coil; energizing the one or more inductor coils or windings; A method for generating an aerosol, comprising:

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