Aerosol supply system

Abstract

An aerosol supply system is provided, comprising a tactile indicator for providing an indication of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply system. [Solution] The tactile indicator 200 may be provided to a given aerosol supply system 300, used retroactively with an aerosol supply device, or attached to an aerosol supply device. The tactile indicator may be electrically operated, or mechanically operated, and / or configured to remain stationary during use. Thus, the tactile indicator can facilitate the operation of the aerosol supply system, particularly for users with visual impairments.

Description

Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol supply system, such as, but not limited to, a nicotine delivery system (e.g., an electronic cigarette, etc.). Background

[0002] Electronic aerosol supply systems often use electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or more generally aerosol supply devices. Such aerosol supply systems typically include a fluid or liquid reservoir containing a formulation that typically contains nicotine, but not necessarily, or a solid material such as a tobacco-based product, that encloses an aerosolizable material (also called an aerosol generating material), from which vapor / aerosol is generated for inhalation by the user, for example by thermal vaporization. Thus, an aerosol supply system typically includes an atomizer (also called an aerosol generator) configured to atomize a portion of the aerosolizable material to generate vapor, for example, comprising a heating element.

[0003] When the vapor is generated, the vapor can pass through a flavoring material to add flavor to the vapor (if the aerosolizable material itself is not flavored), and then the (flavored) vapor can then be delivered to the user from the aerosol supply device through a mouthpiece.

[0004] A potential drawback of existing aerosol supply systems and related aerosol supply devices is that it can be difficult to discriminate specific characteristics or operations of the aerosol supply system and / or any aerosol supply device therefrom, particularly for people with visual impairments. Accordingly, various techniques are described herein that attempt to address or mitigate some of the problems described above. Summary

[0005] According to a first aspect of a particular embodiment, an aerosol supply system comprising an aerosol supply device for generating an aerosol, and A tactile indicator for providing indication of the operation or characteristics of an aerosol supply system, An aerosol supply system is provided that includes the following features.

[0006] According to a second aspect of a particular embodiment, a cartridge for an aerosol supply system, wherein the aerosol supply system comprises a cartridge and an aerosol supply device, and the cartridge is Equipped with tactile indicators for providing indication of the operation or characteristics of an aerosol supply system, A cartridge is provided.

[0007] According to a third aspect of a particular embodiment, a tactile indicator for providing an indication of the operation or characteristics of an aerosol supply system, wherein the tactile indicator is configured to be attached to the aerosol supply system, A tactile indicator is provided, which has an adhesive surface for attaching the tactile indicator to an aerosol supply system.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of a particular embodiment, an aerosol supply device is provided for generating an aerosol in an aerosol supply system, wherein the aerosol supply device further comprises a tactile indicator for providing an indication of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply system.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of a particular embodiment, a method for providing an indication of the operation or characteristics of an aerosol supply system configured to generate an aerosol, wherein the method is In response to the fulfillment of a first predetermined criterion, the configuration of the tactile indicator is changed from a first configuration to a second configuration, A method is provided.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect of a particular embodiment, a method for modifying an aerosol supply system comprising an aerosol supply device for generating an aerosol, wherein the method is This includes attaching a tactile indicator to the aerosol supply system to provide an indication of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply system. A method is provided.

[0011] According to a seventh aspect of a particular embodiment, a container is provided configured to hold a fresh product such as chewing tobacco, snus, or an oral product, wherein the container is equipped with a tactile indicator for providing an indication of the characteristics of the fresh product.

[0012] According to an eighth aspect of a particular embodiment, a container is provided configured to hold a fresh product such as chewing tobacco, snus, or an oral product, wherein the container comprises an indicator formed from a luminescent material for providing an indication of the characteristics of the fresh product.

[0013] According to a ninth aspect of a particular embodiment, a method for improving the visibility of a container configured to hold a fresh product such as chewing tobacco, snus, or an oral product under low-light conditions, the method being: This includes applying an indicator formed from a luminescent material to a container, the indicator being for providing an indication of the characteristics of a fresh product. A method is provided.

[0014] It will be understood that the features and embodiments of the present invention described above, in relation to various aspects of the present invention, are equally applicable to and can be combined with other embodiments of the present invention as needed, as well as to the specific combinations described herein.

[0015] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described as merely examples with reference to the attached drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1]A schematic perspective view of an aerosol supply system according to a particular embodiment of the present disclosure, comprising a cartridge and an aerosol supply device (shown separately). [Figure 2] A schematic exploded perspective view of the components of the cartridge of the aerosol supply system of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 3A] A schematic cross-sectional view of one of the housing parts of the cartridge of the aerosol supply system of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 3B] A schematic cross-sectional view of another of the housing parts of the cartridge of the aerosol supply system of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 3C] A schematic cross-sectional view of yet another of the housing parts of the cartridge of the aerosol supply system of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 4A] A schematic perspective view of the partition element of the cartridge of the aerosol supply system of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 4B] A schematic plan view of the partition element of the cartridge of the aerosol supply system of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 5A] A schematic perspective view of one of the elastic plugs of the cartridge of the aerosol supply system of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 5B] A schematic perspective view of another of the elastic plugs of the cartridge of the aerosol supply system of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 5C] A schematic plan view of the elastic plug of the cartridge of the aerosol supply system of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 6A] A schematic perspective view of the bottom cap of the cartridge of the aerosol supply system of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 6B] A schematic plan view of the bottom cap of the cartridge of the aerosol supply system of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 7] Embodiments of an aerosol supply system that can be used in an aerosol supply system such as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 6B and that include a tactile indicator are schematically shown. [Figure 8]It is applicable to an aerosol supply system such as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 6B, and schematically shows an embodiment of an aerosol supply system having a tactile indicator. [Figure 9A] It schematically shows an embodiment of an aerosol supply system that is applicable to an aerosol supply system such as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 6B and has a tactile indicator. [Figure 9B] It schematically shows a specific embodiment having a tactile indicator in relation to the disclosure of FIG. 9A. [Figure 9C] It schematically shows a specific embodiment having a tactile indicator in relation to the disclosure of FIG. 9A. [Figure 10] It is applicable to an aerosol supply system such as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 6B, and schematically shows an embodiment of an aerosol supply system having a tactile indicator. [Figure 11] A container configured to hold a fresh product such as a chewable tobacco, a snus, or an oral product, the container comprising an indicator such as a tactile indicator for providing an indication of the characteristics of the fresh product, is schematically shown. Detailed Description

[0017] Specific examples and aspects and features of embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of specific examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally, and these are not described in detail for the sake of brevity. Thus, it will be understood that aspects and features of the devices and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail may be implemented according to any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

[0018] This disclosure relates to non-combustible aerosol supply systems (such as e-cigarettes). According to this disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol supply system is a system in which the aerosolizable material (or its components) constituting the aerosol supply system is not burned or incinerated in order to facilitate delivery to the user. The aerosolizable material, which may also be referred herein as an aerosol-generating material or aerosol precursor material, is a material that can generate an aerosol when heated, irradiated, or energized in any other way, for example. The aerosolizable material may also be flavored in some embodiments.

[0019] Throughout the following explanation, the terms “e-cigarette” or “electronic cigarette” may be used at times, but it should be understood that this term can be used interchangeably with “aerosol delivery system.” Note that an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), does not require the presence of nicotine in the aerosolizable material.

[0020] In some embodiments, the aerosol supply system is a hybrid device configured to generate an aerosol using a combination of aerosolizable materials, one or more of which may be heated. In some embodiments, the hybrid device includes a liquid or gel aerosolizable material and a solid aerosolizable material. The solid aerosolizable material may include, for example, tobacco or non-tobacco products.

[0021] Typically, a (non-combustible) aerosol supply system may comprise a cartridge / consumable component and a body / reusable / aerosol supply device component configured to engage releasably with the cartridge / consumable component.

[0022] The aerosol supply system may be provided with means for supplying power to a vaporizer therein, and an aerosolizable material transport element for receiving the aerosolizable material to be vaporized. The aerosol supply system may also be provided with a reservoir for containing the aerosolizable material, and in some embodiments, a further reservoir for containing flavoring materials for flavoring the vapor produced from the aerosol supply system.

[0023] In some embodiments, the vaporizer may be a heater / heating element capable of interacting with the aerosolizable material to release one or more volatile substances from the aerosolizable material to form a vapor / aerosol. In some embodiments, the vaporizer may be able to generate an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without heating. For example, the vaporizer may be able to generate a vapor / aerosol from the aerosolizable material without applying heat to the material, for example, via one or more of the following: vibration, mechanical, pressurizing, or electrostatic means.

[0024] In some embodiments, the delivered substance may be an aerosolizable material that may comprise an active ingredient, a carrier component, and optionally one or more other functional components.

[0025] The active ingredient may comprise one or more physiological and / or olfactory active ingredients contained in the aerosolizable material to achieve a physiological and / or olfactory response in the user. The active ingredient may be selected from, for example, nutritional supplements, nootropics, and psychotropic drugs. The active ingredient may be naturally occurring or obtained by synthesis. The active ingredient may comprise, for example, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or components, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active ingredient may comprise components, derivatives, or extracts of tobacco or another plant substance. In some embodiments, the active ingredient is a physiological active ingredient and may be selected from nicotine, nicotine salts (e.g., nicotine ditrate / nicotine bitrate), nicotine-free tobacco substitutes, other alkaloids such as caffeine, or mixtures thereof.

[0026] In some embodiments, the active ingredient is an olfactory active ingredient and, where local regulations permit, may be selected from “flavorings” and / or “flavoring agents” that can be used to create a desired taste, aroma, or other somatosensory sensation in products intended for adult consumers. In some examples, such ingredients may be called flavorings, flavoring agents, flavoring materials, coolants, heating agents, and / or sweeteners.These are naturally occurring flavorings, plant substances, extracts of plant substances, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice, hydrangea, eugenol, magnolia leaves, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, mint, anise, cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berries, red berries, cranberries, peaches, apples, oranges, mangoes, clementines, lemons, limes, etc.). Tropical fruits, papaya, rhubarb, grapes, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, kurt, eggplant, betel nut, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-yi Orchid, sage, fennel, wasabi, bell pepper, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, peppermint oil from any of the Mentha species, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo, hazelnut, hibiscus, bay leaf, mate, orange peel, rose, tea such as green or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, shiso, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, blackcurrant, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, maji It may contain other additives such as chollum, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chives, calvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavor enhancers, bitter taste receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulants, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), as well as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, plant-based substances, or breath fresheners.They may be imitations, synthetics, or natural raw materials, or blends thereof. They may be extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cassia, caraway, cognac, etc.) in any suitable form. The additives may include one or more of the following: jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, bell pepper, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or peppermint oil from any species of the Mentha genus; flavor enhancers; bitter taste receptor site blockers; sensory receptor site activators or stimulants; sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol); and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, plant substances, or breath fresheners. They may be imitations, synthetics, natural raw materials, or blends thereof. They may be in any preferred form, e.g., oil, liquid, or powder.

[0027] In some embodiments, the flavoring material (flavor) may include menthol, spearmint, and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavoring may include flavoring components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus, and / or red berry. In some embodiments, the flavoring may include eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavoring may include flavoring components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavoring may include a sensory stimulant, which is intended to achieve somatosensory perception that is normally chemically induced and perceived by stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve) in addition to, or instead of, aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents that produce heating, cooling, tingling, or numbing effects. A preferred thermal agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether, and a preferred cooling agent may be, but is not limited to, eucalyptol or WS-3.

[0028] The carrier component may comprise one or more components capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the carrier component may comprise one or more of the following: glycerin, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, mesoerythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, tributyline, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

[0029] One or more other functional ingredients may include one or more of the following: pH adjusters, colorants, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and / or antioxidants.

[0030] As described above, aerosol supply systems (e-cigarettes) often comprise a modular assembly that includes both reusable components (body or aerosol supply device) and replaceable consumable components (cartridges). Devices that conform to this type of two-component modular configuration may generally be called two-component devices. Electronic cigarettes also commonly have a substantially elongated shape. To provide specific examples, certain embodiments of the disclosure described herein may comprise this type of substantially elongated two-component device using consumable components. However, it will be understood that the basic principles described herein can also be equally applied to other electronic cigarette configurations, such as modular devices comprising three or more components, based on so-called box-type mod high-performance devices, which typically have a more box-like shape, as devices that conform to other overall shapes.

[0031] Accordingly, with reference to Figure 1, a schematic perspective view of an exemplary aerosol delivery system (e-cigarette) 1 according to a particular embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Terms relating to the relative positions of various aspects of the e-cigarette (e.g., top, bottom, upward, downward, apex, bottom, etc.) are used herein in relation to the orientation of the e-cigarette as shown in Figure 1 (unless the context indicates otherwise). However, it will be understood that this is merely for the sake of clarity and is not intended to indicate that there is an arbitrary required orientation for the e-cigarette in use.

[0032] The e-cigarette 1 (aerosol supply system 1) comprises two main components: a cartridge 2 and an aerosol supply device 4. Although the aerosol supply device 4 and cartridge 2 are shown separately in Figure 1, they are coupled together during use.

[0033] The cartridge 2 and the aerosol supply device 4 are coupled by establishing mechanical and electrical connections between them. The specific manner in which the mechanical and electrical connections are established is not primarily important to the principles described herein and may be established according to the prior art, for example, based on threaded, bayonet, latching, or friction-fitting mechanical fastenings using appropriately positioned electrical contacts / electrodes to properly establish electrical connections between the two parts. For example, in the electronic cigarette 1 shown in Figure 1, the cartridge comprises a mouthpiece end 52 and an interface end 54, and is coupled to the aerosol supply device by inserting the interface end portion 6 of the interface end of the cartridge into the corresponding receptacle 8 / receiving section of the aerosol supply device. The interface end portion 6 of the cartridge includes a projection 56 that engages with a corresponding retaining element in the inner surface of the receptacle wall 12 defining the receptacle 8 in order to tightly fit into the receptacle 8 and provide a releaseable mechanical engagement between the cartridge and the aerosol supply device. An electrical connection is established between the aerosol supply device and the cartridge via a pair of electrical contacts on the bottom of the cartridge (not shown in Figure 1) and corresponding spring-loaded contact pins in the base of the receptacle 8 (not shown in Figure 1). As stated above, the particular manner in which the electrical connection is established is not important to the principles described herein, and in practice, some embodiments may have no electrical connection at all between the cartridge and the aerosol supply device, for example, because the transmission of power from the reusable component to the cartridge may be wireless (e.g., based on electromagnetic induction technology).

[0034] The electronic cigarette 1 (aerosol supply system) has a substantially elongated shape extending along its longitudinal axis L. When the cartridge is coupled to the aerosol supply device, the total length of the electronic cigarette in this example (along the longitudinal axis) is approximately 12.5 cm. The total length of the aerosol supply device is approximately 9 cm, and the total length of the cartridge is approximately 5 cm (i.e., there is an overlap of approximately 1.5 cm between the interface end portion 6 of the cartridge and the receptacle 8 of the aerosol supply device when they are coupled to each other). The electronic cigarette has a roughly elliptical cross-section, which is widest near the center of the electronic cigarette and curves and tapers towards the ends. The cross-section near the center of the electronic cigarette has a width of approximately 2.5 cm and a thickness of approximately 1.7 cm. The end of the cartridge has a width of approximately 2 cm and a thickness of approximately 0.6 mm, while the other end of the electronic cigarette has a width of approximately 2 cm and a thickness of approximately 1.2 cm. The outer housing of the electronic cigarette is formed from plastic in this example. It will be understood that the specific size and shape of the electronic cigarette and the material used to make it are not of primary importance to the principles described herein and may differ in different embodiments. That is, the principles described herein can be equally applied to electronic cigarettes having different sizes, shapes, and / or materials.

[0035] The aerosol supply device 4 may be broadly conventional in terms of the function of the aerosol supply device and general construction techniques, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. In the example of Figure 1, the aerosol supply device 4 comprises a plastic outer housing 10 including a receptacle wall 12 defining a receptacle 8 for receiving the end of a cartridge as described above. The outer housing 10 of the aerosol supply device 4 in this example has a substantially elliptical cross-section that conforms to the shape and size of the cartridge 2 at the interface of the two parts to provide a smooth transition between the two parts. The receptacle 8 and the end portion 6 of the cartridge 2 are symmetrical when rotated 180° so that the cartridge can be inserted into the aerosol supply device in two different orientations. The receptacle wall 12 includes two aerosol supply device air inlet openings 14 (i.e., holes in the wall). These openings 14 are positioned to align with the air inlet 50 of the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the aerosol supply device. One of the different openings 14 aligns with the air inlet 50 of the cartridge in a different orientation. It will be understood that in some embodiments, the cartridge may not have rotational symmetry so that it can be coupled to the aerosol supply device in only one orientation, while in other embodiments, the cartridge may have a higher degree of rotational symmetry so that it can be coupled to the aerosol supply device in more orientations.

[0036] The aerosol supply device further comprises a battery 16 for supplying operating power to the electronic cigarette, a control circuit 18 for controlling and monitoring the operation of the electronic cigarette, a user input button 20, an indicator light 22, and a charging port 24.

[0037] In this example, the battery 16 is rechargeable and may be a conventional type, for example, one commonly used in electronic cigarette lighters and other applications requiring a relatively high current supply for a relatively short period of time. The battery 16 can be recharged via a charging port 24, which may have, for example, a USB connector.

[0038] In this example, the input button 20 is a conventional mechanical button having a spring-mounted component that can be pressed by a user, for example, to establish electrical contact in the circuit below. In this regard, the input button can be considered an input device for detecting user input, for example, to trigger aerosol generation, and the particular form in which the button is implemented is not important. For example, in other embodiments, other forms of mechanical buttons or touch-sensitive buttons (e.g., based on capacitive or optical sensing technology) may be used, or there may be no button at all, and the device may rely on a puff detector to trigger aerosol generation.

[0039] The indicator lights 22 are provided to give the user a visual indication of various characteristics related to the electronic cigarette lighter, such as the operating status (e.g., on / off / standby), and other characteristics such as battery life or fault status. Different characteristics may be indicated by different colors and / or different flashing sequences, for example, according to common prior art.

[0040] The control circuit 18 is preferably configured / programmed to control the operation of the electronic cigarette in accordance with established techniques for controlling the electronic cigarette to provide conventional operating functions. The control circuit (processor circuit) 18 can be considered to logically comprise various subunits / circuit elements related to different modes of operation of the electronic cigarette. For example, depending on the functions provided in different embodiments, the control circuit 18 may include a power control circuit for controlling the supply of power from the battery / power source to the cartridge in response to user input, a user programming circuit for establishing configuration settings (e.g., user-defined power settings) in response to user input, and other functional units / circuit-related functions according to the principles described herein and conventional modes of operation of the electronic cigarette, such as an indicator light display driver circuit and a user input detection circuit. It will be understood that the functions of the control circuit 18 can be provided in various different ways, for example, using one or more preferably programmed programmable computers and / or one or more preferably configured application-specific integrated circuits / circuits / chips / chipsets configured to provide the desired functions.

[0041] Figure 2 is an exploded schematic perspective view of cartridge 2 (disassembled along the longitudinal axis L). Cartridge 2 comprises a housing 32, an air channel seal 34, a partition element 36, an outlet pipe 38, a vaporizer / heating element 40, an aerosolizable material transport element 42, a plug 44, and an end cap 48 having a contact electrode 46. Figures 3 to 6 show some of these components in more detail.

[0042] Figure 3A is a schematic cutaway view of the housing portion 32 along the longitudinal axis L at the thinnest point of the housing portion 32. Figure 3B is a schematic cutaway view of the housing portion 32 along the longitudinal axis L at the widest point of the housing portion 32. Figure 3C is a schematic view of the housing portion along the longitudinal axis L from the interface end 54 (i.e., a view from below in the orientation of Figures 3A and 3B).

[0043] Figure 4A is a schematic perspective view of the partition element 36 seen from below. Figure 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the top of the partition element 36 seen from below.

[0044] Figure 5A is a schematic perspective view of the plug 44 from above, and Figure 5B is a schematic perspective view of the plug 44 from below. Figure 5C is a schematic diagram of the plug 44 along the longitudinal axis L as seen from the mouthpiece end 52 of the cartridge (i.e., a view from above relative to the orientations in Figures 1 and 2).

[0045] Figure 6A is a schematic perspective view of the end cap 48 from above. Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the end cap 48 along the longitudinal axis L as seen from the mouthpiece end 52 of the cartridge (i.e., from above).

[0046] The housing portion 32 in this example comprises a housing outer wall 64 and a housing inner tube 62 formed from a single molded polypropylene piece. The housing outer wall 64 defines the appearance of the cartridge 2, and the housing inner tube 62 defines a portion of the air channel through the cartridge. The housing portion is open at the interface end 54 of the cartridge and closed at the suction end 52 of the cartridge, except for a suction opening / aerosol outlet 60 that communicates with the housing inner tube 62. The housing portion 32 includes an opening within the side wall that provides an air inlet 50 for the cartridge. The air inlet 50 in this example is approximately 2 mm 2 The outer surface of the outer wall 64 of the housing portion 32 includes the aforementioned projection 56 which engages with a corresponding stopper in the inner surface of the receptacle wall 12 defining the receptacle 8 in order to provide a releasable mechanical engagement between the cartridge and the aerosol supply device. The inner surface of the outer wall 64 of the housing portion includes further projections 66 which act to provide a contact stopper for positioning the partition element 36 along the longitudinal axis L when the cartridge is assembled. The outer wall 64 of the housing portion 32 further includes a hole which provides a latch recess 68 which is arranged to receive a corresponding latch projection 70 in the end cap in order to secure the end cap to the housing portion when the cartridge is assembled.

[0047] The outer wall 64 of the housing portion 32 includes a double-wall section 74 that defines a gap 76 that is in fluid communication with the air inlet 50. The gap 76 provides a portion of the air channel through which the cartridge passes. In this example, the double-wall section 74 of the housing portion 32 defines an air channel passing through the housing outer wall 64 parallel to the longitudinal axis, and the cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis is approximately 3 mm 2 It is arranged in such a manner. The gap / part of the air channel 76 defined by the double-wall section of the housing extends downward to the open end of the housing 32.

[0048] The air channel seal 34 is a silicone molded product in the form of a tube having a through hole 80. The outer wall of the air channel seal 34 includes a circumferential ridge 84 and an upper collar 82. The inner wall of the air channel seal 34 also includes a circumferential ridge, but these are not visible in Figure 2. When the cartridge is assembled, the air channel seal 34 is fitted into the housing inner tube 62 with the end of the housing inner tube 62 partially extending into the through hole 80 of the air channel seal 34. The through hole 80 of the air channel seal has a diameter of approximately 5.8 mm in the relaxed state of the air channel seal, while the end of the housing inner tube 62 has a diameter of approximately 6.2 mm, thereby forming a seal when the air channel seal 34 is stretched to receive the housing inner tube 62. This seal is facilitated by the ridge on the inner surface of the air channel seal 34.

[0049] The outlet tube 38 comprises a tubular section made of, for example, ANSI 304 stainless steel or polypropylene, having an inner diameter of approximately 8.6 mm and a wall thickness of approximately 0.2 mm. The bottom end of the outlet tube 38 includes a pair of diametrically opposed slots 88, the ends of which have semicircular recesses 90. When the cartridge is assembled, the outlet tube 38 rests on the outer surface of the air channel seal 34. The outer diameter of the air channel seal is approximately 9.0 mm in the relaxed state, thereby forming a seal when the air channel seal 34 is compressed and fitted inside the outlet tube 38. This seal is facilitated by a ridge 84 on the outer surface of the air channel seal 34. A collar 80 on the air channel seal 34 provides a stopper for the outlet tube 38.

[0050] The aerosolizable material transport element 42 includes a capillary core, and the vaporizer (aerosol generator) 40 includes a resistance wire heater wound around the capillary core. In addition to the resistance wire portion wound around the capillary core, the vaporizer includes electrical lead wires 41 that pass through holes in a plug 44 to contact electrodes 46 mounted on an end cap 54, thereby enabling power to be supplied to the vaporizer via an electrical interface established when the cartridge is connected to the aerosol supply device. The vaporizer lead wires 41 may include the same material as the resistance wire wound around the capillary core, or may include a different material (e.g., a low-resistance material) connected to the resistance wire wound around the capillary core. In this example, the heater coil 40 includes a nickel-iron alloy wire, and the core 42 includes a bundle of glass fibers. The vaporizer and aerosolizable material transport element may be provided according to any prior art and may include different forms and / or different materials. For example, in some embodiments, the core may include a fibrous or solid ceramic material, and the heater may include a different alloy. In other examples, the heater and wick may be combined in the form of, for example, a porous and resistant material. More generally, it will be understood that the aerosolizable material transport elements and vaporizers of specific properties are not primarily important to the principles described herein.

[0051] When the cartridge is assembled, the core 42 is received in the semicircular recess 90 of the outlet tube 38, so that the central portion of the core around which the heating coil is wound is inside the outlet tube, while the end portion of the core is outside the outlet tube 38.

[0052] The plug 44 in this example comprises a single molded silicone product and may be elastic. The plug comprises a base portion 100, with an outer wall 102 extending upward from the base portion 100 (i.e., toward the mouthpiece end of the cartridge). The plug further comprises an inner wall 104 extending upward from the base portion 100 and surrounding a through hole 106 passing through the base portion 100.

[0053] The outer wall 102 of the plug 44 fits to the inner surface of the housing 32, thereby forming a seal between the plug 44 and the housing 32 when the cartridge is assembled. The inner wall 104 of the plug 44 fits to the inner surface of the outlet tube 38, thereby forming a seal between the plug 44 and the outlet tube 38 when the cartridge is assembled. The inner wall 104 includes a pair of diametrically opposed slots 108, the ends of which have semicircular recesses 110. Extending outward from the bottom of each slot in the inner wall 104 (i.e., away from the longitudinal axis of the cartridge) is a cradle section 112, molded to receive a section of the aerosolizable material transport element 42 when the cartridge is assembled. The slot 108 and semicircular recess 110 provided by the inner wall of the plug 44 and the slot 88 and semicircular recess 90 of the outlet tube 38 are aligned such that the slot 88 in the outlet tube 38 receives each of the cradles 112, and the respective semicircular recesses in the outlet tube and plug cooperate to define a hole through which the aerosolizable material transport element passes. The size of the hole provided by the semicircular recess through which the aerosolizable material transport element passes closely corresponds to the size and shape of the aerosolizable material transport element, but is slightly smaller, so that the elasticity of the plug 44 brings about some compression. This allows the aerosolizable material to be transported along the aerosolizable material transport element by capillary action, while limiting the extent to which the aerosolizable material that is not transported by capillary action can pass through the opening. As described above, the plug 44 includes a further opening 114 in the base portion 100 through which the vaporizer contact lead wires 41 pass when the cartridge is assembled. The bottom of the plug's base includes spacers 116 that maintain an offset between the remaining surface of the base and the end cap 48. These spacers 116 include openings 114 through which the carburetor's electrical contact leads 41 pass.

[0054] The end cap 48 comprises a polypropylene molded product in which a pair of gold-plated copper electrode posts 46 are mounted.

[0055] The ends of the electrode posts 44 on the bottom side of the end cap are substantially coplanar with the interface end 54 of the cartridge provided by the end cap 48. These are the portions of the electrodes to which the correspondingly aligned spring contacts in the aerosol supply device 4 connect when the cartridge 2 is assembled and connected to the aerosol supply device 4. The ends of the electrode posts on the inside of the cartridge extend away from the end cap 48 into the hole 114 in the plug 44 through which the contact lead wires 41 pass. The electrode posts are slightly larger than the hole 114 and include chamfers on their upper ends to facilitate insertion into the hole 114 in the plug, and the plug maintains a pressure contact with the vaporizer's contact lead wires.

[0056] The end cap has a base section 124 and an upright wall 120 that fits the inner surface of the housing 32. The upright wall 120 of the end cap 48 is inserted into the housing 32, and as a result, when the cartridge is assembled, the latch projection 70 engages with the latch recess 68 in the housing 32, snapping the end cap 48 into the housing. The top of the upright wall 120 of the end cap 48 abuts against the periphery of the plug 44, and the lower surface of the spacer 116 on the plug also abuts against the base section 124 of the plug, thereby pressing against the elastic portion 44 and maintaining it in a slightly compressed state when the end cap 48 is attached to the housing.

[0057] The base portion 124 of the end cap 48 includes a peripheral lip 126 that extends beyond the base of the upright wall 112, having a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the outer wall of the housing portion of the interface end of the cartridge. The end cap also includes an upright positioning pin 122, which aligns with a corresponding positioning hole 128 in the plug to help establish their relative positions during assembly.

[0058] The partition element 36 comprises a single molded polypropylene product and includes a partition 130 and a collar 132 formed by a projection extending from the partition 130 toward the interface end of the cartridge. The partition element 36 has a central opening 134 through which the outlet pipe 38 passes (i.e., the partition is positioned around the outlet pipe 38). In some embodiments, the partition element 36 may be formed integrally with the outlet pipe 38. When the cartridge is assembled, the upper surface of the outer wall 102 of the plug 44 engages with the lower surface of the partition 130, and in turn the upper surface of the partition 130 engages with a projection 66 on the inner surface of the outer wall 64 of the housing portion 32. Thus, the partition 130 prevents the plug from being pushed too far into the housing portion 32; i.e., the partition 130 is fixedly positioned along the longitudinal axis of the cartridge by the projection 66 within the housing portion, and thus provides a fixed surface to press against the plug. The collar 132, formed by projections from the partition wall, includes a first pair of opposing projections / tongues 134 that engage with corresponding recesses on the inner surface of the outer wall 102 of the plug 44. Projections from the partition wall 130 further provide a pair of cradle sections 136 configured to engage with corresponding ones of the cradle section 112 within the part 44 when the cartridge is assembled and further defines an opening through which the aerosolizable material transport element passes.

[0059] When cartridge 2 is assembled, an air channel is formed that extends from the air inlet 50 through the cartridge to the aerosol outlet 60. Starting from the air inlet 50 in the side wall of the housing 32, the first section of the air channel is provided by a gap 76 formed by a double-wall section 74 in the outer wall 64 of the housing 32 and extends from the air inlet 50 toward the interface end 54 of the cartridge through the plug 44. The second portion of the air channel is provided by the gap between the base of the plug 44 and the end cap 48. The third portion of the air channel is provided by a hole 106 through the plug 44. The fourth portion of the air channel is provided by the inner wall 104 of the plug around the vaporizer 40 and the region in the outlet pipe. This fourth portion of the air channel is also called the aerosol / aerosol generation region and is the primary region where aerosols are generated during use. The air channel from the air inlet 50 to the aerosol generation region may be called the air inlet section of the air channel. The fifth portion of the air channel is provided by the remainder of the outlet pipe 38. The sixth portion of the air channel is provided by an inner tube 62 of the outer housing that connects the air channel to the aerosol outlet 60. The air channel that goes from the aerosol generation region to the aerosol outlet may be called the aerosol outlet section of the air channel.

[0060] Furthermore, when the cartridge is assembled, a reservoir 31 for the aerosolizable material is formed by the space outside the air channel and inside the housing portion 32. The aerosolizable material may be filled during manufacturing, for example, through a filling hole that is subsequently sealed, or by other means. The specific properties of the aerosolizable material are not particularly important to the principles described herein, for example with respect to the composition of the aerosolizable material, and generally any conventional aerosolizable material of the type commonly used in electronic cigarettes may be used. This disclosure may refer to a liquid as the aerosolizable material, which may be a conventional e-liquid as described above. However, the principles of this disclosure apply to any aerosolizable material that has the ability to flow and may include liquids, gels, or solids, and in the case of solids, a plurality of solid particles may be considered to have the ability to flow when considered as a bulk.

[0061] The reservoir is closed at the interface end of the cartridge by the plug 44. The reservoir includes a first region above the partition wall 130 and a second region below the partition wall 130, within the space formed between the air channel and the outer wall of the plug. The aerosolizable material transport element (capillary core) 42 passes through semicircular recesses 108, 90 in the plug 44 and outlet tube 38, which engage with each other as described above, and through openings in the walls of the air channel provided by cradle sections 112, 136 in the plug 44 and partition element 36. Thus, the end of the aerosolizable material transport element extends into the second region of the reservoir, from which it draws the aerosolizable material through the opening in the air channel into the vaporizer 40, where it is then vaporized.

[0062] In standard use, cartridge 2 is coupled to aerosol supply device 4, which is activated to supply power to the cartridge via contact electrodes 46 in the end cap 48. The power then flows to vaporizer 40 through connecting lead wires 41. Thus, the vaporizer is electrically heated, thereby vaporizing a portion of the aerosolizable material from the aerosolizable material transport element near the vaporizer. This generates an aerosol within the aerosol-generating region of the air passage. The aerosolizable material vaporized from the aerosolizable material transport element is replaced by more aerosolizable material drawn from the reservoir by capillary action. While the vaporizer is operating, the user inhales over the mouthpiece end 52 of the cartridge. This draws air through it, regardless of which aerosol supply device air inlet 14 aligns with the cartridge air inlet 50 (depending on the orientation in which the cartridge is inserted into the aerosol supply device receptacle 8). Next, air enters the cartridge through the air inlet 50, passes along the gap 76 between the double-wall section 74 of the housing 32, passes between the plug 44 and the end cap 48, and then enters the aerosol generation region surrounding the vaporizer 40 through the hole 106 in the base 100 of the plug 44. The incoming air mixes with the aerosol generated from the vaporizer to form a condensed aerosol, which is then drawn in along the outlet pipe 38 and the inside of the housing 62 before exiting through the inlet outlet / aerosol outlet 60 for user inhalation.

[0063] Figures 1 to 6B above show possible configurations of aerosol supply system 1 configured to produce aerosols suitable for use in the context of this disclosure (potentially together with other forms of aerosol supply systems).

[0064] Referring here to Figures 7 to 10, the disclosure also provides an aerosol supply system 300 comprising a tactile indicator 200 for providing indications 202 such as tactile indications of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply system 1. Thus, at a general level, the presence of the tactile indicator 200 may make it easier for the user to determine a particular operation or characteristic of the aerosol supply system 1 in a way that does not necessarily require any visual inspection of the aerosol supply system 1. Therefore, the introduction of the tactile indicator 200 may enhance the operability / usefulness of the aerosol supply system 1, particularly for visually impaired users of the aerosol supply system 1, and thus may help provide the (revised) aerosol supply system 300.

[0065] At a general level, according to some embodiments, the tactile indicator 200 may be an electrically operated tactile indicator 200 configured to receive signals from an aerosol supply system, or, in some narrower embodiments, from an aerosol supply device. Similarly, according to some other embodiments, the tactile indicator 200 may be non-electric, configured to be mechanically operated, and / or configured to remain stationary or static during use. Generally, the tactile indicator 200 may be of a type that can actively change the display it outputs, for example, via electrical or mechanical operation, and thus may be called an “active” tactile indicator, or the tactile indicator 200 may be of a type that can output a static display that cannot be changed, and thus may be called a “static” tactile indicator.

[0066] Accordingly, with regard to the above and referring to the embodiment shown in Figure 7, according to some embodiments, the tactile indicator 200 may be configured to provide an indication 202 including the location of an actuator from the aerosol supply system 1. It will be understood that the actuator in this example could be a variety of different components from the aerosol supply system 1, such as (but not limited to) an input button 20 (as shown in the embodiment of Figure 7) or any other switch or actuated part from the aerosol supply system 1 configured to control the operation of the aerosol supply system 1. In some embodiments, the tactile indicator 200 may be located in the same or substantially the same location as the actuator to help the user identify the location of the actuator.

[0067] Similarly, according to some embodiments in which the aerosol supply system 1 includes electrical connection ports such as a charging port 24 for delivering power to the aerosol supply system 1, according to some of these embodiments, the display 202 from the tactile indicator 200 may include the location of the electrical connection ports (as shown in the embodiment of Figure 7, for example). In some embodiments, the tactile indicator 200 may be located at the same or substantially the same location as the electrical connection ports to help the user identify the location of the electrical connection ports.

[0068] If such a tactile indicator 200 exists, according to some embodiments as shown in Figure 7, the tactile indicator 200 may be configured to display a display 202 in braille 204. In this regard, it will be understood that the tactile indicator 200 may also be configured to provide a display in the form of at least one or more protrusions and / or one or more recesses that function together to provide a display 202 (for example, braille dots 204 are provided as a plurality of protrusions that can be tactilely felt by the user of the aerosol supply system 1). However, for completeness, it will be understood that if such one or more protrusions and / or recesses are used, they do not necessarily have to be configured to display a display in braille. For example, additionally / alternatively, the tactile indicator 200 may be configured to provide a tactile display (using the protrusions and / or recesses) in any language such as English or French, or to provide a display 202 including one or more graphic symbols 206 (e.g., a power plug symbol or a lightning bolt symbol). This is illustrated, for example, with reference to the embodiment in Figure 7, where the marking 202 includes raised or recessed characters 208 on the surface of the aerosol supply system 1, such as the surface of the charging port 24 or the surface surrounding it, and / or the surface of the input button 20 or the surface surrounding it. As will be discussed later, such use of protrusions can also be seen in the embodiment of Figure 8.

[0069] Considering the above, regarding the physical position of the tactile indicator 200, in some embodiments, it is assumed that the tactile indicator 200 may be located on a surface, such as the outer surface of the aerosol supply system 1, as shown in the embodiment of Figure 7.

[0070] However, according to some embodiments that facilitate the modification of existing aerosol supply systems 1 that do not use the tactile indicator 200, the tactile indicator 200 may be provided with mounting means such as an adhesive surface 210 or a fastening mechanism (e.g., in the form of a gripping sleeve 212) for attaching the tactile indicator 200 to the aerosol supply system 1. According to such embodiments, the mounting means may be configured to provide a temporary / releasable attachment or a permanent attachment. For example, for illustrative purposes, Figure 8 shows an embodiment of an aerosol supply system 300, in which the tactical indicator 200 is releasably attached to the aerosol supply system 1 by means of mounting means for the tactical indicator 200 including a sticker 214 that can be attached to the aerosol supply system 1 (e.g., it can be attached to the aerosol supply system 1 on or around an input button 20 or around an electrical connection port). Figure 8 also illustrates other potential embodiments of the tactile indicator 200, where the mounting means includes a sleeve 212 that can be mounted around a portion of the aerosol supply system 1 (such as a portion of the cartridge 2 or a portion of the aerosol supply device 4). Thus, when such a sleeve 212 is used, according to some embodiments, the sleeve 212 may be configured to engage with the aerosol supply system 1 by friction fit or interlock fit. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the sleeve 212 may be configured to be elastic or elastically deformable in order to engage with the aerosol supply system 1.

[0071] Therefore, considering the above, it can be seen that such an embodiment enables the provision of a tactile indicator 200 for providing an indication 202 of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply system 1, wherein the tactile indicator 200 is configured to be attached to the aerosol supply system 1, and the tactile indicator 200 includes mounting means such as an adhesive surface 210 for attaching the tactile indicator 200 to the aerosol supply system 1.

[0072] Accordingly, the above disclosure also provides a method for modifying an aerosol supply system 300 comprising an aerosol supply system 1 for generating an aerosol, the method comprising attaching a tactile indicator 200 to the aerosol supply system 1 for providing an indication of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply system 1. Thus, according to some embodiments, for example, the method may clearly include attaching the tactile indicator 200 to the aerosol supply system 1 via mounting means or mounting mechanism such as an adhesive surface 210.

[0073] Therefore, the above disclosure effectively enables the modification of many existing aerosol dispensing devices 1 that may not be very suitable for visually impaired users, in order to facilitate their operation.

[0074] In light of the above disclosure, it should be noted for completeness that any tactile indicator 200 used may be used in the context of either a single-component aerosol supply system 1 (as shown, for example, in the embodiments of Figures 7 to 10), or an aerosol supply system 1 comprising a cartridge 2 and / or an aerosol supply device 4. Therefore, depending on the intended display 202 configured to be provided by the tactile indicator 200, it will be understood that, according to some embodiments, the tactile indicator 200 may be located on the surface or outer surface of the cartridge 2 and / or the aerosol supply device 4, etc. Or, to put it slightly differently, according to some embodiments, the aerosol supply device 4 may comprise the tactile indicator 200, and / or the cartridge 2 may comprise the tactile indicator 200, according to some embodiments.

[0075] In connection with the above, it will be understood that, depending on the intended display 202 configured to be provided by the tactile indicator 200, the display 202 may include the operation or characteristics of cartridge 2. Purely in exemplary examples, the display 202 by some particular embodiments may include any combination of the following: an indication of the remaining amount of aerosolizable material located in the cartridge; an indication that the cartridge has been received by the aerosol supply device; an indication of the size of the cartridge; an indication of the volumetric capacity of the aerosolizable material in the cartridge; an indication of the flavor of the aerosolizable material from cartridge 2 (if the aerosolizable material is flavored); and / or an indication of the concentration of the aerosolizable material from cartridge 2 (e.g., mg / ml, as in the exemplary embodiment of Figure 8). Again, for completeness, any tactile display 202 by some of these embodiments may optionally include one or more protrusions and / or recesses to provide tactility to the indicator 200, as again shown in the particular embodiment of Figure 8, and the indication of the concentration of the aerosolizable material from cartridge 2 2 is provided by raised / protruding letters 208 on the surface of cartridge 2.

[0076] Similarly, according to some embodiments in which such cartridge 2 and aerosol supply device 4 operation is used, the indication 202 may include the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply device 4. Purely as an example, according to some embodiments, the indication 202 may include an indication that cartridge 2 has been received by the aerosol supply device 4, an indication of the size or charge capacity of any supplied power source such as battery 18 supplied from the aerosol supply device 4, and / or an indication that any supplied power source from the aerosol supply device 4 contains less than a predetermined amount of stored energy.

[0077] According to some embodiments described herein, such as those shown in the embodiments of Figures 9A to 9C, the tactile indicator 200 may also be configured to change from a first shape (or more generally a first configuration) to a second shape (or more generally a second configuration) in order to provide a display 202. In this way, for example, the tactile indicator 200 may be configured to provide a display when a particular operation of the aerosol supply system 1 occurs. According to some embodiments using a configuration of cartridge 2 and aerosol supply device 4, such as those shown in the embodiments of Figures 9A to 9C, the tactile indicator 200 may be configured to adopt a first shape or configuration when cartridge 2 is not received by the aerosol supply device 4, and to adopt a second shape or configuration different from the first shape or configuration when cartridge 2 is received by the aerosol supply device 4. It will be understood that the exact shapes or configurations of the first and second shapes / configurations may be selected so as to be suitably distinguishable from one another. Similarly, it will be understood that this change of shape / configuration may be carried out mechanically, magnetically, or even electrically. For example, referring to the embodiments shown in Figures 9B and 9C, we can see two exemplary embodiments for bringing about changes in the shape / configuration of the tactile indicator 200.

[0078] For example, according to such an embodiment, one of the cartridge 2 and the aerosol supply device 4 may include at least one (and / or two or more in some narrower embodiments) first engaging member 220, which is configured to engage with and / or move the corresponding at least one (and / or two or more in some narrower embodiments) second engaging member 222 from the other of the cartridge 2 and the aerosol supply device 4 when the cartridge 2 is received by the aerosol supply device 4. In this way, as a result of this engagement or movement from the tactile indicator 200 when the cartridge 2 is received by the aerosol supply device 4, the user may be able to tactilely determine this, and thus be able to determine when the cartridge 2 has been received by the aerosol supply device 4.

[0079] According to some narrower embodiments, such as embodiments in which mechanical effects are implemented, as shown with reference to embodiments in Figures 9A and 9B, at least one first engaging member 220 may have at least one first projection, and at least one second engaging member 222 may have at least one second projection or second recess. In this way, when the cartridge 2 is received by the aerosol supply device 4, the engagement of at least one first engaging member 220 and at least one second engaging member 222 changes the shape / configuration of the tactile indicator 200 (as indicated by arrow A1 in the first upper embodiment of Figure 9), and thus it may be possible for the user to determine when the cartridge 2 has been received by the aerosol supply device 4.

[0080] Similarly, according to some embodiments, as shown in certain embodiments of Figures 9A and 9C, a similar change in shape / configuration from a first shape / configuration to a second shape / configuration may be performed magnetically. According to such embodiments, at least one first engaging member 220 may include at least one first magnetic member, and at least one second engaging member 222 may include at least one first magnetic member configured to be magnetically repelled by at least one first engaging member 220 when the cartridge 2 is received by the aerosol supply device 4. In this way, when the cartridge 2 is received by the aerosol supply device 4, at least one first engaging member 220 may induce a magnetic force on at least one second engaging member 222, resulting in a change in the shape / configuration of the tactile indicator 200 (as indicated by arrow A2 in embodiments of Figures 9A and 9C), thereby allowing the user to determine when the cartridge 2 has been received by the aerosol supply device 4.

[0081] According to some specific embodiments of the above, the tactile indicator 200 may include at least one biasing member 224 or biasing means, such as a spring or elastic member, for returning the tactile indicator 200 to a first shape / configuration, for example, as shown with reference to the spring in the embodiment shown in Figures 9A and 9C. Thus, according to some specific embodiments in which the configuration of cartridge 2 and aerosol supply device 4 is used, for example, as shown in the embodiment shown in Figures 9A and 9C, it may be possible to use the biasing member or biasing means to return the tactile indicator 200 to a first shape or configuration when the aerosol supply device 4 is no longer receiving cartridge 2.

[0082] According to some specific embodiments, if any of the first and second engaging members 220, 222 provided at least one (or more) continues to be used, these may provide at least one embodiment of a tactile indicator 200 that can be configured to adopt a third shape or configuration different from the first and second shapes or configurations when a second cartridge 2B (different from the first cartridge 2A) is received by the aerosol supply device 4. Thus, the tactile indicator 200 can function to provide the user with an indication 202 of whether or not a cartridge 2 is received by the aerosol supply device 4, and if so, which particular type of cartridge 2 is received by the aerosol supply device 4. Such operation is disclosed with reference to different cartridges 2A, 2B, 2C from the embodiment disclosed in Figure 9A, each having a different combination / arrangement of the first engaging member 220.

[0083] As a pure example, embodiments in Figures 9A to 9C illustrate how such functionality of the tactile indicator 200 can be achieved by changing between different shapes or configurations during use. In this regard, it should be noted that each of these embodiments in Figures 9A to 9C uses multiple engaging members 220 such that the first cartridge 2A includes a first configuration of engaging members 220, and the second cartridge 2B includes a second configuration of engaging members 220 that is different from the first configuration of engaging members 220. Thus, by selecting different configurations of engaging members for each cartridge 2A, 2B, 2C, the tactile indicator 200 can function to provide the user with an indication 202 of a) whether or not cartridge 2 is being received by the aerosol supply device 4, and b) if so, which particular type of cartridge 2A, 2B, 2C it is (for example, in the embodiments of Figures 9A to 9C, by seeing which of the second engaging members 222 is engaged when cartridge 2 is being received by the aerosol supply device 4).

[0084] Therefore, for the sake of pure completeness, it will be understood that in such embodiments where the tactile indicator 200 is configured to change between different shapes or configurations during use, the provision of engaging members 220, 222 is not necessarily provided. In fact, more generally, the disclosure also provides any form of tactile indicator 200 that can change between different shapes or configurations during use. In fact, certain embodiments of the tactile indicator 200 may include a tactile display 226 which can display graphical information in a tactile manner in a different way (for example, by a display having an array of individual protrusions, each of which may be raised / recessed, each forming a pixel of the tactile display 226). An example of such a tactile display 226, according to some embodiments, may be a particularly updatable tactile display (i.e., one whose content can be updated / changed during use), and is an updatable braille display. Such a (updatable) tactile display 226 is shown in Figure 10, the contents of which are described in further detail therein.

[0085] Referring to the disclosure in Figure 10, some embodiments of this disclosure provide an electrically operated tactile indicator 200. In other words, an aerosol supply system 300 according to such embodiments may be configured to generate a first signal in response to the determination that a first predetermined criterion is met, and to transmit the first signal to the tactile indicator 200. Thus, the tactile indicator 200 according to at least some of these embodiments may then be configured to change from a first shape or configuration to a second shape or configuration in response to the receipt of the first signal, in order to provide a display 202 to the user.

[0086] It will be understood that the predetermined standards may vary depending on the aerosol supply system 300 used.

[0087] In this regard, for example, according to some embodiments, a first predetermined criterion may include an aerosol supply system 1 that is turned on. Thus, the indication 202 provided by the tactile indicator 200 may then include an indication that the aerosol supply system 1 is turned on.

[0088] Similarly, according to some additional / alternative embodiments, the first predetermined criterion may include that the cartridge 2 is being received by the aerosol supply device 4 (if an aerosol supply system 1 of such a type as cartridge 2 / aerosol supply device 4 is being used). Thus, the indication 202 provided by the tactile indicator 200 may then include the indication 202 that the cartridge 2 is being received by the aerosol supply device 4.

[0089] Similarly, according to some additional / alternative embodiments, the first predetermined criterion may include that the vaporizer 40 is operating, insofar as the aerosol supply system 1 further comprises a vaporizer 40 for vaporizing an aerosolizable material. Thus, the indication 202 may include an indication that the vaporizer 40 is operating.

[0090] According to some further additional / alternative embodiments, again, the first predetermined criterion may include the vaporizer 40 exceeding a predetermined temperature, insofar as the aerosol supply system 1 further comprises a vaporizer 40 for vaporizing an aerosolizable material. Thus, the indication provided by the tactile indicator 200 may then include an indication 202 that the vaporizer 40 is overheating. Purely illustrative, this may be seen according to the embodiment of Figure 10, where the tactile indicator 200 in the form of a tactile display 226 provides an indication 202 that the vaporizer 40 is overheating, including a tactile symbol 206 and / or tactile letter 208.

[0091] Continuing from the embodiments described above, it will be understood that in some narrower embodiments thereof, in addition to making an arbitrary determination as to whether any first predetermined criterion can be met, the aerosol supply system may be further configured to generate a second signal and transmit the second signal to the tactile indicator 200 in response to a determination that a second predetermined criterion is met. Thus, the tactile indicator 200 may then be configured to adopt a third shape (or configuration) in response to the tactile indicator 200 receiving the second signal, where the third shape (configuration) is different from the first and second shapes (configurations). Clearly, by being able to (separately) determine whether a first or second predetermined criterion is met, each of which may be any of the aforementioned (non-exclusive) criteria, the tactile indicator 200 may be configured to respond to different events occurring in the aerosol supply system 300 at any given time.

[0092] As described above, as long as any given signal can be generated within the aerosol supply system 300, it will be understood that each such signal can be generated in an appropriate manner according to a predetermined criterion associated with the signal. According to some particularly convenient embodiments in which the aerosol supply system 1 is equipped with a control circuit 18, the control circuit 18 may be configured to determine whether a predetermined criterion is met and / or to generate a signal associated with this predetermined criterion if it is met.

[0093] Similarly, to facilitate any determination of a given predetermined criterion being met, the control circuit 18 may be configured to receive sensor data from the aerosol supply system 1 and to process the sensor data to determine whether the predetermined criterion is met. For example, in an embodiment in which the predetermined criterion includes the vaporizer 40 being above a predetermined temperature, the control circuit 18 may be configured to receive sensor data from the temperature sensor 91 of the aerosol supply system 1. Similarly, if the indicator 202 includes an indicator 202 indicating whether the aerosol supply system 1 is turned on, the control circuit 18 may communicate electrically with a power source (such as a battery 16) and / or an input button 20 to facilitate the determination that the aerosol supply system 1 is turned on.

[0094] Accordingly, several different possible embodiments of the tactile indicator 200 for use in an aerosol supply system 300 have been described with reference to the foregoing disclosure. The tactile indicator 200 may be provided with a given aerosol supply system 1, used retrospectively with such aerosol supply system 1, or attached to such aerosol supply system 1. The tactile indicator 200 may be electrically operated or mechanically operated and / or configured to remain stationary (or static) during use. However, whatever the embodiment may be, it will be understood that the various described embodiments facilitate the operation of the aerosol supply system 1, particularly for visually impaired users.

[0095] Therefore, considering the above, as a result, an aerosol supply device for generating aerosols, A tactile indicator for providing indication of the operation or characteristics of an aerosol supply system, An aerosol supply system comprising the following features is described.

[0096] The description also includes a cartridge for an aerosol supply system comprising a cartridge and an aerosol supply device, the cartridge being, It includes tactile indicators for providing indication of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply system.

[0097] Tactile indicators for providing indication of the operation or characteristics of an aerosol supply device are also described, and the tactile indicators are configured to be attached to the aerosol supply device. The tactile indicator has an adhesive surface for attaching the tactile indicator to an aerosol supply device.

[0098] Aerosol supply devices for generating aerosols in an aerosol supply system are also described, and the aerosol supply devices further include tactile indicators for providing indication of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply system.

[0099] The document also describes a method for providing a demonstration of the operation or characteristics of an aerosol supply system configured to generate aerosols, and the method is: This includes changing the configuration of the tactile indicator from a first configuration to a second configuration in response to the fulfillment of a first predetermined criterion.

[0100] The method also describes how to modify an aerosol supply system to include an aerosol supply device for generating aerosols, and the method is as follows: This includes attaching a tactile indicator to the aerosol supply system to provide indication of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply device. A tactile indicator 200 for use in an aerosol supply system 300 is also described. The tactile indicator 200 may be provided with a given aerosol supply system 1, used retroactively with an aerosol supply device 2, or attached to the aerosol supply device 2. The tactile indicator 200 may be electrically operated, or mechanically operated, and / or configured to remain stationary during use. Thus, the tactile indicator 200 can facilitate the operation of the aerosol supply system 1, particularly for users with visual impairments.

[0101] To address a variety of issues and to advance the technology, this disclosure illustrates various embodiments in which the claimed invention may be carried out. The advantages and features of this disclosure are merely representative samples of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. They are presented solely to aid understanding and to teach the claimed invention. The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects described in this disclosure should not be considered as limitations to the scope of this disclosure as defined by the claims or to equivalents of the claims, and it should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and modified without departing from the scope of the claims. Various embodiments may suitably include, be composed of, or essentially consist of, various combinations of disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein, and it should be understood that the features of dependent claims may be combined with the features of independent claims in combinations other than those expressly described in the claims. This disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

[0102] For the sake of completeness, regarding how either the sensor 91 or the tactile indicator 200 (if it is electrically operated) can be powered (if present), it will be understood that these features can be powered either by using the power supply 16 (as shown in the embodiment of Figure 10) or by each feature being powered by its own power source (not shown).

[0103] Similarly, with respect to the positioning of any such sensors and / or tactile indicators, it will be understood that their positions may be provided anywhere within the aerosol supply system 300, as may be required to enable them to provide the necessary functions. In the case of the tactile indicator 200, this may even include positions where the tactile indicator 200 is not actually located on the aerosol supply system 1.

[0104] Similarly, if the aerosol supply system 1 comprises a cartridge 2 and an aerosol supply device 4, any provided sensor may be located in either the cartridge 2 or the aerosol supply device 4, as needed, to enable the required function of the sensor.

[0105] Furthermore, with respect to any sensors or tactile indicators 200 provided within the aerosol supply system 1, any signals from there may be transmitted using either a wired or wireless connection between the control circuit 18 and the sensor and / or tactile indicator 200. For example, in the particular embodiment shown in Figure 10, a wired connection is provided between the temperature sensor 91 and the control circuit 18, which extends across the interface end 54 and the corresponding receptacle 8 between the aerosol supply device 4 and the cartridge 2 via a contact electrode 46, if the sensor 91 is located in the cartridge 2.

[0106] It will also be understood that the position of the tactile indicator 200 may vary depending on the intended function of the tactile indicator 200. For example, as shown in the embodiment related to Figure 8, in some embodiments the tactile indicator may be located on the surface of the cartridge 4, such as the surface of the mouthpiece shown in the embodiment of Figure 2. In that case, the user does not necessarily need to use their hand or finger to distinguish this indication, and can distinguish the indication intended to be conveyed from the tactile indicator 200 using their lips, which can be particularly useful in some embodiments.

[0107] In some embodiments, the aerosol supply device 4 further includes a receptacle 8 for receiving a portion of the cartridge 2 (such as the interface end portion 6 shown in the embodiment of Figure 2) to allow the cartridge 2 to engage with the aerosol supply device 4, but the tactile indicator 200 may be located on this portion of the cartridge 2. Thus, as an example, the user can then determine the indication (for example, if the indication includes the flavor of the aerosolizable material used to produce the aerosol) before connecting the cartridge to the aerosol supply device 4 to confirm that the indication is what the user expects (for example, the flavor is the flavor they intend to use, compared to any other flavor). Thus, assuming the correct indication has been determined by the user, the user can then connect the cartridge to the aerosol supply device 4, which then means that the tactile indicator 200 is covered inside the receptacle 8, for example, to avoid distracting the user with the tactile indicator 200 when the aerosol supply system 1 is in use.

[0108] Returning to how the tactile indicator 200 may be provided as part of the aerosol supply system 1, as described above, in some embodiments, mounting means / mechanisms such as an adhesive surface 210, or perhaps some other adhesive material, may be provided for attaching the tactile indicator 200 to the aerosol supply system 1. That said, it will be understood that in some embodiments, the tactile indicator 200 may be integrally formed on a surface of the aerosol supply system 1, such as the surface of the aerosol supply device 4, the surface of the cartridge 2, or perhaps even the surface of any mouthpiece from the aerosol supply system 1. Thus, by providing this integral forming technique, the need to separately attach the tactile indicator 200 to the relevant part of the aerosol supply system 1 can be avoided. This not only can result in fewer components, but it can also be better prevented from the tactile indicator 200 inadvertently falling off or detaching from the relevant part of the aerosol supply system 1 during use, which could otherwise prevent a visually impaired user from accessing the tactile indicator 200.

[0109] With the foregoing in mind, it will also be understood that any such tactile indicator 200 may be equally used to give a very good effect on a container for holding fresh products such as chewing tobacco, snus, or oral products. By the term oral products, it may be understood that this includes oral products made from or derived from tobacco, which are intended for human consumption, whether or not they incorporate tobacco. Such oral products may also be understood to include oral products containing nicotine in some embodiments. An example of such a container is described in International Publication No. 2022 / 049545, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0110] Accordingly, at a general level, containers 300 configured to hold fresh products 301 such as chewing tobacco, snus, or oral products may also be provided herein, and the containers 300 comprising tactile indicators 200 for providing indication of the characteristics of the fresh product. An example of such a container is shown in Figure 11 herein, but it will be understood that any of the container designs shown and disclosed in any of Figures 1 to 47B of International Publication No. 2022 / 049545 can obviously utilize the tactile indicators 200 described herein. All of these container designs and / or features therefrom are incorporated herein by reference.

[0111] With respect to the container shown in Figure 11 of this specification, the container 300 is shown to have a body portion 302 that defines an internal space 304 accessible through an opening 306. The body portion 302 comprises a bottom wall 308 and a side wall 310 extending upward from the periphery 312 of the bottom wall 308.

[0112] The shapes and sizes of the containers described herein may vary without departing from the disclosure. In certain embodiments, the container may be described as having a cylindrical shape suitable for handheld operation and handling, however other polyhedral shapes (e.g., hexagonal, octagonal, etc.) are also considered and deemed to be within the scope of the disclosure. Exemplary dimensions of such handheld, substantially cylindrical embodiments include diameters ranging from about 50 mm to about 100 mm, more typically from about 60 mm to about 80 mm. Exemplary wall thicknesses include ranges from about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm, more typically from about 0.8 mm to about 1.4 mm. Exemplary depths of embodiments of handheld containers of the disclosure range from about 5 mm to about 50 mm, more typically from about 8 mm to about 30 mm, most often from about 15 mm to about 25 mm.

[0113] However, whatever shape and / or size, the container 300 may, in some embodiments, include a cover 314 configured to engage securely and removably with the main body portion 302. The properties and shape of this cover 314 may vary depending on its intended use, but it is clear that in some embodiments, the cover 314 may include a top wall 316 and side walls 318 extending downward from the periphery 320 of the top wall 316. Thus, the side walls 310 of the main body portion 302 may be configured to engage with the side walls 318 of the cover 314 during use, as shown in Figure 11.

[0114] The internal space 304 may be configured to store / hold fresh product 301 within the container 300 during use.

[0115] Therefore, from the above, the tactile indicator 200 provided on the container 300 may function to provide an indication of the characteristics of the fresh product 301 (which may be chewing tobacco, snus, or an oral product). This characteristic may relate to any of the above characteristics, but obviously, to provide an indication that the fresh product contains a minty flavor (as shown in Figure 11, meaning "mint")

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[0116] With regard to the position of any such tactile indicator 200 when used with the container described herein, it will be understood that the position of the tactile indicator 200 may be modified as necessary to accommodate the intended use of the container. For example, according to some embodiments, the tactile indicator may be located on the outer surface of the container 300, such as the outer surface of the body portion 302 (e.g., the outer surface of the side wall 310 or bottom wall 308 of the body portion 302) and / or the outer surface of the cover 314 (or the side wall 318 or top wall 316 of the cover 314).

[0117] Regarding how the tactile indicator 200 may be provided as part of the container 300, in some embodiments, as described above, mounting means / mechanisms such as an adhesive surface 210, or possibly some other adhesive material, may be provided for attaching the tactile indicator 200 to the container 300. However, in some embodiments, as shown in the embodiment of Figure 11, it will be understood that the tactile indicator 200 may be integrally formed on a surface of the container 300, such as the surface (or outer surface) of either the body portion 302 or the cover 314. By providing this integral forming technique, the need to separately attach the tactile indicator 200 to the relevant part of the container 300 can be avoided. This not only may result in fewer components for the container 300, but it may also be better prevented from the tactile indicator 200 inadvertently falling off or detaching from the relevant part of the container 300 during use, otherwise it may prevent a visually impaired user from accessing the tactile indicator 200. This is especially true if the container 300 is configured in any other way to be stacked on top of or below other containers 300 of the same shape, and such stacking may cause friction that could otherwise cause the mounting means / mechanism to fail.

[0118] Forming the tactile indicator 200 within the surface of the container 300 (i.e., as an upward projection, a downward recess, or a combination of both) can be particularly convenient when any part of the container (such as the body or cover) is manufactured by injection molding, such as by a container containing polypropylene (i.e., made of polypropylene), because the tactile indicator 200 can potentially be formed simultaneously with the rest of the container 300, in which case the process of manufacturing the tactile indicator 200 of the container 300 together with the container 300 is significantly simplified.

[0119] Similarly, in some embodiments, to help avoid any impact on the ability of the tactile indicator 200 to be stacked (top-up or bottom-up) with adjacent containers 300 (e.g., during transport or on store shelves), the tactile indicator 200 in some embodiments may be recessed into a surface such as the outer surface of the container 300, as shown in the embodiment of Figure 11, where the braille dots are instead shown as braille recesses (i.e., recessed letters 208) to avoid the letters affecting the ability of the top (bottom) surface of one container 300 to be stacked with the bottom (top) surface of another identical container 300, which could occur if the tactile indicator 200 were not recessed. In this regard, it can also be understood that a similar effect may be achieved by positioning the tactile indicator 200 on a recess from the container 300 rather than recessing the letters into the surface of the container 300. Thus, even if the tactile indicator 200 takes the form of a protrusion instead, this may not necessarily still affect the ability of the top (bottom) surface of container 300 to be stacked with the bottom (top) surface of a corresponding identical container 300. Therefore, with regard to these effects, it will be understood that, according to some embodiments, container 300 may be configured to be stackable on top of another second container 300 identical to container 300, or optionally below it, or either. Thus, according to some embodiments, more generally, the indicator 200 may be configured not to affect the ability of container 300 to be stacked with a second container 300. In that case, this could be due to either the indicator 200 being recessed, or / or the indicator 200 being located on the side of the container (such as the outer surface of the side wall 310 of the main body portion 302 and / or the outer surface of the side wall 318 of the cover 314), otherwise it could not affect the ability of the top (bottom) / top wall (bottom wall) of container 300 to be stacked with the bottom (top) / / bottom wall (top wall) of the second container 300.

[0120] Therefore, based on the above, this specification provides a general introduction of a tactile indicator 200 for providing a display 202 such as a tactile indication of the operation or characteristics of an aerosol supply system 1, or for providing an indication of the characteristics of a fresh product such as chewing tobacco from a container 300.

[0121] If used, it will be understood that in some embodiments, the tactile indicator 200 may be formed from a luminescent material to further enhance its effectiveness when viewed in the dark. Similarly, in some embodiments, the tactile indicator may be formed from a fluorescent material to make the display particularly visually prominent for people with partial color blindness. Therefore, with respect to these embodiments, it will be understood that the indicator 200 does not necessarily have to be tactile, as the luminescent material and / or the fluorescent material itself may help to provide a necessary indication of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply system and / or the characteristics of the fresh product from the container 300 for people with visual impairments.

[0122] Accordingly, at a general level, indicators for providing indication of the operation or characteristics of an aerosol supply system and / or the characteristics of a fresh product (such as chewing tobacco) from a container may also be provided herein. These indicators may include tactile indicators formed from luminescent materials and / or fluorescent materials. Such indicators may include any of the features described herein with respect to the location, function, or arrangement of the tactile indicator on any of the aerosol supply system 1, aerosol supply system 2, cartridge 4, and / or container 300 described herein.

[0123] As another further descriptive embodiment of this general teaching, one particular embodiment may include a container configured to hold a fresh product such as chewing tobacco, snus, or an oral product, wherein the container includes an indicator formed from a luminescent material for providing an indication of the characteristics of the fresh product. Thus, the container may be configured to assist the visibility of the indication when the container is used in a low-light environment by using a luminescent indicator formed from a luminescent material. In some embodiments, the indication may include the type of fresh product (e.g., that the fresh product is chewing tobacco) and / or the flavor of the fresh product. Thus, the application also clearly enables a method for enhancing the visibility of a container configured to hold a fresh product such as chewing tobacco, snus, or an oral product under low-light conditions, wherein the method includes applying an indicator formed from a luminescent material to the container, the indicator being for providing an indication of the characteristics of the fresh product. In this way, an existing container that does not have any form of indicator 200 can be modified so that an indicator 200 is added thereto, such as via an adhesive surface from indicator 200 used to apply indicator 200 to container 300. In these cases, it may be advantageous to apply the indicator 200 to any used cover 314 from the container 300, in which case it may be more easily identifiable / visible to the user of the container 300 during use compared to the case in which the indicator 200 could instead be applied to any used body portion 302 from the container 300.

[0124] Similarly, for completeness, any reference to the singular (tactile) indicator 200 used herein will be readily apparent, in some embodiments, to any number of (potentially distinct) indicators 200 that may provide different indications to the remaining indicators 200 used. An example of this can be seen in the embodiment of Figure 11, which shows a container 300 comprising a first indicator 200A for indicating the flavor of a fresh product, a second indicator 200B for indicating the expiration date of the fresh product 301, and a third indicator 200C for providing an indication of the type of fresh product 301 from the container 300.

[0125] However, whatever the number of indicators 200 used, particularly in the context of such indicators used with a container 300, it will be understood that in some embodiments, the indicators 200 may be configured to occupy 40% or less, more preferably 30% or less, more preferably 20% or less, or even more preferably 15% or less, of the area of ​​the (exposed) outer surface of the container, as shown, for example, in the embodiment of Figure 11. In this specification, the term "outer surface" should be understood to mean the exposed surface on the outside of the container, i.e., the outer surface of the body portion 302 and the cover 314, as can be seen in the embodiment of Figure 11. By using these percentages, it is possible to better avoid confusion for the user due to all indicators being present in most or too much of the combined area of ​​the outer surface of the container 300, otherwise it may be more difficult to distinguish the relevant indicator from other potential indicators that may be used. Furthermore, by keeping these percentages lower, it may be better possible to keep the remaining areas of the outer surface of the container 300 free from indicators, and thus leave these remaining areas from the outer surface of the container free for other potential purposes / uses, perhaps such as contrast areas (e.g., black or dark areas, or areas free from luminescent or fluorescent materials) to further enhance the contrast with any indicator used, including luminescent or fluorescent materials.

[0126] In this regard as well, in some embodiments, the indicator 200 (or the total number of indicators if two or more indicators are used) may be configured to occupy at least 0.25%, or at least 0.5%, or at least 1%, or at least 2% of the area of ​​the (exposed) outer surface of the container 300, thereby ensuring that the indicator 200 is large enough to be discernible without the user (who may be visually impaired) having to rub their hand over the entire container 300 to find the indicator 200. In other words, by having the indicator (or the total number of indicators) occupy this minimum area of ​​the (exposed) outer surface of the container, the user may be able to find a given indicator more quickly.

[0127] Similarly, for completeness once again, as long as any reference is made to the properties, characteristics, and / or location of the tactile indicator 200 described herein, it will be fully understood that these same properties may be used alternatively / additionally in connection with some of the other indicators described herein, such as indicators formed from luminescent materials which may or may not be tactile, and / or indicators formed from fluorescent materials instead. Thus, as a purely illustrative example, an indicator formed from a fluorescent material may be provided to indicate the operation or characteristics of an aerosol supply system, which may be an indicator located on the surface surrounding the charging port 24 and / or on the surface of the input button 20, or on the surface surrounding the input button. In this way, the indicator 200 may help a visually impaired user to more easily see the location of the charging port 24 or the input button 20 during use. The same principle may also apply to having an indicator formed from a luminescent material, which may make the location of the charging port 24 or the input button 20 more easily discernible under low-light conditions.

Claims

1. an aerosol supply system, an aerosol supply device for generating aerosols, A tactile indicator for providing an indication of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply system, an aerosol supply system equipped with the following features.

2. The aerosol supply system according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol supply device comprises an actuator for controlling the operation of the aerosol supply device, and the indicator includes the position of the actuator.

3. The aerosol supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the aerosol supply device comprises an electrical connection port for supplying power to the aerosol supply device, and the indicator includes the location of the electrical connection port.

4. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the display includes an indication of whether or not the aerosol supply device is turned on.

5. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tactile indicator is configured to change from a first configuration to a second configuration in order to provide the display.

6. The aerosol supply device, In response to the determination that a first predetermined criterion is met, a first signal is generated, and The first signal is configured to be transmitted to the tactile indicator, The tactile indicator is configured to change from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to the tactile indicator receiving the first signal, in order to provide the display. The aerosol supply system according to any claim 5.

7. The aerosol supply system according to claim 6, wherein the first predetermined criterion includes the aerosol supply device being turned on, and the indicator includes an indicator that the aerosol supply device is turned on.

8. The aerosol supply system according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising an aerosol generator for aerosolizing an aerosol-generating material, wherein the first predetermined criterion includes the aerosol generator being in operation, and the indicator includes an indicator that the aerosol generator is in operation.

9. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 6 to 8, further comprising an aerosol generator for aerosolizing an aerosol generating material, wherein the first predetermined criterion includes the aerosol generator exceeding a predetermined temperature, the indicator includes an indicator that the aerosol generator is overheating, and the aerosol generator comprises a heating element.

10. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the first predetermined criterion includes the aerosol supply device exceeding a predetermined temperature, and the indication includes an indication that the aerosol supply device is overheating.

11. The aerosol supply device, In response to the determination that a second predetermined criterion is met, a second signal is generated, and The second signal is further configured to transmit to the tactile indicator, The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the tactile indicator is configured to adopt a third configuration in response to the tactile indicator receiving the second signal, and the third configuration is different from the first configuration and the second configuration.

12. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the tactile indicator has an adhesive surface for attaching the tactile indicator to the aerosol supply device.

13. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the tactile indicator is located on the aerosol supply device.

14. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the tactile indicator is located on the outer surface of the aerosol supply device.

15. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the aerosol supply system further comprises a mouthpiece, and the tactile indicator is located on the surface of the mouthpiece.

16. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the tactile indicator further comprises one or more protrusions and / or one or more recesses.

17. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the indication includes the flavor of the aerosolizable material used to generate the aerosol.

18. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising a cartridge configured to engage with the aerosol supply device.

19. The aerosol supply system according to claim 18, wherein the cartridge further comprises a mouthpiece, and the tactile indicator is located on the surface of the mouthpiece.

20. The aerosol supply system according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the aerosol supply device further comprises a receptacle for receiving a portion of the cartridge in order to enable the cartridge to engage with the aerosol supply device.

21. The aerosol supply system according to claim 20, wherein the portion of the cartridge is configured to be covered by the receptacle when the portion of the cartridge is received within the receptacle.

22. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein the tactile indicator is located on the portion of the cartridge.

23. The aerosol supply system according to claims 18 to 22, wherein the indication includes the operation or characteristics of the cartridge.

24. The aerosol supply system according to claim 23, wherein the indication includes an indication that the cartridge is being received by the aerosol supply device.

25. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 18 to 24, wherein the tactile indicator is configured to adopt a first configuration when the cartridge is not received by the aerosol supply device, and to adopt a second configuration different from the first configuration when the cartridge is received by the aerosol supply device.

26. The cartridge is a first cartridge, and the aerosol supply device is further configured to receive a second cartridge that is different from the first cartridge. The aerosol supply system according to claim 25, wherein the tactile indicator is configured to adopt a third configuration different from the first and second configurations when the second cartridge is received by the aerosol supply device.

27. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 18 to 26, wherein the aerosol supply device comprises the tactile indicator.

28. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 18 to 27, wherein the cartridge comprises the tactile indicator.

29. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 28, wherein the aerosol supply system comprises mounting means for attaching the tactile indicator to the aerosol supply system.

30. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 29, wherein the tactile indicator comprises mounting means for attaching the tactile indicator to the aerosol supply system.

31. The aerosol supply system according to claim 29 or 30, wherein the mounting means includes a sticker or adhesive material.

32. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 29 to 31, wherein the mounting means is for attaching the tactile indicator to the aerosol supply device.

33. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 32, wherein the tactile indicator is configured to display Braille characters.

34. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 33, wherein the tactile indicator includes a tactile display.

35. A cartridge for an aerosol supply system, wherein the aerosol supply system comprises the cartridge and an aerosol supply device, and the cartridge is The aerosol supply system includes a tactile indicator for providing an indication of its operation or characteristics. cartridge.

36. A tactile indicator for providing an indication of the operation or characteristics of an aerosol supply device, wherein the tactile indicator is configured to be attached to the aerosol supply device. The tactile indicator has an adhesive surface for attaching the tactile indicator to the aerosol supply device. Tactile indicator.

37. The tactile indicator according to claim 36, wherein the adhesive surface is configured to releasably attach the tactile indicator to the aerosol supply device.

38. An aerosol supply device for generating an aerosol in an aerosol supply system, wherein the aerosol supply device further comprises a tactile indicator for providing an indication of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply system.

39. A method for providing a representation of the operation or characteristics of an aerosol supply system configured to generate an aerosol, wherein the method is The procedure includes the step of changing the configuration of the tactile indicator from a first configuration to a second configuration in response to the fulfillment of a first predetermined criterion. method.

40. The method described above is A step of generating a first signal in response to the determination that the first predetermined criterion is met, The steps include: changing the configuration of the tactile indicator from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to the tactile indicator receiving the second signal; The method according to claim 39, further comprising:

41. A step of generating a second signal in response to the determination that a second predetermined criterion has been met, The steps include: changing the configuration of the tactile indicator to adopt a third position in response to the tactile indicator receiving the second signal; The third configuration further includes, wherein the third configuration is different from the first and second configurations. The method according to claim 39 or 40.

42. The method described above is The process further includes receiving a cartridge via an aerosol supply device, wherein the first predetermined criterion includes the cartridge being received by the aerosol supply device. The method according to any one of claims 39 to 41.

43. A method for modifying an aerosol supply system comprising an aerosol supply device for generating aerosols, wherein the method is The step includes attaching a tactile indicator to the aerosol supply system for providing an indication of the operation or characteristics of the aerosol supply system, method.

44. The method according to any one of claims 39 to 43, wherein the method includes the step of attaching the tactile indicator to the aerosol supply system via an adhesive surface from the tactile indicator.

45. A container configured to hold a fresh product, such as chewing tobacco, snus, or an oral product, wherein the container is equipped with a tactile indicator for providing an indication of the characteristics of the fresh product.

46. The container according to claim 45, wherein the tactile indicator is located on the outer surface of the container.

47. The container according to claim 45 or 46, wherein the aforementioned characteristics include the aroma of the fresh product.

48. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 47, wherein the aforementioned characteristics include the shelf life of the fresh product.

49. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 48, wherein the characteristics include the type of fresh product.

50. A main body portion defining an internal space accessible through an opening, wherein the main body portion comprises a bottom wall and a side wall extending upward from the periphery of the bottom wall, A cover configured to be securely and detachably engaged with the main body portion, A container according to any one of claims 45 to 49, further comprising:

51. The container according to claim 50, wherein at least one of the main body portion or the cover is manufactured by injection molding.

52. The container according to claim 50 or 51, wherein at least one of the main body portion or the cover is made of polypropylene.

53. The container according to any one of claims 50 to 52, wherein the tactile indicator is located on the outer surface of the cover.

54. The container according to any one of claims 50 to 53, wherein the tactile indicator is located on the outer surface of the bottom wall.

55. The aforementioned cover, The top wall and, The main body portion further comprises a side wall extending downward from the periphery of the top wall, wherein the side wall of the main body portion is configured to engage with the side wall of the cover. The container according to any one of claims 50 to 54.

56. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 55, wherein the container has a depth of 30 mm to approximately 50 mm.

57. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 56, further comprising mounting means for attaching the tactile indicator to the container.

58. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 57, wherein the tactile indicator is integrally formed with the surface of the container.

59. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 58, wherein the tactile indicator is integrally formed with the outer surface of the container.

60. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 59, wherein the tactile indicator is configured to display the indication in Braille.

61. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 60, wherein the tactile indicator further comprises one or more protrusions and / or one or more recesses.

62. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 61, wherein the tactile indicator is recessed into the surface of the container.

63. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 62, wherein the tactile indicator is located on a concave surface from the container.

64. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 63, further comprising the fresh product inside the container.

65. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 64, wherein the container is handheld.

66. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 65, wherein the container has a hexagonal shape.

67. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 66, wherein the container has a cylindrical shape.

68. The aforementioned tactile indicator, A first tactile indicator for providing a first indication of the first characteristics of the fresh product, A second tactile indicator for providing a second indication of the second characteristic of the fresh product, A container according to any one of claims 45 to 67, including the container described in any one of claims 45 to 67.

69. The container according to claim 68, wherein the second characteristic is different from the first characteristic.

70. The container according to claim 68 or 69, wherein the second indicator is located on a surface of the container different from the surface of the container on which the first indicator is located.

71. The container according to claim 68 or 69, wherein the first and second indicators are located on the same surface of the container.

72. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 71, wherein the container is configured to be stackable with another second container identical to the container.

73. The container according to claim 72, wherein the indicator does not affect the ability of the container to be stacked with the second container.

74. A container configured to hold a fresh product, such as chewing tobacco, snus, or an oral product, wherein the container comprises an indicator formed from a luminescent material for providing an indication of the characteristics of the fresh product.

75. The container according to any one of claims 45 to 74, wherein the indicator is configured to occupy 20% or less of the area of ​​the outer surface of the container.

76. A method for improving the visibility of a container configured to hold a fresh product, such as chewing tobacco, snus, or oral product, under low-light conditions, wherein the method is: The process includes the step of applying an indicator formed from a luminescent material to the container, wherein the indicator is for providing an indication of the characteristics of the fresh product. method.

77. The step of applying the indicator to the container is The process includes applying an adhesive surface from the indicator to the container, The method according to claim 76.

78. The aforementioned container A main body portion defining an internal space accessible through an opening, wherein the main body portion comprises a bottom wall and a side wall extending upward from the periphery of the bottom wall, A cover configured to be securely and detachably engaged with the main body portion, Equipped with, The step of applying the indicator to the container is The process includes applying the indicator to the cover of the container, The method according to claim 76 or 77.

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