Aerosol supply device

Abstract

To provide an aerosol delivery device that improves aerosol delivery and / or the user's sensory experience. [Solution] The aerosol supply device 902 comprises an aerosol generation chamber 925, one or more heating elements 924 arranged to heat an aerosol generator 904 placed inside the aerosol generation chamber 925 when in use, a control system configured to activate one or more heating elements 924 at time T0, and one or more valves 951 arranged to prevent the aerosol generated inside the aerosol generation chamber 925 from being transmitted forward until a subsequent time T1, wherein T1 > T0.

Description

Field

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

[0002] Electronic aerosol generation systems, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), generally include a reservoir of a raw material liquid containing a formulation that typically includes nicotine, and the aerosol is then generated, for example, by heating and vaporizing. Thus, an aerosol supply source for an aerosol supply system may include a heater having a heating element arranged to receive the raw material liquid from the reservoir, for example, by wicking or capillary action. While the user is inhaling on the device, power is supplied to the heating element to vaporize the raw material liquid near the heating element to generate an aerosol for inhalation by the user. Such devices typically include one or more air inlet holes located away from the mouthpiece end of the system. When the user inhales on a mouthpiece connected to the mouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn through the inlet holes and passes through the aerosol supply source. There is a flow path connecting between the aerosol supply source and the opening of the mouthpiece, and as a result, the air passing through the aerosol supply source continues to be drawn into the mouthpiece opening along the flow path while carrying a portion of the aerosol from the aerosol supply source. The air carrying the aerosol exits the aerosol supply system through the opening of the mouthpiece for inhalation by the user.

[0003] Other aerosol supply devices generate an aerosol from a solid material such as tobacco or a tobacco derivative. Such devices operate in a manner substantially similar to the above liquid-based systems, where the solid tobacco material is heated to its vaporization temperature to generate an aerosol, which is then inhaled by the user. In most aerosol supply devices, the user demands consistent delivery puff by puff so that the same taste is achieved for each puff and / or the same desired effect is obtained. However, the above devices do not always provide consistent delivery.

[0004] It is desirable to provide an aerosol delivery device that improves aerosol delivery and / or the user's sensory experience. Overview

[0005] According to one aspect, aerosol generation chamber and During use, one or more heating elements are arranged to heat the aerosol product placed inside the aerosol generation chamber, A control system configured to activate one or more heating elements at time T0, One or more valves positioned to prevent forward transmission of the aerosol generated in the aerosol generation chamber until a subsequent time T1, wherein T1 > T0, and An aerosol supply device is provided that includes the following.

[0006] It was found that the sensory experience can be improved by properly forming aerosols, and, for example, by delaying the release of aerosols by a few seconds after the heating element is initially activated.

[0007] In particular, aerosols can be formed within the aerosol generation chamber (or a downstream aerosol retention chamber), and delaying the release of the aerosol helps to optimize the particle size of the aerosol droplets or particles when they are subsequently released.

[0008] It was also found that holding the aerosol in either the aerosol generation chamber or another aerosol retention chamber for a few seconds reduces the undesirable experience of high-temperature puffs, i.e., hot and humid puffs, when the aerosol contains a high amount of moisture. Furthermore, if the moisture content is too high, microbial growth can occur.

[0009] Optionally, one or more valves may be located in the outlet region of the aerosol generation chamber, and optionally, after one or more heating elements are first activated at time T0, they may be configured to prevent the aerosol from leaving the aerosol generation chamber until a subsequent time T1.

[0010] Various embodiments are conceivable. For example, according to one embodiment, time T0 may correspond to the operation or deactivation of one or more heating elements. According to one embodiment, the operation of one or more valves at times T0 and T1 may be a function of time and may be determined by the user indicating that they wish to use the device. According to one embodiment, the relationship between time T0 and time T1 may follow a predetermined timing profile. Another embodiment is conceivable in which the relationship between time T0 and time T1 may be set according to one or more settings determined by the user.

[0011] Optionally, the aerosol supply device may further include an aerosol holding chamber located downstream of the aerosol generation chamber.

[0012] Optionally, one or more valves may be located in the outlet region of the aerosol retention chamber. One or more valves may be positioned to prevent the aerosol from leaving the aerosol retention chamber until time T1.

[0013] The device may include an indicator means configured to indicate to the user that puffing should be initiated, timed to operate in conjunction with or slightly before the valve opens. According to various embodiments, one or more of the following may be provided to the user: audio, visual, or tactile. The instructions provided to the user may be set in relation to T1, i.e., at time T1, or at a predetermined time prior to T1.

[0014] Optionally, the control system may be configured to selectively control one or more valves in response to (i) the activation or deactivation of one or more heating elements, (ii) as a function of time, (iii) according to a predetermined timing profile, or (iv) according to one or more settings defined by the user.

[0015] Optionally, the aerosol supply device may further include a mouthpiece.

[0016] Optionally, the aerosol supply device may further include one or more aerosol channels positioned between the outlet of the aerosol generation chamber (or the outlet of the aerosol holding chamber) and the mouthpiece to direct or transmit aerosols released by one or more valves to the mouthpiece.

[0017] The aerosol generating device may comprise a substantially planar aerosol generating device. The planar aerosol generating device may comprise a plurality of aerosol generating regions.

[0018] According to some embodiments, an aerosol generating product having multiple aerosol generating regions may be arranged adjacent to multiple heating elements.

[0019] Alternatively, an aerosol generator having multiple aerosol generating regions may be arranged such that one or more aerosol generating regions are adjacent to a heating element, and the aerosol generator may be rotated or moved relative to the heating element such that one or more aerosol generating regions move closer to the heating element.

[0020] Optionally, the aerosol supply device may further comprise a plurality of aerosol generation regions, one or more of these regions, or each aerosol generation region, having at least one air supply port for fluid communication with the external atmosphere.

[0021] According to another embodiment, The aerosol supply device described above, Aerosol generating product comprising multiple aerosol generating material parts An aerosol supply system is provided that includes the following features.

[0022] Optionally, (i) each aerosol-generating material portion is substantially the same, or (ii) at least some of the aerosol-generating material portions are substantially different.

[0023] Optionally, the aerosol-generating article may comprise a substantially planar aerosol-generating article.

[0024] Optionally, the planar aerosol-generating article may comprise a plurality of aerosol-generating regions.

[0025] Optionally, during use, the aerosol-generating article is arranged adjacent to a plurality of heating elements.

[0026] Optionally, during use, the aerosol-generating article is arranged such that one or more aerosol-generating regions are located adjacent to the heating element, and the aerosol-generating article is rotated or moved relative to the heating element such that one or more aerosol-generating regions move closer to the heating element.

[0027] According to another aspect, providing an aerosol supply device as described above; using one or more valves to prevent the aerosol generated in the aerosol generation chamber from being transmitted forward until time T1, where T1 > T0; A method of generating an aerosol is provided that includes.

[0028] Thus, embodiments incorporating one or more valves to delay the release of the aerosol provide an improved sensory experience with a reduced risk of high-temperature puff and avoid the risk of microbial growth.

[0029] It will be recognized that the features and aspects of the invention described above with respect to the first and other aspects of the invention are equally applicable to embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the invention and may be combined with them as appropriate, not limited to the specific combinations described above.

[0030] Next, various embodiments will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol supply system comprising an aerosol supply device and an aerosol generating product. The aerosol supply device includes multiple heating elements, and the aerosol generating product includes multiple aerosol generating material components. [Figure 2A] Figure 1 is a top view of the aerosol generator placed in the aerosol supply device shown. [Figure 2B] This is an end view of the aerosol-generating product along its longitudinal axis. [Figure 2C] This is a side view of the aerosol product along its widthwise axis. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional top view of the heating element of the aerosol supply device. [Figure 4] This is an exemplary top view of a contact sensing panel used to operate various functions of an aerosol supply system. [Figure 5] This is an example of a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol supply system comprising an aerosol supply device and an aerosol generating product. The aerosol supply device comprises multiple induction heating elements, and the aerosol generating product comprises multiple aerosol generating material parts and corresponding susceptor parts. [Figure 6A] Figure 5 is a top view of the aerosol generator arranged in the aerosol supply device shown. [Figure 6B] This is an end view of the aerosol-generating product along its longitudinal axis. [Figure 6C] This is a side view of the aerosol product along its widthwise axis. [Figure 7] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a single-component aerosol supply device. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is an isometric view of a portion of the aerosol supply device. [Figure 9] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol supply device according to one embodiment, in which the aerosol generated in the aerosol generation chamber is delayed from leaving the aerosol generation chamber for a certain time interval after the initial operation of the heating element by one or more valves located at the outlet of the aerosol generation chamber. [Figure 10] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol supply device according to another embodiment, in which the aerosol generated in the aerosol generation chamber flows into the aerosol holding chamber, and one or more valves located at the outlet of the aerosol holding chamber are arranged to selectively transmit or release the aerosol held in the aerosol holding chamber. Detailed explanation

[0032] This specification discusses or describes aspects and features of specific examples and embodiments. Some aspects and features in specific examples and embodiments may have been embodied in the prior art, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be discussed or described in detail. Therefore, it will be recognized that aspects and features of apparatus and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail can be embodied according to any prior art for embodying such aspects and features.

[0033] This disclosure relates to a “non-combustible” aerosol supply system. A “non-combustible” aerosol supply system is a system in which the aerosol-generating material components (or their components) of the aerosol supply system are not burned or incinerated in order to facilitate the delivery of aerosols to the user. Furthermore, as is common in the art, the terms “vapor” and “aerosol,” as well as related terms such as “vaporize,” “volatilize,” and “aerosolize,” can be used interchangeably in general.

[0034] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol supply system is a hybrid system for generating an aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials (one or more of which may be heated). Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid, or gel, and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may, for example, contain tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0035] Typically, a non-combustible aerosol supply system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol supply device and articles (sometimes called consumables) for use with the non-combustible aerosol supply device. However, articles that themselves provide means for powering an aerosol generating component can themselves be considered to form a non-combustible aerosol supply system.

[0036] Articles are intended to be consumed in whole or in part during use by the user. Consumables are articles comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, which are intended to be consumed in whole or in part during use by the user. Consumables may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol-generating area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter, and / or an aerosol modifier. Consumables may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, which releases heat to generate an aerosol in the aerosol-generating material when in use. The heater may comprise, for example, a flammable material, an electrically conductive material, or a susceptor.

[0037] Non-combustible aerosol supply systems often comprise a modular assembly that includes both reusable aerosol supply devices and replaceable articles, though not always. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol supply device may comprise a power source and a controller (or control circuit). The power source may be a power source such as a battery or a rechargeable battery. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol supply device may also comprise an aerosol generating component. However, in other embodiments, the article may comprise the aerosol generating component partially or completely.

[0038] An aerosol generating component (aerosol generator) is a device configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating component is a heater that can interact with the aerosol generating material to form an aerosol by releasing one or more volatile components from the aerosol generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating component can generate an aerosol from the aerosol generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generating component can generate an aerosol from the aerosol generating material without applying heat by, for example, one or more of the following means: vibratory means, mechanical means, pressurizing means, or electrostatic means.

[0039] Articles for use with non-combustible aerosol supply devices generally comprise an aerosol-generating material. The aerosol-generating material, sometimes also referred to herein as an aerosol-generating material, is a material capable of generating an aerosol when energy is applied, for example, by heating, irradiation, or any other means. The aerosol-generating material may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid, or gel, and may or may not contain nicotine and / or flavorings.

[0040] The aerosol-generating material may be present on or within a carrier support (or carrier component) to form a substrate. The carrier support may be, for example, paper, cardboard, cardboard, recycled aerosol-generating material, plastic material, ceramic material, composite material, glass, metal, or alloy, or may contain these materials.

[0041] In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device may include an aerosol-generating material or a region for receiving the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the article for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device may include a suction port, or alternatively, the non-combustible aerosol supply device may include a suction port communicating with the article. The region for receiving the aerosol-generating material may be a storage region for housing the aerosol-generating material. For example, this storage region may be a reservoir.

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol supply system 1. The aerosol supply system 1 comprises two main components: an aerosol supply device 2 and an aerosol generator 4.

[0043] The aerosol supply device 2 comprises an outer housing 21, a power supply 22, a control circuit 23, a plurality of aerosol generation components 24, a chamber 25, a suction port end 26, an air inlet 27, an air outlet 28, a contact sensing panel 29, a suction sensor 30, and a usage end indicator 31.

[0044] The outer housing 21 may be formed from any suitable material, such as plastic. The outer housing 21 is configured to house the power supply 22, control circuit 23, aerosol generation component 24, chamber 25, and suction sensor 30. The outer housing 21 also defines an air inlet 27 and an air outlet 28, which will be described in more detail below. The contact sensing panel 29 and the end-of-use indicator are located on the outside of the outer housing 21.

[0045] The outer housing 21 further includes a mouthpiece end 26. The outer housing 21 and the mouthpiece end 26 are formed as a single component (i.e., the mouthpiece end 26 forms part of the outer housing 21). The mouthpiece end 26 is defined as a region of the outer housing 21 that includes an air outlet 28 and is shaped such that a user can comfortably place their lips around the mouthpiece end 26 and engage with the air outlet 28. In Figure 1, the thickness of the outer housing 21 tapers towards the air outlet 28, providing a relatively thin portion of the aerosol supply device 2 that can be more easily accommodated by the user's lips. However, in other embodiments, the mouthpiece end 26 may be a removable component that is separate from the outer housing 21 but can be coupled to the outer housing 21, and can be removed for cleaning and / or replacement with another mouthpiece end 26.

[0046] The power supply 22 is configured to supply operating power to the aerosol supply device 2. The power supply 22 may be any suitable power source, such as a battery. For example, the power supply 22 may comprise a rechargeable battery, such as a lithium-ion battery. The power supply 22 may be detachable or may form an integrated part of the aerosol supply device 2. In some embodiments, the power supply 22 may be recharged by connecting the aerosol supply device 2 to an external power source (such as a mains power supply) via an associated connection port, such as a USB port (not shown), or via a suitable wireless receiver (not shown).

[0047] The control circuit 23 is appropriately configured or programmed to control the operation of the aerosol supply device 2 and provide specific operational functions of the aerosol supply device 2. The control circuit 23 may be considered to logically comprise various subunits or circuit elements related to various aspects of the operation of the aerosol supply device. For example, the control circuit 23 may include a logic subunit for controlling the recharging of the power supply 22. In addition, the control circuit 23 may include, for example, a logic subunit for communication to facilitate data transfer to or from the aerosol supply device 2. However, the primary function of the control circuit 23 is to control the aerosolization of the aerosol-generating material, as will be described in more detail below. It will be recognized that the functions of the control circuit 23 can be provided in various different ways, for example, using one or more appropriately programmed programmable computers, and / or one or more appropriately configured application-specific integrated circuits, circuits, chips, or chipsets configured to provide the desired functions. The control circuit 23 may be connected to the power supply 23, receive power from the power supply 22, and be configured to distribute or control the power supply to other components of the aerosol supply device 2.

[0048] In the described embodiment, the aerosol supply device 2 further comprises a chamber 25 positioned to receive the aerosol product 4.

[0049] The aerosol generating device 4 comprises a carrier component 42 and an aerosol generating material 44. The aerosol generating device 4 is shown in more detail in Figures 2A to 2C.

[0050] Figure 2A is a top view of the aerosol generator 4, Figure 2B is an end view of the aerosol generator 4 along its longitudinal axis, and Figure 2C is a side view of the aerosol generator 4 along its width axis.

[0051] In this embodiment, the aerosol generating product 4 comprises a carrier component 42 formed of a card. The carrier component 42 forms the majority of the aerosol generating product 4 and functions as a base on which the aerosol generating material 44 is placed.

[0052] As shown in Figures 2A to 2C, the carrier component 42 has a length l, a width w, and a thickness t. c It has a nearly cubic shape. As a specific example, the length of the carrier component 42 may be 30 to 80 mm, the width may be 7 to 25 mm, and the thickness may be 0.2 to 1 mm. However, it should be recognized that the above are exemplary dimensions of the carrier component 42, and in other embodiments, the carrier component 42 may have different dimensions as needed. In some embodiments, the carrier component 42 may have one or more protrusions extending in the longitudinal and / or width directions of the carrier component 42 to help facilitate the handling of the aerosol product 4 by the user.

[0053] In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, the aerosol generator 4 comprises several individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44 arranged on the surface of the carrier component 42. More specifically, the aerosol generator 4 comprises six individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44, labeled 44a to 44f, arranged in a 2x3 array. However, it should be noted that in other embodiments, more or fewer individual portions may be provided, and / or these portions may be arranged in different arrays (e.g., a 1x6 array). In the illustrated example, the aerosol-generating material 44 is arranged at discrete, separate locations on a single surface of the component carrier 42. Although the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 are shown to have a circular footprint, it should be noted that the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 may have any other footprint, such as a square or rectangle, as needed. The individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 have a diameter d and a thickness t, as shown in Figures 2A to 2C. a It has a thickness t. a This can take any appropriate value, for example, thickness ta The thickness t may be in the range of 50 μm to 1.5 mm. In some embodiments, the thickness t a The thickness is approximately 50 μm to 200 μm, or approximately 50 μm to 100 μm, or approximately 60 μm to 90 μm, with approximately 77 μm being appropriate. In other configurations, the thickness t a The thickness may be greater than 200 μm, for example, approximately 50 μm to approximately 400 μm, or approximately 1 mm, or approximately 1.5 mm.

[0054] The individual parts of the aerosol-generating material 44 are separated from each other so that each individual part can be individually or selectively energized (e.g., heated) to generate an aerosol. In some embodiments, these parts of the aerosol-generating material 44 may have a mass of 20 mg or less, and as a result, the amount of material aerosolized in any single instance by a given aerosol-generating product 24 is relatively small. For example, the mass of one part may be 20 mg or less, or 10 mg or less, or 5 mg or less. The total mass of the aerosol-generating product 4 may be heavier than 20 mg.

[0055] The aerosol generating product 4 may comprise multiple parts of an aerosol generating material, all of which are formed from the same aerosol generating material. Alternatively, the aerosol generating product 4 may comprise multiple parts of an aerosol generating material 44, in which at least two parts are formed from different aerosol generating materials.

[0056] Chamber 25 is sized to be suitable for removably receiving the aerosol generator 4. Although not shown, the aerosol supply device 2 may include a hinged door or a removable portion of the outer housing 21 to allow access to the chamber 25, so that the user can insert the aerosol generator 4 into the chamber 25 and / or remove the aerosol generator 4 from the chamber 25. The hinged door or the removable portion of the outer housing 21 may also function to hold the aerosol generator 4 inside the chamber 25 when closed. When the aerosol generator 4 is depleted, or when the user simply wishes to switch to a different aerosol generator 4, the aerosol generator 4 can be removed from the aerosol supply device 2 and a replacement aerosol generator 4 can be placed in its place in the chamber 25. Alternatively, the aerosol supply device 2 may include a permanent opening that communicates with the chamber 25 and into which the aerosol generator 4 can be inserted. In this implementation, a holding mechanism may be provided for holding the aerosol product 4 within the chamber 25 of the aerosol supply device 2.

[0057] As shown in Figure 1, the aerosol supply device 2 comprises several aerosol generating components 24. In the embodiments described, the aerosol generating components 24 are heating elements 24, more specifically, resistive heating elements 24. The resistive heating elements 24 receive an electric current and convert their electrical energy into heat. The resistive heating elements 24 may be formed from, or include, any suitable resistive heating material such as nichrome (Ni20Cr80) that generates heat when it receives an electric current. In one embodiment, the heating elements 24 may comprise an electrically insulating substrate on which resistive passages are arranged.

[0058] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional top view of the aerosol supply device 2 showing the arrangement of the heating element 24 in more detail. In Figures 1 and 3, the heating element 24 is positioned such that its surface forms part of the surface of the chamber 25. That is, the outer surface of the heating element 24 is flush with the inner surface of the receiving portion. More specifically, the outer surface of the heating element 24 that is flush with the inner surface of the chamber 25 is the surface of the heating element 24 that is heated (i.e., its temperature rises) when an electric current is passed through it.

[0059] The heating elements 24 are positioned such that each heating element 24 aligns with the corresponding individual part of the aerosol generating material 44 when the aerosol generating product 4 is received into the chamber 25. Thus, in this example, the six heating elements 24 are arranged in a 2x3 arrangement that roughly corresponds to the 2x3 arrangement of the six individual parts of the aerosol generating material 44 shown in Figures 2A to 2C. However, as discussed above, the number of heating elements 24 may differ in different embodiments, for example, there may be 8, 10, 12, or 14 heating elements 24. In some embodiments, the number of heating elements 24 is 6 or more, but 20 or less.

[0060] More specifically, the heating elements 24 are denoted 24a to 24f in Figure 3, and each heating element 24 should be understood to be positioned to align with the corresponding portion of the aerosol-generating material 44, as indicated by the corresponding letter following the reference numerals 24, 44. Thus, each heating element 24 can be operated individually to heat the corresponding portion of the aerosol-generating material 44.

[0061] The heating element 24 is shown flush with the inner surface of the chamber 25, but in other embodiments, the heating element 24 may protrude into the chamber 25. In either case, the aerosol generating material 4 comes into contact with the surface of the heating element 24 when it is inside the chamber 25, and as a result, the heat generated by the heating element 24 is conducted to the aerosol generating material 44 through the carrier component 42.

[0062] In some embodiments, in order to improve heat transfer efficiency, the chamber may be provided with a component that applies force to the surface of the carrier component 42 so as to press the carrier component 42 against the heater element 24, thereby increasing the heat transfer efficiency by conduction to the aerosol generating material 44.

[0063] In addition to or instead of the above, the heater element 24 may be configured to move toward the aerosol generator 4 / toward the aerosol generator 4, or it may be pressed against the surface of a carrier component 42 that does not contain the aerosol generating material 44.

[0064] During use, the aerosol supply device 2 (more specifically, the control circuit 23) is configured to supply power to the heating element 24 in response to user input. Generally, the control circuit 23 is configured to selectively apply power to the heating element 24 to heat the corresponding portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 to generate an aerosol. When the user inhales into the aerosol supply device 2 (i.e., inhales through the mouthpiece end 26), air is drawn into the aerosol supply device 2 through the air inlet 27, enters the chamber 25, where it mixes with the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-generating material 44, and is then drawn to the user's mouth through the air outlet 28. That is, the aerosol is delivered to the user through the mouthpiece end 26 and the air outlet 28.

[0065] As shown in Figure 1, device 2 includes a contact sensing panel 29 and an suction sensor 30. Both the contact sensing panel 29 and the suction sensor 30 function as mechanisms for receiving user input to trigger aerosol generation, and are therefore sometimes more broadly referred to as user input mechanisms. The received user input can be said to indicate that the user wants to generate an aerosol.

[0066] The contact sensing panel 29 may be a capacitive touch sensor and can be operated by the user of the aerosol supply device 2 by placing their finger or another suitable conductive object (e.g., a stylus) on the contact sensing panel. In the described embodiment, the contact sensing panel includes an area that the user can press to initiate aerosol generation. The control circuit 23 may be configured to receive a signal from the contact sensing panel 29 and use this signal to determine whether the user is pressing (i.e., activating) this area of ​​the contact sensing panel 29. If the control circuit 23 receives this signal, it is configured to supply power from the power supply 22 to one or more of the heating elements 24. The power may be supplied for a predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds) from the moment contact is detected, or it may be supplied in proportion to the length of time contact is detected. In other embodiments, the contact sensing panel 29 may be replaced with a button or the like that can be activated by the user.

[0067] The suction sensor 30 may be a pressure sensor or microphone, etc., configured to detect a drop in pressure or airflow caused by the user inhaling through the aerosol supply device 2. The suction sensor 30 is positioned in fluid communication with the airflow path (i.e., in fluid communication with the airflow path between the inlet 27 and the outlet 28). In a similar manner to the above, the control circuit 23 may be configured to receive a signal from the suction sensor and use this signal to determine whether the user is inhaling through the aerosol supply system 1. When the control circuit 23 receives this signal, the control circuit 23 is configured to supply power from the power supply 22 to one or more of the heating elements 24. The power may be supplied for a predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds) from the moment the inhalation is detected, or it may be supplied in proportion to the length of time the inhalation is detected.

[0068] In the described example, both the contact sensing panel 29 and the suction sensor 30 detect that the user intends to begin generating an aerosol for suction. The control circuit 23 may be configured to supply power to the heating element 24 only when signals are detected from both the contact sensing panel 29 and the suction sensor 30. This can help prevent the heating element 24 from being activated unintentionally due to the accidental activation of one of the user input mechanisms. However, in other embodiments, the aerosol supply system 1 may have only one of the contact sensing panel 29 and the suction sensor 30.

[0069] These aspects of the operation of the aerosol supply system 1 (i.e., puff detection and contact detection) can themselves be performed in accordance with established techniques (for example, using conventional suction sensors and suction sensor signal processing techniques, and using conventional touch sensors and touch sensor signal processing techniques).

[0070] In some embodiments, the control circuit 23 is configured to sequentially supply power to each of the individual heating elements 24 in response to the detection of signals from either or both of the contact sensing panel 29 and the suction sensor 30. More specifically, the control circuit 23 is configured to sequentially supply power to each of the individual heating elements 23 in response to the order in which signals received from either or both of the contact sensing panel 29 and the suction sensor 30 are detected. For example, the control circuit 23 may be configured to supply power to the first heating element 24 of the plurality of heating elements 24 when the signal is first detected (e.g., from when the aerosol supply device 2 is first switched on). When the signal stops, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the signal was detected, the control circuit 23 records that the first heating element 24 has been activated (and therefore the corresponding individual part of the aerosol generating material 44 has been heated). The control circuit 23 decides to activate the second heating element 24 in response to the next signal received from either or both of the contact sensing panel 29 and the suction sensor 30. Therefore, when the control circuit 23 receives a signal from either or both of the contact sensing panel 29 and the suction sensor 30, the control circuit 23 activates the second heating element 24. This process is repeated for the remaining heating elements 24, and as a result, all heating elements 24 are activated sequentially.

[0071] In effect, this operation means that for each inhalation, a different portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 is heated, and an aerosol is generated from it. In other words, a single individual portion of the aerosol-generating material is heated each time the user inhales.

[0072] In other embodiments, the control circuit 23 may activate the first heating element 24 multiple times (e.g., twice) or activate each of the multiple heating elements 24 once, and then sequentially activate the heating elements a second time when the next signal is detected after all heating elements 24 have been activated once.

[0073] This sequential operation is sometimes called a "sequential operation mode," and it is primarily designed to deliver a consistent aerosol with each inhalation (which can be measured, for example, by the total aerosol generated or the total components delivered). Therefore, this mode may be most effective when each part of the aerosol-generating material 44 of the aerosol-generating product 4 is substantially identical, i.e., when parts 44a to 44f are formed from the same material.

[0074] In some other embodiments, the control circuit 23 is configured to simultaneously supply power to one or more of the heating elements 24 in response to the detection of signals from either or both of the contact sensing panel 29 and the suction sensor 30.

[0075] In such an implementation, the control circuit 23 may be configured to supply power to a selected heating element among the heating elements 24 in accordance with a predetermined configuration. The predetermined configuration may be one selected or determined by the user. For example, the contact sensing panel 29 may have an area in which the user can individually select which of the heating elements 24 to activate when the control circuit 23 receives a signal from either or both of the contact sensing panel 29 and the suction sensor 30. In some implementations, the user may also set a power level for each heating element 24 so that it is supplied to the heating element 24 in response to receiving a signal.

[0076] Figure 4 is a top view of the contact sensing panel 29. Figure 4 schematically shows the outer housing 21 and the contact sensing panel 29 as described above. The contact sensing panel 29 comprises six regions 29a to 29f corresponding to each of the six heating elements 24, and a region 29g corresponding to a region for indicating that the user wishes to start suction or generate an aerosol, as described above. Each of the six regions 29a to 29f corresponds to a contact sensing area that the user can touch to control the power supply to each of the six corresponding heating elements 24. In the embodiments described, each heating element 24 may have multiple states, for example, an off state in which no power is supplied to the heating element 24, a low-power state in which a first level of power is supplied to the heating element 24, and a high-power state in which a second level of power greater than the first level of power is supplied to the heating element 24. However, in other embodiments, fewer or more states may be available to the heating element 24. For example, each heating element 24 may have an off state in which no power is supplied to the heating element 24, and an on state in which power is supplied to the heating element 24.

[0077] Therefore, before generating an aerosol, the user can set which heating elements 24 (and subsequently which parts of the aerosol-generating material 44) to heat (and optionally, to what extent to heat them) by interacting with the contact sensing panel 29. For example, the user may repeatedly tap areas 29a to 29f to cycle through different states (e.g., off, low power, high power, off). Alternatively, the user may press and hold areas 29a to 29f to cycle through different states. In this case, the duration of the press determines the state.

[0078] The contact sensing panel 29 may have one or more indicators in each of the regions 29a to 29f that indicate the current state of the heating element 24. For example, the contact sensing panel may have one or more LEDs or similar lighting elements, where the intensity of the LEDs indicates the current state of the heating element 24. Alternatively, a color LED or similar lighting element may be provided, where the color indicates the current state. Alternatively, the contact sensing panel 29 may have a display element that shows the current state of the heating element 24 (for example, which may be located beneath the transparent contact sensing panel 29, or which may be located adjacent to the regions 29a to 29f of the contact sensing panel 29).

[0079] Once the user configures the heating element 24, the control circuit 23 is configured to supply power to the selected heating element 24 according to a preset configuration in response to the detection of signals from either or both of the contact sensing panel 29 (more specifically, the area 29g of the contact sensing panel 29) and the suction sensor 30.

[0080] Therefore, operating the heating elements 24 simultaneously in this manner may be called a "simultaneous operation mode," which is primarily designed to deliver a customizable aerosol from a given article 4, with the intention of allowing the user to customize their experience session by session, or even puff by puff. Thus, this mode may be most effective when the portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 of the aerosol-generating article 4 are different from each other. For example, when portions 44a and 44b are formed from one material, and portions 44c and 44d are formed from different materials.

[0081] Therefore, in this operating mode, the user can select which parts to aerosolize at any given moment, and thus which combination of aerosols to supply.

[0082] In both simultaneous and sequential operation modes, the control circuit 23 may be configured to generate a warning signal indicating the end of use of the aerosol generator 4 when, for example, each of the heating elements 24 has been operated sequentially a predetermined number of times, or when a given heating element 24 has been operated a predetermined number of times and / or for a given cumulative operating time and / or for a given cumulative operating power. In Figure 1, the aerosol supply device 2 includes an end-of-use indicator 31, which in this embodiment is an LED. However, in other embodiments, the end-of-use indicator 31 may include any mechanism that can give a warning signal to the user, i.e., the end-of-use indicator 31 may be an optical element that delivers an optical signal, a sound generator that delivers an audio signal, and / or a vibrator that delivers a tactile signal. In some embodiments, the indicator 31 may be combined with a contact sensing panel (for example, if the contact sensing panel includes a display element) or may be provided in other embodiments. When a warning signal is output, the device 2 may prevent the next operation of the aerosol supply device 2. When the user replaces the aerosol generator 4, and / or switches off the warning signal via a manual means such as a button (not shown), the warning signal can be switched off and the control circuit 23 is reset.

[0083] More specifically, in an implementation where the sequential operation mode is used, the control circuit 23 may be configured to count the number of signals received from either or both of the contact sensing panel 29 and the suction sensor 30 during the period of use, and to determine that the aerosol generating product 4 has reached the end of its lifespan when the count reaches a predetermined number. For example, for an article 4 comprising six individual parts of aerosol generating material 44, the predetermined number could be 6, 12, 18, etc., depending on the current implementation.

[0084] In implementations where the simultaneous operation mode is used, the control circuit 23 may be configured to count the number of times one or each of the individual parts of the aerosol generating material 44 is heated. For example, the control circuit 23 can count how many times the nicotine-containing part has been heated and, when that number reaches a predetermined number, determine the end of the lifespan of the aerosol generating product 4.

[0085] Alternatively, the control circuit 23 may be configured to count separately each individual part of the aerosol-generating material 44 when that part is heated. Each part may have the same or different predetermined number of times, and when any one of the counts for each part of the aerosol-generating material reaches the predetermined number, the control circuit 23 determines the end of the life of the aerosol-generating product 4.

[0086] In any implementation, the control circuit 23 may also take into account the length of time the aerosol-generating material is heated and / or the temperature at which the aerosol-generating material is heated. In this regard, the control circuit 23 may be configured to calculate a cumulative parameter indicating the heating state experienced by each part of the aerosol-generating material 44, rather than counting individual operations. This parameter may be, for example, cumulative time, and the temperature of the material is used to adjust the length of time added to the cumulative time. For example, a part heated at 200°C for 3 seconds may contribute 3 seconds to the cumulative time, while a part heated at 250°C for 3 seconds may contribute 4.5 seconds to the cumulative time.

[0087] The techniques described above for determining the end of life of aerosol product 4 should not be understood as an exhaustive list of methods for determining the end of life of aerosol product 4, and in practice, any other suitable method may be used in accordance with the principles of this disclosure.

[0088] In the above-described implementation of the aerosol supply system 1, multiple (individual) portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 are provided, which can be selectively aerosolized using the aerosol-generating component 24. Such an aerosol-generating system 1 offers advantages over other systems designed to heat larger materials. In particular, the fact that only selected portions(s) of the aerosol-generating material are aerosolized in response to a given suction results in a more energy-efficient system overall.

[0089] In a heating system, several parameters affect the overall effectiveness of the system in delivering a sufficient amount of aerosol to the user with each puff. On the one hand, the thickness of the aerosol-generating material is important because it affects how quickly the aerosol-generating material reaches its operating temperature (and subsequently generates aerosols). This is important for several reasons, but it can lead to more efficient use of energy from the power supply 22, as the heating element may not need to operate for the same length of time compared to heating thicker portions of the material. On the other hand, the total mass of the aerosol-generating material being heated affects the total amount of aerosol that can be generated and subsequently delivered to the user. In addition, the temperature at which the aerosol-generating material is heated can also affect both how quickly the aerosol-generating material reaches its operating temperature and the amount of aerosol generated.

[0090] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol supply system 200 according to another embodiment. The aerosol supply system 200 includes components that are broadly similar to those described in relation to Figure 1, but with the reference numeral 200 added. For efficiency, components with similar reference numerals should be understood to be substantially the same as their correspondings in Figures 1 and 2A to 2C, unless otherwise specified.

[0091] The aerosol supply device 202 comprises an outer housing 221, a power supply 222, a control circuit 223, an inductive coil 224a, a chamber 225, a suction port end 226, an air inlet 227, an air outlet 228, a contact sensing panel 229, a suction sensor 230, and an end-of-use indicator 231.

[0092] The aerosol generating product 204 comprises a carrier component 242, an aerosol generating material 244, and a susceptor element 244b, as shown in more detail in Figures 6A to 6C. Figure 6A is a top view of the aerosol generating product 4, Figure 6B is an end view of the article 204 along its longitudinal (length) axis, and Figure 6C is a side view of the article 204 along its width axis.

[0093] Figures 5 and 6A to 6C both represent an aerosol supply system 200 that uses induction to heat an aerosol-generating material 244 to generate an aerosol for suction. In the embodiment described, the aerosol-generating component 224 is formed from two parts: an induction heater 224a located on the aerosol supply device 202 and a susceptor 224b located on the aerosol-generating product 204. Thus, in this embodiment described, each aerosol-generating component 224 comprises elements dispersed between the aerosol-generating product 204 and the aerosol supply device 202.

[0094] Induction heating is a process of heating a conductive object called a susceptor by allowing a fluctuating magnetic field to penetrate it. This process is explained by Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater may consist of an electromagnet and a device for passing a fluctuating current, such as alternating current, through the electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the object to be heated are positioned in the appropriate relative positions so that the fluctuating magnetic field generated by the electromagnet penetrates the object, one or more eddy currents are generated within the object. This object has resistance to the flow of current. Therefore, when such eddy currents are generated within the object, they flow against the object's electrical resistance, thereby heating the object. This process is called Joule heating, Ohm heating, or resistance heating.

[0095] A susceptor is a material that can be heated by the penetration of a fluctuating magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be a conductive material, and as a result, the heating material is inductively heated by the penetration of the fluctuating magnetic field. The heating material may be a magnetic material, and as a result, the heating material is magnetically hysterically heated by the penetration of the fluctuating magnetic field. The susceptor may be both conductive and magnetic, and as a result, the susceptor can be heated by both heating mechanisms. A device configured to generate a fluctuating magnetic field is referred to herein as a magnetic field generator.

[0096] Magnetic hysteresis heating is a process that heats an object made of a magnetic material by introducing a fluctuating magnetic field into that object. Magnetic materials can be thought of as containing many atomic-scale magnets, or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field enters such a material, the magnetic dipoles align along the magnetic field. Therefore, when a fluctuating magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field (e.g., one generated by an electromagnet), enters a magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes in accordance with the applied fluctuating magnetic field. This reorientation of magnetic dipoles generates heat within the magnetic material.

[0097] When an object possesses both conductivity and magnetism, applying a fluctuating magnetic field to it can induce both Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating. Furthermore, using magnetic materials can strengthen the magnetic field, thereby intensifying the Joule heating.

[0098] In this embodiment described, the susceptor 224b is formed from aluminum foil, but it should be noted that in other embodiments, other metals and / or conductive materials may be used. As seen in Figure 6C, the carrier component 242 comprises several susceptors 224b whose size and position correspond to individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 244 disposed on the surface of the carrier component 242. That is, the susceptors 224b have similar widths and lengths to the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 244.

[0099] The susceptor is shown embedded in the carrier component 242. However, in other embodiments, the susceptor 224b may be located on the surface of the carrier component 242. In another embodiment (not shown), the susceptor may be provided as a layer that substantially covers the carrier component.

[0100] The aerosol supply device 202 comprises a plurality of induction heating elements 224a, schematically shown in Figure 5. The induction heating elements 224a (which may comprise one or more induction heating coils) are shown adjacent to the chamber 225 and are generally flat coils positioned such that the axis of rotation around which a given coil is wound extends into the chamber 225 and is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the carrier component 242 of the article 204. It should be noted that the windings are not precisely shown in Figure 5 and any suitable induction coil may be used.

[0101] The control circuit 223 includes a mechanism to generate an alternating current that flows through one or more of the induction coils 224a. This alternating current generates an alternating magnetic field as described above, which raises the temperature of the corresponding susceptor 224b (or more). The heat generated by the susceptor 224b (or more) is transferred accordingly to the aerosol-generating material 244.

[0102] As described above in relation to Figures 1 and 2A-2C, the control circuit 223 is configured to supply current to the induction coil 224a in response to receiving signals from the contact sensing panel 229 and / or the suction sensor 230. As previously described, any technique for selecting which heating element 24 is heated by the control circuit 23 can be applied similarly to selecting which induction coil 224a is energized (and thus which part of the aerosol-generating material 244 is subsequently heated) in response to receiving signals from the contact sensing panel 229 and / or the suction sensor 230 by the control circuit 223 in order to generate an aerosol for the user to inhale.

[0103] Although the above describes an induction-heated aerosol supply system in which the induction coil 224a and susceptor 224b are dispersed between the aerosol generator 204 and the aerosol supply device 202, an induction-heated aerosol supply system may be provided in which the induction coil 224a and susceptor 224b are located only within the aerosol supply device 202. For example, referring to Figure 6C, the susceptor 224b may be provided above the induction coil 224a and positioned (in a manner similar to the aerosol supply system 1 shown in Figure 1) so that the susceptor 224b is in contact with the lower surface of the carrier component 242.

[0104] Therefore, Figure 5 illustrates a more specific embodiment in which the techniques described in this disclosure can be applied and induction heating can be used in the aerosol supply device 202 to generate an aerosol for the user to inhale.

[0105] However, according to this disclosure, the inventors have found that in some cases, a device 2 having an array of aerosol generating components 24 (such as heating elements 24) designed to generate aerosols in each puff by heating different parts of multiple aerosol generating material components may result in inconsistencies in the amount of aerosol delivered to the user per puff, even when the heating conditions are substantially the same.

[0106] This is thought to be partly due to the fact that some parts of the aerosol-generating material 44 are positioned at relatively different spatial distances from the opening 28 of the mouthpiece 26, and as a result, when an aerosol is first formed in a location adjacent to a part of the aerosol-generating material, the distance that the aerosol must travel may differ.

[0107] Generally, high-temperature aerosols cool down and condense as they move. This means that aerosols generated from different parts of the aerosol-generating material 44 may cool down and condense at different rates. This can lead to inconsistencies (such as particle size distribution) in the aerosols delivered from each part. As will be described in more detail below, one or more valves may be provided to hold the aerosols, once generated, for a short delay period in order to improve the consistency of the aerosols delivered to the user.

[0108] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a single-component aerosol supply device.

[0109] An internal cross-section of an aerosol supply device further comprising a central aerosol transmission channel 50 is shown, where the central aerosol transmission channel 50 forms a volumetric section, which is arranged to surround the entire aerosol generating product, and therefore also surround each heating element and the corresponding aerosol generating material portion, i.e., the volumetric section of the central aerosol transmission tunnel 50 surrounds each of the aerosol generating regions.

[0110] The central transmission tunnel 50 is connected to the intake port 26, which has an opening defining an air outlet 28. The central transmission tunnel 50 may also have one or more air holes 52, which are in fluid communication with the outside atmosphere, and as a result, the central aerosol transmission tunnel 50 can facilitate the transmission of aerosols generated when multiple aerosol-generating material parts are heated by their respective heating elements. In this example, the air inlet 27 shown in Figure 1 can be omitted.

[0111] Figure 8 is an isometric exploded view of a portion of an aerosol supply device, which comprises a central aerosol transmission channel 50 as described with reference to Figure 7, and a plurality of heating elements 24, in this example, in a 2x5 configuration. In this example, each of the plurality of heating elements 24 has an associated aerosol transmission tunnel 54. In this example, the plurality of aerosol transmission tunnels 54 are surrounded by a volume defined by the central aerosol transmission tunnel 50. Each of the plurality of heating elements 24 surrounded by each aerosol transmission tunnel 50 has individual air supply holes that fluidly communicate with the outside atmosphere, facilitating the flow of the aerosol-generating material generated when the heating elements 24 heat the aerosol-generating material. In this example, the air inlet 27 can be omitted.

[0112] In some examples, the multiple aerosol transmission tunnels 54 include individual valves (not shown) configured to open and close as needed. More specifically, the control circuit may be configured to open and close individual valves depending on whether a particular heating element 24 is activated, and therefore whether a particular aerosol generation region is activated. Thus, the control circuit may open or close any combination of the individual valves simultaneously, depending on which of the multiple heating elements 24 is activated, for example, all of the valves may be open, or all of the valves may be closed, or any percentage of the valves may be open and the remaining percentage may be closed.

[0113] In some examples, the volume defined by the central aerosol transmission tunnel surrounds the multiple aerosol transmission tunnels such that the multiple aerosol transmission tunnels 54 are in fluid communication with the central transmission tunnel 50.

[0114] During use, the device (more specifically the control circuit) is configured to supply power to the heating element 24 and individual valves (if present) in response to user input. Generally, the control circuit is configured to selectively power the heating element 24 to generate an aerosol, and subsequently heat the corresponding aerosol-generating material portion, and while the heating element 24 is heating, the control circuit is configured to keep the respective valves closed so that the required amount of aerosol can be formed. When the user inhales into the aerosol supply device 2 (i.e., inhales through the mouthpiece end 26), the control circuit selectively opens the valves, drawing air into the aerosol supply device 2 through individual air supply holes of a plurality of aerosol transmission tunnels 54, where it mixes with the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-generating material 44, and then travels through the individual aerosol transmission tunnels 54 to the user's mouth via the air outlets 28. That is, the aerosol is delivered to the user through the mouthpiece end 26 and the air outlets 28.

[0115] In some examples, when the control circuit is configured to selectively apply power to multiple heating elements 24, the user inhales the device (i.e., inhales through the mouthpiece end 26), the control circuit opens the corresponding valve, and air is drawn into the device through the individual air supply holes of the multiple aerosol transmission tunnels 54. The air mixes with the aerosol produced by heating the aerosol-generating material in each of the aerosol transmission tunnels, and the individual mixtures of air and aerosol are then further mixed in the central aerosol transmission tunnel 50 before flowing through the air outlet 28 to the user's mouth.

[0116] In some examples, the aerosol-generating material can be substantially planar and receivable in the chamber of the aerosol supply device. The control circuit may be configured to give and / or modify the heating profile of the heating element 24 such that the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-generating material by the heating element 24 is substantially consistent as it exits the intake port 26 through the air outlet 28. For example, if one portion of the aerosol-generating material must travel a long distance to another portion of the aerosol-generating material, the heating profile given to the portion of the heating element 24 away from the intake port may increase the heating temperature or cause the heating element 24 to operate for a longer period of time to generate a larger amount of aerosol.

[0117] In some examples, the control circuit may be configured to aerosolize some aerosol-generating material portions according to a common aerosolization or heating profile, while the aerosolization or heating profile for the remaining aerosol-generating material portions is set according to the distance from the aerosol transmission channel 54 to the outlet 28 of that portion.

[0118] Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol supply system 900 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The aerosol supply system 900 includes components that are broadly similar to those described in relation to Figure 1. However, the reference numerals have been increased to 900. For efficiency, components with similar reference numerals should be understood to be substantially the same as their correspondings in Figures 1 and 2A to 2C, unless otherwise specified.

[0119] The aerosol supply device 902 comprises an outer housing 921, a control circuit 923, an aerosol generation component 924, an aerosol generation chamber 925, a suction end 926, an air inlet 927, and an air outlet 928. Although not shown in Figure 9, the aerosol supply device 902 may further include a power supply, a contact sensing panel, a suction sensor, and an end-of-use indicator, as described with respect to Figure 1. The aerosol supply system 900 includes an aerosol generator 904, which may be substantially the same as the aerosol generator 4 described in Figures 2A-2C, or the aerosol generator 204 described with respect to Figures 6A-6C.

[0120] The aerosol generation component 924 may be a heating element as described with respect to Figure 1. In an alternative embodiment, the aerosol generation component 924 may be an induction heating element or induction heating coil as described with respect to Figure 5. In such an embodiment, the aerosol generator may comprise one or more susceptors as described with respect to Figures 6A to 6C. The aerosol supply device 902 has an aerosol generation region 930, which is located above the aerosol generator 904 and is contained within the aerosol generation chamber 925.

[0121] The aerosol supply device 902 in Figure 9 shows a single aerosol generation region 930, but it will be recognized that devices with a greater number of aerosol generation regions are obviously conceivable. The aerosols generated in the aerosol generation region 930 (or multiple aerosol generation regions) can be held in the aerosol generation chamber 925 by one or more valves 951 for a delay period (according to one embodiment, this can be about 2.0 seconds after one or more heating elements 924 are first activated).

[0122] One or more heating elements 924 can be activated at the initial time T0, and one or more valves 951 can be configured to remain closed until the subsequent time T1, or to prevent the forward transmission of aerosols.

[0123] Therefore, an effective delay period can be provided from the time one or more heating elements 924 are switched on until the resulting aerosol can be transmitted to the user via the mouthpiece 926 having an outlet 928, which is optional. The delay period, i.e., the time difference T1-T0, can be <0.5 seconds, 0.5-1.0 seconds, 1.0-1.5 seconds, 1.5-2.0 seconds, 2.0-2.5 seconds, or >2.5 seconds.

[0124] According to various embodiments, the delay period may be set as short as possible, but nevertheless, it may be a sufficient time interval to allow the aerosol to be completely formed as desired within the aerosol generation chamber 925 and thus improve the resulting sensory experience.

[0125] It was found that the aerosol can be properly formed in the aerosol generation chamber 925 within a few seconds before the user inhales, thereby improving the sensory experience. In particular, the ability to form the aerosol in the aerosol generation chamber 925 within, for example, two seconds after the first or subsequent heater activation helps to optimize the particle size of the aerosol droplets or particles.

[0126] Furthermore, it was found that holding the aerosol in the aerosol generation chamber 925 for several seconds reduces the undesirable experience of high-temperature puffs, i.e., hot and humid puffs, when the aerosol contains a high amount of moisture. In addition, if the moisture content is too high, microbial growth may occur.

[0127] Therefore, in embodiments in which the aerosol is released with a delay from the aerosol generation chamber 925 after the heater has been activated at time T0 (or according to other embodiments in response to user-defined settings), it will be understood that an improved sensory experience with a lower risk of high-temperature puffs is provided, and the risk of microbial growth can be avoided.

[0128] The aerosol supply device 902 further comprises a control circuit 923 which can be configured to actuate one or more valves 951 to capture the aerosol in the aerosol generation chamber 925 so that the aerosol can be fully formed, and once the aerosol is fully formed, the control circuit 923 can then actuate or open one or more valves 951 so that the aerosol can be released and then directed toward the intake port 926 and the air outlet 928.

[0129] The control circuit 923 can be configured to activate one or more valves 951 after a certain time interval so that aerosols held in the aerosol generation chamber 925 can be transmitted or released. The control circuit 923 can be configured to selectively control one or more valves 951 in the following ways: (i) in response to the activation or deactivation of one or more heating elements 924; (ii) as a function of time; (iii) according to a predetermined timing profile; or (iv) according to one or more settings defined by the user.

[0130] In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the aerosol supply device 902 includes a mouthpiece 926. However, other embodiments are conceivable in which the aerosol generator 904 may include a mouthpiece (not shown).

[0131] The aerosol supply device 902 may further include one or more aerosol channels positioned between the outlet of the aerosol generation chamber 925 and the inlet 926 to direct or transmit aerosols transmitted or released from the aerosol generation chamber 925 through one or more valves 951 to the inlet 926. The aerosol generation chamber 925 may be configured to receive an aerosol generator 904 which may comprise a substantially planar aerosol generator 904 having a plurality of aerosol generation regions.

[0132] The aerosol supply device comprises one or more heating elements 924, which may include either resistance heating elements or induction heating elements. According to one embodiment, when in use, an aerosol generating product 904 having multiple aerosol generating regions (for example, in an n × m arrangement) may be arranged adjacent to multiple heating elements 924 (which may also be arranged in a similar n × m arrangement).

[0133] According to one embodiment, the aerosol generator 904 may comprise a plurality of aerosol generating regions, one or more of which may be positioned adjacent to a single heating element 924. The aerosol generator 904 may then be rotated or moved relative to the heating element 924 such that one or more aerosol generating regions move sequentially closer to the heating element 924. Using a single heating element 924 can reduce the cost and complexity of the aerosol supply device.

[0134] The aerosol supply device 902 may further comprise a plurality of aerosol generation regions 930, and one or more, or each of, aerosol generation regions 930 may be provided with at least one air supply port that fluidly communicates with the external atmosphere.

[0135] According to one embodiment, an aerosol supply system is provided comprising an aerosol supply device 902 and an aerosol generating product 904 having a plurality of aerosol generating material parts. Each aerosol generating material part may be substantially the same. Alternatively, at least some of the plurality of aerosol generating material parts may be substantially different.

[0136] Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol supply system 900 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The aerosol supply system 900 includes components that are broadly similar to those described in relation to Figure 1; however, the reference numerals have been increased to 900. For efficiency, components with similar reference numerals should be understood to be substantially the same as their correspondings in Figures 1 and 2A to 2C, unless otherwise noted.

[0137] The aerosol supply device 902 comprises an outer housing 921, a control circuit 923, an aerosol generation component 924, an aerosol generation chamber 925, a suction end 926, an air inlet 927, and an air outlet 928. Although not shown in Figure 10, the aerosol supply device 902 may further include a power supply, a contact sensing panel, a suction sensor, and an end-of-use indicator, as described with respect to Figure 1. The aerosol supply system 900 includes an aerosol generator 904, which may be substantially the same as the aerosol generator 4 described with respect to Figures 2A-2C, or the aerosol generator 204 described with respect to Figures 6A-6C.

[0138] The aerosol generation component 924 may be a heating element as described with respect to Figure 1. In an alternative embodiment, the aerosol generation component 924 may be an induction coil as described with respect to Figure 5. In such an embodiment, the aerosol generator may comprise one or more susceptors as described with respect to Figures 6A-6C. The aerosol supply device 902 has an aerosol generation region 930 located above the aerosol generator 904. The aerosol supply device 902 in Figure 10 shows a single aerosol generation region 930, but it will be recognized that devices with a greater number of aerosol generation regions are obviously conceivable.

[0139] The aerosols generated in the aerosol generation region 930 (or multiple aerosol generation regions) can flow from the aerosol generation region 930 to the aerosol holding chamber 950, which is in fluid communication with the aerosol generation region (multiple regions are possible) 930, and be held within it.

[0140] A partial barrier 960 may be provided between the aerosol-holding chamber 925 and the aerosol-holding chamber 950 so that the aerosol-holding chamber 950 is separated from the aerosol-generating chamber 930 and is downstream of the aerosol-generating chamber 930. One or more additional valves (not shown) that can be provided between the aerosol-holding chamber 950 and the aerosol-generating chamber 930 can prevent aerosols from flowing back from the aerosol-holding chamber 950 to the aerosol-generating chamber 930.

[0141] According to one embodiment, an aerosol supply device 902 is disclosed, comprising an aerosol generating chamber 925 in fluid communication with one or more aerosol holding chambers 950. The aerosol holding chambers 950, or each aerosol holding chamber 950, may be provided with one or more valves 951 for selectively transmitting or releasing aerosols held within one or more aerosol holding chambers 950. For example, one or more additional valves may be provided between a partial barrier 960 and the chamber 925.

[0142] It was found that the aerosol can be properly formed in the aerosol generation chamber 950 for a few seconds before the user inhales, thereby improving the sensory experience.

[0143] According to one embodiment, one or more heating elements 924 can be activated at the first time T0, and one or more valves 951 can be configured to remain closed until the following time T1, or to prevent the aerosol from being transmitted forward. Thus, there is an effective delay period between switching on one or more heating elements 924 and the time until the resulting aerosol can be transmitted to the user via the mouthpiece 926 having an outlet 928, which is optional. The delay period, i.e., the time difference T1-T0, can be <0.5 seconds, 0.5-1.0 seconds, 1.0-1.5 seconds, 1.5-2.0 seconds, 2.0-2.5 seconds, or >2.5 seconds.

[0144] In particular, the ability to form aerosols within the aerosol generation chamber 950 helps optimize the particle size of aerosol droplets or particles. It has also been found that holding the aerosol in the aerosol generation chamber 950 for several seconds reduces the undesirable experience of a hot puff, i.e., a hot and humid puff, when the aerosol contains a high moisture content. Furthermore, excessive moisture content can lead to microbial growth. Therefore, embodiments incorporating the aerosol holding chamber 950 provide an improved sensory experience with a lower risk of hot puffs and avoid the potential risk of microbial growth.

[0145] The aerosol supply device 902 further comprises a control circuit 923 which can be configured to actuate one or more valves 951 to capture the aerosol in the aerosol holding chamber 950 so that the aerosol can be fully formed, and once the aerosol is fully formed, the control circuit 923 can then actuate or open one or more valves 951 to release the aerosol so that it can then be directed toward the intake port 926 and the air outlet 928. The control circuit 923 can be configured to actuate one or more valves 951 after a certain time interval so that the aerosol held in the aerosol holding chamber 950 can be transmitted or released.

[0146] The control circuit 923 can be configured to selectively control one or more valves 951 in the following ways: (i) in response to the operation or deactivation of one or more heating elements 924; (ii) as a function of time; (iii) according to a predetermined timing profile; or (iv) according to one or more settings defined by the user. In the embodiment shown in Figure 10, the aerosol supply device 902 includes a suction port 926. However, other embodiments are conceivable in which the aerosol generator 904 may include a suction port (not shown).

[0147] The aerosol supply device 902 may further include one or more aerosol channels positioned between the outlet of the aerosol holding chamber 950 and the intake port 926 to direct or transmit aerosols transmitted or released from the aerosol holding chamber 950 to the intake port 926. The aerosol generating chamber 925 may be configured to receive an aerosol generating device 904 which may comprise a substantially planar aerosol generating device 904. The planar aerosol generating device 904 may comprise a plurality of aerosol generating regions.

[0148] The aerosol supply device may further comprise one or more heating elements 924. The one or more heating elements 924 may comprise resistance heating elements or induction heating elements 924. According to one embodiment, when in use, an aerosol generating product 904 having multiple aerosol generating regions (for example, in an n × m arrangement) may be arranged adjacent to multiple heating elements 924 (which may also be arranged in a similar n × m arrangement).

[0149] According to another embodiment, an aerosol generator 904 having multiple aerosol generating regions may be arranged such that one or more aerosol generating regions are located adjacent to a single heating element 924. The aerosol generator 904 may be rotated or moved relative to the heating element 924 such that one or more aerosol generating regions move sequentially closer to the heating element 924. Providing a single heating element 924 can provide an inexpensive and simple device 902.

[0150] The aerosol supply device 902 may further comprise a plurality of aerosol generation regions, one or more of these regions, or each aerosol generation region, having at least one air supply port that fluidly communicates with the external atmosphere.

[0151] According to one embodiment, an aerosol supply system is provided comprising an aerosol supply device 902 and an aerosol generating product 904 having a plurality of aerosol generating material parts. According to one embodiment, (i) each aerosol generating material part is substantially the same, or (ii) at least some of the plurality of aerosol generating material parts are substantially different.

[0152] In addition, as described above, the mouthpieces 26, 226, 926 form part of the outer housings 21, 221, 921 and / or are coupled to the outer housings 21, 221, 921. However, it should be recognized that in some embodiments, the mouthpieces 26, 226, 926 may form part of the aerosol generating product 4, 204, 904. This may be particularly true when the aerosol generating product 4, 204, 904 comprises a chamber through which air and / or aerosol can pass, and the chamber contains aerosol generating material. In these embodiments, the aerosol generating product 4, 204, 904 is placed in the chambers 25, 225, 925, with the mouthpiece of the article protruding from the chambers 25, 225, 925 so as to extend from the aerosol supply device 2, 202, 902. In these examples, the chambers 25, 225, 925 have an opening through which the mouthpieces 26, 226, 926 protrude. The openings in these embodiments may also be referred to as the outlets 28, 228, and 928 of the aerosol supply devices 2, 202, and 902.

[0153] The above describes a system in which an array of aerosol generating components 24, 224, 924 (e.g., heater elements) is provided to supply energy to individual parts of the aerosol generating material. However, in other embodiments, the aerosol generating products 4, 204, 904 and / or the aerosol generating components 24, 224, 924 may be configured to move relative to one another. That is, there may be fewer aerosol generating components 24, 224, 924 than the individual parts of the aerosol generating material 44 provided on the carrier components 42 of the aerosol generating products 4, 204, 904. As a result, relative movement between the aerosol generating products 4, 204, 904 and the aerosol generating components 24 is required to allow energy to be supplied individually to each individual part of the aerosol generating material 44. For example, the movable heating elements 24, 224a, 924 may be provided within the chambers 25, 225, 925 so that they can move relative to the chambers 25, 225, 925. In this way, the movable heating elements 24, 224a, and 924 can be translated (for example, in the widthwise and lengthwise directions of the carrier component 42) so that they can be aligned with each individual part of the aerosol-generating material 44. This method can reduce the number of aerosol-generating components 42 required while providing a similar user experience.

[0154] While the above describes an embodiment in which discrete, spatially separate portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 are arranged on the carrier component 42, it should be noted that in other embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may not be provided in discrete, spatially separate portions, but instead as a continuous sheet of aerosol-generating material 44. In these embodiments, specific regions of the sheet of aerosol-generating material 44 may be selectively heated to generate aerosols in substantially the same manner as described above. However, regardless of whether these portions are spatially separate or not, this disclosure describes heating (or aerosolizing) portions of the aerosol-generating material 44. In particular, regions (corresponding to portions of the aerosol-generating material) may be defined on a continuous sheet of aerosol-generating material based on the dimensions of the heating elements 24, 224a, 924 (or, more specifically, the surfaces of the heating elements 24, 224a, 924 designed to increase in temperature). In this regard, when the corresponding regions of the heating elements 24, 224a, and 924 are projected onto the sheet of aerosol-generating material, it may be considered that a region or portion of the aerosol-generating material is defined. According to this disclosure, each region or portion of the aerosol-generating material may have a mass of 20 mg or less, but the entire continuous sheet may have a mass greater than 20 mg.

[0155] The above describes an embodiment in which the aerosol supply devices 2, 202, and 902 can be set or operated using a contact sensing panel 29 attached to the aerosol supply devices 2, 202, and 902. Alternatively, the aerosol supply devices 2, 202, and 902 may be set or controlled remotely. For example, the control circuits 23, 223, and 923 may be equipped with corresponding communication circuits (e.g., Bluetooth®) that enable the control circuits 23, 223, and 923 to communicate with a remote device such as a smartphone. Thus, the contact sensing panel 29 may be implemented substantially using an application running on a smartphone. The smartphone can then transmit user input or settings to the control circuits 23, 223, and 923, which may be configured to operate based on the received input or settings.

[0156] The above describes an embodiment in which an aerosol is generated by applying energy to the aerosol generating material 44 (e.g., by heating the aerosol generating material) and then inhaled by a user. However, it should be recognized that in some embodiments, the generated aerosol may pass through or over an aerosol modifying component in order to modify one or more properties of the aerosol before it is inhaled by a user. For example, the aerosol supply devices 2, 202, 902 may include an air-permeable insert (not shown) inserted into the air passage downstream of the aerosol generating material 44 (for example, the insert may be located at outlets 28, 228, 928). The insert may contain a material that alters one or more of the aerosol's flavor, temperature, particle size, nicotine concentration, etc., as it passes through the insert before it enters the user's mouth. For example, the insert may contain tobacco or processed tobacco. Such a system is sometimes called a hybrid system. The insert may contain any suitable aerosol modifying material, which may contain the aerosol generating material described above.

[0157] As described above, heating elements 24, 224a, and 924 are configured to supply heat to the aerosol-generating material (or its portion) to an operating temperature at which aerosols are generated. However, in some embodiments, heating elements 24, 224a, and 924 are configured to preheat the aerosol-generating material to a preheating temperature (which is lower than the operating temperature). At the preheating temperature, when these portions are heated to the preheating temperature, less aerosol is generated, or no aerosol is generated at all. In particular, in some embodiments, the control circuit is configured to supply power / energy before a first predetermined period begins (i.e., before receiving a signal indicating the user's intention to inhale an aerosol). However, the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of the aerosol-generating material from the preheating temperature to the operating temperature is less, and therefore the system's responsiveness is improved, but the total energy consumption increases. This may be particularly suitable for relatively thick portions of the aerosol-generating material, for example, portions with a thickness of more than 400 μm, which require a relatively large amount of energy to reach the operating temperature. However, under this implementation method, energy consumption (for example, from power sources 22 and 222) can be relatively high.

[0158] Each of the heating elements 24, 224a, and 924 may provide the same heating profile to its respective aerosol-generating region, but it will be recognized that one or more of the heating elements 24, 224a, and 924 may instead be configured to provide different heating profiles to their respective aerosol-generating regions. For example, an aerosol-generating region located farther from the intake 26, 226, and 926 may be heated according to a heating profile that generates more aerosol than an aerosol-generating region 24 located closer to the intake 26, 226, and 926, which can offset further aerosol loss due to condensation along the longer travel distance and make the delivery of aerosols from different aerosol-generating regions more consistent.

[0159] While the above describes an embodiment in which the aerosol supply devices 2, 202, 902 are equipped with an end-of-use indicator 31, it should be recognized that the end-of-use indicator 31 may be provided by another device separate from the aerosol supply devices 2, 202, 902. For example, in some embodiments, the control circuits 23, 223, 923 of the aerosol supply devices 2, 202, 902 may include a communication mechanism that enables data transfer between, for example, the aerosol supply devices 2, 202, 902 and a remote device such as a smartphone or smartwatch. In these embodiments, when the control circuits 23, 223, 923 determine that the aerosol generator 4, 204, 904 has reached the end of its use, the control circuits 23, 223, 923 are configured to send a signal to the remote device, which is configured to generate a warning signal (for example, using the display of a smartphone). Other remote devices and other mechanisms for generating warning signals may be used as described above.

[0160] In addition, when portions of the aerosol-generating material are provided on the carrier component 42, these portions may, in some embodiments, include vulnerable regions, such as through-holes or relatively thin areas of aerosol-generating material, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the carrier component 42. This may occur when the hottest portion of the aerosol-generating material is in direct contact with the carrier component (in other words, a scenario in which heat is primarily applied to the surface of the aerosol-generating material in contact with the carrier component 42). Thus, through-holes can provide a path for generated aerosols to escape and be released into the airflow through the environment / aerosol supply devices 2, 202, 902, rather than potentially accumulating aerosols between the carrier component 42 and the aerosol-generating material 44. Such accumulation of aerosols may, in some embodiments, cause the aerosol-generating material to float away from the carrier component 42 and thus reduce the efficiency of heat transfer to the aerosol-generating material, thus reducing the heating efficiency of the system. Each portion of the aerosol-generating material may have one or more vulnerable regions as needed.

[0161] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating products 4, 204, 904 may be equipped with identifiers such as readable barcodes or RFID tags, and the aerosol-supplying devices 2, 202, 902 are equipped with corresponding readers. When an article is inserted into the chambers 25, 225, 925 of the aerosol-supplying devices 2, 202, 902, the aerosol-supplying devices 2, 202, 902 may be configured to read the identifiers attached to the aerosol-generating products 4, 204, 904. The control circuits 23, 223, 923 may be configured to recognize the presence of the aerosol-generating products 4, 204, 904 (and thus permit heating and / or reset the end-of-life indicator), or to identify the type of part of the aerosol-generating material and / or its location relative to the aerosol-generating products 4, 204, 904. This allows the control circuits 23, 223, and 923 to influence which parts are aerosolized and / or how these parts are aerosolized by adjusting, for example, the aerosol generation temperature and / or heating time. Any suitable technique for recognizing the aerosolized products 4, 204, and 904 may be used.

[0162] While the embodiments described above have focused in some respects on several specific exemplary aerosol generation systems, it will be recognized that the same principles can be applied to aerosol generation systems using other techniques. That is, the specific modes in which various forms of aerosol supply systems function are not directly related to the basic principles of the examples described herein.

[0163] To address various challenges and advance technology, this disclosure illustrates various embodiments. The advantages and features of this disclosure are merely representative examples of the embodiments and do not encompass or exclude all advantages and features. They are presented solely to aid in the understanding and teaching of the claimed invention(s). The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects of this disclosure should not be considered to limit this disclosure as defined by the claims or to limit equivalents of the claims, and it should be understood that other embodiments can be utilized and modified without departing from the claims. Various embodiments may appropriately comprise, consist solely of, or substantially consist of, various combinations of disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those described in detail herein, and it should be recognized 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.

Claims

1. aerosol generation chamber and During use, one or more heating elements are arranged to heat the aerosol product placed in the aerosol generation chamber, A control system configured to activate one or more heating elements at time T0, One or more valves are positioned to prevent the forward transmission of the aerosol generated in the aerosol generation chamber until a subsequent time T1, wherein T1 > T0, An aerosol supply device comprising the above features.

2. The aerosol supply device according to claim 1, wherein one or more valves are arranged in the outlet region of the aerosol generation chamber so that the aerosol does not leave the aerosol generation chamber until time T1.

3. The aerosol supply device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an aerosol holding chamber disposed downstream of the aerosol generation chamber.

4. The aerosol supply device according to claim 3, wherein one or more valves are positioned in the outlet region of the aerosol holding chamber and are arranged to prevent the aerosol from leaving the aerosol holding chamber until time T1.

5. The aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control system is configured to selectively control one or more valves in response to (i) the operation or deactivation of one or more heating elements, (ii) as a function of time, (iii) according to a predetermined timing profile, or (iv) according to one or more settings determined by the user.

6. The aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a mouthpiece.

7. The aerosol supply device according to claim 6, further comprising one or more aerosol channels disposed between the outlet of the aerosol generation chamber or the outlet of the aerosol holding chamber and the suction port for directing or transmitting the aerosol released by the one or more valves to the suction port.

8. The aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a plurality of aerosol generation regions, wherein one or more, or each aerosol generation region, is provided with at least one air supply port that fluidly communicates with the external atmosphere.

9. an aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, an aerosol generating product comprising multiple aerosol generating material parts, An aerosol supply system equipped with the following features.

10. (i) Each aerosol-generating material portion is substantially the same, or (ii) At least some of the plurality of aerosol-generating material portions are substantially different, according to claim 9.

11. The aerosol supply system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the aerosol generating product comprises a substantially planar aerosol generating product.

12. The aerosol supply system according to claim 11, wherein the planar aerosol generating product comprises a plurality of aerosol generating regions.

13. The aerosol supply system according to claim 12, wherein, when in use, the aerosol generating product is arranged adjacent to a plurality of heating elements.

14. The aerosol supply system according to claim 12, wherein, during use, the aerosol generating product is arranged such that one or more aerosol generating regions are located adjacent to a heating element, and the aerosol generating product is rotated or moved relative to the heating element such that one or more aerosol generating regions move closer to the heating element.

15. A step of preparing an aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, A step of using one or more valves to prevent the aerosol generated in the aerosol generation chamber from being transmitted forward until time T1, wherein T1 > T0, A method for generating an aerosol containing [a specific substance].

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