Heated non-breathable (HNB) aerosol generating device and capsule

Abstract

The present invention provides a heated aerosol generating device that generates aerosols without causing substantial thermal decomposition of the aerosol-generating material. [Solution] The heated-breathable (HNB) aerosol generating device includes a housing, a mouthpiece assembly movably mounted to the housing, a door assembly movably mounted to the housing and including a door 151 and a receiving section movably mounted to the door, wherein the receiving section defines a cavity for receiving a capsule containing an aerosol generating substance, and a linkage structure operationally connected to the door assembly, the mouthpiece assembly and the housing, which moves the mouthpiece assembly and the receiving section in cooperation in response to the door being moved to a closed position, thereby holding the capsule within the housing, and operationally connected to a power source and the air inlet and air outlet.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a heated (HNB) aerosol generating device configured to generate aerosols without causing substantial thermal decomposition of the aerosol-generating material. [Background technology]

[0002] Some electronic devices are configured to avoid substantial thermal decomposition of plant material by heating it to a temperature sufficient to release its components while maintaining the temperature below the burning point of the plant material. Such devices may be called aerosol generating devices (e.g., heated aerosol generating devices), and the heated plant material may be tobacco or other plants containing active ingredients. In some examples, the plant material may be introduced directly into the heating chamber of the aerosol generating device. In other examples, the plant material may be pre-packaged in individual containers (e.g., capsules, cartridges, etc.) to facilitate insertion into or removal from the aerosol generating device. [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] At least one exemplary embodiment relates to an aerosol generating device.

[0004] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the aerosol generating device may include a housing including a power source and an air inlet; a mouthpiece assembly movably mounted to the housing and providing an air outlet; a door assembly movably mounted to the housing and including a door and a receiving section movably mounted to the door, the receiving section defining a cavity for receiving a capsule containing an aerosol generating substance; and a linkage structure operationally connected to the door assembly, the mouthpiece assembly and the housing, which, in response to the door being moved to a closed position, moves the mouthpiece assembly and the receiving section in cooperation so that the capsule is held within the housing and operationally connected to the power source, the air inlet and the air outlet.

[0005] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the linkage structure may include at least one first linkage and at least one second linkage, each of which includes a first end and a second end.

[0006] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the housing may further include at least one first pivot point, at least one first linkage may be rotatably connected to the receiving portion at a first end of at least one first linkage, and at least one first linkage may be rotatably connected to the housing at at least one first pivot point at a second end of at least one first linkage.

[0007] In at least one exemplary embodiment, in response to the door moving to a closed position, at least one first linkage may move a receiving portion so that the capsule is operationally connected to the power supply and air inlet.

[0008] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the housing may further define at least one elongated slot, the housing may further include at least one compression spring, the mouthpiece assembly may further include at least one pin movably inserted into at least one elongated slot, at least one second linkage may be rotatably connected to the door assembly at a first end of at least one second linkage, and at least one second linkage may be rotatably and movably connected to at least one pin at a second end of at least one second linkage.

[0009] In at least one exemplary embodiment, in response to the door moving to a closed position, at least one second linkage may release at least one compression spring from a compressed state, and at least one compression spring may move a mouthpiece assembly along the length of at least one elongated slot, thereby operatively connecting the outlet to the capsule.

[0010] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece assembly may include a mouthpiece chassis, the mouthpiece chassis may define an opening for receiving the mouthpiece.

[0011] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece chassis may define part of a mounting mechanism for removably attaching a mouthpiece to the mouthpiece chassis.

[0012] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the mounting mechanism may be at least one of a bayonet connector, snug fit, locking mechanism, clamp, threaded connector, slide fit, sleeve fit, alignment fit, magnetic fastener, or any combination thereof.

[0013] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the door may include a cam positioned on the inner surface of the door, and the receiving portion may include a restraining element, and in response to the door moving to a closed position, the linkage structure may move the receiving portion in cooperation, thereby causing the cam to activate the restraining element, which in turn restrains the movement of the capsule within the receiving portion.

[0014] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the housing may include an airflow sensor, a door sensor, a capsule sensor, and a processing circuit, the airflow sensor may be configured to detect an aspiration event, the door sensor may be configured to detect whether the door is closed, the capsule sensor may be configured to detect a capsule in the receiving section, and the processing circuit may be configured to allow current to be supplied from a power source to the capsule in response to the detection of an aspiration event, the detection that the door is closed, and the detection that the capsule is in the receiving section, thereby allowing a heater contained in the capsule to heat an aerosol-generating material and generate an aerosol.

[0015] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the housing may further include a display panel, which may be configured to display operational information relating to the aerosol generating device or capsule.

[0016] In at least one exemplary embodiment, in response to the door being moved to the open position, the linkage structure may move in cooperation with the mouthpiece assembly and the receiving portion, thereby operationally disconnecting the capsule from the power supply, air inlet, and air outlet.

[0017] At least one exemplary embodiment relates to an aerosol generating device.

[0018] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the aerosol generating device may include a housing including a power source and an air inlet; a mouthpiece assembly movably mounted to the housing and providing an air outlet; a door assembly movably mounted to the housing and including a door and a receiving section movably mounted to the door, the receiving section being a cavity for receiving a capsule containing an aerosol generating substance, defining a cavity for holding the capsule within the housing, the capsule being operably connected to the power source, the air inlet and the air outlet when the door is closed; and a linkage structure operably connected to the door assembly, the mouthpiece assembly and the housing, which moves the mouthpiece assembly and the receiving section in cooperation in response to the door being moved to an open position, thereby operably disconnecting the capsule from the power source, the air inlet and the air outlet.

[0019] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the linkage structure may include at least one first linkage and at least one second linkage, each of which includes a first end and a second end.

[0020] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the housing may further include at least one first pivot point, at least one first linkage may be rotatably connected to the receiving portion at a first end of at least one first linkage, and at least one first linkage may be rotatably connected to the housing at at least one first pivot point at a second end of at least one first linkage.

[0021] In at least one exemplary embodiment, in response to the door being moved to the open position, at least one first linkage may move a receiving portion, thereby operationally disconnecting the capsule from the power and air inlets.

[0022] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the housing may further define at least one elongated slot, the housing may further include at least one compression spring, the mouthpiece assembly may further include at least one pin movably inserted into the at least one elongated slot, the at least one second linkage may be rotatably connected to the door assembly at a first end of the at least one second linkage, and the at least one second linkage may be rotatably and movably connected to the at least one pin at a second end of the at least one second linkage.

[0023] In at least one exemplary embodiment, in response to the door moving to an open state, the at least one second linkage may move the mouthpiece assembly along the length of the at least one elongated slot, thereby operatively disconnecting the outlet from the capsule and compressing the at least one compression spring.

[0024] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece assembly may include a mouthpiece chassis, and the mouthpiece chassis may define an opening for receiving the mouthpiece.

[0025] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece chassis may define a part of an attachment mechanism for removably attaching the mouthpiece to the mouthpiece chassis.

[0026] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the attachment mechanism may be at least one of a bayonet connector, a snag fit, a detent, a clamp, a threaded connector, a slide fit, a sleeve fit, an alignment fit, a magnetic fastener, or any combination thereof.

[0027] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the receiving portion may include a restraining element, and the door may include a cam positioned on the inner surface of the door, wherein when the door is closed, the cam engages with the restraining element, thereby restraining the capsule within the capsule, and in response to the door moving to an open position, the linkage structure may move the receiving portion, thereby disengaging the restraining element from the cam, and when the restraining element is completely disengaged from the cam, the restraining element does not need to restrain the capsule within the receiving portion.

[0028] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the housing may include an airflow sensor, a door sensor, a capsule sensor, and a processing circuit, wherein the airflow sensor may be configured to detect suction events, the door sensor may be configured to detect whether the door is closed, the capsule sensor may be configured to detect a capsule in the receiving section, and the processing circuit may be configured to prevent current from being supplied from the power source to the capsule in response to the failure to detect any of the following: a suction event, the door being closed, or the capsule being in the receiving section.

[0029] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the housing may further include a display panel, which may be configured to display operational information relating to the aerosol generating device or capsule.

[0030] Various features and advantages of embodiments not limited to this disclosure may become more apparent by reading the detailed description together with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be understood as limiting the claims. Unless explicitly stated, the accompanying drawings should not be assumed to be drawn to an accurate scale. Various dimensions in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0031] [Figure 1]Figures 1A to 1E show an aerosol generating device according to at least one exemplary embodiment.

[0032] [Figure 2] Figures 2A to 2E show various diagrams of door assemblies and mouthpiece assemblies of aerosol generating devices according to at least several exemplary embodiments.

[0033] [Figure 3] Figures 3A to 3F show various diagrams of door assemblies according to several exemplary embodiments.

[0034] [Figure 4] Figures 4A to 4F show various diagrams of mouthpiece assemblies according to several exemplary embodiments.

[0035] [Figure 5] Figures 5A to 5C show the movement of the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly as the door of an aerosol generating device moves from the initial open state to the final closed state according to at least one exemplary embodiment.

[0036] [Figure 6] Figures 6A to 6C show the movement of the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly as the door of an aerosol generating device moves from the initial closed state to the final open state according to at least one exemplary embodiment.

[0037] [Figure 7] Figures 7A to 7F show illustrations of various mouthpieces according to several exemplary embodiments.

[0038] [Figure 8] Figures 8A to 8E show various diagrams of the door assembly, capsule receiving section, and capsule connector according to several exemplary embodiments.

[0039] [Figure 9] Figures 9A to 9C show a capsule according to at least one exemplary embodiment.

[0040] [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows the internal structure of a first part of an aerosol generating device according to at least one exemplary embodiment.

[0041] [Figure 11] Figure 11 is an exemplary block diagram of a control subsystem of an aerosol generating device according to several exemplary embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0042] Several detailed exemplary embodiments are disclosed herein. However, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are provided solely for the purpose of describing the exemplary embodiments. However, the exemplary embodiments may be carried out in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited only to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0043] Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are subject to various modifications and changes, which are shown in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, the exemplary embodiments are not intended to be limited to any particular form disclosed, but rather encompass all modifications, equivalents, and changes. Throughout the description with respect to the drawings, similar reference numerals indicate similar elements.

[0044] When one component or layer is described as "on top of," "connected to," "linked to," "attached to," "adjacent to," or "covering" another component or layer, that component or layer may be directly on top of, connected to, linked to, attached to, adjacent to, or covering the other component or layer, or there may be an intervening component or layer. Conversely, when one component is described as "directly on top of," "directly connected to," or "directly linked to" another component or layer, there is no intervening component or layer. Throughout the specification, similar reference numerals indicate similar components. In this specification, the word "and / or" includes any and all combinations or subcombinations of one or more items listed with this word.

[0045] In this specification, terms such as first, second, third, etc., are used to describe various members, regions, layers, and / or parts, but it should be understood that these members, regions, layers, and / or parts are not limited to these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one member, region, layer, or part from another. Accordingly, the first member, region, layer, or part described below may also be described as the second member, region, layer, or part without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0046] In this specification, terms describing spatial relationships (e.g., “below,” “below,” “bottom,” “above,” “top,” etc.) are used for convenience to describe the illustrated relationship between one member or feature and another member or feature. It should be understood that these terms describing spatial relationships are intended to include various orientations of the device in use or operation, in addition to the orientation shown in the drawings. For example, if the device in the drawing is inverted, a member described as being “below” or “below” another member or feature would be “above” that other member or feature. Therefore, the term “below” can include both upward and downward orientations. The device may have other orientations (90-degree rotation or other orientations), and the terms describing spatial relationships used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0047] The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing various exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit them. The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" used herein are intended to include plural cases unless explicitly stated otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that the terms "includes," "includes," "equips," and / or "equips" herein specify the presence of the features, integers, processes, operations, and / or components described herein, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, processes, operations, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0048] In this specification, when the terms “approximately” and “substantially” are used in relation to numerical values, the numerical values ​​in which these terms are used are intended to have a tolerance of ±10% of the stated value unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0049] All terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art in the field to which the exemplary embodiments belong, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, these terms, including those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their respective field meanings, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly specified otherwise herein.

[0050] Hardware may be executed using processing circuits or control circuits. Processing circuits or control circuits include, but are not limited to, hardware including logic circuits, a combination of hardware / software such as at least one processor that executes software, or a combination thereof. For example, processing circuits or control circuits may include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a programmable logic unit, a microprocessor, or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0051] Figures 1A to 1E show an aerosol generating device with a door, according to at least one exemplary embodiment.

[0052] Refer to Figure 1A. Figure 1A is a front view of an aerosol generating device according to at least one exemplary embodiment, showing the door closed. As shown in Figure 1A, the aerosol generating device 100 includes a device body housing 101 and a removable mouthpiece 160, the removable mouthpiece 160 being located at the proximal (e.g., downstream) end 111. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the device body housing 101 may be formed from a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, a plastic such as polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or a combination thereof. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the removable mouthpiece 160 may be formed from a plastic that has obtained a food-contact-compatible rating, such as liquid crystal polymer (LCP), a copolyester plastic such as thoritan, or other suitable polymer and / or plastic. Furthermore, according to some exemplary embodiments, the mouthpiece may be formed from a plant-based material, such as wood or bamboo.

[0053] The device body housing 101 includes a first portion 105 (e.g., bottom, upstream, distal portion) located at the lower end 110 (e.g., distal end, upstream end, etc.) of the aerosol generating device 100, and a second portion 150 (e.g., top, downstream, proximal portion) located at the upper end 111 (e.g., proximal end, downstream end, etc.) of the aerosol generating device 100 opposite to it. The first portion 105 includes a distal end piece 112 at the lower end 110, at least one button 106, and an outer front piece 107. The second portion 150 includes a door 151 and a proximal end piece 152 at the upper end 111 of the aerosol generating device 100. The door 151 is attached to the front outer piece 107 of the first part 105 via a hinge 120, and the door 151 can rotate / rotate around the hinge 120 to an open position (e.g., open) and a closed position (e.g., closed). Figure 1A shows the door 151 including a hinge knuckle and the front outer piece 107 including a corresponding hinge pin, but exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the door 151 may include a hinge pin and the front outer piece 107 may include a hinge knuckle, and so on.

[0054] As will be described in more detail below, the door 151 includes a capsule receiving housing configured to receive a capsule containing plant material. When the door 151 is closed, a heater contained within the capsule is capable of generating an aerosol by heating the plant material in response to an activation signal and / or activation action, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. When an inhalation event (e.g., air is drawn in) and / or negative pressure is applied to the mouthpiece 160, the aerosol flows out of the capsule and out of the mouthpiece 160.

[0055] Button 106 may be a power button that transmits a power ON / OFF toggle signal to the control subsystem of the aerosol generating device 100 (e.g., the control subsystem 2100 in Figure 6), and / or a consumer interaction button that receives user input, etc. For example, button 106 may be used by an adult operator of the aerosol generating device to change the operating settings of the aerosol generating device 100. According to some exemplary embodiments, the operating settings of the aerosol generating device 100 include, but are not limited to, initiating a heater preheating operation (e.g., supplying energy to the heater before detecting an inhalation event), checking the battery status, checking the capsule status, initiating a pairing operation between the aerosol generating device and an external computing device and / or the user's device (e.g., performing Bluetooth and / or WiFi pairing), selecting the operating temperature of the aerosol generating device, and selecting an aerosol profile and / or heater profile. Furthermore, according to some exemplary embodiments, the aerosol generating device 100 may include a plurality of buttons 106, such as a first power button, a second consumer interaction button, and / or a third button for opening and closing a door 151, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0056] According to some exemplary embodiments, the front outer piece 107 is a display panel (e.g., a consumer interaction panel). The display panel is configured to display a consumer interface for adult operators of the aerosol generating device, operational status information regarding the operation of the aerosol generating device 100, such as battery status information (e.g., battery charge status, current battery level information, remaining battery level information, etc.), capsule status information (e.g., capsule present / installed, capsule absent / not installed, capsule depletion information, etc.), aerosol generating substance status information, aerosol generating substance flavor information, fault indication information (e.g., capsule error information), aerosol generating device error information, short circuit information, open circuit information, charging failure / error, heater / device temperature out of range information, etc.), capsule information, consumer interaction information, etc., but exemplary embodiments are not limited to these. The display panel may be, but is not limited to, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel, a thin-film transistor (TFT) display panel, a light-emitting diode (LED) display panel, a liquid crystal (LCD) display panel, etc. According to some exemplary embodiments, the display panel 107 may be a touchscreen display panel that displays a consumer interface including touchscreen controls for operating and / or controlling the aerosol generating device 100.

[0057] Furthermore, according to some exemplary embodiments, the front outer piece 107 may be a transparent and / or translucent piece positioned above the display panel 107A below it, allowing an adult operator to see images and / or text displayed on the display panel 107A, etc. For example, the front outer piece 107 may be formed from transparent and / or translucent (e.g., clear) plastic (e.g., polycarbonate (PC) plastic, PC / ABS polymer, etc.), glass (e.g., alkali-aluminosilicate glass sheet, borosilicate glass, tempered glass, synthetic sapphire, other tempered glass, etc.), colored (e.g., tinted) plastic or glass, but exemplary embodiments are not limited to these. Furthermore, in-mold decoration and / or paint may be placed on the back side (e.g., inside) of the outer front piece 107, on a portion of the front outer piece 107, so that only the display panel 107A is visible to an adult operator and the inside of the aerosol generating device 100 is not visible, but exemplary embodiments are not limited to this.

[0058] Refer to Figure 1B. Figure 1B is a side view of an aerosol generating device according to at least one exemplary embodiment, showing the door closed. As shown in Figure 1B, the device body housing 101 further includes a rear outer piece 140 connected to a proximal end piece 152, a distal end piece 112, and a front outer piece 107. The distal end piece 112 includes a recess 115, which may, but is not limited to, a power connector port and / or an air inlet. The rear outer piece 140 may be curved at the rear of the housing for ergonomic purposes, but is not limited to the exemplary embodiment. The rear outer piece 140 and / or the device body housing 101 may be substantially rectangular and / or polygonal, etc.

[0059] The rear outer piece 140 includes a first recess 141 and a second recess 145. The first recess 141 may be called a thumb divot and is ergonomically positioned on the proximal portion 150 of the rear surface of the device body housing 101 so that an adult operator can place their thumb or other fingers in the first recess 141 while holding the aerosol generating device 100. However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto, and the first recess 141 may be located in other positions on the rear outer piece 140. According to other exemplary embodiments, the rear outer piece 140 may include a plurality of first recesses, one or more of which may be located on the left and / or right sides of the device body housing 101, and the first recess 141 may be omitted entirely. According to some exemplary embodiments, the first recess 141 may be egg-shaped as shown in Figure 1C, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The first recess may have other shapes and / or configurations, for example, it may be substantially circular, substantially triangular, substantially rectangular, and so on.

[0060] According to some exemplary embodiments, the first recess 141 may be formed by a single piece, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto, for example, by multiple pieces connected to one another. The first recess 141 may be formed by plastic such as PC or ABS, polymer such as PC / ABS, metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, rubber such as silicone rubber, or a combination thereof. The first recess 141 may further have patterns such as laser-etched patterns, in-mold ridges, bumps, etc., and / or the texture of such patterns may be imparted to the first recess 141, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0061] Refer to Figure 1C, which is a rear view of an aerosol generating device according to at least one exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figure 1C, the first recess 141 may be formed by a plurality of first recesses, for example, an outer portion 142 including a right outer portion 142A and a left outer portion 142B, and an inner portion 143 including a right inner portion 143A and a left inner portion 143B, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the outer portion 142 and / or the inner portion 143 may be formed as a single piece. According to some exemplary embodiments, the outer portion 142 may surround the inner portion 143, may have the same width as or different from the inner portion 143, and may be formed from the same material as or different from the inner portion 143. For example, the outer portion 142 may be approximately 20 mm (width) x 24 mm (length), and the inner portion 143 may be approximately 10.7 mm (width) x 18 mm (length), but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The outer portion 142 may be substantially convex, and the inner portion 143 may be substantially concave, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the inner portion 143 may have a depth of approximately 2 mm, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The engagement between the right inner portion 143A and the left inner portion 143B and the right outer portion 142A and the left outer portion 142B may be a snap-fit, friction-fit, or slide-lock type structure, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. According to some exemplary embodiments, the right outer portion 142A and the right inner portion 143A may be formed as a single piece, and the left outer portion 142B and the left inner portion 143B may be formed as a single piece, and may be a snap-fit, friction-fit, or slide-lock type structure.

[0062] The second recess 145 is a recess located below the door 151, allowing an adult operator to ergonomically open and close the door 151. According to some exemplary embodiments, there may be multiple second recesses 145, such as a left second recess located to the left of the door 151 and a right second recess located to the right of the door 151, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. Furthermore, according to at least one exemplary embodiment, the second recess 145 may be omitted, and the door 151 may further include at least one tab, projection piece, etc. The tab, projection piece protrudes from the door 151 and passes through the interface between the door 151 and the rear outer piece 140, thereby allowing an adult operator to ergonomically grip both sides of the door 151 and manually open and close the door 151, etc.

[0063] According to some exemplary embodiments, the rear outer piece 140 may be formed as a single piece or as two or more pieces. For example, in Figure 1C, the rear outer piece 140 includes a right rear outer piece 140A and a left rear outer piece 140B, but exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The engagement between the right rear outer piece 140A and the left rear outer piece 140B may be a snap-fit, friction-fit, or slide-lock structure, but exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0064] Refer to Figure 1D. Figure 1D is a bottom view of an aerosol generating device according to at least one exemplary embodiment, showing the door in a closed position.

[0065] According to some exemplary embodiments, the distal end piece 112 (e.g., the lower end piece) includes, but is not limited to, at least one distal recess 115. The at least one distal recess 115 includes, but is not limited to, at least one connector port 114 and at least one main housing air inlet 113. For example, the distal end piece 112 may separately accommodate at least one connector port 114 and at least one main housing air inlet 113, etc., by including multiple distal recesses 115. The at least one connector port 114 may be a data port, which is configured to send and receive data with an external computing device, such as a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, or external storage device. The at least one connector port 114 may also be a power port, which is configured to receive power from an external power source to recharge the internal power supply 182 of the aerosol generating device 100 (e.g., a rechargeable and / or replaceable battery), and / or to supply power for the operation of the aerosol generating device 100. In some exemplary embodiments, at least one connector port 114 is a single connector port that combines the functions of a data port and a power port, such as a USB connector port (e.g., a USB-C port, a USB mini port, etc.). According to another exemplary embodiment, there may be two or more connector ports, such as separate power ports and data ports.

[0066] The distal recess 115 may further include, but is not limited to, a plurality of main housing air inlets 113, for example, a single air inlet. As shown in Figure 1D, the distal recess 115 may have a plurality of main housing air inlets 113 on the left and right sides of the connector port 114, but the exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto. The air inlets may be any number and may be arranged in any position and / or pattern. Furthermore, the plurality of main housing air inlets 113 may be located on any part of the distal end piece 112, and are not limited to the distal recess 115. When an aspiration event and / or negative pressure is applied to the proximal end of the aerosol generating device 100, for example, the mouthpiece 160, the air inlets 113 allow outside air to flow into at least one air hose contained inside the device main housing 101. The air inlet 113 may include a grille, such as a mesh layer, which reduces, decreases, and / or prevents debris from entering the air hose and / or the device body housing 101, and / or obstructs the airflow from the air inlet 113 to the air hose. The grille may be separate from the air inlet 113, or it may be attached to the inner surface of the air inlet 113, the outer surface of the air inlet 113, or both. According to some exemplary embodiments, the grille may be integrated with the openings of the individual air inlets 113. Each of the air inlets 113 may have an elongated shape, but exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The air inlets 113 may have other shapes, such as circular, polygonal, or a combination thereof.

[0067] Refer to Figure 1E. Figure 1E is a top view of an aerosol generating device according to at least one exemplary embodiment, showing the door in a closed position.

[0068] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece 160 is inserted into an opening in the proximal end piece 152 and is detachably mounted to the mouthpiece chassis of the device body housing 101. The mouthpiece 160 is replaceable and / or reusable and can be connected to the mouthpiece chassis using any type of connector. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece 160 may be detachably mounted to the mouthpiece chassis using a bayonet connector, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the mouthpiece 160 may be mounted using snug fit, locking mechanism, clamp, threaded connector, slide fit, sleeve fit, alignment fit, threaded connector, magnetic, fastener, or any type of connection, and / or a combination thereof, without limitation. When the bayonet connector is locked into the proper position on the mouthpiece chassis of the device body housing 101, haptic feedback (e.g., a click, increased resistance, etc.) may be provided to the adult operator to inform them that the mouthpiece is properly connected to the device body housing 101. In some exemplary embodiments, the mouthpiece 160 may be part of the proximal end piece 152 and / or the device body housing 101, and / or may be integrated with the proximal end piece 152 and / or the device body housing 101.

[0069] Furthermore, according to some exemplary embodiments, the mouthpiece 160 may further include at least one aerosol outlet 165B. Figure 1E shows a single aerosol outlet 165, but exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. Multiple aerosol outlets may be provided on the mouthpiece 160. Furthermore, according to some exemplary embodiments, a diffuser may be provided to diffuse (e.g., separate) the aerosol inhaled from the capsule 170 through the mouthpiece and the aerosol outlet of the mouthpiece, etc.

[0070] According to some exemplary embodiments, the distal end piece 112, rear outer piece 140, front outer piece 107, door 151, and proximal end piece 152 define the external shape of the device body of the aerosol generating device 100, and further define the internal space that houses the airflow subsystem, control subsystem, and electrical subsystem of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0071] Figures 2A to 2E show various diagrams of door assemblies and mouthpiece assemblies of aerosol generating devices according to several exemplary embodiments.

[0072] Refer to Figures 2A and 2B. Figure 2A is a side view of an aerosol generating device according to at least one exemplary embodiment, showing the door assembly in the open position. Figure 2B is a front and top perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to at least one exemplary embodiment, showing the door assembly in the open position. As shown in Figure 2A, the aerosol generating device 100 may include, but is not limited to, a device body housing 101, a door assembly (e.g., 1100) including a door 151, and a mouthpiece assembly (e.g., 1200) including a removable (e.g., detachable) mouthpiece 160. The exemplary embodiments include a proximal portion (e.g., upper portion 150 in Figure 1A) and a distal portion (e.g., lower portion 105 in Figure 1A) opposite to it. The removable mouthpiece 160 is located in the proximal portion 150, and the distal end piece 112 is located in the distal portion 105. When the capsule 170 is inserted into the capsule receiving section 175 and positioned in the operating position (for example, when the door assembly is closed), it is positioned within the internal space between the mouthpiece 160 and the distal end piece 112 of the device body housing 101. For example, the inserted capsule 170 may be positioned in the proximal part (for example, 150 in Figure 1A) or the distal part (for example, 105 in Figure 1A), but is not limited to these positions.

[0073] As shown in Figure 2B, according to at least one exemplary embodiment, the capsule 170 may, but is not limited to, include an aerosol-generating material compartment (e.g., a plant material compartment, a material compartment, etc.) and a heater. An air channel extends from the distal end of the device body housing 101 (e.g., the air inlet 113 in Figure 1D) to the removable capsule 170 and can provide a flow of air from the outside to the capsule when suction (e.g., a suction event) and / or negative pressure is applied. The air channel may be in the form of one or more channels extending from the air inlet 113 of the body housing 101 through the distal end 105. The aerosol-generating material compartment is configured to hold an aerosol-generating material (e.g., plant material) inside. The aerosol-generating material is a material or combination of materials that generates an aerosol when heated by the heater. The capsule and aerosol-generating material are described in detail with reference to Figures 9A to 9C.

[0074] A heater (described in more detail later with reference to Figures 9A to 9C) is located within at least one capsule 170 and the device body housing 101. The aerosol-generating material compartment of the capsule is configured to fluidly communicate with the heater during the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100, thereby causing the aerosol-generating material from the aerosol-generating material compartment to come into thermal contact with the heater. The heater is configured to produce an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating material, which passes through the aerosol-generating material compartment to the mouthpiece 160 via at least one aerosol channel 165 and at least one aerosol outlet 165B of the mouthpiece chimney 161 (shown in Figure 2E). At least one air hose 116 of the device body housing 101 is inserted into, connected to, and / or engaged with the distal end of the capsule 170 via a capsule connector 177, so that the air inlet of the capsule 170 is aligned with the air hose 116 of the device body housing 101 when the capsule 170 is in the operating position.

[0075] Furthermore, at least one aerosol chimney 161 for the mouthpiece 160 is configured to connect, mate, and / or engage with the proximal end of the capsule, thereby aligning the aerosol outlet of the capsule with the aerosol channel 165, thus facilitating the delivery of the generated aerosol through the chimney 161 to the mouthpiece 160. The chimney 161 may be an elongated portion of the mouthpiece 160 and defines at least one aerosol channel 165 in the form of one or more channels extending through the mouthpiece 160. According to some exemplary embodiments, the aerosol channel 165 and the chimney 161 integrate to form the mouthpiece 160, passing through at least one opening in the proximal end 152 of the device body housing 101 (e.g., opening 154 in Figure 4A) and mate, connect, and / or engage with the proximal end of the capsule. The mouthpiece is described in more detail below.

[0076] Refer to Figures 2C and 2D. Figure 2C is a side view of the internal structure of the proximal end of the aerosol generating device in the open position. Figure 2D is a side view of the internal structure of the proximal end of the aerosol generating device in the closed position. For simplicity, the door chassis is omitted. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 includes, but is not limited to, a door assembly (e.g., door assembly 1100 in Figure 3A) and a mouthpiece assembly (e.g., mouthpiece assembly 1200 in Figure 4A). The door assembly may include, but is not limited to, a door 151, a door chassis 153 attached to the door 151, a capsule receiving section 175 movably connected to the door chassis 153 via a pair of rails 157 defined on the door chassis 153, and a capsule connector 177 attached to the door 151 via the door chassis 153.

[0077] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece assembly 1200 may include a mouthpiece chassis 155 in addition to the mouthpiece 160 and mouthpiece chimney 161. The mouthpiece chassis 155 is movably connected to the chassis 147 via a pair of slots 148 and pins 149A, and further via at least one spring 123 that contacts the proximal end piece 152 and biases against the mouthpiece chassis 155, etc., but the exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto. That is, any sliding engagement structure, such as rails, races, bushings, etc., may be used instead of the slot and pin structure.

[0078] The door assembly 1100 and door 151 of the aerosol generating device 100 can generally be lifted around the hinge 120, rotated, rotatable, moved, pushed, pulled, etc., to reach an open position (e.g., open state) or a closed position (e.g., closed state). According to some exemplary embodiments, an adult operator may manually operate the door 151 and door assembly 1100 to move them to the open and / or closed positions, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the door 151 and door assembly 1100 may be moved to the open or closed position using a motor, a magnetic lock, or other comparable device. When the door 151 (and by extension the door assembly 1100) is in the open position, the capsule receiving section 175 can be moved to the proximal end of the door 151 by at least one first linkage 121, and the capsule 170 can be inserted into the capsule receiving section 175. Simultaneously, at least one second linkage 122 moves the mouthpiece assembly 1200, including the mouthpiece chassis 155, laterally, thereby moving the attached mouthpiece 160 away from the proximal end of the device body housing 101 (for example, moving the mouthpiece 160 to an extended position and / or extended state away from the proximal end piece 152). This disengages the mouthpiece 160 from the capsule 170, allowing the capsule 170 to be conveniently and efficiently removed from the body housing 101.

[0079] Furthermore, when the door 151 is in the open position, the door assembly 1100 and the mouthpiece assembly 1200 compress at least one compression spring 123. According to some exemplary embodiments, two or more compression springs 123 may be positioned on U-shaped spring mounts 123A (e.g., spring frames, etc.) included in the base of the main body chassis 147 on the left and right sides of the mouthpiece chassis 155, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. In response to the door 151 moving to the closed position and the second linkage 122 moving, at least one compression spring 123 moves the mouthpiece assembly 1200, including the mouthpiece chassis 155, laterally, and retracts the mouthpiece 160 toward the distal end of the device body housing 101 (e.g., moves, pushes, etc.) (e.g., moves the mouthpiece 160 to the closed position / retracted position and / or closed state / retracted state). Furthermore, when the mouthpiece 160 moves to the closed position, the mouthpiece chimney 161 engages with the capsule 170. The movement of the door assembly 1100 and the mouthpiece assembly 1200 will be described in detail later with reference to Figures 5A to 5C and 6A to 6C.

[0080] Refer to Figures 2C to 2E. Figure 2C is a side view of the internal structure of the proximal end of the aerosol generating device in the open position. Figure 2D is a side view of the internal structure of the proximal end of the aerosol generating device in the closed position, with the door chassis omitted for simplicity. Figure 2E is a cross-sectional view of the proximal end of the aerosol generating device in the open position.

[0081] As shown in Figures 2C to 2E, according to at least one exemplary embodiment, a stationary body chassis 147 is positioned along the underside of the device body housing 101 and provides the internal frame of the aerosol generating device 100. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the body chassis 147 includes a rear base frame 147A and one or more vertical frame members (e.g., 147B and 147C) that provide structure to the aerosol generating device 100, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. According to some exemplary embodiments, the body chassis 147 may further include a front base frame and a rear base frame, and / or one of the front base frame and the rear base frame may be omitted, and so on. Furthermore, the outer pieces of the device body housing 101, such as the distal end piece 112, the rear outer piece 140, the front outer piece 107, the door 151, and / or the proximal end piece 152, etc., may be mounted to the body chassis 147 using bosses, or they may be attached, connected, welded, screwed, clipped, and / or fastened. Furthermore, internal elements of the aerosol generating device 100, such as a power subsystem, an airflow subsystem, and / or a control subsystem, may be mounted on the main chassis 147 using bosses, or they may be attached, connected, welded, screwed, clipped, and / or fixed in place.

[0082] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece chassis 155 is further movably mounted to the stationary main chassis 147. For example, the mouthpiece chassis 155 is connected to the main chassis 147 via a pair of slots 148 located on both sides of the main chassis 147 (e.g., left and right), thereby allowing the mouthpiece chassis 155 to move (e.g., slide) along the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating device 100 using pins 149A of the mouthpiece chassis inserted into the slots 148 (e.g., moving between the distal and proximal ends, etc.).

[0083] Furthermore, the mouthpiece chassis 155 and proximal end piece 152 of the device body housing 101 include a mouthpiece opening 154 configured to receive a chimney 161 of the mouthpiece 160. The chimney 161 is an elongated portion of the mouthpiece 160 and defines at least one aerosol channel 165 between at least one opening at the proximal end of the mouthpiece and the proximal end of the capsule 170 when the mouthpiece 160 and capsule 170 are installed in the device body housing 101. Although the figure shows the chimney 161 having a tubular shape, the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto and the chimney 161 may have any shape.

[0084] As shown in Figures 2C to 2E, the main chassis 147 may include a pair of parallel slots 148. The slots 148 have a desired length corresponding to the travel distance of the door 151 (e.g., the distance the door 151 travels between the open and closed positions) and are positioned at the proximal end of the aerosol generating device 100 in the same direction as the orientation of the mouthpiece 160 relative to the main housing 101 (e.g., on the right and left sides of the main chassis 147 and extending longitudinally through the main housing 101). For example, as shown in Figures 2C to 2E, the slots 148 are elongated horizontal openings in the vertical members 147C of the main chassis 147, but exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The slots 148 may be located in different positions and / or may have different shapes or configurations, etc.

[0085] According to some exemplary embodiments, the mouthpiece chassis 155 engages with a pair of slots 148 of the main chassis 147, thereby allowing the mouthpiece chassis 155 to move and / or slide along the pair of slots 148 in response to the opening and closing of the door 151 of the door assembly 1100. The opening and closing of the door 151 is performed in response to the movement of the linkage 122 and the biasing of the compression spring 123. Furthermore, the mouthpiece chassis 155 may move in response to a lateral force (e.g., a horizontal force) applied to the mouthpiece 160, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0086] More specifically, as shown in Figures 2C to 2E, the main chassis 147 is connected to at least one first linkage 121 via a first pivot 146A (e.g., a ball joint, pin, etc.) inserted into the vertical support 147B of the main chassis 147, and the mouthpiece chassis 155 is connected to at least one second linkage 122 via a second pivot 149A (e.g., a ball joint, pin, etc.). The second pivot 149A is inserted into a slot 148 (e.g., an elongated horizontal slot) in the vertical support 147C of the main chassis 147 and into the opening of the second linkage 122. Each of the first linkage 121, the first pivot 146A, the second linkage 122, and / or the second pivot 149A may be, but not limited to, a pair of linkages or pivots located on the left and right sides of the main chassis 147 and the mouthpiece chassis 155, respectively.

[0087] The first linkage 121 may be an angled or elbow-shaped linkage (e.g., having an angle of less than 90 degrees), and the second linkage 122 may be a linear linkage (e.g., a linear linkage). The length of the first linkage 121 is longer than that of the second linkage 122, which allows the proximal end of the capsule receiving section 175 and the door 151 to open, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The linkages may have different shapes or lengths. The first linkage 121 is fixedly or rotatably attached to the main chassis 147 at its proximal end, and the second linkage 122 is fixedly or rotatably attached to the distal end of the door chassis 153, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0088] The second linkage 122 and the second pivot 149A may move laterally within the slot 148 in response to the opening and closing of the door 151. and / or the second linkage 122 may supply an auxiliary force to open and close the door 151 in response to the lateral movement of the second pivot 149A (e.g., lateral movement by at least one compression spring 123). According to some exemplary embodiments, the proximal end of the second linkage 122 may be open (e.g., U-shaped), but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the proximal end of the second linkage 122 may be closed (e.g., closed and defining a slot opening to receive the pin 149A). At least one compression spring 123 is located on a spring mount (e.g., spring mount 123A in Figure 4A). The spring mounts are located on the lower proximal sidewalls of the vertical support 147B of the main chassis 147, for example, the spring mount 123A is located on the proximal end piece 152 via a boss, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0089] According to some exemplary embodiments, at least two compression springs 123 are present on the left and right sides of the main chassis 147, respectively, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The compression springs 123 bias against and / or contact the proximal lower part of the mouthpiece chassis 155. When the door 151 is opened, the mouthpiece chassis 155 moves laterally on the proximal side. This is because the second linkage 122 and the second pivot 149A move laterally on the proximal side. This movement compresses the compression springs 123. Furthermore, as the mouthpiece chassis 155 moves laterally on the proximal side, the mouthpiece 160 and chimney 161 disengage and / or move to an extended position. This is because the mouthpiece 160 is connected to the mouthpiece chassis 155.

[0090] As shown in Figures 2C and 2D, the opposite end of the first linkage 121 is rotatably connected to a side (e.g., left or right side) of the capsule receiving section 175 (e.g., capsule receiving housing, capsule housing, capsule holder, etc.) via at least one pin 146B. The second linkage 122 is rotatably connected to a side of the door chassis 153 via at least one pin 149B. As described above, when the door 151 is opened and / or lifted, the capsule receiving section 175 moves to the proximal end of the door 151 because it is connected to the first linkage 121. Furthermore, the movement of the door 151 and its connection to the door chassis 153 cause the second linkage 122 to move laterally along the slot 148 on the proximal side (e.g., the door 151 pushes the second linkage 122 and the mouthpiece chassis 155 forward).

[0091] When a closing force is applied to the door 151, and / or when the door 151 begins to close (for example, when the door 151 has rotated to the closed position), the previously compressed spring 123 assists the mouthpiece chassis 155 in moving (e.g., being pushed) toward the distal end (e.g., the closed position) of the main chassis 147 by converting its stored latent energy into kinetic energy. This causes the door 151 to close completely. This is because the first linkage 121 and the second linkage 122 are connected to the capsule receiving section 175 and the door chassis 153, respectively.

[0092] According to some exemplary embodiments, when an adult operator applies a closing force to the door 151, the spring 123 may provide an auxiliary force to close the door 151. Furthermore, when the mouthpiece chassis 155 is pushed to the closed position by the biasing force of the spring 123 and / or by the closing force applied to the door 151 by the adult operator, the capsule receiver 175 moves and / or is pushed to the distal end (e.g., the closed position) of the door chassis 153. This is because the first linkage 121 is connected to the capsule receiver 175. Furthermore, when the mouthpiece chassis 155 moves to the closed position by the biasing force of the spring 123, the mouthpiece 160 also moves to the closed / retracted position and engages with the inserted capsule 170. This movement is because the mouthpiece 160 is connected to the mouthpiece chassis 155 (described in detail below). Furthermore, the biasing force of the spring 123 maintains the mouthpiece 160, mouthpiece chassis 155, and door 151 in the closed / retracted position.

[0093] Figures 2C to 2E show the main chassis 147 as a single piece, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The main chassis may be formed using multiple pieces, for example, the main chassis 147 may include a left piece and a right piece, and / or a distal piece and a proximal piece, etc.

[0094] According to some exemplary embodiments, the base frame of the main chassis 147 may be substantially rectangular, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the base frame of the main chassis 147 may have a curved shape and / or other shape corresponding to the contour of the device body housing 101, etc. The base frame of the main chassis 147 may include a recess corresponding to the location of the first recess 141, and may have dimensions substantially similar to the first recess 141.

[0095] As shown in Figure 2E, according to at least one exemplary embodiment, when the door 151 is open, the capsule receiving section 175 moves to and / or is positioned at the proximal end of the door chassis 151. The capsule receiving section 175 may be a housing formed of a plastic having high temperature resistance, such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), acetal, or other material that can withstand high temperatures (e.g., about 80°C or higher), but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. Furthermore, according to some exemplary embodiments, a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel may be used. As shown in Figures 8A to 8E and Figures 9A to 9C, the capsule receiving section 175 has a substantially rectangular prism shape and includes, but is not limited to, a front, rear, left side, right side, proximal side and distal side. For example, the capsule receiving section 175 may have a different shape. The capsule receiving section 175 includes an opening on its proximal side, configured to receive the capsule 170, thereby allowing the capsule 170 to be inserted into the capsule receiving section 175. The proximal opening of the capsule receiving section 175 may have the same or substantially the same shape as the end cap of the housing of the capsule 170. This facilitates the proper positioning and / or fitting of the capsule 170 and prevents objects other than the capsule from being inserted into the capsule receiving section 175. However, the capsule receiving section 175 is not limited to this, and other shapes of proximal end openings may be used.

[0096] Furthermore, the capsule receiving section 175 also includes an opening on its distal side. The distal opening of the capsule receiving section 175 may be smaller than the distal end of the capsule 170, so that the capsule 170 is held in place by one or more restraining members (e.g., 172A and 172B) protruding from the edge of the capsule receiving section 175, preventing it from descending into the internal cavity of the device body housing 101. The restraining members 172A and 172B may be positioned in front of and behind the distal opening of the capsule receiving section 175, so as to hold the capsule 170 within the capsule receiving section 175. The restraining members 172A and 172B, on the other hand, define an opening large enough for the capsule connector 177 to enter. The capsule connector 177 enters the opening and is connected, mounted, and / or mated to electrical contacts and / or air inlets located at the distal end of the capsule 170. Furthermore, the suppression members 172A and 172B may have dimensions such that the surface area of ​​the capsule receiving portion and the holding portion that contacts the capsule is reduced and / or minimized. This reduces and / or minimizes thermal contact between the capsule and the aerosol generating device 100. For example, according to one exemplary embodiment, the capsule has dimensions of approximately 12.4 mm × 6 mm, each suppression member has a length of approximately 4 mm, and may protrude only about 0.8 mm from the edge of the capsule receiving portion, but the exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto. However, the exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto, for example, the suppression members 172 and 172B may be positioned on the left and right sides of the capsule receiving portion 175, and / or the number of suppression members may be more or less.

[0097] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the device body housing 101 may further include, but is not limited to, a capsule detection switch 183 (e.g., a capsule detection sensor), a door detection switch 186 (e.g., a door detection sensor), and / or a haptic feedback motor 185. For example, one or more of the capsule detection switch 183, door detection switch 186, and / or haptic feedback motor 185 may be omitted. The capsule detection switch 183 may be a pressure switch, a contact switch, a sensor, etc., which are located within the device body housing 101 to detect the presence or absence of a capsule 170 within the device body housing 101. For example, when the door 151 moves to the closed position, the capsule detection switch 183 may be turned on by a capsule 170 properly inserted into the capsule receiving section 175, and / or may be in contact with the capsule 170. In response to the capsule detection switch 183 detecting the presence of the capsule 170, the capsule detection switch 183 transmits a first electrical signal (e.g., a capsule detection signal) indicating the detection of the capsule to a control subsystem (e.g., 180 in Figure 10). Furthermore, the door detection switch 186 may be a pressure switch, contact switch, sensor, etc., which are located within the device body housing 101 to detect whether the door 151 and / or mouthpiece chassis 155 have moved to the closed position and / or retracted position. For example, when the mouthpiece chassis 155 moves to the closed position and / or retracted position, the door detection switch 186 may be turned on by the mouthpiece chassis 155 and / or make contact with the mouthpiece chassis 155. This indicates that the door 151 is in the closed position. This is because the first linkage 121 and the second linkage 122 move. Exemplary embodiments are not limited to those described above. For example, the door detection switch 186 may be positioned so as to make direct contact with the door 151 when the door 151 is in the closed position.When the door detection switch 186 detects that door 151 is in the closed position (and / or that mouthpiece chassis 155 is in the closed / retracted position, etc.), the door detection switch 186 transmits a second electrical signal (e.g., a door detection signal) to the control subsystem 180 indicating that door 151 is closed.

[0098] According to some exemplary embodiments, in response to receiving a first electrical signal and a second electrical signal from the capsule detection switch 183 and the door detection switch 186, respectively, the control subsystem (e.g., 180 in Figure 10) allows current to flow from the battery 182 to the capsule 170. Furthermore, in response to the control subsystem (e.g., processing circuit, control circuit, etc.) not receiving the first electrical signal from the capsule detection switch 183 and / or not receiving the second electrical signal from the door detection switch 186, the control subsystem 180 makes it impossible and / or prohibits current from flowing from the battery 182 to the capsule receiving unit 175.

[0099] However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The capsule detection switch 183 and / or the door detection switch 186 may be omitted and / or may not be used by the control subsystem to control the flow of current from the battery 182 to the capsule receiving unit 175. Furthermore, according to some exemplary embodiments, the first electrical signal and / or the second electrical signal may be binary signals, where the first value indicates that the capsule and / or door has been detected as closed, and the second value indicates that the capsule and / or door has not been detected as closed (e.g., no detection of closure), but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0100] According to some exemplary embodiments, the control subsystem may further include a haptic motor 185 (e.g., a haptic feedback motor) to provide a first haptic response (e.g., vibration having a first desired intensity, a first desired frequency, and / or a first desired interval, etc.). The first haptic response indicates that the capsule 170 is properly installed in the aerosol generating device 100 in response to receiving a first electrical signal from the capsule detection switch 183. The control subsystem may further provide a second haptic response (e.g., vibration having a second desired intensity, a second desired frequency, and / or a second desired interval, etc.) by controlling the haptic motor 185. The second haptic response indicates that the capsule 170 is not properly installed in the aerosol generating device 100 in response to receiving a second electrical signal from the capsule detection switch 183. According to some exemplary embodiments, the control subsystem further displays status information regarding the capsule 170 by controlling the display panel 107 / 107A, in response to receiving first and / or second electrical signals from the capsule detection switch 183, etc. Furthermore, according to some exemplary embodiments, the aerosol generating device 100 further includes a speaker, and the control subsystem may further provide auditory feedback (e.g., tones, beeps, music, recorded messages, etc.) to an adult operator by controlling the speaker. The auditory feedback relates to the insertion and / or removal of the capsule 170 from the aerosol generating device 100, the status of the plant material contained in the capsule 170, battery status information, etc.

[0101] The figure shows the elements of the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly positioned on the proximal portion 150 of the aerosol generating device 100, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the door assembly may be positioned on the distal portion 105 of the aerosol generating device 100, or elsewhere. Furthermore, the figure shows the door 151 positioned on the front of the aerosol generating device 100, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The door 151 may be positioned on other sides of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0102] Figures 3A to 3F show various diagrams of a door assembly according to at least one exemplary embodiment.

[0103] Refer to Figures 3A to 3D. Figure 3A is an exploded view of a door assembly according to at least one exemplary embodiment. Figure 3B is a perspective view of the internal elements of a door assembly in the open position, viewed from below and the front. Figure 3C is a perspective view of the internal elements of a door assembly in the closed position, viewed from below and the front. Figure 3D is a perspective view of the internal elements of a door assembly in the closed position, viewed from below.

[0104] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the door assembly 1100 may include, but is not limited to, a door 151, a door chassis 153, at least one cam-operated suppression element 176, a capsule receiving portion 175, and a capsule connector 177. Each of the door 151, door chassis 153, at least one cam-operated suppression element 176, the capsule receiving portion 175, and the capsule connector 177 may, but is not limited to, be symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis.

[0105] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the door 151 may further include, but is not limited to, at least one cam 156 and a hinge 120. The cam 156 and the cam-operated restraining element 176 are described in more detail below. The door chassis 153 may be attached to the inside of the door 151 via one or more clips 151A attached to clip slots 151B, but is not limited to the exemplary embodiment. The door chassis 153 may be screwed, welded, and / or engaged to the inside of the door 151. The door chassis 153 may define a substantially planar rectangular frame, which may include a vertical opening 153A within the planar rectangular frame, and may further include a pair of side wings 153B. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the door chassis 153 has openings on the proximal side, distal side and rear side. Furthermore, the door chassis 153 may mate with a boss 190 of a capsule connector 177 by further including at least one vertical boss 190A. The capsule connector 177 is thereby attached to and / or secured to the door chassis 153, but the exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto. Other types of engagements may be used. Furthermore, the door chassis 153 includes a pair of openings 153C (e.g., hinge points) which connect to and / or engage with pins 149B located at the distal ends of the second linkage 122, allowing the second linkage 122 to rotate around the openings 153C. The door chassis 153 further includes a pair of rails 157 (e.g., tracks, sliders, guide rails) on either side of the door chassis 153 frame. When the capsule receiving section 175 is inserted into the opening 153A from above (for example, by lowering), the rail 157 contacts a pair of lateral projection edges 158 on the front surface of the capsule receiving section 175, thereby allowing the capsule receiving section 175 to move (for example, slide, travel, etc.) from the proximal end to the distal end of the opening 153A of the door chassis 153 when a longitudinal force is applied.

[0106] Furthermore, the capsule receiving section 175 is a substantially cubic frame configured to hold the capsule 170. The capsule receiving section 175 includes a proximal side surface defining a proximal opening 170A for receiving the capsule 170, the proximal opening 170A having the same dimensions as, and / or larger than, the capsule 170, and having substantially the same shape as the capsule 170. For example, the proximal opening and internal cavity of the capsule receiving section 175 may extend longitudinally toward the distal side surface of the capsule receiving section 175 and have dimensions approximately 0.1 mm larger than the dimensions of the outer housing of the capsule 170. This is to form an air gap between the capsule receiving section 175 and the outer housing of the capsule 170, but exemplary embodiments are not limited to the above. Furthermore, a pair of longitudinally extending inner rails 176E may be defined on the inner wall (e.g., cavity wall) of the capsule receiving section 175, and the space adjacent to each inner rail may be recessed, notched, etc. When the capsule 170 is not connected to the capsule connector 177 (for example, while the door assembly 1100 is moving to the closed position), the inner rail 176E may further contact the inserted capsule 170 in the direction toward the capsule connector 177 and / or guide the inserted capsule 170, and in addition, increase the air gap and / or air insulation around the capsule 170 on both sides of the inner rail 176E. However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. According to some exemplary embodiments, the air gap may be omitted and may be greater than or less than 0.1 mm. The air gap is described in more detail below.

[0107] Furthermore, according to some exemplary embodiments, the capsule receiving section 175 may define a front channel 176D and a rear opening 170B. At least one cam-operated suppression element 176 may be positioned in the front channel 176D. The body of the cam-operated suppression element 176 may have a substantially planar shape and may include, but are not limited to, a hinge 176A located at the distal end of the cam-operated suppression element 176, a hook-shaped (or L-shaped) contact element 176B located at the proximal end of the cam-operated suppression element 176, and a projection and / or bump 176C located on the front of the cam-operated suppression element 176. The exemplary embodiments may have a variety of designs or configurations.

[0108] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the hinge 176A of the cam-actuated restraint element 176 may engage with the hinge opening 176B of the capsule receiving portion 175. Furthermore, the front channel 176D may further include a rear opening to the internal cavity 170A of the capsule receiving portion 175, thereby allowing the contact element 176B of the cam-actuated restraint element 176 to descend to the internal cavity 170A and / or to contact the capsule installed in the internal cavity 170A of the capsule receiving portion 175. Furthermore, the projection 176C may be configured to contact the cam 156 on the rear surface (e.g., inner surface) of the door 151 when the capsule receiving portion 175 is sliding downward along the rail 157 of the door chassis 153, thereby forcing the cam-actuated restraint element 176 to contact the surface of the capsule 170 in which it is installed, etc.

[0109] Furthermore, the capsule receiving portion 175 includes at least one hinge point 146B (e.g., a hinge pin) for attachment to the distal end of at least one first linkage 121. As described above, the capsule receiving portion 175 moves toward the capsule connector 177 when the door assembly 1100 moves to the closed position, or moves toward the capsule connector 177 when the door assembly 1110 moves to the open position, and so on. The capsule receiving portion 175 further defines a rear opening 170B. A capsule detection switch (e.g., capsule detection switch 183) located on the PCB on the rear inner surface of the device body housing 101 may fit into the rear opening 170B of the capsule receiving portion 175 when the door assembly 1100 is rotated to the closed position, may contact the capsule 170 installed within the capsule receiving portion 175 when the capsule receiving portion 175 is in the closed position, and / or may detect the capsule 170, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0110] The door assembly 1100 may further include a capsule connector 177, which provides air and electrical connections to the capsule installed in the capsule receiving section 175, but is not limited thereto. According to some exemplary embodiments, when the capsule 170 is inside the capsule receiving section 175 and the door 151 is closed (e.g., the door assembly is in the closed position), and the capsule receiving section 175 moves to the distal end of the door chassis 153, the capsule 170 is connected to both the electrical subsystem and the airflow subsystem (e.g., an air hose 116) of the aerosol generating device 100. In other words, the capsule 170 is automatically positioned, steered, and / or guided by itself to ensure that a robust electrical connection and fluid seal are achieved between the capsule 170 and the aerosol generating device 100. The electrical subsystem and the airflow subsystem are described in more detail below.

[0111] The capsule connector 177 may, but may not be, be fixedly attached to the door chassis 153 and / or the door 151 (e.g., by screwing, welding, or engaging by a boss). As shown in Figures 3A and 3D, the capsule connector 177 is embossed onto a boss 190A located on the inner surface of the door via a boss 190. The capsule connector 177 further includes a capsule connector sealing element 178, which aligns with the distal end of the capsule 170 and together forms an airtight and / or substantially airtight state. The capsule connector 177 is described in more detail below.

[0112] Refer to Figures 3E and 3F. Figure 3E is a cross-sectional view of a cam-operated retaining element and door assembly in the closed position according to at least one exemplary embodiment. Figure 3F is a cross-sectional view of a cam-operated retaining element and door assembly in the open position according to at least one exemplary embodiment.

[0113] According to some exemplary embodiments, the capsule receiving section 175 further includes at least one cam-operated suppression element 176 (e.g., a suppression element, an anti-bounce cam, a finger element, etc.). Thereafter, while the door 151 moves from the open position to the closed position and / or while the door 151 moves from the closed position to the open position, the capsule receiving section 175 frictionally engages with the capsule 170 inserted into the opening of the capsule receiving section 175, preventing the capsule 170 from accidentally dislodging and / or separating from the capsule receiving section 175. Furthermore, at least one cam-operated suppression element 176 prevents the capsule 170 inserted into the opening of the capsule receiving section 175 from accidentally dislodging, separating and / or separating from the capsule connector 177 when the door 151 is in the closed position. As shown in Figures 3A, 3E, and 3F, the cam-operated restraint element 176 includes a hinge 176A at the distal end of the capsule receiving portion 175 and a hook-shaped contact element 176B (e.g., a "finger" piece, a T-shaped piece, etc.) at the proximal end of the capsule receiving portion 175, but exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The contact element may have a different shape. The door 151 may include at least one cam 156, which engages with, contacts, and / or restrains the movement of the upper surface of the capsule 170 while the door 151 is moving to the closed position. This reduces and / or prevents the capsule 170 from disengaging and / or separating from the capsule connector 177 when the door 151 is in the closed position. More specifically, the cam 156 has an inclined near-field edge (e.g., a leading edge). While the cam-operated suppression element 176 and the capsule receiving portion 175 move toward the distal end of the door 151, the nearby edge contacts a protruding element 176C (e.g., a bump) located on the front surface of the cam-operated suppression element 176.

[0114] As shown in Figure 3E, while the cam-operated suppression element 176 is in contact with the cam 156, the contact element of the cam-operated suppression element 176 is pushed downward (for example, in the direction of the capsule, in the direction of the internal space of the device body housing, etc.). According to the exemplary embodiment, the cam-operated suppression element 176 engages with the capsule 170, thereby holding the capsule 170 in the appropriate position. Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiment, the cam-operated suppression element 176 engages with the capsule 170 and prevents the capsule 170 from moving from the appropriate position / holds the capsule 170 in the appropriate position even if the orientation of the aerosol generating device 100 changes (for example, even if the aerosol generating device 100 is held upside down, facing backward, or vertically).

[0115] Furthermore, when the cam-operated restraint element 176 engages with the cam 156, the contact element 176B restrains the capsule 170 from displacing, moving, and / or bouncing when the door 151 is closed using friction between the contact element 176B and the surface of the capsule 170. Additionally, when the door 151 is in the fully open position and the cam-operated restraint element 176 and the capsule receiving section 175 are in the open position, the cam-operated restraint element 176 loses contact with the cam 156 due to the recess in the door 151. As a result, the contact element 176B of the cam-operated restraint element 176 disengages from the surface of the capsule 170 and / or moves away from the surface. Consequently, an adult operator can remove the capsule 170 from the capsule receiving section 175.

[0116] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3F, the proximal opening of the capsule receiving section 175 may have dimensions larger than those of the capsule 170. This is to provide an air gap 174 between the capsule 170 and the inner wall of the capsule receiving section 175 on at least two sides of the capsule 170 (e.g., both sides of the capsule 170), but exemplary embodiments are not limited to this. For example, the proximal opening may be about 12.6 mm × 6.2 mm at its widest point, and there may be an air gap 174 of about 0.1 mm between the outer diameter of the capsule and the proximal opening of the capsule receiving section 175, but exemplary embodiments are not limited to this. The air gap provides insulation between the heated capsule 170 and the device body housing 101, thereby lowering the temperature of the device body housing 101 and reducing / minimizing the discomfort an adult operator may feel regarding heat during operation of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0117] According to some exemplary embodiments, the capsule receiving section 175 may guide the capsule 170 into the internal cavity of the capsule receiving section 175 when the capsule 170 is not connected to the capsule connector 177 by further including one or more pairs of inner rails 176E defined on one or more inner surfaces of the capsule receiving section 175 (for example, the capsule 170 may come into contact with the inner rails 176E due to gravity, misalignment, etc.). However, the dimensions of the pairs of inner rails 176E may be such that when the capsule 170 is mated and / or connected to the capsule connector 177, the inner rails 176E do not protrude into the internal cavity of the capsule receiving section 175, and thus an air gap 174 around the capsule 170 is established and / or maintained. In other words, while the door 151 is in the fully closed position (and while the capsule receiving section 175 is at the distal end of the door chassis 153 (e.g., the closed position)), the capsule 170 does not come into contact with the inner rail 176E of the capsule receiving section 175. However, when the door 151 is moving and / or in the open position, for example, when the capsule 170 is disengaged from the capsule connector 177, the capsule 170 may come into contact with the inner rail 176E of the capsule receiving section 175.

[0118] Figures 4A to 4F show various diagrams of mouthpiece assemblies according to several exemplary embodiments. More specifically, Figure 4A is an exploded view of a mouthpiece assembly according to at least one exemplary embodiment. Figure 4B shows the mouthpiece assembly of Figure 4A in the open position. Figure 4C is a second diagram of the mouthpiece assembly of Figure 4B in the open position, without the proximal end piece. Figure 4D shows the mouthpiece assembly of Figure 4A in the closed position. Figure 4E is a second diagram of the mouthpiece assembly of Figure 4D in the closed position, without the proximal end piece. Figure 4F shows the mouthpiece assembly of Figure 4D in the closed position aligned with the capsule and capsule connector, according to several exemplary embodiments.

[0119] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece assembly 1200 may include a removable mouthpiece 160, a chimney 161 connected to (e.g., integrated with) the mouthpiece 160, and a mouthpiece chassis 155, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the chimney 161 may be detachable from the mouthpiece 160. As shown in Figures 4A to 4D, the various elements of the mouthpiece assembly 1200 are substantially symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The mouthpiece assembly 1200 may be installed in the internal space of the device body housing 101 of the aerosol generating device 100. More specifically, the proximal end piece 152 and / or spring mount 123A may be attached to the stationary internal frame of the device body housing 101 (e.g., the body chassis 147) via a clip, for example, a clip 152A, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. Other equivalent mounting methods may be used.

[0120] Furthermore, the mouthpiece chassis 155 may, but is not limited to, be movably (e.g., slidably) mounted to a stationary main chassis (e.g., main chassis 147) of the device main housing 101. The mouthpiece chassis 155 may also be movably (e.g., slidably) mounted to a rail (e.g., slot 148) of the stationary main chassis using one or more pins 149A, thereby allowing the mouthpiece chassis 155 to move longitudinally along the inner surface of the device main housing 101. Furthermore, one or more pins 149A may be rotatably and / or slidably mounted to and / or connected to at least one linkage (e.g., a second linkage 122). At least one linkage provides the mouthpiece chassis 155 via the pins 149A with a force to move laterally within the slot 148 of the main chassis 147. The mouthpiece chassis 155 may be substantially L-shaped when viewed from the side, and the vertical portion of the mouthpiece chassis 155 further defines an opening 155A configured to receive the chimney 161 of the mouthpiece 160. The horizontal portion of the mouthpiece chassis 155 may define a rear opening 155B. When the capsule receiving section 175 and the mouthpiece chassis 155 are in the closed position, the rear opening 155B is aligned with the rear opening 170B of the capsule receiving section 175. This allows sensors such as the capsule detection switch 183 to access the capsule 170 installed in the capsule receiving section 175.

[0121] Furthermore, the mouthpiece chassis 155 may include at least one bayonet enclosure 163. The bayonet enclosure 163 receives at least one bayonet connector 162 of the chimney 161 and locks the mouthpiece 160 to the mouthpiece chassis 155. For example, there may be two or more bayonet connectors and bayonet enclosures, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. A U-shaped spring frame 123A may mount at least one compression spring 123, and the spring frame 123A may be attached to the proximal end piece 152 (e.g., via screws, welds, etc.) and / or the main chassis (e.g., the main chassis 147), and may be positioned between the proximal end piece 152 and the mouthpiece chassis 155, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. As shown in Figure 4A, two or more compression springs 123 may be mounted on two or more arms of the spring frame 123A, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The compression spring 123 can be biased against the mouthpiece chassis 155, thereby compressing the compression spring 123 as the mouthpiece chassis 155 moves longitudinally at its proximal end. Furthermore, when the compression spring 123 is released, the compressed compression spring 123 imparts a longitudinal biasing force to the mouthpiece chassis 155 at its distal end, thereby causing and / or assisting the longitudinal movement of the mouthpiece chassis 155 at its distal end. The movement of the mouthpiece chassis 155 will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 5A to 5C and Figures 6A to 6C.

[0122] The removable mouthpiece 160 may include, but is not limited to, an elongated chimney 161 defining at least one aerosol outlet 165, at least one bayonet connector 162, and a sealing element 164. The chimney 161 is inserted into an opening 154 in the proximal end piece 152 and connected to (e.g., mounted, fixed, etc.) the mouthpiece chassis 155 using the bayonet connector 162. As described above, the mouthpiece chassis 155 may move longitudinally (e.g., towards the proximal and distal ends of the aerosol generating device, etc.) by a desired distance corresponding to the length of the slot 148 in the main chassis 147, etc. When the mouthpiece 160 is mounted to the mouthpiece chassis 155 and the mouthpiece chassis 155 moves longitudinally either proximal or distal, the mouthpiece 160 also moves longitudinally with the mouthpiece chassis 155 in the proximal and distal directions. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4D, when the mouthpiece 160 moves to the closed position, the mouthpiece engages with the retainer 167 located on the upper outer surface of the proximal end piece 152. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4F, when the mouthpiece assembly 1200 and the door assembly 1100 move together to the closed position, the mouthpiece chassis 155 and the capsule receiving section 175 are arranged such that the mouthpiece chimney 161 and the mouthpiece sealing element 164 are aligned with the proximal end so as to seal the proximal end of the capsule 170, and the distal end of the capsule 170 is aligned with the capsule connector sealing element 178 so as to seal the capsule connector sealing element 178 of the capsule connector 177.

[0123] Figures 5A to 5C illustrate the movement of the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly as the door of an aerosol generating device moves from the initial open state to the final closed state according to at least one exemplary embodiment. More specifically, Figure 5A shows the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly in the initial open state. Figure 5B shows the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly in an intermediate state. Figure 5C shows the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly in the final closed state. Figures 5A to 5C are simplified versions of the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly, showing only parts of the door chassis 153, mouthpiece 160, and mouthpiece chassis 155, for example, to more clearly illustrate the operation of various elements of the door assembly (e.g., door assembly 1100) and mouthpiece assembly (e.g., mouthpiece assembly 1200) according to at least one exemplary embodiment, while omitting the main chassis 147, capsule 170, capsule connector 177, etc.

[0124] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the door assembly 1100 (e.g., door 151) may be assumed to start in an initial open position. The door 151 may be closed by an outward downward force F1 applied to the door 151 and / or the door assembly 1100 by an adult operator. The force F1 causes the door 151 to rotate downward F2 around the hinge point 120 (e.g., pivot). The movable capsule receiver 175 is rotatably attached to at least one first linkage 121 at a pivot point 146B (e.g., pin). Furthermore, the first linkage 121 is rotatably attached to the stationary body chassis 147 at a pivot point 146A. As the door 151 begins to rotate downward F2, as shown in Figure 5B, the first linkage 121 also rotates downward F3 around the pivot point 146A (e.g., pivot). This causes the movable capsule receiver 175 to move along direction F4 to the distal end of the door 151 / door chassis 153, and further toward the capsule connector 177 (not shown in Figures 5A to 5C). This causes the capsule installed in the capsule receiver 175 to connect and / or engage with the capsule connector 177.

[0125] Simultaneously, the downward rotation of the door 151 (e.g., F2) causes at least one second linkage 122, rotatably mounted to the pivot point 149B of the door chassis 153, to move downward F5. Due to the length of the second linkage 122 in some exemplary embodiments, when the door 151 rotates toward the closed position, the distal end of the second linkage 122 (e.g., the end mounted to the pivot point 149B mounted to the mouthpiece chassis 155) moves to the same height as or lower than the end of the second linkage 122 opposite to the distal end (e.g., the end mounted to the pivot point 149A). This releases the second linkage 122 from the "over-center" position, thereby releasing the compression spring 123. The released compression spring 123 releases its stored latent energy, thereby applying a biasing and / or auxiliary force to push the movable mouthpiece chassis 155 proximal along the slot 148 (not shown) of the main chassis 147, for example in direction F6, and further push the connected mouthpiece 160 to a closed position adjacent to the proximal end piece 152 (e.g., mounted position, connected position, etc.). Thereafter, the mouthpiece 160 engages and / or connects with the retaining arm 167 located on the outer surface of the proximal end piece 152.

[0126] Figures 6A to 6C illustrate the movement of the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly as the door of an aerosol generating device moves from the initial closed state to the final open state according to at least one exemplary embodiment. More specifically, Figure 6A shows the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly in the initial closed state. Figure 6B shows the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly in an intermediate state. Figure 6C shows the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly in the final open state. Similar to Figures 5A to 5C, Figures 6A to 6C are simplified versions of the door assembly and mouthpiece assembly, showing only parts of the door chassis 153, mouthpiece 160, and mouthpiece chassis 155, for example, to more clearly illustrate the operation of various elements of the door assembly (e.g., door assembly 1100) and mouthpiece assembly (e.g., mouthpiece assembly 1200) according to at least one exemplary embodiment, while omitting the main chassis 147, capsule 170, capsule connector 177, etc.

[0127] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the door assembly 1100 (e.g., door 151) can be started in the initial closed position when an adult operator applies an outward and upward force F (e.g., in the lifting direction). A An upward force F may be applied to the door assembly 1100 / door 151. A As a result, the door assembly 1100 / door 151 rotates upward F around the pivot point (e.g., hinge) 120. B Rotates upwards. B As a result, at least one first linkage 121 moves upward F around the pivot point 146A. C Rotates in this direction. Rotation F B And upward F C In combination with the first linkage 121, the movable capsule receiver 175 begins to move to the distal end of the door 151 and door chassis 153. This is because the first linkage 121 is attached to the capsule receiver 175. This movement causes the capsule 170 (not shown) installed in the capsule receiver 175 to disengage from the capsule connector 177 (not shown).

[0128] At the same time, the upward force F on the door assembly 1100 / door 151 A and the rotational movement F B cause the door chassis 153 to rotate upward in the direction of F E The upward movement F E also causes the distal end of the second linkage 122 to move upward. This is because it is connected to the door chassis 153 at the pivot point 149B. As a result of the above movement, the end of the second linkage 122 opposite to the distal end moves in the lateral longitudinal direction F F towards the proximal end of the aerosol generating device 100 along the slot 148 of the main body chassis 147. Thereby, the mouthpiece chassis 155 moves in the lateral longitudinal direction F F and compresses the spring 123. Further, as shown in FIG. 6C, due to the movement in the lateral longitudinal direction F F the mouthpiece 160 connected to the mouthpiece chassis 155 disengages from the engagement with the detent 167 and moves in the direction of F F to the extended position / open position. Further, as shown in FIG. 6C, when the door assembly 1100 and the mouthpiece assembly 1200 are in the open position, the second linkage 122 acts as a center - crossing mechanism, and the second linkage 122 and the door assembly 1100 are held in the stop position (for example, the open position).

[0129] FIGS. 7A to 7F show views of various mouthpieces according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a first set of mouthpiece designs according to at least one exemplary embodiment, viewed from the rear towards the front. FIG. 7B is a top view of the first design of the first set of mouthpieces of FIG. 7A. FIG. 7C is a top view of the second design of the first set of mouthpieces of FIG. 7A. FIG. 7D is a first perspective view of a second set of mouthpiece designs according to at least one exemplary embodiment, viewed from the rear towards the front. FIG. 7E is a second perspective view of a second set of mouthpiece designs according to at least one exemplary embodiment, viewed from the rear towards the front. FIG. 7F is a top view of the second set of mouthpieces of FIGS. 7D and 7E.

[0130] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the chimney 161 of the mouthpiece 160 may be connected to and / or mounted to a bayonet enclosure 163 (e.g., a female engaging member) of the mouthpiece chassis 155 and / or body chassis 147 by further including a bayonet connector 162 (e.g., a male engaging member). This allows for the removal and / or replacement of the mouthpiece 160. For example, the chimney 161 is inserted into the mouthpiece opening at the proximal end of the device body housing 101 and rotates to lock the bayonet connector 162 to the bayonet enclosure 163. However, exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the mouthpiece 160 may be mounted using snug fits, locks, clamps, threaded connectors, slide fits, sleeve fits, alignment fits, threaded connectors, magnetic, fasteners, or any type of connection, and / or combinations thereof, without limitation. Furthermore, in response to the bayonet connector 162 being locked to and / or unlocked from the bayonet enclosure 163, a haptic feedback motor such as sound (e.g., a click), signal, etc., may be provided to inform the adult operator that the mouthpiece 160 has been properly installed in and / or uninstalled from the mouthpiece chassis 155. In addition, since the mouthpiece 160 is removable from the device body housing 101, the adult operator can clean the mouthpiece 160 and chimney 161, and in addition, can replace the mouthpiece 160 when desired, and / or use various mouthpiece designs and / or configurations with the device body housing 101.

[0131] The distal end of the chimney 161 further includes an integrated sealing element 164 and / or an integrated sealing adapter. These are configured to form a sealed connection with an outlet contained in the proximal end of the capsule 170, thereby facilitating the flow of the generated aerosol from the capsule 170 to at least one aerosol outlet of the mouthpiece 160. The integrated sealing element 164 may be formed from silicone, other food-grade rubber, and / or equivalent materials, but exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the integrated sealing element 164 may be formed from any material that has resistance to high temperatures (e.g., >80°C), obtains a food-contact rating, and can form an airtight seal between the chimney 161 and the capsule 170, but exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0132] Figures 7A to 7C show an exemplary mouthpiece of a first set according to at least one exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the proximal end of the mouthpiece 160 has a prism shape, the width of the oval-shaped proximal end of the mouthpiece 160 is narrower than the width of the oval-shaped distal end of the mouthpiece 160, and the proximal end has a single aerosol outlet 165B, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7C, the prism-shaped mouthpiece 160 of Figure 7A may have a proximal end of a different shape, in this example the mouthpiece 160 has multiple (e.g., four) aerosol outlets 165B defined by a cross-shaped diffuser element 165A, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. Different numbers of aerosol outlets 165 and diffuser elements 165A may have different shapes and / or designs.

[0133] Figures 7D to 7F show another mouthpiece 160 as an exemplary mouthpiece of a second set according to another exemplary embodiment. The other mouthpiece 160 has a cylindrical shape, with the proximal end of the cylindrical body being generally rounded and the distal end being wider and oval-shaped. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7F, the proximal end of the mouthpiece 160 has, but is not limited to, a plurality of aerosol outlets 165. For example, the proximal end of the mouthpiece 160 may have more or fewer aerosol outlets 165. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7A, 7D and 7E, the distal end may further include an edge 166 that contacts the proximal end piece 152 of the device body housing 101. When the rim 166 of the mouthpiece 160 is stably fixed to and / or pressed against a retaining element 167 included on the surface of the proximal end piece 152 of the device body housing 101, for example, when the door 151 is properly closed and the mouthpiece 160 is in the retracted position, the rim 166 provides haptic feedback, such as a click, pop and / or snap, indicating that the mouthpiece 160 has been properly retracted. Furthermore, when the mouthpiece 160 is pushed away from the proximal end piece 152 while the door 151 is open, haptic feedback (such as a click, pop and / or snap) is again provided by the detachment of the rim 166 from the retaining element 167 of the proximal end piece 152, indicating that the mouthpiece 160 has been detached from the device body housing 101.

[0134] As shown in Figures 7D and 7E, the length of the cylindrical mouthpiece 160 can be various desired lengths, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0135] Figures 8A to 8E show various diagrams of a door assembly, capsule receiver, and capsule connector according to several exemplary embodiments. Figure 8A is a rear view of a door assembly according to at least one exemplary embodiment. Figure 8B is a top and front perspective view of the capsule connector of Figure 8A. Figure 8C is a bottom and front perspective view of the capsule connector of Figure 8A. Figures 8D and 8E show examples of first and second sets of electrical contact structures of a capsule connector according to several exemplary embodiments.

[0136] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the door chassis 153 further includes a capsule connector 177 at the distal end of the door chassis 153, in other words, at the end of the door chassis 153 away from the capsule receiving portion 175 and facing the capsule receiving portion 175. When the door 151 (e.g., door assembly 1100) moves to the closed position, the capsule receiving portion 175 moves, but this movement is made such that the capsule connector 177 is inserted into the distal opening of the capsule receiving portion 175, forming a connection and / or seal between the capsule 170 and the capsule connector 177. More specifically, the capsule connector 177 includes at least one capsule connector sealing element 178, at least one capsule connector air inlet 179, at least one vertical electrical contact 173, at least one horizontal electrical contact 171, and the like. The capsule connector 177 is fixedly mounted and / or attached to the rear side (e.g., the inside) of the door chassis 153, for example, using a boss 190 that is fitted into a boss 190A of the door chassis 153, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the capsule connector 177 may be fixed to the door chassis 153 by screws, welding, etc., but are not limited thereto. When the door 151 moves to the open position, the capsule receiving portion 175 moves with the door assembly, but this movement is made such that the connection and / or seal between the capsule connector 177 and the capsule 170 is broken.

[0137] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, at least one capsule connector sealing element 178 is a silicone sealing element and / or other compressible sealing material positioned on the proximal side of the capsule connector 177, which defines an air channel between the capsule connector air inlet 179 and one or more capsule air inlets positioned at the distal end of the capsule 170. The capsule connector 177 may further include at least one horizontal electrical contact 171. The capsule connector sealing element 178 further includes an angled flat surface. This surface guides the recess 221 of the capsule 170 and, by mating with the recess 211, forms an airtight state for fluid communication of air between the capsule connector 177 and the capsule 170.

[0138] For example, as shown in Figure 8B, there are multiple horizontal electrical contacts 171 on the proximal side surface of the capsule connector 177, with a first set of horizontal electrical contacts contacting a first side of the capsule connector sealing element 178 and a second set of horizontal electrical contacts contacting a second side of the capsule connector sealing element 178, but exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The horizontal electrical contacts may be arranged in other patterns and / or positions. When the door 151 is in the closed position, the horizontal electrical contacts 171 contact the electrical contacts of the capsule 170, thereby establishing an electrical connection between the capsule connector 177 and the capsule 170. More specifically, this may involve establishing an electrical circuit between at least one heater 230 of the capsule 170 and a battery 182. According to at least one embodiment, the horizontal electrical contacts 171 and / or the capsule connector sealing element 178 extend beyond the proximal side surface of the capsule connector 177. As a result, when the capsule 170 moves to the closed position, the horizontal electrical contact 171 and / or the capsule connector sealing element 178 are compressed, ensuring improved electrical and / or fluid connection between the capsule connector 177 and the capsule 170.

[0139] As shown in Figures 2E and 8B, the capsule connector 177 may further include at least one vertical electrical contact 173. As shown in Figure 8B, the at least one vertical electrical contact 173 may be a plurality of vertical electrical contacts 173 extending downward from the capsule connector 177. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the vertical electrical contact 173 may be permanently electrically connected to the wire 184 (e.g., by soldering), integrated with the wire 184, and / or an extension of the wire 184, but the exemplary embodiment is not limited to these.

[0140] According to another exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figure 2B, the vertical electrical contact 173 is not permanently electrically connected to the wire 184. Instead, when the door 151 is in the closed position, the vertical electrical contact 173 contacts the wire 184 of the device body housing 101, thereby establishing an electrical connection between the capsule connector 177 and the electrical subsystem of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0141] In both exemplary embodiments, when the vertical electrical contact 173 is connected to the wire 184, the wire 184 may be able to supply power (e.g., current) from the rechargeable battery 182 to the capsule connector 177, which may then supply power to the capsule 170 via the horizontal electrical contact 171. When the door 151 is in the open position (and / or when the door 151 is not in the closed position), the capsule connector 177 moves away from the closed position, thereby disconnecting both the connection between the horizontal electrical contact 171 and the capsule 170, and the connection between the vertical electrical contact 173 and the wire 184.

[0142] In some figures, such as Figure 2B, the wire 184 is shown as multiple coils, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The wire may be provided in any way. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the wire 184 includes at least one coil, a flexible wire, etc. For example, two or more coils of the wire 184 may be provided at a desired distance (e.g., the width of the vertical electrical contact 173) apart, and may be positioned so that two or more coils of the wire 184 contact both sides of one or more vertical electrical contacts 173, in other words, to provide multiple contacts with one or more vertical electrical contacts 173. The above is to ensure a stable electrical connection between the wire 184 and the vertical electrical contacts 173, and to reduce the possibility that the vertical electrical contacts 173 may be separated from contact with the wire 184 due to vibration, shock, collision, etc., of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0143] Refer to Figures 8D and 8E. Figure 8D shows a first design of the electrical contacts of a capsule connector 177 according to several exemplary embodiments, which includes a linear vertical contact 173. Figure 8E shows a second design of the electrical contacts of a capsule connector 177 according to several exemplary embodiments, which includes an offset vertical contact 173. As shown in Figures 8D and 8E, the horizontal electrical contact 171 and the vertical electrical contact 173 are integrated into a single wire structure, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. Other designs, configurations and / or structures may be used for the horizontal electrical contact 171 and the vertical electrical contact 173. As shown in Figures 8D and 8E, the horizontal electrical contact 171 may include a first linear portion 171 and a second spring-like portion and / or meandering portion 171A. In response to the capsule receiving portion 175 moving to the closed position and connecting to the capsule connector 177, the first portion 171 of the horizontal electrical contact contacts makes contact with the opposing electrical contacts at the distal end of the capsule 170. Furthermore, the second portion 171A of the horizontal electrical contact allows the horizontal electrical contact 171 to be compressed, thereby improving the electrical connection between the horizontal electrical contact 171 and the opposing electrical contact of the capsule 170. In addition, the possibility of electrical connection being interrupted due to vibrations, bumps, shocks, etc., occurring in the aerosol generating device 100 is reduced.

[0144] As shown in Figure 8C, when the door 151 is in the closed position, the capsule connector air inlet 179 is configured to connect, mate, or otherwise be attached to at least one air hose 116 of the device body housing 101. When an suction event and / or negative pressure is applied to the mouthpiece 160 while the door 151 is in the closed position and outside air is flowing into the air inlet of the capsule 170, at least one capsule connector air inlet 179 receives outside air from the body housing air inlet 113 via the air hose 116. When the door 151 is in the open position, the connection between the air hose 116 and the connector air inlet 179 is disconnected, and therefore no air is supplied to the capsule 170.

[0145] Figures 9A to 9C show a capsule according to at least one exemplary embodiment. More specifically, Figure 9A is a top and front perspective view of a capsule according to several exemplary embodiments. Figure 9B is a bottom and front perspective view of a capsule. Figure 9C shows a heater for a capsule according to several exemplary embodiments.

[0146] As shown in Figure 9A, the external shape of the capsule 170 includes, but is not limited to, a proximal end cap 210, a distal end cap 220, and / or an outer shell 205. The capsule 170 may also include a housing 205 and a heater 230 within the housing 205 (e.g., Figure 4C). The housing 205 of the capsule 170 has an inner surface defining at least one chamber configured to hold an aerosol-generating material. The proximal end cap 210 (e.g., a first face and / or first end) and the distal end cap 220 (e.g., a second face and / or second end) of the capsule 170 may be aerosol permeable. For example, the proximal end cap 210 may further include at least one aerosol outlet 212, thereby facilitating the flow of aerosol from at least one chamber of the housing 205 to the chimney 161. The distal end cap 220 may further include at least one capsule air inlet 222, thereby facilitating the flow of air from the air hose 116 to at least one chamber of the housing 205. Furthermore, the distal end cap may define a recess 221 (e.g., an alignment recess) which may further include an electrical contact (e.g., an electrode) 224 and at least one air inlet 222. The recess 221 may also be an alignment recess that forms a sealed state and / or connection (e.g., mating) with an angled flat alignment feature 178 at the proximal end of the capsule connector 177, in which case the capsule 170 and the capsule connector 177 form a suitable electrical connection and a sealed fluid connection.

[0147] In the figure, the capsule 170 is shown as resembling a rectangle with curved sides and / or oval ends (e.g., an oval cross-section), but it should be understood that other configurations are also possible. For example, in some examples, the capsule 170 may have an oval or ellipsoidal shape with an oval or elliptical cross-section. In other examples, the capsule 170 may have a cuboidal shape with a rectangular cross-section (e.g., a cuboid other than a rounded cube). The chamber defined within the capsule 170 may have the same shape as the outer shape of the capsule 170, or it may have a different shape. For example, the cross-section of the chamber and the cross-section of the outer shape of the capsule 170 may both be oval. In another example, the cross-section of the chamber may not be oval (e.g., rectangular), and the cross-section of the outer shape of the capsule 170 may be oval (and vice versa).

[0148] As described herein, an aerosol-producing material is a material or combination of such materials capable of producing an aerosol. An aerosol is a substance generated or produced by the devices and their equivalents disclosed and claimed herein. Such materials may contain compounds (e.g., nicotine, cannabinoids), and when the material is heated, an aerosol containing this compound is produced. The heating may be below the combustion temperature, thereby producing the aerosol without causing substantial thermal decomposition of the aerosol-producing material or substantial generation of combustion byproducts (if any). Thus, in some exemplary embodiments, no thermal decomposition occurs during heating and the production of the aerosol therefrom. In other examples, some thermal decomposition and combustion byproducts may occur, but to a relatively small extent and / or may be considered merely incidental.

[0149] The aerosol-producing substance may be a fibrous material. The fibrous material may be, for example, a plant material. The fibrous material is configured to release a compound when heated. The compound may be a natural component of the fibrous material. The fibrous material may be, for example, a plant material such as tobacco, and the released compound may be nicotine. The term “tobacco” includes any tobacco plant material, which includes tobacco leaves, tobacco plugs, reconstituted tobacco, compressed tobacco, shaped tobacco, or powdered tobacco obtained from one or more species of the tobacco plant, e.g., Nicotiana rustica and Nicotiana tabacum, and combinations thereof.

[0150] In some exemplary embodiments, the tobacco material may include material obtained from any member of the genus Nicotiana. Furthermore, the tobacco material may include a blend of two or more different tobacco species. Examples of suitable types of tobacco material that can be used include, but are not limited to, yellow tobacco, barley tobacco, dark tobacco, Maryland tobacco, Oriental tobacco, rare tobacco, specialty tobacco, and blends thereof. The tobacco material may be provided in any suitable form, which includes, but is not limited to, tobacco layers, processed tobacco material (e.g., increased volume tobacco or puffed tobacco), processed tobacco stems (e.g., cut and rolled stems or cut and puffed stems), reconstituted tobacco material, and blends thereof. In some exemplary embodiments, the tobacco material is substantially in the form of a mass of dry tobacco. Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, the tobacco material may be mixed with and / or combined with at least one of propylene glycol, glycerin, subcombinations thereof, or combinations thereof.

[0151] The compounds may also be natural components of medicinal plants that possess medically acceptable therapeutic effects. For example, the medicinal plant could be a cannabis plant, and the compounds could be cannabinoids. Cannabinoids interact with receptors in the body to produce a wide range of effects. As a result, cannabinoids have been used for various medical purposes (e.g., pain, nausea, epilepsy, and mental illness). The fibrous material may include leaf and / or flower material obtained from one or more species of cannabis plants (e.g., Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis). In some examples, the fibrous material is a mixture containing 60-80% (e.g., 70%) of Cannabis sativa and 20-40% (e.g., 30%) of Cannabis indica.

[0152] Examples of cannabinoids include tetrahydrocannabinol (THCA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabichromene (CBC), and cannabigerol (CBG). Tetrahydrocannabinol (THCA) is a precursor of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) is a precursor of cannabidiol (CBD). Tetrahydrocannabinol (THCA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) can be converted to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), respectively, by heating. In one exemplary embodiment, heat from a heater may cause decarboxylation, thereby converting tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) in capsule 170 to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and / or cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) in capsule 170 to cannabidiol (CBD).

[0153] In cases where both tetrahydrocannabinol (THCA) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are present in capsule 170, decarboxylation and the resulting conversion will decrease tetrahydrocannabinol (THCA) and increase tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). During heating of capsule 170, at least 50% (e.g., at least 87%) of tetrahydrocannabinol (THCA) may be converted to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Similarly, in cases where both cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and cannabidiol (CBD) are present in capsule 170, decarboxylation and the resulting conversion will decrease cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and increase cannabidiol (CBD). During heating of capsule 170, at least 50% (e.g., at least 87%) of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) may be converted to cannabidiol (CBD).

[0154] Furthermore, the compound may be a non-natural additive, or may contain even more non-natural additives, which are then introduced into the fibrous material. In one example, the fibrous material may contain at least one of the following: cotton, polyethylene, polyester, rayon, or combinations thereof (e.g., in the form of gauze). In another example, the fibrous material may contain a natural material such as a cellulose material (e.g., a non-tobacco material and / or a non-cannabis material). In either example, the compound introduced may include nicotine, cannabinoids, and / or flavoring agents. The flavoring agents may be from natural sources such as plant extracts (e.g., tobacco extract, cannabis extract) and / or from artificial sources. In yet another example, when the fibrous material contains tobacco and / or cannabis, the compound may contain one or more flavoring agents (e.g., menthol, mint, vanilla), or even more. Thus, the compounds in the aerosol-producing material may contain natural components and / or non-natural additives. In this regard, it should be understood that the level of natural components in the aerosol-producing material can be increased by supplementation. For example, the level of nicotine in a given amount of tobacco can be increased by supplementing with a nicotine-containing extract. Similarly, the level of one or more cannabinoids in a given amount of cannabis can be increased by supplementing with a cannabinoid-containing extract.

[0155] As shown in Figures 9B and 9C, in at least one exemplary embodiment, at least one heater 230 is configured to be Joule heated (also known as ohm heating / resistive heating) when an electric current is applied. More specifically, the heater 230 may be formed of one or more conductors and may be configured to generate heat when an electric current flows through the heater 230. The electric current may be supplied to the heater 230 from a power source (e.g., a battery) 182 in the aerosol generating device 100. Suitable conductors for the heater 230 include, but are not limited to, iron-based alloys (e.g., stainless steel) and / or nickel-based alloys (e.g., nichrome). The exemplary embodiments may have a thickness of about 0.1 to 0.3 mm (e.g., 0.15 to 0.25 mm) and a resistance of about 0.5 to 2.5 ohms (e.g., 1.0 to 2.0 ohms), but are not limited to these.

[0156] Current from the power supply 182 within the aerosol generating device can be transmitted from the horizontal electrical contact 171 of the capsule connector 177 via the electrode 224 of the distal end cap 220, which is configured to electrically contact the heater 230. In embodiments not limiting the present invention, the electrode 224 may be spring-loaded to improve the engagement of the capsule 170 with the heater 230. Furthermore, the movement of the electrode (e.g., engagement, disengagement) can be achieved by mechanical action. In addition, the supply of current from the aerosol generating device 100 to the capsule 170 may be manually operated (e.g., by a button, such as a button 106) or automatically operated (e.g., puff-activated).

[0157] Further details of the aerosol generating devices, capsules, and / or aerosol generating materials and / or alternatives thereof are described in U.S. Patent Application No. __ / ______, titled “Capsules Including Embedded Heaters And Heat-Not-Burn (HNB) Aerosol-Generating Devices” (Agent Reference Number 24000NV-000667-US), filed concurrently with this application, U.S. Patent Application No. __ / ______, titled “Aerosol-Generating Capsules” (Agent Reference Number 24000NV-000716-US), and U.S. Patent Application No. __ / ______, titled “Heat-Not-Burn (HNB) Aerosol-Generating Devices And "Heat-Not-Burn (HNB) Aerosol Generating Devices Including Energy Based Heater Control, And Methods Of Controlling A Heater" (Article No. 24000NV-000717-US), U.S. Patent Application No. __ / ______ filed concurrently with this application, title of the invention "Heat-Not-Burn (HNB) Aerosol-Generating Devices Including Energy Based Heater Control, And Methods Of Controlling A Heater" (Article No. 24000NV-000668-US), and U.S. Patent Application No. __ / ______ filed concurrently with this application, title of the invention "Heat-Not-Burn (HNB) Aerosol-Generating Devices Including Intra-Draw Heater Control, And Methods Of Controlling A This can be seen in "Heater" (heated (HNB) aerosol generator including heater control during suction, and method for controlling the heater) (Agent reference number 24000NV-000670-US). The entirety of each of the above applications is incorporated herein by reference.

[0158] Figure 10 shows the internal configuration of a first part of an aerosol generating device according to at least one exemplary embodiment.

[0159] As shown in Figure 10, the first part 105 includes, but is not limited to, at least one connector port 114, at least one main housing air inlet 113, at least one air hose 116, at least one flow sensor 181 (e.g., a flow sensor), a control subsystem 180, and / or at least one power supply 182. The connector port 114, when connected to an external power supply, supplies power to the electrical circuits of the aerosol generating device 100 and / or recharges the battery 182. Furthermore, the air inlet 113 supplies outside air to at least one air hose 116. The air hose 116 may also be connected to a flow sensor 181 (e.g., a pulse sensor), which is configured to detect the application of negative air pressure in the air hose 116 (e.g., a puff) and / or airflow and to supply control signals to the control subsystem 180 (e.g., a processing circuit, control circuit, controller, processor). In response to the detection of negative air pressure in at least one air hose 116 by the flow sensor 181, the control subsystem may transmit a control signal to the battery 182, thereby supplying current (e.g., power) to the heater to heat the aerosol-generating material, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the control system may further be configured to selectively electrically connect the battery 182 to supply current to the heater in response to the pressing of a button 106, etc. Furthermore, as a second condition to be met before supplying current to the heater, the control subsystem may enable the supply of current to the heater based on the detection of a capsule by the capsule detection switch, the detection of suction and / or negative air pressure by the flow sensor 181, and / or the activation of button 106, etc.

[0160] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the power source 182 is a battery, such as a lithium-ion battery. The battery may be a lithium-ion battery or one of its variations, for example, a lithium-ion polymer battery. Alternatively, the battery may be a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, a lithium-manganese battery, a lithium-cobalt battery, a fuel cell, or a solar cell. Any other power source or battery technology may be used. In one exemplary embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 can be used until the energy in the power source 182 is depleted and / or falls below a certain threshold. Alternatively, the power source 182 may be rechargeable and reusable, and may include a circuit that makes the battery rechargeable by external charging via a vice, or it may be rechargeable by solar power. In some exemplary embodiments, the circuit of the control system 180, once charged, may supply power for suction a desired (or predetermined) number of times until the energy of the power source 182 is depleted and / or falls below a certain threshold. The circuit then must be reconnected to an external charging device.

[0161] Figure 11 is an exemplary block diagram of a control subsystem of an aerosol generating device according to several exemplary embodiments.

[0162] As shown in Figure 11, according to at least one exemplary embodiment, the control subsystem 2100 (which may correspond to the control subsystem 180 in Figure 10, etc.) includes a controller 2105, a power supply 2110, an actuator control 2115, a capsule electrical / data interface 2120, a device sensor 2125, an input / output (I / O) interface 2130, an aerosol indicator 2135, at least one antenna 2140, and / or a storage medium 2145, etc., but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the control subsystem 2100 may include additional elements, however, additional components are not described for brevity. In another exemplary embodiment, the capsule electrical / data interface 2120 may be an electrical interface only, etc.

[0163] The controller 2105 (e.g., processing circuits, control circuits, etc.) may be a combination of hardware and software, such as hardware including logic circuits, a processor that executes software, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller 2105 may include, but is not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a programmable logic unit, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.

[0164] In events in which the controller 2105 is process execution software or includes process execution software, the controller 2105 is configured to perform its functions as a dedicated machine (e.g., a processing device) by executing software stored in memory accessible to the controller 2105 (e.g., storage medium 2145 or other storage device). The software may be embodied as program code containing instructions that execute and / or control any or all of the operations described herein as being performed by the controller 2105.

[0165] In this specification, the terms “storage medium,” “computer-readable storage medium,” or “non-temporary computer-readable storage medium” mean one or more devices that store data, including read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), magnetic RAM, core memory, magnetic disk storage medium, optical storage medium, flash memory medium, and / or other tangible machine-readable media for storing information. The term “computer-readable medium” may include, but is not limited to, portable or fixed storage medium, optical storage medium, and various other media that can store, contain, or carry instructions and / or data.

[0166] The controller 2105 communicates with the power supply 2110, actuator control 2115, electrical / data interface 2120, device sensor 2125, input / output (I / O) interface 2130, aerosol indicator 2135, on-product control 2150, and / or at least one antenna 2140, etc. According to at least some exemplary embodiments, the on-product control 2150 may include a device that can be operated by an adult operator to indicate a selection of values. Example implementations include, but are not limited to, one or more buttons (e.g., button 106), a dial, a capacitive sensor, a slider, etc.

[0167] The I / O interface 2130 and antenna 2140 enable the control subsystem 2100 to connect to various external devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and PCs. For example, the I / O interface 2130 may include a USB-C connector, a micro USB connector, etc. The USB-C connector (e.g., connector port 114) may be used by the control subsystem 2100 to charge the power supply 2110b (e.g., battery 182), and the USB-C connector may also be used to send and receive data with at least one external device, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited to these. The data mentioned above may include, for example, aerosol profiles, heater profiles, device performance log data (e.g., controller performance data, memory performance data, battery performance data, heater performance data, etc.), firmware updates, and software updates.

[0168] The controller 2105 may store and execute code, including analysis, diagnosis, and software updates, by including onboard ROM and flash memory. Alternatively, the storage medium 2145 may store code. Furthermore, in another exemplary embodiment, the storage medium 2145 may be mounted on the controller 2105.

[0169] The controller 2105 may further include onboard clock, reset, and power management modules, thereby reducing the area covered by the PCB within the device housing 101.

[0170] The device sensor 2125 may include a plurality of sensor transducers that provide measurement information to the controller 2105. The device sensor 2125 may monitor motion and orientation by including a power supply temperature sensor, an external capsule temperature sensor, a heater current sensor, a power supply current sensor, an airflow sensor, and an accelerometer. The power supply temperature sensor and the external capsule temperature sensor may be thermistors or thermocouples, and the heater current sensor and the power supply current sensor may be resistance-based sensors or other types of sensors configured to measure current. The airflow sensor (e.g., flow sensor 181) may be a pressure sensor (e.g., a capacitive pressure sensor) configured to detect positive or negative air pressure (e.g., suction or puff), a microelectrochemical system (MEMS) flow sensor, and / or other types of sensors configured to measure airflow, such as a hot-wire anemometer. Furthermore, the airflow may be measured using a hot-wire anemometer 2220A located inside the capsule 170, instead of using a flow sensor included in the device sensor 2125 of the control subsystem 2100 of the device body housing 101, or in addition to this. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the device sensor 2125 further includes, but is not limited to, a capsule detection sensor, e.g., a capsule detection sensor 183, for detecting the presence of capsules inside the aerosol generating device 100, and / or a door detection switch, e.g., a door detection switch 186, for detecting that the door and / or lid of the aerosol generating device is closed.

[0171] Data generated from one or more device sensors 2125 can be detected based on binary signals (e.g., on / off signals) using general-purpose input / output (GPIO) circuits, and / or sampled at a sample rate suitable for the parameter being measured, for example, using a discrete multi-channel analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

[0172] The controller 2105 may apply a heater profile for the aerosol-generating substance and other profiles based on measurement information received from the controller 2105. For convenience, these are collectively referred to as the aerosol profile. The heater profile identifies the power profile supplied to the heater during the few seconds when aerosol aspiration occurs, and / or the power profile supplied to the heater between aerosol aspirations. This is to continuously heat the capsule (for example, to provide an "oven mode" in which a desired temperature is maintained within the capsule for a desired period of time). For example, the heater profile may deliver maximum power to the heater when aerosol aspiration begins, but then reduce the power by half or a quarter about 1 second later. According to at least some exemplary embodiments, modulation of the power supplied to the heater may be performed using pulse width modulation, but is not limited to this.

[0173] Furthermore, the heater profile may be modulated based on the detection of suction and / or negative pressure application to the aerosol generating device 100. By using a flow sensor, the intensity of aerosol suction can be measured and used as feedback to the controller 2105. This adjusts the power delivered to the capsule's heater, which can be called heating or energy delivery.

[0174] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, when the controller 2105 recognizes the currently installed capsule 170 (e.g., via a unique identifier included in the SKU, etc.), the controller 2105 matches the relevant heating profile designed for that particular capsule. The controller 2105 and the storage medium 2145 store data and algorithms that enable the generation of heating profiles for all SKUs, all capsule types, all types of aerosol-generating materials, etc. In another exemplary embodiment, the controller 2105 may read the heating profile from the capsule. Furthermore, an adult operator may adjust the heating profile to their liking using the on-product control 2150, an external device wirelessly paired with the aerosol-generating device 100 and / or an external device connected to the aerosol-generating device 100 via an I / O interface 2130, etc. In another exemplary embodiment, the controller 2105 may use a heating profile that was applied to the previously installed capsule and is stored in memory for the currently installed capsule. This is done on the premise that the current capsule is the same type as the previously installed capsule.

[0175] The controller 2105 can send and receive data with the power supply 2110. The power supply 2110 includes power supply 2110b and power controller 2110a, and the power output is managed by power supply 2110b.

[0176] The power supply 2110b may be a lithium-ion battery or one of its modifications, such as a lithium-ion polymer battery. Alternatively, the power supply 2110b may be a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, a lithium-manganese battery, a lithium-cobalt battery, or a fuel cell. Alternatively, the power supply 2110b may be rechargeable and include a circuit that allows the battery to be charged by an external charging device. In this case, once charged, the circuit supplies power for a desired (or predetermined) number of aerosol inhalations. The circuit then must be reconnected to the external charging device.

[0177] In addition to supplying power to the capsule, power supply 2110 also supplies power to controller 2105. Furthermore, power controller 2110a provides controller 2105 with feedback indicating the performance of power supply 2110b.

[0178] The controller 2105 transmits and receives data with at least one antenna 2140. The at least one antenna 2140 may include an NFC modem, a Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) modem, and / or other modems for wireless technology (e.g., Wi-Fi). In one exemplary embodiment, the communication stack resides within the modem, but the modem is controlled by the controller 2105. A Bluetooth LE modem is used for data and control communication with an application on an external device (e.g., a smartphone). An NFC / Bluetooth LE / Wi-Fi modem may be used to pair the aerosol generating device 100 for application and transmission of diagnostic information, data, profile information, capsule information, hardware parameter information, firmware updates, etc. Furthermore, a Bluetooth LE / Wi-Fi modem may be used to provide location information (for an adult operator to locate the aerosol generating device) or authentication during purchase, etc.

[0179] As described above, the control subsystem 2100 can generate and adjust various profiles for aerosol generation. The controller 2105 uses the power supply 2110 and actuator control 2115 to regulate the profile for adult operators.

[0180] The actuator control 2115 regulates a desired aerosol profile by including passive and active actuators. For example, the device body housing 101 may include actuators within the air inlet passage and / or air inlet channel of the device body housing 101, for example, within the airflow subsystem of the aerosol generating device 100 (e.g., the body housing air inlet 113, air hose 116, capsule connector 179, etc.). The actuator control 2115 can control the airflow in the air inlet channel using the actuators based on commands from the controller 2105 related to the desired aerosol profile.

[0181] Furthermore, the actuator control 2115 is used in conjunction with the power supply 2110 to supply energy to the heater. More specifically, the actuator control 2115 is configured to generate a drive waveform associated with a desired aerosol profile. As described above, each of the possible profiles is associated with a drive waveform. When the actuator control 2115 receives a command from the controller 2105 indicating a desired aerosol profile, it may generate the associated modulated waveform for the power supply 2110.

[0182] The controller 2105 provides information to the aerosol indicator 2135 to inform the adult operator of the situation and the actions currently being performed. The indicator 2135 includes a power indicator displayed on the display panel 107A, and a separate indicator light (e.g., an LED indicator light) that may be activated when the controller 2105 detects that the adult operator has pressed a button. The indicator 2135 may further include a haptic feedback motor (e.g., haptic feedback motor 185), a speaker, an indicator showing the current state of the aerosol parameters controlled by the adult operator (e.g., the volume of aerosol generated), and other feedback mechanisms.

[0183] In at least some exemplary embodiments, an aerosol generating device according to at least some exemplary embodiments (for example, the aerosol generating device 100 shown in Figures 1 to 11) is configured to generate an aerosol by heating a capsule (for example, capsule 170). In one exemplary embodiment, the method of generating an aerosol may first include loading capsule 170 into the aerosol generating device 100. To load capsule 170, the door 151 is rotated and / or spun to the open position and capsule 170 is inserted into capsule receiving section 175 (for example, capsule receiving cavity). Next, the door 151 is rotated to the closed position so that the door 151 contacts the device body housing 101. This causes the attached linkages 121 and 122 to move the capsule receiving section 175 distally, so that the capsule 170 connects to the capsule connector 177. The door 151 remains in the closed position while further pushing the capsule 170 into the capsule receiving section 175 so that the capsule 170 is fully seated in the capsule receiving section 175. Simultaneously, by rotating the door 151 to the closed position, the attached linkages 121 and 122, together with the biased spring 123, move the mouthpiece chassis 155 distally, so that the mouthpiece 160 contacts the device body housing 101, and the mouthpiece chimney 161 and aerosol channel 165 align with the capsule 170 and contact the capsule 170.

[0184] When the capsule 170 is fully seated within the capsule receiving section 175, the distal end of the capsule 170 is pressed against the electrical contact 171 (for example, the electrical contact 224 of the capsule 170 is pressed against the exposed tip of the contact surface 171), resulting in the electrical contact 171 being compressed and retracted via the spring feature 171A of the contact 171. While pressed against the electrical contact 171, the distal end of the capsule 170 may also contact the flat and angled surface of the capsule connector sealing element 178 within the capsule connector 177, thereby allowing the recess 221 of the capsule 170 (for example, the alignment recess) to contact or be adjacent to the angled surface of the alignment member within the capsule receiving section 175. In other words, the inlet recess 221 of the capsule 170 can receive the capsule connector sealing element 178 by an elastic and sealed engagement. As a result, a relatively stable electrical connection with the capsule 170 and the desired sealing state can be established.

[0185] The aerosol generating device 100 can be activated using the display panel 107 (for example, by pressing the power button 106) and / or by detection of an aspiration event (for example, via the flow sensor 181). When activated, the control subsystem 2100 is configured to instruct the power button 182 to supply current to the capsule 170 via the electrical contacts 171 in the capsule connector 177. Specifically, the capsule 170 includes a heater 230. The heater 230 is configured to be resistively heated in response to current from the power supply 182 introduced via its distal end. As a result of resistive heating, the temperature of the aerosol-generating material in the capsule 170 rises, thereby releasing volatile substances and generating an aerosol. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the heating of the aerosol-generating material in the capsule 170 may be carried out below the combustion temperature of the aerosol-generating material, thereby producing an aerosol without causing substantial thermal decomposition of the aerosol-generating material or substantial generation of combustion byproducts (if any). Therefore, in at least one exemplary embodiment, no thermal decomposition occurs during heating and the subsequent production of aerosols. In other examples, some thermal decomposition and combustion byproducts may be present, but to a relatively small extent and / or may be considered merely incidental.

[0186] When suction or negative pressure is applied to the aerosol generating device 100 (e.g., via the mouthpiece 160), ambient air is drawn into the aerosol generating device 100 through the pores of the grille covering the main housing air inlet 113. Once inside, the airflow from the pores of the grille cover converges, passes through the main housing air inlet 113, and enters the air hose 116, which is sealed and connected to the air inlet 113. The converged airflow can be detected / monitored as appropriate by the flow sensor 181 within the main housing air inlet 113 and / or the air hose 180. The airflow is directed from the air hose 116 towards the capsule connector air inlet 179 of the capsule connector 177. The airflow then passes through the capsule connector sealing element 178 and enters the inlet opening 222 inside the capsule 170. Inside the capsule 170, the air can flow through the aerosol generating material and along the surface of the heater 230 (e.g., longitudinally), thereby pulling in volatile substances released by the aerosol generating material. As a result, an aerosol is generated. Finally, the resulting aerosol passes through the outflow opening 212 in the capsule 170, through the mouthpiece chimney 161, and then exits the aerosol generating device 100 (for example, through one or more outlets 165B of the mouthpiece 160).

[0187] In at least some exemplary embodiments, a method of use relating to the aerosol generating device 100 may include securing a replaceable mouthpiece (e.g., replaceable mouthpiece 160). For example, the method may include inserting the replaceable mouthpiece 160 into the mouthpiece opening of the proximal end piece 152 of the device body housing 101 and rotating the replaceable mouthpiece 160 until it locks into the mouthpiece chassis 155, for example, until resistance is felt and / or a click is heard. The resistance or click indicates that the bayonet connector 162 of the replaceable mouthpiece 160 has locked into the bayonet enclosure 163 of the mouthpiece chassis 155. In at least some exemplary embodiments, a method of use may include replacing the replaceable mouthpiece (e.g., replaceable mouthpiece 160). Replacing a replaceable mouthpiece may include opening a door (e.g., 151) to move the replaceable mouthpiece to an open position away from the proximal end piece (e.g., 152) of the device body housing (e.g., 101), disengaging the bayonet connector (e.g., 162) from the bayonet enclosure (e.g., 163) of the mouthpiece chassis (e.g., 155) to remove the first replaceable mouthpiece from the opening, and inserting a second replaceable mouthpiece into the opening and rotating the second replaceable mouthpiece until it locks into the mouthpiece chassis (e.g., until resistance is felt and / or a click is heard).

[0188] While capsule 170 has been presented as one example in relation to the aerosol generating device 100, it should be understood that other suitable embodiments are also possible.

[0189] While many exemplary embodiments have been described herein, it should be understood that other variations are also possible. Such variations should not be considered to deviate from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and all modifications that are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be included in the following claims.

[0190] Those skilled in the art can make various modifications, additions, and substitutions to the exemplary embodiments by referring to the specific embodiments and drawings described herein, for example, the described techniques may be performed in a different order than the described methods and / or systems, configurations, devices, circuits, and other elements, or may differ from the above methods by connections or combinations, or the results may be adequately achieved by other elements or equivalents.

Claims

1. Aerosol generating device, A housing including a power supply and an air inlet, A mouthpiece assembly that is movably mounted to the housing and provides an air outlet, A door assembly movably mounted to the housing and including a door and a receiving portion movably mounted to the door, wherein the receiving portion defines a cavity for receiving a capsule containing an aerosol-generating substance, A linkage structure operationally connected to the door assembly, the mouthpiece assembly, and the housing, wherein, in response to the door moving to a closed position, the mouthpiece assembly and the receiving portion move in cooperation, thereby holding the capsule within the housing, and operationally connecting to the power supply, the air inlet, and the air outlet, Aerosol generating device, including

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the linkage structure includes at least one first linkage and at least one second linkage, each of the linkages including a first end and a second end.

3. The housing further includes at least one first pivot point, The at least one first linkage is rotatably connected to the receiving portion at the first end of the at least one first linkage, The aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one first linkage is rotatably connected to the housing at the second end of the at least one first linkage at the at least one first pivot point.

4. In response to the door moving to the closed position, The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one first linkage moves the receiving portion, thereby operatively connecting the capsule to the power supply and the air inlet.

5. The housing further defines at least one elongated slot, The housing further includes at least one compression spring, The mouthpiece assembly further includes at least one pin movably inserted into the at least one elongated slot, The at least one second linkage is rotatably connected to the door assembly at the first end of the at least one second linkage, The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one second linkage is rotatably and movably connected to the at least one pin at the second end of the at least one second linkage.

6. In response to the door moving to the closed position, The at least one second linkage releases the at least one compression spring from its compressed state. The aerosol generating device according to claim 5, wherein the at least one compression spring moves the mouthpiece assembly along the length of the at least one elongated slot, thereby operatively connecting the outlet to the capsule.

7. The mouthpiece assembly includes a mouthpiece chassis, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece chassis defines an opening for receiving a mouthpiece.

8. The aerosol generating device according to claim 7, wherein the mouthpiece chassis defines a part of a mounting mechanism for detachably attaching the mouthpiece to the mouthpiece chassis.

9. The aerosol generating device according to claim 8, wherein the mounting mechanism is at least one of a bayonet connector, snug fit, locking mechanism, clamp, threaded connector, slide fit, sleeve fit, alignment fit, magnetic fastener, or any combination thereof.

10. The door includes a cam positioned on the inner surface of the door, The receiving section includes a suppression element, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein, in response to the door moving to the closed position, the linkage structure moves the receiving portion in cooperation, thereby causing the cam to activate the suppression element, and the activated suppression element suppresses the movement of the capsule within the receiving portion.

11. The housing includes an airflow sensor, a door sensor, a capsule sensor, and a processing circuit. The airflow sensor is configured to detect suction events. The door sensor is configured to detect whether the door is in the closed state or not. The capsule sensor is configured to detect the capsule located in the receiving section, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to allow current to be supplied from the power source to the capsule in response to the detection of the suction event, the detection that the door is in the closed state, and the detection that the capsule is in the receiving section, thereby enabling the heater contained in the capsule to heat the aerosol generating material with the current and generate an aerosol.

12. The housing further includes a display panel, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the display panel is configured to display operational information relating to the aerosol generating device or the capsule.

13. In response to the door moving to the open position, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the linkage structure moves the mouthpiece assembly and the receiving portion in cooperation, thereby operatively disconnecting the capsule from the power supply, the air inlet, and the air outlet.

14. Aerosol generating device, A housing including a power supply and an air inlet, A mouthpiece assembly that is movably mounted to the housing and provides an air outlet, A door assembly movably mounted to the housing and including a door and a receiving section movably mounted to the door, wherein the receiving section is a cavity for receiving a capsule containing an aerosol-generating substance, defining a cavity for holding the capsule within the housing, and the capsule is operationally connected to the power supply, the air inlet, and the air outlet when the door is closed. A linkage structure operationally connected to the door assembly, the mouthpiece assembly, and the housing, wherein, in response to the door moving to the open position, the mouthpiece assembly and the receiving portion move in cooperation, thereby operationally disconnecting the capsule from the power supply, the air inlet, and the air outlet; Aerosol generating device, including

15. The aerosol generating device according to claim 14, wherein the linkage structure includes at least one first linkage and at least one second linkage, each of the linkages including a first end and a second end.

16. The housing further includes at least one first pivot point, The at least one first linkage is rotatably connected to the receiving portion at the first end of the at least one first linkage, The aerosol generating device according to claim 15, wherein the at least one first linkage is rotatably connected to the housing at the second end of the at least one first linkage at the at least one first pivot point.

17. In response to the door moving to the open position, The aerosol generating device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one first linkage moves the receiving portion, thereby operatively disconnecting the capsule from the power supply and the air inlet.

18. The housing further defines at least one elongated slot, The housing further includes at least one compression spring, The mouthpiece assembly further includes at least one pin movably inserted into the at least one elongated slot, The at least one second linkage is rotatably connected to the door assembly at the first end of the at least one second linkage, The aerosol generating device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one second linkage is rotatably and movably connected to the at least one pin at the second end of the at least one second linkage.

19. In response to the door moving to the open position, The aerosol generating device according to claim 18, wherein the at least one second linkage moves the mouthpiece assembly along the length of the at least one elongated slot, thereby operatively detaching the outlet from the capsule and compressing the at least one compression spring.

20. The mouthpiece assembly includes a mouthpiece chassis, The aerosol generating device according to claim 14, wherein the mouthpiece chassis defines an opening for receiving a mouthpiece.

21. The aerosol generating device according to claim 20, wherein the mouthpiece chassis defines a part of a mounting mechanism for detachably attaching the mouthpiece to the mouthpiece chassis.

22. The aerosol generating device according to claim 21, wherein the mounting mechanism is at least one of a bayonet connector, snug fit, locking mechanism, clamp, threaded connector, slide fit, sleeve fit, alignment fit, magnetic fastener, or any combination thereof.

23. The receiving section includes a suppression element, The door includes a cam positioned on the inner surface of the door, and when the door is in the closed position, the cam engages with the restraining element, thereby the restraining element restrains the capsule within the capsule. In response to the door moving to the open position, the linkage structure moves the receiving portion, thereby disengaging the suppression element from the cam. The aerosol generating device according to claim 14, wherein when the suppression element is completely disengaged from the cam, the suppression element does not suppress the capsule in the receiving portion.

24. The housing includes an airflow sensor, a door sensor, a capsule sensor, and a processing circuit. The airflow sensor is configured to detect suction events. The door sensor is configured to detect whether the door is in the closed state or not. The capsule sensor is configured to detect the capsule located in the receiving section, The aerosol generating device according to claim 14, wherein the processing circuit is configured to prevent current from being supplied from the power source to the capsule in response to the failure to detect any of the following: the suction event, the door being in the closed state, and the capsule being in the receiving section.

25. The housing further includes a display panel, The aerosol generating device according to claim 14, wherein the display panel is configured to display operational information relating to the aerosol generating device or the capsule.

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