Aerosol supply device with heating element

Abstract

An aerosol supply device for generating aerosols from aerosol-generating materials is disclosed. [Solution] The aerosol supply device comprises at least one chamber having a heating element 200 containing a ferrite material, a receiving region 225 configured to receive a planar aerosol product 101 containing an aerosol generating material, and at least one aerosol generator 120 configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol generating material. The receiving region is positioned between at least one aerosol generator and at least one heating element.

Description

Field

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

[0002] Electronic aerosol generation systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) generally include a reservoir of a feed liquid that typically contains a formulation containing nicotine, for example, an aerosol being generated by thermal vaporization. Thus, an aerosol source for an aerosol supply system may comprise a heater having a heating element configured to receive the feed liquid from the reservoir, for example, by wicking or capillary action. While the user inhales on the device, power is supplied to the heating element to vaporize the feed liquid in the vicinity of the heating element to generate an aerosol for inhalation by the user. Such devices typically comprise one or more air inlet holes located away from the mouthpiece end of the system. When the user inhales on a mouthpiece connected to the mouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn through the inlet holes and passes through the aerosol source. There is a flow path connecting between the aerosol source and an opening in the mouthpiece, whereby the inhaled air passing through the aerosol source continues to travel along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, and along with that air, a portion of the aerosol from the aerosol source is carried. The air carrying the aerosol exits the aerosol supply system through the mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.

[0003] Other aerosol supply devices generate an aerosol from a solid material such as tobacco or a tobacco derivative. Such devices operate in substantially the same manner as the liquid-based systems described above in that the solid tobacco material is heated to its vaporization temperature to generate an aerosol, which is then inhaled by the user.

[0004] With most aerosol dispensing devices, users expect consistent delivery from puff to puff, so that they experience the same taste and / or achieve the same desired effect with each puff. However, the devices described above cannot always provide consistent delivery.

[0005] It is desired to provide an aerosol delivery device that delivers improved aerosol delivery and / or provides the user with an improved sensory experience. Overview

[0006] According to one embodiment, an aerosol supply device is provided for generating aerosols from an aerosol-generating material, and the aerosol supply device is A chamber having a heating element containing a ferrite material, A receiving region configured to receive a planar aerosol product containing an aerosol generating material, At least one aerosol generator configured to generate aerosols from an aerosol-generating material and The receiving region is located between at least one aerosol generator and at least one heating element.

[0007] According to various embodiments, a heating element is provided to prevent, or at least substantially reduce, the possibility of aerosols generated from a planar aerosol product condensing within a heating chamber. The aerosol product may include a susceptor. Optionally, the susceptor may include aluminum. Other embodiments are contemplated in which the susceptor includes an aluminum alloy. Optionally, the heating element and the susceptor may be separated by less than 4 mm during use. The heating element may comprise a plate or surface of ferrite material that can be heated to a temperature of, for example, 60–150°C during a use session. The heating element may be heated by receiving a time-varying magnetic field generated by one or more induction coils that may comprise an aerosol generator or heater. In alternative embodiments, the heating element may be heated by a heating unit that is separate from and specific to the aerosol generator or heater, and may comprise one or more resistance heaters and / or one or more induction heaters. The heating element 200 may comprise a thin plate, coating, or foil that may have a thickness of less than 25 μm. It is not essential that the aerosol product includes planar aerosol products; embodiments are intended in which the receiving region is configured to receive non-planar aerosol products. For example, the aerosol product may comprise a curved, corrugated, or cylindrical substrate. Embodiments are intended in which the aerosol product is cylindrical or has a circular or polygonal cross-sectional area.

[0008] According to various embodiments, an aerosol supply device is provided that includes a heating element that helps reduce or substantially prevent condensation occurring on the walls of the receiving region and / or elsewhere within the aerosol supply device.

[0009] According to various embodiments, an aerosol supply device is provided for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol supply device comprising at least one chamber having a heating element, the heating element may include a ferrite material. The aerosol supply device may also include a receiving region configured to receive an aerosol product comprising the aerosol-generating material, the aerosol product including a planar aerosol product. The aerosol supply device may further include at least one aerosol generator configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material. The receiving region may be located between at least one aerosol generator and at least one heating element.

[0010] Optionally, the aerosol generator comprises one or more first inductors.

[0011] Optionally, at least one of the one or more first inductors comprises a substantially planar inductor coil.

[0012] Optionally, one or more first inductors are also configured to heat a heating element to reduce condensation formation within the chamber.

[0013] Optionally, the aerosol generator comprises one or more first resistance heaters.

[0014] Optionally, the aerosol generator may be configured to heat the heating element to a temperature in the range of 60 to 150°C during a usage session. According to one embodiment, the aerosol generator may be configured to heat the heating element to a temperature in the range of 60 to 70°C, 70 to 80°C, 80 to 90°C, 90 to 100°C, 100 to 110°C, 110 to 120°C, 120 to 130°C, 130 to 140°C, or 140 to 150°C.

[0015] Optionally, the aerosol supply device further comprises a heating unit configured to heat a heating element to reduce the formation of condensation within the chamber.

[0016] Optionally, the heating unit includes one or more second inductors.

[0017] Optionally, the heating unit includes one or more second resistance heaters.

[0018] Optionally, the ferrite material may include a coating or foil.

[0019] Optionally, the ferrite material may have a thickness of less than 25 μm. According to various embodiments, the ferrite material may have a thickness of less than 5 μm, 5 to 10 μm, 10 to 15 μm, 15 to 20 μm, or 20 to 25 μm.

[0020] Optionally, the ferrite material is (i) 100-200μ / μ0, (ii) 200-300μ / μ0, (iii) 300-400μ / μ0, (iv) 400-500μ / μ0, (v) 500-600μ / μ0, ( vi) 600~700μ / μ0, (vii) 700~800μ / μ0, (viii) 800~900μ / μ0, (ix) 900~1000μ / μ0, (x) 1000~1100μ / μ0, (xi) 1100~1200 It may have a relative permeability selected from the range of μ / μ0, (xii) 1200~1300μ / μ0, (xiii) 1300~1400μ / μ0, (xiv) 1400~1500μ / μ0, (xv) 1500~1600μ / μ0, (xvi) 1600~1700μ / μ0, (xvii) 1700~1800μ / μ0, (xviii) 1800~1900μ / μ0, (xix) 1900~2000μ / μ0, and (xx) greater than 2000μ / μ0.

[0021] Optionally, the heating element is planar. Alternatively, the heating element may be curved, concave, convex, or dome-shaped.

[0022] Optionally, the aerosol supply device comprises multiple aerosol generators, and at least some, or each aerosol generator, is configured to generate aerosols from different portions of a planar aerosol product.

[0023] Optionally, the aerosol supply device comprises a plurality of chambers, and at least some or each chamber is configured to receive aerosol generated from different parts of a planar aerosol-generating article.

[0024] Optionally, at least some or each chamber comprises a heating element comprising a ferrite material.

[0025] Optionally, the aerosol supply device is configured to move, translate or rotate a planar aerosol-generating article relative to at least one aerosol generator during a use session.

[0026] According to another aspect, the aerosol supply device as described above, and a planar aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-generating material and a susceptor is provided.

[0027] Optionally, the susceptor comprises a metal foil. Other embodiments where the susceptor comprises a metal coating on a substrate are contemplated.

[0028] Optionally, the susceptor comprises aluminium. Other embodiments where the susceptor comprises an aluminium alloy are contemplated.

[0029] In particular, the susceptor may comprise an aluminium foil or an aluminium coating on a substrate. The substrate may impart a degree of rigidity to the planar aerosol-generating article.

[0030] Optionally, the susceptor has a relative permeability of 1.0 μ / μ0, or the susceptor has a relative permeability of (i) less than 100 μ / μ0, (ii) 100-200 μ / μ0, (iii) 200-300 μ / μ0, (iv) 300-400 μ / μ0, (v) 400-500 μ / μ0, (vi) 500-600 μ / μ0, (vii) 600-700 μ / μ0, (viii) 700-800 μ / μ0, (ix) 800-900 μ / μ0, (x) 900-1000 μ / μ0, (xi) 1000-1100 μ / μ It has a relative permeability selected from the group consisting of 0, (xii) 1100-1200 μ / μ0, (xiii) 1200-1300 μ / μ0, (xiv) 1300-1400 μ / μ0, (xv) 1400-1500 μ / μ0, (xvi) 1500-1600 μ / μ0, (xvii) 1600-1700 μ / μ0, (xviii) 1700-1800 μ / μ0, (xix) 1800-1900 μ / μ0, (xx) 1900-2000 μ / μ0, and (xxi) greater than 2000 μ / μ0.

[0031] Optionally, the susceptor may have a thickness of less than 10 μm. According to various embodiments, the susceptor may have a thickness of less than 1 μm, 1-2 μm, 2-3 μm, 3-4 μm, 4-5 μm, 5-6 μm, 6-7 μm, 7-8 μm, 8-9 μm, or 9-10 μm. Other embodiments are conceivable in which the susceptor may comprise multiple layers and have a total thickness greater than 10 μm.

[0032] Optionally, the heating element and the susceptor may be spaced less than 4 mm apart. For example, according to various embodiments, the distance between the heating element and the susceptor may be less than 1 mm, 1-2 mm, 2-3 mm, or 3-4 mm.

[0033] Optionally, the aerosol generator is configured to heat the susceptor and / or aerosol-generating material to a temperature in the range of 200-400°C during a usage session. According to various embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to heat the susceptor to a temperature in the range of 200-220°C, 220-240°C, 240-260°C, 260-280°C, 280-300°C, 300-320°C, 320-340°C, 340-360°C, 360-380°C, or 380-400°C during a usage session. According to various embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to heat the aerosol-generating material to a temperature within the range of 200-220°C, 220-240°C, 240-260°C, 260-280°C, 280-300°C, 300-320°C, 320-340°C, 340-360°C, 360-380°C, or 380-400°C during a usage session.

[0034] Optionally, the ferrite material has a permeability of μ1 and the susceptor has a permeability of μ2, and the ratio μ1 / μ2 is less than 100, 100-500, 500-1000, 1000-1500, 1500-2000, 2000-2500, 2500-3000, 3000-3500, 3500-4000, 4000-4500, 4500-5000, or greater than 5000.

[0035] Optionally, the aerosol generator comprises one or more induction coils having a first surface area A1 in a plane parallel to the plane of the susceptor, and the heating element has a second surface area A2 in a plane parallel to the plane of the susceptor, and the ratio A2 / A1 is in the range of (i) 0.7~0.8, (ii) 0.8~0.9, (iii) 0.9~1.0, (iv) 1.0~1.1, (v) 1.1~1.2 and (vi) 1.2~1.3.

[0036] According to another embodiment, The steps include providing the aerosol supply device described above, The steps include introducing a planar aerosol product, including an aerosol generating material and a susceptor, into an aerosol supply device. A method for generating an aerosol, including [a specific component], is provided.

[0037] Other embodiments are envisioned in which the aerosol product does not necessarily include a planar aerosol product. For example, embodiments are envisioned in which the aerosol product may comprise a curved, corrugated, or non-planar substrate.

[0038] In another embodiment, an aerosol supply device is provided for generating aerosols from an aerosol-generating material, and the aerosol supply device is A chamber having a heating element containing a ferrite material, A receiving region configured to receive an aerosol product containing an aerosol generating material, At least one aerosol generator configured to generate aerosols from an aerosol-generating material and It is equipped with.

[0039] Optionally, the receptor region is positioned between at least one aerosol generator and at least one heating element.

[0040] The receiving region is optionally configured to receive a planar aerosol product containing an aerosol-generating material.

[0041] According to another embodiment, The aerosol supply device described above, Aerosol-generating materials and aerosol products including susceptors An aerosol generation system is provided that includes the following features.

[0042] According to another embodiment, The steps include providing the aerosol supply device described above, The steps include introducing an aerosol product, including an aerosol generating material and a susceptor, into an aerosol supply device. A method for generating an aerosol, including [a specific component], is provided.

[0043] This method may further include activating an aerosol supply device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0044] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aerosol supply device. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aerosol supply device according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aerosol supply device according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic top-down view of a circular substrate containing the aerosol-generating material. [Figure 5] This is a schematic top-down view of a portion of an aerosol supply device, showing an aerosol generator or heater comprising a substrate on which a portion of the aerosol-generating material to be received within the receiving region of the aerosol supply device is provided, and a heating element that may be placed beneath the substrate. [Figure 6] This is a schematic top-down view of a portion of an aerosol product according to one embodiment. [Figure 7A] This is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic cross-section of an aerosol supply system, comprising an aerosol supply device according to one embodiment, which includes a plurality of substantially planar inductor coils, and a planar aerosol product, which includes a plurality of parts of an aerosol generating material and corresponding susceptor parts, combined with a planar aerosol product. [Figure 7B] This is a plan view of a planar aerosol product. [Figure 7C] This is a side view of a planar aerosol product. [Figure 7D] This is a side view of a planar aerosol product. [Figure 7E] This is a top-down cross-sectional view of the heating element of an aerosol supply device according to one embodiment. [Figure 8A] This figure shows an example of a substantially planar inductor coil with a trapezoidal shape. [Figure 8B]This figure shows another example of a roughly planar multilayer inductor coil having an overall trapezoidal shape. [Figure 9] This figure shows an aerosol supply device according to one embodiment, wherein the aerosol supply device comprises a chamber, a planar aerosol product is placed in a receiving region of the aerosol supply device, and a heating element is placed adjacent to the receiving region to reduce the formation of condensation within the chamber. [Figure 10] This figure shows an image of a portion of an aerosol supply device having a disc-shaped, planar aerosol product and a chamber within which an integrated heating element is provided, according to one embodiment. [Figure 11] This figure shows experimental results, as a function of time, of the temperature of an aluminum susceptor (upper trace) and a stainless steel heating element (lower trace), both heated by a time-varying magnetic field generated by an inductor coil, according to one embodiment. Detailed explanation

[0045] While various modifications and alternative forms are possible for the present invention, specific embodiments are shown as examples in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and detailed descriptions of specific embodiments do not limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed. Rather, the present invention encompasses all modifications, equivalents, and alternative forms that fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0046] Specific examples and embodiments of aspects and features are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of specific examples and embodiments can be implemented conventionally and are not discussed / described in detail for the sake of brevity. Therefore, it will be understood that aspects and features of apparatus and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail can be implemented according to any prior art for implementing such aspects and features.

[0047] This disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery system, sometimes called an aerosol delivery system, such as an e-cigarette. Throughout the following description, the terms “e-cigarette” or “electronic cigarette” may be used, and it will be understood that these terms may be used interchangeably with aerosol delivery systems / devices and electronic aerosol delivery systems / devices. Furthermore, as is common in the art, the terms “aerosol” and “vapor,” as well as related terms such as “vaporize,” “volatilize,” and “aerosolize,” may generally be used interchangeably.

[0048] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a portion of the aerosol supply device 100. The aerosol supply device 100 has an aerosol product 101 disposed within a chamber 190 of the aerosol supply device 100. The aerosol supply device 100 includes a receiving region 225 configured to receive the aerosol product 101. The aerosol product 101 includes an aerosol generating material 114 which may be provided on a substrate 110.

[0049] According to various embodiments, the aerosol-generating material 114 may be present on or within a support to form a substrate 110. The support (or substrate 110) may be, for example, paper, cardboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, plastic material, ceramic material, composite material, glass, metal or metal alloy, or include these. In some embodiments, the support includes a susceptor. In some embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the aerosol-generating material 114. In some alternative embodiments, the susceptor is on one or both sides of the aerosol-generating material 114.

[0050] According to various embodiments, a susceptor 112 may be provided on the substrate 110. The susceptor 112 may include aluminum foil. However, other embodiments are envisioned in which no susceptor is provided on the substrate 110. Further embodiments are envisioned in which a susceptor made from a material other than aluminum is provided on the substrate 110. According to various embodiments, the substrate 110 may include paper or card. The aerosol generating material 114 may be placed on the susceptor 112, which may include aluminum foil. The combination of the aerosol supply device 100 and the aerosol product 101 forms an aerosol supply system.

[0051] The aerosol-generating material 114 may be placed on the susceptor 112, or more generally on the substrate 110, in multiple quantities or portions. The underside of the substrate 110 may be smooth or rough. The upper surfaces of the susceptor 112 (if provided) and / or the aerosol-generating material 114 and / or the substrate 110 may be smooth or rough.

[0052] The aerosol supply device 100 has an aerosol generator or heater 120 for heating the aerosol generating material 114 and also heating a susceptor 112 which may optionally be placed on the substrate 110. The aerosol generator or heater 120 is an element of the aerosol supply device 100 that transfers energy from a power source such as a battery (not shown) to the aerosol generating material 114 in order to generate an aerosol from the aerosol generating material 114. The aerosol generator or heater 120 may comprise one or more inductor coils, one or more of which may be configured to generate a time-varying magnetic field, and when the time-varying magnetic field interacts with the susceptor 112, the susceptor 112 heats up, and an aerosol is generated from the aerosol generating material 114 in contact with the heated portion of the susceptor 112.

[0053] The aerosol supply device 100 may include a moving mechanism 130 configured to move a portion (or, in some cases, a quantity) of the substrate 110, particularly the aerosol generating material 114. The portions of the aerosol generating material 114 may be rotatable relative to the aerosol generator or heater 120 so that the portions of the aerosol generating material 114 are presented to the aerosol generator or heater 120, in this case individually. The aerosol supply device 100 is arranged such that at least one quantity of the aerosol generating material 114 rotates around axis A at an angle θ with respect to the rear surface 116 of the substrate 110. The substrate 110 in this configuration includes a substantially flat or planar substrate 110, which may be formed partly or entirely from paper or card.

[0054] The substrate 110 shown in Figure 1 has five quantities (or portions) of aerosol-generating material 114 provided on a susceptor 112 which may contain aluminum foil. However, according to other embodiments, the substrate 110 may have more or less quantities of aerosol-generating material 114.

[0055] According to various embodiments, the substrate 110 may have quantities of aerosol-generating material 114 arranged in individual quantities, as shown in Figure 1. In other examples, the quantities may be in the form of disks, which may be continuous or discontinuous in the circumferential direction of the substrate 110. In yet other examples, the quantities may be in the form of rings, or any other shape. The substrate 110 may or may not have a rotationally symmetric distribution of quantities on the upper surface of the substrate 110 about axis A. A symmetrical distribution of quantities allows for quantities to be equally arranged (within the rotationally symmetric distribution) so that they receive equivalent heating profiles from the aerosol generator or heater 120 when rotated about axis A, if necessary.

[0056] According to various embodiments, the substrate 110 may have a layered structure and may be made from multiple materials. In one example, the substrate 110 may have layers formed from at least one of a thermally conductive material, an inductive material, a permeable material, or an impermeable material.

[0057] The susceptor layer 112 may comprise a metallic element configured to be heated by a time-varying magnetic field. In such a configuration, the aerosol generator or heater 120 may include an induction coil, which, when energized, causes heating within the metallic element provided on the substrate 110. The degree of heating may be influenced by the distance between the metallic element and the induction coil.

[0058] Embodiments are also intended in which the aerosol product 101 comprises a metal element (which functions as a susceptor) on which the aerosol generating material 114 is provided, and the combination of the metal element and the aerosol generating material 114 is sufficiently rigid so that a substrate 110 (e.g., paper or card) is not provided.

[0059] The aerosol-forming material 114 can be placed on the susceptor layer 112 such that the distance from the aerosol generator or heater 120 to the aerosol-forming material 114 is within the range of 0.010 mm, 0.015 mm, 0.017 mm, 0.020 mm, 0.023 mm, 0.025 mm, 0.05 mm, 0.075 mm, 0.1 mm to about 4 mm, 3.5 mm, 3 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.0 mm, 0.5 mm, or 0.3 mm. In some cases, there may be a minimum distance between the aerosol generator or heater 120 and the aerosol-forming material 114 provided on the substrate 110 of at least about 10 μm, 15 μm, 17 μm, 20 μm, 23 μm, 25 μm, 50 μm, 75 μm, or 0.1 mm.

[0060] The aerosol supply device 100 may have a plurality of chambers or regions, which may or may not be separate from each other, configured to receive aerosols generated from the aerosol generating material 114. The aerosol supply device 100 may have a power chamber (not shown) that has a power source for supplying power to the aerosol generator or heater 120 and / or the moving mechanism 130. The aerosol generator or heater 120 may include either an induction heater or an electric resistance heater. However, in other examples, the aerosol generator or heater 120 may include a chemically activated heater that may or may not operate via an exothermic reaction or the like.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the aerosol generator or heater 120 may be part of an induction heating system, and the aerosol generator or heater 120 is an energy source for induction heating, such as a copper wire coil, and the substrate 110 may include a susceptor. The susceptor may be, for example, a sheet such as aluminum foil.

[0062] The aerosol generator or heater 120 can supply thermal energy, or heat, to the surrounding environment. At least a portion of the substrate 110 is within the effective area of ​​the aerosol generator or heater 120. The effective area of ​​the aerosol generator or heater 120 is the area in which the aerosol generator or heater 120 can supply heat to the item.

[0063] The configuration shown in Figure 1 can operate by allocating (or moving) multiple portions of the aerosol-generating material 114 to the aerosol generator or heater 120, with the advantage that only one aerosol generator or heater 120 is required to heat multiple portions of the aerosol-generating material 114. For example, the aerosol generator or heater 120 in the configuration of Figure 1 requires only one control mechanism, in contrast to multiple heaters, each requiring a separate control mechanism. Therefore, this configuration can reduce the cost and control complexity related to the operation and control of the aerosol generator or heater 120.

[0064] The shape of the aerosol supply device 100 may be cigarette-shaped (i.e., one dimension is longer than the other two) or other shapes. For example, the aerosol supply device 100 may have a shape in which two dimensions are longer than the other one, such as a compact disc player. Alternatively, the shape may be any shape that can adequately accommodate the substrate 110, the aerosol generator or heater 120, the aerosol product 101 and the moving mechanism 130.

[0065] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol supply device 100 according to one embodiment, similar to that shown in Figure 1, but with additional features including specific individualized quantities 114A, 114B, 114C of aerosol-generating material and a heating element 200. The aerosol generator or heater 120 has a specific influence region related to the substrate 110, called the heating position 140. The heating position 140 may be located directly above the aerosol generator or heater 120. The heating position 140 is the region to which quantities of aerosol-generating material 114 are moved by the transfer mechanism 130 to form an aerosol. This movement of quantities to the heating position 140 may occur before heating of quantities 114A, 114B, 114C, 114D of aerosol-generating material by the aerosol generator or heater 120. In the example shown in Figure 2, quantity 114C of aerosol-generating material is moved to the heating region 140. The aerosol generator or heater 120 may heat the volume 114C within the heating region 140 to generate an aerosol. Conversely, the volumes 114A and 114B that are not located in the heating position 140 are positioned far enough away from the heating position 140 so that they are not heated by the aerosol generator or heater 120.

[0066] The aerosol generator or heater 120 can be activated after the volume 114C has been moved to the heating region 140. This configuration has the advantage that energy is conserved during the substrate 110 movement phase. This results in a longer operating life of the aerosol supply device 110, due to the long lifespan of the power supply (not shown) to the aerosol generator or heater 120 and the long lifespan of the aerosol generator or heater 120 itself.

[0067] In another example, the aerosol generator or heater 120 may be activated before the volume 114C is moved to the heating region 140. This configuration has the advantage that once the volume 114C reaches the heating region 140, no warm-up period is required for the aerosol generator or heater 120 to reach a temperature suitable for inducing aerosolization of the aerosol-generating material. Therefore, the delivery of the aerosol to the user inhaling on the aerosol supply device 100 is faster, and thus improves the user experience of the aerosol supply device 100. In this configuration, the aerosol generator or heater 120 may be brought to an operating temperature suitable for aerosolizing the aerosol-generating material before the volume 114C is moved to the heating region 140, or the aerosol generator or heater 120 may be brought to a preheating temperature (i.e., a temperature between the ambient temperature and the operating temperature) before the volume 114C is moved to the heating region 140, and then raised to the operating temperature after the volume 114C is moved to the heating region 140.

[0068] Continuing to refer to Figure 2, the aerosol supply device 100 has a moving mechanism 130 for enabling the movement of quantities 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D. In the example shown in Figure 2, the moving mechanism 130 includes a connecting element 132, which is configured to connect to the substrate 110. The moving mechanism 130 may include a rotating element, such as a ball bearing, that allows the substrate 110 to rotate about it. In one example, the substrate 110 is placed on the bearing of the moving mechanism 130 and can be rotated by the user or by a rotating system (e.g., a motor and shaft) contained within the aerosol supply device 100. The moving mechanism 130 may be positioned substantially in the center of the substrate 110, as schematically shown in Figure 2, or alternatively, at a different relative position to the substrate 110. Positioning the moving mechanism 130 in the center has the advantage that a clear central axis A (see Figure 1) passes through the center of the substrate 110, and as a result of the moving mechanism 130, the substrate 110 can rotate about its central axis A. The position of the moving mechanism 130 relative to the substrate 110 may be determined, as an alternative or addition, by the desire to balance the substrate 110 on the portion of the moving mechanism 130 connected to the substrate 110. This configuration, which may omit the connecting element 132, has the advantage of not requiring any additional structures, such as pillars or guides, to balance the substrate 110 within the aerosol supply device 100.

[0069] Alternatively, additional structures may be used to allow the moving mechanism 130 to be positioned at any position relative to the substrate 110. Any such configuration is possible in which axis A (which allows the substrate 110 to rotate around it) is off-center with respect to the central axis of the substrate 110, but this may require intelligent placement of the amount of aerosol-generating material on the substrate 110, in conjunction with the placement of the aerosol generator or heater 120. The additional structures may protrude from the side of the housing of the aerosol supply device 100 and help to fix the substrate 110 in place while allowing the movement of the substrate 110.

[0070] The moving mechanism 130 and connecting element 132 may take the form of a rotatable shaft driven by a motor around a bearing, and a sprocket and / or keying mechanism configured to connect to the substrate 110. In this case, the motor is used to drive the rotatable shaft 132, during which the bearing of the moving mechanism 130 supports the shaft and facilitates the rotational movement of the shaft 132. The substrate 110 and connecting element 132 may have a combination of keying and alignment features that enable the substrate 110 to connect to the connecting element 132. Alternatively, the force to move the moving mechanism 130 may be supplied by the user, for example, by manually moving the substrate 110. This manual movement may be by rotating the substrate 110 or by pulling the substrate 110. Thus, the aerosol supply device 100 may be provided so that the user can physically contact the substrate 110 and expose at least a portion of the substrate 110 to move the substrate 110, for example, by providing an opening to expose a portion of the peripheral edge of the substrate 110. The movement performed by the moving mechanism 130 is not limited to rotational movement. In particular, linear and vibratory movement may also be performed. Configurations that perform such movement are well known. The substrate 110 may be rotated via the moving mechanism 130 at a rotational speed that may be variable or consistent. Consistent movement provides the user with a substantially consistent level of aerosol generation, as the substrate 110 rotates consistently and thus provides new aerosol-forming material to the aerosol generator or heater 120. The rate at which aerosols are generated may depend on the rotational speed of the substrate 100, in addition to other parameters such as the heater temperature.

[0071] Alternatively, the substrate 110 may be rotated via a moving mechanism 130 at a variable rotational speed. In this example, the aerosol supply device 100 can supply more or less aerosol as desired by the user by using a larger or smaller rotational speed. The use of variable rotational speed may be used in conjunction with a variable heating profile from an aerosol generator or heater 120. The moving mechanism 130 may also provide indexing movement so that the substrate 110 moves discretely; that is, the substrate 110 is configured to move to a preset angular position. The amount the substrate 110 moves at each indexing position may be consistent or variable throughout the entire rotation of the substrate 110 (i.e., over 360 degrees).

[0072] Figure 2 also shows a heating element 200 located above the heating position 140, along with an air inlet 201 and an aerosol outlet 202. The aerosol supply device 100 comprises a chamber 190 in which the heating element 200 is provided. The aerosol product 101 is received in a receiving region 225 within the aerosol supply device 100. The receiving region 225 is located between the aerosol generator or heater 120 and the heating element 200. The aerosol outlet 202 provides an outlet through which the aerosol can flow and be inhaled by a user. The aerosol outlet 202 allows the aerosol generated within the aerosol supply device 100 to exit the aerosol supply device 100. In this way, a user inhaling over the aerosol outlet 202 can inhale the aerosol generated from the heating of quantities 114A, 114B, and 114C of the aerosol generating material. The outlet 202 may be in the form of a mouthpiece or the like, which is comfortable for the user to inhale.

[0073] As shown in Figure 2, the aerosol supply device 100, substantially positioned between the aerosol generator or heater 120, the heating position 140, and the aerosol outlet 202, has a flow path 160. The flow path 160 is the path through which the aerosol generated within the aerosol supply device 100, formed from the heated volume, flows out of the aerosol supply device 100. The flow path 160 (i.e., the distance between the heated volume and the outlet 202) may be relatively short, thus reducing the internal area of ​​the aerosol supply device 100 where aerosols may condense in some cases. This improves the overall cleanliness of the function of the aerosol supply device 100, and as a result, reduces the frequency with which the aerosol supply device 100 must be cleaned.

[0074] As will be discussed in more detail below, the heating element 200 is provided to prevent, or at least substantially reduce, the possibility of aerosols generated from the quantity condensing within the chamber 190. The heating element 200 may comprise a plate or surface of ferrite material that can be heated to a temperature of, for example, 60 to 150°C during a session of use. The heating element 200 may be heated by receiving a time-varying magnetic field generated by one or more induction coils that may comprise the aerosol generator or heater 120. In alternative embodiments, the heating element 200 may be heated by a heating unit (not shown) that is separate from and specific to the aerosol generator or heater 120, and may comprise one or more resistance heaters and / or one or more induction heaters. The heating element 200 may comprise a thin plate, coating, or foil that may have a thickness of less than 25 μm.

[0075] When aerosols pass through fewer components along a relatively short channel within the aerosol supply device 100, fewer components may be affected by the condensation of the aerosols on them, and therefore, the frequency with which those components need to be replaced decreases. This reduces the maintenance costs of the aerosol supply device 100 and extends the overall lifespan of the aerosol supply device 100.

[0076] In Figure 2, the aerosol outlet 202 is shown offset from the center of the aerosol supply device 100, but in some implementations, the aerosol outlet 202 can be more centrally located. In further implementations, the aerosol outlet 202 can be positioned almost in a straight line with the heated volume and / or the aerosol generator or heater 120 (for example, the central axis of the outlet can be aligned with the normal to the volume). This can further reduce the size of the flow path 160.

[0077] According to various embodiments, the aerosol generator or heater 120 may be fixed, and the substrate 110 may be moved, for example, relative to the aerosol generator or heater 120, and for example, rotated. However, in other embodiments, the aerosol generator or heater 120 may be movable.

[0078] Referring to Figure 3, an aerosol supply device 100 is shown in various embodiments in which the aerosol generator or heater 120 can be moved relative to the substrate 110 in order to improve heat delivery from the aerosol generator or heater 120 to the aerosol generating material. The aerosol generator or heater 120 can be moved toward or away from the substrate 110 when, for example, a specific amount is moved to or from the heating position 140. Moving the aerosol generator or heater 120 toward the amount to be heated reduces separation between the aerosol generator or heater 120 and the substrate 110. The aerosol supply device 100 comprises a chamber 190 and a receiving region 225 for receiving the aerosol product 101. The receiving region 225 is located between the aerosol generator or heater 120 and the heating element 200.

[0079] The aerosol generator or heater 120 may include an induction heater (i.e., an RF generator), and induction heating can be improved by reducing the distance between the RF generator and the substrate 110 including the susceptor. The susceptor may include a thin aluminum foil having a thickness of less than 10 μm.

[0080] If the aerosol generator or heater 120 includes a resistance heater, there is an air jacket between the resistance heater 120 and the aerosol-generating material, which may absorb thermal energy from the resistance heater 120 and thus reduce the thermal energy supplied to the aerosol-generating material. Alternatively, by reducing the air jacket, the resistance heater 120 delivers thermal energy more efficiently to the aerosol-generating material in the heating position 140. In the example of Figure 3, the aerosol generator or heater 120 may be moved linearly toward or away from the substrate 110.

[0081] In one example, the aerosol generator or heater 120 may be moved to contact the rear surface of the substrate 110 in order to optimize the heating of a specific amount of aerosol-generating material. After one specific amount has been heated, the amount may be moved (e.g., rotated) so that a new amount can be moved to the heating position 140. If the aerosol generator or heater 120 is in contact with the substrate 110 before moving the amount to move a new specific amount to the heating position 140, the aerosol generator or heater 120 may be moved away from (or without contact with) the substrate 110 to prevent friction that may occur during the movement of the amount, provided that the aerosol generator or heater 120 remains in close contact with the rear surface of the substrate 110 at all times during the usage session.

[0082] However, embodiments are also intended in which the substrate 110 remains in contact with an aerosol generator or heater 120, which may include either an induction heater or a resistance heater, throughout the entire session of use.

[0083] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the angle θ between the axis of rotation A and the lower surface of the substrate 110 is approximately perpendicular. In other examples, the angle θ may be at least 5°, at least 10°, at least 15°, at least 20°, at least 25°, at least 30°, at least 35°, at least 40°, at least 45°, at least 50°, at least 55°, at least 60°, at least 65°, at least 70°, at least 75°, at least 80°, or at least 85°.

[0084] Referring to Figure 2, the aerosol supply device 100 may include a controller 172 for monitoring and / or controlling the movement provided by the movement mechanism 130. The controller 172 may control the movement of the aerosol-generating material portions 114A, 114B, and 114C so that the portions are controlledly moved to the heating position 140. The controller 172 may also be able to inform the user of the remaining number of viable portions in the aerosol supply device 100. In one example, the aerosol supply device 100 may have a motion monitoring system 170 comprising a controller 172 (for example, shown in Figure 2) and optionally a detector 174.

[0085] The monitoring system 170 may monitor movement within the aerosol supply device 100. The monitoring system 170 may also include a detector 174 for detecting movement information. The monitoring system 170 monitors the movement of the substrate 110 and / or aerosol-generating material quantities 114A, 114B, 114C to record the movement that occurs, thereby avoiding moving the same particular quantity to the heating position 140 twice. This avoids the formation of unwanted aerosols from reheating "used" quantities. The detector 174 may relay information to the user regarding the number of "unused" quantities remaining in the aerosol supply device 100, thereby informing the user when multiple quantities in the aerosol supply device 100 should be replaced. The detector 174 may also provide feedback on the function of the movement mechanism 130 by observing the movement of the substrate 110 or quantities or the aerosol generator or heater 120, so as to inform the user if the movement mechanism 130 (or any related element, e.g., connecting element 132) is not functioning.

[0086] The controller 172 may include a microcontroller to reduce space requirements. The detector 174 may be, for example, a break beam sensor, a brushed system, a speed tracker, etc., for providing information on the rotation speed of the substrate 110 and the position of the substrate 110 when moved to the heating position 140. This information may be relayed to a user or a diagnostic element (not shown) to enable periodic inspection of the function of the aerosol supply device. The motion monitoring system 170 may be connected to the moving mechanism 130 by a wired connection such as a simple electrical connection, or any other connection including wireless such as Bluetooth®.

[0087] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a portion of an aerosol supply device 100 according to one embodiment. Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the aerosol supply device 100, including a substrate 110 that forms part of the aerosol product 101 received within the aerosol supply device 100, an aerosol generator or heater 120, an aerosol outlet 202, and a flow path 160. The substrate 110 can be rotated so that different portions of the substrate 110 are arranged adjacent to and continuously with respect to the aerosol generator or heater 120. The aerosol supply device 100 comprises a chamber 190 and a receiving region 225 for receiving the aerosol product 101. The receiving region 225 is located between the aerosol generator or heater 120 and a heating element 200.

[0088] The general direction of aerosol movement B along the channel 160 is indicated by arrow B. The difference between the surface plane of the substrate 110 and the direction of the resulting aerosol in the channel 160 is indicated by angle φ. The angle φ is somewhat controlled by the relative position of the aerosol generator or heater 120 and the aerosol outlet 202. In the illustrated example, the heating position 140 is positioned substantially between the aerosol outlet 202 and the aerosol generator or heater 120. The aerosol outlet 202 may be positioned substantially in a straight line with the aerosol generator or heater 120 and the heating position 140 such that the angle φ is substantially 90°. In other examples, the angle φ could be at least 5°, at least 10°, at least 15°, at least 20°, at least 25°, at least 30°, at least 35°, at least 40°, at least 45°, at least 50°, at least 55°, at least 60°, at least 65°, at least 70°, at least 75°, at least 80°, or at least 85°.

[0089] According to various embodiments, a heating element 200 is provided between the substrate 110 and the aerosol outlet 202. The heating element 200 may have a plane that can be inclined at an angle α with respect to the surface of the substrate 110. According to various embodiments, the angle α may be less than 10°, 10-20°, 20-30°, 30-40°, 40-50°, 50-60°, 60-70°, 70-80°, or 80-90°. According to other embodiments, the heating element 200 may be curved. For example, the heating element 200 may be convex or concave. The heating element 200 may have one or more inflection points.

[0090] The configuration shown in Figure 3 simplifies the aerosol's path 160, which reduces the amount of time the aerosol is inside the aerosol supply device 100. Therefore, this configuration reduces the area inside the aerosol supply device 100 where the aerosol may potentially condense, and the time over which the aerosol can condense. Thus, this reduces the impact of the associated problems of aerosol condensation within the device.

[0091] Furthermore, as will be discussed in more detail below, the heating element 200 is provided to substantially reduce or prevent the condensation of aerosols within the chamber 190. The heating element 200 may comprise a plate of ferrite material that can be heated to a temperature of, for example, 60 to 150°C during a session of use. The heating element 200 may be heated by receiving a time-varying magnetic field generated by one or more induction coils, which may comprise the aerosol generator or heater 120. In alternative embodiments, the heating element 200 may be heated by a heating unit (not shown) that is separate from and specific to the aerosol generator or heater 120, which may comprise one or more resistance heaters and / or one or more induction heaters. The heating element 200 may comprise a thin plate, coating, or foil, which may have a thickness of less than 25 μm.

[0092] The substrate 110 and / or multiple quantities of the aerosol-generating material can take substantially several shapes. According to one embodiment, the substrate 110 may take the form of a circular disk or a ring. The substrate 110 may take these shapes when placed in the aerosol supply device 100, and may take the same or different shapes when not in the aerosol supply device 100. In other words, the substrate 110 may be deformed to take a specific shape different from its initial shape when placed in the aerosol supply device 100. The substrate 110 may have an alignment mechanism or keying mechanism to enable the substrate 110 to be aligned with and then connected to the moving mechanism. In some implementations, the alignment mechanism or keying mechanism is arranged such that the substrate 110 can be aligned with the moving mechanism in only one orientation, for example by having an asymmetrical shape.

[0093] According to various embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may be moved through an aerosol generator or heater 120. This movement may be provided by a moving mechanism 130, as shown in Figure 2. The moving mechanism 130 may comprise an indexing system (not shown) configured to enable indexing motion of a specific amount of the aerosol-generating material. The indexing system moves a specific amount stepwise to the heating position 140 before generating an aerosol from that amount, and then moves it out of the heating position 140 after generating the aerosol. The indexing system may enable moving one amount to the heating position 140 with greater precision, and that amount is then replaced by another amount. The indexing system may be provided by a sprocket and / or keying mechanism located on or forming part of the substrate 110. In an alternative example, a combination of a Geneva wheel and a cam may be used to provide indexing motion of a specific amount of the aerosol-generating material.

[0094] The indexing system may be configured to sequentially move adjacent portions of the aerosol-generating material to the heating position 140. The advantage of this configuration is that the indexing system is easy to construct and operate. In a configuration where adjacent portions are heated sequentially, the energy transferred to move the second portion closer to the first portion while the first portion is heating can save energy that would otherwise be required to heat the second portion. This, in turn, can reduce the overall load on the aerosol generator or heater 120 and thus extend the lifespan of the aerosol supply device 100.

[0095] Alternatively, the indexing system may be configured to sequentially move only non-adjacent portions of the aerosol-forming material to the heating position 140. This allows for the placement of high-density portions on the substrate 110 without the risk of overheating a particular portion due to excessively high levels of indirect heat (heat indirectly transferred to a portion while a preceding portion is being heated) followed by direct heat (heat supplied to the same portion while that portion is being heated). Each portion may contain a specified amount of nicotine and / or aerosol-forming components, and supplying energy at the wrong time could cause the nicotine and / or aerosol-forming components from that portion to be released earlier than intended. Alternatively, the used portion may be reheated after the nicotine and / or aerosol-forming components have been released, which could lead to the heating of other components of the portion. However, the described configuration eliminates the need for an advanced heating control system that provides variations in time or heating power for a particular portion to prevent overheating.

[0096] The indexing system can be observed by the monitoring system 170 using the techniques described above. This allows for inspection of the system's functionality to ensure that the indexing system is operating as expected. In any of the configurations described above, the monitoring system 170 may be used to help prevent overheating of any particular amount.

[0097] The transfer mechanism 130 and monitoring system 170 can operate in conjunction with the aerosol generator or heater 120 to ensure that the indexing transfer of the quantity and the heating period for any particular quantity are adjusted to prevent overheating of the quantity. The transfer mechanism 130 may be configured to present one quantity of aerosol-generating material to the aerosol generator or heater 120 over a certain time period and another quantity of aerosol-generating material to the aerosol generator or heater 120 over a different time period. This may be to provide different heating levels to different quantities. This may be advantageous in avoiding overheating in the case of linear indexing as described above. This may also be advantageous when one quantity of aerosol-generating material has a different structure or substance than another quantity, such that different heating periods are required to generate an aerosol.

[0098] The moving mechanism 130 and monitoring system 170 can operate in conjunction with the aerosol generator or heater 120 to ensure that the indexing movement of the volume 114 and the heater power level for any particular volume 114 are adjusted. This may be to provide different heating levels to different volumes. This may be advantageous in avoiding overheating in the case of linear indexing or providing high-density volumes. For example, the heater power level may be higher for a first volume and lower for a second volume. This is advantageous because the second volume receives a certain level of indirect heat while the first volume is being heated, so that the second volume does not require as much direct heating (achieved by reducing the heater power level) to supply aerosols. This may also be advantageous when one volume of the aerosol-generating material has a different structure or substance than another volume, such that different heater power levels are required to generate aerosols.

[0099] Aerosol-generating materials are materials that can generate aerosols when heated, irradiated, or electrically charged by other means, for example. Aerosol-generating materials may be in the form of a solid, liquid, or semi-solid (such as a gel), which may or may not contain active substances and / or fragrances.

[0100] The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and / or flavorings, one or more aerosol-forming materials, and optionally one or more other functional materials.

[0101] The aerosol-generating material may include a binder such as a gelling agent and an aerosol-forming agent. Optionally, a delivered substance and / or filler may also be present. Optionally, a solvent such as water may also be present, and one or more other components of the aerosol-generating material may or may not be soluble in the solvent. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of plant-based materials. In particular, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of tobacco.

[0102] The aerosol-generating material may include or be in the form of an aerosol-generating film. The aerosol-generating film may include a binder such as a gelling agent and an aerosol-forming agent. Optionally, a delivered substance and / or filler may also be present. The aerosol-generating film may not substantially contain plant material. In particular, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially tobacco-free. The aerosol-generating film may have a thickness of about 0.015 mm to about 1 mm. For example, the thickness may range from about 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, or 0.15 mm to about 0.5 mm or 0.3 mm. The aerosol-generating material may include two or more films, and the thickness described herein may refer to the total thickness of those films. The aerosol-generating film may be continuous. For example, the film may include or be a continuous sheet of material. The sheet may be in the form of packaging paper, may be gathered to form a gathered sheet, or may be shredded to form a shredded sheet. The shredded sheet may contain one or more strands or strips of aerosol-generating material.

[0103] Aerosol-generating films can be discontinuous. For example, an aerosol-generating film may include one or more individual parts or regions of aerosol-generating material, such as dots, stripes, or lines, which can be supported on a support. In such embodiments, the support may be planar or nonplanar. An aerosol-generating film may be formed by combining a binder, such as a gelling agent, with one or more other components, such as a solvent, such as water, an aerosol-forming agent, and one or more substances to be delivered, to form a slurry, and then heating the slurry to volatilize at least a portion of the solvent to form an aerosol-generating film. The slurry may be heated to remove at least about 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, or 90 wt% of the solvent.

[0104] In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may contain 1 to 50 wt% of a gelling agent, and these weights are calculated on a dry weight basis. Preferably, the aerosol-generating material may contain about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% to about 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, 35 wt%, 30 wt%, or 27 wt% of a gelling agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-generating material may contain 5 to 40 wt%, 10 to 30 wt%, or 15 to 27 wt% of a gelling agent. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may contain tobacco extract. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may contain 5 to 60 wt% of a tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may contain approximately 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% to approximately 55 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, or 40 wt% of tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-generating material may contain 5 to 60 wt%, 10 to 55 wt%, or 25 to 55 wt% of tobacco extract. The tobacco extract may contain nicotine at concentrations such that the aerosol-generating material contains 1 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 2 wt%, or 2.5 wt% to approximately 6 wt%, 5 wt%, 4.5 wt%, or 4 wt% of nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may not contain any nicotine other than that derived from the tobacco extract.

[0105] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material does not contain tobacco material but contains nicotine. In some such cases, the aerosol-generating material may contain about 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, or 4 wt% to about 20 wt%, 15 wt%, 10 wt%, or 5 wt% of nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-generating material may contain 1 to 20 wt% or 2 to 5 wt% of nicotine. The aerosol-generating material may contain less than 20 wt%, preferably less than 10 wt%, or less than 5 wt% of filler. The filler may include one or more inorganic fillers such as calcium carbonate, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, magnesium carbonate, and suitable inorganic adsorbents such as molecular sieves. The filler may include one or more organic fillers such as wood pulp, cellulose, and cellulose derivatives. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material contains less than 1 wt% of filler, and in some cases, contains no filler. In particular, in some cases, aerosol-generating materials do not contain calcium carbonate, such as chalk.

[0106] In some cases, the aerosol-generating material basically consists of, or may consist of, a gelling agent, an aerosol-generating agent, tobacco material and / or a nicotine source, water, and optionally a flavoring agent. It should be understood that the aerosol-generating material may be any other suitable aerosol-generating material deemed appropriate by those skilled in the art.

[0107] Referring to Figure 4, an example of the arrangement of portions 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D of aerosol-generating material provided on a round substrate 110 is shown. The portions 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D are arranged in a concentric ring, which may be heated sequentially via rotational indexing of the substrate 110 and subsequent lateral indexing of the aerosol generator or heater, so as to heat the next ring in the sequence of concentric rings. This indexing sequence may be repeated until each portion 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D is heated and generates an aerosol. The indexing provided to the substrate 110 may be uniform or non-uniform in distance and / or time. In one example, the final portion 114D to be heated may be positioned toward the center of the substrate 110. This portion 114D may contain a flavoring agent, such as menthol, to provide a refreshing end to a smoking session. Users may be able to personalize their smoking sessions by using a variable arrangement of aerosol-generating materials.

[0108] It should be understood that there is no restriction that portions 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D must be in an arrangement that has rotational symmetry, particularly with respect to the lateral movement of the aerosol generator or heater. According to various embodiments, portions 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D may be placed on a substrate 110 that may be substantially impermeable to aerosols. This arrangement encourages the aerosols generated from the heating of the aerosol-generating material portions 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D to flow away from the aerosol generator or heater and along a channel toward the aerosol outlet. This reduces the possibility of aerosol condensation within the aerosol supply device and, therefore, as described above, increases the cleanliness and extends the lifespan of the aerosol supply device. The substrate 110 may be formed from a material such as paper, cardboard, wood pulp, plastic, or ceramic.

[0109] The substrate 110 may be impermeable to aerosols or may be porous so that aerosol-forming material can be disposed within the pores of the substrate 110. In one example, the substrate 110 may have both permeable and impermeable portions. Permeable portions may be located in areas where it is desirable to allow aerosols to pass through the substrate 110, such as to allow air to flow through the substrate 110 toward the outlet of the aerosol supply device 100. Impermeable portions may be located in areas where it is desirable to prevent aerosols from flowing toward an aerosol generator or heater.

[0110] Figure 5 shows a schematic top-down view of a portion of an aerosol supply device 100 according to one embodiment. The portion of the aerosol supply device 100 shows a substrate 110 on which a portion of aerosol-generating material to be received within the receiving area of ​​the aerosol supply device 100 is provided, and an aerosol generator or heater 120 comprising heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C which may be positioned below the substrate 110. The substrate 110 may be moved relative to the aerosol generator or heater 120 in order to move the portion of aerosol-generating material relative to the aerosol generator or heater 120 in order to generate an aerosol.

[0111] The aerosol generator or heater 120 may comprise multiple heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C. Alternatively, instead of a single aerosol generator or heater 120 having multiple heating elements, multiple separate heaters 120A, 120B, and 120C may be provided.

[0112] The aerosol generator or heater 120 may be powered by a power supply to supply heat to the substrate 110. During use, the heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C of the aerosol generator or heater 120 may not be powered simultaneously. In one example, the heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C of the aerosol generator or heater 120 may be powered separately. The heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C may be powered sequentially. In a particular example, the heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C may be powered sequentially, starting with the first heating element 120A, then the second heating element 120B, and then the third heating element 120C. In the example shown in Figure 5, the first heating element 120A is positioned in the center of the substrate 110, the second heating element 120B is positioned between the first heating element 120A and the third heating element 120C, and the third heating element 120C is positioned toward the outer edge of the substrate 110.

[0113] In one example, the first heating element 120A is activated to heat a portion of the substrate 110 near the first heating element 120A. Then, the second heating element 120B is activated to heat a different portion of the substrate 110 near the second heating element 120B. Then, the third heating element 120C is activated to heat another different portion of the substrate 110 near the third heating element 120C. The order in which the heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C are activated may vary based on the desired output of the aerosol. The operation of the heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C may be controlled depending on the arrangement of the aerosol-generating material on the substrate 110.

[0114] In the specific example shown in Figure 5, the aerosol generator or heater 120 may include a triangular aerosol generator or heater 120 which may have a rounded base. The base does not need to be round, but may be shaped to achieve good coverage of the substrate 110. Good coverage is achieved by a suitablely sized aerosol generator or heater 120 that does not waste energy by excessively heating the environment around the substrate 110 while ensuring that the aerosol-generating material on the substrate 110 can be heated. Thus, different configurations of the shapes of the substrate 110 and the aerosol generator or heater 120 can be considered. Heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C may be located at different radial positions within the triangular aerosol generator or heater 120.

[0115] In one example, the first heating element 120A is activated for the first puff, the second heating element 120B is activated for the second puff, and the third heating element 120C is activated for the third puff. After the last heating element is activated (in this example of three heating elements, this is the third heating element 120C), the substrate 110 may move relative to the aerosol generator or heater 120 to present new aerosol-generating material to the aerosol generator or heater 120.

[0116] The heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C may have different shapes or sizes. The heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C may occupy the same or different areas. This means, for example, when viewed from a top view, that the heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C may cover relatively similar areas of the substrate 110. Heating elements covering similar areas of a continuous disk (as shown in the figure) can supply similar amounts of aerosol generated with each puff, thereby providing better consistency for the user.

[0117] The relative movement of the substrate 110 to the aerosol generator or heater 120 may be a stepwise (e.g., indexing) movement. The movement may be a fixed amount and may occur after each heating session, where each session is the operation of heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C, respectively. In this way, fresh aerosol-generating material may be supplied to the aerosol generator or heater 120 for heating to generate aerosols. This configuration reduces the possibility of generating undesirable compounds from overheating or combustion by heating a portion of the aerosol-generating material twice.

[0118] Figure 6 shows an aerosol product 101 according to one embodiment, comprising a substrate 110 having an annular shape with a central circular cutout, opening, or hole 600. The aerosol product 101 can be received within a receiving area of ​​an aerosol supply device which may include an aerosol generator or heater, for example, an induction heater having an RF generator comprising a circular wire coil. The RF generator is also known as an inductor coil. The wire may include LITZ(RTM) wire. The substrate 110 may include a backing material facing the RF generator, on which a thin aluminum foil or other metal element acting as a susceptor is provided. The aerosol generating material may be uniformly provided on the aluminum foil or other metal element. The aerosol generator or heater may be positioned in close contact with the substrate 110 such that a circular heating region 601 is effectively formed within the substrate 110. The substrate 110 may be rotated around the aerosol generator or heater, thereby generating multiple puffs of aerosol from a single substrate 110.

[0119] Figure 7A shows a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation of an aerosol supply system 300 according to another embodiment. The aerosol supply system 300 comprises two main components: an aerosol supply device 203 and an aerosol product 204 received within the aerosol supply device 203.

[0120] The aerosol supply device 203 comprises an outer housing 221, a power supply 222, a control circuit 223, one or more aerosol generators or heating elements 224a, a receiving area 225 for receiving aerosol products 204, a mouthpiece end 226, an air inlet 227, an air outlet 228, a touch-sensitive panel 229, an inhalation sensor 230, and an end-of-use indicator 231. The receiving area 225 is positioned between one or more aerosol generators or heating elements (which may include an inductor coil 224a) and a heating element 200.

[0121] The receiving region 225 is sized such that the aerosol product 204 can be received and optionally fixed within the receiving region 225. Although not shown, the aerosol supply device 203 may include a hinged door or removable portion of the outer housing 221 to allow access to the receiving region 225 so that the user can insert and / or remove the aerosol product 204 from the receiving region 225.

[0122] The hinged door or removable portion of the outer housing 221 may also function to hold the aerosol product 204 within the receiving area 225 when closed. When the aerosol product 204 is depleted or the user simply wishes to switch to a different aerosol product 204, the aerosol product 204 may be removed from the aerosol supply device 203, and a replacement aerosol product 204 may be placed in its place within the receiving area 225.

[0123] Alternatively, the aerosol supply device 203 may include a permanent opening that communicates with a receiving region 225 through which an aerosol product 204 can be inserted into the receiving region 225. In such a configuration, a holding mechanism may be provided for holding the aerosol product 204 within the receiving region 225 of the aerosol supply device 203. According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the housing 221 may face inward and partially define the receiving region 225, and this portion may include a heating element 200.

[0124] According to one embodiment, as shown by the dashed and shaded areas in Figure 7A, substantially the entire portion of the receiving region 225 furthest from the aerosol generating component 224 may be formed as a heating element 200 such that, during use, the aerosol product 204 is positioned between one or more aerosol generators or heating elements 224a and the heating element 200. As will be described in more detail both above and below, the heating element 200 helps to reduce or substantially prevent condensation that occurs on the walls of the receiving region 225 and elsewhere in the aerosol supply device 203.

[0125] The heating element 200 may include a ferrite material that can be heated to a temperature of, for example, 60 to 150°C during a session of use. The heating element 200 may be heated by interacting with a time-varying magnetic field generated by one or more induction coils 224a, the one or more induction coils 224a forming part of one or more aerosol generators or heating elements.

[0126] In an alternative embodiment, the heating element 200 may be heated by a heating unit (not shown) which may comprise one or more resistance heaters and / or one or more induction heaters. The heating unit (not shown) may be positioned in close proximity to the heating element 200 and may be positioned closer to the heating element 200 than the induction coil 224a, or more generally, one or more aerosol generators or heating elements 224a. The heating element 200 may have a thickness of less than 25 μm.

[0127] The outer housing 221 may be configured such that a power supply 222, a control circuit 223, one or more aerosol generators or heating elements 224a, a receiving area 225, and an inhalation sensor 230 are located within the outer housing 221. The outer housing 221 also defines an air inlet 227 and an air outlet 228. A touch-sensitive panel 229 and an end-of-use indicator are located outside the outer housing 221. The power supply 222 is configured to supply operating power to the aerosol supply device 203. The power supply 222 may be any suitable power source, such as a battery. For example, the power supply 222 may comprise a rechargeable battery, such as a lithium-ion battery. The power supply 222 may be removable or form an integrated part of the aerosol supply device 203. In some implementations, the power supply 222 may be recharged by connecting the device 203 to an external power source (such as a commercial power supply) via a relevant connection port, such as a USB port (not shown), or via a suitable wireless receiver (not shown).

[0128] The aerosol product 204 may comprise a carrier component or substrate 242, an aerosol generating material 244, and a susceptor element 244b.

[0129] Figure 7B is a top-down view of the aerosol product 204, Figure 7C is a side view of the aerosol product 204 along its longitudinal axis, and Figure 7D is a side view of the aerosol product 204 along its width axis.

[0130] Figures 7A to 7D represent an aerosol supply system 300 that uses induction to heat the aerosol-generating material 244 to produce an aerosol for inhalation. However, as discussed above, the aerosol supply system 300 may heat the aerosol-generating material 244 using resistance heating instead or in addition. In such embodiments, the component labeled 224a in Figure 7A may comprise a resistance heating element.

[0131] In the described implementation, the aerosol generating component 224 may be formed from two parts: one or more induction heating elements, such as an inductor coil 224a, located within the aerosol supply device 203, and one or more susceptors 224b located within the aerosol product 204. The one or more inductor coils 224a do not necessarily have to be circular wire coils. For example, in the embodiment, the induction heating element may comprise one or more of the following: (i) a flat spiral coil, the spiral coil including a circular or oval spiral, a square or rectangular spiral, a trapezoidal spiral, or a triangular spiral; (ii) a multilayer induction structure, the subsequent complete or partial turns of the coil provided on adjacent layers, and optionally the first layer being spaced apart from the second layer and arranged in a first direction, and the third layer being spaced apart from the second layer and arranged in the opposite direction and located within or near the first layer, such that the multilayer induction structure forms an alternating structure; or (iii) a three-dimensional inductor coil, such as a regular helical or conical inductor coil having a variable spiral pitch.

[0132] As shown in Figures 7C and 7D, the carrier component or substrate 242 may comprise one or more susceptors 224b whose size and position correspond to individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 244 disposed on the surface of the carrier component or substrate 242. That is, the susceptors 224b have similar widths and lengths to the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 244.

[0133] The susceptor is shown embedded within the carrier component or substrate 242. However, in other mounting configurations, the susceptor 224b may be located on the surface of the carrier component or substrate 242. In another mounting configuration (not shown), the susceptor may be provided as a layer substantially covering the carrier component or substrate 242. For example, the susceptor may include a metal foil. According to one embodiment, the susceptor may include an aluminum foil.

[0134] The aerosol supply device 203 may comprise one or more inductor coils 224a, schematically shown in Figure 7A. The inductor coils 224a may include substantially flat coils positioned adjacent to a receiving region 225, with the axis of rotation around which a given coil is wound extending into the receiving region 225 (for example, parallel to the z-axis as shown in Figure 7A) and positioned substantially perpendicular to the carrier components of the aerosol product 204 or the surface of the substrate 242. It should be understood that the exact winding is not shown in Figure 7A and any suitable inductor coil may be used. As understood, the heating element 200 may be configured to be penetrated by a certain proportion of fluctuating magnetic flux (generated by the inductor coils 224a) that was not absorbed by the susceptor 224b provided as part of the aerosol product 204. According to one embodiment, the heating element 200 may be penetrated by less than 10%, 10-20%, 20-30%, 30-40%, 40-50%, 50-60%, 60-70%, 70-80%, 80-90%, or more than 90% of the time-varying magnetic flux generated by one or more inductor coils 224a.

[0135] Figure 7E is a top-down cross-sectional view of the aerosol supply device 203, showing in more detail the arrangement of the aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f. The aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f are arranged so that each aerosol generator or heating element 224a-f coincides with a corresponding individual part of the aerosol generating material 244a-f when the aerosol product 204 is received within the receiving region 225. Thus, in this example, as shown in Figures 7A-7D, the six aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f are arranged in a 2x3 array that roughly corresponds to the 2x3 array arrangement of the six individual parts of the aerosol generating material 244a-f. However, as discussed above, the number of aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f may vary in different implementation configurations, for example, 8, 10, 12, or 14 aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f may be provided. In some implementations, the number of aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f may be six or more but no more than 20. Each of the aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f may be operated individually to heat the corresponding portion of the aerosol generating material 244a-f.

[0136] In some embodiments, each inductor coil 224a may have a substantially trapezoidal shape, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B and described in more detail below. Figures 8A and 8B show two different examples of substantially planar or substantially flat inductor coils.

[0137] Figure 8A shows a trapezoidal inductor structure 1000. The trapezoidal inductor structure may include a conductive track 1001 which may contain a copper track. As shown, the conductive track 1001 may form a substantially trapezoidal inductor coil, which comprises a first slanted side 1002, a second slanted side 1003, a long side 1004, and a short side 1005. The length of the short side 1005 is shorter than the length of the long side 1004.

[0138] Referring to Figure 8B, one embodiment of a substantially planar inductor coil comprising a layered inductor structure 90 is shown, where the layered inductor structure 90 includes a two-layer bifilar coil inductor structure 90 comprising a first layer 91 and a second layer 92. The layered inductor structure 90 in Figure 9B is shown as a trapezoidal inductor structure. However, other embodiments are conceivable in which the layered inductor structure may have different shapes, such as circular, square, or rectangular.

[0139] Other embodiments are conceivable in which the layered inductor structure 90 may have an irregular shape. The layered inductor structure may comprise a first layer 91 which may comprise one or more first conductive wires or tracks 91a, and a second layer 92 which may comprise one or more second conductive wires or tracks 92a. The first conductive wires or tracks 91a and the second conductive wires or tracks 92a may be concentric and substantially overlapping. One or more conductive connecting portions 93 may be provided to electrically connect one or more of the first conductive wires or tracks 91a provided on the first layer 91 to one or more second conductive wires or tracks 92a provided on the second layer 92.

[0140] The layered inductor structure 90 can be formed in PCB format, and vertical planes can be used to stack layers of inductor elements. Furthermore, the inductor structure becomes compact as a result of a low aspect ratio between the height of the copper tracks and the width of the copper tracks. It has been found that coupling wires or tracks vertically rather than horizontally further improves the mutual coupling or capacitive coupling of wires while minimizing phase shifts between wires.

[0141] As is understood, induction heating is the process by which a conductive object called a susceptor is heated by passing a fluctuating magnetic field through it. This process is described by Faraday's law of induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater may comprise an electromagnet and a device for passing a variable current, such as an alternating current, through the electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the object to be heated are preferably positioned relative to each other so that the resulting fluctuating magnetic field generated by the electromagnet passes through the object, one or more eddy currents are generated within the object. The object has resistance to the flow of electric current. Therefore, when such eddy currents are generated within the object, the flow of eddy currents against the electrical resistance of the object causes the object to heat up. This process is called Joule heating, Ohm heating, or resistance heating.

[0142] A susceptor is a material that can be heated by penetration through a fluctuating magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be a conductive material, and consequently, penetration through the conductive material by the fluctuating magnetic field causes inductive heating of the heating material. The heating material may be a magnetic material, and consequently, penetration through the magnetic material by the fluctuating magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both conductive and magnetic, and consequently, the susceptor can be heated by both heating mechanisms. A device configured to generate a fluctuating magnetic field is referred to herein as a magnetic field generator.

[0143] Magnetic hysteresis heating is the process by which an object made of a magnetic material is heated when it is passed through by a fluctuating magnetic field. Magnetic materials can be thought to contain many atomic-scale magnets, or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field passes through such a material, the magnetic dipoles become aligned with the field. Therefore, when a fluctuating magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field generated by an electromagnet, passes through a magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes along with the applied fluctuating magnetic field. Such reorientation of magnetic dipoles causes heat generation in the magnetic material.

[0144] When an object is both conductive and magnetic, passing through it with a fluctuating magnetic field can induce both Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating within the object. Furthermore, the use of magnetic materials can strengthen the magnetic field, which can enhance Joule heating.

[0145] In the described implementation, the susceptor 224b may be formed from aluminum foil, but please understand that in other implementations, other metals and / or conductive materials may be used.

[0146] Figure 9 shows an aerosol supply device 100 according to one embodiment, in which a heating element 200 is provided in the region where an aerosol is generated from an aerosol product. The aerosol supply device 100 is configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol generating material provided on an aerosol product which may include a substrate 110. The aerosol product including the substrate 110 is received in a receiving region 225 of the aerosol supply device 100, which is positioned in close proximity to an aerosol generator or heater 192. The aerosol generator or heater 192 is provided on one side of the receiving region 225, and one or more heating elements 200 are provided on the other side of the receiving region 225.

[0147] The aerosol supply device 100 may comprise a plurality of aerosol generators or heaters 192, and at least some, or each aerosol generator or heater 192, may be configured to generate aerosols from different parts of an aerosol product. For example, a plurality of individual parts of an aerosol generating material may be provided on a substrate 110, and each individual part of the aerosol generating material may be heated separately by a separate aerosol generator or heater 192.

[0148] The aerosol supply device 100 may comprise one or more chambers 190 in which one or more heating elements 200 are arranged. According to one embodiment, a plurality of chambers 190 may be provided above a common receiving region 225 configured to receive aerosol products. Some or each of the chambers 190 may have heating elements 190 disposed therein.

[0149] The heating element 200 or each heating element 200 may include a ferrite material that can be heated to a temperature of, for example, 60 to 150°C during a session of use. According to one embodiment, the aerosol generator or heater 192 or each heating element 200 may be configured to heat the heating element 200 to a temperature in the range of 60 to 70°C, 70 to 80°C, 80 to 90°C, 90 to 100°C, 100 to 110°C, 110 to 120°C, 120 to 130°C, 130 to 140°C, or 140 to 150°C during a session of use. The heating element 200 including the ferrite material may be heated by interacting with a time-varying magnetic field that can be generated by the aerosol generator or heater 192, which may include one or more inductor coils.

[0150] In alternative embodiments, one or more heating elements 200 may be heated by a heating unit (not shown) which may comprise one or more resistance heaters and / or one or more (further) induction heaters. Thus, it is intended that one or more heating elements 200 may be heated by a resistance or induction heater other than the aerosol generator or heater 192, which is positioned adjacent to the receiving region 192. The heating elements 200 may be relatively thin and may have a thickness of less than 25 μm. For example, the ferrite material forming the heating elements 200 may have a thickness of less than 25 μm, less than 20 μm, less than 15 μm, or less than 10 μm.

[0151] The aerosol generator or heater 192 may include an induction heater 192 that enables rapid heating of the aerosol-generating material provided on the substrate 110, but such rapid heating may increase the risk of condensation formation because the induction heater may generate condensate-forming material at a rate higher than it can be carried away in the aerosol flow. Therefore, providing one or more heating elements 200 (which may be placed in the region where the aerosol is first released) can substantially prevent the formation of condensation in the chamber 190.

[0152] The aerosol supply device 100 has a receiving region 225 into which an aerosol product containing an aerosol generating material is introduced. The aerosol product may include a planar aerosol product containing the aerosol generating material. However, it will be understood that the aerosol product may have a shape other than planar. According to various embodiments, an aerosol generator or heater 192 is positioned adjacent to the receiving region 225 and configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol generating material provided on or comprising the substrate 110. In particular, it will be understood that the formation of condensates on the upper inner surface of the chamber 190 (i.e., the side opposite to that defined by the aerosol generator or heater 192) is a particular problem.

[0153] The receiving region 225 is positioned between the aerosol generator or heater 192 and one or more heating elements 200. That is, the aerosol generator or heater 192 is positioned on one side of the receiving region 225, or adjacent to it, and the one or more heating elements 200 are positioned on the other side of the receiving region 225, or adjacent to it, so that the aerosol generator or heater 192 is not closer to the one or more heating elements 200 than the receiving region 225.

[0154] As discussed above, according to one embodiment, the aerosol generator or heater 192 may include one or more first inductors. The one or more first inductors are also configured to heat the heating element 200 to reduce the formation of condensation in the chamber 190.

[0155] The substrate 110 may include a metallic element (i.e., a susceptor) configured to be heated by a fluctuating magnetic field generated by one or more first inductors, which may include an aerosol generator or heater 192. The susceptor may include a metallic foil, and in particular, the susceptor may include an aluminum foil.

[0156] Aluminum foil has a relatively low magnetic permeability, and therefore, it will be understood that some of the magnetic flux (generated by one or more first inductors) will pass through and over the susceptor provided on the substrate 110. Thus, one or more heating elements 200 positioned on the other side of the receiving region 225 relative to the other side of one or more inductors forming the aerosol generator or heater 192 may be configured to interact with the fluctuating magnetic flux that is not completely absorbed by the susceptor on the substrate 110. As a result, one or more heating elements 200 containing ferrite material may be heated by induction heating. Such induction heating may be considered a method by which the heating elements 200 can be heated during a usage session.

[0157] In embodiments in which the heating element 200 includes a ferrite material (e.g., a ferromagnetic material), the induction heating of the heating element 200 is further enhanced as a result of magnetic hysteresis loss. Therefore, the heating element 200 may be more susceptible to induction heating by a fluctuating magnetic field than the susceptor of the substrate 110. However, in use, the relative arrangement of the susceptor between the heating element 200 and one or more inductors comprising the aerosol generator or heater 192 allows relatively low levels of magnetic flux to reach and penetrate the heating element 200. However, since the heating element 200 may include a ferrite material, the ferrite material may have relatively high sensitivity to induction heating, which allows the heating element 200 to be heated even at relatively low magnetic flux values.

[0158] A ferrite material that may include one or more heating elements 200 may have a permeability μ1, and a susceptor (e.g., aluminum foil) provided as part of an aerosol product or consumable may have a permeability μ2. Embodiments are intended in which the ratio μ1 / μ2 is less than 100, 100-500, 500-1000, 1000-1500, 1500-2000, 2000-2500, 2500-3000, 3000-3500, 3500-4000, 4000-4500, 4500-5000, or greater than 5000, i.e., a ferrite material provided as part of one or more heating elements 200 may have a permeability substantially higher than that of the susceptor (e.g., aluminum foil). According to various embodiments, the ferrite material has a viscosity of (i) 100-200 μ / μ0, (ii) 200-300 μ / μ0, (iii) 300-400 μ / μ0, (iv) 400-500 μ / μ0, (v) 500-600 μ / μ0, (vi) 600-700 μ / μ0, (vii) 700-800 μ / μ0, (viii) 800-900 μ / μ0, (ix) 900-1000 μ / μ0, (x) 1000-1100 μ / μ0, (xi) 1100-1 It may have a relative permeability selected from the range of 200 μ / μ0, (xii) 1200-1300 μ / μ0, (xiii) 1300-1400 μ / μ0, (xiv) 1400-1500 μ / μ0, (xv) 1500-1600 μ / μ0, (xvi) 1600-1700 μ / μ0, (xvii) 1700-1800 μ / μ0, (xviii) 1800-1900 μ / μ0, (xix) 1900-2000 μ / μ0, and (xx) greater than 2000 μ / μ0. According to various embodiments, the aerosol generator or heater 192 may comprise one or more induction coils having a first surface area A1 in a plane parallel to the plane of the susceptor, the heating element 200 having a second surface area A2 in a plane parallel to the plane of the susceptor, and the ratio A2 / A1 is in the range of (i) 0.7~0.8, (ii) 0.8~0.9, (iii) 0.9~1.0, (iv) 1.0~1.1, (v) 1.1~1.2 and (vi) 1.2~1.3.

[0159] The aerosol generator or heater 192 may be configured to heat the susceptor and / or aerosol-generating material to a temperature in the range of 200 to 400°C during a usage session. According to various embodiments, the aerosol generator or heater 192 may be configured to heat the susceptor to a temperature in the range of 200 to 220°C, 220 to 240°C, 240 to 260°C, 260 to 280°C, 280 to 300°C, 300 to 320°C, 320 to 340°C, 340 to 360°C, 360 to 380°C, or 380 to 400°C during a usage session. According to various embodiments, the aerosol generator or heater 192 may be configured to heat the aerosol generating material to a temperature within the range of 200-220°C, 220-240°C, 240-260°C, 260-280°C, 280-300°C, 300-320°C, 320-340°C, 340-360°C, 360-380°C, or 380-400°C during a usage session.

[0160] It is not essential that the heating element 200 is heated by induction heating by an aerosol generator or heater 192 which may be positioned in close proximity to the receiving region 225. For example, according to an alternative embodiment, the aerosol generator or heater 192 may comprise one or more first resistance heaters, in which case the heating element 200 may be heated by other means.

[0161] In some embodiments, the heating element 200 is intended to heat the air within the receiving region 225 in combination with heat transfer via conduction or radiation from the aerosol generator or heater 192. This heating of the air within the receiving region 225 helps to substantially prevent the accumulation of condensation within the receiving region 225. In certain examples, the air near the aerosol product comprising the substrate 110 may be heated to a temperature of 120°C or higher. This may be sufficient to substantially reduce the likelihood of condensation forming in the chamber 190. In other embodiments, the heating element 200 may be heated to a lower or higher temperature so that the air near the aerosol product can be heated to a temperature of 150°C or higher, or in yet another case 170°C or higher, or even further to 200°C or higher.

[0162] Other methods for heating or warming the heating element 200 during a session of use are contemplated. For example, in one embodiment, instead of the heating element 200 being heated by the first inductor, the heating element 200 may instead be heated by a separate heating unit (not shown). The heating unit is configured to heat the heating element 200 to reduce the formation of condensation in the chamber 190. The heating unit 200 may comprise one or more inductors or one or more resistor heaters. The ferrite material may include a coating or foil, and the ferrite material may have a thickness of less than 25 μm.

[0163] The heating element 200 may be arranged to be planar and may include the planar inner surface of the chamber 190. Other embodiments are contemplated in which the heating element 200 may be curved, concave, convex, or domed in shape. For example, the heating element 200 may include the curved, concave, convex, or domed inner surface of the chamber 190. In the particular example shown in Figure 9, a single chamber 190 is shown. However, other embodiments are contemplated in which the aerosol supply device 100 may comprise a plurality of individual chambers. For example, at least some, or each, of the chambers may be configured to receive aerosols generated from different parts of an aerosol product. At least some, or each of the chambers 190 may comprise a heating element 200 comprising a ferrite material, and each heating element 200 may be provided to prevent the formation of condensation within each of the chambers 190.

[0164] According to various embodiments, the aerosol supply device 100 may be configured to move, translate, or rotate an aerosol product relative to at least one aerosol generator or heater 192 during a usage session. An aerosol generation system is also disclosed comprising the aerosol supply device 100 in combination with a substrate 110 containing an aerosol generating material and a susceptor, or with an aerosol product. The susceptor may include a metal foil such as aluminum foil, and the susceptor may have a relative permeability of 1.0 μm / μ0. The susceptor may be relatively thin and may have a thickness of less than 10 μm.

[0165] Other embodiments are conceivable in which the susceptor may include materials other than aluminum. In particular, the susceptor may include a material having a relative permeability higher than that of aluminum. For example, according to various embodiments, the susceptor may have a relative permeability of (i) less than 100 μ / μ0, (ii) 100 to 200 μ / μ0, (iii) 200 to 300 μ / μ0, (iv) 300 to 400 μ / μ0, (v) 400 to 500 μ / μ0, (vi) 500 to 600 μ / μ0, (vii) 600 to 700 μ / μ0, (viii) 700 to 800 μ / μ0, (ix) 800 to 900 μ / μ0, (x) 900 to 1000 μ / μ0, (xi) 1000 to 1100 μ / μ0, (xi) i) may have a relative permeability selected from (xiii) 1100~1200 μ / μ0, (xiii) 1200~1300 μ / μ0, (xiv) 1300~1400 μ / μ0, (xv) 1400~1500 μ / μ0, (xvi) 1500~1600 μ / μ0, (xvii) 1600~1700 μ / μ0, (xviii) 1700~1800 μ / μ0, (xix) 1800~1900 μ / μ0, (xx) 1900~2000 μ / μ0, and (xxi) greater than 2000 μ / μ0.

[0166] The heating element 200 and the susceptor, which forms part of the aerosol product, may be configured to be positioned relatively close to each other. For example, at least a portion of the heating element 200 may be spaced less than 4 mm from the top surface of the susceptor. The heating element 200 containing ferrite material also allows the chamber 190 to have a relatively large volume, while still allowing the heating element 200 to be sufficiently heated to reduce condensation formation in the chamber 190.

[0167] According to various embodiments, one or more heating elements may include a ferrite material, which may include 430-type stainless steel. 430-type stainless steel is particularly beneficial because it exhibits a relatively high level of corrosion resistance while being formable, relatively ductile, and allowing for the manufacture or fabrication of heating elements 200 with desired shapes or profiles at a relatively low cost.

[0168] According to various embodiments, the ferrite material may include non-hardening ordinary chromium stainless steel having excellent finish quality. Type 430 or Grade 430 stainless steel also has excellent resistance to nitrogen attack, which makes the stainless steel particularly well-suited for use in chemical applications. According to various embodiments, Type 430 stainless steel, or relative permeability μ in the range of 100 to 1800 μ / μ0 r Other forms of ferrite materials, such as stainless steel, may be used.

[0169] More generally, ferrite materials may include steel (i.e., alloys) that may optionally contain chromium and other trace elements. The relative permeability μ of a ferrite material can be determined from the variation in B / H from the hysteresis curve. r It may have, where B is the magnetic flux density and H is the magnetic field strength. Ferrite materials have relative permeability μ r = μ / μ0 can be present, μ0 = 4π × 10 -7 It is H / m.

[0170] A method for generating an aerosol is also disclosed, which includes the steps of providing an aerosol supply device and introducing a substrate containing an aerosol generating material and a susceptor, or an aerosol product, into the aerosol supply device.

[0171] Figure 10 shows an image of the substrate 110 and the associated heating element 200 according to one embodiment in which the heating element 200 is provided in the upper region of the chamber 190 having a receiving region 225. The heating element 200 comprises a ferrite material and is intended to reduce the risk of condensation accumulating in the chamber 190. In particular, it is desirable to avoid the presence of unheated portions in the aerosol flow path through the aerosol supply device. In particular, when an aerosol encounters a lower temperature region, the aerosol may experience a pressure drop as it flows through that region. In such situations, condensate may tend to move toward the colder region due to the pressure difference. The heating element 200 according to various embodiments substantially prevents this from happening.

[0172] According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the inner surface of the chamber 190 may be effectively heated or warmed during a usage session via one or more heating elements 200 so that the accumulation of condensates within the chamber 190 can be limited or substantially prevented. Heating or warming of the heating elements 200 placed within the chamber 190 encourages the re-evaporation of any condensates that may have formed, thereby helping the condensate-forming material leave the chamber 190. As an addition or alternative, such heating of the inner surface of the chamber 190 may also heat or warm the air within the chamber 190, thereby increasing the amount of moisture held by the air and thus reducing the likelihood of condensates forming within the chamber 190. As understood, the heating elements 200 may form part of the inner surface of the chamber 190 itself or may consist of separate elements.

[0173] As a result of heating or warming the inner surface of the chamber 190, at least a portion of the inner surface of the chamber 190 may reach a temperature of 85°C or higher, sufficient to cause significant re-evaporation of condensates or to prevent condensates from forming in the first place. According to other embodiments, the aerosol supply device may be configured to reach a temperature of at least 90°C for at least a portion of the inner surface, at least 95°C in other cases, and at least 100°C in yet other cases. As can be understood, this may encourage re-evaporation of condensates and help condensate-forming material to exit from the inlet conduit.

[0174] As described above, heating the inner surface of chamber 190 heats the air in that region, thereby increasing the amount of moisture held by the air and thus reducing the possibility of condensation forming in the conduit. Therefore, heating the inner surface of chamber 190 can heat the air in the conduit to a temperature of 120°C or higher, which is often sufficient to substantially reduce the possibility of condensation forming in that region. In other cases, it may be appropriate to configure the aerosol supply device so that the air is heated to a temperature of 150°C or higher, or in yet another case to 170°C or higher, or even further to 200°C or higher.

[0175] Figure 11 shows experimental results obtained by heating a heating element 200 equipped with a ferrite plate together with a substrate 110 similar to that shown in Figure 10. The experimental results shown in Figure 11 show how the temperature of the heating element 200 (bottom trace) and the temperature of the aluminum foil susceptor placed on the substrate 110 (top trace) varied as a function of time. The aluminum foil susceptor was 6.5 μm thick and was placed on the substrate 110 (including paper / card with a thickness of 104 μm). The aerosol-generating material was placed on the aluminum foil susceptor. The heating element 200 was placed 1.8 mm from the top surface of the aluminum foil susceptor.

[0176] The inductor coil used to heat or warm both the aluminum foil susceptor and the heating element 200 included a LITZ(RTM) coil. The lower trace shows how the temperature profile of the heating element 200 peaked at approximately 130°C about 10 seconds after the inductor coil was first energized. The upper trace shows how the temperature profile of the aluminum foil susceptor varied as a function of time. The aerosol supply device was operated with a desired setpoint or target operating temperature of 300°C set for the aluminum foil susceptor. However, the presence of the heating element 200 in close proximity to the aluminum foil susceptor had the effect of slightly reducing the setpoint, so that the maximum temperature of the aluminum foil susceptor peaked at approximately 280°C about 10 seconds after the inductor coil was energized.

[0177] While the embodiments described above focus in some respects on several specific exemplary aerosol generating systems, it will be understood that the same principles may apply to aerosol generating systems using other techniques. That is, the specific ways in which various embodiments of aerosol supply systems function are not directly related to the underlying principles of the examples described herein.

[0178] Aerosol supply systems can be used in tobacco industry products, such as non-flammable aerosol supply systems. Tobacco industry products may include heating products that release one or more compounds by heating but not burning a substrate material. The substrate material may include an aerosolizable material, which may or may not contain nicotine, and may be tobacco or other non-tobacco products. Heating device products may include tobacco heating products. Heating products may include electronic devices or non-electronic articles. Tobacco industry products may include hybrid systems for generating aerosols by heating but not burning a combination of substrate materials. The substrate material may include, for example, a solid, liquid, or gel, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system may include a liquid or gel substrate in combination with a solid substrate. The solid substrate may include a tobacco or non-tobacco product, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system may include a liquid or gel substrate in combination with a tobacco rod or substrate.

[0179] To address various issues and advance the technology, this disclosure provides illustrative examples of various embodiments. The advantages and features of this disclosure are merely representative samples of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. They are presented solely to aid understanding and to teach the claimed invention. The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects of this disclosure should not be considered limitations to the disclosure as defined by the claims or to equivalents of the claims, and it should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and modified without departing from the scope of the claims. Various embodiments may suitably include, be composed of, or essentially consist of, various combinations of disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein, and it should be understood that the features of dependent claims may be combined with the features of independent claims in combinations other than those expressly described in the claims. This disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. An aerosol supply device for generating aerosols from aerosol-generating materials, A chamber having a heating element containing a ferrite material, A receiving region configured to receive a planar aerosol product containing an aerosol generating material, At least one aerosol generator configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol generating material, Equipped with, An aerosol supply device in which the receiving region is positioned between the at least one aerosol generator and the at least one heating element.

2. The aerosol supply device according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol generator comprises one or more first inductors.

3. The aerosol supply device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more first inductors are also configured to heat the heating element to reduce the formation of condensation in the chamber.

4. The aerosol supply device according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol generator comprises one or more first resistance heaters.

5. The aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the aerosol generator is configured to heat the heating element to a temperature in the range of 60 to 150°C during a usage session.

6. The aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a heating unit configured to heat the heating element in order to reduce the formation of condensation in the chamber.

7. The aerosol supply device according to claim 6, wherein the heating unit comprises one or more second inductors.

8. The aerosol supply device according to claim 6, wherein the heating unit comprises one or more second resistance heaters.

9. The aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the ferrite material comprises a coating or foil.

10. The aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the ferrite material has a thickness of less than 25 μm.

11. Encouragement (())100200μ0μ ０ 、(x)2000300μ0μ ０ 、(s)3000400μ0μ ０ 、(s)4005500μ0μ ０ 、(s)5000600μ0μ ０ 、(s)600700μ0μ ０ 、(s) 700800μ0μ ０ 、(s)8000900μ0μ ０ 、(fi)90001000μ0μ ０ 、(9)100001100μ0μ ０ 、(9)110001200μ0μ ０ 、(s)120001300μ0μ ０ 、(s)130001400μ0μ ０ 、(fig)140001500μ0μ ０ 、(9)150001600μ0μ ０ 、(N)16001700μ0μ ０ 、(s)170001800μ0μ ０ 、(s)180001900μ0μ ０ 、(90)190002000μ0μ ０ 、(9)2000μ0μ ０ The results of this are very interesting 10 of this is a great deal of snowflakes.

12. The aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the heating element is planar.

13. The aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the heating element is curved, concave, convex, or dome-shaped.

14. The aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the aerosol supply device comprises a plurality of aerosol generators, and at least some, or each aerosol generator, is configured to generate aerosols from different parts of the planar aerosol product.

15. The aerosol supply device according to claim 14, wherein the aerosol supply device comprises a plurality of chambers, and at least some, or each chamber, is configured to receive aerosols generated from different portions of the planar aerosol product.

16. The aerosol supply device according to claim 15, wherein at least some, or each chamber, comprises a heating element containing a ferrite material.

17. An aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, configured to move, translate or rotate the planar aerosol product relative to the at least one aerosol generator during a usage session.

18. an aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, Planar aerosol products including aerosol generating materials and susceptors An aerosol generation system equipped with the following features.

19. The aerosol generating system according to claim 18, wherein the susceptor includes a metal foil.

20. The aerosol generating system according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the susceptor contains aluminum.

21. The susceptor has a relative permeability of 1.0 μ / μ ０ or the susceptor has a relative permeability selected from the group consisting of (i) less than 100 μ / μ ０ , (ii) 100 to 200 μ / μ ０ , (iii) 200 to 300 μ / μ ０ , (iv) 300 to 400 μ / μ ０ , (v) 400 to 500 μ / μ ０ , (vi) 500 to 600 μ / μ ０ , (vii) 600 to 700 μ / μ ０ , (viii) 700 to 800 μ / μ ０ , (ix) 800 to 900 μ / μ ０ , (x) 900 to 1000 μ / μ ０ , (xi) 1000 to 1100 μ / μ ０ , (xii) 1100 to 1200 μ / μ ０ , (xiii) 1200 to 1300 μ / μ ０ , (xiv) 1300 to 1400 μ / μ ０ , (xv) 1400 to 1500 μ / μ ０ , (xvi) 1500 to 1600 μ / μ ０ , (xvii) 1600 to 1700 μ / μ ０ , (xviii) 1700 to 1800 μ / μ ０ , (xix) 1800 to 1900 μ / μ ０ , (xx) 1900 to 2000 μ / μ ０ , and (xxi) greater than 2000 μ / μ ０ The aerosol generation system according to claim 18, 19 or 20, having a relative permeability selected from the group consisting of.

22. The aerosol generation system according to any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein the susceptor has a thickness of less than 10 μm.

23. The aerosol generation system according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the heating element and the susceptor are spaced less than 4 mm apart.

24. The aerosol generation system according to any one of claims 18 to 23, wherein the aerosol generator is configured to heat the susceptor and / or the aerosol generating material to a temperature in the range of 200 to 400°C during a usage session.

25. The ferrite material is μ １ It has a permeability of μ, and the susceptor is μ ２ It has a permeability of μ, and a ratio of μ １ / μ ２ The aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 18 to 24, wherein the value is less than 100, 100 to 500, 500 to 1000, 1000 to 1500, 1500 to 2000, 2000 to 2500, 2500 to 3000, 3000 to 3500, 3500 to 4000, 4000 to 4500, 4500 to 5000, or greater than 5000.

26. The aerosol generator has a first surface area A in a plane parallel to the plane of the susceptor. １ The heating element comprises one or more induction coils having a second surface area A in a plane parallel to the plane of the susceptor ２ It has ratio A ２ / A １ The aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 18 to 25, wherein the value is within the range of (i) 0.7 to 0.8, (ii) 0.8 to 0.9, (iii) 0.9 to 1.0, (iv) 1.0 to 1.1, (v) 1.1 to 1.2, and (vi) 1.2 to 1.

3.

27. The steps of providing an aerosol supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, The steps include introducing a planar aerosol product, including an aerosol generating material and a susceptor, into the aerosol supply device. A method for generating an aerosol containing [a specific substance].

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