Aerosol Delivery System

Abstract

To generate a novel aerosol provision system and a method for generating an aerosol.SOLUTION: An aerosol provision system 100 includes: an aerosol generating medium 114; a source of energy for heating 120 configured to cause heating of the aerosol generating medium in a heating zone 140; a movement mechanism 130 arranged to move the aerosol generating medium; an aerosol outlet 150; and a flow path 160 arranged between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet so that generated aerosol flows along the flow path. The aerosol generating medium is translatable past the sources of energy for heating into the heating zone, respective portions of the aerosol generating medium are individually presented to the source of energy for heating to form an aerosol; and the aerosol generating medium is arranged to move along a line that is at an angle to the flow path of the generated aerosol.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Aerosol delivery devices are known. Typical devices use a heater to generate an aerosol from a suitable medium, which is then inhaled by a user. Often the suitable medium requires a significant level of heating before it generates an aerosol for inhalation. Similarly, current devices provide the user with a variety of media from which they can generate inhalable aerosol. Current devices often require modification of the device, such as loading of a medium, to allow for a change of the aerosol generating medium that is active within the device.

[0003] It is desirable for an aerosol delivery device to quickly deliver an aerosolized payload to a user, and therefore, to avoid long warm-up times before the user can receive the aerosolized payload.

[0004] The present invention is directed to solving some of the problems mentioned above. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Aspects of the invention are defined in the appended claims.

[0006] According to some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol generating medium, a heating energy source configured to cause heating of the aerosol generating medium within a heating zone, a moving mechanism configured to move the aerosol generating medium, an aerosol outlet through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user, and a flow path arranged between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet such that an aerosol generated from the heated aerosol generating medium flows along the flow path, wherein the aerosol generating medium is translatable past the heating energy source into the heating zone, each portion of the aerosol generating medium is individually provided to the heating energy source to generate an aerosol, and the aerosol generating medium is arranged to move along a line that is at an angle to the flow path of the generated aerosol.

[0007] According to some embodiments described herein, there is provided a method of generating an aerosol in an aerosol delivery system, the method comprising the steps of: providing an aerosol generating medium; providing a heating energy source; providing a moving mechanism; providing an aerosol outlet through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user; moving the aerosol generating medium individually in translation by the moving mechanism past the heating energy source to a heating zone; and heating a first portion of the aerosol generating medium provided to the heating energy source in the heating zone to generate an aerosol, wherein the aerosol generating medium is positioned along a line that is angled with respect to a flow path of the generated aerosol, and the flow path is disposed between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet.

[0008] According to some embodiments described herein, there is provided a consumable for use in an aerosol delivery device, the consumable comprising a strip having multiple portions of an aerosol generation medium along its length, the multiple portions being separate from one another.

[0009] According to some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol delivery device configured to receive an aerosol generating medium, the aerosol delivery device comprising: a heating energy source configured to, in use, cause heating of the aerosol generating medium within a heating zone; a moving mechanism configured to, in use, move the aerosol generating medium; an aerosol outlet through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user in use; and a flow path disposed between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet such that, in use, an aerosol generated from the heated aerosol generating medium flows along the flow path, wherein the aerosol generating medium is translatable past the heating energy source and into the heating zone, wherein respective portions of the aerosol generating medium are individually provided to the heating energy source to generate an aerosol, and wherein the moving mechanism is configured, in use, to move the aerosol generating medium along a line that is at an angle to the flow path of the generated aerosol.

[0010] According to some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol supply means comprising an aerosol generating means, a heating means configured to heat the aerosol generating means to generate an aerosol, a moving providing means configured to move the aerosol generating means, a heated zone through which the aerosol generating means is moved by the moving providing means to generate an aerosol, an aerosol outlet means through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user, and a flow path arranged between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet means such that the aerosol generated from the heated aerosol generating means flows along the flow path, wherein the aerosol generating means is linearly translatable past the heating means to the heated zone, each portion of the aerosol generating means is individually provided to the heating means to generate an aerosol, and the aerosol generating means is arranged to move along a line that is at an angle to the flow path of the generated aerosol.

[0011] (Item 1) an aerosol generating medium; a heating energy source configured to cause heating of the aerosol-generating medium within a heating zone; a moving mechanism configured to move the aerosol generation medium; an aerosol outlet through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user; a flow path disposed between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet such that an aerosol generated from the heated aerosol-generating medium flows along the flow path; 1. An aerosol delivery system comprising: the aerosol-generating medium is translatable through the heating energy source to the heating zone, and respective portions of the aerosol-generating medium are individually provided to the heating energy source to generate an aerosol; An aerosol delivery system, wherein the aerosol generation medium is arranged to move along a line that is angled relative to the flow path of the generated aerosol. (Item 2) 2. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein the movement of the aerosol generation medium enabled by the moving mechanism is along an axis transverse to the flow path. (Item 3) 3. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the heating zone is disposed substantially between the aerosol outlet and the heating energy source. (Item 4) 4. The aerosol delivery system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the moving mechanism comprises an indexing system configured to enable indexing movement of the aerosol generation medium. (Item 5) 5. The aerosol delivery system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the moving mechanism is configured to enable indexing movement over a fixed and / or variable distance per index and / or at a fixed and / or variable time interval per index. (Item 6) When the aerosol generation medium is connected to the moving mechanism, Rings and A flattened elongated bar; U-shape and The aerosol delivery system according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the aerosol delivery system has any of the following shapes: (Item 7) 7. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the moving mechanism is configured to move each of the portions to the heating zone such that adjacent portions of the aerosol generation medium are moved to the heating zone in sequence. (Item 8) 8. The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the moving mechanism provides a first portion of the aerosol generating medium to the heating energy source for a first period of time and provides a second portion of the aerosol generating medium to the heating energy source for a second period of time, the first period of time being different from the second period of time. (Item 9) 9. The aerosol delivery system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a first power level of the heating energy source for heating a portion of the aerosol generating medium when provided to the heating energy source is different from a second power level of the heating energy source for heating another portion of the aerosol generating medium when provided to the heating energy source. (Item 10) 10. The aerosol delivery system of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the aerosol-generating medium is translatable through the heating energy source to the heating zone, and each portion of the aerosol-generating medium is provided individually to the heating energy source to generate an aerosol. (Item 11) 11. The aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the aerosol-generation medium is planar and has a normal axis substantially parallel to the axis of the aerosol outlet. (Item 12) 1. A method of generating an aerosol in an aerosol delivery system, comprising: Providing an aerosol-generating medium; Providing a source of energy for heating; providing a movement mechanism; providing an aerosol outlet through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user; moving the aerosol-generating medium independently in translation past the heating energy source to a heating zone by the moving mechanism; heating a first portion of the aerosol generating medium provided to the heating energy source to generate an aerosol; Including, The method, wherein the aerosol generation medium is disposed along a line that is angled with respect to a flow path of the generated aerosol, the flow path being disposed between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet. (Item 13) 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of moving the aerosol generating medium individually through the heating energy source and into the heating zone by the moving mechanism includes providing individual portions of the aerosol generating medium to the heating energy source non-sequentially. (Item 14) after heating the first portion of the aerosol-generating medium, heating a second portion of the aerosol-generating medium provided to the heating energy source in the heating zone to generate an aerosol; 14. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein a first time period for heating the first portion of the aerosol-generating medium is different from a second time period for heating the second portion of the aerosol-generating medium. (Item 15) 15. The method of any one of claims 12 to 14, further comprising the step of heating one portion of the aerosol generating medium in the heating zone at a first power level when provided to the heating energy source, the first power level being different from a second power level for heating another portion of the aerosol generating medium in the heating zone when provided to the heating energy source. (Item 16) 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of moving the portion of the aerosol generation medium past the heating energy source and into the heating zone by the moving mechanism comprises moving the portion past the heating energy source and into the heating zone by an indexing motion. (Item 17) 17. The method of claim 16, wherein moving the portion of the aerosol generating medium past the heating energy source and into the heating zone by an indexing motion comprises linearly indexing the portion of the aerosol generating medium past the heating energy source and into the heating zone. (Item 18) 18. The method according to any one of items 12 to 17, wherein the step of moving the aerosol generating medium individually in a translational motion by the moving mechanism past the heating energy source and into the heating zone includes moving the aerosol generating medium individually in a linear translational motion by the moving mechanism past the heating energy source and into the heating zone. (Item 19) 1. A consumable for use in an aerosol delivery device, comprising: a strip having a plurality of portions of an aerosol-generating medium along its length; A consumable item, wherein the portions are separate from one another. (Item 20) 20. A consumable for use with an aerosol delivery device according to item 19, wherein the strip is in the form of a spool, and during use the strip is placed in the aerosol delivery device on a first reel with the spool. (Item 21) 21. A consumable for use with an aerosol delivery device according to item 19 or 20, wherein the strip is removed from the electronic aerosol delivery device on a spool on a second reel. (Item 22) 22. A consumable for use with the aerosol delivery device of claim 19 or 21, wherein the strip comprises a carrier layer on which the portions of the aerosol generation medium are disposed. (Item 23) the strip includes a bottom; The bottom portion is an aerosol impermeable material; an aerosol permeable material; An inductive material; Tobacco and 23. A consumable for use with the aerosol delivery device of any one of claims 19 to 22, formed from at least one of: (Item 24) 1. An aerosol delivery device configured to receive an aerosol-generating medium, comprising: a heating energy source configured, in use, to cause heating of the aerosol generating medium within a heating zone; a moving mechanism configured in use to move the aerosol generation medium; an aerosol outlet through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user in use; a flow path disposed between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet such that, in use, an aerosol generated from the heated aerosol-generating medium flows along the flow path; Equipped with the aerosol-generating medium is translatable through the heating energy source to the heating zone, and respective portions of the aerosol-generating medium are individually provided to the heating energy source to generate an aerosol; An aerosol delivery device, wherein the moving mechanism is configured, in use, to move the aerosol generation medium along a line that is at an angle to the flow path of the generated aerosol. (Item 25) An aerosol generating means; a heating means configured to heat the aerosol generating means to generate an aerosol; a moving means configured to move the aerosol generating means; a heating zone in which the aerosol generating means is moved by the moving providing means to generate an aerosol; an aerosol outlet means through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user; a flow path disposed between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet means such that the aerosol generated from the heated aerosol generating means flows along the flow path; An aerosol supply means comprising: the aerosol-generating medium is linearly translatable through the heating means into the heating zone, and respective portions of the aerosol-generating medium are individually provided to the heating means to generate an aerosol; an aerosol supply means arranged to cause the aerosol generating means to move along a line which is at an angle to the flow path of the generated aerosol; The present teachings will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following figures, in which like parts are indicated with like reference numerals, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aerosol delivery device according to an example embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aerosol delivery device according to an example embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aerosol delivery device according to an example embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aerosol delivery device according to an example embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aerosol delivery device according to an example embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic top view of a round substrate including a portion of an aerosol-generating medium according to an example embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description of the specific embodiments are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary, the invention covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0014] Aspects and features of specific examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of specific examples and embodiments may be implemented in a conventional manner and, for the sake of brevity, are not discussed / described in detail. Thus, it should be understood that aspects and features of the apparatus and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail may be implemented according to any conventional technique for implementing such aspects and features.

[0015] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems, such as e-cigarettes (also referred to as aerosol delivery systems). Throughout the following description, the terms "e-cigarette" and "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used. However, it should be understood that these terms may be used interchangeably with aerosol delivery systems / devices and electronic aerosol delivery systems / devices. Additionally, as is common in the art, the terms "aerosol" and "vapor" and related terms such as "vaporization," "volatilization," and "aerosolization" may generally be used interchangeably.

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a portion of an aerosol delivery device 100. The device 100 is designed to simulate a cigarette and therefore may have a substantially cylindrical shape and may be approximately the same size as a cigarette. The device 100 has a substrate 110 that contains an aerosol-generating medium within the device 100. The combination of the device 100 and the substrate 110 forms an aerosol delivery system. The substrate 110 has a first surface 112 that contains the aerosol-generating medium. In the embodiments described herein, the substrate 110 can include a carrier layer 111 (sometimes referred to herein as a carrier or substrate support layer) having a first surface on which the aerosol-generating medium is disposed. In this embodiment, the combination of the surface of the carrier layer 111 and the aerosol-generating material forms the first surface 112 of the substrate 110.

[0017] The aerosol-generating medium may be in the form of a portion or dose (as used herein, a "dose" is a portion of a predetermined amount of an aerosol-generating medium) 114 of the aerosol-generating medium. The terms portion and dose may be used interchangeably throughout this specification. These terms are intended to mean a portion of the entire aerosol-generating medium. The substrate 110 has a second surface 116 opposite the first surface 112. In the illustrated embodiment, the second surface 116 is formed by a carrier layer 111. That is, the carrier layer 111 has a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface, and the aerosol-generating material is disposed on the first surface of the carrier layer 111.

[0018] The device 100 has a heating energy source 120 arranged to face the second surface 116 of the substrate 110. The heating energy source 120 may also be a heater, and these two terms are used interchangeably throughout. The heating energy source 120 is an element of the aerosol delivery device 100 that transfers energy from a power source, such as a battery (not shown), to the aerosol-generating medium 114 to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating medium 120. In the examples described below, the heating energy source 120 is a heater 120, e.g., a resistive heater 120, that provides energy (in the form of heat) to the aerosol-generating medium to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating medium. It should be understood that a variety of heaters of heating system components can be implemented according to the present disclosure.

[0019] The device 100 has a moving mechanism 130 configured to move the dose 114 of the aerosol-generating medium. The dose 114 of the aerosol-generating medium is rotationally movable relative to the heater 120 such that portions of the aerosol-generating medium are individually provided to the heater 120. The device 100 is configured such that at least one dose 114 of the aerosol-generating medium is rotated about an axis A at an angle θ relative to the first surface 112. The substrate 110 in this embodiment may be substantially flat. The carrier layer 111 of the substrate 110 in this embodiment may be formed partly or entirely from paper or card.

[0020] The substrate 110 in FIG. 1 has several (five) doses (or portions) 114 of the aerosol generating medium. In other examples, the substrate 110 may have more or fewer doses 114 of the aerosol generating medium. In some examples, the substrate 110 may have the doses 114 of the aerosol generating medium arranged as individual doses, as shown in FIG. 1. In other examples, the doses 114 may be in the form of a disk, which may be continuous or discontinuous, disposed on the first surface 112 of the substrate 110. In yet other examples, the doses 114 may be in the form of an annulus, a ring, or any other shape. The substrate 110 may or may not have a rotationally symmetric distribution of the doses 114 at the first surface 112 about the axis A. A symmetric distribution of the doses 114 allows the evenly spaced doses (within the rotationally symmetric distribution) to receive a uniform heating profile from the heater 120 upon rotation about the axis A, as desired. The substrate 110 or the carrier layer 111 of the substrate 110 may include nicotine, tobacco, or tobacco derivatives, etc. The substrate 110 (or the carrier layer 111) may be formed of only such materials or may be made of multiple such materials. The substrate 110 (or the carrier layer 111) may have a layered structure from multiple materials. In one example, the substrate 110 (or the carrier layer 111) may have layers of thermally conductive, conductive, permeable, or impermeable materials.

[0021] The device 100, in one example, can have substantially the same distance to the mouthpiece and the heating energy source 120 to provide a more consistent user experience. In one example, the aerosol-generating material is disposed on the substrate 110 at a distance within a 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 from the heating energy source 120. In some cases, there can be a minimum spacing of at least about 10 μm, 15 μm, 17 μm, 20 μm, 23 μm, 25 μm, 50 μm, 75 μm, or 0.1 mm between the heating energy source 120 and the aerosol-generating material of the substrate 110.

[0022] The device 100 may have multiple chambers or regions that may or may not be separated from each other. The device 100 may have a power chamber (not shown) with an energy storage for powering the heating energy source 120 and / or the movement mechanism 130. The heater 120 may be an electrical resistance heater 120. The heater 120 may be a chemically activated heater, which may or may not operate by an exothermic reaction or the like. The heater 120 provides thermal energy, i.e., heat, to an environment surrounding the heater 120. At least a portion of the substrate 110 is within the influence area of ​​the heater 120. The influence area of ​​the heater 120 is an area in which the heater 120 can provide heat to an element. The heating energy source 120 may be part of an induction heating system, where the heating energy source 120 is an energy source for induction heating, and the substrate 110 may be or may include a susceptor, such as a susceptor. The susceptor may be a sheet of aluminum foil, for example. The susceptor may be part of the carrier layer 111 .

[0023] 1 may slightly increase the complexity of the moving mechanism 130 for moving the substrate 110, but benefits from only one heater being required to heat multiple portions of the aerosol-generating medium. The heater 120 of the FIG. 1 configuration requires only one control mechanism, rather than multiple heaters requiring multiple control mechanisms. This configuration may therefore reduce the cost and control complexity associated with operating and controlling the heater 120.

[0024] The shape of the device 100 may be cigarette-shaped (one dimension longer than the other two dimensions) or other shapes. In one example, the device 100 may have a shape in which two dimensions are longer than the other, such as a compact disc player. Alternatively, the shape may be any shape that can adequately accommodate the substrate 110, the heating energy source 120, and the movement mechanism 130.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the aerosol delivery device 100. FIG. 2 shows a similar configuration to that shown in FIG. 1, but with the additional feature of including specific individualized doses 114A, 114B, 114C of an aerosol-generating medium. The heater 120 has a specific area of ​​influence associated with the substrate 110, referred to as the heating zone 140. As shown in FIG. 1, the heating zone 140 may be located directly above the heater 120. The heating zone 140 is the area where the dose 114 of the aerosol-generating medium is moved by the moving mechanism 130 to generate an aerosol. This movement of the dose 114 to the heating zone 140 may occur prior to the heating of the dose 114 of the aerosol-generating medium by the heater 120. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the dose 114C of the aerosol-generating medium is moved to the heating zone 140. The heater 120 may heat the dose 114C in the heating zone 140 to generate an aerosol. Conversely, the doses 114 A, 114 B that are not located in the heating zone 140 are positioned far enough away from the heating zone 140 so that they are not heated by the heater 120 .

[0026] In one example of device 100, during use, heater 120 is activated after dose 114C has been transferred to heating region 140. This configuration has the advantage that energy is conserved during the transfer phase of substrate 110. This extends the operational lifetime of device 100 due to the longer life of the power supply (not shown) to heater 120, and the longer life of heater 120 itself.

[0027] In another example, the heater 120 may be activated before the dose 114C is moved to the heated region 140. This configuration has the advantage that no warm-up period is required for the heater 120 to reach a suitable temperature to induce aerosolization of the aerosol-generating medium after the dose 114C reaches the heated region 140. Thus, delivery of the aerosol to a user inhaling the device 100 occurs more quickly, thus improving the user experience of the device 100.

[0028] With further reference to FIG. 2, the device 100 has a moving mechanism 130 for enabling the movement of the dose 114. The moving mechanism 130 in the example shown in FIG. 2 is connected to the substrate 110. The moving mechanism 130 can be a rotating element around which the substrate 110 can rotate, such as a ball bearing. In one example, the substrate 110 can be placed on the bearing 130 and rotated by a user or by a rotation system (e.g., a motor and a shaft) included in the device 100. The moving mechanism 130 can be placed substantially in the center of the substrate 110, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, or alternatively in a different relative position with respect to the substrate 110. Locating the moving mechanism 130 in the center provides the advantage that there is a well-defined central axis A (see FIG. 1) passing through the center of the substrate 110, around which the moving mechanism 130 can rotate the substrate 110. Alternatively or additionally, the position of the movement mechanism 130 relative to the substrate 110 may be determined in part by a desire to balance the substrate 110 with the portion of the movement mechanism 130 connected to the substrate 110. This configuration, which may omit the connecting elements 132, has the advantage of not requiring additional structures, such as struts or guides, to balance the substrate 110 within the device 100.

[0029] Alternatively, additional structure can be used to allow the moving mechanism 130 to be positioned at any location relative to the substrate 110. Such an arrangement in which axis A (about which the substrate 110 can rotate) is off-center relative to the central axis of the substrate 110 is also possible, but may require intelligent placement of the dose 114 of aerosol-generating medium on the substrate 110 along with placement of the heater 120. Additional structure can protrude from the side of the housing of the device 100 to help secure the substrate 110 in place while still allowing movement of the substrate 110.

[0030] The moving mechanism 130 and the connecting element 132 can take the form of a motor and a rotatable shaft, and a sprocket and / or keying mechanism arranged to connect to the substrate 110. The force to move the moving mechanism 130 can be provided by a user, for example, by manually moving the substrate 110. This manual movement can be by rotating the substrate 110 or by pulling the substrate 110, etc. The movement provided by the moving mechanism 130 is not limited to rotational movement. Linear and vibrational movement, among others, may also be provided. Configurations for providing such movement are well known. The moving mechanism 130 can provide a rotational speed to the substrate 110, which can be variable or constant. The constant movement provides the user with a substantially constant level of aerosol generation as the substrate 110 rotates constantly and thus provides fresh aerosol generating material to the heating energy source 120. Alternatively, the moving mechanism 130 can provide a variable rotational speed to the substrate 110. In this example, the device 100 can provide more or less aerosol as desired by the user by using a higher or lower rotation speed. The use of different rotation speeds can be used in combination with a variable heating profile from the heating energy source 120. The movement mechanism 130 can also provide indexing movement such that the substrate 110 moves in discrete increments. The amount of movement provided to the substrate 110 can be consistent or variable.

[0031] FIG. 2 also shows the aerosol outlet 150. The aerosol outlet 150 provides an outlet through which the aerosol can flow and be inhaled by a user. The outlet 150 allows the aerosol generated within the device 100 to exit the device 100. In this way, a user inhaling at the aerosol outlet 150 can inhale the aerosol generated by heating the doses 114A, 114B, 114C of the aerosol generating medium. The outlet 150 may be in the form of a mouthpiece or the like that is comfortable for the user to inhale. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the substrate 110 is substantially planar and has a normal axis that is substantially parallel to a major axis passing through the outlet 150 of the device 100.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the device 100 has a flow path 160 disposed substantially between the heater 120, the heating zone 140, and the outlet 150. The flow path 160 is a path through which the aerosol generated within the device 100, generated from the heated dose 114, flows and exits the device 100. The flow path 160 is relatively short, and therefore the area inside the device 100 where the aerosol may condense is reduced. This improves the overall cleanliness of the device 100's functionality, resulting in less frequent cleaning of the device 100. Furthermore, because the aerosol passes through fewer components along the relatively short flow path from the device 100, fewer components may be affected by aerosol condensation, and therefore components may need to be replaced less frequently. This reduces the cost of maintenance of the device 100 and increases the overall lifespan of the device 100.

[0033] In one example, the heater 120 is movable. The heater 120 may be moved by a moving mechanism 130. The heater 120 may be moved by a moving mechanism separate from the moving mechanism 130. In the example of the device 100 shown in FIG. 3, the heater 120 is moved to improve heat delivery from the heater 120 to the dose 114. The heater 120 may be moved toward the first surface 112 when a particular dose 114A is moved to the heating zone 140. This reduces the air jacket between the heater 120 and the dose 114. Otherwise, the air jacket would absorb heat energy from the heater 120, thus reducing the heat energy provided to the particular dose 114A. By reducing the air jacket, the heater 120 delivers heat energy more efficiently to the particular dose 114A in the heating zone 140. In the example of FIG. 3, the heater 120 is moved linearly toward the first surface 112 of the substrate 110.

[0034] In one example, the heater 120 is moved into contact with the particular dose (or a portion of the dose) moved to the heating zone 140 to maximize heat transfer between the heater 120 and the particular dose. As described above, after one particular dose is heated, the dose is moved so that a fresh dose is moved to the heating zone 140. Before moving the dose 114 to move the new particular dose to the heating position 140, the heater 120 is moved away from the dose to prevent high levels of friction during the movement of the dose 114 by the moving mechanism 130. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the heater connection element 134 links the moving mechanism 130 to the heater 120 to enable the movement of the heater 120. In one example, the movement of the heater 120 can be linear. In an alternative configuration, the moving mechanism 130 may enable linear movement of the substrate 110 along an axis between the heater 120 and the first surface 112 or the second surface 116. This configuration reduces the possibility of the heater catching or tearing the substrate 110 or dose 114. The heater connection element 134 can be in the form of a motor and a vertically extending shaft or a biased member that can be controlled to expand and contract. In a particular example, the movement of the heater 120 and the substrate 110 can be staggered such that one moves while the other is stationary (i.e., has zero velocity). In this example, the substrate 110 can be rotated to move a fresh portion of the aerosol generating medium to the heating position 140, and then the heating energy source 120 can be moved towards the substrate 110, and then after the portion is depleted, the heating energy source 120 can be moved away from the substrate 110, and then the substrate 110 can be further rotated. This can prevent the heating energy source 120 from catching on the substrate 110, which can cause the substrate 110 to tear.

[0035] In one example, the heating energy source 120 and / or the aerosol generating medium are moved in a linear direction and then the aerosol generating medium is subjected to a rotational movement relative to the heating energy source 120.

[0036] 1-3, the angle θ between the axis A about which the aerosol-generating medium is rotated and the first surface 112 is substantially perpendicular. In other examples, the angle θ can be any angle. For example, the angle θ can 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°.

[0037] The device 100 may have 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 doses 114, which are controllably moved to the heating zone 140. Additionally, the controller 172 may be capable of informing a user of the number of remaining available doses 114 in the device 100.

[0038] In one example, the device 100 may have a motion monitoring system 170 with a controller 172. The monitoring system 170 may monitor the motion within the device 100. The monitoring system 170 may also include a detector 174 for detecting the motion information. The monitoring system 170 monitors the motion of the substrate 110 and / or the doses 114 of the aerosol generating medium and records the resulting motion, thus avoiding moving the same particular dose twice to the heating zone 140. This avoids the generation of undesirable aerosols due to reheating of a "used" dose. The detector 174 may relay information regarding the number of "unused" doses remaining in the device 100 to the user, so that the user is informed when to replace the doses 114 in the device 100. Additionally, the detector 174 can provide feedback regarding the functionality of the movement mechanism 130 by observing the movement of the substrate 110 or the dose 114 or the heater 120, and notify the user if the movement mechanism 130 (or any associated element, e.g., the connection element 132) is malfunctioning.

[0039] The controller 172 may be a microcontroller to reduce space requirements. The detector 174 may be, for example, a break beam sensor, a brushed system, a speed tracker, etc. to provide information regarding the number of rotations of the substrate 110 and the position of the substrate 110 as it is moved into the heating zone 140. This information may be relayed to a user or a diagnostic element (not shown) to allow periodic checks on the functionality of the device 100.

[0040] The movement monitoring system 170 may be connected to the mobile mechanism 130 by a wired connection, such as a simple electrical connection, or any other connection, including wireless, such as Bluetooth.

[0041] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a portion of an aerosol delivery device 100. The substrate 110 in the example shown in Figure 4 is an elongated substrate 110 including an elongated carrier layer 111 on which a plurality of doses 114 of an aerosol generating medium are disposed. The doses 114 may be provided in some examples without the carrier layer 111, for example by an elongated aerosol generating medium.

[0042] The moving mechanism 130 shown in FIG. 4 is configured to move the doses of the aerosol-generating medium 114. The moving mechanism 130 can move the doses 114 in a substantially linear direction and move the doses 114 one by one to the heating zone 140 to generate an inhalable medium. The doses 114 can thus be linearly translated past the heater 120 to the heating zone 140, whereby each dose 114 of the aerosol-generating medium is individually provided to the heater 120 to generate an aerosol. The generated aerosol then flows along a flow path 160 from the heating zone 140 to the aerosol outlet 150. The line along which the doses 114 are configured to move is at an angle to the flow path 160 of the generated aerosol.

[0043] The substrate 110 shown in the example of Fig. 4 is in the form of a strip having multiple doses 114 of the aerosol generating medium along its length, the multiple doses 114 being separate from one another. The strip may be in the form of a spool or wheel that a user can insert into the device 100 before using the device 100. The strip may be inserted into a rotating element 118 or the like, which is moved by a moving mechanism 130 to allow movement of the strip. The rotating element 118 may be a rotating wheel, roller, or reel on which the strip in the form of a spool can be positioned. After use, the substrate 110 can be removed from the device 100.

[0044] The device 100 may include a receiving mechanism 138 capable of receiving a plurality of doses 114 heated in the heating zone 140. The receiving mechanism 138 is connected to the moving mechanism 130 by a receiving mechanism connecting element 136. The receiving mechanism 138 may be a spool, wheel, roller, reel, or the like, which may be wound by the moving mechanism 130 and moves the doses 114 from a starting position near the rotating element 118 through the heating zone 140 to the receiving mechanism 138. Alternatively, the receiving mechanism 138 may be any other mechanism capable of receiving an aerosol-generating medium. The device 100 may include a monitoring system 170 as described above for monitoring the movement of the doses 114. The monitoring system 170 may be included in the receiving mechanism 138 and may operate based on the amount of substrate 110 detected in the receiving mechanism 138.

[0045] The strip can be considered exhausted when it has been completely transferred from the rotating element 118 and original spool to the receiving mechanism 138 and second spool. At this point, a user can easily remove both spools 118, 138 from the device and replace them with new spools 118, 138. This increases the cleanliness with which aerosol generating material can be inserted and removed from the device 100.

[0046] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the aerosol delivery device 100. FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the device 100 including the substrate 110, the heater 120, the outlet 150, and the flow path 160. The direction of movement B of the substrate 110 is indicated by arrow B. The general direction of movement C of the aerosol along the flow path 160 is indicated by arrow C. The movement of the dose of the aerosol-generating medium is along an axis transverse to the flow path. The difference between the direction of the movement of the dose and the direction of the flow path of the aerosol is indicated by an angle φ. The angle φ is somewhat controlled by the relative positions of the heater 120 and the outlet 150. In the example shown, the heating zone 140 is substantially disposed between the aerosol outlet 150 and the heater 120. The outlet 150 may be substantially disposed in line with the heater 120 and the heating zone 140 such that the angle φ is substantially 90°. In other examples, the angle φ may be at least 5°, at least 10°, at least 15°, 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°.

[0047] 5 simplifies the flow path 160 through which the aerosol passes, which reduces the time the aerosol is within the device 100. This configuration therefore reduces the area inside the device 100 where the aerosol may condense, and reduces the time the aerosol may condense, which therefore reduces the impact of any problems associated with aerosol condensation within the device.

[0048] The substrate 110 and / or the multiple doses 114 of the aerosol generation medium may be in the form of substantially several shapes. The example shown in FIG. 4 has a substantially U-shape. The example shown in FIG. 5 is a substantially flattened elongated bar, only a portion of which is shown. In other examples, the substrate 110 and / or the multiple doses 114 of the aerosol generation medium may be in the form of rings. The substrate 110 may take on these shapes when installed in the device 100 and may be the same or different shapes when not installed in the device 100. The substrate 110 may have an alignment or keying feature to allow the substrate 110 to be aligned with and then connected to the movement mechanism 130.

[0049] In all the examples mentioned so far, the aerosol-generating medium 114 is moved past the heater 120 in some way. This movement is provided by a moving mechanism 130. The moving mechanism 130 may comprise an indexing system (not shown) configured to allow indexing movement of the doses 114 of the aerosol-generating medium. The indexing system moves a particular dose 114 stepwise to the heating zone 140 before generating an aerosol from the particular dose 114, and then moves it out of the heating zone 140 after generating the aerosol. The indexing system may allow for more precise movement of one dose to the heating zone 140, which is then replaced by another dose. 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 Geneva wheels and cams may be used to provide indexing movement of the doses 114 of the aerosol-generating medium.

[0050] The indexing system can be configured to move adjacent doses 114 of the aerosol-generating medium to the heating zone 140 in a sequential manner. The advantage of this configuration is that the indexing system is simple to construct and operate. Returning to FIG. 4, a particular dose 114B is located between a particular dose 114A and a particular dose 114C. During heating of the dose 114A, some thermal energy may be transferred to the dose 114B. In a configuration in which adjacent doses are heated in a sequential manner, energy can be saved in heating the second dose 114B due to the thermal energy transferred to the second dose 114B due to its proximity during heating of the first dose 114A. This can reduce the total load on the heater 120 and therefore increase the lifetime of the device 100.

[0051] Alternatively, the indexing system may be configured to move only non-adjacent doses 114 of aerosol-generating medium sequentially into the heating zone 140. This allows for placement of high density doses 114 on the carrier layer 111 without risking burning a particular dose 114B due to excessively high levels of indirect heat (heat indirectly transferred to the dose during heating of the previous dose 114A) and subsequent direct heat (heat provided to the dose during heating of dose 114B). This configuration eliminates the need for sophisticated heating control systems that allow for time or heating power variations for particular doses to prevent burning.

[0052] The indexing system can be monitored by a monitoring system 170 using the techniques described above, which allows the functionality of the indexing system to be checked to ensure that the system is functioning as expected. In any of the configurations described above, the monitoring system 170 can be used to help prevent overheating of any particular dose 114.

[0053] The moving mechanism 130 and the monitoring system 170 can work in combination with the heater 120 to ensure that the indexing movement of the doses 114 and the heating period of any particular dose 114 are coordinated to prevent the doses 114 from burning. The moving mechanism 130 can be configured to provide one dose 114A of the aerosol-generating medium to the heater 120 for a period of time and another dose 114B of the aerosol-generating medium to the heater 120 for a different period of time. This can be to provide different heating levels to the different doses. This can be advantageous to avoid burning in the case of linear indexing as described above. This can also be advantageous when one dose 114A of the aerosol-generating medium is of a different structure or material than another dose 114B and therefore requires a different heating period to generate the aerosol.

[0054] The moving mechanism 130 and the monitoring system 170 can work in combination with the heater 120 to ensure that the indexing movement of the doses 114 and the heater power level of any particular dose 114 are adjusted. This can be to provide different heating levels for different doses. This can be advantageous to avoid burning in the case of linear indexing or high-density dose delivery. For example, the heater power level can be high for the first dose 114A and then lower for the second dose 114B. This is advantageous because the second dose 114B receives some level of indirect heating during the heating of the first dose, and therefore the second dose 114B requires less direct heating (achieved by lowering the heater power level) to provide an aerosol. This can also be advantageous when one dose 114A of aerosol-generating medium is of a different structure or material than another dose 114B, and therefore different heater power levels are required to generate an aerosol.

[0055] The dose 114 of the aerosol generating medium may include at least one of tobacco and glycol, and may include an extract (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, Scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cassia, The doses 114 may include any of the following: caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, bell pepper, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), flavor enhancers, bitter taste receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath fresheners. They may be imitation, synthetic, or natural ingredients, or mixtures thereof. They may be in any suitable form, such as oil, liquid, or powder. The doses 114 may be separated, adjacent, or overlapping.

[0056] The aerosol-generating medium described herein includes an "amorphous solid," which may alternatively be referred to as a "monolithic solid" (i.e., non-fibrous) or a "dry gel." An amorphous solid is a solid material that can retain a fluid, such as a liquid. In some cases, the aerosol-generating layer includes about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, or 70 wt% amorphous solid, to about 90 wt%, 95 wt%, or 100 wt% amorphous solid. In some cases, the aerosol-generating layer consists of an amorphous solid.

[0057] In some cases, the amorphous solid may contain 1-50 wt % gelling agent, these weights being calculated on a dry weight basis.

[0058] Suitably, the amorphous solid may comprise from 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 the gelling agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may comprise from 5 to 40 wt%, 10 to 30 wt%, or 15 to 27 wt% of the gelling agent.

[0059] In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises a hydrocolloid. In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more compounds selected from the group including alginate, pectin, starch (and derivatives), cellulose (and derivatives), gums, silica, or silicone compounds, clays, polyvinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more of alginate, pectin, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum guar gum, carrageenan, agarose, acacia gum, fumed silica, PDMS, sodium silicate, kaolin, and polyvinyl alcohol. In some cases, the gelling agent comprises alginate and / or pectin and can be combined with a hardening agent (such as a calcium source) during the formation of the amorphous solid. In some cases, the amorphous solid can comprise calcium cross-linked alginate and / or calcium cross-linked pectin.

[0060] Suitably, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, or 20 wt% to about 80 wt%, 70 wt%, 60 wt%, 55 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, or 35 wt% of the aerosol generating agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). The aerosol generating agent may act as a plasticizer. For example, the amorphous solid may comprise from 10 to 60 wt%, 15 to 50 wt%, or 20 to 40 wt% of the aerosol generating agent. In some cases, the aerosol generating agent comprises one or more compounds selected from erythritol, propylene glycol, glycerol, triacetin, sorbitol, and xylitol. In some cases, the aerosol generating agent comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of glycerol. The inventors have confirmed that if the plasticizer content is too high, the amorphous solid may absorb water and become a material that does not create a suitable consumption experience when used. The inventors have also confirmed that if the plasticizer content is too low, the amorphous solid may become brittle and easily broken. The plasticizer content specified herein provides the amorphous solid with flexibility that allows the amorphous solid sheet to be wound onto a bobbin, which is useful for the manufacture of aerosol products.

[0061] In some cases, the amorphous solid may include a flavoring. Suitably, the amorphous solid may include up to about 60 wt%, 50 wt%, 40 wt%, 30 wt%, 20 wt%, 10 wt%, or 5 wt% flavoring. In some cases, the amorphous solid may include at least about 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, or 30 wt% flavoring (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may include 10-60 wt%, 20-50 wt%, or 30-40 wt% flavoring. In some cases, the flavoring (if present) includes, consists essentially of, or consists of menthol. In some cases, the amorphous solid is free of flavoring.

[0062] In some cases, the amorphous solid further comprises tobacco material and / or nicotine. For example, the amorphous solid may further comprise powdered tobacco and / or nicotine and / or tobacco extract. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% to about 70 wt%, 60 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, or 40 wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) of tobacco material and / or nicotine.

[0063] In some cases, the amorphous solid comprises tobacco extract. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise 5-60 wt% tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise about 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% to about 55 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, or 40 wt% tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 5-60 wt%, 10-55 wt%, or 25-55 wt% tobacco extract. The tobacco extract may comprise nicotine in a concentration such that the amorphous solid comprises 1 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 2 wt%, or 2.5 wt% to about 6 wt%, 5 wt%, 4.5 wt%, or 4 wt% nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the amorphous solid may be free of nicotine other than that which originates from the tobacco extract.

[0064] In some embodiments, the amorphous solid does not include tobacco material, but does include nicotine. In some such cases, the amorphous solid may include from about 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, or 4 wt% to about 20 wt%, 15 wt%, 10 wt%, or 5 wt% nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may include from 1 to 20 wt%, or from 2 to 5 wt% nicotine.

[0065] In some cases, the total content of tobacco materials, nicotine, and flavorings may be at least about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, or 30 wt%. In some cases, the total content of tobacco materials, nicotine, and flavorings may be less than about 70 wt%, 60 wt%, 50 wt%, or 40 wt% (all calculated on a dry weight basis).

[0066] In some embodiments, the amorphous solid is a hydrogel and contains less than about 20 wt% water, calculated on a wet weight basis. In some cases, the hydrogel may contain less than about 15 wt%, 12 wt%, or 10 wt% water, calculated on a wet weight basis (WWB). In some cases, the hydrogel may contain at least about 2 wt% or at least about 5 wt% water (WWB).

[0067] The amorphous solid can be made from a gel, which may further include a solvent present at 0.1-50 wt %. However, the inventors have found that the inclusion of a solvent in which the fragrance is soluble may reduce the stability of the gel and may cause the fragrance to crystallize from the gel. Thus, in some cases, the gel does not include a solvent in which the fragrance is soluble.

[0068] The amorphous solids contain less than 20 wt%, suitably less than 10 wt%, or less than 5 wt% of filler. The fillers 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 absorbents, such as molecular sieves. The fillers may include one or more organic filler materials, such as wood pulp, cellulose, and cellulose derivatives. In some cases, the amorphous solids contain less than 1 wt% of filler, and in some cases, no filler. In particular, in some cases, the amorphous solids do not contain calcium carbonate, such as chalk.

[0069] In some cases, the amorphous solid may consist essentially of, or consist essentially of, a gelling agent, an aerosol forming agent, a tobacco material and / or a nicotine source, water, and optionally flavorings.

[0070] It is to be understood that the aerosol-forming material may be any other suitable aerosol-forming material as deemed appropriate by a person skilled in the art.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 6, an example of the arrangement of doses 114A, 114B, 114C, 114D on a round substrate 110 is shown. The doses 114 are arranged in concentric rings, which can be heated sequentially by rotational indexing of the substrate, and then the heater 120 is arranged to laterally index to heat the next ring in the sequence of concentric rings. This indexing sequence can be repeated until each dose 114 is heated and generates aerosol. The indexing provided to the substrate 110 can be uniform or non-uniform in distance and / or time, as described above. In one example, the final dose 114 to be heated is arranged toward the center of the substrate 110. This dose 114D can be, for example, a dose 114D containing menthol that provides a refreshing sensation to the smoking session. The user may be able to personalize the smoking session by using different configurations of aerosol generation media.

[0072] In particular, it is clear that the lateral movement of the heater 120 does not restrict the doses 114 to being arranged in a rotationally symmetrical manner.

[0073] In the above example where the device has a dose 114 disposed on the carrier layer 111, the substrate 110 may have a bottom layer that is substantially impermeable to aerosols. For example, the bottom layer may be disposed on a second surface of the carrier layer (or, in other embodiments, the bottom layer may be the carrier layer). This configuration encourages the aerosol generated from heating the aerosol-generating medium dose 114 to flow from the heater 120 along the flow path 160 toward the outlet 150. This reduces the possibility of condensation of the aerosol within the device 100, thus increasing the cleanliness and lifespan of the device 100, as described above. The bottom may be formed from at least one of materials such as paper, cardboard, wood pulp, plastic, ceramic, tobacco, and nicotine-containing substances.

[0074] The substrate 110 may be impermeable to the aerosol, or may be porous to allow the aerosol-generating medium to enter the pores of the substrate 110. In one example, the substrate 110 may have permeable and impermeable portions. The permeable portions may be located in areas where it is desired for the aerosol to pass through the substrate, allowing the aerosol to flow through the substrate 110 toward the exit of the device 100. The impermeable portions may be located in areas where it is desired to prevent the aerosol from flowing toward the heating energy source 120.

[0075] Thus, an aerosol delivery device is described comprising: a plurality of doses of an aerosol generating medium; a heater configured to heat the doses of the aerosol generating medium to generate an aerosol; a moving mechanism configured to move the doses of the aerosol generating medium; a heated zone through which the doses of the aerosol generating medium are moved by the moving mechanism to generate an aerosol; an aerosol outlet through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user; and a flow path arranged between the heated zone and the aerosol outlet such that an aerosol generated from the doses of the heated aerosol generating medium flows along the flow path, wherein the doses of the aerosol generating medium are linearly translatable past the heater to the heated zone, each dose of the aerosol generating medium is individually provided to the heater to generate an aerosol, and the plurality of doses of the aerosol generating medium are arranged to move along a line that is at an angle to the flow path of the generated aerosol.

[0076] The aerosol delivery system can be used in tobacco industry products, for example, non-combustion aerosol delivery systems.

[0077] In one embodiment, a tobacco industry product includes one or more components of a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, such as a heater and an aerosolizable substrate (eg, a substrate including an aerosol-forming material).

[0078] In one embodiment, the aerosol delivery system is an e-cigarette, also known as a vaping device.

[0079] In one embodiment, an e-cigarette comprises a heater, a power source capable of powering the heater, an aerosolizable substrate such as a liquid or gel, a housing, and optionally a mouthpiece.

[0080] In one embodiment, the aerosolizable substrate is contained in or on a substrate container, hi one embodiment, the substrate container is combined with or includes a heater.

[0081] In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a heating product that releases one or more compounds by heating (but not burning) a substrate material. The substrate material is an aerosolizable material that may be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products that may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the heating device product is a tobacco heating product.

[0082] In one embodiment, the heating product is an electronic device.

[0083] In one embodiment, the tobacco heating product includes a heater, a power source capable of powering the heater, and an aerosolizable substrate, such as a solid or gel material.

[0084] In one embodiment, the heating product is a non-electronic item.

[0085] In one embodiment, the heating product comprises an aerosolizable substrate, such as a solid or gel material, and a heat source capable of providing thermal energy to the aerosolizable substrate without electronic means, for example by burning a combustible material, such as charcoal.

[0086] In one embodiment, the heating product also includes a filter capable of filtering the aerosol generated by heating the aerosolizable substrate.

[0087] In some embodiments, the aerosolizable substrate material may include an aerosol or aerosol generating agent, or a humectant, such as glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin, or diethylene glycol.

[0088] In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a hybrid system for generating an aerosol by heating (but not burning) a combination of substrate materials. The substrate materials may include, for example, solids, liquids, or gels that may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel substrate and a solid substrate. The solid substrate may be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products that may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel substrate and tobacco.

[0089] To address various problems and advance the art, the entire disclosure illustrates various embodiments by way of example that may practice the claimed invention and provide an improved electronic aerosol delivery system. The advantages and features of the disclosure are merely representative examples of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. They are presented only to aid in the understanding and teaching of the claimed features. The advantages, embodiments, examples, features, features, structures, and / or other aspects of the disclosure should not be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims, or limitations on the equivalents of the claims, and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope and / or spirit of the disclosure. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. Furthermore, the disclosure includes other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 100... aerosol supply system, 114... aerosol generating medium, 120... heating energy source, 130... moving mechanism, 140... heating zone, 150... aerosol outlet, 160... flow path.

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery system comprising: an aerosol generating medium; a heating energy source configured to cause heating of the aerosol-generating medium within a heating zone; a powered moving mechanism configured to move the aerosol generation medium; an aerosol outlet through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user; a flow path disposed between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet, the aerosol generated from the heated aerosol-generation medium flowing along the flow path directly to the aerosol outlet to exit the aerosol delivery system; Equipped with the aerosol-generating medium is translatable by the powered movement mechanism past the heating energy source to the heating zone, each portion of the aerosol-generating medium is individually provided to the heating energy source to generate an aerosol, and the heating energy source is activated before each portion of the aerosol-generating medium is individually provided to the heating energy source; the aerosol-generation medium is arranged to move along a line that is at an angle to the flow path of the generated aerosol; The aerosol delivery system, wherein the aerosol generation medium has a normal axis substantially parallel to the axis of the aerosol outlet.

2. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the movement of the aerosol generation medium enabled by the powered movement mechanism is along an axis transverse to the flow path.

3. 3. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein the heating zone is disposed substantially between the aerosol outlet and the source of energy for heating.

4. 4. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein the powered movement mechanism comprises an indexing system configured to enable indexed movement of the aerosol generation medium.

5. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the powered movement mechanism is configured to enable indexing movement at a fixed and / or variable distance per index, and / or the powered movement mechanism is configured to enable indexing movement at a fixed and / or variable time interval per index.

6. When the aerosol generation medium is connected to the powered movement mechanism, Rings and A flattened elongated bar; U-shape and The aerosol delivery system of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the aerosol delivery system takes any of the following forms:

7. The aerosol delivery system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the powered moving mechanism is configured to move each of the portions to the heating zone such that adjacent portions of the aerosol generation medium are moved to the heating zone in sequence.

8. 8. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein the powered moving mechanism provides a first portion of the aerosol generating medium to the heating energy source for a first period of time and provides a second portion of the aerosol generating medium to the heating energy source for a second period of time, the first period of time being different from the second period of time.

9. 9. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein a first power level of the heating energy source for heating a portion of the aerosol generating medium when provided to the heating energy source is different from a second power level of the heating energy source for heating another portion of the aerosol generating medium when provided to the heating energy source.

10. 1. A method of generating an aerosol in an aerosol delivery system, comprising: Providing an aerosol-generating medium; Providing a source of energy for heating; providing a powered locomotion mechanism; providing an aerosol outlet through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user; moving each of the portions of the aerosol-generating medium individually in translation past the heating energy source and into a heating zone by the powered moving mechanism; activating the heating energy source prior to the step of individually moving the aerosol generating medium; heating a first portion of the plurality of portions of the aerosol generating medium provided to the heating energy source to generate an aerosol; Including, the aerosol-generation medium is disposed along a line that is at an angle to a flow path of the generated aerosol, the flow path being disposed between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet such that the aerosol generated from the heated aerosol-generation medium flows along the flow path directly to the aerosol outlet and out of the aerosol delivery system; The aerosol-generation medium has a normal axis substantially parallel to the axis of the aerosol outlet.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of moving the aerosol generating medium individually through the heating energy source and into the heating zone by the powered moving mechanism includes providing each of the multiple portions of the aerosol generating medium to the heating energy source non-sequentially.

12. after heating the first portion of the aerosol-generating medium, heating a second portion of the portions of the aerosol-generating medium provided to the heating energy source in the heating zone to generate an aerosol; 12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein a first period of time for heating the first portion of the aerosol generating medium is different from a second period of time for heating the second portion of the aerosol generating medium.

13. 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising heating one of the plurality of portions of the aerosol generating medium in the heating zone at a first power level when provided to the heating energy source, the first power level being different from a second power level for heating another of the plurality of portions of the aerosol generating medium in the heating zone when provided to the heating energy source.

14. 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of moving the portions of the aerosol generating medium past the heating energy source and into the heating zone by the powered moving mechanism comprises moving the portions past the heating energy source and into the heating zone by an indexing motion.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein moving the portion of the aerosol generating medium past the heating energy source and into the heating zone by an indexing motion comprises linearly indexing the portion of the aerosol generating medium past the heating energy source and into the heating zone.

16. 16. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of moving each of the portions of the aerosol generating medium individually in a translational motion past the heating energy source and into the heating zone by the powered movement mechanism comprises moving each of the portions of the aerosol generating medium individually in a linear translational motion past the heating energy source and into the heating zone by the powered movement mechanism.

17. 1. An aerosol delivery device configured to receive an aerosol-generating medium, comprising: a heating energy source configured, in use, to cause heating of the aerosol generating medium within a heating zone; a powered movement mechanism configured in use to move the aerosol generation medium; an aerosol outlet through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user in use; a flow path disposed between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet, wherein in use, an aerosol generated from the heated aerosol-generation medium flows along the flow path directly to the aerosol outlet and out of the device; Equipped with the aerosol-generating medium is translatable by the powered movement mechanism past the heating energy source to the heating zone, each portion of the aerosol-generating medium is individually provided to the heating energy source to generate an aerosol, and the heating energy source is activated before each portion of the aerosol-generating medium is individually provided to the heating energy source; the powered movement mechanism is configured, in use, to move the aerosol generation medium along a line that is at an angle to the flow path of the generated aerosol; The aerosol delivery device, wherein the aerosol generation medium has a normal axis substantially parallel to the axis of the aerosol outlet.

18. An aerosol supply means comprising: An aerosol generating means; a heating means configured to heat the aerosol generating means to generate an aerosol; a powered movement providing means configured to move said aerosol generating means; a heating zone in which the aerosol generating means is moved by the powered movement providing means to generate an aerosol; an aerosol outlet means through which the aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user; a flow path disposed between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet means, the aerosol generated from the heated aerosol generating means flowing along the flow path directly to the aerosol outlet means and out of the aerosol supply means; Equipped with the aerosol generating means is linearly translatable by the powered translation providing means past the heating means to the heating zone, each portion of the aerosol generating means being individually provided to the heating means to generate an aerosol, the heating means being activated before each portion of the aerosol generating means is individually provided to the heating means; the aerosol generation means is arranged to move along a line that is at an angle to the flow path of the generated aerosol; The aerosol supply means wherein said aerosol generating means has a normal axis substantially parallel to the axis of said aerosol outlet means.

Images