Aerosol delivery device having a cutting operation

Abstract

To provide a control body, an aerosol delivery device, and a method of operating the aerosol delivery device.SOLUTION: In various implementations, the aerosol delivery device comprises a control body having a housing, an electrical energy source located within the housing, a heating member operatively connected to the electrical energy source, an aerosol source member that includes an inhalable substance medium, and an indexing mechanism coupled to the heating member. The indexing mechanism is configured to move the heating member relative to the aerosol source member so as to sequentially heat one of two or more segments of the aerosol source member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery articles and to the use of aerosol delivery articles for obtaining tobacco components or other materials in an inhalable form. The articles can be made from tobacco, can be derived from tobacco, or can incorporate tobacco for human consumption. More specifically, the present disclosure provides articles in which tobacco, tobacco-derived materials or other materials are preferably heated without significant combustion to provide inhalable substances in the form of vapor or aerosol in various embodiments.

Background Art

[0002] As improved or alternative smoking products based on the combustion of tobacco, many smoking products have been proposed over the years. Exemplary alternatives include devices in which a solid or liquid fuel is burned to transfer heat to tobacco, or devices in which a chemical reaction is used to provide such a heat source. Examples include the smoking products described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The gist of improved or alternative smoking articles has typically been to provide the sensations associated with smoking a cigarette, cigar or pipe without delivering significant amounts of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products. For this purpose, many smoking products, flavor generators and medicinal inhalers have been proposed that utilize electrical energy to vaporize or heat a volatile material or provide the smoking sensation of a cigarette, cigar or pipe without significantly burning the tobacco. See, for example, the various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices and heat sources described in the background art of Robinson et al.'s U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320, Griffith, Jr. et al.'s U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0255702 and Sears et al.'s U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0096781, which are incorporated herein by reference. Also see, for example, the various types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices and electric heat sources referred to by trademark name and commercial supplier in Bless et al.'s U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0220232, which is incorporated herein by reference. Additional types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices and electric heat sources referred to by trademark name and commercial supplier are also described in DePiano et al.'s U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0245659, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.Other representative cigarette or smoking articles that are described and in some cases commercially available include those described in U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth, U.S. Patent No. 4,922,901 to Brooks, U.S. Patent No. 4,947,874, U.S. Patent No. 4,947,875, U.S. Patent No. 5,060,671 to Counts, U.S. Patent No. 5,249,586 to Morgan, U.S. Patent No. 5,388,594 to Counts, U.S. Patent No. 5,666,977 to Higgins, U.S. Patent No. 6,053,176 to Adams, U.S. Patent No. 6,164,287 to White, U.S. Patent No. 6,196,218 to Voges, U.S. Patent No. 6,810,883 to Felter, U.S. Patent No. 6,854,461 to Nichols, U.S. Patent No. 7,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Patent No. 7,513,253 to Kobayashi, U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson, U.S. Patent No. 7,896,006 to Hamano, U.S. Patent No. 6,772,756 to Shayan, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0095311 to Hon, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006 / 0196518 to Hon, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0126745, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0188490, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0272379 to Thorens, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0260641, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0260642 to Monsees, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0149118, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0024834 to Oglesby, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0307518 to Wang, and Pamphlet No. WO 2010 / 091593 to Hon, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] Typical products that are similar in many attributes to traditional paper-wrapped cigarettes, cigars or pipes include ACCORD(R) by Philip Morris Incorporated, ALPHA(TM) by InnoVapor LLC, JOYE 510(TM) and M4(TM), CIRRUS(TM) and FLING(TM) by White Cloud Cigarettes, BLU(TM) by Fontem Ventures B.V., COHITA(TM), COLIBRI(TM), ELITE CLASSIC(TM), MAGNUM(TM), PHANTOM(TM) and SENSE(TM) by EPUFFER(R) International Inc., DUOPRO(TM), STORM(TM) and VAPORKING(R) by Electronic Cigarettes, Inc., EGAR(TM) by Egar Australia, eGo-C(TM) and eGo-T(TM) by Joyetech, ELUSION(TM) by Elusion UK Ltd, EONSMOKE(R) by Eonsmoke LLC, FIN(TM) by FIN Branding Group, LLC, SMOKE(R) by Green Smoke Inc. USA, GREENARETTE(TM) by Greenarette LLC, HALLIGAN(TM), HENDU(TM), JET(TM), MAXXQ(TM), PINK(TM) and PITBULL(TM) by SMOKE STIK(R), HEATBAR(TM) by Philip Morris International, Inc., HYDRO IMPERIAL(TM) and LXE(TM) made by Crown7, LOGIC(TM) and THE CUBAN(TM) by Logic Technology, LUCI(R) by Luciano Smokes Inc., METRO(R) by Nicotek, LLC, NJOY(R) and ONEJOY(TM) by Sottera, Inc., NO.7(TM) by SS Choice LLC, PREMIUM ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE(TM) by PremiumEstore LLC, Ruyan America, Inc.Commercially available as RAPP E-MYSTICK(TM) by [Company Name 1], RED DRAGON(TM) by Red Dragon Products, LLC, RUYAN(R) by Ruyan Group (Holdings) Ltd., SF(R) by Smoker Friendly International, LLC, GREEN SMART SMOKER(R) by The Smart Smoking Electronic Cigarette Company Ltd., SMOKE ASSIST(R) by Coastline Products LLC, SMOKING EVERYWHERE(R) by Smoking Everywhere, Inc., V2CIGS(TM) by VMR Products LLC, VAPOR NINE(TM) by VaporNine LLC, VAPOR4LIFE(R) by Vapor 4 Life, Inc., VEPPO(TM) by E-CigaretteDirect, LLC, VUSE(R) by R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, Mistic Menthol products by Mistic Ecigs, and Vype products by CN Creative Ltd, IQOS(TM) by Philip Morris International, and GLO(TM) by British American Tobacco. Further, other electric aerosol delivery devices, particularly those characterized as so-called electronic cigarettes, are commercially available under the trade names of COOLER VISIONS(TM), DIRECT E-CIG(TM), DRAGONFLY(TM), EMIST(TM), EVERSMOKE(TM), GAMUCCI(R), HYBRID FLAME(TM), KNIGHT STICKS(TM), ROYAL BLUES(TM), SMOKETIP(R) and SOUTH BEACH SMOKE(TM).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] Articles that create the taste and sensation of smoking by electrically heating tobacco have suffered from inconsistent release of flavor or other inhalable materials. Electrically heated smoking devices have often been further limited by the need for a relatively large and / or complex heat source. Thus, it is desirable to provide a smoking article that can provide the smoking sensation of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe without substantially burning and that provides the smoking sensation of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe with improved performance characteristics.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device, a control body for use with an aerosol source member, and a method of operating the aerosol delivery device. The present disclosure includes, without limitation, the following exemplary embodiments.

[0008] Exemplary Embodiment 1: An aerosol delivery device including a control body having a housing, an electrical energy source disposed within the housing, a heating member operably connected to the electrical energy source, an aerosol source member including an inhalable substance medium, and a dispensing mechanism coupled to the heating member, wherein the dispensing mechanism is configured to move the heating member relative to the aerosol source member to sequentially heat at least one of two or more segments of the aerosol source member.

[0009] Exemplary Embodiment 2: The aerosol delivery device of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member is disposed proximate an outer surface of the aerosol source member.

[0010] Exemplary Embodiment 3: The aerosol delivery device of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member is disposed proximate an inner surface of the aerosol source member.

[0011] Exemplary Embodiment 4: An aerosol delivery device of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or an aerosol delivery device of any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the dispensing mechanism is actuated by a sensor configured to detect suction on the aerosol source member.

[0012] Exemplary Embodiment 5: An aerosol delivery device of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or an aerosol delivery device of any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the dispensing mechanism is actuated by a manual actuator.

[0013] Exemplary Embodiment 6: An aerosol delivery device of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or an aerosol delivery device of any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the manual actuator includes a click-return actuator.

[0014] Exemplary Embodiment 7: An aerosol delivery device of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or an aerosol delivery device of any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the manual actuator is configured to move together with a heating member.

[0015] Exemplary Embodiment 8: An aerosol delivery device of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or an aerosol delivery device of any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the aerosol source member is removably engaged with the control body and is replaceable.

[0016] Exemplary Embodiment 9: An aerosol delivery device of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or an aerosol delivery device of any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the inhalable substance medium of the aerosol source member includes a solid or semi-solid inhalable substance medium.

[0017] Exemplary Embodiment 10: An aerosol delivery device of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or an aerosol delivery device of any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the inhalable substance medium includes an extrusion substrate.

[0018] Exemplary Embodiment 11: A control body for use with an aerosol source member containing an inhalable substance medium, the control body including a housing, an electrical energy source disposed within the housing, a heating member operably connected to the electrical energy source, and a dispensing mechanism coupled to the heating member, the dispensing mechanism being configured to move the heating member relative to the aerosol source member to sequentially heat at least one of two or more segments of the aerosol source member.

[0019] Exemplary Embodiment 12: The control body of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments or the control body of any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the dispensing mechanism is actuated by a sensor configured to detect suction on the aerosol source member.

[0020] Exemplary Embodiment 13: The control body of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments or the control body of any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the dispensing mechanism is actuated by a manual actuator.

[0021] Exemplary Embodiment 14: The control body of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments or the control body of any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the manual actuator includes a click return actuator.

[0022] Exemplary Embodiment 15: The control body of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments or the control body of any combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the manual actuator is configured to move with the heating member.

[0023] Exemplary Embodiment 16: A method of operating an aerosol delivery device including a control body and an aerosol source member, the method comprising: energizing a heating member using an electrical energy source disposed in a housing of the control body; heating a first segment of the aerosol source member using the heating member; moving the heating member from a first position to a second position relative to the aerosol source member using a indexing mechanism; and heating a second segment of the aerosol source member using the heating member.

[0024] Exemplary Embodiment 17: The method of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein heating the first and second segments of the aerosol source member includes first heating outer surfaces of the first and second segments of the aerosol source member.

[0025] Exemplary Embodiment 18: The method of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein heating the first and second segments of the aerosol source member includes first heating inner surfaces of the first and second segments of the aerosol source member.

[0026] Exemplary Embodiment 19: The method of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, further comprising actuating the indexing mechanism using a sensor configured to detect suction on the aerosol source member.

[0027] Exemplary Embodiment 20: The method of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, further comprising actuating the indexing mechanism using a manual actuator.

[0028] Exemplary Embodiment 21: The method of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the manual actuator includes a click return actuator.

[0029] Exemplary Embodiment 22: A method of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or a method of any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein moving a heating member from a first position to a second position relative to an aerosol source member includes moving a manual actuator from the first position to the second position.

[0030] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below.

[0031] To assist in understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, although the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. The drawings are merely examples and are not to be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] The present disclosure is described in more detail below. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" as used herein include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0034] The present disclosure provides an article that uses electrical energy to heat a material (preferably without significantly combusting the material) to form an inhalable substance, and the article is small enough to be considered a "handheld" device. In certain embodiments, the article may be particularly characterized as a smoking article. As used herein, this term is intended to mean an article that provides the taste and / or sensation (e.g., feel or mouthfeel) of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe without any component of the article actually burning. The term smoking article does not necessarily indicate that the article produces smoke in the sense of being a byproduct of combustion or pyrolysis during operation. Rather, smoking relates to the physical actions of an individual when using the article, such as holding the article in the hand, sucking on one end of the article, and inhaling from the article. In further embodiments, the article of the invention may be characterized as a vapor generating article, an aerosolizing article, or a pharmaceutical delivery article. Thus, the article may be arranged to provide one or more substances in an inhalable state. In other embodiments, the inhalable substance may be in substantially the form of a vapor (i.e., a substance in the gas phase at a temperature below the critical point of the inhalable substance). In other embodiments, the inhalable substance may be in the form of an aerosol (i.e., a suspension of fine solid particles or droplets in a gas). The physical form of the inhalable substance is not necessarily limited by the nature of the article of the invention, but may depend on the nature of the medium and the inhalable substance itself with respect to whether the inhalable substance exists in a vapor state or an aerosol state. In some embodiments, the terms may be interchangeable. Thus, for simplicity, it is understood that the terms used to describe the present disclosure are interchangeable unless otherwise specified.

[0035] The system is generally described herein with respect to embodiments related to aerosol delivery devices such as so-called "electronic cigarettes" or "tobacco heating products", but it should be understood that the mechanisms, components, features and methods may be embodied in many different forms and associated with a variety of articles. For example, the descriptions provided herein may be used in combination with embodiments of conventional smoking articles (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc. that are used by igniting and inhaling tobacco), non-combustion heated tobacco, and related packaging for any of the products disclosed herein. Accordingly, the descriptions of the mechanisms, components, features and methods disclosed herein are presented as illustrative examples only with respect to embodiments related to aerosol delivery devices, and it should be understood that they may be embodied and used in a variety of other products and methods.

[0036] The aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure may also be characterized as vapor generating articles or drug delivery articles. Accordingly, such articles or devices may be adapted to provide one or more substances (e.g., flavors and / or pharmaceutically active ingredients) in an inhalable form or state. For example, the inhalable substance may be substantially in the form of vapor (i.e., a substance in the gas phase at a temperature below the critical point of the inhalable substance). Alternatively, the inhalable substance may be in the form of an aerosol (i.e., a suspension of fine solid particles or droplets in a gas). For clarity, the term "aerosol" as used herein means vapor, gas and aerosol in a form or type suitable for human inhalation, whether visible or not and whether in a form that may be considered smoky.

[0037] When using conventional types of smoking articles (e.g., cigarettes, cigars or pipes that are used by lighting and inhaling tobacco), the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure may be subject to many of the physical motions used by an individual during use. For example, a user of the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure may hold the article in a manner similar to a conventional type of smoking article, suck on one end of the article to inhale the aerosol generated by the article, and smoke at selected time intervals, etc.

[0038] The aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure generally include a number of components provided within an outer shell or outer body. The overall design of the outer shell or outer body can vary, and the form or configuration of the outer body that can define the overall dimensions and shape of the aerosol delivery device can vary. Typically, an elongated body similar in shape to a cigarette or cigar can be formed from a single integral shell, or the elongated body can be formed from two or more separable parts. For example, the aerosol delivery device can include an elongated shell or body that can be substantially tubular in shape and thereby similar in shape to a conventional cigarette or cigar. However, in other embodiments, various other shapes and configurations may be used (e.g., rectangular or fob-shaped).

[0039] In one embodiment, all components of the aerosol delivery device are housed within one outer body or outer shell. Alternatively, the aerosol delivery device can include two or more shells that are joined and separable. For example, the aerosol delivery device can have a control body at one end that includes a shell housing one or more reusable components (e.g., a rechargeable battery and various electronics for controlling the operation of the article), and can have a removably attached shell at the other end that houses a disposable portion (e.g., a disposable fragrance-containing cartridge). The more specific forms, configurations, and arrangements of the components within a single-shell type unit or within a multi-component separable-shell type unit will become apparent in light of the further disclosure provided herein. Further, considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, the designs and component arrangements of various aerosol delivery devices can be understood.

[0040] Generally, the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure can generally include some combinations of an electrical energy source (i.e., a power source), a heating member or a heat generating component (e.g., a conductive electrical resistance heating member or an induction heating member), an aerosol source member including an inhalable substance medium that can be disposed proximate to or in direct contact with the heating member, a dispensing mechanism, and at least one control component (e.g., means for actuating, controlling, regulating, and / or stopping the power for heating and dispensing, such as by controlling the flow of current from the power source to the components of the aerosol delivery device). When the heating member heats the inhalable substance medium, the inhalable substance is formed, released, or generated from the inhalable substance medium in a physical form suitable for inhalation by the consumer. It should be noted that the foregoing terms are meant to be interchangeable such that references to release, releasing, releases, or released include form or generate, forming or generating, forms or generates, and formed or generated. Specifically, the inhalable substance is released in the form of a vapor or an aerosol or a mixture thereof. It should be noted that the foregoing terms are meant to be interchangeable such that references to release, releasing, releases, or released include form or generate, forming or generating, forms or generates, and formed or generated. Specifically, the inhalable substance is released in the form of a vapor or an aerosol or a mixture thereof, and such terms are also used interchangeably herein unless otherwise specified.

[0041] As described above, the aerosol delivery device incorporates an electrical energy source (e.g., a battery and / or other power source, such as a capacitor) and provides a flow of current sufficient to provide various functions to the aerosol delivery device, such as powering the heater, powering the control system, powering the dispensing mechanism, powering the indicator, etc. The power source can take on various embodiments. Preferably, the power source can supply sufficient power to rapidly heat the heating member to form an aerosol and supply power to the aerosol delivery device over a desired duration of use. The power source is preferably sized to conveniently fit within the aerosol delivery device so that the aerosol delivery device can be easily handled. Further, a preferred power source is sufficiently lightweight so as not to detract from the desired smoking experience.

[0042] The more specific forms, configurations, and arrangements of the components within the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure will become apparent in light of the further disclosure provided below. Further, considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, the selection of various aerosol delivery device components can be understood. Further, considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, the arrangement of the components within the aerosol delivery device can also be understood. Examples of commercially available products whose components, methods of operation, materials included therein and / or other attributes of commercially available products may be included in the devices of the present disclosure, as well as manufacturers, designers and / or assignees of components and related technologies that can be used in the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure, are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 222,615, filed Jul. 28, 2016, by Watson et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0043] The devices according to the present disclosure can assume various embodiments, as will be described in detail below, but the use of the devices by consumers will be similar in terms of the scope of application. In particular, the devices can be provided as a plurality of components that are combined by the consumer for use and then disassembled by the consumer. Specifically, the consumer can have a reusable control body that is substantially cylindrical, substantially rectangular, or of another shape having an opening disposed in a portion of the control body housing. In some embodiments, the housing can also include one or more indicators of active use of the device. The consumer can further have one or more aerosol source members that engage or are received in the opening of the control body. The consumer can insert the aerosol source member into the opening or otherwise combine the aerosol source member and the control body so that the device is operable as described herein for using the article. In some embodiments, the aerosol source member can be inserted into the control body as long as it is permitted by the overall structure of the components and / or other internal receiving functions. Typically, at least a portion of the aerosol source member that is at least large enough to be inserted into the consumer's mouth for smoking with it remains outside the control body. This can be referred to as the mouthpiece end of the aerosol source member.

[0044] During use, the consumer initiates heating of a heating member adjacent to an inhalable substance medium (or a particular portion of the inhalable substance medium), and heating of the medium releases the inhalable substance into the space within the housing and / or the aerosol source member to generate an inhalable substance. When the consumer inhales at the mouth end of the aerosol source member, air is drawn into the aerosol source member through the opening of the control body and / or into the aerosol source member itself. As the drawn material exits the mouth end of the aerosol source member and enters the consumer's mouth, a combination of the drawn air and the released inhalable substance is inhaled by the consumer. In some embodiments, the consumer may manually activate a push button or similar component that causes the heating member to receive electrical energy from a battery or other power source to initiate heating. The electrical energy may be supplied over a predetermined length of time or may be manually controlled. Preferably, the flow of electrical energy does not substantially continue between puffs of smoking using the device (although the energy flow may continue to maintain a baseline temperature higher than the ambient temperature, e.g., a temperature that facilitates rapid heating to the operating heating temperature). In other embodiments, heating may be initiated by the consumer's smoking action via the use of various sensors, as described separately herein. When smoking ceases, heating may stop or decrease. When the consumer has taken a sufficient number of puffs to release a sufficient amount of the inhalable substance (e.g., an amount sufficient to correspond to a typical smoking experience), the aerosol source member can be removed from the control body and discarded.

[0045] Generally, relative movement between the aerosol source member and the heating member can be achieved in various ways. For example, in some embodiments, this can be achieved by moving the heating member relative to the aerosol source member, and in other embodiments, this can be achieved by moving the aerosol source member relative to the heating member, and in still other embodiments, this can be achieved by moving both the aerosol source member and the heating member relative to each other. By way of example, in the embodiments described below, the relative movement is achieved by moving the heating member relative to the aerosol source member. As will be described in detail below, in various embodiments, an indexing mechanism coupled to the heating member can be configured to create a progressive relative movement between the heating member and the aerosol source member, such that the heating member can heat one or more segments of the aerosol source member corresponding to one or more positions of the heating member relative to the aerosol source member. In some embodiments, the indexing mechanism can operate "automatically" in that it can be actuated by one or more puffing actions performed by the consumer. In other embodiments, the consumer may manually actuate the indexing mechanism. In some embodiments, a combination of automatic and manual actuation may exist. In any case, after the heating member has heated the available segments of the aerosol source member, the aerosol source member can be removed from the control body and discarded. The above description of the use of the device can be applied to the various embodiments described, with minor modifications that may be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the further disclosure provided herein. However, the above description of the use is not intended to limit the use of the device of the present invention and is provided to comply with all necessary disclosure requirements of the present disclosure.

[0046] As described above, an aerosolizable substance medium can include tobacco-containing beads, tobacco shreds, tobacco flakes, reconstituted tobacco materials or combinations thereof, and / or mixtures of micronized tobacco, tobacco extracts, spray-dried tobacco extracts, or any other tobacco forms that are mixed with any inorganic materials (such as calcium carbonate) and any flavor and aerosol-forming materials to form a substantially solid or moldable (e.g., extruded) substrate. Gels and suspensions can also be utilized. Constructs and formulations of some representative types of solid and semi-solid aerosolizable substance media are all incorporated herein by reference from U.S. Patent No. 8,424,538 to Thomas et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,464,726 to Sebastian et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0083150 to Conner et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2015 / 0157052 to Ademe et al. and 2017-0000188 to Nordskog et al. filed on June 30, 2015.

[0047] In various embodiments, the aerosol source member or a portion of the aerosol source member can be wrapped with an overwrap material formed from any material useful for providing additional structure and / or support to the aerosol source member. In various embodiments, the overwrap material can include paper or other fibrous materials, such as cellulose materials, materials that resist (or promote) heat transfer. The overwrap material can also include at least one filler material embedded or dispersed within the fibrous material. In various embodiments, the filler material can be in the form of water-insoluble particles. Further, the filler material can incorporate inorganic components. In various embodiments, the overwrap can be formed from a plurality of layers, such as an underlying bulk layer, and an overlying layer, such as a typical wrapper in a cigarette. Such materials can include lightweight "rag fibers" such as, for example, linen, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and / or esparto. Additional explanations regarding the composition of the overwrap material that can be used with the present disclosure can be found in the specification of U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In additional embodiments, the overwrap material can have one or more of the following properties: can be impermeable to the movement of the aerosol, can have the ability to withstand a targeted high temperature, can promote radial heat transfer from the heater to the tobacco stick material, can resist axial heat transfer along the tobacco stick away from the heated segment, and / or can have a relatively low thermal mass so as not to suppress a rapid temperature rise of the heated segment. In one embodiment, the overwrap material can be a stainless steel foil that can be, in some embodiments, about.001 inches thick.

[0048] In various embodiments, the mouth end of the aerosol source member can include a filter that can be made from a cellulose acetate material or a polypropylene material. In various embodiments, the filter may enhance the structural integrity of the mouth end of the aerosol source member and / or provide a filtration capacity, if desired, and / or provide a resistance to suction. For example, an article according to the present disclosure can exhibit a pressure drop of about 50 to about 250 mm of water pressure drop at an air flow rate of 17.5 cc / second. In further embodiments, the pressure drop can be about 60 mm to about 180 mm or about 70 mm to about 150 mm. The pressure drop values can be measured using a Filtrona Filter Test Station (CTS series) available from Filtrona Instruments and Automation Ltd or a Quality Test Module (QTM) available from the Cerulean Division of Molins, PLC. The length of the filter at the mouth end of the aerosol source member can vary, such as from about 2 mm to about 20 mm, from about 5 mm to about 20 mm, or from about 10 mm to about 15 mm. In some embodiments, the filter may be separated from the wrap, and the filter may be held in place by the wrap.

[0049] Additional exemplary types of overwrap materials, wrapping material components, and processed wrapping materials that may be used in the overwrap of the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,105,838 to White, U.S. Patent No. 5,271,419 to Arzonico et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,220,930 to Gentry, U.S. Patent No. 6,908,874 to Woodhead et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,929,013 to Ashcraft et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,195,019 to Hancock et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,276,120 to Holmes, U.S. Patent No. 7,275,548 to Hancock et al., PCT International Publication No. 01 / 08514 to Fournier et al., and PCT International Publication No. 03 / 043450 to Hajaligol et al., which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Representative wrapping materials are commercially available from Schweitzer-Maudit International as grades 119, 170, 419, 453, 454, 456, 465, 466, 490, 525, 535, 557, 652, 664, 672, 676, and 680 from the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The porosity of the wrapping material can vary and is frequently from about 5 CORESTA units to about 30,000 CORESTA units, often from about 10 CORESTA units to about 90 CORESTA units, and frequently from about 8 CORESTA units to about 80 CORESTA units.

[0050] To maximize the delivery of aerosol and flavor that would otherwise be diluted by radial (i.e., outward) air infiltration through the wrapper, one or more layers of non-porous tobacco wrapper may be used to enclose the aerosol source member (regardless of the presence or absence of a wrapper). Examples of suitable non-porous tobacco wrappers are commercially available from Kimberly-Clark Corp. as KC-63-5, P878-5, P878-16-2, and 780-63-5. Preferably, the wrapper is a material that is substantially impermeable to the vapors formed during use of the article of the present invention. Optionally, the wrapper can include an elastic paperboard material, paperboard lined with foil, metal, a polymeric material, etc., and this material can be surrounded by the wrapping of the tobacco wrapper. The wrapper can include tipping paper that surrounds the components and, optionally, can be used to attach a filter material to the aerosol source member, as described separately herein. In various embodiments, other components may be present between the inhalable substance medium and the mouth end of the aerosol source member, and the mouth end may include a filter. For example, in some embodiments, an air gap; a phase change material for cooling air; a flavor release medium; ion exchange fibers capable of selective chemisorption; aerogel particles as a filter medium; and one or any combination of other suitable materials may be disposed between the inhalable substance medium and the mouth end.

[0051] As described above, in various embodiments, the aerosol source member may contain an inhalable material medium. The inhalable material medium can be any material that releases an inhalable substance, such as a flavor-containing substance, when heated. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the inhalable material medium is a solid or semi-solid substrate containing an inhalable substance. The inhalable substance can specifically be a tobacco component or a tobacco-derived material (i.e., a material that can be directly isolated from tobacco, a material naturally found in tobacco, or a synthetically prepared material). For example, the inhalable material medium can contain a tobacco extract or a fraction of the tobacco extract combined with an inert substrate. The inhalable material medium can further contain unburned tobacco or a composition containing unburned tobacco that releases an inhalable substance when heated to a temperature lower than the combustion temperature. Although less preferred, the inhalable material medium can contain a tobacco condensate or a fraction of the tobacco condensate (i.e., the condensed components of the smoke produced by the combustion of tobacco, leaving flavors and possibly nicotine).

[0052] The tobacco materials useful in the present disclosure can be various, and can include, for example, flue-cured tobacco, burley tobacco, oriental tobacco or Maryland tobacco, dark tobacco, dark air-cured tobacco and rustic tobacco, as well as other rare or special tobacco, or mixtures thereof. The tobacco materials can also be in the so-called "mixture" form and processed forms, such as processed tobacco stems (e.g., cut roll stems or cut puffy stems), volume-expanded tobacco (e.g., preferably puffy tobacco in cut filler form, such as dry ice expanded tobacco (DIET)), reconstituted tobacco (e.g., reconstituted tobacco manufactured using paper-forming type processing or cast sheet type processing). Various representative types of tobacco, processed types of tobacco, and types of tobacco mixtures are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,836,224 to Lawson et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,924,888 to Perfetti et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,056,537 to Brown et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,159,942 to Brinkley et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,220,930 to Gentry, U.S. Patent No. 5,360,023 to Blakley et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,701,936 to Shafer et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,011,096 to Li et al. and U.S. Patent No. 7,017,585 to Li et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,025,066 to Lawson et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004-0255965 to Perfetti et al., PCT International Publication No. 02 / 37990 pamphlet to Bereman and Bombick et al., Fund. Appl. Toxicol., 39, p. 11-17 (1997), which are incorporated herein by reference. Additional exemplary tobacco compositions that may be useful in smoking devices, including those according to the present disclosure, are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0053] Furthermore, the inhalable substance medium may include an inert substrate having an inhalable substance or a precursor thereof of the inhalable substance incorporated within or, alternatively, deposited on the inert substrate. For example, a liquid containing the inhalable substance may be coated on, absorbed or adsorbed by the inert substrate, such that upon application of heat, the inhalable substance is released in a form that can be withdrawn from the article of the present invention by application of positive or negative pressure. In some embodiments, the inhalable substance medium may include a flavorful aromatic tobacco mixture in cut filler form. In another embodiment, the inhalable substance medium may include a reconstituted tobacco material as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,807,809 to Pryor et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,889,143 to Pryor et al., and U.S. Patent No. 5,025,814 to Raker, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0054] In some embodiments, the inhalable substance medium may include an aerosol precursor composition (e.g., a humectant such as propylene glycol, glycerin, etc.) and / or at least one flavorant, and a combustion retardant (e.g., diammonium phosphate and / or another salt) configured to assist in preventing ignition, pyrolysis, combustion and / or charring of the aerosol delivery components by a heat source, and may include tobacco, tobacco components and / or tobacco-derived materials that have been treated, manufactured, produced and / or processed to incorporate the same. Various modes and methods for incorporating tobacco into smoking articles, particularly smoking articles designed so as not to intentionally combust substantially any tobacco within the smoking article, are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,647,932 to Cantrell et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,079,371 to Robinson et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,290,549 to Banerjee et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0215167 to Crooks et al., the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0055] In some embodiments, other flame retardant / combustion retardant materials and additives may be included within the inhalable substance medium, and may include organic phosphorus compounds, borax, hydrated alumina, graphite, potassium tripolyphosphate, dipentaerythritol, pentaerythritol, and polyols. Other ones such as nitrogen phosphonates, monoammonium phosphate, ammonium polyphosphate, ammonium bromide, ammonium borate, ammonium ethanol borate, ammonium sulfamate, halogenated organic compounds, thiourea, and antimony oxide may be used. In each aspect of the flame retardant materials, combustion retardant materials, and / or charring retardant materials used in the inhalable substance medium and / or other components (regardless of whether alone, or in combination with each other and / or with other materials), the desirable properties are preferably provided without undesirable gas evolution, chemical reactivity, or melting-type behavior. Additional flavorants, flavoring agents, additives, and other possible enhancing components are described in Phillips et al.'s U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 707,461, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0056] In addition to inhalable substances (e.g., generally, flavors, nicotine or pharmaceuticals), the inhalable substance medium can include one or more aerosol-forming materials or vapor-forming materials, such as polyhydric alcohols (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol or mixtures thereof) and / or water. Representative types of aerosol-forming materials are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,793,365 to Sensabaugh, Jr. et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,101,839 to Jakob et al., PCT International Publication No. 98 / 57556 to Biggs et al. and Chemical and Biological Studies on New Cigarette Prototypes that Heat Instead of Burn Tobacco, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Monograph (1988), which are incorporated herein by reference. Preferred aerosol-forming materials produce visible aerosols when sufficient heat is applied to the aerosol-forming material, and highly preferred aerosol-forming materials produce aerosols that can be regarded as "smoky". Additional tobacco materials such as tobacco aroma oils, tobacco essences, spray-dried tobacco extracts, freeze-dried tobacco extracts, tobacco dust, etc. may be combined with the vapor-forming material or aerosol-forming material. It should also be understood that the inhalable substance itself may be in a form such that upon heating, the inhalable substance is released as a vapor, aerosol or a combination thereof. In other embodiments, the inhalable substance may not necessarily be released in the form of a vapor or aerosol, but the vapor-forming material or aerosol-forming material that can be combined with the inhalable substance forms a vapor or aerosol upon heating and can essentially function as a carrier for the inhalable substance itself. Thus, the inhalable substance can be characterized as being coated on a substrate, absorbed in a substrate, adsorbed on the surface of a substrate, or a natural component of a substrate (i.e., the material forming the substrate, e.g., tobacco or tobacco-derived materials). Similarly, the aerosol-forming material or vapor-forming material can be characterized in the same way.In certain embodiments, the inhalable substance medium may specifically include a substrate containing an inhalable substance and a separate aerosol-forming material contained in the substrate. Thus, during use, the substrate may be heated, and the aerosol-forming material may take in the inhalable substance together with the aerosol-forming material and be volatilized into a vapor form. In a specific example, the inhalable substance medium may include a solid substrate having a tobacco slurry, an aerosol-forming material, and / or a vapor-forming material, which is coated on the solid substrate or absorbed or adsorbed in the solid substrate. The substrate component may be any material that does not burn or otherwise deteriorate at the temperatures described herein that are achieved by the heating member to promote the release of the inhalable substance. For example, a paper material including cigarette paper (e.g., a paper-like material including tobacco fibers and / or reconstituted tobacco) may be used. Thus, in various embodiments, the inhalable substance medium may be characterized as including, instead of an inhalable substance, an inhalable substance and a separate aerosol-forming agent or vapor-forming agent, instead of an inhalable substance and a substrate, or instead of an inhalable substance medium, a separate aerosol-forming agent or vapor-forming agent, and a substrate. Thus, the substrate may contain one or both of an inhalable substance and an aerosol-forming agent or vapor-forming agent.

[0057] Optionally, the tobacco material or inhalable substance medium may further generally contain sugar, glycerin, vanilla, cocoa, licorice and other flavoring substances, such as other ingredients like menthol. Exemplary plant-derived compositions that can be used are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0152265 to Dube et al. and U.S. Patent No. 9,107,453 to Dube et al. The selection of such additional ingredients can vary based on factors such as the sensory characteristics desired for the article, and the present disclosure is intended to encompass any such additional ingredients that may be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art of tobacco and tobacco-related or tobacco-derived products. See Gutcho's Tobacco Flavoring Substances and Methods, Noyes Data Corp. (1972) and Leffingwell et al.'s Tobacco Flavoring for Smoking Products (1972).

[0058] Inhalable substances and / or discrete vapor-forming materials can be provided on a substrate in a variety of configurations. For example, both materials can be associated with the substrate such that the concentration of each material along the length of the substrate is substantially constant (e.g., if the substrate is divided into a plurality of longitudinal segments, the total concentration of the material in each individual segment can be substantially similar, e.g., varying by less than 10 wt%, less than 5 wt% or less than 2 wt%). In other embodiments, one or both of the materials can be present in a defined pattern. For example, the pattern can be a gradient in which the concentration continuously increases or decreases along the length of the substrate. Thus, the first puff using the article may provide a significantly greater or lesser amount of inhalable substance than the amount of inhalable substance at the last puff. The gradient can also be designed to provide a uniform generation of inhalable substance over the entire puffing. Further, the pattern can be such that a large amount of inhalable substance is provided at a point along the length of the substrate (e.g., corresponding to the first puff, the last puff, or some intermediate puff using the article). In light of the present disclosure, any of a variety of such patterns can be envisioned, and such variations are likewise encompassed by the present disclosure. Such patterning can similarly be applied to additional components (e.g., flavorants) described herein. For example, a large amount of flavorant can be provided on the substrate at a position substantially corresponding to the last puff or the last two or three puffs using the article. Such flavor release can inform the consumer that the last puff using the device is approaching or has been achieved. The various other configurations and components that can be included in the inhalable substance medium of the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0059] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the inhalable material medium can be configured as an extrudate, as described in Stone et al.'s U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0042885, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In yet other aspects, the inhalable material medium can be configured as an extruded structure and / or a substrate that includes or consists essentially of tobacco, tobacco-related materials, glycerin, water, and / or binder materials, although certain formulations do not include a binder material. In various embodiments, the binder material can be any binder material commonly used in tobacco formulations, including, for example, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), gums (e.g., guar gum), xanthan, pullulan, and / or alginate. According to some aspects, the binder material included in the aerosol delivery component can be configured to substantially maintain the structural shape and / or integrity of the aerosol delivery component. Various representative binders, binder properties, binder usage, and binder amounts are described in Raker et al.'s U.S. Patent No. 4,924,887, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0060] In some embodiments, the inhalable substance medium is further configured to substantially maintain its structure throughout the aerosol generation process. That is, the inhalable substance medium is configured to substantially maintain its shape throughout the aerosol generation process (i.e., the aerosol delivery component does not continuously deform under the applied shear stress). In some embodiments, the inhalable substance medium component may include a liquid and / or some moisture content, but in some embodiments, the inhalable substance medium remains substantially solid throughout the aerosol generation process and is configured to substantially maintain its structural integrity throughout the aerosol generation process. Exemplary tobacco and / or tobacco-related materials suitable for substantially solid aerosol delivery components are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0157052 to Ademe et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0335070 to Sears et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,204,287 to White, and U.S. Patent No. 5,060,676 to Hearn et al., each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0061] In yet another aspect, the inhalable substance medium may include an extruded structure and / or substrate formed from marumerized and / or non-marumerized tobacco. Marumerized tobacco is known, for example, from U.S. Patent No. 5,105,831 to Banerjee et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Marumerized tobacco, in combination with the binders and / or flavorants described herein, includes a mixture of tobacco in powder form with glycerol (about 20 to about 30 weight percent), calcium carbonate (generally about 10 to about 60 weight percent, often about 40 to about 60 weight percent), and about 20 to about 50 percent (by weight).

[0062] In various embodiments, the base wall can be substantially formed from a material (e.g., cigarette paper) that can naturally contain an inhalable substance within the base wall, or from any additional material (e.g., paper) that can have an inhalable substance and / or a vapor-forming agent or aerosol-forming agent incorporated therein. In addition to the inhalable substance and / or vapor-forming substance or aerosol-forming substance, the base wall can include additional components. For example, a vapor barrier can be included on the outer surface of the inhalable substance medium wall. Preferably, the vapor barrier is disposed on the wall surface adjacent to (or in contact with) the heating member when the inhalable substance medium is heated. In certain embodiments, the vapor barrier can be formed from a material that is electrically insulating or can include a layer of electrically insulating material that can contact the heating member. For example, a metal foil can be used as the vapor barrier, and the foil can have an insulating monolayer (e.g., a metal oxide layer) in contact with the heating member. A wall of the inhalable substance medium for preventing the release of vapor or aerosol to the outer volume of the inhalable substance medium and facilitating the release of vapor or aerosol to the annular space defined by the inner surface of the inhalable substance medium wall. Any vapor barrier material such as a metal foil can be used.

[0063] In further embodiments, the inhalable material medium can be formed from a material that softens or changes phase (especially from solid to melt) at approximately the operating temperature of the article. For example, the inhalable material medium can be a wax or a gel, and the inhalable substance can be entrained within the inhalable material medium. In such embodiments, it can be particularly useful to include a vapor barrier (or similar material) that provides support to the inhalable material medium and substantially prevents the inhalable material medium from contacting the heating member. Similarly, the inhalable material medium can include a vapor barrier layer coated with an inhalable substance and / or an aerosol-forming material. For example, one or more of such coating materials can be in microencapsulated form that preferably releases its components at a temperature within one or more of the operating ranges described separately herein. Microencapsulation techniques that can be useful in such embodiments are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 4,464,434 to Davis.

[0064] In some embodiments (such as when the heating member is disposed within a hollow aerosol source member), imparting tension to the inhalable material medium can be useful to provide certain performance of the article of the present invention. As described separately herein, it can be beneficial for the inhalable material medium to have a relatively thin thickness so that heat is efficiently transferred, particularly when a substrate exhibiting relatively low heat transfer, such as paper, is used. However, a thin substrate can have a relatively low strength at certain dimensions and a relatively high strength at other dimensions. For example, a thin sheet of paper under tension exhibits a higher strength compared to the same sheet of paper when compressed. By applying tension, it is also possible to facilitate direct contact of the heating member with the surface of the inhalable material medium (including the substrate used or the vapor barrier that may be present) being heated.

[0065] In other embodiments (such as when the heating member is disposed around the outside of the hollow aerosol source member), it may be desirable to support the interior of the aerosol source member to prevent the aerosol source member from collapsing due to the outward pressure of the heating member acting on the outside of the aerosol source member. In some embodiments, for example, this can be achieved by filling the inner diameter of the aerosol source member with shredded tobacco or other materials having a relatively low thermal mass and thermal conductivity. In other embodiments, for example, this can be achieved by providing additional strength to the thin substrate wall depending on the rigidity of the wound-up material (such as a metal foil). In other embodiments, for example, a laminate may be added to the inner surface of the substrate wall using a permeable paper or perforated paper that allows for the transport of vapor but provides additional rigidity to the tube wall.

[0066] As described above, the end of the aerosol source member on the opposite side of the mouthpiece end is sized and shaped for insertion into the control body. Accordingly, a receiving chamber can be formed within the control body such that the maximum outer diameter of the aerosol source member (or other dimension depending on the particular cross-sectional shape of the embodiment) is preferably smaller than the inner diameter (or other dimension) of the open end of the receiving chamber within the control body. Ideally, the difference in each diameter is small enough such that the aerosol source member fits snugly within the receiving chamber and the frictional force prevents the aerosol source member from moving without being subjected to a force.

[0067] As described above, in some embodiments, the aerosol source member may include a wrapper. When a wrapper is present, the total length of the wrapper can vary from substantially the same as the length of the inhalable substance medium to about twice the length of the inhalable substance medium. Thus, the inhalable substance medium can have a length that is up to about 50%, up to about 30%, or up to about 10% shorter than the length of the wrapper. Preferably, the inhalable substance medium can have a length that is at least 10%, at least 15%, or at least 20% shorter than the length of the wrapper. More specifically, the distance by which the wrapper extends beyond the inhalable substance medium can be about 5%, about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 40%, about 50%, about 60%, about 70%, about 80%, about 90%, or about 100% of the length of the inhalable substance medium.

[0068] The wrapper can also function to provide certain characteristics to the mouth end of the cartridge. For example, the structure and / or shape and / or dimensions of the wrapper can function to provide the feel of a conventional cigarette in the user's mouth. Further, as described above, the wrapper can include a filter (e.g., cellulose acetate or polypropylene) disposed proximate to the mouth end of the cartridge, which can enhance the structural integrity of the wrapper and / or provide filtration capabilities and / or provide resistance to suction, if desired.

[0069] Schematic views of exemplary embodiments of an aerosol delivery device 100 according to the present disclosure are shown in FIGS. 1-3. Generally, the aerosol delivery device 100 includes a control body 102 including a housing 104 configured to receive an aerosol source member 500. The housing may also include a push button 105 configured to effect certain operations of the device 100, such as turning the device on and initiating heating of a heating member. In various embodiments, the aerosol source member 500 may include a heated end 502 configured to be inserted into the control body 102 and a mouthpiece end 504 that a user inhales on to generate an aerosol. The aerosol delivery devices of FIGS. 1-3 are shown as having a substantially rectangular or fob-shaped control body 102 for ease of illustration, but in other embodiments, the control body 102 may have a substantially tubular shape and thus may have any other shape including an elongated shell or body that may resemble the shape of a conventional cigarette or cigar, and it should be noted that the components described below may be sized and configured to fit within the elongated body.

[0070] In various embodiments, the control body 102 may be referred to as reusable, and the aerosol source member 500 may be referred to as disposable. In some embodiments, the entire device 100 may be configured only for a limited number of uses (e.g., until the battery power component no longer provides sufficient power to the article) using a limited number of aerosol source members 500, after which the entire device 100, including the control body 102, may be discarded, and thus may be characterized as disposable. In other embodiments, the control body 102 may have a replaceable battery such that the control body 102 can be reused through a number of battery replacements and with a number of aerosol source members 500. Similarly, the device 100 may be rechargeable and thus may be combined with any type of charging technology including connection to a typical outlet, connection to an automobile charger (i.e., cigarette socket), a wireless charger such as an inductive wireless charger (including wireless charging compliant with the Qi wireless charging standard from the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC)), or connection to a radio frequency (RF)-based charger, and connection to a computer via a USB cable, etc.

[0071] In various embodiments, the housing 104 can be formed from any material suitable for forming and maintaining a suitable structure, such as a tubular or rectangular shape, and for holding an aerosol source member within the housing 104. In some embodiments, the housing can be formed from a single wall or multiple walls and, as further described herein, can be formed from one or more heat-resistant materials (natural or synthetic) to maintain its structural integrity (e.g., not degrade) at at least some temperature that is the heating temperature provided by the electrical heating member. In some embodiments, a heat-resistant polymer can be used. In other embodiments, a ceramic material can be used. In further embodiments, a thermal insulation material may be used so as not to unnecessarily transfer heat away from the aerosol source member. When formed from a single layer, the housing can preferably have a thickness of from about 0.2 mm to about 5.0 mm, from about 0.5 mm to about 4.0 mm, from about 0.5 mm to about 3.0 mm, or from about 1.0 mm to about 3.0 mm. Additional exemplary types of components and materials that can be used to provide the functions described above or can be used as alternatives to the materials and components described above can be of the types described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 00186757 to Crooks, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 00186757 to Crooks, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011 / 0041861 to Sebastian, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0072] Although not shown in the figures, the housing 104 can include one or more apertures within the housing 104 to allow ambient air entry to be directed to the heated end 502 of the aerosol source member 500. Thus, when a consumer sucks on the mouth end 504 of the aerosol source member 500, air is drawn into the receiving chamber, enters the aerosol source member 500 proximate the heated end 502, is drawn through the inhalable substance medium, and can be inhaled by the consumer through the mouth end 504. In embodiments where there is an upwrap, the drawn air can carry the inhalable substance from the opening of the upwrap through any filter.

[0073] In various embodiments, the control body 102 can include an opening 106 defined within the housing 104, a flow sensor (not shown, e.g., a smoking sensor or a pressure switch), a control component 108 (e.g., individually, or a microprocessor, a printed circuit board (PCB) including a microprocessor and / or a microcontroller as part of a microcontroller), and an electrical energy source 110 (e.g., a battery that may be rechargeable, and / or a rechargeable supercapacitor). Some examples of power sources are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,484,155 to Peckerar et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0112191 to Sur et al. filed on October 21, 2015, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. With respect to the flow sensor, representative current regulation components and other current control components including various microcontrollers, sensors, and switches for aerosol delivery devices are all incorporated herein by reference in their entireties: U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,922,901 to Brooks et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,947,874, U.S. Patent No. 4,947,875, U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen et al., and U.S. Patent No. 8,205,622 to Pan. The control method described in U.S. Patent No. 9,423,152 to Ampolini et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, is also referenced.

[0074] Additional components may be utilized in the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al. discloses an indicator for a smoking article, U.S. Patent No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, Jr. discloses a piezoelectric sensor related to the mouthpiece end of a device that detects the movement of a user's lips associated with inhalation and then causes heating of a heating device, U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al. discloses a smoking sensor for controlling the energy flow to a heating load array in response to a pressure drop through a mouthpiece, U.S. Patent No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al. discloses a container within a smoking device that includes a discriminator for detecting non-uniformities in the infrared transmissibility of an inserted component and a controller for executing a detection routine when the component is inserted into the container, U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al. describes an executable power cycle defined in a plurality of different phases, U.S. Patent No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al. discloses a photonic-optronic component, U.S. Patent No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al. discloses means for varying the draw resistance through a smoking device, U.S. Patent No. 6,803,545 to Blake et al. discloses a specific battery configuration for use in a smoking device, U.S. Patent No. 7,293,565 to Griffen et al. discloses various charging systems for use with a smoking device, U.S. Patent No. 8,402,976 to Fernando et al. discloses computer interface means for a smoking device to facilitate charging and enable computer control of the device, U.S. Patent No. 8,689,804 to Fernando et al. discloses an identification system for a smoking device, and PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2010 / 003480 to Flick discloses a fluid flow sensing system indicating smoking using an aerosol generation system. All of the foregoing disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0075] Components and disclosure materials related to electronic aerosol delivery articles that can be used in the present article, or additional examples of components, include U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,249,586 to Morgan et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,666,977 to Higgins et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,053,176 to Adams et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,164,287 to White, U.S. Patent No. 6,196,218 to Voges, U.S. Patent No. 6,810,883 to Felter et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,854,461 to Nichols, U.S. Patent No. 7,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Patent No. 7,513,253 to Kobayashi, U.S. Patent No. 7,896,006 to Hamano, U.S. Patent No. 6,772,756 to Shayan, U.S. Patent Nos. 8,156,944 and 8,375,957 to Hon, U.S. Patent No. 8,794,231 to Thorens et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,851,083 to Oglesby et al., U.S. Patent Nos. 8,915,254 and 8,925,555 to Monsees et al., U.S. Patent No. 9,220,302 to DePiano et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006 / 0196518 to Hon and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0188490 to Hon, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0024834 to Oglesby et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0307518 to Wang, PCT Patent Application Publication Pamphlet No. 2010 / 091593 to Hon and PCT Patent Application Publication Pamphlet No. 2013 / 089551 to Foo, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Further, U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 881,392 to Worm et al., filed on October 13, 2015, discloses capsules that can be included in an aerosol delivery device and a fob-shaped configuration for an aerosol delivery device, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In various embodiments, various materials disclosed by the foregoing documents may be incorporated into the present device, and each of the foregoing disclosures is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0076] The aerosol delivery device 100 of the illustrated embodiment also includes a heating member 112 that receives power from an electrical energy source 110 and can be controlled by a control component 108. The heating member 112 can be any device suitable for providing sufficient heat to facilitate the release of an inhalable substance for inhalation by a consumer. In certain embodiments, the electrical heating member can be a resistive heating member. Useful heating members can have a low mass, a low density, a moderate resistivity, and be thermally stable at the temperatures experienced during use. Useful heating members heat and cool rapidly, thus using energy efficiently. Also, when the element is heated rapidly, the aerosol-forming substance volatilizes almost instantaneously. Rapid cooling prevents substantial volatilization (and thus waste) of the aerosol-forming substance during periods when aerosol formation is not desired. Such heating members also enable relatively accurate control of the temperature range experienced by the aerosol-forming substance, particularly when time-based current control is used. Useful heating members are also chemically non-reactive (and non-catalytic) with the materials containing the inhalable substance medium being heated so as not to adversely affect the flavor or content of the aerosol or vapor produced. Exemplary and non-limiting materials that can include the heating member include carbon, graphite, carbon / graphite composite materials, metal carbides and non-metal carbides, nitrides, silicides, intermetallic compounds, cermets, metal alloys, and metal foils. In particular, refractory materials can be useful. Various different materials can be mixed to achieve the desired properties of resistivity, mass, thermal conductivity, and surface characteristics.

[0077] As can be seen in FIGS. 1-3, the electric heating member 112 of some embodiments includes a small segment heating member that can be in direct contact with the aerosol source member 500. Direct contact may be preferred considering the ability to provide conductive heating that requires a more rapid and smaller thermal resistance. In other embodiments, the heating member may have other shapes corresponding to the shape of the inhalable material medium within the aerosol source member. Other examples of heater arrays that may be adapted for use in the present disclosure in accordance with the foregoing description can be found in U.S. Patent No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,093,894 to Deevi et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,224,498 to Deevi et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,228,460 to Sprinkel Jr. et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,322,075 to Deevi et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,353,813 to Deevi et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,468,936 to Deevi et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,498,850 to Das, U.S. Patent No. 5,659,656 to Das, U.S. Patent No. 5,498,855 to Deevi et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,530,225 to Hajaligol, U.S. Patent No. 5,665,262 to Hajaligol, U.S. Patent No. 5,573,692 to Das et al., and U.S. Patent No. 5,591,368 to Fleischhauer et al., which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0078] Considering the various possible heater configurations, the heating member can be constructed from nickel, chromium and iron alloys such as nichrome or iron, aluminum and chromium (kathal), or other alloys known to be suitable for use as heating elements. In some embodiments, the heating member can be in the form of a metal foil such as stainless steel foil, aluminum foil, copper foil, etc., or provided in any other useful configuration such as substantially straight or coiled, or alternatively in a spiral configuration. In a particular example, the inhalable substance medium can be a mixture of pulverized tobacco, tobacco extract, spray-dried tobacco extract, or any inorganic material (such as calcium carbonate), any flavor, and other tobacco forms that are mixed with an aerosol-forming material to form a substantially solid or moldable (e.g., extruded) substrate, and this solid or moldable substrate may be in direct contact with the heating member. However, in other embodiments, the heating member may not be in contact with the inhalable substance medium, but rather may simply be in proximity to the inhalable substance medium.

[0079] In some embodiments, heater temperature control can be provided by including a sensor such as a thermistor or thermocouple in proximity to the heating member / substrate interface and / or by monitoring the resistance of the heating member itself and utilizing the known relationship between the temperature and resistivity of a particular heating member alloy to infer the temperature of the heating member.

[0080] In certain embodiments, a portion of the heating member may be integral with (e.g., embedded within) the inhalable substance medium. For example, the inhalable substance medium may be formed from a material as described above and may include one or more conductive materials mixed therein. Due to the presence of the conductive material in the inhalable substance medium, when electrical energy is applied from an electrical energy source to the inhalable substance medium, a current flows and heat is thereby generated from the conductive material. Thus, the heating member can be described as being integral with the inhalable substance medium. By way of non-limiting example, graphite or other suitable conductive material may be mixed with the material forming the inhalable substance medium, embedded in the material forming the inhalable substance medium, or otherwise directly present on or within the material forming the inhalable substance medium to integrate the heating member with the medium. Examples of suitable heating members and related components are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0081] As described above, the control body 102 may further include a control component 108. For example, the control component may include a control circuit (which may be connected to additional components as further described herein) that is connected to an electrical energy source 110 by a conductive wire. In various embodiments, the control component may control when and how the heating member 112 receives electrical energy to heat the inhalable substance medium for the release of an inhalable substance for inhalation by a consumer. Such control can be related to the operation of, for example, a pressure-sensitive switch, which is described in more detail below. It should be noted that the terms "connected" or "coupled" should not be construed as requiring a direct connection without intervening components. Rather, these terms can include direct connections and / or connections through one or more intervening components. Thus, in various embodiments, these terms can be understood to mean operably connected or operably coupled.

[0082] In various embodiments, the control component 108 may also be configured to precisely control the amount of heat provided to the inhalable substance medium. The heat required to volatilize the aerosol-forming substance in a sufficient volume to provide the desired dosage of inhalable substance for a single puff may vary for each particular substance used, but this may be particularly useful for heating the heating member to a temperature of at least 120°C, at least 130°C, or at least 140°C. In some embodiments, the heating temperature may be at least 150°C, at least 200°C, at least 300°C, or at least 350°C in order to volatilize an appropriate amount of aerosol-forming substance and thus provide the desired dosage of inhalable substance. However, it may be particularly desirable to avoid heating to a temperature substantially exceeding about 550°C in order to avoid degradation and / or excessive premature volatilization of the aerosol-forming substance. In particular, the heating should be at a sufficiently low temperature and for a sufficiently short time so as to avoid significant (preferably any) combustion of the inhalable substance medium. The present disclosure may in particular provide the components of the article in combinations and modes of use that produce the desired amount of inhalable substance at relatively low temperatures. Thus, yield may refer to one or both of aerosol generation within the article and delivery from the article to the consumer. In certain embodiments, the heating temperature may be from about 120°C to about 300°C, from about 130°C to about 290°C, from about 140°C to about 280°C, from about 150°C to about 250°C, or from about 160°C to about 200°C. As will be described in more detail below, the duration of heating may be controlled by several factors. As further described herein, the heating temperature and duration may be determined according to the desired volume of aerosol and ambient air that is desired to be drawn through the aerosol source member. However, since the article may be configured such that the heating member is only energized until it reaches the desired temperature, the duration may vary according to the heating rate of the heating member. Alternatively, the duration of heating may be tied to the duration of smoking using the article by the consumer. Generally, the temperature and time of heating are controlled by one or more components housed in the control body, as described above.

[0083] In some cases, it should be noted that the heating member and / or the segments exposed to the heating member can transfer heat to either or both of the previously heated segments or the subsequent yet unheated segments (i.e., "upstream and / or downstream"). Accordingly, some embodiments may include gaps or segment insulation barriers between segments within the aerosol source member.

[0084] The amount of inhalable material released by the aerosol source member can vary based on the nature of the inhalable material. Preferably, the aerosol source member is composed of a sufficient amount of the inhalable material together with a sufficient amount of any aerosol-forming agent so as to function at a sufficient temperature for a sufficient time to release a desired amount over the course of use. The amount may be provided in a single inhalation from the aerosol source member or may be divided so as to be provided over several puffs from the article over a relatively short time (e.g., less than 30 minutes, less than 20 minutes, less than 15 minutes, less than 10 minutes or less than 5 minutes). For example, the article may provide an amount of nicotine of from about 0.05 mg to about 1.0 mg, from about 0.08 mg to about 0.5 mg, from about 0.1 mg to about 0.3 mg or from about 0.15 mg to about 0.25 mg per puff using the aerosol source member. In other embodiments, the desired amount may be characterized in relation to the amount of wet total particulate matter delivered based on the duration and volume of the puff. For example, the aerosol source member can deliver at least 1.0 mg of wet total particulate matter per puff for a defined number of puffs (as described elsewhere herein) when smoked under standard FTC smoking conditions of a 35 ml puff for 2 seconds. Such tests can be performed using any standard smoking machine. In other embodiments, the amount of total particulate matter (TPM) generated under the same conditions per puff is at least 1.5 mg, at least 1.7 mg, at least 2.0 mg, at least 2.5 mg, at least 3.0 mg, from about 1.0 mg to about 5.0 mg, from about 1.5 mg to about 4.0 mg, from about 2.0 mg to about 4.0 mg or from about 2.0 mg to about 3.0 mg.

[0085] The aerosol delivery device 100 of the illustrated embodiment further includes a indexing mechanism 114. In various embodiments, the indexing mechanism 114 can be coupled to the heating member 112 and can be configured to generate a progressively increasing relative movement between the heating member 112 and the aerosol source member 500. In the illustrated embodiment, the indexing mechanism 114 is coupled to the heating member 112 such that the indexing mechanism 114 moves the heating member 112 through a series of progressively increasing heating positions to progressively heat a corresponding series of segments of the aerosol source member 500. In particular, in FIG. 1, the heating member 112 is shown at a first position 116a configured to heat a first segment 508a of the aerosol source member 500. FIG. 2 schematically shows the aerosol delivery device 100 of FIG. 1, with the heating member 112 at a second heating position 116b, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The second position 116b is configured to heat a second segment 508b of the aerosol source member. FIG. 3 schematically shows the aerosol delivery device 100 of FIG. 1, showing a series of progressively increasing heating positions 116a-k, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Although the sizes and spacings of the heating positions in FIGS. 1-3 are shown as such for clarity, it should be noted that in various embodiments, the sizes and spacings of the heating positions can vary.

[0086] In the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 1-3, the heating member 112 includes a structure configured to surround a portion of the outer diameter of the aerosol source member 500. In various embodiments, such a structure may include, for example, a substantially ring-shaped, substantially tubular, or substantially cylindrical structure, may be formed from any suitable material as described above, and preferably exhibits the characteristics as described above. In one embodiment, such a structure may include a flexible heating member configured to wrap around at least a portion of the circumference of a segment of the aerosol source member 500, and in some embodiments, most (e.g., more than 50%), and in some embodiments, substantially all around. FIGS. 14 and 15 show examples of flexible heating members. In particular, FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of a flexible heating member 1000 shown in a flat orientation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible heating member 1000 includes a flexible base component 1002, a flexible heating element component 1004, a pair of heater leads 1006, and one or more attachment mechanisms 1008. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible base component 1002 may include, for example, a polyimide film, such as Kapton(R) developed by DuPont(R), etc.

[0087] In various embodiments, the flexible heating element 1004 may include, for example, an etched foil heating member, or a heating member printed by ink on a flexible film. In any case, the flexible base component 1002 and the flexible heating element component 1004 are configured to wrap around a portion of the aerosol source member, such that the operation of the flexible heating member 1000 can occur via the electrical connection of the heater leads 1006 to an electrical energy source (e.g., a battery and / or other power source, such as a capacitor). In various embodiments, this connection may be made via a controller, such as the control component 108, to control the heating member. As described above, the flexible heating member 1000 of the illustrated embodiment may also include one or more attachment mechanisms 1008 configured to enable the flexible heating member 1000 to be attached to a dispensing mechanism, such as a component of the dispensing mechanism 114.

[0088] FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of the flexible heating member 1000 shown in a formed orientation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible heating member 1000 is configured to be formed substantially cylindrically (or partially cylindrically) so as to surround a portion of the outer diameter of the aerosol source member. Note that in some embodiments, the lead 1006 of the flexible heating member 1000 may be arranged to function as a spring or to perform a spring-like function to facilitate the force between the heating member 1000 and the aerosol source member 500.

[0089] Returning to FIGS. 1 - 3, in the illustrated embodiment, the dispensing mechanism 114 includes a small motor 118 (e.g., a microstepping motor) configured to rotate a lead screw 120. Further, a carrier 122 to which the heating member 112 is attached is inserted through the lead screw 120. Thus, rotation of the lead screw 120 by the stepper motor 118 can move the carrier 122, and thus the heating member 112, substantially linearly. In various embodiments, the characteristics (e.g., dimensions and / or specifications and / or control functions) of the control components, stepper motor, lead screw, and carrier can be designed to meet various performance goals. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 - 3, the dispensing mechanism 114 is configured such that the heating member 112 is moved through a series of individual linear positions 116 relative to the aerosol source member 500. Since the aerosol source member 500 of the illustrated embodiment is stationary, these linear positions 116 correspond to a series of individual segments 508 of the aerosol source member 500. Thus, the control component 108, stepper motor 118, lead screw 120, carrier 122, and heating member 112 are configured to be controllable such that the heating member 112 sequentially heats each of the segments 508 of the aerosol source member 500. For the embodiment of FIGS. 1 - 3, this is represented by segments 508a - k. For purposes of clarity, note that the illustrated embodiment shows a total of eleven individual positions 116a - k of the heating member 112 corresponding to eleven individual segments 508a - k of the aerosol source member 500. However, in various other embodiments, the heating member can have any number of individual positions corresponding to any number of individual segments of the aerosol source member, including an infinite number of individual segments.Furthermore, while the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-3 show a plurality of individual, spaced-apart heating member positions 116a-k corresponding to individual heated segments 508a-k of the aerosol source member, in other embodiments, the individual segments corresponding to the individual positions may be spaced apart from each other to any degree, and / or may have different spacings including spacings where the individual segments corresponding to the individual positions are adjacent to and / or overlap with each other to any degree, as well as non-uniform spacings therebetween.

[0090] In some embodiments, the operation of the heating member 112 can be initiated by a consumer's smoking action through the use of one or more various sensors, and / or can be initiated when smoking is aborted as sensed by one or more various sensors, as described elsewhere herein. Thus, in some embodiments, the number of heating member positions 116 can correspond to the number of smoking sessions available from the aerosol source member 500. In some embodiments, a single aerosol source member can provide from about 4 to about 12, from about 5 to about 11, or from about 6 to about 10 smoking sessions, which approximates the number of smoking sessions of a typical cigarette. In some embodiments, when the heating member 112 has passed through all of the available positions 116, the motor 118 may reverse direction and return the carrier 122 and the heating member 112 to the first or starting position of the heating member 112. In other embodiments, the heating member 112 can remain at the last or final position of the heating member 112, or can be disposed at any other position or positions therebetween. Further, in some embodiments, the controller may provide an indication (such as, for example, via a sound and / or an indicator light) that the heating member 112 has passed through all of the available positions 116. Additionally, in some embodiments, the aerosol source member 500 may be discharged when the heating member has passed through all of the available positions 116.

[0091] For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 112 may frictionally engage closely with the outer diameter of the aerosol source member 500. During normal operation, when the aerosol is released from the aerosol source member 500, the heating member 112 may move from the proximal end of the aerosol source member 500 (closest to the suction port end 504) to the distal end (closest to the heated end 502). The friction between the heating element and the aerosol source member 500 may act in a direction such that the frictional force is directed towards the control body 102 each time the heating element 112 moves from one segment to the next. In various embodiments, one or more stoppers or positioning functions (not shown) disposed in the control unit 102 may prevent the aerosol source member 500 from moving in a direction towards the control body 102. When the heating member 112 reaches the end of its movement, the heating member 112 may be returned to its original starting position. In this case, the frictional force may act in a direction outward from the control body 102. Since the aerosol source member 500 is not prevented from moving in a direction outward from the control body 102, it is dragged outward by the movement of the heating member 112 and is thus discharged from the control body 102.

[0092] The operation of the aerosol delivery device can vary across various embodiments. However, in the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1-3, the general operation of the aerosol delivery device 100 can occur as follows, and one or more of the following steps occur via control from the control component 108. In a first step, a heating member 112 disposed at a first heating position 116 (e.g., position 116a, etc.) can be turned on by pressing a push button 105. Further, the heating member 112 may be preheated to a first temperature T1, which in some embodiments may be low enough so that no aerosol is generated from the aerosol source member 500. In a second step, the user may inhale on the aerosol source member (e.g., as detected by a flow sensor), and the heating member 112 can be heated to a second temperature T2 at which aerosol is generated from the aerosol source member 500. When the user stops inhaling (e.g., as detected by a flow sensor), the heater temperature may return to the first temperature T1, and the indexing mechanism may automatically move to the next heating position 116 (e.g., position 116b, etc.). This process may continue until the heating member 112 moves to the last heating position 116 (e.g., position 116k, etc.). After this point, the aerosol source member 500 can be ejected from the housing 102.

[0093] In other embodiments, the advancement of the heating member may be manually controlled by the consumer such that the heating member can be manually advanced by the consumer. For example, schematic views of another exemplary embodiment of the aerosol delivery device 200 according to the present disclosure are shown in FIGS. 4-6. Generally, the aerosol delivery device 200 includes a control body 202 that includes a housing 204 configured to receive an aerosol source member 500. The housing may also include a push button 205 configured to actuate certain operations of the device 200, such as turning the device on and initiating heating of the heating member. In various embodiments, the aerosol source member 500 may include a heated end 502 configured to be inserted into the control body 202 and a mouthpiece end 504 that the user sucks on to generate an aerosol. The aerosol delivery devices of FIGS. 4-6 are shown as having a substantially rectangular or fob-shaped control body 202 for ease of illustration, but in other embodiments, the control body 202 is substantially tubular in shape and thus may have an elongated shell or body that is similar in shape to a conventional cigarette or cigar, and it should be noted that the components described below may be sized and configured to fit within the elongated body.

[0094] In various embodiments, the control body 202 may be referred to as reusable, and the aerosol source member 500 may be referred to as disposable. In some embodiments, the entire device 200 may be configured only for a limited number of uses (e.g., until the battery power component no longer provides sufficient power to the article) using a limited number of aerosol source members 500, after which the entire device 200, including the control body 202, may be discarded, and thus may be characterized as disposable. In other embodiments, the control body 202 may have a replaceable battery such that the control body 202 may be reused through a number of battery replacements and may be reused with a number of aerosol source members 500. Similarly, the device 200 may be rechargeable and may thus be combined with any type of charging technology, including connection to a typical outlet, connection to an automotive charger (i.e., cigarette socket), and connection to a computer via a USB cable, etc.

[0095] In various embodiments, the housing 204 may be formed from any material suitable for forming and maintaining a suitable structure, such as a tubular or rectangular shape, and suitable for holding the aerosol source member within the housing. In some embodiments, the housing may be formed from a single wall or multiple walls and, as described above, may be formed from one or more heat-resistant materials (natural or synthetic) to maintain (e.g., not degrade) the structural integrity of the housing at at least some temperature that is the heating temperature provided by the electrical heating member. In some embodiments, heat-resistant polymers may be used. In other embodiments, ceramic materials may be used. In further embodiments, insulation may be used so as not to unnecessarily transfer heat away from the aerosol source member. In some embodiments, the size and shape of the housing may be similar to those described above with respect to FIGS. 1 - 3.

[0096] Although not shown in the figure, the housing 204 may include one or more apertures within the housing 204 to allow the entry of ambient air to be directed to the heated end 502 of the aerosol source member 500. Thus, when the consumer sucks on the mouth end 504 of the aerosol source member 500, air is drawn into the receiving chamber, enters the aerosol source member 500 proximate the heated end 502, is drawn through the inhalable substance medium, and can be inhaled by the consumer through the mouth end 504. In embodiments where there is a draw, the drawn air can carry the inhalable substance from the opening of the draw through any filter.

[0097] In various embodiments, the control body 202 may include an aperture 206 defined within the housing 204, a flow sensor (not shown, e.g., a smoking sensor or a pressure switch), a control component 208 (e.g., individually, or a microprocessor, a microprocessor and / or a printed circuit board (PCB) including a microcontroller as part of a microcontroller), and an electrical energy source 210 (e.g., a battery that may be rechargeable, and / or a rechargeable supercapacitor). In some embodiments, the control body 202 may also include a flow sensor (not shown, e.g., a smoking sensor or a pressure switch). Examples of a power source and other components that may be part of the aerosol delivery device 200 are described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3.

[0098] The aerosol delivery device 200 of the illustrated embodiment also includes a heating member 212 that receives power from an electrical energy source 210 and can be controlled by a control component 208. The heating member 212 can be any device suitable for providing sufficient heat to facilitate the release of an inhalable substance for consumer inhalation. In certain embodiments, the electrical heating member can be a resistive heating member. Useful heating members can have a low mass, a low density, a moderate resistivity, and be thermally stable at the temperatures experienced during use. Useful heating members heat and cool rapidly, thus using energy efficiently. Also, when the element is heated rapidly, the aerosol-forming substance volatilizes almost instantaneously. Rapid cooling prevents substantial volatilization (and thus waste) of the aerosol-forming substance during periods when aerosol formation is not desired. Such heating members also enable relatively precise control of the temperature range experienced by the aerosol-forming substance, particularly when time-based current control is used. Useful heating members are also chemically non-reactive with the materials containing the inhalable substance medium being heated so as not to adversely affect the flavor or content of the aerosol or vapor produced. Exemplary and non-limiting materials that can include the heating member include carbon, graphite, carbon / graphite composite materials, metal carbides and non-metal carbides, nitrides, silicides, intermetallic compounds, cermets, metal alloys, and metal foils. In particular, refractory materials can be useful. Various different materials can be mixed to achieve the desired properties of resistivity, mass, thermal conductivity, and surface characteristics.

[0099] As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the electric heating member 212 of some embodiments includes a small segment heating member that can be in direct contact with the aerosol source member 500. In various embodiments, the structure of the heating member can vary, but in some exemplary embodiments, the heating member can be a wound heating member, an etched foil heating member, or a heating member printed by ink on a temperature-resistant flexible film such as polyimide or silicone. Other film-forming methods including plasma film formation or chemical etching / vapor deposition may be used. In other embodiments, the heating member can be a resistive metal ribbon heater or an infrared (optical) heater. Also, refer to the description of the heating member 112 described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3. Considering the ability to provide conduction heating that requires faster and smaller resistance, direct contact may be preferred. However, in other embodiments, the heating member may not be in contact with the inhalable substance medium, but rather may simply be in proximity to the inhalable substance medium. In some embodiments, the heating member can have other shapes corresponding to the shape of the inhalable substance medium within the aerosol source member. Examples of heater arrays and possible heater configurations are described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3.

[0100] As described above, the control body 202 can further include a control component 208. For example, the control component can include a control circuit (which can be connected to additional components as further described herein) that can be connected to the electrical energy source 210 by a conductive wire. In various embodiments, the control component can control when and how the heating member 212 receives electrical energy for heating an inhalable substance medium for the release of an inhalable substance for consumption by a consumer. Such control can be related to the operation of a pressure-sensitive switch or the like, which is described in more detail below. The control component can also be configured to precisely control the amount of heat provided to the inhalable substance medium, which is described in more detail above with respect to FIGS. 1-3.

[0101] The aerosol delivery device 200 of the illustrated embodiment further includes a dispensing mechanism 214 that includes an actuator 250, which in some embodiments can be a thumb lever or the like. In various embodiments, the dispensing mechanism can be coupled to the heating member 212 and configured to generate a progressively increasing relative movement between the heating member 212 and the aerosol source member 500. In the illustrated embodiment, the dispensing mechanism 214 is coupled to the heating member 212 such that the dispensing mechanism 214 moves the heating member 212 through a series of progressively increasing heating positions to progressively heat a corresponding series of segments of the aerosol source member. In the illustrated embodiment, the actuator 250 is a manual mechanical actuator configured to move with the heating member 212 to position the heating member 212 at a plurality of heating positions.

[0102] In particular, in FIG. 4, the heating member 212 is shown at a first position 216a configured to heat a first segment 508a of the aerosol source member 500. FIG. 5 schematically shows the aerosol delivery device 200 of FIG. 4, showing the heating member 212 at a second heating position 216b according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The second position 216b is configured to heat a second segment 508b of the aerosol source member. As shown in the figure, to move the heating member 212 from the first heating position 216a to the second heating position 216b, the actuator 250 moves from a first actuator position 252a to a second actuator position 252b. FIG. 6 schematically shows the aerosol delivery device 200 of FIG. 4, showing a series of progressively increasing heating positions 216a-k according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As noted above, the sizes and spacings of the heating positions in FIGS. 4-6 are shown as such for clarity, but it should be noted that in various embodiments, the sizes and spacings of the heating positions can vary.

[0103] In the illustrated embodiment, the heating member 212 includes a ring-shaped structure configured to surround a portion of the outer diameter of the aerosol source member 500. Such a structure may be formed from any suitable material as described above and preferably exhibits the characteristics as described above. In the illustrated embodiment, the indexing mechanism 214 includes a carrier 222 to which the heating member 212 is attached and a guide mechanism 254 configured such that the actuator 250 moves therethrough. In various embodiments, the guide mechanism 254 may be configured to capture the actuator 250 at specific positions and include a plurality of stop points, detents, or other features linearly spaced apart to correspond to a plurality of actuator positions 252. Thus, the consumer may linearly move the actuator 250 through the plurality of actuator positions 252 to linearly advance the heating member 212 through a plurality of heating positions. In various embodiments, the characteristics of the actuator and guide mechanism (e.g., including dimensions and / or specifications and / or features) may be designed to meet various performance goals. For example, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4-6, the indexing mechanism 214 is configured such that the heating member 212 can be moved through a series of individual linear positions 216. Since the aerosol source member 500 of the illustrated embodiment is stationary, these linear positions 216 correspond to a series of individual segments 508 of the aerosol source member 500. Thus, the control component 208, carrier 222, guide mechanism 254, and actuator 250 are configured such that the heating member 212 can sequentially heat the segments of the aerosol source member. Referring to FIG. 6, these segments are shown as segments 508a-k. For purposes of clarity, the illustrated embodiment shows a total of eleven individual positions 216a-k of the heating member 212 corresponding to eleven individual heated segments 508a-k of the aerosol source member 500, but it should be noted that in various other embodiments, the heating member may have any number of individual positions corresponding to any number of individual segments of the aerosol source member, including an infinite number of individual segments.Furthermore, while the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4-6 show a plurality of individual heating member positions spaced apart from each other and corresponding individual heating segments, in other embodiments, the individual segments corresponding to the individual positions may have different spacings, including, but not limited to, spacings where the individual segments corresponding to the individual positions are adjacent to and / or overlap each other, as well as non-uniform spacings.

[0104] In various embodiments, the operation of the heating member 212 can be initiated by the consumer via the actuator 250. For example, the consumer may advance the heating member 212 after a smoking operation or when prompted by the device 200 to do so. Thus, in some embodiments, the consumer may determine when to advance the actuator 250, and in other embodiments, the device 200 may provide an indication (e.g., via sound and / or an indicator light) that the heating member 212 should be advanced. For example, in one embodiment, the user may advance the heating element 212 to the next position before newly inhaling from the aerosol source member 500. Thereafter, the heating element 212 is preheated to the first temperature T1. When the segment reaches T1 (or when a predetermined time has elapsed), the device 200 uses a light or sound to indicate that the user may inhale. In some embodiments, the number of heating member positions 216 may correspond to the number of smoking available from the aerosol source member 500. In some embodiments, a single aerosol source member may provide from about 4 to about 12, from about 5 to about 11, or from about 6 to about 10 smoking, which approximates the number of smoking of a typical cigarette. In some embodiments, when the heating member 212 has passed through all of the available positions 216, the device may provide an indication (e.g., via sound and / or an indicator light) that the heating member 212 has passed through all of the available positions. Thus, the consumer may then return the actuator 250 to the initial actuator position 252a. In some embodiments, the aerosol source member 500 may be discharged when the actuator 250 is returned to the initial actuator position 252a. In various embodiments, the aerosol source member may be discharged in various ways, but in one embodiment, the discharge method described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3 is referenced.

[0105] Although the operation of the aerosol delivery device may vary between embodiments, in the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 4-6, the general operation of the aerosol delivery device 200 may occur as follows, and one or more of the following steps may occur via control from the control component 208. In a first step, by pressing the push button 205, the heating member 212 may be turned on. In a second step, the user may click the actuator 250 downward, thereby moving the heating member 212 to a first linear position 216 (e.g., from a null position to a first position 216a) and preheating the heating member 212 to a first temperature T1. In a third step, the user may aspirate the aerosol source member 500 (e.g., detected by a flow sensor), and the heating member 212 may be heated to a second temperature T2. When the user stops smoking (e.g., detected by a flow sensor), the heater may be turned off. The user may then click the actuator 250 downward, thereby moving the heating member 212 to the next linear position 216 (e.g., position 216b, etc.) and preheating the heating member 212 to the first temperature T1. This process may continue until the heating member 212 moves to the last heating position 216 (e.g., position 216k, etc.). At this point, the actuator 250 may be returned to its initial position, and the aerosol source member 500 may be discharged from the housing 202.

[0106] Schematic views of another exemplary embodiment of the aerosol delivery device 300 according to the present disclosure are shown in FIGS. 7-9. Generally, the aerosol delivery device 300 includes a control body 302 that includes a housing 304 configured to receive an aerosol source member 500. The housing may also include a push button 305 configured to activate certain operations of the device 300, such as turning the device on and starting heating of a heating member. In various embodiments, the aerosol source member 500 may include a heated end 502 configured to be inserted into the control body 302 and a mouthpiece end 504 that a user sucks on to generate an aerosol. The aerosol delivery devices of FIGS. 7-9 are shown as having a substantially rectangular or fob-shaped control body 302 for ease of illustration, but in other embodiments, the control body 302 has a substantially tubular shape and thus may have an elongated shell or body similar in shape to a conventional cigarette or cigar, and thus it should be noted that the components described below may be sized and configured to fit inside the elongated body.

[0107] In various embodiments, the control body 302 may be referred to as being reusable and the aerosol source member 500 may be referred to as being disposable. In some embodiments, the entire device 300 may be characterized as disposable in that the control body 302 may be configured for only a limited number of uses (e.g., until the battery-powered components no longer provide sufficient power to the article) using a limited number of aerosol source members 500, after which the entire device 300, including the control body 302, may be discarded. In other embodiments, the control body 302 may have a replaceable battery such that the control body 302 may be reused through a number of battery replacements and with a number of aerosol source members 500. Similarly, the device 300 may be rechargeable and thus may be combined with any type of charging technology, including connection to a typical outlet, connection to a vehicle charger (i.e., cigarette lighter), and connection to a computer via a USB cable.

[0108] In various embodiments, the housing 304 can be formed from any material suitable for forming and maintaining a suitable structure, such as a tubular or rectangular shape, and for holding the aerosol source member within the housing 304. In some embodiments, the housing can be formed from a single wall or multiple walls and, as described above, can be formed from one or more heat-resistant materials (natural or synthetic) to maintain its structural integrity (e.g., not degrade) at at least some temperature that is the heating temperature provided by the electrical heating member. In some embodiments, a heat-resistant polymer can be used. In other embodiments, a ceramic material can be used. In further embodiments, a thermal insulator may be used so as not to unnecessarily transfer heat away from the aerosol source member. The size and shape of the housing can be the same as those described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3.

[0109] Although not shown in the figures, the housing 304 can include one or more apertures within the housing 304 to allow the entry of ambient air to be directed to the heated end 502 of the aerosol source member 500. Thus, when a consumer sucks on the mouth end 504 of the aerosol source member 500, air is drawn into the receiving chamber, enters the aerosol source member 500 proximate the heated end 502, is drawn through the inhalable substance medium, and can be inhaled by the consumer through the mouth end 504. In embodiments where there is a wick, the drawn air can carry the inhalable substance from the wick opening through any filter.

[0110] The control body 302 may include an opening 306 defined within the control body 302, control components 308 (e.g., individually, or a microprocessor as part of a microcontroller, a printed circuit board (PCB) including a microprocessor and / or a microcontroller, etc.), and an electrical energy source 310 (e.g., a battery that may be rechargeable, and / or a rechargeable supercapacitor). In some embodiments, the control body 302 may also include a flow sensor (not shown, e.g., a smoking sensor or a pressure switch). Examples of a power source and other components that may be part of the aerosol delivery device 300 are described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3.

[0111] The aerosol delivery device 300 of the illustrated embodiment also includes a heating member 312 that receives power from an electrical energy source 310 and can be controlled by a control component 308. The heating member 312 can be any device suitable for providing sufficient heat to facilitate the release of an inhalable substance for inhalation by a consumer. In certain embodiments, the electrical heating member can be a resistive heating member. Useful heating members can have a low mass, a low density, a moderate resistivity, and be thermally stable at the temperatures experienced during use. Useful heating members use energy efficiently because they heat and cool rapidly. Also, when the element is heated rapidly, the aerosol-forming substance volatilizes almost instantaneously. Rapid cooling prevents substantial volatilization (and thus waste) of the aerosol-forming substance during periods when aerosol formation is not desired. Such heating members also enable relatively accurate control of the temperature range experienced by the aerosol-forming substance, particularly when time-based current control is used. Useful heating members are also chemically non-reactive with the materials containing the inhalable substance medium being heated so as not to adversely affect the flavor or content of the aerosol or vapor produced. Exemplary and non-limiting materials that can include the heating member include carbon, graphite, carbon / graphite composite materials, metal carbides and non-metal carbides, nitrides, silicides, intermetallic compounds, cermets, metal alloys, and metal foils. In particular, refractory materials can be useful. Various different materials can be mixed to achieve the desired properties of resistivity, mass, thermal conductivity, and surface characteristics.

[0112] As shown in FIGS. 7-9, the electric heating member 312 of some embodiments includes small segment heating members that can be in direct contact with the aerosol source member. In various embodiments, the structure of the heating member can vary, but in some exemplary embodiments, the heating member can be a wound heating member, an etched foil heating member, or a heating member printed by ink on a temperature-resistant flexible film such as polyimide or silicone. Other film-forming methods including plasma film formation or chemical etching / vapor deposition may be used. In other embodiments, the heating member can be a resistive metal ribbon heater or an infrared (optical) heater. Also, refer to the description of the heating member 112 described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3. Considering the ability to provide conductive heating that requires faster and smaller resistance, direct contact may be preferred. However, in other embodiments, the heating member may not be in contact with the inhalable substance medium, but rather may simply be in proximity to the inhalable substance medium. In some embodiments, the heating member can have other shapes corresponding to the shape of the inhalable substance medium within the aerosol source member. Examples of heater arrays and possible heater configurations are described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3.

[0113] As described above, the control body 302 can further include a control component 308. For example, the control component can include a control circuit (which can be connected to additional components as further described herein) that can be connected to the electrical energy source 310 by a conductive wire. In various embodiments, the control component 308 can control when and how the heating member 312 receives electrical energy for heating an inhalable substance medium for the release of an inhalable substance for inhalation by a consumer. Such control can be related to the operation of a pressure-sensitive switch or the like, which is described in more detail below. The control component can also be configured to precisely control the amount of heat provided to the inhalable substance medium, which is described in more detail above with respect to FIGS. 1-3.

[0114] The aerosol delivery device 300 of the illustrated embodiment further includes an indexing mechanism 314 that includes an actuator 350, which in some embodiments can be a thumb lever or the like. In various embodiments, the indexing mechanism 314 can be coupled to the heating member 312 and configured to produce a progressively increasing relative motion between the heating member 312 and the aerosol source member 500. In the illustrated embodiment, the indexing mechanism 314 is coupled to the heating member 312 such that the indexing mechanism 314 remains relatively stationary but moves the heating member 312 through a series of progressively increasing heating positions to progressively heat a corresponding series of segments of the aerosol source member 500. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the actuator 350 is a click return actuator that advances the heating member one position each time the actuator 350 is actuated.

[0115] In particular, in FIG. 7, the heating member 312 is shown in a first position 316a configured to heat a first segment 508a of the aerosol source member 500. FIG. 8 schematically shows the aerosol delivery device 300 of FIG. 7, showing the heating member 312 in a second heating position 316b according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The second position 316b is configured to heat a second segment 508b of the aerosol source member. As shown in the figure, to move the heating member 312 from the first heating position 316a to the second heating position 316b, the actuator 350 is pushed downward and returns to its original position. FIG. 9 schematically shows the aerosol delivery device 300 of FIG. 7 showing a series of progressively increasing heating positions 316a - k according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As noted above, the sizes and spacings of the heating positions in FIGS. 7 - 9 are shown as such for clarity, but it should be noted that in various embodiments, the sizes and spacings of the heating positions can vary.

[0116] In various embodiments, various click return mechanisms may be used to advance the heating member 312 through the plurality of heating positions 316. Such mechanisms may include, but are not limited to, ratchet mechanisms, Geneva mechanisms, sector gear mechanisms, Whitworth mechanisms, ratchet mechanisms, bell cranks, slotted yokes, and cam follower mechanisms such as those used in small mechanical devices (e.g., ballpoint pens).

[0117] In the illustrated embodiment, the heating member 312 includes a ring-shaped structure configured to surround a portion of the outer diameter of the aerosol source member 500. Such a structure may be formed from any suitable material as described above and preferably exhibits the properties as described above. In the illustrated embodiment, the indexing mechanism 314 includes a carrier 322 to which the heating member 312 is attached and a guide mechanism 354 configured to guide the carrier 322 and the heating member 312 through a plurality of positions. In this way, a consumer may operate the actuator 350, such as by pressing the actuator 350 downward, whereby the heating member 312 linearly advances sequentially through a plurality of heating member positions. In various embodiments, the characteristics (e.g., dimensions and / or specifications and / or features) of the actuator and the guide mechanism may be designed to meet various performance goals. For example, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7-9, the indexing mechanism 314 is configured such that the heating member 312 can be moved through a series of individual linear positions 316. Since the aerosol source member 500 of the illustrated embodiment is stationary, these linear positions 316 correspond to a series of individual segments 508 of the aerosol source member 500. Accordingly, the carrier 322, the guide mechanism 354, and the actuator 350 are configured such that the heating member 312 can sequentially heat the segments of the aerosol source member. Referring to FIG. 9, these segments are shown as segments 508a-k. For purposes of clarity, the illustrated embodiment shows a total of 11 individual heating member positions 316a-k corresponding to 11 individual heating segments 508a-k of the aerosol source member 500, but it should be noted that in various other embodiments, the heating member may have any number of individual positions corresponding to any number of individual segments of the aerosol source member, including an infinite number of individual segments. Further, the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7-9 show a plurality of individual heating member positions and corresponding individual heating segments that are spaced apart from each other, but in other embodiments, the individual segments corresponding to the individual positions may have different spacings, including, but not limited to, spacings such that the individual segments corresponding to the individual positions are adjacent to and / or overlap each other, as well as non-uniform spacings.

[0118] In various embodiments, the operation of the heating member 312 can be initiated by the consumer via the actuator 350. For example, the consumer may advance the heating member 312 after a smoking operation or when prompted to do so by the device 300. Thus, in some embodiments, the consumer may determine when to advance the actuator, and in other embodiments, the device 300 may provide an indication (e.g., via sound and / or indicator light) that the heating member should be advanced. In some embodiments, the number of heating member positions 316 may correspond to the number of smoking sessions available from the aerosol source member 500. In some embodiments, a single aerosol source member may provide from about 4 to about 12, from about 5 to about 11, or from about 6 to about 10 smoking sessions, which approximates the number of smoking sessions of a typical cigarette. In some embodiments, when the heating member 312 has passed through all of the available positions 316, the device may provide an indication (e.g., via sound and / or indicator light) that the heating member has passed through all of the available positions. In this way, the consumer may move the actuator 350 in a different direction (e.g., upward) to return the heating member 312 to its initial position. Further, in some embodiments, the aerosol source member 500 may be discharged when the actuator 350 is moved in a different direction.

[0119] The operation of the device can vary, but in an exemplary embodiment, the general operation of the aerosol delivery device 300 of FIGS. 7-9 can occur as follows, and one or more of the following steps occur via control from the control component 308. In a first step, by pressing the push button 305, the heating member 312 can be turned on. In a second step, the user may click the actuator 350 downward, thereby moving the heating member 312 to a first linear position 316 (e.g., from a null position to a first position 316a) and preheating the heating member 312 to a first temperature T1. Due to the nature of the click return mechanism, the actuator 350 can return to its original position. In a third step, the user may aspirate the aerosol source member (e.g., detected by a flow sensor), and the heating member 312 may be heated to a second temperature T2. When the user stops smoking (e.g., detected by a flow sensor), the heater may turn off. Then, the user may click the actuator 350 downward, thereby moving the heating member 312 to the next linear position 316 (e.g., position 316b, etc.) and preheating the heating member 312 to the first temperature T1. Again, due to the nature of the click return mechanism, the actuator 350 can return to its original position. This process may continue until the heating member 312 moves to the last heating position 316 (e.g., position 316k, etc.). At this point, the actuator 350 may be pushed in another direction, such as upward, to discharge the aerosol source member 500 from the housing 302. In various embodiments, the aerosol source member can be discharged in various ways, but in one embodiment, reference is made to the discharge method described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3.

[0120] Schematic diagrams of another exemplary embodiment of an aerosol delivery device 400 according to the present disclosure are shown in FIGS. 10-12. Generally, the aerosol delivery device 400 includes a control body 402 that includes a housing 404 configured to receive an aerosol source member 500. The housing may also include a push button 405 configured to activate certain operations of the device 400, such as turning the device on and initiating heating of a heating member. In various embodiments, the aerosol source member 500 may include a heated end 502 configured to be inserted into the control body 402 and a mouthpiece end 504 that a user sucks on to generate an aerosol. The aerosol delivery devices of FIGS. 10-12 are shown as having a substantially rectangular or fob-shaped control body 402 for ease of illustration, but in other embodiments, the control body 402 is substantially tubular in shape and thus may have an elongated shell or body that resembles the shape of a conventional cigarette or cigar, and thus it should be noted that the components described below may be sized and configured to fit within the elongated body.

[0121] In various embodiments, the control body 402 may be referred to as reusable, and the aerosol source member 500 may be referred to as disposable. In some embodiments, the entire device 400 may be configured only for a limited number of uses (e.g., until the battery power component no longer provides sufficient power to the article) using a limited number of aerosol source members 500, after which the entire device 400, including the control body 402, may be discarded, and thus may be characterized as disposable. In other embodiments, the control body 402 may have a replaceable battery so that the control body 402 can be reused through a number of battery replacements and with a number of aerosol source members 500. Similarly, the device 400 may be rechargeable and may thus be combined with any type of charging technology, including connection to a typical outlet, connection to an automobile charger (i.e., cigarette socket), connection to a computer via a USB cable, etc., or a wireless charger, such as a charger that uses inductive wireless charging (including, e.g., Qi wireless charging compliant with the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) wireless charging standard), or connection to a radio frequency (RF)-based charger.

[0122] In various embodiments, the housing 404 may be formed from any material suitable for forming and maintaining a suitable structure, such as a tubular or rectangular shape, and for holding the aerosol source member within the housing 404. In some embodiments, the housing may be formed from a single wall or multiple walls and may be formed from one or more heat-resistant materials (natural or synthetic) to maintain (e.g., not degrade) the structural integrity of the housing at at least some temperature that is the heating temperature provided by the electrical heating member, as further described herein. In some embodiments, a heat-resistant polymer may be used. In other embodiments, a ceramic material may be used. In further embodiments, a thermal insulation material may be used so as not to unnecessarily transfer heat from the aerosol source member. The size and shape of the housing may be similar to those described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3.

[0123] Although not shown in the figures, the housing 404 may include one or more apertures within the housing 404 to allow the entry of ambient air to be directed to the heated end 502 of the aerosol source member 500. Thus, when the consumer sucks on the mouth end 504 of the aerosol source member 500, air is drawn into the receiving chamber, enters the aerosol source member 500 proximate the heated end 502, is drawn through the inhalable substance medium, and can be inhaled by the consumer through the mouth end 504. In embodiments where there is an upper coil, the drawn air can carry the inhalable substance from the opening of the upper coil through any filter.

[0124] The control body 402 can include an opening 406 defined within the control body 402, a control component 408 (e.g., individually, or a microprocessor, a printed circuit board (PCB) including a microprocessor and / or a microcontroller as part of a microcontroller, etc.), and an electrical energy source 410 (e.g., a battery that may be rechargeable, and / or a rechargeable supercapacitor). In some embodiments, the control body 402 may also include a flow sensor (not shown, e.g., a smoking sensor or a pressure switch). Examples of a power source and other components that may be part of the aerosol delivery device 400 are described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3.

[0125] The aerosol delivery device 400 of the illustrated embodiment also includes a heating member 412 that receives power from an electrical energy source 410 and can be controlled by a control component 408. The heating member 412 can be any device suitable for providing sufficient heat to facilitate the release of an inhalable substance for consumer inhalation. In certain embodiments, the electrical heating member can be a resistive heating member. Useful heating members can have a low mass, a low density, a moderate resistivity, and be thermally stable at the temperatures experienced during use. Useful heating members use energy efficiently because they heat and cool rapidly. Also, when the element is heated rapidly, the aerosol-forming substance volatilizes almost instantaneously. Rapid cooling prevents substantial volatilization (and thus waste) of the aerosol-forming substance during periods when aerosol formation is not desired. Such heating members also enable relatively accurate control of the temperature range experienced by the aerosol-forming substance, especially when time-based current control is used. Useful heating members are also chemically non-reactive with the materials containing the inhalable substance medium being heated so as not to adversely affect the flavor or content of the aerosol or vapor produced. Exemplary and non-limiting materials that can include the heating member include carbon, graphite, carbon / graphite composite materials, metal carbides and non-metal carbides, nitrides, silicides, intermetallic compounds, cermets, metal alloys, and metal foils. In particular, refractory materials can be useful. Various different materials can be mixed to achieve the desired properties of resistivity, mass, thermal conductivity, and surface characteristics.

[0126] As shown in FIGS. 10 - 12, the electric heating member 412 of some embodiments includes a small segment heating member that can be in direct contact with the aerosol source member 500. In various embodiments, the structure of the heating member can vary. In some exemplary embodiments, the heating member can be a wound heating member, an etched foil heating member, or a heating member printed by ink on a temperature - resistant flexible film such as polyimide or silicone. Other film - forming methods including plasma deposition or chemical etching / vapor deposition may be used. In other embodiments, the heating member can be a resistive metal ribbon heater or an infrared (optical) heater. Also, refer to the description of the heating member 112 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 - 3. Considering the ability to provide conductive heating that requires faster and smaller resistance, direct contact may be preferred. However, in other embodiments, the heating member may not be in contact with the inhalable substance medium, but rather may simply be in proximity to the inhalable substance medium. In other embodiments, the heating member can have other shapes corresponding to the shape of the inhalable substance medium within the aerosol source member. Examples of heater arrays and possible heater configurations are described above with respect to FIGS. 1 - 3.

[0127] As described above, the control body 402 can further include a control component 408. For example, the control component can include a control circuit (which can be connected to additional components as further described herein) that can be connected to the electrical energy source 410 by a conductive wire. In various embodiments, the control component can control when and how the heating member 412 receives electrical energy for heating an inhalable substance medium for the release of an inhalable substance for consumer inhalation. Such control can be related to the operation of, for example, a pressure - sensitive switch, which is described in more detail below. The control component can also be configured to precisely control the amount of heat provided to the inhalable substance medium, as described in more detail above with respect to FIGS. 1 - 3.

[0128] The aerosol delivery device 400 of the illustrated embodiment further includes a indexing mechanism 414. In various embodiments, the indexing mechanism 414 can be coupled to the heating member 412 and can be configured to generate a progressively increasing relative motion between the heating member 412 and the aerosol source member 500. In the illustrated embodiment, the indexing mechanism 414 is coupled to the heating member 412 such that the indexing mechanism 414 moves the heating member 412 through a series of progressively increasing heating positions to progressively heat a corresponding series of segments of the aerosol source member 500. In particular, in FIG. 10, the heating member 412 is shown in a first position 416a configured to heat a first segment 508a of the aerosol source member 500. FIG. 11 schematically shows the aerosol delivery device 400 of FIG. 10, showing the heating member 412 in a second heating position 416b according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The second position 416b is configured to heat a second segment 508b of the aerosol source member 500. FIG. 12 schematically shows the aerosol delivery device 400 of FIG. 10, showing a series of progressively increasing heating positions 416a-k according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As noted above, the sizes and spacings of the heating positions in FIGS. 10-12 are shown as such for clarity, but it should be noted that in various embodiments, the sizes and spacings of the heating positions can vary.

[0129] In the illustrated embodiment, the aerosol source member 500 has an extruded tube shape, and the heating member 412 includes a disk-shaped structure configured to fit within a cavity 510 defined by the inner surface 512 of the aerosol source member 500. In other embodiments, the aerosol source member and the heating member may have other shapes. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol source member may have any hollow shape. In some embodiments, the heating member may have any shape, including, for example, a shape complementary to the shape inside the aerosol source member. In the illustrated embodiment, the indexing mechanism 414 includes a small motor 418 (e.g., a microstepping motor) configured to rotate a lead screw 420. A carrier 422 to which the heating member 412 is attached may be inserted through the lead screw 420. Thus, rotation of the lead screw 420 by the stepper motor 418 can move the carrier 422, and thus the heating member 412, substantially linearly. In various embodiments, the characteristics (e.g., dimensions and / or specifications and / or control functions) of the control component, stepper motor, lead screw, and carrier can be designed to meet various performance goals. For example, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 10-12, the indexing mechanism 414 is configured such that the heating member 412 can be moved through a series of discrete linear positions 416. Since the aerosol source member 500 of the illustrated embodiment is stationary, these linear positions 416 correspond to a series of discrete segments 508 of the aerosol source member 500. Thus, the control component 408, stepper motor 418, lead screw 420, carrier 422, and heating member 412 are configured such that the heating member 412 can sequentially heat the segments of the aerosol source member. Referring to FIG. 12, these segments are shown as segments 508a-k. For purposes of clarity, the illustrated embodiment shows a total of 11 discrete heating member positions 416a-k corresponding to 11 discrete heating segments 508a-k of the aerosol source member 500, but it should be noted that in various other embodiments, the heating member may have any number of discrete positions corresponding to any number of discrete segments of the aerosol source member, including an infinite number of discrete segments.Furthermore, while the embodiments shown in FIGS. 10-12 show a plurality of individual heating member segments corresponding to a plurality of individually spaced positions, in other embodiments, the individual segments corresponding to the individual positions may have different spacings including, but not limited to, spacings where the individual segments corresponding to the individual positions are adjacent to and / or overlap each other, as well as non-uniform spacings.

[0130] In various embodiments, the operation of heating member 412 may be initiated by a consumer's smoking action through the use of one or more various sensors, and / or may be initiated when smoking is stopped as sensed by one or more various sensors, as described separately herein. Thus, in some embodiments, the number of heating member positions 416 may correspond to the number of smoking sessions available from aerosol source member 500. In some embodiments, a single aerosol source member may provide from about 4 to about 12, from about 5 to about 11, or from about 6 to about 10 smoking sessions, which approximates the number of smoking sessions of a typical cigarette. In some embodiments, when heating member 412 has passed through all of the available positions 416, motor 418 may reverse direction and return carrier 422 and heating member 412 to the first or starting position of heating member 412. In other embodiments, heating member 412 may remain at the last or final position of heating member 412 or may be disposed at any other position or position therebetween. Further, in some embodiments, the controller may provide an indication (e.g., via sound and / or indicator light) that the heating member has passed through all of the available positions 416. In some embodiments, aerosol source member 500 may be discharged when the heating member has passed through all of the available positions 416.

[0131] The operation of the device can vary, but in an exemplary embodiment, the general operation of the aerosol delivery device 400 of FIGS. 10-12 can occur as follows, and one or more of the following steps occur via control from the control component 408. In a first step, the heating member 412 disposed at the first heating position 416 (e.g., position 416a, etc.) can be turned on by pressing the push button 405. Further, the heating member 412 can be preheated to the first temperature T1. In a second step, the user may aspirate the aerosol source member (e.g., detected by a flow sensor), and the heating member 412 may be heated to the second temperature T2. When the user stops smoking (e.g., detected by a flow sensor), the heater temperature may return to the first temperature T1, and the indexing mechanism 414 may automatically move to the next heating position 416 (e.g., position 416b, etc.). This process may continue until the heating member 412 moves to the last heating position 416 (e.g., position 416k, etc.). After this point, the aerosol source member 500 can be discharged from the housing 402. In various embodiments, the aerosol source member can be discharged in various ways, but in one embodiment, reference is made to the discharge method described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3.

[0132] Instead of (or in addition to) any of the push buttons of the various embodiments described above, it should be noted that the aerosol delivery device may include a component that energizes the heating member in response to other considerations such as smoking using a consumer article (i.e., smoking-activated heating). Thus, the article may include in the control component a switch that is sensitive to either a change in pressure or a change in air flow when the consumer sucks on the article (i.e., a smoking-activated switch). Other suitable current-actuated / deactuated mechanisms may include a temperature-actuated on / off switch or a lip pressure-actuated switch. Exemplary mechanisms that can provide such smoking-activation capabilities include the Model 163PC01D36 silicon sensor manufactured by the MicroSwitch division of Honeywell, Inc., Freeport, Illinois. Using such a sensor, the heating member can be actuated rapidly by a change in pressure when the consumer sucks on the article. Further, a flow sensing device such as one that uses the principle of hot wire anemometry may be used to energize the heating member sufficiently rapidly after sensing a change in air flow. Another smoking-activated switch that may be used is a pressure differential switch such as Model Number MPL-502-V, Range A, manufactured by Micro Pneumatic Logic, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Another suitable smoking-activated mechanism is a pressure-sensitive transducer (e.g., with an amplifier or gain stage) connected to a comparator for detecting a predetermined threshold pressure. Yet another suitable smoking-activated mechanism is a vane deflected by an air flow, the movement of which is detected by motion sensing means. Yet another suitable actuation mechanism is a piezoelectric switch. Also useful is the Honeywell MicroSwitch Microbridge Airflow Sensor, Part Number AWM 2100V, suitably connected and manufactured by the MicroSwitch division of Honeywell, Inc., Freeport, Illinois. Another example of a demand-operated electrical switch that may be used in the heating circuit according to the present disclosure is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.Other suitable differential switches, analog pressure sensors, flow sensors, etc. will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the knowledge of the present disclosure. The control body may include a pressure sensing tube or other passage that provides a fluid connection between the smoking actuated switch and the heated end of the aerosol source member so that pressure changes during suction are easily distinguishable by the switch.

[0133] In some embodiments, when the consumer sucks on the mouth end of the aerosol source member, the current actuating means can rapidly generate heat such that the flow of current through the heating member is not restricted or interrupted. Since the heating is rapid, it may be useful to include a current regulating component so as to (i) regulate the flow of current through the heating member to control the heating of the resistive element and the temperature resulting from such heating, and (ii) prevent overheating and degradation of the inhalable substance medium.

[0134] In some embodiments, the current adjustment circuit can be a time reference in particular. Specifically, such a circuit can include means for preventing the flow of current through the heating member from being interrupted during an initial period of suction, and subsequently timer means for adjusting the flow of current until suction is completed. For example, the subsequent adjustment can include rapid on-off switching of the current flow (e.g., on the order of about 1 to 50 milliseconds) to maintain the heating member within a desired temperature range. Further, the adjustment may include simply preventing the current flow from being interrupted until the desired temperature is achieved, and then turning the current flow completely off. The heating member may be reactivated by the consumer initiating another puff on the article (or by manually actuating a push button depending on the particular switch embodiment used to operate the heater). Alternatively, the subsequent adjustment can involve modulating the flow of current through the heating member to maintain the heating member within a desired temperature range. In some embodiments, the heating member may be energized for a duration of about 0.2 seconds to about 5.0 seconds, about 0.3 seconds to about 4.0 seconds, about 0.4 seconds to about 3.0 seconds, about 0.5 seconds to about 2.0 seconds or about 0.6 seconds to about 1.5 seconds to release a desired dosage of inhalable substance. One exemplary time reference current adjustment circuit can include a transistor, a timer, a comparator and a capacitor. Suitable transistors, timers, comparators and capacitors are commercially available and will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Exemplary timers are those available as C-1555C from NEC Electronics and as ICM7555 from General Electric Intersil, Inc., as well as various other sizes and configurations of so-called "555 timers". An exemplary comparator is available as LM311 from National Semiconductor. Additional explanation of such a time reference current adjustment circuit is provided in U.S. Patent No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the heater control method can include closed-loop temperature control of the heating member. In such cases, the temperature of the heating member can be sensed and provided to the controller.For example, heater temperature control can be provided by including a sensor such as a thermistor or a thermocouple in proximity to the heating member / substrate interface and / or by monitoring the resistance of the heating member itself and inferring the temperature of the heating member using the known relationship between the temperature and resistivity of a particular heating member alloy.

[0135] In light of the above, it can be seen that various mechanisms can be used to facilitate activation / deactivation of the current to the heating member. For example, an aerosol delivery device can include a timer for regulating the flow of current within the article (such as during inhalation by the consumer). The article can further include a timer-responsive switch for enabling and disabling the flow of current to the heating member. Regulation of the flow of current can also include the use of a capacitor and components for charging and discharging the capacitor at a defined rate (e.g., a rate close to the rate at which the heating member heats and cools). The flow of current can be regulated such that the flow of current through the heating member is not interrupted, particularly during an initial period of inhalation, although the flow of current can be turned off or cycled on and off after the initial period until inhalation is complete. Such cycling can be controlled by a timer that can generate a preset switching cycle as described above. In some embodiments, the timer can generate a periodic digital waveform. The flow during the initial period can be further regulated by using a comparator that compares a first voltage at a first input with a threshold voltage at a threshold input and generates an output signal when the first voltage is equal to the threshold voltage, thereby enabling the timer. Such embodiments can further include components for generating the threshold voltage at the threshold input and components for generating the threshold voltage at the first input upon elapse of the initial period.

[0136] In further embodiments, the smoking operation of the heating member can be associated with the operation of the heating member. For example, the current adjustment component can enable the heating member to quickly reach a desired temperature and then remain at that temperature over the duration of smoking by the consumer. Further, in some embodiments, the smoking operation-based operation of the heating member can continue over the duration of smoking. When smoking stops, the heating member can be deactivated and the operation stopped. Thus, in some embodiments, the distance the heating member moves during automatic dispensing can be directly related to the duration of smoking. In this way, the consumer may control the amount of inhalable substance delivered by a single smoking. A short smoking may deliver only a small amount of inhalable substance, while a longer smoking may deliver a greater amount of inhalable substance. Thus, a large initial smoking may provide a large amount of inhalable substance, and subsequent relatively short smokings may provide relatively small amounts of inhalable substance. Exemplary smoking operation devices that may be useful in accordance with the present disclosure are all disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,874 to Brooks et al., which are all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0137] In various embodiments, the power source used to supply power to the various electrical components of the aerosol delivery device may take on various forms. Preferably, the power source may be adapted to fit within the housing and be able to supply sufficient energy to rapidly heat the heating member in the manner described above and to supply power to the article through the use of the plurality of aerosol source members. An example of a useful power source is the N50-AAA CADNICA nickel-cadmium battery manufactured by Sanyo Electric Company, Ltd. of Japan. A plurality of such batteries, each providing 1.2 volts, may be connected in series. In other embodiments, different power sources such as rechargeable manganese lithium dioxide batteries may be used. Any of these power sources or combinations thereof may be used, but rechargeable batteries may be preferred due to the cost and disposal considerations associated with disposable batteries. Further, if disposable batteries are used, the device may be openable and closable to replace the batteries. In embodiments where rechargeable batteries are used, the control segment may further include charging contacts (not shown) that interact with corresponding contacts of a conventional charging unit (not shown) that supplies power from a standard 120 volt AC wall outlet or other source, such as an automotive electrical system, or a separate portable power source. In some embodiments, a plurality of batteries that may be connected in series or parallel may be used.

[0138] In further embodiments, the power source may also include a capacitor. The capacitor can discharge faster than a battery and can be charged between puffs, allowing the battery to discharge to the capacitor at a lower rate than if the battery were used to directly supply power to the heating member. For example, a supercapacitor, i.e., an electric double layer capacitor (EDLC), may be used separately from or in combination with the battery. The supercapacitor may be charged prior to each use of the device when used alone. Accordingly, the present disclosure may also include a charger component that can be attached to the device between uses to replenish the supercapacitor. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, thin film batteries may be used.

[0139] As described above, in various embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may include one or more indicators (not shown). In some embodiments, such an indicator may be a light (e.g., a light emitting diode) that can provide an indication of multiple aspects of the use of the device. For example, a series of lights may correspond to the number of puffs of a given cartridge. Specifically, the lights may light up continuously with each puff such that when all the lights are lit, the consumer is notified that the aerosol source member has been consumed. Alternatively, in response to the aerosol source member being inserted into the housing, all the lights may light up, and with each puff, the lights may go out such that when all the lights are out, the consumer is notified that the aerosol source member has been consumed. In yet other embodiments, only a single indicator may be present, and its illumination may indicate that current is flowing through the heating member and the device is actively heating. This may prevent the consumer from inadvertently leaving the article in the active heating mode. In alternative embodiments, one or more of the indicators may be components of the aerosol source member. The indicators are described above in relation to visual indicators of an on / off manner, but other operating metrics are also included. For example, the visual indicator may also include a change in the color or intensity of the light to indicate the progression of the smoking experience. Tactile indicators and audible indicators are similarly included in the present disclosure. Further, combinations of such indicators may be used in a single device.

[0140] For example, although various materials for use in the present device, such as heaters, batteries, capacitors, switching components, etc., have been described, the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments only. Rather, those skilled in the art should recognize similar components in the art that may be compatible with any particular component of the present disclosure based on the present disclosure.For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, Jr. discloses a piezoelectric sensor that can be associated with the suction port end of a device that detects the movement of a user's lips related to suction and then causes heating of a heating device. U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al. discloses a smoking sensor for controlling the energy flow to a heating load array in response to a pressure drop through a mouthpiece. U.S. Patent No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al. discloses a container within a smoking device that includes a discriminator for detecting non-uniformities in the infrared transmissivity of an inserted component and a controller for executing a detection routine when the component is inserted into the container. U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al. describes a defined executable power cycle having a plurality of different phases. U.S. Patent No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al. discloses a photonic optronic component. U.S. Patent No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al. discloses means for varying the draw resistance through a smoking device. U.S. Patent No. 6,803,545 to Blake et al. discloses a specific battery configuration for use in a smoking device. U.S. Patent No. 7,293,565 to Griffen et al. discloses various charging systems for use with a smoking device. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0320863 to Fernando et al. discloses computer interface means for a smoking device to facilitate charging and enable computer control of the device. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0163063 to Fernando et al. discloses an identification system for a smoking device. International Publication Pamphlet No. 2010 / 003480 to Flick discloses a fluid flow sensing system indicating smoking using an aerosol generation system. All of the foregoing disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into this specification.Components and disclosure materials related to electronic aerosol delivery articles that can be used in the present article, or additional examples of components, include U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,249,586 to Morgan et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,666,977 to Higgins et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,053,176 to Adams et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,164,287 to White, U.S. Patent No. 6,196,218 to Voges, U.S. Patent No. 6,810,883 to Felter et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,854,461 to Nichols, U.S. Patent No. 7,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Patent No. 7,513,253 to Kobayashi, U.S. Patent No. 7,896,006 to Hamano, U.S. Patent No. 6,772,756 to Shayan, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0095311 to Hon, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006 / 0196518, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0126745, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0188490, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0272379 to Thorens et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0260641 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0260642 to Monsees et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0149118 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0024834 to Oglesby et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0307518 to Wang, and International Publication No. 2010 / 091593 pamphlet to Hon. The various materials disclosed by the foregoing documents can be incorporated into the present device in various embodiments, and all of the foregoing disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into this specification.

[0141] In various embodiments, it should be further noted that the inhalable substance medium of the aerosol source member can be optionally changed in order to control various aspects of aerosol release, amount, and flavor. For example, the inhalable substance can be uniformly dispersed on or within the inhalable substance medium, such that each segment that is heated releases substantially the same content of the inhalable substance. Alternatively, the inhalable substance can be dispersed in a non-uniform configuration. For example, in one embodiment, the first segment of the inhalable substance medium in contact with the heating member can be overdosed with the inhalable substance. For example, a single segment of the inhalable substance medium corresponding to the size of the area heated by the heating member can contain from about 30% to about 90%, from about 35% to about 75%, or from about 40% to about 60% of the total amount of the inhalable substance present in the inhalable substance medium. Similarly, a single segment, such as the final segment of the inhalable substance medium heated by the heating member, can contain a different flavor or other material than the remaining portion of the inhalable substance medium. Such a final release of flavor or other material can function as a signal to the consumer that the aerosol source member has been fully used. Thus, it can be seen that segmented heating can provide a controlled dosage of the inhalable substance for each heated segment.

[0142] The present disclosure also provides, in various embodiments, a method of operating an aerosol delivery device. For example, FIG. 13 shows various operations in a method 600 of operating an aerosol delivery device that includes a control body and an aerosol source member. As shown in block 602, the method may include energizing a heating member using an electrical energy source disposed in a housing of the control body. As shown in block 604, the method may also include heating a segment of the aerosol source member using the heating member. As shown in block 606, the method may further include moving the heating member relative to the aerosol source member by moving the heating member from a first position to a second position using a indexing mechanism. Further, as shown in block 608, the method may also include heating a subsequent segment of the aerosol source member using the heating member. As further shown in the figure, the process of creating an incremental motion between the heating member and the aerosol source member may continue to heat a plurality of subsequent segments of the aerosol source member. As described above, in some embodiments, the temperature of the heating member may remain at a heating temperature before heating a subsequent segment, but in other embodiments, the temperature of the heating member may change. For example, after heating one segment of the aerosol source member, the temperature of the heating member may be lowered, and then the heating member may be heated to the heating temperature before heating a subsequent segment of the aerosol source member.

[0143] Also, as described above, in some embodiments, heating subsequent segments of the aerosol source member may include first heating the outer surfaces of the first and second segments of the aerosol source member. In some embodiments, heating the first and second segments of the aerosol source member may include first heating the inner surfaces of the first and second segments of the aerosol source member. In some embodiments, a dosing mechanism may be actuated using a sensor configured to detect suction on the aerosol source member. In some embodiments, the dosing mechanism may be actuated using a manual actuator. In some embodiments, the manual actuator may be configured to move with the heating member, while in other embodiments, the manual actuator may include a click return actuator. In addition to any advantages described separately herein, in some embodiments, the advantage of the incremental relative movement between the heating member and the aerosol source is that the wiping action between these two components can help prevent relatively little accumulation of condensed material on the surface of the heating member.

[0144] It should be noted that for any of the embodiments described or contemplated herein, the electrical heating member may include an inductive heating member. In various embodiments, the inductive heating member may include a resonant transmitter and / or a resonant receiver. Thus, the operation of the aerosol delivery device may require directing an alternating current to the resonant transmitter to generate an oscillating magnetic field that induces eddy currents in a resonant receiver disposed proximate the inhalable material medium of the aerosol source member. This alternating current causes the resonant receiver to generate heat, thereby generating an aerosol from the inhalable material medium.

[0145] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the control component of the control body may include an inverter or inverter circuit configured to convert the direct current supplied by the power source into an alternating current supplied to the resonance transmitter. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the resonance transmitter (e.g., a coil member disposed close to the aerosol source member) and the aerosol source member may be moved relative to each other to sequentially heat one of two or more segments of the aerosol source member by inductive heating. For example, in some embodiments, the resonance transmitter may be moved relative to a stationary aerosol source member. In other embodiments, the aerosol source member may be moved relative to a stationary resonance transmitter. In still other embodiments, both the resonance transmitter and the aerosol source member may be moved relative to each other.

[0146] In other embodiments, the resonance receiver (e.g., a receiving rod or plunger disposed inside the hollow aerosol source member) and the aerosol source member may be moved relative to each other to sequentially heat one of two or more segments of the aerosol source member by inductive heating. For example, in some embodiments, the resonance receiver may be moved relative to a stationary aerosol source member. In other embodiments, the aerosol source member may be moved relative to a stationary resonance receiver. In still other embodiments, both the resonance receiver and the aerosol source member may be moved relative to each other.

[0147] In other embodiments, a shielding member that may be configured to shield electromagnetic energy and / or may be configured to allow an individual region of electromagnetic energy to pass through it may be moved relative to the aerosol source member to sequentially heat one of two or more segments of the aerosol source member by inductive heating. For example, in some embodiments, the shielding member may be moved relative to a stationary aerosol source member. In other embodiments, the aerosol source member may be moved relative to a stationary shielding member. In still other embodiments, both the shielding member and the aerosol source member may be moved relative to each other.

[0148] Examples of various induction heating methods and configurations are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 799,365, filed October 31, 2017, entitled "Induction Heated Aerosol Delivery Device," which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Additional examples of various induction-based control components and associated circuitry are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 352,153, filed November 15, 2016, entitled "Induction-Based Aerosol Delivery Device," and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0202266 to Sur et al., each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0149] Note that the aerosol source member and the control body can generally be provided together as a complete smoking article or pharmaceutical delivery article, but these components can also be provided separately. For example, the present disclosure also includes a disposable unit for use with a reusable smoking article or reusable pharmaceutical delivery article. In certain embodiments, such a disposable unit (which can be an aerosol source member as shown in the accompanying figures) can include a substantially tubular body having a heated end configured to engage a reusable smoking article or pharmaceutical delivery article, an opposite mouth end configured to allow a substance inhalable by a consumer to pass therethrough, and a wall having an outer surface and an inner surface defining an internal space. Various embodiments of the aerosol source member (or cartridge) are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0150] The present disclosure may be further characterized in that, in addition to the disposable unit, it provides a separate control body for use with a reusable smoking article or a reusable pharmaceutical delivery article. In certain embodiments, the control body may generally be a housing having a receiving end (which may include a receiving chamber having an open end) for receiving the heated end of a separately provided aerosol source member. The control body may further include an electrical energy source that powers an electrical heating member that may be a component of the control body or included in the aerosol source member used with the control unit. In various embodiments, the control body may further include a power source (such as a battery), components for actuating the flow of current to the heating member, and components for regulating such current flow to cycle or stop the flow of current in order to maintain a desired temperature over a desired time and / or when a desired temperature is reached or while the heating member is heating for a desired length of time. In some embodiments, the control unit may further include one or more push buttons associated with one or both of the components for actuating the flow of current to the heating member and components for regulating such current flow. The control body may also include one or more indicators such as a light indicating that the heater is heating and / or a light indicating the number of puffs remaining in the aerosol source member used with the control body.

[0151] Although the various figures described herein show the control body and the aerosol source member in an operative relationship, it should be understood that the control body and the aerosol source member may exist as separate devices. Accordingly, any description provided herein with respect to the combined components should be understood to apply to the control body and the aerosol source member as individual and separate components.

[0152] In another aspect, the present disclosure can be directed to a kit that provides various components described herein. For example, the kit can include a control body having one or more aerosol source members. The kit can further include a control body having one or more charging components. The kit can further include a control body having one or more batteries. The kit can further include a control body having one or more aerosol source members and one or more charging components and / or one or more batteries. In a further embodiment, the kit can include a plurality of aerosol source members. The kit can further include a plurality of aerosol source members and one or more batteries and / or one or more charging components. In the above-described embodiments, the aerosol source member or the control body may comprise a heating member contained therein. The kit of the present invention can further include a case (or other packaging, transportation or storage component) that houses one or more of the additional kit components. The case can be a reusable hard container or a soft container. Further, the case can be simply a box or other packaging structure.

[0153] Having the benefits of the teachings shown in the foregoing description and related drawings, many modifications and other embodiments of the present disclosure will come to mind to those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery device, comprising: A control body having a housing; An electrical energy source disposed within the housing; A heating member operably connected to the electrical energy source; An aerosol source member containing an inhalable substance medium; A dispensing mechanism coupled to the heating member; wherein the aerosol source member is stationary relative to the heating member, the dispensing mechanism is configured to move the heating member relative to the stationary aerosol source member to sequentially heat at least one of two or more segments of the aerosol source member, and the heating member is disposed proximate to the inner surface of the aerosol source member.

2. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing mechanism is actuated by a sensor configured to detect suction on the aerosol source member.

3. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing mechanism is actuated by a manual actuator.

4. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 3, wherein the manual actuator includes a click return actuator.

5. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 3, wherein the manual actuator is configured to move with the heating member.

6. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol source member is removably engaged with and replaceable relative to the control body.

7. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the inhalable substance medium of the aerosol source member includes a solid or semi-solid inhalable substance medium.

8. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 7, wherein the inhalable substance medium includes an extruded substrate.

9. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the heating member includes an induction heating member.

10. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the heating member includes a conductive electrical resistance heating member.

11. A control body for use with an aerosol source member containing an inhalable substance medium, the control body comprising: A housing; An electrical energy source disposed within the housing; A heating member operably connected to the electrical energy source; A dispensing mechanism coupled to the heating member; wherein the dispensing mechanism is configured to move the heating member relative to the stationary aerosol source member to sequentially heat at least one of two or more segments of the aerosol source member, and the heating member is configured to heat the inner surface of the aerosol source member.

12. The control body according to claim 11, wherein the dispensing mechanism is actuated by a sensor configured to detect suction on the aerosol source member.

13. The control body according to claim 11, wherein the dispensing mechanism is actuated by a manual actuator.

14. The control body according to claim 13, wherein the manual actuator includes a click return actuator.

15. The control body according to claim 13, wherein the manual actuator is configured to move together with the heating member.

16. The control body according to claim 11, wherein the heating member includes an induction heating member.

17. The control body according to claim 11, wherein the heating member includes a conductive electrical resistance heating member.

18. A method of operating an aerosol delivery device including a control body and an aerosol source member, the method comprising: energizing a heating member using an electrical energy source disposed in a housing of the control body; heating a first segment of the aerosol source member using the heating member, the first segment of the aerosol source member being stationary relative to the heating member; moving the heating member from a first position to a second position relative to the stationary aerosol source member using a dispensing mechanism; heating a second segment of the aerosol source member using the heating member; and heating the first and second segments of the aerosol source member includes heating the inner surfaces of the first and second segments of the aerosol source member.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising actuating the dispensing mechanism using a sensor configured to detect suction on the aerosol source member.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising actuating the dispensing mechanism using a manual actuator.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the manual actuator includes a click return actuator.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein moving the heating member from a first position to a second position relative to the aerosol source member includes moving the manual actuator from the first position to the second position.

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein the heating member includes an induction heating member.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein the heating member includes a conductive electrical resistance heating member.

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