Aerosol generation device

Abstract

An aerosol generating device is disclosed that comprises a cone-shaped inductor coil 1.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Smoking articles such as cigarettes and cigars produce tobacco smoke by burning the tobacco during use. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these articles by creating products that release compounds without burning. Examples of such products include so-called "non-combustion heating type" products, or tobacco heating devices or tobacco heating products, which release compounds by heating rather than burning the material. The material may be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine.

[0003] Aerosol supply systems incorporating the aforementioned devices or products are known. A typical system uses a heater to generate an aerosol from a suitable medium, which is then inhaled by the user. In many cases, it is necessary to replace or change the medium used in order to supply and inhale different aerosols. It is known to use an induction heating system as a heater to generate an aerosol from a suitable medium. Induction heating systems generally consist of a magnetic field generating device for generating a varying magnetic field and a susceptor or heating material that can be heated by the penetration of the varying magnetic field to heat a suitable medium.

[0004] Many different magnetic field generating devices are known, such as three-dimensional inductor coils. However, there are various constraints such as the available space, the size of the device, and the required power, which limit the type of magnetic field generating device. Furthermore, there are various parameters that limit the efficiency of the inductive coupling between the magnetic field generating device and the susceptor or heating material. For example, such parameters include the distance between the magnetic field generating device and the susceptor or heating material, or the size and orientation of their relative areas.

[0005] It is desirable to provide an improved aerosol generation device. Overview

[0006] According to one aspect, an aerosol generation device comprising a conical inductor coil is provided.

[0007] In one embodiment, the aerosol generation device a device housing, and / or a power source connected to the conical inductor coil and configured to supply an oscillating current to the conical inductor coil comprises.

[0008] In one embodiment, the pitch of the conical inductor coil is constant.

[0009] In one embodiment, the pitch of the conical inductor coil varies.

[0010] In one embodiment, the variation in the pitch of the conical inductor coil is configured to provide uniform inductive coupling or a constant magnetic flux through a susceptor, and optionally, the susceptor is a flat susceptor.

[0011] In one embodiment, the height of the cone of the conical inductor coil is low relative to the width of the base of the cone, and optionally, the conical inductor coil has a width W of the base of the cone and a height H of the cone, and the ratio W / H is at least 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 8:1, 9:1, 10:1, 11:1, 12:1, 13:1, 14:1, 15:1, 16:1, 17:1, 18:1, 19:1, or 20:1.

[0012] In one embodiment, the conical inductor coil comprises a coil of conductive material having a projection shape of (i) a circular helix, (ii) a square or rectangular helix, (iii) a trapezoidal helix, or (iv) a triangular helix, the conical inductor coil comprises the bottom of the cone, and the projection shape is the shape formed by projecting the coil onto the bottom of the cone.

[0013] In one embodiment, the projection shape comprises at least one of (i) straight sides, (ii) curved sides, or (iii) a mixture thereof.

[0014] In one embodiment, the conical inductor coil comprises the axis of the cone and the bottom of the cone, the conical inductor coil comprises the apex of the cone, and the axis of the cone is a straight line passing through the apex and the center of the bottom of the cone.

[0015] In one embodiment, the axis of the cone is perpendicular to the bottom of the cone.

[0016] In one embodiment, the axis of the cone forms an angle other than 90° with the bottom of the cone.

[0017] In one embodiment, the conical inductor coil comprises a coil of conductive material, and the thickness or cross-sectional area of the coil of conductive material is either (i) varying along the coil or (ii) uniform along the coil.

[0018] In one embodiment, the conductive material is substantially uniform along the coil.

[0019] In one embodiment, the composition of the conductive material varies along the coil.

[0020] In one embodiment, the conical inductor coil is formed around a curved plane or a three-dimensional surface.

[0021] In one embodiment, the curved plane or three-dimensional surface includes a cylinder.

[0022] In one embodiment, the conical inductor coil comprises a base of the cone, and the base of the cone is formed around a curved plane or a three-dimensional surface.

[0023] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a plurality of conical inductor coils.

[0024] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a conical bifilar inductor coil, and the bifilar coil comprises two or more parallel windings with a close spacing.

[0025] In one embodiment, the conical inductor coil or the plurality of conical inductor coils are configured to generate a variable magnetic field, and optionally, the plurality of conical inductor coils are configured to generate a variable magnetic field from each one of the plurality of conical inductor coils, and each of the variable magnetic fields is generated independently of each other.

[0026] In one embodiment, the device is configured to receive an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device comprising an aerosolizable material.

[0027] The article may be a substantially flat article. The article may comprise a plurality of individual portions of the aerosolizable material. The article may comprise a substantially flat consumable.

[0028] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a clamp or restraint device configured to clamp or restrain the article / consumable.

[0029] In one embodiment, the clamp or restraint device comprises a cavity into which the article is inserted during use, and the cavity is configured such that there is an interference fit between the device and the article.

[0030] In one embodiment, the clamp or restraint device is configured to secure the article such that the article conforms to the surface of the conical inductor coil.

[0031] In one embodiment, the aerosol generation device comprises one or more susceptors.

[0032] In one embodiment, the conical inductor coil or a plurality of conical inductor coils are configured to generate a variable magnetic field, and the one or more susceptors are configured to be heated by the variable magnetic field.

[0033] In one embodiment, the plurality of conical inductor coils are operable independently. The plurality of conical inductor coils may be configured to independently heat one or more susceptors.

[0034] In one embodiment, the one or more susceptors are configured to heat the aerosolizable material provided in the article / consumable without combustion.

[0035] In one embodiment, the one or more susceptors are configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosolizable material provided in the article / consumable.

[0036] According to another aspect, there is provided an aerosol generation device comprising a wound planar coil including a planar inductor coil wound in a cylindrical shape, the wound planar coil being embedded in a substrate.

[0037] In one embodiment, the wound planar coil is configured to retain its structure within the substrate.

[0038] In one embodiment, the substrate is a resin, a plastic material, or other suitable non-conductive material.

[0039] In one embodiment, the inductor coil includes LITZ (registered trademark) wire or multi-strand wire.

[0040] In one embodiment, the aerosol generation device includes a non-combustion heating type aerosol generation device.

[0041] In one embodiment, the aerosol generation device includes a non-combustible aerosol supply device.

[0042] According to another aspect, there is provided an aerosol generation system comprising the aerosol generation device disclosed above and an article for use with the non-combustible aerosol supply device.

[0043] In one embodiment, the article for use with the non-combustible aerosol supply device comprises one or more susceptors, the conical inductor coil or coils are configured to generate a varying magnetic field, and the one or more susceptors are configured to be heated by the varying magnetic field.

[0044] According to another aspect, there is provided a method of fabricating an aerosol generation device comprising a conical inductor coil, the method comprising forming a planar inductor coil and deforming the planar inductor coil from a plane to form a conical inductor coil.

[0045] According to another aspect, there is provided a method of generating an aerosol comprising providing the aerosol generation device disclosed above and inserting an article comprising an aerosolizable material for use with the non-combustible aerosol supply device into the aerosol generation device.

[0046] According to another aspect, there is provided an aerosol generation system comprising an aerosol generation device comprising one or more conical inductor coils, an article for use within the aerosol generation device in use, and one or more removable susceptors, for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device.

[0047] According to another aspect, there is provided an aerosol generation system comprising an aerosol generation device and an article to be disposed within the aerosol generation device during use, for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device, the article comprising one or more conical inductor coils and / or one or more susceptors.

[0048] According to another aspect, a first conical inductor coil, a second conical inductor coil, and a susceptor disposed between the first conical inductor coil and the second conical inductor coil is provided for an aerosol supply device.

[0049] Optionally, the first conical inductor coil has a width W1 at the bottom of the cone and a height H1 of the cone, and the ratio W1 / H1 is at least 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 8:1, 9:1, 10:1, 11:1, 12:1, 13:1, 14:1, 15:1, 16:1, 17:1, 18:1, 19:1, or 20:1.

[0050] Optionally, the second conical inductor coil has a width W2 at the bottom of the cone and a height H2 of the cone, and the ratio W2 / H2 is at least 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 8:1, 9:1, 10:1, 11:1, 12:1, 13:1, 14:1, 15:1, 16:1, 17:1, 18:1, 19:1, or 20:1.

[0051] Next, various embodiments will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0052]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

[0053] As used herein, the term "aerosol generating material", which may also be referred to as "aerosolizable material", includes materials that, when heated, provide volatile components typically in the form of vapor or aerosol. The "aerosolizable material" may be a material that does not contain tobacco or may be a material that contains tobacco.

[0054] The "aerosolizable material" may include, for example, one or more of tobacco itself, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco extracts, homogenized tobacco, or tobacco substitutes. The aerosolizable material can be in the form of shredded tobacco, cut-rag tobacco, extruded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, reconstituted aerosolizable material, liquid, gel, solid, gelled sheet, powder, beads, fine grains, or chunks. The "aerosolizable material" may also include other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine depending on the product. The "aerosolizable material" may include one or more humectants such as glycerol or propylene glycol.

[0055] The susceptor is a material that can be heated by the intrusion of a fluctuating magnetic field such as an alternating magnetic field. The heating material may be a conductive material, and as a result, when the fluctuating magnetic field penetrates the heating material, the heating material is inductively heated. The heating material may also be a magnetic material, and as a result, when the fluctuating magnetic field penetrates the heating material, the heating material is magnetically hysteresis heated. The heating material may be both conductive and magnetic, and as a result, the heating material can be heated by both heating mechanisms.

[0056] Inductive heating is a process in which an object is heated by allowing a fluctuating magnetic field to penetrate the conductive object. This process is explained by Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater can include an electromagnet and a device for passing a fluctuating current such as an alternating current through this electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the object to be heated are arranged in an appropriate relative position such that the fluctuating magnetic field generated by the electromagnet penetrates the object, one or more eddy currents are generated in the object. This object has resistance to the flow of current. Therefore, when such eddy currents are generated in the object, the eddy currents flow against the electrical resistance of the object, thereby heating the object. This process is called Joule heating, Ohmic heating, or resistive heating.

[0057] In one example, the susceptor is in the form of a closed circuit. When the susceptor is in the form of a closed circuit, it has been found that the magnetic coupling between the susceptor and the electromagnet during use becomes stronger, and as a result, the Joule heating increases or is improved.

[0058] Magnetic hysteresis heating is a process in which an object made of a magnetic material is heated by the intrusion of a fluctuating magnetic field. A magnetic material can be considered to contain many atomic-scale magnets, i.e., magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field penetrates such a material, the magnetic dipoles align along the magnetic field. Therefore, for example, when a fluctuating magnetic field such as an alternating magnetic field generated by an electromagnet penetrates the magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes with the applied fluctuating magnetic field. By changing the orientation of the magnetic dipoles in this way, heat is generated in the magnetic material.

[0059] When an object is both conductive and magnetic, introducing a varying magnetic field into the object can cause both Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating in the object. Furthermore, using a magnetic material can strengthen the magnetic field, thereby strengthening the Joule heating.

[0060] In each of the above processes, heat is generated not by heat conduction from an external heat source but inside the object itself. Therefore, in particular, by appropriately selecting the material and geometry of the object, as well as the magnitude and direction of the varying magnetic field applied to the object, a rapid temperature rise and a more uniform heat distribution within the object can be achieved. Furthermore, in induction heating and magnetic hysteresis heating, there is no need to physically connect between the varying magnetic field source and the object, so the design freedom and the controllability of the heating profile can be enhanced, and the cost can be reduced.

[0061] Next, various embodiments will be described.

[0062] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown a schematic perspective view and a schematic side view, respectively, of an example of a conical induction coil 1 according to an embodiment. The induction coil 1 is for use with an aerosol generation system including an aerosol generation device such as a device 100 shown in FIG. 5 and described further below. As will be described in more detail below, during use, an alternating current (for example, an alternating current) is passed through each of the coils so as to generate a varying magnetic field (for example, an alternating magnetic field) that can penetrate the heating element and be used to heat the heating element.

[0063] The induction coil 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a conical spiral portion of a conductive material such as copper. As shown in FIG. 2, the conical inductor coil has a height 21 of the cone and a width 22 of the bottom or the bottom of the cone. In some embodiments, the conical inductor coil may have a lower height of the cone relative to the width of the bottom of the cone. In other words, the height 21 of the coil may be lower than the width 22 of the coil.

[0064] An inductor coil without a conical height may sometimes be referred to as a flat or planar inductor coil, such as having a flat spiral shape. Compared with a flat or planar inductor coil, the conical inductor coils 1, 3 shown and described with reference to FIGS. 1-3 and related to various embodiments can facilitate electrical connection to a power source in a compact manner. Here, the power source may be configured to supply an oscillating current to the conical inductor coil. It will be understood that when the inductor coil receives an oscillating current, heating within the inductor coil can be caused by resistive heating. Thus, the heat dissipated in-plane by a flat inductor coil with multiple turns is increased due to the multiple turns in the plane, but since the turns of the conical inductor coil are not all in the same plane, the conical inductor coils 1, 3 can be configured to dissipate heat in a more favorable manner in a controlled way compared to a flat inductor coil.

[0065] In some embodiments, the frequency of the oscillating current may be higher than 500 kHz. The oscillating current may be a high frequency of 1-30 MHz, or even 1-10 MHz. According to one embodiment, the frequency may be 5-7 MHz.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 3, a schematic side view of two conical inductor coils 3 disposed with respect to a susceptor 31 is shown. The susceptor 31 shown in FIG. 3 has a substantially cuboid shape. The thickness 33 of the susceptor 31 may be substantially thinner than the width 32. The susceptor 31 may be substantially planar. However, in other embodiments, the susceptor may have a different shape or configuration as described below.

[0067] Two conical inductor coils 3 are shown in FIG. 3 with the bottom of each cone facing the susceptor 31 and the bottom of the cone oriented parallel to the planar surface of the susceptor 31. However, in some embodiments, the bottom of the conical inductor coil 3 may not face the susceptor 31. In some embodiments, the bottom of the cone may be oriented non - parallel to the planar surface of the susceptor 31, i.e., obliquely with respect to the susceptor 31.

[0068] Although only a single susceptor 31 is shown in FIG. 3, it is contemplated that in some embodiments, a plurality of susceptors may be provided. Similarly, although two conical inductor coils 3 are shown in FIG. 3, other embodiments are contemplated where only a single conical inductor coil is provided. According to another embodiment, three or more conical inductor coils 3 may be provided.

[0069] Thus, in some embodiments, one or more conical inductor coils and one or more susceptors may be provided, and in this case, the number of conical inductor coils need not be the same as the number of susceptors. For example, a number of coils and / or susceptors may be provided along the length and / or width of the consumable. In particular, a number of coils and / or susceptors may be provided along the length and / or width of a flat consumable. + Furthermore, in some embodiments, the first conical inductor coil and the first susceptor may face each other in a first orientation, and the second conical inductor coil and the second susceptor may face each other in a second orientation.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first orientation and the second orientation may be the same. Alternatively, the first orientation and the second orientation may be different. In yet other embodiments, some of the orientations between some of the conical inductor coils and some of the susceptors may be the same, while other orientations between other conical inductor coils and other susceptors may be different.

[0071] For the conical inductive coils 1, 3 according to various embodiments as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the height of the cone is low relative to the width of the bottom of the cone.

[0072] A device (not shown) may be provided to pass a varying current through the conical inductive coils 1, 3 so that a varying magnetic field is generated. In embodiments comprising a plurality of conical inductive coils, the device may be configured to be operable to generate a varying magnetic field from each one of the conical inductive coils, in which case each of the varying magnetic fields is generated independently of each other. The varying magnetic field may cause heating in one or more susceptors. When the ratio of the height of the conical inductive coils 1, 3 to the width of the cone is small, a strong inductive coupling can be generated between the conical inductive coils 1, 3 and the susceptor 31. For example, this is presumably because the susceptor 31 can have a shape that matches the shape of the conical inductive coils 1, 3. In some embodiments, since the susceptor 31 has a substantially planar surface that is parallel to and faces the bottom of the cone of the conical inductive coils 1, 3, the shape of the susceptor 31 matches the shape of the conical inductive coils 1, 3.

[0073] Similarly, in some embodiments, due to the small ratio of the height of the conical inductive coils 1, 3 to the width of the cone, a substantially uniform inductive coupling can be produced over a relatively large portion of the susceptor 31 or over substantially the entire susceptor 31.

[0074] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pitch 2 of the conical induction coil 1 is constant. Here, the pitch 2 is the distance that separates points on the coil after one turn of the coil from adjacent points. However, according to other embodiments, the pitch of the conical inductor coil may vary. In some embodiments, the pitch variation may be configured such that the conical induction coil causes a substantially uniform inductive coupling over most of the susceptor 31 or substantially over the entire susceptor 31. In some embodiments, the pitch variation may be configured such that the conical induction coil can cause a stronger coupling over the first portion of the susceptor compared to the second portion of the susceptor.

[0075] The induction coil 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be described as having a circular spiral projection shape. Here, the projection shape is the shape formed by projecting the shape of the induction coil onto the bottom of the cone. However, in other embodiments, the conical inductor coil may have a square or rectangular spiral, a trapezoidal spiral, a triangular spiral, or the projection shape of any other two-dimensional shape.

[0076] The projection shape can be chosen such that other components within the device can be arranged in a small and compact manner. In some embodiments, the projection shape may have one or more straight sides. In some embodiments, the projection shape may have one or more curved sides. In other embodiments, the projection shape may have a mixture of straight and curved sides. In some embodiments, the projection shape of the conical inductor coil matches or substantially matches the shape of the susceptor.

[0077] The induction coil 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be described as having the axis of a cone. Here, the conical inductor coil has the apex of the cone, and the axis of the cone is a straight line passing through the apex and the center of the bottom of the cone. The induction coil 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has an axis of the cone perpendicular to the bottom of the cone. In other embodiments, the axis of the cone may form an angle other than 90 degrees with respect to the bottom of the cone.

[0078] When the wire around which the coil is wound is curved or non-linear, other embodiments where the induction coil 1 does not have the axis of the cone are conceivable.

[0079] The induction coil 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a coil of conductive material having a uniform thickness or cross-sectional area along the coil. However, in other embodiments, the thickness or cross-sectional area may vary along the coil. In some embodiments, the variation in thickness or cross-sectional area may be configured such that the conical induction coil causes a substantially uniform inductive coupling over most of the susceptor 31 or substantially over the entire susceptor 31. In some embodiments, the variation in thickness or cross-sectional area may be configured such that the conical induction coil can cause a stronger coupling over the first portion of the susceptor compared to the second portion of the susceptor.

[0080] In some embodiments, the composition of the conductive material may vary along the coil. For example, in some embodiments, the first portion of the conical inductor coil may be formed from a first conductive material, and the second portion of the conical inductor coil may be formed from a second conductive material. The material properties of the first and second portions of the conical inductor coil may be different. In some embodiments, these material properties may include electrical properties such as resistivity or conductivity. In some embodiments, the variation in the composition of the conductive material along the conical inductor coil may be configured such that the conical inductor coil can cause a substantially uniform inductive coupling across most of the susceptor 31, or substantially across the entire susceptor 31. In some embodiments, the variation in the composition of the conductive material along the conical inductor coil may be configured such that the conical inductor coil can cause a stronger coupling across the first portion of the susceptor compared to the second portion of the susceptor.

[0081] In some embodiments, the conical inductor coil may be a conical bifilar inductor coil. Here, the bifilar coil comprises two or more parallel windings with a close spacing. By providing a conical bifilar inductor coil, the inductive coupling between the coil and the susceptor can be enhanced, thereby improving the efficiency of the system. For example, in some embodiments, the conical bifilar inductor coil can increase the surface area capable of generating a varying magnetic field. In some embodiments, the conical bifilar inductor coil can, in addition to this, reduce the self-inductance of the inductor coil, or alternatively, reduce the self-inductance of the inductor coil.

[0082] Next, referring to FIG. 4, another embodiment will be described in more detail. According to this embodiment, the inductor coil 4 is formed around a curved plane or a three-dimensional surface, and as a result, the initially flat inductor coil may be wound around a curved plane or to form a curved plane. For example, in some embodiments, the curved plane or three-dimensional surface can include a cylinder. However, it should be understood that the inductor coil 4 can be wound around other curved planes or three-dimensional surfaces. For example, the inductor coil 4 can be bent around the corner of a cube shape.

[0083] FIG. 4 shows an inductor coil that is flat or planar and then formed around or wound around a cylinder. However, in other embodiments, the inductor coil 4 may be the conical inductor coils 1, 3 as discussed above where the height of the cone is not zero. For example, the conical inductor coils 1, 3 may be formed around a curved plane or three-dimensional surface by forming the base of the cone of the conical inductor coils 1, 3 around the curved plane or three-dimensional surface.

[0084] In some embodiments, the inductor coil 4 or the conical inductor coils 1, 3 may be provided on a support or may be embedded in the support. Embodiments are contemplated in which one or more inductor coils 4 and / or one or more conical inductor coils 1, 3 can be embedded in a substrate or support or can form a mesh therewith. The substrate, mesh, or support may be made of a non-conductive material such as a plastic material so as to electrically insulate one or more inductor coils 4 or one or more conical inductor coils 1, 3 from other electronic components or from other inductor coils 4 or conical inductor coils 1, 3. In one embodiment, the support or substrate may be made of FR-4, a composite material consisting of a glass fiber woven fabric having a flame-retardant epoxy resin binder. One or more inductor coils 4 and / or one or more conical inductor coils 1, 3 may be attached to the support, substrate, or mesh in any suitable manner. For example, one or more conical inductor coils 1, 3 and / or one or more inductor coils 4 may be formed from a printed circuit board (PCB), and during the manufacture of the PCB, a conductive material is printed on the support and then selected portions of the conductive material (by etching, etc.) are removed so that a pattern of the conductive material in the form of the inductor coil 4 or the conical inductor coil 1, 3 remains on the support, substrate, or mesh. In some embodiments, one or more inductor coils 4 and / or one or more conical inductor coils 1, 3 may comprise a thin film or coating of a conductive material on the support.

[0085] It should be understood that embodiments are contemplated in which a mixture of the conical inductor coils 1, 3 and the planar inductor coil 4 can be provided.

[0086] Referring again to FIG. 4, one or more inductor coils 4 may be wound cylindrically and embedded in a substrate. In some embodiments, the wound planar coil 4 may be configured to hold its structure within the substrate. In some embodiments, the substrate may include resin.

[0087] In some embodiments, the support may be formed outside of the layers of the PCB. For example, the layer may be a layer or sheet of a material such as a dried, cured, or solidified resin or adhesive.

[0088] As discussed above, using coils formed from printed thin conductive material eliminates the need to use Litz (registered trademark) wire or multi-strand wire. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, Litz (registered trademark) wire or multi-strand wire is composed of many strands of very thin wire braided together to overcome the effect of reduced skin depth at high excitation frequencies. The tracks on a PCB may be 25 μm wide. The thickness or depth of the track can be approximately 38 μm for 1 ounce of copper and approximately 76 μm for 2 ounces of copper, such that the performance at high frequencies can be comparable to the equivalent cross-sectional area of Litz (registered trademark) wire or multi-strand wire, but problems associated with brittleness, forming of Litz (registered trademark) wire or multi-strand wire, or connection to other components do not occur.

[0089] Alternatively, in other embodiments, the planar coil(s) and / or conical-shaped inductor coil(s) may include Litz (registered trademark) wire or multi-strand wire.

[0090] Embodiments are also contemplated where a first portion of the planar coil(s) and / or conical-shaped inductor coil(s) includes Litz (registered trademark) wire or multi-strand wire and a second portion of the planar coil(s) and / or conical-shaped inductor coil(s) includes a PCB.

[0091] In some embodiments, the conical inductor coil as described above may be fabricated by first forming a planar inductor coil and then deforming the planar inductor coil from the plane so as to form the conical inductor coil.

[0092] Embodiments are also conceivable in which the inductor coil as described above can move relative to the consumable.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 5, a schematic cross-sectional side view of an example of an aerosol generation system 5 is shown. The system 5 comprises an aerosol generation device 100 and an article 10 comprising an aerosolizable material 11. The aerosolizable material 11 may be of any type of aerosolizable material discussed herein, for example. In this example, the aerosol generation device 100 is a tobacco heating product (also known in the art as a tobacco heating device or a non-combustion heating device).

[0094] In some examples, the aerosolizable material 11 is a non-liquid material. In some examples, the aerosolizable material 11 is a gel. In some examples, the aerosolizable material 11 comprises tobacco. However, in other examples, the aerosolizable material 11 may consist of tobacco, may consist substantially entirely of tobacco, may include tobacco and other aerosolizable materials other than tobacco, may include other aerosolizable materials other than tobacco, or may be without tobacco. In some examples, the aerosolizable material 11 may include a vapor or aerosol former or humectant (such as glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin, or diethylene glycol). In some examples, the aerosolizable material 11 includes a recycled aerosolizable material such as recycled tobacco.

[0095] In some examples, the aerosolizable material 11 is substantially cylindrical having a substantially circular cross-section and a longitudinal axis. In other examples, the aerosolizable material 11 may have a different cross-sectional shape and / or may not be elongated.

[0096] The axial length of the aerosolizable material 11 of the article 10 may be, for example, 8 mm to 120 mm. For example, the axial length of the aerosolizable material 11 may be longer than 9 mm or 10 mm or 15 mm or 20 mm. For example, the axial length of the aerosolizable material 11 may be shorter than 100 mm or 75 mm or 50 mm or 40 mm.

[0097] In some examples, such as the example shown in FIG. 5, the article 10 may include a filter assembly 12 for filtering the aerosol or vapor released from the aerosolizable material 11 during use. Alternatively or in addition, the filter assembly 12 may be for controlling the pressure drop across the length of the article 10. The filter assembly 12 may include one or more filters. The filter assembly 12 may be of any type used in the tobacco industry. For example, the filter may be made of cellulose acetate. In some examples, the filter assembly 12 is substantially cylindrical having a substantially circular cross-section and a longitudinal axis. In other examples, the filter assembly 12 may have a different cross-sectional shape and / or may not be elongated.

[0098] In some examples, the filter assembly 12 abuts the longitudinal end of the aerosolizable material 11. In other examples, the filter assembly 12 may be spaced from the aerosolizable material 11 by a gap and / or one or more additional components of the article 10. In some examples, the filter assembly 12 may include an additive or a flavor source (such as a capsule or thread containing an additive or flavor), which may be held, for example, by the body of the filter medium or between two bodies of the filter medium.

[0099] The article 10 may also comprise a wrapper (not shown) wrapped around the aerosolizable material 11 and the filter assembly 12 to hold the filter assembly 12 against the aerosolizable material 11. The wrapper may be wrapped around the aerosolizable material 11 and the filter assembly 12 such that the free ends of the wrapper overlap each other. The wrapper may form part or all of the circumferential outer surface of the article 10. The wrapper can be made of any suitable material, such as paper, cardboard, or recycled aerosolizable material (such as recycled tobacco). The paper may be chip paper known in the art. The wrapper may also include an adhesive (not shown) that helps to adhere the overlapping free ends of the wrapper to each other and prevent the overlapping free ends from separating. In other examples, the adhesive may be omitted, or the wrapper may take a form different from that described. In other examples, the filter assembly 12 may be held against the aerosolizable material 11 by a connection other than the wrapper, such as an adhesive. In some examples, the filter assembly 12 may be omitted.

[0100] The aerosol generating device 100 comprises a heating region 110 for receiving at least a portion of the article 10, an outlet 120 through which an aerosol can be delivered from the heating region 110 to a user in use, and a heating device 130 for generating an aerosol by heating the article 10 when the article 10 is disposed at least partially within the heating region 110. In some examples, such as those shown in FIG. 5, the aerosol can be delivered from the heating region 110 to the user through the article 10 itself rather than through any gap adjacent to the article 10. Nevertheless, in such examples, the aerosol still passes through the outlet 120 while moving within the article 10.

[0101] Device 100 may define at least one air inlet (not shown) that fluidly connects the heating region 110 to the exterior of the device 100. A user can draw in the volatile component(s) of the aerosolizable material by inhaling the volatile component(s) from the heating region 110 through the article 10. When the volatile component(s) are removed from the heating region 110 and the article 10, air can be drawn into the heating region 110 through the air inlet(s) of the device 100.

[0102] In this example, the heating region 110 extends along axis A-A and is sized and shaped to accommodate only a portion of the article 10. In this example, axis A-A is the central axis of the heating region 110. Further, in this example, the heating region 110 is elongated, and thus axis A-A is the longitudinal axis A-A of the heating region 110. The article 10 is at least partially insertable into the heating region 110 through the outlet 120 and protrudes from the heating region 110 through the outlet 120 during use. In other examples, the heating region 110 may or may not be elongated and may be sized to receive the entire article 10. In some such examples, the device 100 may be arranged to cover the outlet 120 and may include a mouthpiece through which the aerosol can be inhaled from the heating region 110 and the article 10.

[0103] In some examples, the device 100 may include a clamp or restraint device (not shown) configured to clamp or restrain the article 10. In other examples, the restraint device includes a cavity into which the article 10 is inserted during use, and the cavity is configured such that there is an interference fit between the device 100 and the article. In some examples, the cavity is the heating region 110.

[0104] In this example, when the article 10 is at least partially disposed within the heating region 110, different portions 11a-11e of the aerosolizable material 11 are disposed at respective different positions 110a-110e within the heating region 110. In this example, these positions 110a-110e are at respective different axial positions along the axis A-A of the heating region 110. Further, in this example, since the heating region 110 is elongated, it can be considered that the positions 110a-110e are at different positions longitudinally spaced along the length of the heating region 110. In this example, the article 10 can be considered to include five such portions 11a-11e of the aerosolizable material 11 disposed at the first position 110a, the second position 110b, the third position 110c, the fourth position 110d, and the fifth position 110e, respectively. More specifically, the second position 110b is fluidically disposed between the first position 110a and the outlet 120, the third position 110c is fluidically disposed between the second position 110b and the outlet 120, the fourth position 110d is fluidically disposed between the third position 110c and the outlet 120, and the fifth position is fluidically disposed between the fourth position 110d and the outlet 120.

[0105] The heating device 130 may comprise a plurality of heating units 140a-140e, each of which is capable of heating one of the portions 11a-11e of the aerosolizable material 11 to a temperature sufficient to aerosolize its components when the article 10 is at least partially disposed within the heating region 110. The plurality of heating units 140a-140e may be axially aligned with each other along the axis A-A. The length of each of the portions 11a-11e of the aerosolizable material 11 that can be heated in this way in the direction of the axis A-A may be, for example, from 1 millimeter to 20 millimeters, such as from 2 millimeters to 10 millimeters, from 3 millimeters to 8 millimeters, or from 4 millimeters to 6 millimeters.

[0106] As used herein, the term "heating unit" corresponds to a planar and / or conical inductor coil(s) as described in any of the foregoing examples as described with reference to FIGS. 1-4.

[0107] In some examples, the clamp or restraint device is configured to secure the article 10 such that the article 10 coincides with at least one surface of the heating units 140a-140e, such as the base of the cone of a conical-shaped inductor coil.

[0108] The heating device 130 of this example includes five heating units 140a-140e, namely, a first heating unit 140a, a second heating unit 140b, a third heating unit 140c, a fourth heating unit 140d, and a fifth heating unit 140e. The heating units 140a-140e are at different respective axial positions along the axis A-A of the heating region 110. Further, in this example, since the heating region 110 is elongated, it can be considered that the heating units 140a-140e are at different positions spaced longitudinally along the length of the heating region 110. More specifically, the second heating unit 140b is disposed between the first heating unit 140a and the outlet 120, the third heating unit 140c is disposed between the second heating unit 140b and the outlet 120, the fourth heating unit 140d is disposed between the third heating unit 140c and the outlet 120, and the fifth heating unit 140e is disposed between the fourth heating unit 140d and the outlet 120. In other examples, the heating device 130 can include more heating units than the five heating units 140a-140e, or fewer heating units than the five heating units, such as only four, only three, only two, or only one. The number of portions (plural) of the aerosolizable material 11 that can be heated by each heating unit (plural) can vary correspondingly.

[0109] The heating units 140a to 140e in this example include conical inductor coils. The heating device 130 also includes a controller 135 configured to operate the heating units 140a to 140e to heat respective portions 11a to 11e of the aerosolizable material 11 during use. In this example, the controller 135 is configured to operate the heating units 140a to 140e independently of each other, and as a result, the respective portions 11a to 11e of the aerosolizable material 11 can be heated independently. This may be desirable for gradually heating the aerosolizable material 11 during use. Further, in examples where the portions 11a to 11e of the aerosolizable material 11 have different respective forms or characteristics, such as different tobacco blends and / or different applied or inherent flavors, the ability to independently heat the portions 11a to 11e of the aerosolizable material 11 enables heating of selected portions 11a to 11e of the aerosolizable material 11 at different times during a use session to produce an aerosol having predetermined characteristics that are time-dependent. In some examples, the heating device 130 may also be operable in one or more modes in which, nevertheless, the controller 135 is configured to simultaneously operate two or more of the heating units 140a to 140e, such as all of the heating units 140a to 140e, during a use session.

[0110] In this example, the heating units 140a to 140e each include a respective conical inductor coil configured to generate a respective fluctuating magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. Thus, the heating device 130 can be considered to include a magnetic field generator, and the controller 135 can be considered to be a device operable to pass a fluctuating current through the inductor of each heating unit 140a to 140e.

[0111] Furthermore, in this example, the device 100 includes a susceptor 190 configured to heat the heating region 110 and the article 10 therein during use by being heatable by the intrusion of a variable magnetic field. That is, these portions of the susceptor 190 are heatable by the intrusion of their respective variable magnetic fields, thereby heating the respective portions 11a to 11e of the aerosolizable material 11 at the respective positions 110a to 110e of the heating region 110.

[0112] The susceptor 190 of this example used herein corresponds to the susceptor 31 as described in any of the foregoing examples as described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0113] In some examples, the susceptor 190 is made of aluminum or includes aluminum. However, in other examples, the susceptor 190 may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of conductive materials, magnetic materials, and magnetoconductive materials. In some examples, the susceptor 190 may include a metal or a metal alloy. In some examples, the susceptor 190 may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gold, iron, nickel, cobalt, conductive carbon, graphite, steel, plain carbon steel, mild steel, stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, molybdenum, silicon carbide, copper, and bronze. Other material(s) may be used in other examples.

[0114] In some examples, such as examples where the susceptor 190 includes iron, such as steel (e.g., mild steel or stainless steel) or aluminum, the susceptor 190 may include a coating that helps prevent corrosion or oxidation of the susceptor 190 during use. Such coatings may include, for example, nickel plating, gold plating, or a coating of ceramic or an inert polymer.

[0115] In this example, susceptor 190 is tubular and surrounds heating region 110. In fact, in this example, the inner surface of susceptor 190 partially defines the extent of heating region 110. The inner cross-sectional shape of susceptor 190 may be different shapes such as circular, or oval, polygonal, square, rectangular, or irregular. In other examples, susceptor 190 may take different forms such as a non-tubular structure that also partially surrounds heating region 110, or a protruding structure such as a rod, pin, or blade that penetrates heating region 110. In some examples, susceptor 190 may be replaced by a plurality of susceptors, each of which is capable of being heated by one penetration of the alternating magnetic field, so as to heat each one of these portions 11a-11e of aerosolizable material 11. Each of the plurality of susceptors may be tubular, or may take one of the other forms discussed herein for susceptor 190, for example.

[0116] In a further example, device 100 may not have susceptor 190, and article 10 may heat each of portions 11a-11e of aerosolizable material 11 by comprising one or more susceptors that are heatable by penetration of an alternating magnetic field. Each of the one or more susceptors of article 10 may take any suitable form such as a structure wound around aerosolizable material 11 or otherwise surrounding aerosolizable material 11 (e.g., a metal foil such as aluminum foil), a structure disposed within aerosolizable material 11, or a group of particles or other elements mixed with aerosolizable material 11. In an example where device 100 does not have susceptor 190, susceptor 190 may be replaced by a heat-resistant tube that partially defines the extent of heating region 110. Such a heat-resistant tube may be made of, for example, polyether ether ketone (PEEK) or a ceramic material.

[0117] In other examples, the conical-shaped inductor coil may be arranged to be parallel to the susceptor or the plurality of susceptors and the axis A-A. In other words, it is arranged such that the planar surface or the side surface of the coil is parallel to the axis A-A. For example, the aerosol generating article may be arranged such that it is not arranged axially with respect to the coil.

[0118] In other examples, the induction coil can be arranged to heat the entire length or the entire side surface of the susceptor.

[0119] In other examples, the conical-shaped induction coil may be arranged to form a square or rectangular enclosure around the susceptor 190 or the plurality of susceptors 190 such that the entire susceptor 190 or the plurality of susceptors 190 is heated.

[0120] In this example, the heating device 130 includes a power source (not shown) and a user interface (not shown) for the user to operate the device. The power source in this example is a rechargeable battery. In other examples, the power source may be other than a rechargeable battery, for example, a non-rechargeable battery, a capacitor, a battery-capacitor hybrid, or a connection to a commercial power source.

[0121] In this example, the controller 135 is electrically connected between the power supply and the heating units 140a to 140e. In this example, the controller 135 is also electrically connected to the power supply. More specifically, in this example, the controller 135 is for controlling the supply of power from the power supply to the heating units 140a to 140e. In this example, the controller 135 includes an IC such as an integrated circuit (IC) of a printed circuit board (PCB). In other examples, the controller 135 may take different forms. In this example, the controller 135 is operated by the user operating the user interface. The user interface may include a push button, a toggle switch, a dial, or a touch screen, etc. In other examples, the user interface is remote and may be wirelessly connected to the rest of the aerosol supply device 100 by Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like.

[0122] In this example, by the user operating the user interface, an alternating current flows through at least one conical inductor of each of the heating units 140a to 140e, causing the inductor to generate an alternating magnetic field. The inductor and the susceptor 190 are arranged in an appropriate relative position such that the alternating magnetic field generated by the inductor penetrates the susceptor 190. When the susceptor 190 is conductive, one or more eddy currents are generated in the susceptor 190 due to this penetration. The susceptor 190 is heated by Joule heating as the eddy current flows through the susceptor 190 against its electrical resistance. When the susceptor 190 is magnetic, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles of the susceptor 190 changes with the change in the applied magnetic field, thereby generating heat in the susceptor 190.

[0123] Device 100 may include a temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting the temperature of the heating chamber 110, the susceptor 190, or the article 10. The temperature sensor may be communicably connected to the controller 135. As a result, the controller 135 can monitor the temperatures of the heating chamber 110, the susceptor 190, or the article 10 respectively based on the information output by the temperature sensor. In other examples, the temperature may be detected and monitored by measuring changes in the electrical characteristics of the system, such as the current in the heating units 140a - 140e. Based on one or more signals received from the temperature sensor, the controller 135 can adjust the characteristics of the varying current or alternating current as needed to ensure that the temperatures of the heating chamber 110, the susceptor 190, or the article 10 each remain within a predetermined temperature range. These characteristics can be, for example, the amplitude or frequency or duty cycle. Within the predetermined temperature range, the aerosolizable material 11 within the article 10 disposed in the heating chamber 110 is heated sufficiently during use to volatilize at least one component of the aerosolizable material 11 without burning the aerosolizable material 11. Thus, the controller 135 and the device 100 as a whole are configured to heat the aerosolizable material 11 to volatilize at least one component of the aerosolizable material 11 without burning the aerosolizable material 11. This temperature range may be, for example, from about 100°C to about 300°C, or from about 150°C to about 280°C, or from about 50°C to about 350°C. In other examples, the temperature range may be outside these ranges. In some examples, the upper limit of the temperature range can be higher than 350°C. In some examples, the temperature sensor may be omitted.

[0124] In the foregoing example, the magnitude or range of the fluctuating magnetic field measured in the direction of axis A-A is relatively small. As a result, the portion of susceptor 190 into which the fluctuating magnetic field penetrates during use is correspondingly small. Therefore, it may be desirable for susceptor 190 to have a thermal conductivity sufficient to increase the proportion of susceptor 190 that is heated by heat conduction as a result of the penetration of the fluctuating magnetic field, and as a result, correspondingly increase the proportion of aerosolizable material 11 that is heated by the operation of each of heating units 140a to 140e. It has been found desirable to provide a susceptor 190 having a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W / m / K, optionally at least 50 W / m / K, and further optionally at least 100 W / m / K. In this example, susceptor 190 is made of aluminum and has a thermal conductivity exceeding 200 W / m / K, such as 200 to 250 W / m / K, for example, about 205 W / m / K or 237 W / m / K. As described above, the length of each of portions 11a to 11e of aerosolizable material 11 in the direction of axis A-A may be, for example, 1 millimeter to 20 millimeters, such as 2 millimeters to 10 millimeters, 3 millimeters to 8 millimeters, or 4 millimeters to 6 millimeters.

[0125] For a given duration of a heating session, the greater the number of heating units and associated portions of aerosolizable material 11, the greater the opportunity to generate aerosol from “fresh” or unused portions of aerosolizable material 11 extending along a given axial length. Alternatively, for a given duration of heating each portion of aerosolizable material 11, the greater the number of heating units and associated portions of aerosolizable material 11, the longer the heating session can be. It should be understood that the duration for which an individual heating unit can be operated (e.g., shortened) can be adjusted to adjust (e.g., shorten) the overall heating session, and at the same time, the power supplied to the heating element can be adjusted (e.g., increased) to reach the operating temperature more quickly. A balance can be struck between the number of heating units (which may define the number of “fresh puffs”), the overall session length, and the achievable power supply (which may be defined by the characteristics of the power source).

[0126] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or an electronic nicotine delivery system (END:electronic nicotine delivery system), but it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol generating material is not a requirement.

[0127] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating system is a tobacco heating system, also known as a non-combustion heating system.

[0128] In some embodiments, the aerosol generation system is a hybrid system for generating an aerosol using a combination of aerosol generation materials, one or more of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol generation materials may be in the form of, for example, a solid, liquid, or gel, and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol generation material and a solid aerosol generation material. The solid aerosol generation material may include, for example, tobacco or non-tobacco products.

[0129] Typically, the aerosol generation system can comprise an aerosol generation device and an article for use with the aerosol generation device. However, an article that itself comprises means for supplying energy to the aerosol generation components is considered to be able to form an aerosol generation system by itself.

[0130] In some embodiments, the aerosol generation device may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may be, for example, an electrical power source.

[0131] In some embodiments, the article for use with the aerosol generation device may comprise an aerosol generation material, an aerosol generation component, an aerosol generation region, a mouthpiece, and / or a region for receiving the aerosol generation material.

[0132] In some embodiments, the aerosol generation component is a heater that can interact with the aerosol generation material to release one or more volatile components from the aerosol generation material to form an aerosol.

[0133] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol - generating material. An aerosol - generating material, which may also be referred to herein as an aerosol - forming substrate, is a material that can generate an aerosol when, for example, heated, irradiated, or otherwise energized.

[0134] The aerosol - generating material may be in the form of, for example, a solid, liquid, or gel, and it may or may not contain nicotine and / or flavorants. In some embodiments, an article for use with an aerosol - generating device may comprise an aerosol - generating material or a region for receiving the aerosol - generating material. In some embodiments, an article for use with an aerosol - generating device may comprise a mouthpiece. The region for receiving the aerosol - generating material may be a storage region for storing the aerosol - generating material. For example, this storage region may be a reservoir. In some embodiments, the region for receiving the aerosol - generating material may be remote from or combined with the aerosol - generating region.

[0135] In some embodiments, article 10 is a consumable or article for use with a non - combustible aerosol - supply device. When all or substantially all of the volatile component(s) of the aerosolizable material 11 in article 10 are consumed, the user can remove article 10 from the heating region 110 of aerosol - generating device 100 and discard article 10. The user can then continue to reuse aerosol - generating device 100 with another article 10. However, in each of other embodiments, article 10 may not be a consumable with respect to heating device 130. That is, when the volatile component(s) of aerosolizable material 11 are consumed, heating device 130 and article 2 may be discarded together.

[0136] In some embodiments, article 10 is sold, supplied, or otherwise provided separately from aerosol-generating device 100 for which article 10 is usable. However, in some embodiments, aerosol-generating devices 100 and one or more articles 10 may be provided together as a system such as a kit or an assembly, optionally together with additional components such as cleaning implements.

[0137] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device further comprises a flux concentrator such as a magnetic core. In some embodiments, an inductor coil as described above may be wound around or encapsulated by a portion of the flux concentrator. In other embodiments, the inductor coil may be adjacent to or embedded in the flux concentrator.

[0138] For example, the flux concentrator or magnetic core concentrates the magnetic flux generated by the inductor coil during use to create a stronger magnetic field. Further, the magnetic core serves to direct the magnetic flux towards the intended target. The intended target in the embodiments discussed above is one or more susceptors. In some embodiments, coil 140 may be wound around only a portion (i.e., not all) of the flux concentrator. In some embodiments, the magnetic core has a high magnetic permeability and a low electrical conductivity. The low electrical conductivity helps to prevent eddy currents from occurring in the magnetic core during use, which helps to prevent the magnetic core from being heated during use.

[0139] The magnetic core may contain ferrite or may be composed of ferrite. Ferrite may contain, for example, iron oxide combined with nickel and / or zinc and / or manganese. Ferrite may be considered "soft ferrite" with low coercivity or "hard ferrite" with high coercivity. Exemplary soft ferrites that can be used are manganese-zinc ferrites of the chemical formula MnaZn(i-a)Fe2O4 and nickel-zinc ferrites of the chemical formula NiaZn(i-a)Fe2O4. However, in each variation of these embodiments, the magnetic core may be made of different material(s). For example, in some embodiments, the magnetic core may include a plurality of layers of conductive material insulated from each other by a non-conductive material. The magnetic core may have several layers or even hundreds of layers of conductive material insulated from each other by a non-conductive material. In embodiments including a plurality of induction coils, a plurality of flux concentrators or magnetic cores may be provided, and each one of the plurality of flux concentrators or magnetic cores corresponds to each induction coil of the plurality of induction coils.

[0140] It can be seen that aerosol generation devices, aerosol generation systems, and inductor coils according to various embodiments are particularly useful when generating aerosols from substantially flat consumables.

[0141] The substantially flat consumable may be provided in either an array or circular form. Other configurations are also conceivable.

[0142] For example, in some embodiments where the substantially flat consumable is provided in the form of an array, a plurality of heating regions may be provided. For example, according to one embodiment, one heating region may be provided for each part, pixel, or portion of the consumable.

[0143] In other embodiments, the substantially flat consumable may be rotated such that segments of the consumable are heated by heaters of similar shape. According to this embodiment, a single heating zone may be provided.

[0144] In particular, inductive coils according to various embodiments may be provided as part of a non-combustible aerosol supply device configured to heat a consumable without combustion as part of a non-combustible aerosol supply system. In particular, the consumable may comprise a plurality of individual portions of aerosol-forming material.

[0145] The consumable may comprise a support on which the aerosol-forming material is provided. The support functions as a support for the aerosol-forming material and facilitates manufacture. The support can provide tensile strength to the aerosol-forming material and facilitate handling. In some cases, a plurality of individual portions of the aerosol-forming material are deposited on such a support. In some cases, a plurality of individual portions are deposited on such a support. In some cases, individual portions of the aerosol-forming material are deposited on such a support such that each individual portion can be heated and aerosolized separately. In an exemplary embodiment, the consumable comprises a plurality of individual portions of aerosol-forming material, the individual portions are provided on a support, and each of the individual portions contains less than 15 mg of water.

[0146] Preferably, the individual portions of the aerosol-forming material are provided on the support such that each individual portion can be heated and aerosolized separately. Consumables having such a configuration have been found to be able to deliver a consistent aerosol to the user at each puff.

[0147] In some cases, the support may be formed from a material selected from metal foils, paper, carbon paper, oil-resistant paper, ceramics, carbon allotropes such as graphite and graphene, plastics, cardboard, wood, or combinations thereof. In some cases, the support may include or be composed of tobacco materials such as sheets of recycled tobacco. In some cases, the support may be formed from a material selected from metal foils, paper, cardboard, wood, or combinations thereof. In some cases, the support itself is a laminated structure comprising layers of materials selected from the aforementioned list. In some cases, the support may also function as a flavor carrier. For example, the support may be impregnated with a flavorant or a tobacco extract.

[0148] In some cases, the support may be non-magnetic.

[0149] In some cases, the support may be magnetic. This function may be used to fix the support to the assembly during use or to generate a specific shape. In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may comprise one or more magnets that can be used to fix the material to an induction heater during use.

[0150] In some cases, the support may be substantially or completely impermeable to gases and / or aerosols. This controls the flow and ensures delivery to the user by preventing the aerosol or gas from passing through the support layer. This can also be used, for example, to prevent condensation or other deposition of gas / aerosol on the surface of a heater provided in the aerosol-generating assembly during use. Thus, in some cases, the consumption efficiency and hygiene can be improved.

[0151] In some cases, the surface of the support in contact with the aerosol - forming material may be porous. For example, in one case, the support includes paper. Porous supports such as paper have been found to be particularly suitable for the present invention. A porous (e.g., paper) layer abuts against the aerosol - forming material and forms a strong bond. The aerosol - forming material is formed by drying a gel. Without being limited by theory, when a slurry forming the gel partially penetrates into a porous support (e.g., paper) and as a result the gel solidifies and forms cross - links, it is considered that the support is partially bonded to the gel. This strongly joins between the gel and the support (and between the dried gel and the support).

[0152] In one particular case, the support may be a foil lined with paper, the layer of paper abuts against the aerosol - forming material, and the properties discussed in the previous paragraph are imparted by such abutment. The lining of the foil is substantially impermeable and controls the flow path of the aerosol. The lining of the metal foil also serves to conduct heat to the aerosol - forming material.

[0153] In another case, the layer of the foil of the foil lined with paper abuts against the aerosol - forming material. By being substantially impermeable, the foil prevents water supplied to the aerosol - forming material from being absorbed by the paper (which may weaken its structural integrity).

[0154] In some cases, the support is formed from or includes a metal foil such as aluminum foil. A metal support can better conduct thermal energy. In addition to or instead of this, the metal foil can function as a susceptor in an induction heating system. In certain embodiments, the support comprises a metal foil layer and a support layer such as cardboard. In these embodiments, the thickness of the metal foil layer may be less than about 20 μm, such as from about 1 μm to about 10 μm, and about 5 μm is preferred.

[0155] In some cases, the thickness of the support may be from about 0.010 mm to about 2.0 mm, and about 0.015 mm, 0.02 mm, 0.05 mm, or from 0.1 mm to about 1.5 mm, 1.0 mm, or 0.5 mm are preferred.

[0156] When the aerosol - generating material is heated to a temperature of at least 120°C in the aerosol - supply device, it is preferred that less than about 15 mg of water is aerosolized in each puff. The specific features discussed above in relation to the aerosol - generating material when present in the consumable also apply equally to the aerosol - generating material on its own.

[0157] Further embodiments are contemplated where the conical coil can be used in 3D form, such as when supported by epoxy potting or polymer overmolding that can accommodate a corresponding pre - formed 3D shape.

[0158] A flat or substantially flat susceptor may be placed in the device and then loaded by a secondary operation (e.g., closing a lid or actuating a clamp component) to reform the susceptor into a conical shape (either convex or concave). Other embodiments are contemplated where susceptors with different shapes and / or configurations are provided and the flat susceptor is loaded by a secondary operation (e.g., closing a lid or actuating a clamp component) to reform the susceptor into a conical shape (either convex or concave).

[0159] It will be appreciated that this embodiment is beneficial as the distance from the coil to the susceptor is important, especially for the coupling efficiency of a particularly thin and low - permeability susceptor.

[0160] Therefore, it is beneficial to make the distance between the coil and the susceptor uniform.

[0161] Furthermore, if there is distortion in the shape of the flat susceptor, it may similarly affect the coupling efficiency or the resonance frequency of the system. Applying a slight preload to the susceptor is one way to ensure better shape uniformity.

[0162] This embodiment is particularly beneficial when the susceptor is part of a consumable (which means that the shape changes at different levels each time the consumable is loaded).

[0163] According to another embodiment, a structure such as a helix in which multiple layers are used to achieve the inductivity of the coil can be considered.

[0164] According to this embodiment, control of PCB track formation is the key to control of inductance and coupling. These coils may be arranged in a staggered pattern and may include Tesla coils (bifilar).

[0165] It should be understood that all susceptor materials are essentially metals. When the magnetic permeability of a metal is high, like iron, the mechanism of temperature rise is sometimes called hysteresis heating, which is due to the alignment of magnetic domains and being affected by an alternating magnetic field. In this case, in addition to eddy current heating when the magnetic permeability of the metal is low, such as in the case of aluminum foil, the physical movement of atoms generates heat. Aluminum foil is very thin and does not follow the classical physics of skin depth heating.

[0166] The reference to Litz (registered trademark) relates to multi-strand wire, and it should be understood that the term multi-strand can be replaced by the term Litz (registered trademark).

[0167] Copper is used in the PCB, and the skin depth is an important factor. 4 ounces of copper is used to operate at at least one skin depth from 1 MHz in the PCB coil. One skin depth at 1 MHz is 63 μm of copper. The multi-strand wire has different operating frequency ranges and can be as low as 300 kHz in some cases. Regarding the frequency range discussed above, an embodiment where the frequency range of the PCB may be in the range of 700 kHz to 5 MHz is conceivable. Regarding the multi-strand wire or Litz (registered trademark), the frequency range may be in the range of 200 kHz to 2 MHz.

[0168] According to another embodiment, a joined multi-strand form of a conical inductor that holds the coil in its specific shape is conceivable.

[0169] The above embodiments have focused on several specific exemplary aerosol generation systems in several respects, but it will be understood that the same principles can be applied to aerosol generation systems using other technologies. That is, the specific ways in which the various aspects of the aerosol generation supply system function are not directly related to the principles underlying the examples described herein.

[0170] To address various challenges and advance technology, the present disclosure illustratively shows various embodiments. In these embodiments, it is possible to implement the claimed invention. The advantages and features of the present disclosure are merely representative examples among the embodiments, neither encompassing all advantages and features nor excluding other advantages and features. They are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed invention. The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects of the present disclosure should not be considered as limiting the present disclosure as defined by the claims or limiting the equivalents of the claims. It should be understood that other embodiments can be utilized and modifications can be made without departing from the claims. Various embodiments may appropriately include various combinations of disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those described in detail herein, may be composed only of them, or may be substantially composed of them. Thus, it will be understood that the features of the dependent claims may be combined with the features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly described in the claims. The present disclosure can include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device comprising a conical inductive coil, wherein the height of the cone of the conical inductive coil is lower than the width of the bottom of the cone, the conical inductive coil has an axis of the cone and a bottom of the cone, the conical inductive coil has a vertex of the cone, and the axis of the cone is a straight line passing through the vertex and the center of the bottom of the cone, the aerosol generating device.

2. A device housing, and / or a power source connected to the conical inductive coil and configured to supply an oscillating current to the conical inductive coil The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, comprising.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pitch of the conical inductive coil is constant.

4. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pitch of the conical inductive coil changes.

5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein the change in the pitch of the conical inductive coil is configured to provide uniform inductive coupling or a constant magnetic flux through a susceptor, and optionally, the susceptor is a flat susceptor.

6. The conical inductive coil has a width W of the bottom of the cone and a height H of the cone, and the ratio W / H is at least 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 8:1, 9:1, 10:1, 11:1, 12:1, 13:1, 14:1, 15:1, 16:1, 17:1, 18:1, 19:1, or 20:

1. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The conical inductive coil comprises a coil of a conductive material having a projection shape of (i) a circular helix, (ii) a square or rectangular helix, (iii) a trapezoidal helix, or (iv) a triangular helix, the conical inductive coil has a bottom of the cone, and the projection shape is a shape formed by projecting the coil onto the bottom of the cone. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The aerosol generating device according to claim 7, wherein the projection shape comprises at least one of (i) a straight side, (ii) a curved side, or (iii) a mixture thereof.

9. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the cone is perpendicular to the bottom of the cone.

10. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the cone forms an angle other than 90° with respect to the bottom of the cone.

11. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the conical inductor coil comprises a coil of conductive material, and the thickness or cross-sectional area of the coil of conductive material is either (i) variable along the coil or (ii) uniform along the coil.

12. The aerosol generating device according to claim 11, wherein the thickness or cross-sectional area of the conductive material is substantially uniform along the coil.

13. The aerosol generating device according to claim 11, wherein the composition of the conductive material varies along the coil.

14. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the conical inductor coil is formed around a curved plane or a three-dimensional surface.

15. The aerosol generating device according to claim 14, wherein the curved plane or three-dimensional surface includes a cylinder.

16. The aerosol generating device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the conical inductor coil has a bottom of the cone, and the bottom of the cone is formed around the curved plane or three-dimensional surface.

17. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, comprising a plurality of conical inductor coils.

18. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, comprising a conical bifilar inductor coil, and the conical bifilar inductor coil comprises two or more parallel windings with a close spacing.

19. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, 18, wherein the conical inductor coil is configured to generate a variable magnetic field, or The aerosol generating device according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of conical inductor coils are configured to generate a variable magnetic field, and Optionally, each of the plurality of conical inductor coils is configured to generate a variable magnetic field from one of each of the plurality of conical inductor coils, and each of the variable magnetic fields is generated independently of each other.

20. An aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 19, configured to receive an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device comprising an aerosolizable material.

21. An aerosol generating device according to claim 20, comprising a clamp or restraint device configured to clamp or restrain the article.

22. The aerosol generating device according to claim 21, wherein the clamp or restraint device comprises a cavity into which the article is inserted during use, and the cavity is configured such that there is an interference fit between the clamp or restraint device and the article.

23. The aerosol generating device according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the clamp or restraint device is configured to fix the article such that the article conforms to the surface of the conical inductor coil.

24. An aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 23, comprising one or more susceptors.

25. The aerosol generating device according to claim 24, wherein the conical inductor coil is configured to generate a varying magnetic field, or The aerosol generating device according to claim 24, dependent on claim 17, wherein the plurality of conical inductor coils are configured to generate a varying magnetic field, wherein the one or more susceptors are configured to be heated by the varying magnetic field. Aerosol generating device.

26. The aerosol generating device according to claim 25, wherein the one or more susceptors are configured to heat, but not combust, an aerosolizable material provided in an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device.

27. The aerosol generating device according to claim 26, wherein the one or more susceptors are configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosolizable material provided in the article.

28. An aerosol generating device comprising a wound coil including an inductor coil, wherein the inductor coil is formed around a curved plane or three-dimensional surface, such that an initially flat inductor coil is wound around a curved plane or to form a curved plane, and the wound coil is embedded in a substrate.

29. The aerosol generating device according to claim 28, wherein the wound coil is configured to maintain its structure within the substrate.

30. The aerosol generating device according to claim 28 or 29, wherein the substrate is resin.

31. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 28, 29, or 30, wherein the inductor coil includes Litz (registered trademark) wire or multi-strand wire.

32. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 31, including a non-combustion heating type aerosol generating device.

33. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 32, including a non-combustible aerosol supply device.

34. An aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 33, An article for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device, An aerosol generating system comprising.

35. The article for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device comprises one or more susceptors, The aerosol generating system according to claim 34, wherein the conical inductor coil is configured to generate a varying magnetic field, or, The aerosol generating system according to claim 34, which depends on claim 17, wherein the plurality of conical inductor coils are configured to generate a varying magnetic field, An aerosol generating system, wherein the one or more susceptors are configured to be heated by the varying magnetic field.

36. A method of manufacturing an aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 27, Forming a planar inductor coil, Deforming the planar inductor coil from a plane so as to form the conical inductor coil, A method of manufacturing an aerosol generating device comprising.

37. Preparing an aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 32, Inserting an article comprising an aerosolizable material for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device into the aerosol generating device, A method of generating an aerosol comprising.

38. An aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 27, An article to be disposed within the aerosol generating device during use, for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device, One or more removable susceptors, An aerosol generation system comprising:

39. An aerosol generation device, An article to be disposed within the aerosol generation device during use, for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device, the article comprising one or more conical inductor coils and / or one or more susceptors, an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device, Comprising: The height of the cone of the conical inductor coil is low relative to the width of the base of the cone, The one or more conical inductor coils have a cone axis and a cone base, the one or more conical inductor coils have a cone apex, and the cone axis is a straight line passing through the apex and the center of the cone base, an aerosol generation system.

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