Aerosol delivery device with a heating element

Abstract

An aerosol delivery device (102) for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material is disclosed. The aerosol delivery device (102) comprises at least one chamber having a heating element (200) including a ferrite material, a receiving area (225) configured to receive a planar aerosol product article (101) including the aerosol-generating material, and at least one aerosol generator (120) configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material. The receiving area (225) is disposed between the at least one aerosol generator (120) and the at least one heating element (200).

Description

Field

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

[0002] Electronic aerosol generation systems, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), generally include a reservoir of feedstock liquid, typically containing a nicotine-containing formulation, from which aerosol is generated, for example, by thermal vaporization. Accordingly, an aerosol source for an aerosol delivery system may include a heater having a heating element configured to receive the feedstock liquid from the reservoir, for example, by wicking or capillary action. While a user inhales on the device, power is supplied to the heating element to vaporize the feedstock liquid proximate the heating element and generate an aerosol for inhalation by the user. Such devices typically include one or more air inlet holes located away from the mouthpiece end of the system. When a user inhales on a mouthpiece connected to the mouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn in through the inlet holes and passes through the aerosol source. A flow path connects the aerosol source to an opening in the mouthpiece, allowing the drawn air that passes through the aerosol source to continue along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying with it a portion of the aerosol from the aerosol source. The aerosol-carrying air exits the aerosol delivery system through the mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.

[0003] Other aerosol delivery devices generate aerosol from solid materials, such as tobacco or tobacco derivatives. Such devices operate in much the same way as the liquid-based systems described above, in that the solid tobacco material is heated to vaporization temperatures to generate the aerosol, which is then inhaled by the user.

[0004] With most aerosol delivery devices, users desire a consistent delivery from puff to puff so that each puff tastes the same and / or provides the same desired effect. However, the devices described above are not always able to provide a consistent delivery.

[0005] It would be desirable to provide an aerosol delivery device that delivers improved delivery of aerosol and / or provides an improved sensory experience to the user.

[0006] According to one aspect, there is provided an aerosol delivery device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol delivery device comprising: at least one chamber having a heating element comprising a ferrite material; a receiving area configured to receive a planar aerosol-producing article containing an aerosol-forming material; at least one aerosol generator configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; wherein the receiving area is disposed between the at least one aerosol generator and the at least one heating element.

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

[0008] According to various embodiments, an aerosol delivery device is provided that includes a warming element that helps reduce or substantially prevent condensation from forming on the walls of the receiving area and / or elsewhere within the aerosol delivery device.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0015] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device further comprises a warming unit configured to warm the heating element to reduce the formation of condensation in the chamber.

[0016] Optionally, the warming unit comprises one or more second inductors.

[0017] Optionally, the warming unit comprises one or more second resistive heaters.

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

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

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

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

[0022] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device comprises a plurality of aerosol generators, at least some, or each aerosol generator, configured to generate aerosol from a different portion of the planar aerosol production article.

[0023] Optionally, the aerosol delivery device comprises a plurality of chambers, at least some, or each chamber, configured to receive aerosol generated from different portions of the planar aerosol production article.

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

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

[0026] According to another aspect, an aerosol delivery device as described above; a planar aerosol-producing article including an aerosol-generating material and a susceptor; An aerosol generating system is provided, comprising:

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

[0028] Optionally, the susceptor comprises aluminum. Other embodiments are contemplated in which the susceptor comprises an aluminum alloy.

[0029] In particular, the susceptor may comprise an aluminum foil or aluminum coating on a substrate, which may provide a degree of rigidity to the planar aerosol product.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0036] According to another aspect, providing an aerosol delivery device as described above; introducing a planar aerosol-producing article, including an aerosol-generating material and a susceptor, into an aerosol delivery device; A method for generating an aerosol is provided, comprising:

[0037] Other embodiments are contemplated in which the aerosol product article need not necessarily comprise a planar aerosol product article, for example, embodiments are contemplated in which the aerosol product article may comprise a curved, corrugated, or non-planar substrate.

[0038] According to another aspect, there is provided an aerosol delivery device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol delivery device comprising: at least one chamber having a heating element comprising a ferrite material; a receiving area configured to receive an aerosol-producing article including an aerosol-forming material; at least one aerosol generator configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; Equipped with.

[0039] Optionally, the receiving area is disposed between the at least one aerosol generator and the at least one warming element.

[0040] Optionally, the receiving area is configured to receive a planar aerosol-producing article including an aerosol-forming material.

[0041] According to another aspect, an aerosol delivery device as described above; an aerosol-producing article including an aerosol-generating material and a susceptor; An aerosol generating system is provided, comprising:

[0042] According to another aspect, providing an aerosol delivery device as described above; introducing an aerosol product comprising an aerosol-generating material and a susceptor into an aerosol delivery device; A method for generating an aerosol is provided, comprising:

[0043] The method may further include activating the aerosol delivery device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0044] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aerosol delivery device. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aerosol delivery device according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aerosol delivery device according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic top-down view of a round substrate containing a portion of aerosol-generating material. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic top-down view of a portion of an aerosol delivery device, showing a substrate on which a portion of aerosol-generating material is provided that is received in a receiving area of ​​the aerosol delivery device, and an aerosol generator or heater that includes a heating element that may be positioned below the substrate. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic top-down view of a portion of an aerosol product according to one embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7A] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example cross section of a schematic representation of an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device according to one embodiment in combination with a planar aerosol product article, wherein the aerosol delivery device comprises a plurality of substantially planar inductor coils and the planar aerosol product article includes a plurality of portions of aerosol-generating material and corresponding susceptor portions. [Figure 7B] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a planar aerosol product. [Figure 7C] FIG. 1 is a side view of a planar aerosol product. [Figure 7D] FIG. 1 is a side view of a planar aerosol product. [Figure 7E] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional top-down view of a heating element of an aerosol delivery device according to one embodiment. [Figure 8A] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of a generally planar inductor coil having a trapezoidal shape; [Figure 8B]FIG. 10 shows another example of a generally planar multi-layer inductor coil having an overall trapezoidal shape. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 shows an aerosol delivery device according to one embodiment, in which the aerosol delivery device comprises a chamber, a planar aerosol product article is placed in a receiving area of ​​the aerosol delivery device, and a heating element is positioned adjacent to the receiving area and configured to reduce the formation of condensation within the chamber. [Figure 10] 1 shows an image of a disk-shaped planar aerosol product article and a portion of an aerosol delivery device having a chamber with an integrated heating element therein, according to one embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 illustrates experimental results showing the temperature as a function of time of an aluminum susceptor (top trace) and a stainless steel heating element (bottom trace), both heated by a time-varying magnetic field generated by an inductor coil, according to one embodiment. Detailed Description

[0045] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description of the specific embodiments are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary, the invention covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0046] Aspects and features of particular examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of particular examples and embodiments may be implemented in a conventional manner and are not discussed / described in detail for the sake of brevity. Accordingly, it will be understood that aspects and features of the apparatus and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

[0047] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems, sometimes referred to as aerosol delivery systems, such as e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description, the terms "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may be used, with the understanding that these terms may be used interchangeably with aerosol delivery systems / devices and electronic aerosol delivery systems / devices. Furthermore, as is common in the art, the terms "aerosol" and "vapor," as well as related terms such as "vaporize," "volatilize," and "aerosolize," may generally be used interchangeably.

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

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

[0050] According to various embodiments, a susceptor 112 may be provided on the substrate 110. The susceptor 112 may comprise aluminum foil. However, other embodiments are contemplated in which no susceptor is provided on the substrate 110. Still further embodiments are contemplated in which a susceptor made from a material other than aluminum is provided on the substrate 110. According to various embodiments, the substrate 110 may comprise paper or card. The aerosol-generating material 114 may be disposed on the susceptor 112, which may comprise aluminum foil. The combination of the aerosol-delivery device 100 and the aerosol-product article 101 forms an aerosol-delivery system.

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

[0052] The aerosol-delivery device 100 includes an aerosol generator or heater 120 for heating the aerosol-generating material 114 and, optionally, a susceptor 112 that may be disposed on the substrate 110. The aerosol generator or heater 120 is an element of the aerosol-delivery device 100 that transfers energy from a power source, such as a battery (not shown), to the aerosol-generating material 114 to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material 114. The aerosol generator or heater 120 may include one or more inductor coils configured to generate a time-varying magnetic field that, when interacting with the susceptor 112, heats the susceptor 112 and generates an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material 114 in contact with portions of the heated susceptor 112.

[0053] The aerosol delivery device 100 may include a moving mechanism 130 configured to move the substrate 110, and in particular the portions (or quantities, as the case may be) of the aerosol-generating material 114. The portions of the aerosol-generating material 114 may be rotationally movable relative to the aerosol generator or heater 120 such that the portions of the aerosol-generating material 114 are presented, in this case individually, to the aerosol generator or heater 120. The aerosol delivery device 100 is positioned such that at least one quantity of the aerosol-generating material 114 is rotated about an axis A at an angle θ relative to the rear surface 116 of the substrate 110. The substrate 110 in this implementation includes a substantially flat or planar substrate 110 and may be formed partially or entirely from paper or card.

[0054] 1 has five portions (or portions) of aerosol-generating material 114 disposed on a susceptor 112, which may include aluminum foil. However, according to other embodiments, the substrate 110 may have more or fewer portions of aerosol-generating material 114.

[0055] According to various embodiments, the substrate 110 may have the quantities of aerosol-generating material 114 arranged in discrete portions, as shown in FIG. 1 . In other examples, the quantities may be in the form of disks, which may be continuous or discontinuous around the circumference of the substrate 110. In still other examples, the quantities may be in the form of annulus, ring, or any other shape. The substrate 110 may or may not have a rotationally symmetric distribution of the quantities on the top surface of the substrate 110 about axis A. The symmetric distribution of the quantities allows the equally spaced quantities (within the rotationally symmetric distribution) to experience an equivalent heating profile from the aerosol generator or heater 120 upon rotation about axis A, as desired.

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

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

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

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

[0060] Aerosol delivery device 100 may have multiple chambers or regions, which may or may not be separate from one another, configured to receive the aerosol generated from aerosol-generating material 114. Aerosol delivery device 100 may have a power chamber (not shown) that includes a power source for providing power to aerosol generator or heater 120 and / or movement mechanism 130. Aerosol generator or heater 120 may include either an induction heater or an electrical resistance heater. However, in other examples, aerosol generator or heater 120 may include a chemically activated heater that may or may not operate via an exothermic reaction, etc.

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

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

[0063] 1 can operate by indexing (or moving) multiple portions of aerosol-generating material 114 relative to aerosol generator or heater 120, with the advantage that only one aerosol generator or heater 120 is needed to heat multiple portions of aerosol-generating material 114. For example, the aerosol generator or heater 120 in the configuration of FIG. 1 requires only one control mechanism, as opposed to multiple heaters, each of which requires a separate control mechanism. Thus, this configuration can reduce the cost and control complexity associated with operating and controlling the aerosol generator or heater 120.

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

[0065] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device 100 according to one embodiment, similar to that shown in FIG. 1, with additional features including specific, individualized portions 114A, 114B, and 114C of aerosol-generating material and a heating element 200. The aerosol generator or heater 120 has a specific area of ​​influence relative to the substrate 110, referred to as the heating location 140. The heating location 140 may be located directly above the aerosol generator or heater 120. The heating location 140 is the area to which the portions of aerosol-generating material 114 are moved by the moving mechanism 130 to form an aerosol. This movement of the portions to the heating location 140 may occur prior to heating of the aerosol-generating material portions 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D by the aerosol generator or heater 120. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the aerosol-generating material portion 114C is moved to the heating area 140. The aerosol generator or heater 120 can heat the quantity 114C within the heating region 140 to generate the aerosol. Conversely, the quantities 114A, 114B not located at the heating location 140 are positioned far enough away from the heating location 140 that they are not heated by the aerosol generator or heater 120.

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

[0067] In another example, aerosol generator or heater 120 can be activated before quantity 114C is moved to heated region 140. This configuration has the advantage that, once quantity 114C reaches heated region 140, no warm-up period is required for aerosol generator or heater 120 to reach a temperature suitable for inducing aerosolization of the aerosol-generating material. Thus, delivery of the aerosol to a user inhaling on aerosol delivery device 100 occurs more quickly, thus improving the user experience of aerosol delivery device 100. In this configuration, aerosol generator or heater 120 can be brought to an operating temperature suitable for aerosolizing the aerosol-generating material before quantity 114C is moved to heated region 140, or aerosol generator or heater 120 can be brought to a preheat temperature (i.e., a temperature between ambient temperature and the operating temperature) before quantity 114C is moved to heated region 140, and then increased to the operating temperature after quantity 114C is moved to heated region 140.

[0068] Continuing with reference to FIG. 2, aerosol delivery device 100 has a movement mechanism 130 for enabling movement of portions 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D. In the example shown in FIG. 2, movement mechanism 130 includes a connection element 132 and is configured to connect to substrate 110 via connection element 132. Movement mechanism 130 may include a rotation element, such as a ball bearing, about which substrate 110 can rotate. In one example, substrate 110 is disposed on a bearing in movement mechanism 130 and may be rotated by a user or a rotation system (e.g., a motor and shaft) included within aerosol delivery device 100. Movement mechanism 130 may be substantially centered within substrate 110, as schematically shown in FIG. 2, or alternatively, may be positioned at a different relative position with respect to substrate 110. Locating movement mechanism 130 in a central location provides the advantage that a well-defined central axis A (see FIG. 1) passes through the center of substrate 110, and that substrate 110 may rotate about its central axis A as a result of movement mechanism 130. The position of moving mechanism 130 relative to substrate 110 may alternatively or additionally be determined in part by a desire to balance substrate 110 on the portion of moving mechanism 130 connected to substrate 110. This configuration, which may omit connecting element 132, has the advantage of not requiring additional structure, such as posts or guides, to balance substrate 110 within aerosol delivery device 100.

[0069] Alternatively, additional structure may be used to allow movement mechanism 130 to be positioned at any location relative to substrate 110. Any such configuration in which axis A (about which substrate 110 may rotate) is off-center relative to the central axis of substrate 110 is possible, but may require intelligent placement of the quantity of aerosol-generating material on substrate 110, along with the placement of aerosol generator or heater 120. The additional structure may protrude from the side of the housing of aerosol delivery device 100 and help secure substrate 110 in place while allowing movement of substrate 110.

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

[0071] Alternatively, the substrate 110 can be rotated via the movement mechanism 130 at a variable rotational speed. In this example, the aerosol delivery device 100 can deliver a greater or lesser amount of aerosol as desired by the user by using a greater or lesser rotational speed. The use of variable rotational speeds can be used in conjunction with a variable heating profile from the aerosol generator or heater 120. The movement mechanism 130 can also provide indexing movement such that the substrate 110 moves discretely. That is, the substrate 110 is configured to move to a preset angular position. The amount by which the substrate 110 moves for each index position can be consistent throughout the entire rotation of the substrate 110 (i.e., across 360 degrees) or can be variable.

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

[0073] 2, aerosol delivery device 100 has a flow path 160, disposed substantially between aerosol generator or heater 120, heating location 140, and aerosol outlet 202. Flow path 160 is a path along which aerosol generated within aerosol delivery device 100, formed from the heated quantity, flows and exits aerosol delivery device 100. Flow path 160 (i.e., the distance between the heated quantity and outlet 202) can be relatively short, thus reducing the area inside aerosol delivery device 100 where aerosol may potentially condense. This improves the overall cleanliness of the function of aerosol delivery device 100, resulting in a reduction in the frequency with which aerosol delivery device 100 must be cleaned.

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

[0075] As the aerosol passes through fewer components along a relatively short path through aerosol delivery device 100, fewer components may be affected by the aerosol condensing on them, and therefore those components may need to be replaced less frequently, which reduces the cost of maintenance of aerosol delivery device 100 and extends the overall lifespan of aerosol delivery device 100.

[0076] 2 shows the aerosol outlet 202 offset from the center of the aerosol delivery device 100, in some implementations, the aerosol outlet 202 can be more central. In still further implementations, the aerosol outlet 202 can be positioned approximately in line with the volume being heated and / or the aerosol generator or heater 120 (e.g., the central axis of the outlet can be aligned with the normal to the volume). This can further narrow the flow path 160.

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

[0078] 3 , various embodiments of the aerosol delivery device 100 are shown in which the aerosol generator or heater 120 can be moved relative to the substrate 110 to improve heat delivery from the aerosol generator or heater 120 to the aerosol-generating material. The aerosol generator or heater 120 can be moved toward or away from the substrate 110, for example, when a particular volume is moved to or from the heating position 140. Moving the aerosol generator or heater 120 toward the volume to be heated reduces the separation between the aerosol generator or heater 120 and the substrate 110. The aerosol delivery device 100 includes a chamber 190 and a receiving area 225 for receiving the aerosol product article 101. The receiving area 225 is disposed between the aerosol generator or heater 120 and the warming element 200.

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

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

[0081] In one example, the aerosol generator or heater 120 can be moved into contact with the rear surface of the substrate 110 to optimize heating of a particular quantity of aerosol-generating material. After one particular quantity is heated, the quantity can be moved (e.g., rotated) so that a new quantity can be moved to the heating position 140. If the aerosol generator or heater 120 contacts the substrate 110 before moving the quantity to move the new particular quantity to the heating position 140, the aerosol generator or heater 120 can be moved away from (or out of contact with) the substrate 110 to prevent friction, possibly during quantity movement, if the aerosol generator or heater 120 remains in intimate contact with the rear surface of the substrate 110 at all times during a use session.

[0082] However, embodiments are also contemplated in which the substrate 110 remains in contact with the aerosol generator or heater 120, which may include either an inductive or resistive heater, throughout the entire use session.

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

[0084] 2, aerosol delivery device 100 may include a controller 172 for monitoring and / or controlling the movement provided by moving mechanism 130. Controller 172 may control the movement of aerosol-generating material portions 114A, 114B, 114C such that the portions are controllably moved to heating location 140. Controller 172 may also be capable of informing a user regarding the number of remaining operable portions in aerosol delivery device 100. In one example, aerosol delivery device 100 may have a movement monitoring system 170 comprising controller 172 and, optionally, detector 174 (e.g., shown in FIG. 2).

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

[0086] The controller 172 may comprise a microcontroller to reduce space requirements. The detector 174 may be, for example, a break beam sensor, a brushed system, a speed tracker, or the like to provide information regarding the number of rotations of the substrate 110 and the position of the substrate 110 moved to the heating position 140. This information may be relayed to a user or a diagnostic element (not shown) to enable periodic checks on the functionality of the aerosol delivery device. The motion monitoring system 170 may be connected to the movement mechanism 130 by a wired connection, such as a simple electrical connection, or any other connection, including wireless, such as Bluetooth®.

[0087] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a portion of an aerosol delivery device 100 according to one embodiment. Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the aerosol delivery device 100, including a substrate 110, an aerosol generator or heater 120, an aerosol outlet 202, and a flow path 160, which form part of the aerosol product article 101 received within the aerosol delivery device 100. The substrate 110 may be rotated so that different portions of the substrate 110 are successively positioned adjacent the aerosol generator or heater 120. The aerosol delivery device 100 comprises a chamber 190 and a receiving area 225 for receiving the aerosol product article 101. The receiving area 225 is positioned between the aerosol generator or heater 120 and the warming element 200.

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

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

[0090] 3 simplifies the flow path 160 taken by the aerosol, which reduces the amount of time the aerosol is within the aerosol delivery device 100. This configuration therefore reduces the area inside the aerosol delivery device 100 on which the aerosol can potentially condense and the time the aerosol can condense. This therefore reduces the impact of the associated problem of in-device aerosol condensation.

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

[0092] The substrate 110 and / or the multiple portions of aerosol-generating material can be in the form of substantially any shape. According to one embodiment, the substrate 110 can be in the form of a circular disk or ring. The substrate 110 can assume these shapes when installed in the aerosol delivery device 100 and can have the same or a different shape when not in the aerosol delivery device 100. In other words, the substrate 110 can be deformed to assume a particular shape different from its initial shape when installed in the aerosol delivery device 100. The substrate 110 can have alignment or keying features to enable the substrate 110 to be aligned with and then connected to a movement mechanism. In some implementations, the alignment or keying feature is arranged so that the substrate 110 can be aligned with the movement mechanism in only one orientation, for example, by having an asymmetrical shape.

[0093] According to various embodiments, the aerosol-generating material can be moved through the aerosol generator or heater 120. This movement can be provided by a moving mechanism 130, as shown in FIG. 2. The moving mechanism 130 can include an indexing system (not shown) configured to enable indexing of the aerosol-generating material portions. The indexing system incrementally moves a specific portion to the heating position 140 before generating aerosol from the portion, and then moves the specific portion from the heating position 140 after generating aerosol. The indexing system can enable more precise movement of one portion to the heating position 140, which is then replaced by another portion. The indexing system can be provided by a sprocket and / or keying mechanism disposed on or forming part of the substrate 110. Alternatively, a Geneva wheel and cam combination can be used to provide indexing of the aerosol-generating material portions.

[0094] The indexing system may be configured to move adjacent portions of aerosol-generating material to heating position 140 in a sequential manner. An advantage of this configuration is that the indexing system is simple to construct and operate. In a configuration in which adjacent portions are heated in a sequential manner, the heat energy transferred to the proximity of a second portion during heating of a first portion can save energy from heating the second portion. This, in turn, can reduce the overall load on aerosol generator or heater 120 and therefore extend the life of aerosol delivery device 100.

[0095] Alternatively, the indexing system can be configured to move only non-adjacent portions of aerosol-generating material sequentially to the heating position 140. This allows dense portions to be placed on the substrate 110 without the risk of overheating a particular portion due to excessively high levels of indirect heat (heat indirectly transferred to a portion during heating of a previous portion) followed by direct heat (heat supplied to the same portion during heating of that portion). Each portion may contain a defined amount of nicotine and / or aerosol-forming ingredients, and applying energy at the wrong time could cause the nicotine and / or aerosol-forming ingredients from that portion to be released earlier than intended. Alternatively, a used portion may be reheated after the nicotine and / or aerosol-forming ingredients are released, which could result in other ingredients in the portion being heated. However, the described configuration eliminates the need for sophisticated heating control systems that provide time or heating power variations for particular portions to prevent overheating.

[0096] The indexing system may be monitored by a monitoring system 170 using the techniques described above. This allows for checking the functionality of the indexing system to ensure it is operating as expected. In any of the configurations described above, the monitoring system 170 may be used to help prevent overheating of any particular quantity.

[0097] The movement mechanism 130 and monitoring system 170 can operate in combination with the aerosol generator or heater 120 to ensure that the indexed movement of the portions and the heating period for any particular portion are coordinated to prevent overheating of the portion. The movement mechanism 130 can be configured to present one portion of the aerosol-generating material to the aerosol generator or heater 120 for one period of time and another portion of the aerosol-generating material to the aerosol generator or heater 120 for a different period of time. This can be to provide different heating levels to the different portions. This can be advantageous to avoid overheating in the case of linear indexing, as described above. This can also be advantageous when one portion of the aerosol-generating material is of a different structure or substance than another portion, such that different heating periods are required to generate the aerosol.

[0098] The movement mechanism 130 and monitoring system 170 can operate in combination with the aerosol generator or heater 120 to ensure that the indexing movement of the portions 114 and the heater power level for any particular portion 114 are coordinated. This may be to provide different heating levels for different portions. This may be advantageous to avoid overheating in the case of linear indexing or high-density portion delivery. For example, the heater power level may be higher for a first portion and less high for a second portion. This is advantageous because the second portion receives a level of indirect heating during heating of the first portion, such that the second portion requires less direct heating (achieved by reducing the heater power level) to deliver the aerosol. This may also be advantageous when one portion of aerosol-generating material is of a different structure or substance than another portion, such that different heater power levels are required to generate the aerosol.

[0099] An aerosol-forming material is a material that can generate an aerosol when, for example, heated, irradiated, or otherwise energized. The aerosol-forming material can be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid, or semi-solid (such as a gel), which may or may not contain an active agent and / or a fragrance.

[0100] The aerosol-generating materials may include one or more active agents and / or flavorings, one or more aerosol former materials, and optionally one or more other functional materials.

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

[0102] The aerosol-generating material may include or be in the form of an aerosol-generating film. The aerosol-generating film may include a binder, such as a gelling agent, and an aerosol-forming agent. Optionally, a substance to be delivered and / or a filler may also be present. The aerosol-generating film may be substantially free of plant material. In particular, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of tobacco. The aerosol-generating film may have a thickness of about 0.015 mm to about 1 mm. For example, the thickness may range from about 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, or 0.15 mm to about 0.5 mm or 0.3 mm. The aerosol-generating material may include two or more films, and the thicknesses described herein may refer to the combined thickness of those films. The aerosol-generating film may be continuous. For example, the film may include or be a continuous sheet of material. The sheet may be in the form of a wrapper, gathered to form a gathered sheet, or shredded to form a shredded sheet. The chopped sheet may include one or more strands or strips of aerosol-forming material.

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

[0104] In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may contain 1 to 50 wt% of gelling agent, calculated on a dry weight basis. Preferably, the aerosol-forming material may contain from about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% to about 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, 35 wt%, 30 wt%, or 27 wt% of gelling agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-forming material may contain 5 to 40 wt%, 10 to 30 wt%, or 15 to 27 wt% of gelling agent. In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may contain tobacco extract. In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may contain 5 to 60 wt% of tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may contain from about 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% to about 55 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, or 40 wt% tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-forming material may contain from 5 to 60 wt%, 10 to 55 wt%, or 25 to 55 wt% tobacco extract. The tobacco extract may contain nicotine in a concentration such that the aerosol-forming material contains from 1 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 2 wt%, or 2.5 wt% to about 6 wt%, 5 wt%, 4.5 wt%, or 4 wt% nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, no nicotine other than that provided by the tobacco extract may be present in the aerosol-forming material.

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

[0106] In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may consist essentially of, or may consist of, a gelling agent, an aerosol-forming agent, a tobacco material and / or a nicotine source, water, and optionally a flavoring agent, although it should be understood that the aerosol-forming material may be any other suitable aerosol-forming material deemed appropriate by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0107] Referring to FIG. 4, an example of the arrangement of portions 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D of aerosol-generating material on a round substrate 110 is shown. The portions 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D are arranged in concentric rings that can be heated sequentially via rotational indexing of the substrate 110 followed by lateral indexing of the aerosol generator or heater to heat the next ring in the sequence of concentric rings. This indexing sequence can be repeated until each portion 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D is heated and generates an aerosol. The indexing provided to the substrate 110 can be uniform or non-uniform in distance and / or time. In one example, the final portion 114D to be heated can be positioned toward the center of the substrate 110. This portion 114D can be, for example, a portion 114D containing a flavoring, such as menthol, to provide a refreshing end to a smoking session. A user may be able to personalize their smoking session through the use of varying arrangements of aerosol-generating material.

[0108] It should be understood that portions 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D are not limited to being arranged with rotational symmetry, particularly with respect to lateral movement of the aerosol generator or heater. According to various embodiments, portions 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D may be disposed on substrate 110, which may be substantially impermeable to aerosols. This arrangement encourages aerosol generated from heating of aerosol-generating material portions 114A, 114B, 114C, and 114D to flow along a flow path away from the aerosol generator or heater and toward an aerosol outlet. This reduces the likelihood of aerosol condensation within the aerosol delivery device, thus increasing the cleanliness and lifespan of the aerosol delivery device, as discussed above. Substrate 110 may be formed from a material such as paper, cardboard, wood pulp, plastic, or ceramic.

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

[0110] 5 shows a schematic top-down view of a portion of an aerosol delivery device 100, according to one embodiment. The portion of aerosol delivery device 100 shows a substrate 110 having a portion of aerosol-generating material disposed thereon that is received in a receiving area of ​​aerosol delivery device 100, and an aerosol generator or heater 120 including heating elements 120A, 120B, 120C that may be positioned below substrate 110. Substrate 110 may be moved relative to aerosol generator or heater 120 to move the portion of aerosol-generating material relative to aerosol generator or heater 120 to generate an aerosol.

[0111] The aerosol generator or heater 120 may comprise multiple heating elements 120A, 120B, 120C. Alternatively, rather than one aerosol generator or heater 120 having multiple heating elements, multiple separate heaters 120A, 120B, 120C may be provided.

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

[0113] In one example, a first heating element 120A is activated to heat a portion of the substrate 110 proximal to the first heating element 120A. Then, a second heating element 120B is activated to heat a different portion of the substrate 110 proximal to the second heating element 120B. Then, a third heating element 120C is activated to heat another different portion of the substrate 110 proximal to the third heating element 120C. The order of activation of the heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C can be varied based on the desired aerosol output. The activation of the heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C can be controlled depending on the placement of the aerosol-generating material on the substrate 110.

[0114] In the particular example shown in FIG. 5 , the aerosol generator or heater 120 may include a triangular aerosol generator or heater 120 that may have a rounded base. The base need not be round but may be shaped to achieve good coverage of the substrate 110. Good coverage is achieved by a suitably sized aerosol generator or heater 120 that ensures that the aerosol-generating material on the substrate 110 can be heated without wasting energy by excessively heating the environment around the substrate 110. Accordingly, different configurations of the substrate 110 and aerosol generator or heater 120 shapes may be envisioned. Heating elements 120A, 120B, 120C may be provided at different radial positions within the triangular aerosol generator or heater 120.

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

[0116] Heating elements 120A, 120B, 120C can be different shapes or sizes. Heating elements 120A, 120B, 120C can occupy the same area or different areas. This means that heating elements 120A, 120B, 120C can cover relatively similar areas of substrate 110, for example, when viewed from a top view. Heating elements covering similar areas of a continuous disk (as shown) can provide similar aerosol volumes generated per puff, thereby achieving better consistency for the user.

[0117] The relative movement of the substrate 110 with respect to the aerosol generator or heater 120 can be a stepwise (e.g., indexed) movement. The movement can be a fixed amount and can occur after each session of heating, where a session is the activation of each of the heating elements 120A, 120B, and 120C. In this manner, new aerosol-generating material can be supplied to the aerosol generator or heater 120 for heating to generate an aerosol. This configuration reduces the possibility that a portion of the aerosol-generating material will be heated twice, generating undesirable compounds from overheating or combustion.

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

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

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

[0121] Receiving area 225 is sized so that aerosol product article 204 can be received and optionally secured within receiving area 225. Although not shown, aerosol delivery device 203 can include a hinged door or removable portion of outer housing 221 to allow access to receiving area 225 so that a user can insert and / or remove aerosol product article 204 from receiving area 225.

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

[0123] Alternatively, the aerosol delivery device 203 may include a permanent opening that communicates with the receiving area 225 and through which the aerosol product article 204 may be inserted into the receiving area 225. In such implementations, a retention mechanism may be provided to retain the aerosol product article 204 within the receiving area 225 of the aerosol delivery device 203. According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the portion of the housing 221 may face inward and partially define the receiving area 225, and this portion may include the warming element 200.

[0124] According to one embodiment, as shown by the dashed line and shaded area in Figure 7A, substantially the entire portion of the receiving area 225 furthest from the aerosol generation component 224 may be formed as the warming element 200, such that during use the aerosol product article 204 is disposed between one or more aerosol generators or heating elements 224a and the warming element 200. As explained in more detail both above and below, the warming element 200 serves to reduce or substantially prevent condensation from forming on the walls of the receiving area 225 and elsewhere within the aerosol delivery device 203.

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

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

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

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

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

[0130] 7A-7D depict an aerosol delivery system 300 that uses induction to heat aerosol-generating material 244 to generate an aerosol for inhalation. However, as discussed above, aerosol delivery system 300 may alternatively or additionally use resistive heating to heat aerosol-generating material 244. In such an embodiment, the component labeled 224a in FIG. 7A may comprise a resistive heating element.

[0131] In the described implementation, the aerosol generation component 224 may be formed from two parts: one or more inductive heating elements, such as an inductor coil 224a, disposed within the aerosol delivery device 203, and one or more susceptors 224b disposed within the aerosol product article 204. The one or more inductor coils 224a need not be circular wire coils. For example, in embodiments, the induction heating element may comprise one or more of: (i) a flat spiral coil, where the spiral coil comprises a circular or oval spiral, a square or rectangular spiral, a trapezoidal spiral, or a triangular spiral; (ii) a multi-layer induction construction, where subsequent full or partial turns of the coil are provided on adjacent layers, optionally with a first layer spaced apart from a second layer and positioned in a first direction, and a third layer residing within or near the first layer and spaced apart from the second layer and positioned in an opposite direction, such that the multi-layer induction construction forms a staggered structure; or (iii) a three-dimensional inductor coil, such as a regular spiral or conical shaped inductor coil, optionally with a varying helical pitch.

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

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

[0134] The aerosol delivery device 203 may include one or more inductor coils 224a, shown schematically in FIG. 7A. The inductor coils 224a are shown adjacent to the receiving area 225 and may include substantially planar coils arranged such that the axis of rotation about which a given coil is wound extends into the receiving area 225 (e.g., parallel to the z-axis as shown in FIG. 7A) and is generally perpendicular to the plane of the carrier component or substrate 242 of the aerosol product article 204. The exact windings are not shown in FIG. 7A, and it should be understood that any suitable inductive coil may be used. As will be appreciated, the warming element 200 may be configured to be penetrated by a proportion of the fluctuating magnetic flux (generated by the inductor coil 224a) that is not absorbed by the susceptor 224b provided as part of the aerosol product article 204. According to one embodiment, the warming element 200 may be penetrated by less than 10%, 10-20%, 20-30%, 30-40%, 40-50%, 50-60%, 60-70%, 70-80%, 80-90%, or more than 90% of the time-varying magnetic flux generated by one or more inductor coils 224a.

[0135] 7E is a cross-sectional top-down view of the aerosol delivery device 203 showing the arrangement of the aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f in more detail. The aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f are arranged such that when the aerosol product article 204 is received within the receiving area 225, each aerosol generator or heating element 224a-f coincides with a corresponding individual portion of the aerosol-generating material 244a-f. Thus, in this example, as shown in FIGS. 7A-7D, the six aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f are arranged in a 2×3 array that roughly corresponds to the 2×3 array arrangement of the six individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 244a-f. However, as discussed above, the number of aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f may vary in different implementations; for example, 8, 10, 12, 14, etc. aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f may be provided. In some implementations, the number of aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f can be greater than or equal to 6 but less than or equal to 20. Each of the aerosol generators or heating elements 224a-f can be individually activated to heat a corresponding portion of the aerosol-generating material 244a-f.

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

[0137] 8A shows a trapezoidal-shaped inductor structure 1000. The trapezoidal-shaped inductor structure may include conductive tracks 1001, which may include copper tracks. As shown, the conductive tracks 1001 may form a generally trapezoidal-shaped inductor coil, the generally trapezoidal shape including a first diagonal side 1002, a second diagonal side 1003, a long side 1004, and a short side 1005. The length of the short side 1005 is shorter than the long side 1004.

[0138] 8B, one embodiment of a generally planar inductor coil is shown comprising a layered inductor structure 90, which includes a two-layer bifilar coil inductor structure 90 comprising a first layer 91 and a second layer 92. The layered inductor structure 90 in FIG. 9B is shown as a trapezoidal shaped inductor structure. However, other embodiments are contemplated in which the layered inductor structure may have a different shape, such as, for example, a circle, a square, a rectangle, etc.

[0139] Other embodiments are contemplated in which the layered inductor structure 90 may be irregularly shaped. The layered inductor structure may include a first layer 91 that may include one or more first conductive wires or tracks 91 a and a second layer 92 that may include one or more second conductive wires or tracks 92 a. The first conductive wires or tracks 91 a and the second conductive wires or tracks 92 a may be concentric and substantially overlapping. One or more conductive coupling portions 93 may be provided that electrically connect one or more of the first conductive wires or tracks 91 a provided on the first layer 91 to one or more second conductive wires or tracks 92 a provided on the second layer 92.

[0140] The layered inductor structure 90 may be formed in a PCB format, using vertical planes to stack the layers of inductor elements. Additionally, a low aspect ratio of copper track height to copper track width results in a compact inductor structure. It has been found that coupling the wires or tracks vertically, rather than horizontally, further improves the mutual or capacitive coupling of the wires while minimizing phase shift between the wires.

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

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

[0143] Magnetic hysteresis heating is a process in which an object made of a magnetic material is heated by penetrating the object with a changing magnetic field. The magnetic material can be thought of as containing many atomic-scale magnets, or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field penetrates such a material, the magnetic dipoles align with the magnetic field. Thus, when a changing magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field generated by an electromagnet, penetrates a magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes with the applied changing magnetic field. Such magnetic dipole reorientation causes the generation of heat in the magnetic material.

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

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

[0146] 9 illustrates an aerosol delivery device 100 according to one embodiment, in which a warming element 200 is provided in an area where an aerosol is generated from an aerosol product article. The aerosol delivery device 100 is configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material provided on an aerosol product article, which may include a substrate 110. The aerosol product article including the substrate 110 is received in a receiving area 225 of the aerosol delivery device 100, which is positioned proximate to an aerosol generator or heater 192. The aerosol generator or heater 192 is provided on one side of the receiving area 225, and one or more warming elements 200 are provided on the other side of the receiving area 225.

[0147] The aerosol delivery device 100 may include multiple aerosol generators or heaters 192, with at least some, or each, of the aerosol generators or heaters 192 configured to generate an aerosol from a different portion of the aerosol product. For example, multiple individual portions of aerosol-generating material may be provided on the substrate 110, with each individual portion of the aerosol-generating material being separately heated by a separate aerosol generator or heater 192.

[0148] The aerosol delivery device 100 may include one or more chambers 190 in which one or more warming elements 200 are disposed. According to one embodiment, multiple chambers 190 may be provided above a common receiving area 225 configured to receive the aerosol product. Some or each of the chambers 190 may have a warming element 190 disposed therein.

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

[0150] In alternative embodiments, one or more heating elements 200 may be heated by a heating unit (not shown), which may include either one or more resistive heaters and / or one or more (additional) inductive heaters. Thus, it is contemplated that one or more heating elements 200 may be heated by a resistive or inductive heater other than the aerosol generator or heater 192 disposed adjacent to the receiving area 192. The heating element 200 may be relatively thin and may have a thickness of less than 25 μm. For example, the ferrite material forming the heating element 200 may have a thickness of less than 25 μm, less than 20 μm, less than 15 μm, or less than 10 μm.

[0151] The aerosol generator or heater 192 may include an induction heater 192 that allows rapid heating of the aerosol-generating material provided on the substrate 110 to be achieved, but such rapid heating may increase the risk of condensation formation because induction heaters may generate condensation-forming substances at a rate faster than they can be carried away in the aerosol stream. Thus, providing one or more warming elements 200 (which may be positioned in the area where the aerosol is initially emitted) can substantially prevent the formation of condensation within the chamber 190.

[0152] The aerosol delivery device 100 has a receiving area 225 into which an aerosol product article containing an aerosol-forming material is introduced. The aerosol product article may include a planar aerosol product article containing the aerosol-forming material. However, it will be understood that the aerosol product article may have a shape other than planar. According to various embodiments, an aerosol generator or heater 192 is disposed adjacent to the receiving area 225 and configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-forming material, which may be provided on or comprise the substrate 110. It will be understood that condensation formation on the upper interior surface of the chamber 190 (i.e., the side opposite that defined by the aerosol generator or heater 192) is particularly problematic.

[0153] The receiving area 225 is positioned between the aerosol generator or heater 192 and the one or more warming elements 200. That is, the aerosol generator or heater 192 is positioned on one side of or adjacent to the receiving area 225, and the one or more warming elements 200 are positioned on the other side of or adjacent to the receiving area 225, such that the aerosol generator or heater 192 is no closer to the one or more warming elements 200 than the receiving area 225.

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

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

[0156] It will be appreciated that aluminum foil has a relatively low magnetic permeability, and thus some magnetic flux (generated by the one or more first inductors) passes through and beyond the susceptor provided on the substrate 110. Accordingly, one or more heating elements 200 disposed on the other side of the receiving area 225 relative to the other side of the one or more inductors forming the aerosol generator or heater 192 may be configured to interact with the fluctuating magnetic flux that is not fully absorbed by the susceptor of the substrate 110. As a result, one or more heating elements 200 including ferrite material may be heated by inductive heating. Such inductive heating may be considered a method by which the heating element 200 may be heated during a use session.

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

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

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

[0160] It is not necessary that the warming element 200 be heated by induction heating via the aerosol generator or heater 192, which may be positioned proximate to the receiving area 225. For example, according to alternative embodiments, the aerosol generator or heater 192 may comprise one or more first resistive heaters, in which case the warming element 200 may be heated by other means.

[0161] It is contemplated that the warming element 200, in some embodiments in combination with heat transfer via conduction or radiation from the aerosol generator or heater 192, heats the air within the receiving area 225. This heating of the air within the receiving area 225 helps to substantially prevent the accumulation of condensation within the receiving area 225. In certain examples, the air in the vicinity of the aerosol product article comprising the substrate 110 may be heated to a temperature of 120°C or greater. This may be sufficient to substantially reduce the likelihood of condensation forming within the chamber 190. In other embodiments, the warming element 200 may warm to lower or higher temperatures, such that the air in the vicinity of the aerosol product article may be heated to temperatures of 150°C or greater, or in yet other cases 170°C or greater, or even in still further cases 200°C or greater.

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

[0163] The heating element 200 may be arranged in a planar configuration and may comprise the planar inner surface of the chamber 190. Other embodiments are contemplated in which the heating element 200 may be curved, concave, convex, or dome-shaped. For example, the heating element 200 may comprise the curved, concave, convex, or dome-shaped inner surface of the chamber 190. In the particular example shown in FIG. 9 , a single chamber 190 is shown. However, other embodiments are contemplated in which the aerosol delivery device 100 may comprise multiple individual chambers. For example, at least some, or each chamber, may be configured to receive aerosol generated from different portions of the aerosol product. At least some, or each, of the chambers 190 may comprise a heating element 200 comprising a ferrite material, and each heating element 200 may be provided to prevent condensation from forming within each of the chambers 190.

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

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

[0166] The heating element 200 and a susceptor forming part of the aerosol product article can be configured to be positioned relatively close to one another. For example, at least a portion of the heating element 200 can be spaced less than 4 mm from the top surface of the susceptor. A heating element 200 including a ferrite material also allows the chamber 190 to have a relatively large volume while still allowing the heating element 200 to be sufficiently heated to reduce the formation of condensation within the chamber 190.

[0167] According to various embodiments, one or more heating elements may comprise a ferritic material, which may include Type 430 stainless steel. Type 430 stainless steel is particularly advantageous in that it exhibits a relatively high level of corrosion resistance while also being formable, relatively ductile, and capable of manufacturing or creating heating elements 200 having a desired shape or profile at a relatively low cost.

[0168] According to various embodiments, the ferritic material may include a non-hardenable plain chromium stainless steel having excellent finish quality. Type 430 or grade 430 stainless steel also has excellent resistance to nitrogen attack, making it particularly well suited for use in chemical applications. According to various embodiments, type 430 stainless steel, or a grade 430 stainless steel, has a relative permeability μ in the range of 100 to 1800 μ / μ. r Ferritic materials may be utilized, such as other forms of stainless steel having a .mu.m.sup.2.sup.x.f.

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

[0170] Also disclosed is a method of generating an aerosol, comprising providing an aerosol delivery device and introducing an aerosol-generating material and a substrate or aerosol product article comprising a susceptor into the aerosol delivery device.

[0171] FIG. 10 shows an image of the substrate 110 and associated heating element 200 according to one embodiment, in which the heating element 200 is provided in an upper region of the chamber 190 having the receiving area 225. The heating element 200 comprises a ferrite material and is intended to reduce the risk of condensation collecting within the chamber 190. In particular, it is desirable to avoid unheated portions of the aerosol flow path through the aerosol delivery device. In particular, if the aerosol encounters a region of lower temperature, the aerosol may experience a pressure drop as it flows through that region. In such a situation, condensation may tend to migrate toward the cooler region due to the pressure differential. The heating element 200 according to various embodiments substantially prevents this from occurring.

[0172] According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the interior surface of chamber 190 may be effectively warmed or heated during a use session via one or more warming elements 200 such that the accumulation of condensation within chamber 190 may be limited or substantially prevented. Heating or warming of a warming element 200 disposed within chamber 190 encourages the re-evaporation of any condensation that may have formed, thereby assisting the condensation-forming material to exit chamber 190. Additionally or alternatively, such heating of the interior surface of chamber 190 may warm or heat the air within chamber 190, thereby increasing the amount of moisture held by the air and thus reducing the likelihood of condensation forming within chamber 190. As will be appreciated, warming element 200 may form part of the interior surface of chamber 190 itself or may comprise a separate element.

[0173] Warming or heating the interior surface of chamber 190 may result in at least a portion of the interior surface of chamber 190 reaching a temperature of 85°C or greater, sufficient to cause significant re-evaporation of condensate or to prevent condensate from forming in the first place. According to other embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may be configured to reach a temperature of at least a portion of the interior surface of at least 90°C, in other cases at least 95°C, and in still other cases at least 100°C. As can be appreciated, this may encourage condensate re-evaporation and aid in the exit of condensate-forming materials from the inlet conduit.

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

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

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

[0177] While the embodiments described above have in some respects focused on some particular example aerosol generating systems, it will be appreciated that the same principles may be applied to aerosol generating systems using other technologies, i.e., the particular manner in which various aspects of the aerosol delivery system function is not directly related to the principles underlying the examples described herein.

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

[0179] To address various problems and advance the art, this disclosure presents various embodiments by way of example. The advantages and features of the present disclosure are merely a representative sample of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. They are presented solely to aid understanding and teach the claimed invention. The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects of the present disclosure should not be construed as limitations on the present disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on the equivalents of the claims, and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or essentially consist of various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein, and thus it will be understood that features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly recited in the claims. The present disclosure may include other inventions not currently claimed but which may be claimed in the future. The present disclosure includes the following embodiments. (Embodiment 1) 1. An aerosol delivery device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, comprising: at least one chamber having a heating element comprising a ferrite material; a receiving area configured to receive a planar aerosol-producing article containing an aerosol-forming material; at least one aerosol generator configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-forming material; Equipped with An aerosol delivery device, wherein the receiving area is disposed between the at least one aerosol generator and the at least one heating element. (Embodiment 2) 2. The aerosol delivery device of embodiment 1, wherein the aerosol generator comprises one or more first inductors. (Embodiment 3) 3. The aerosol delivery device of embodiment 2, wherein the one or more first inductors are also configured to heat the heating element to reduce condensation formation in the chamber. (Embodiment 4) 2. The aerosol delivery device of embodiment 1, wherein the aerosol generator comprises one or more first resistive heaters. (Embodiment 5) 5. The aerosol delivery device of any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the aerosol generator is configured to heat the heating element to a temperature in the range of 60 to 150°C during a session of use. (Embodiment 6) 6. The aerosol delivery device of any one of embodiments 1 to 5, further comprising a heating unit configured to heat the heating element to reduce condensation formation in the chamber. (Embodiment 7) 7. The aerosol delivery device of embodiment 6, wherein the warming unit comprises one or more second inductors. (Embodiment 8) 7. The aerosol delivery device of embodiment 6, wherein the warming unit comprises one or more second resistive heaters. (Embodiment 9) 9. The aerosol delivery device of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ferrite material comprises a coating or a foil. (Embodiment 10) 10. The aerosol delivery device of any one of embodiments 1-9, wherein the ferrite material has a thickness of less than 25 μm. (Embodiment 11) The ferrite material has a viscosity of (i) 100 to 200 μ / μ 0 , (ii) 200-300μ / μ 0 , (iii) 300-400μ / μ 0 , (iv) 400-500μ / μ 0 , (v) 500~600μ / μ 0 , (vi) 600-700μ / μ 0 , (vii) 700-800μ / μ 0 , (viii) 800-900μ / μ 0 , (ix) 900~1000μ / μ 0 , (x) 1000~1100μ / μ 0 , (xi) 1100~1200μ / μ 0 , (xii) 1200-1300μ / μ 0 , (xiii) 1300~1400μ / μ 0 , (xiv) 1400~1500μ / μ 0 , (xv) 1500~1600μ / μ 0 , (xvi) 1600~1700μ / μ 0 , (xvii) 1700~1800μ / μ 0 , (xviii) 1800~1900μ / μ 0 , (xix) 1900~2000μ / μ 0 , (xx) 2000μ / μ 0 11. The aerosol delivery device of any one of embodiments 1 to 10, having a relative magnetic permeability selected from the range of greater than (Embodiment 12) 12. The aerosol delivery device of any one of embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the heating element is planar. (Embodiment 13) 12. The aerosol delivery device of any one of embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the heating element is curved, concave, convex, or dome-shaped. (Embodiment 14) 14. The aerosol delivery device of any one of embodiments 1 to 13, wherein the aerosol delivery device comprises a plurality of aerosol generators, at least some, or each aerosol generator, configured to generate aerosol from a different portion of the planar aerosol production article. (Embodiment 15) 15. The aerosol delivery device of embodiment 14, wherein the aerosol delivery device comprises multiple chambers, at least some, or each chamber, configured to receive aerosol generated from a different portion of the planar aerosol product article. (Embodiment 16) 16. An aerosol delivery device as described in embodiment 15, wherein at least some, or each, chamber comprises a heating element comprising a ferrite material. (Embodiment 17) 14. The aerosol delivery device of any one of embodiments 1 to 13, configured to move, translate or rotate the planar aerosol production article relative to the at least one aerosol generator during a session of use. (Embodiment 18) An aerosol delivery device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 17; a planar aerosol-producing article including an aerosol-generating material and a susceptor; An aerosol generating system comprising: (Embodiment 19) 19. The aerosol generation system of embodiment 18, wherein the susceptor comprises a metal foil. (Embodiment 20) 20. The aerosol generation system according to embodiment 18 or 19, wherein the susceptor comprises aluminum. (Embodiment 21) The susceptor is 1.0 μ / μ 0 or the susceptor has a relative permeability of (i) 100 μ / μ 0 less than, (ii) 100-200 μ / μ 0 , (iii) 200-300μ / μ 0 , (iv) 300-400μ / μ 0 , (v) 400~500μ / μ 0 , (vi) 500-600μ / μ 0 , (vii) 600-700μ / μ 0 , (viii) 700 to 800 μ / μ 0 , (ix) 800~900μ / μ 0 , (x) 900~1000μ / μ 0 , (xi) 1000~1100μ / μ 0 , (xii) 1100~1200μ / μ 0 , (xiii) 1200-1300μ / μ 0 , (xiv) 1300~1400μ / μ 0 , (xv) 1400~1500μ / μ 0 , (xvi) 1500~1600μ / μ 0 , (xvii) 1600~1700μ / μ 0 , (xviii) 1700~1800μ / μ 0 , (xix) 1800~1900μ / μ 0 , (xx) 1900~2000μ / μ 0 , and (xxi) 2000μ / μ 0 21. The aerosol generation system of embodiment 18, 19 or 20, having a relative magnetic permeability selected from the group consisting of: (Embodiment 22) 22. The aerosol generation system according to any one of embodiments 18 to 21, wherein the susceptor has a thickness of less than 10 μm. (Embodiment 23) 23. The aerosol generation system according to any one of embodiments 18 to 22, wherein the heating element and the susceptor are spaced apart by less than 4 mm. (Embodiment 24) 24. The aerosol generation system of any one of embodiments 18 to 23, wherein the aerosol generator is configured to heat the susceptor and / or the aerosol-generating material to a temperature in the range of 200 to 400°C during a use session. (Embodiment 25) The ferrite material is 1 and the susceptor has a magnetic permeability of μ 2 and the ratio μ 1 / μ 2 is less than 100, 100-500, 500-1000, 1000-1500, 1500-2000, 2000-2500, 2500-3000, 3000-3500, 3500-4000, 4000-4500, 4500-5000 or more than 5000. (Embodiment 26) The aerosol generator has a first surface area A in a plane parallel to the plane of the susceptor. 1 and wherein the heating element has a second surface area A in a plane parallel to the plane of the susceptor. 2 and the ratio A 2 / A 1 26. The aerosol generating system according to any one of embodiments 18 to 25, wherein is in the ranges of (i) 0.7 to 0.8, (ii) 0.8 to 0.9, (iii) 0.9 to 1.0, (iv) 1.0 to 1.1, (v) 1.1 to 1.2 and (vi) 1.2 to 1.3. (Embodiment 27) Providing an aerosol delivery device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 17; introducing a planar aerosol-producing article, including an aerosol-generating material and a susceptor, into the aerosol delivery device; A method for generating an aerosol, comprising:

Claims

1. 1. An aerosol delivery device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, comprising: at least one chamber having a heating element comprising a ferrite material; a receiving area configured to receive a planar aerosol-producing article containing an aerosol-forming material; at least one aerosol generator configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-forming material; Equipped with An aerosol delivery device, wherein the receiving area is disposed between the at least one aerosol generator and the heating element.

2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol generator comprises one or more first inductors.

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

4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol generator comprises one or more first resistive heaters.

5. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol generator is configured to heat the heating element to a temperature in the range of 60-150°C during a session of use.

6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 , further comprising a heating unit configured to heat the heating element to reduce the formation of condensation within the chamber.

7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 6 , wherein the warming unit comprises one or more second inductors.

8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 6 , wherein the warming unit comprises one or more second resistive heaters.

9. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the ferrite material comprises a coating or a foil.

10. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the ferrite material has a thickness of less than 25 μm.

11. Encouragement (())100200μ0μ ０ 、(x)2000300μ0μ ０ 、(s)3000400μ0μ ０ 、(s)4005500μ0μ ０ 、(s)5000600μ0μ ０ 、(s)600700μ0μ ０ 、(s) 700800μ0μ ０ 、(s)8000900μ0μ ０ 、(fi)90001000μ0μ ０ 、(9)100001100μ0μ ０ 、(9)110001200μ0μ ０ 、(s)120001300μ0μ ０ 、(s)130001400μ0μ ０ 、(fig)140001500μ0μ ０ 、(9)150001600μ0μ ０ 、(N)16001700μ0μ ０ 、(s)170001800μ0μ ０ 、(s)180001900μ0μ ０ 、(90)190002000μ0μ ０ 、(9)2000μ0μ ０ Check out the details of the snowflake covered on page 1.

12. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol delivery device comprises a plurality of aerosol generators, at least some, or each aerosol generator, configured to generate aerosol from a different portion of the planar aerosol product article.

13. 13. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12, wherein the aerosol delivery device comprises a plurality of chambers, at least some, or each chamber, configured to receive aerosol generated from a different portion of the planar aerosol product article.

14. 14. The aerosol delivery device of claim 13, wherein at least some, or each, of the chambers comprises a respective heating element comprising a ferrite material.

15. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, configured to move, translate, or rotate the planar aerosol production article relative to the at least one aerosol generator during a session of use.

16. An aerosol delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 15; a planar aerosol-producing article including an aerosol-generating material and a susceptor; An aerosol generating system comprising:

17. 17. The aerosol generating system of claim 16, wherein the susceptor comprises a metal foil.

18. 17. The aerosol generating system of claim 16, wherein the susceptor comprises aluminum.

19. The susceptor has a relative permeability of 1.0 μ / μ ０ or the susceptor has a relative permeability selected from the group consisting of (i) less than 100 μ / μ ０ , (ii) 100 to 200 μ / μ ０ , (iii) 200 to 300 μ / μ ０ , (iv) 300 to 400 μ / μ ０ , (v) 400 to 500 μ / μ ０ , (vi) 500 to 600 μ / μ ０ , (vii) 600 to 700 μ / μ ０ , (viii) 700 to 800 μ / μ ０ , (ix) 800 to 900 μ / μ ０ , (x) 900 to 1000 μ / μ ０ , (xi) 1000 to 1100 μ / μ ０ , (xii) 1100 to 1200 μ / μ ０ , (xiii) 1200 to 1300 μ / μ ０ , (xiv) 1300 to 1400 μ / μ ０ , (xv) 1400 to 1500 μ / μ ０ , (xvi) 1500 to 1600 μ / μ ０ , (xvii) 1600 to 1700 μ / μ ０ , (xviii) 1700 to 1800 μ / μ ０ , (xix) 1800 to 1900 μ / μ ０ , (xx) 1900 to 2000 μ / μ ０ , and (xxi) greater than 2000 μ / μ ０ The aerosol generation system according to claim 16, having a relative permeability selected from the group consisting of.

20. Providing an aerosol delivery device according to claim 1; introducing a planar aerosol-producing article, including an aerosol-generating material and a susceptor, into the aerosol delivery device; A method for generating an aerosol, comprising:

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