Consumable unit and aerosol supply means

Abstract

To provide an aerosol generating device reducing deposition of generated aerosol on components within the device.SOLUTION: The aerosol generating device includes: a consumable unit 110 having a plurality of air flow paths 112, each of the plurality of air flow paths being associated with at least a respective one of a corresponding plurality of sources of aerosol generating medium 114; and a housing 120 for housing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet 122 and an air outlet 124. The device is configured so that any of the air flow paths can be selectively brought into contact with the inlet and the outlet to form an air flow path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generation system, an aerosol generation device, a consumable part for use in an aerosol generation device, a housing for an aerosol generation device, and a method of generating an aerosol in an aerosol generation device.

Background Art

[0002] Aerosol generation devices are known. A common device uses a heater to generate an aerosol from a suitable medium, and the aerosol is inhaled by a user. Current devices provide users with a variety of media that can generate an inhalable aerosol. The generated aerosol may deposit on components within the device.

[0003] Various techniques are described herein that are aimed at helping to address or mitigate at least some of the problems described above.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Aspects of the present invention are defined in the appended claims.

[0005] According to some embodiments described herein, an aerosol generation system is provided that includes a consumable unit having a plurality of air flow paths, each of the plurality of air flow paths being associated with at least one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generation medium, and a housing for housing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, and being configured to selectively form an air flow path by aligning any of the air flow paths with the inlet and the outlet.

[0006] According to some embodiments described herein, there is an aerosol generating device comprising a consumable unit having a plurality of airflow paths, each of which is configured to receive a consumable unit associated with each of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generating medium, the housing for housing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, and configured to selectively form an airflow path by aligning any of the airflow paths with an inlet and an outlet.

[0007] According to some embodiments described herein, consumable parts for use in an aerosol generating device are provided.

[0008] According to some embodiments described herein, housing portions for aerosol generating devices are provided.

[0009] According to some embodiments described herein, a method for generating an aerosol in an aerosol generating device is provided, comprising the steps of: providing a consumable unit having a plurality of airflow paths, each of which is associated with one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generating medium; providing a housing for housing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet; and selectively shaping the airflow paths to match the air inlet and air outlet.

[0010] According to some embodiments described herein, there is an aerosol generating device comprising a consumable unit having a plurality of airflow paths, each of which is configured to receive a consumable unit associated with each of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generating medium, the housing for housing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, and configured to selectively form an airflow path by aligning any of the airflow paths with an inlet and an outlet.

[0011] According to some embodiments described herein, a consumable unit is provided for use with an aerosol generating device configured to receive a consumable unit, wherein the device is a housing for housing the consumable unit and has an air inlet and an air outlet, the consumable unit has a plurality of airflow paths, each of which is associated with at least one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generating medium, and the consumable unit is positioned so that any of the airflow paths can be selectively aligned to form an airflow path with an air inlet and an air outlet.

[0012] According to some embodiments described herein, there is a consumable unit having a plurality of airflow means, each of which is associated with one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generating means; and a housing for housing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet means and an air outlet means, wherein the system is configured to selectively form an airflow path by aligning one of the airflow paths with an inlet and an outlet.

[0013] This instruction will be explained here as a simple example, with reference to the following diagram. In the diagram, similar parts are indicated by the same reference numerals. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a portion of an example aerosol generation system. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a portion of an example aerosol generation system. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a portion of an example aerosol generation system. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a consumable unit for an aerosol generation system as an example. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a consumable unit for an aerosol generation system as an example. [Figure 6] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a consumable unit for an aerosol generation system as an example. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing two consumable units for an aerosol generation system as an example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] While various modifications and alternative forms are possible with respect to the present invention, specific embodiments are shown in the drawings as examples and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and detailed descriptions of specific embodiments are not intended to limit the invention to any particular form disclosed. On the contrary, the present invention encompasses all modifications, equivalents, and alternative forms that fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0016] Specific examples and embodiments, aspects, and features are discussed / described here. Some aspects and features of specific examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and will not be discussed / described in detail for the sake of brevity. Accordingly, aspects and features of apparatus and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail may be implemented according to any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

[0017] This disclosure relates to an aerosol generating system, such as an e-cigarette, which may also be called an aerosol generating system. Throughout the following description, the terms “e-cigarette” or “electronic cigarette” may be used interchangeably with “aerosol generating system / device” and “electronic aerosol generating system / device.” Furthermore, as is common in the art, the terms “aerosol” and “vapor,” as well as related terms such as “vaporize,” “volatilize,” and “aerosolize,” may be used interchangeably throughout.

[0018] As used herein, the term “multiple sources of aerosol-generating medium” may be used interchangeably with “a portion of aerosol-generating medium,” and the term “device” may be used interchangeably with “system” under the understanding that the device is a standalone tool and the system is a tool with consumables.

[0019] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a portion of the aerosol generation system 100. The system 100 has a consumable unit 110 within the device 100. The consumable unit 100 has a plurality of airflow paths 112, each of which is associated with one of a plurality of sources of the corresponding aerosol generation medium 114. In this example, the consumable unit 110 has an upper side wall separated by a gap and a lower side wall on the opposite side, and the airflow paths 112 passing through the consumable unit 110 are arranged to pass through this gap or are substantially formed by this gap. The device 100 has a housing 120 for housing the consumable unit 110. The housing 120 has an air inlet 122 and an air outlet 124. The system 100 is configured so that any of the airflow paths 112 can be selectively aligned with the inlet 122 and outlet 124 to form an airflow path from the inlet 112 to the outlet 124.

[0020] In one example, the consumable unit 110 is selectively movable relative to the housing 120 to form an air flow path from the air inlet 122 of the housing 120 to the air outlet 124 of the housing 120 through a selected one of the plurality of air flow paths 112 passing through the consumable unit 110, such as the paths 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, 112E.

[0021] In another example, the housing 120 is selectively movable so that the air flow path of the consumable unit 110 can be selectively aligned with at least one of the inlet 122 and the outlet 124 to form an air flow path through the system 100.

[0022] In another example, the inlet 122 is selectively movable so that the air flow path of the consumable unit 110 can be selectively aligned with at least one of the inlet 122 and the outlet 124 to form an air flow path through the system 100.

[0023] In another example, the outlet 124 is selectively movable so that the air flow path of the consumable unit 110 can be selectively aligned with at least one of the inlet 122 and the outlet 124 to form an air flow path through the system 100.

[0024] As shown in the example of FIG. 1, the consumable unit 110 (or the housing 120) may move along the direction indicated by the arrow D to form an air flow path through the housing 120 and the consumable unit 110. This relative movement aligns the air inlet 122 with one of the air flow paths 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, 112E, thereby allowing air to enter the device 100 from the external environment. The device 100 may have a heater (not shown) disposed therein and may heat the aerosol-forming medium or the air flow before or as it passes through the aerosol-forming medium.

[0025] The heater may be an electrical resistance heater. The heater may also be a chemically activated heater, which may or may not be operated by an exothermic reaction. The heater provides thermal energy, i.e., heat, to the environment surrounding it. At least a portion of the consumable unit 110 is within the heater's operating area. The heater's operating area is the area in which the heater can provide heat to the consumable unit 110. The heater may also be a heating energy source that can be part of an induction heating system, and this heating energy source is an induction heating energy source, and the consumable unit 110 may be a susceptor or the like, or may include a susceptor or the like. The susceptor may be, for example, a sheet of aluminum foil.

[0026] In one example, the system 100 may have substantially the same distance from the consumable unit 110 to the heater in order to achieve a more consistent user experience. In one example, the aerosol generating medium 114 is positioned in the consumable unit 110 at a distance from the heating energy source ranging from 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 approximately 4 mm, 3.5 mm, 3 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.0 mm, 0.5 mm, or 0.3 mm. In some cases, there may be a minimum gap of at least approximately 10 μm, 15 μm, 17 μm, 20 μm, 23 μm, 25 μm, 50 μm, 75 μm, or 0.1 mm between the heating energy source and the aerosol generating medium in the consumable unit 110.

[0027] Figure 2 shows an example of an aerosol generating device 100 in use. The consumable unit 110 is moved relative to the housing 120 to form an air path through the device 100. The user then inhales the device 100. The arrows in Figure 2 indicate the overall direction of the airflow through the device 100. Air enters through the air inlet 122 of the housing 120 and travels along the airflow path 112D. The airflow then passes over the aerosol generating medium 114D associated with the airflow path 112D. As shown by the series of arrows in Figure 2, components from the aerosol generating medium 114D are captured by the airflow in the airflow path 112D and transported to the air outlet 124 of the housing 120.

[0028] The consumable unit 110 shown in Figure 2 has a plurality of partition walls 116. Multiple airflow paths 112 passing through the consumable unit 110 are separated from each other by these partition walls 116. When relative movement occurs between the consumable unit 110 and the housing 120, specific airflow paths 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, and 112E are moved to or from fluid communication with the air inlet 122 of the housing 120. When an airflow path 112 is not in fluid communication with the air inlet 122, the airflow path from the air inlet 122 to the air outlet 124 passing through the device 100 is blocked. This blocking may be performed by the partition walls 116 of the consumable unit 110.

[0029] Figure 3 shows an example of a part of the aerosol generation device 100. The consumable unit 110 has a plurality of air inlet holes 117 and a plurality of air outlet holes 118. The supply source of the aerosol generation medium 114 is located between one air inlet hole 117 and one air outlet hole 118.

[0030] The consumable unit 110 is positioned relative to the housing 120 such that it forms an airflow path through the device 100 from the air inlet 122 to the air outlet 124. Inflowing air enters through the air inlet 122, indicated by arrow A. The air passes over or through the source of the aerosol-generating medium 114 to form an aerosol or aerosol. The subsequent airflow of the aerosol or aerosol is indicated by arrow B, which exits from the airflow path 112 through the consumable unit 110 toward the air outlet 124 of the housing 120. The aerosol-generating medium 114, located within the consumable unit 110, may be positioned to block a portion of the path through the consumable unit 110 so that the airflow must pass through the aerosol-generating medium 114 to exit the consumable unit 110 (in the direction of the airflow). See, for example, the aerosol-generating medium 114E located between the air inlet hole 117E and the air outlet hole 118E. Here, "between" is understood to mean along the route of the airflow path, as shown in Figure 3. Alternatively, the aerosol generating medium 114 may be positioned such that when the airflow passes through the consumable unit 110 (in the direction of the airflow), the airflow simply passes over the aerosol generating medium 114. See, for example, the aerosol generating medium 114A positioned between the air inlet hole 117A and the air outlet hole 118A.

[0031] The consumable unit 110 shown in Figure 3 has a number of holes 117 and 118. These holes 117 and 118 allow airflow to enter the consumable unit 110. Therefore, the holes 117 and 118 may be replaced by a portion of an air-permeable material that allows air to enter the consumable unit 110. This air-permeable material should have adequate resistance to airflow so that excessive suction pressure is not required to draw airflow through it.

[0032] In one example of the consumable unit 110, any (or all) of the holes 117, 118, or equivalents may have filter material disposed in or over them. This filter material should have adequate resistance to airflow so that excessive suction pressure is not required to draw airflow through it. The filter can help remove particles and other debris from incoming air or outgoing aerosols.

[0033] The consumable unit 110 is positioned within the device 100 so that the airflow entering the device 100 through the air inlet 122 can enter the airflow path 112 of the consumable unit 110. If the consumable unit 110 is positioned in the device 100 with too much distance between the air inlet 122 and the air inlet hole 117 of the consumable unit 110, the incoming airflow may not pass through the consumable unit 110 but instead go around the consumable unit 110 to the air outlet 124. In this configuration, the device 100 cannot generate an aerosol for suction.

[0034] In one example, it is desirable to ensure that the airflow passes through only one specific airflow path 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, or 112E so that the consumption of the supply source of the aerosol generating medium 114 contained in each specific airflow path 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, or 112E can be controlled.

[0035] The problems identified above can be overcome by aligning (making contact with) the specific air inlet holes 117A, 117B, 117C, 117D, and 117E of the consumable unit 110 with the air inlet 122 of the housing 120. This ensures that, at the time of user suction, the incoming air passes over the aerosol generating medium 114 contained within the specific airflow paths 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, and 112E of the specific air inlet holes 117A, 117B, 117C, 117D, and 117E that are in contact with the air inlet 122 of the housing 120.

[0036] The consumable unit 110 may be positioned substantially close to the air outlet 124 of the housing 120. The closer the consumable unit 110 is to the air outlet 124 of the housing 120, the shorter the distance the aerosol travels while inside the device 100 but outside the consumable unit 110. By shortening this distance, the area inside the device 100 where the aerosol may condense is reduced. Aerosol condensation by the device 100 is undesirable because the aerosol may damage components within the device 100 and, therefore, shorten the overall lifespan of the device 100. Thus, the above-described arrangement can extend the lifespan of the device 100.

[0037] In the example shown in Figure 3, a specific air inlet hole 117A and its corresponding air outlet hole 118A of the consumable unit 110 are positioned at an angle to each other. In the example shown, a specific air inlet hole 117A is positioned perpendicular to the corresponding air outlet hole 118A. In another example, some air inlet holes 117 may be positioned at different angles to some air outlet holes 118. The arrangement of the air inlet holes 117 and air outlet holes 118 may be modified to fit the desired shape of the housing 120. Alternatively, the arrangement may be manipulated to reduce the size of the consumable unit 110, enabling a smaller and more efficient design.

[0038] The air inlet hole 117, or either of the air inlet holes 117, may be positioned at an angle to either of the air outlet holes 118. In some examples, the angle can be 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°, at least 85°, or at least 90°.

[0039] Figure 4 shows a schematic example of a consumable unit 110. The consumable unit 110 in Figure 4 has multiple (three) airflow paths 112 passing through it. The consumable unit 110 is shown as being in use. The incoming airflow indicated by arrow A enters the consumable unit 110, passes through the aerosol generating medium 114, and exits as an outgoing aerosol as indicated by arrow B. After the use of device 100 is finished, that is, when the airflow decreases to the point where it is considered that the use of device 100 has ended, the consumable unit 110 in this example has biasing caps to cover the air inlet hole 117 and the air outlet hole 118 of the consumable unit 110, respectively. The biasing level of the cap 119 may be set such that the airflow during a normal stage of a usage session (sometimes known as a smoking session or vaping session) allows the cap 119 to move from a closed position (where the cap 119 blocks the airflow path 112 in a resting state) to an open position (where the cap 119 moves to open the airflow path). This biasing should have adequate resistance to airflow pressure so that excessive suction pressure is not required to move the cap 119 to the open position, and thus allow air to be drawn through the device 100.

[0040] After use of device 100 is complete, the caps 119 of the associated air inlet hole 117 and air outlet hole 118 move to the closed position under the biasing force of the caps 119. This prevents aerosols generated at or after the end of a usage session that may not escape from device 100 from escaping from the consumable 110 and then condensing inside device 100. As described above, this can extend the life of device 100. When the source of the aerosol generating medium 114 is completely depleted, the consumable unit 110 may be replaced. Thus, removal of the consumable unit 110 removes any condensed aerosols contained within the consumable unit 110.

[0041] The biasing caps 119 do not need to be placed at the air inlet holes 117 and air outlet holes 118, but may be placed within the consumable unit 110. Similarly, multiple biasing caps 119 may be used for each route from the air inlet holes 117 to the air outlet holes 118. Figure 5 shows a schematic example of a consumable unit 110. The consumable unit 110 has seven biasing caps 119. The consumable unit 110 also has three air inlet holes 117 and one air outlet hole 118. The use of the biasing caps 119 ensures that aerosols generated by one source of aerosol generating medium 114 in one route within the consumable unit 110 reach the air outlet hole 118 via the desired route without entering another route. This is desirable to ensure that the source of aerosol generating medium 114 is used only when desired by the user. The use of multiple biasing caps 119, as shown in the example in Figure 5, is useful when there are multiple routes within the consumable unit 110 that are fluidly communicating with each other.

[0042] The example shown in Figure 5 can also be useful when the sources of the aerosol generating medium 114 are different fragrances or compositions. The multiple biasing caps 119 prevent high-temperature aerosols from one source of the aerosol generating medium 114 from entering a different route, passing through a second source of the aerosol generating medium 114, and causing vaporization of that second source. This prevents the generation of mixed fragrances from the two different sources of the aerosol generating medium 114, which would prevent the device 100 from providing an optimal user experience.

[0043] In the example shown in Figure 5, the central air inlet 117 is aligned with the air inlet 122 (not shown) of the housing 120. The incoming air, indicated by arrow A, moves one biasing cap 119 to the open position. The incoming air then passes over the aerosol generating medium 114 supply source and captures components from the aerosol generating medium 114 supply source. This aerosol, indicated by arrow B, then moves a second biasing cap 119 to the open position. The aerosol then moves towards the air outlet 118, moving a biasing cap 119 covering the air outlet 118 to the open position and exiting the consumable unit 110.

[0044] Figure 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an example consumable unit 110. This consumable unit 110 does not have the biasing caps 119 shown, but these biasing caps 119 may or may not be used in this example or other examples. The consumable unit 110 shown in Figure 6 is surrounded by a rotatable outer element 130. This outer element 130 may be part of the consumable unit 110 or part of the housing 120. The outer element 130 may be moved in a rotational movement indicated by the arrow R. By rotating this outer element 130, the openings 132, 134 can be made to selectively direct air through one route within the consumable unit 110 to the air outlet hole 118. The distance between the openings 134 reflects the distance that opening 132 must move to align with the next air inlet hole 117 of the consumable unit 110. In this way, air is prevented from entering through two or more air inlet holes 117, and therefore only one source of the aerosol generating medium 114 is used at a time. Similarly, biasing caps 119 may be used if necessary to prevent airflow from passing through two sources of the aerosol generating medium 114.

[0045] Figure 7 shows perspective views of two examples of the consumable unit 110. The consumable unit 110 has a thin cylindrical shape and, in Figure 7(i), has five air inlet holes 117 and one air outlet hole 118. The five air inlet holes 117 are located on the outer curved surface of the cylindrical consumable unit 110, and the one air outlet hole 118 is located in the center of the flat end surface of the cylindrical consumable unit 110. In this example, the consumable unit 110 is rotatable to present one of the air inlet holes 117 to an air inlet 122 (not shown in Figure 7) of the housing 120. Device 100 may then be used. Airflow enters through the selected air inlet hole 117, and airflow exiting the consumable unit 110 passes through the air outlet hole 118. As described above, the air outlet hole 118 may be located near the air outlet hole 124 of the housing 120. The rotation may be performed around the central longitudinal axis of the consumable unit 110. In this way, the centrally located air outlet hole 118 does not move while the air inlet hole 117 located on the side of the consumable unit 110 is moving. This makes it easier to control the position from which the aerosol is released from the consumable unit 110.

[0046] In Figure 7(ii), the consumable unit 110 has the same shape as the consumable unit 110 shown in Figure 7(i). The consumable unit 110 also has five air inlet holes 117. The consumable unit 110 has three air outlet holes 118 located on the same surface as the air outlet hole 118 in Figure 7(i).

[0047] The consumable unit 110 may have a rotating inner part housed inside a non-rotating outer part. The aerosol generating medium 114 supply source, partition 116, and airflow path 112 may be part of the rotating inner part. The non-rotating outer part may have an inlet and an outlet. The rotating inner part may rotate to align a specific airflow path with the inlet and outlet located in the stationary non-rotating outer part. In such an arrangement, only one inlet and one outlet are required. This further prevents contamination between the aerosol generating medium 114 supply sources.

[0048] The consumable unit 110 may have multiple layers arranged within it. The multiple layers provide a series of condensation surfaces on the inside of the device 100 where aerosols preferentially condense. Each of the multiple sources of the aerosol generating medium 114 is located in one of the multiple layers. The airflow path 112 may pass through various layers of the consumable unit 110. Multiple sources of the aerosol generating medium 114 may be present in one layer of the consumable unit 110. The partition wall 116 may divide multiple parts of one layer within the consumable unit 110. Multiple sources of the aerosol generating medium 114 may be present in multiple layers of the consumable unit 110.

[0049] In any of the examples considered, the consumable unit 110 or the housing 120 may be moved by rotation or translation or the like to allow relative movement between the consumable unit 110 and the housing 120. The device 100 may have a gear system or a displaceable / rotatable shaft connected to the consumable unit 110 or the housing 120 to enable movement. The device may have a displaceable / rotatable housing 120 that can be moved in the user's hand. This movement allows the air inlet hole 117 to come into contact with the air inlet 122 of the housing 120.

[0050] The relative movement of the consumable unit 110 with respect to the housing 120 may be performed by the user of the aerosol generating device 100. In this example, this may be done by the user pressing a button to operate the system within the aerosol generating device 100, or by manually moving or rotating the housing or a rotary crank, etc.

[0051] In another example, the relative movement of the consumable unit 110 to the housing 120 is initiated automatically. The movement may also be initiated automatically by a controller that detects when heating has started or ended at one of the multiple sources of the aerosol generating medium 114. Alternatively or additionally, the movement may be initiated by the controller when the source of the aerosol generating medium 114 is depleted or when the user session ends. This ensures that the device 100 is ready to be started again as soon as the user session ends.

[0052] In any of the examples described above, the consumable unit 110 may be removable from the device 100. This allows the device 100 to be reused after the aerosol generating medium 114 supply source of a particular consumable unit 110 has been depleted. The device 100 may have a door or cover that can be opened to access the consumable unit 110.

[0053] If it is desired to activate two or more sources of the aerosol generating medium 114 at the same time, minor modifications can be made to the example described above.

[0054] Device 100 may have multiple chambers or regions, which may or may not be separated from each other. Device 100 in any of the examples described above may have a power chamber (not shown) with an energy storage unit for supplying power to a heater (not shown) and / or a moving mechanism (e.g., not manually driven by the user). The heater may be an electrical resistance heater. The heater may be a chemically activated heater, which may or may not be operated by an exothermic reaction.

[0055] The source of the aerosol generating medium 114 housed in device 100 may include at least one of tobacco and glycol, and extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, Dutch mint, European mint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, It may also contain other additives such as orange oil, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, bell pepper, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or peppermint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), flavor enhancers, bitter taste receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulants, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucrose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, plant substances, or breath fresheners. These may be mimics, synthetic ingredients, or natural ingredients, or mixtures thereof. They may be in any suitable form, e.g., oily, liquid, or powdery.

[0056] The aerosol-forming layers described herein include an "amorphous solid," which may alternatively be called a "monolithic solid" (i.e., non-fibrous) or a "dry gel." An amorphous solid is a solid material that may hold some fluid, such as a liquid, within itself. In some cases, the aerosol-forming layer contains about 50%, 60% or 70% by weight of amorphous solid, or up to about 90%, 95% or 100% by weight of amorphous solid. In some cases, the aerosol-forming layer is composed of amorphous solid.

[0057] In some cases, the amorphous solid may contain 1 to 50% by weight of a gelling agent, where these weights are calculated based on dry weight.

[0058] Amorphous solids may contain gelling agents ranging from approximately 1% by weight, 5% by weight, 10% by weight, 15% by weight, 20% by weight, or 25% by weight, to approximately 50% by weight, 45% by weight, 40% by weight, 35% by weight, 30% by weight, or 27% by weight (all calculated based on dry weight). For example, amorphous solids may contain gelling agents in amounts of 5-40% by weight, 10-30% by weight, or 15-27% by weight.

[0059] In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises a hydrophilic colloid. In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more compounds selected from the group comprising alginic acid, pectin, starch (and derivatives), cellulose (and derivatives), gum, silica or silicone compounds, clay, polyvinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more of alginic acid, pectin, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, agarose, acacia gum, fumed silica, PDMS, sodium silicate, kaolin, and polyvinyl alcohol. In some cases, the gelling agent comprises alginic acid and / or pectin, which may be bound with a curing agent (such as a calcium source) during the formation of an amorphous solid. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise calcium-crosslinked alginic acid and / or calcium-crosslinked pectin.

[0060] The amorphous solid may contain an aerosol-generating agent in amounts ranging from approximately 5% by weight, 10% by weight, 15% by weight, or 20% by weight to approximately 80% by weight, 70% by weight, 60% by weight, 55% by weight, 50% by weight, 45% by weight, 40% by weight, or 35% by weight (all calculated based on dry weight). The aerosol-generating agent may also act as a plasticizer. For example, the amorphous solid may contain 10–60% by weight, 15–50% by weight, or 20–40% by weight of the aerosol-generating agent. In some cases, the aerosol-generating agent comprises one or more compounds selected from erythritol, propylene glycol, glycerol, triacetin, sorbitol, and xylitol. In some cases, the aerosol-generating agent contains glycerol, is essentially composed of glycerol, or is composed of glycerol. The inventors have demonstrated that if the plasticizer content is too high, the amorphous solid may absorb moisture, resulting in a material that does not create a suitable consumption experience during use. They have also demonstrated that if the plasticizer content is too low, the amorphous solid may become brittle and easily break. The plasticizer content specified herein provides flexibility to the amorphous solid, which allows the amorphous solid sheet to be wound onto a bobbin, a useful property for the production of aerosol products.

[0061] In some cases, amorphous solids may contain fragrances. It is appropriate for amorphous solids to contain up to approximately 60% by weight, 50% by weight, 40% by weight, 30% by weight, 20% by weight, 10% by weight, or 5% by weight of fragrances. In some cases, amorphous solids may contain at least approximately 0.5% by weight, 1% by weight, 2% by weight, 5% by weight, 10% by weight, 20% by weight, or 30% by weight of fragrances (all calculated based on dry weight). For example, amorphous solids may contain 10–60% by weight, 20–50% by weight, or 30–40% by weight of fragrances. In some cases, the fragrances (if present) may contain menthol, consist essentially of menthol, or consist of menthol. In some cases, amorphous solids do not contain fragrances.

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

[0063] In some cases, the amorphous solid contains tobacco extract. In some cases, the amorphous solid may contain 5 to 60% by weight of tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the amorphous solid may contain tobacco extract in amounts ranging from approximately 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, or 25% by weight to approximately 55%, 50%, 45%, or 40% by weight (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may contain 5 to 60% by weight, 10 to 55%, or 25 to 55% by weight of tobacco extract. The tobacco extract may contain nicotine at concentrations such that the amorphous solid contains nicotine in amounts ranging from 1% by weight, 1.5%, 2%, or 2.5% by weight to approximately 6%, 5%, 4.5%, or 4% by weight (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, nicotine other than that obtained from tobacco extract may not be present in the amorphous solid.

[0064] In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may contain nicotine instead of tobacco material. In such cases, the amorphous solid may contain nicotine in amounts ranging from about 1% by weight, 2% by weight, 3% by weight, or 4% by weight to about 20% by weight, 15% by weight, 10% by weight, or 5% by weight (calculated based on dry weight). For example, the amorphous solid may contain 1 to 20% by weight or 2 to 5% by weight of nicotine.

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

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

[0067] The amorphous solid may be made from a gel, which may further contain a solvent in an amount of 0.1 to 50% by weight. However, the inventors have shown that including a solvent capable of dissolving the fragrance reduces the stability of the gel and can cause the fragrance to crystallize from the gel. Therefore, in some cases, the gel does not contain a solvent capable of dissolving the fragrance.

[0068] Amorphous solids may contain less than 20% by weight of filler, preferably less than 10% by weight or less than 5% by weight. The filler may include one or more inorganic filler materials, such as calcium carbonate, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, and magnesium carbonate, along with a suitable inorganic adsorbent, such as a molecular sieve. The filler may also include one or more organic filler materials, such as wood pulp, cellulose, and cellulose derivatives. In some cases, amorphous solids may contain less than 1% by weight of filler, and in some cases, they may contain no filler. In particular, in some cases, amorphous solids may not contain calcium carbonate such as chalk.

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

[0070] Thus, we have described an aerosol generating device comprising a consumable unit having a plurality of airflow paths, each of which is associated with one of a plurality of sources of a corresponding aerosol generating medium, and a housing for housing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the consumable unit is selectively movable relative to the housing to form an airflow path from the air inlet of the housing to the air outlet of the housing through one selected path from the plurality of airflow paths passing through the consumable unit.

[0071] The aerosol generation device may be used in tobacco industry products, such as non-flammable aerosol supply systems.

[0072] In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product comprises one or more components of a non-combustible aerosol supply system, such as a heater and an aerosolizable substrate.

[0073] In one embodiment, the aerosol supply system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device.

[0074] In one embodiment, the electronic cigarette comprises a heater, a power source capable of supplying power to the heater, an aerosolizable substrate such as a liquid or gel, a housing, and optionally a mouthpiece.

[0075] In one embodiment, the aerosolizable substrate is contained in or on a substrate container. In one embodiment, the substrate container is combined with or includes a heater.

[0076] In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a heating product that releases one or more compounds by heating a base material but not burning it. The base material is an aerosolizable material which can be, for example, a tobacco product or another non-tobacco product, and this material may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the heating device product is a tobacco heating product.

[0077] In one embodiment, the heating product is an electronic device.

[0078] In one embodiment, the tobacco heating product comprises a heater, a power source capable of supplying power to the heater, and an aerosolizable substrate such as a solid material or a gel material.

[0079] In one embodiment, the heated product is a non-electronic article.

[0080] In one embodiment, the heating product comprises an aerosolizable substrate such as a solid material or a gel material, and a heat source capable of supplying thermal energy to the aerosolizable substrate without electronic means, such as by burning a combustible material such as charcoal.

[0081] In one embodiment, the heated product also includes a filter capable of filtering out the aerosol generated by heating the aerosolizable substrate.

[0082] In some embodiments, the aerosolizable substrate material may contain an aerosol, or an aerosol-generating agent, or a humectant such as glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin, or diethylene glycol.

[0083] In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a hybrid system for generating an aerosol by heating but not burning a combination of base materials. The base materials may include, for example, solids, liquids, or gels, and may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system includes a liquid or gel base and a solid base. The solid base may be, for example, a tobacco product or another non-tobacco product, and may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system includes a liquid or gel base and tobacco.

[0084] To address various issues and advance technology, this entire disclosure illustrates various embodiments that provide an excellent electronic aerosol delivery system capable of carrying out the claimed invention. The advantages and features of this disclosure are merely representative examples of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. The advantages and features of this disclosure are provided solely to facilitate and teach an understanding of the claimed features. The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects of this disclosure should not be considered limitations to this disclosure as defined by the claims, or to equivalents of the claims, and it should be understood that other embodiments may be used and modified without departing from the scope and / or spirit of this disclosure. The various embodiments may comprise, consist of, or essentially consist of, various combinations of disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. Furthermore, this disclosure includes other inventions that are not expressly claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. A consumable unit for use with an aerosol generation device, The aerosol generating device is configured to receive the consumable unit, The consumable unit in question is A plurality of airflow paths passing through the consumable unit, each of which is associated with an aerosol generating medium, Multiple partitions, Multiple air inlet holes, Multiple air outlet holes, Equipped with, The plurality of airflow paths are separated from each other by the plurality of partition walls, A consumable unit configured such that the aerosol generating device can selectively bring one of the plurality of airflow paths into contact with the air inlet and air outlet means of the housing of the aerosol generating device to form an airflow path.

2. The consumable unit according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol generating medium is arranged such that when the airflow passes through the consumable unit, the airflow passes over the aerosol generating medium.

3. The consumable unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the consumable unit has a cylindrical shape.

4. The consumable unit according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of air outlet holes are arranged on the flat end surface of the cylindrical consumable unit.

5. The consumable unit according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a plurality of layers arranged within the consumable unit.

6. The consumable unit according to claim 5, wherein the partition wall divides multiple parts of one layer within the consumable unit.

7. A consumable unit having multiple airflow paths through which the consumable unit passes, wherein each of the multiple airflow paths is associated with an aerosol generating means, A housing for housing the consumable unit, the housing having an air inlet means and an air outlet means. an aerosol supply means comprising, The aforementioned consumable unit, Multiple partitions, Multiple air inlet holes, Multiple air outlet holes, Equipped with, The plurality of airflow paths are separated from each other by the plurality of partition walls, The aerosol supply means is configured to selectively bring one of the plurality of airflow paths into contact with the air inlet means and the air outlet means of the housing to form an airflow path.

8. The aerosol supply means according to claim 7, wherein the aerosol generating means is arranged such that when the airflow passes through the consumable unit, the airflow passes over the aerosol generating means.

9. The aerosol supply means according to claim 7 or 8, comprising a portion of an air-permeable material that allows air to be introduced into the consumable unit.

10. The aerosol supply means according to claim 9, wherein the air-permeable material has appropriate resistance to airflow so that excessive suction pressure is not required to draw in airflow through the air-permeable material.

11. The aerosol supply means according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the consumable unit has a cylindrical shape.

12. The aerosol supply means according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of air outlet holes are arranged on the flat end surface of the cylindrical consumable unit.

13. The aerosol supply means according to claim 7 or 8, comprising a plurality of layers arranged within the consumable unit.

14. The aerosol supply means according to claim 13, wherein the partition divides multiple parts of one layer within the consumable unit.

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