Aerosol provision system

Abstract

An embodiment of this invention discloses an aerosol provision system, the system comprises a proximal end and a distal end facing away from each other along a height direction; a mouthpiece, located at the proximal end; a heater element, having a pin; an atomizer holder provided with a position limit hole, the atomizer holder defining a chamber accommodating the heater element, and the position limit hole being provided with a first opening; an electrode, extended from the first opening into the position limit hole and being in contact with the pin within the position limit hole; the pin and the electrode are in a welding-free connection. Through the embodiments of this invention, a welding-free connection between the pin and the electrode is achieved in the position limit hole, which can reduce the problems of complicated component assembly process, large system volume and the like caused by the welding connection between the pin and the electrode in the prior art.

Description

[0001] AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] This invention is related to the field of aerosol provision, particularly relating to an aerosol provision system.

[0004] Technical Background

[0005] An aerosol provision system refers to a system which contains an aerosol-generating material inside, and generate aerosol in a manner of heating rather than combusting the aerosolgenerating material (such as tobacco) for a user to smoke.

[0006] The aerosol provision system generally comprises a housing, a atomizer arranged within the housing, a power supply and a controller. The atomizer comprises a heater element, the power supply is controlled by the controller to supply power to the heater element, the heater element is energized to emit heat to heat the aerosol-generating material inside the housing, causing it to generate aerosol.

[0007] The atomizer comprises an atomizer holder defining an atomization chamber and a heater element arranged within the atomization chamber. When the system is assembled, the heater element leads out a pin to be electrically connected to the electrode outside the atomization chamber, the electrode is electrically connected to the power supply to achieve powering on the heater element. At present, the connection between the pin of the heater element and the electrode is carried out through welding. However, welding itself is a complicated process, causing the system assembly process complicated; meanwhile, welding requires the pin to be led out of the atomization chamber, and the length of the pin to be relatively long, and in order to achieve stable welding, there are certain size requirements for both the pin and the electrode, which leads to a relatively large overall volume of the system.

[0008] Therefore, a new aerosol provision system is desired to solve one or more technical issues present in the aerosol provision system mentioned above.

[0009] Summary

[0010] The invention aims to solve at least one of the technical issues present in the existing technology. Therefore, this invention discloses an aerosol provision system, designed to address problems of complicated component assembly process, large system volume and the like caused by the welding connection between the pin of a heater element and the electrode in the prior art. This invention discloses an aerosol provision system, which comprises: a proximal end and a distal end facing away from each other along a height direction; a mouthpiece, located at the proximal end; a heater element, having a pin; an atomizer holder provided with a position limit hole, the atomizer holder defining a chamber accommodating the heater element, and the position limit hole being provided with a first opening; an electrode, extended from the first opening into the position limit hole and being in contact with the pin within the position limit hole; the pin and the electrode are in a welding-free connection.

[0011] In an embodiment of this invention, the welding-free connection is achieved by opening a position limit hole. The welding-free connection may specifically be pressure connection, buckling connection, magnetic connection, adhesive connection, elastic interference fit, and the like. Compared to the prior art, these connection methods save the welding process and simplify the complexity of assembly; and there is no need to make large-sized preparations for welding, so the volume of the system can be correspondingly reduced in design.

[0012] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, the atomizer holder is further provided with a through-hole in communication with the position limit hole, an angle is formed between axes of the through hole and the position limit hole, the through hole has a second opening facing away from the position limit hole, and the pin is inserted into the through hole from the second opening and at least partially extended into the position limit hole via the through hole. Further, the pin and the electrode are configured to enter the position limit hole from different openings, which improves the flexibility of the pin and electrode position arrangements and facilitates the entry of the pin and the electrode into the position limit hole relative to the atomizer holder through their respective closer openings, reducing the size of the pin and the electrode.

[0013] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, the position limit hole extends along the height direction and is provided with the first opening in the side facing the distal end.

[0014] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, the pin has a first portion extended into and located within the through hole and a second portion extended into and located within the position limit hole, and there is a bending angle between the first portion and the second portion.

[0015] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, a side face of the electrode is in contact with a side face of the second portion.

[0016] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, the portion of the electrode inserted into the position limit hole is parallel to the second portion.

[0017] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, in a cross-sectional direction of the position limit hole, the pin has a transverse length that can exposed within the channel of the position limit hole; the electrode is pushed against the transverse length during extending into the position limit hole to bend the pin to form the second portion. Based on the arrangement of this embodiment, the pin can be bent to form the second portion electrically connected to the electrode while the electrode is extended into the position limit hole, without the need to bend the pin in advance, further simplifying the assembly process.

[0018] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, the shapes of the two contact side faces of the second portion and the electrode are fitted. For example, matching concave and convex surfaces, matching curved surfaces, and matching planes can increase the contact area between the pin and the electrode, improve the tightness of the connection between the pin and the electrode, and thus improve the stability of the electrical connection through adapting the shapes of the two side faces.

[0019] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, the first portion and the second portion have the maximum thickness and / or maximum width at the bending angle. Based on the arrangement of this embodiment, it can increase the strength at the bending angle, reduce the probability of breaking at the bending angle, and improve the stability of the electrical connection.

[0020] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, the pin has a first portion extended into and located within the through hole and a second portion extended into and located within the position limit hole, and the first portion and the second portion are located in the same plane.

[0021] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, an end face of one of the second portion and the electrode is in contact with a side face of the other one thereof.

[0022] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, the portion of the electrode inserted into the position limit hole is perpendicular to the second portion. Based on the perpendicular arrangement in this embodiment, it can increase the contact area between the pin and the electrode, thus improving the stability of the electrical connection.

[0023] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, an end face of the second portion is in contact with a side face of the electrode; the end face of the second portion is recessed to form an open ring, and the electrode is inserted into the open ring. Based on the provision of the open ring in this embodiment, surrounding the electrode by the ring arrangement improves the stability of the connection, while increasing the contact area between the pin and the electrode, and overall improving the stability of the electrical connection.

[0024] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, the opening of the open ring is sized to prevent the electrode from moving out of the opening. Based on this embodiment, the electrode is tightly arranged within the open ring, improving the stability of the connection.

[0025] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, it further comprises an elastic element configured to provide the force that makes the electrode and the pin to tend to each other. Based on the provision of the elastic element in this embodiment, there is a force between the electrode and the pin that tends them to be closer to each other, improving the stability and tightness of the connection between the two.

[0026] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, a first contact surface and a second contact surface that are parallel to each other are formed between the electrode, the pin and an inner wall of the position limit hole; wherein, the electrode is in contact with the pin on one side face to form the first contact surface, and is in contact with the inner wall on the opposite side face to form the second contact surface, or the pin is in contact with the electrode on one side face to form the first contact surface, and is in contact with the inner wall on the opposite side face to form the second contact surface; the elastic element is located on the first contact surface or the second contact surface.

[0027] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, the elastic element is at least one of: the elastic element is the position limit hole, and the inner wall face of the position limit hole is an elastic surface; the elastic element is the pin, and the side face of the pin close to the inner wall face of the position limit hole is an elastic surface; the elastic element is the electrode, and the side face of the electrode close to the inner wall face of the position limit hole is an elastic surface.

[0028] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, the elastic element is corrugated.

[0029] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, the pin and the electrode are in a pressure connection or elastic connection or buckling connection or magnetic adsorption connection or adhesive connection.

[0030] In one embodiment of the aerosol provision system mentioned above, it further comprises: a housing; a power supply, the power supply being arranged within the housing, and configured to power the heater element through the electrode and the pin; and an aerosol-generating material accommodated within the system.

[0031] Based on this embodiment of this invention, by providing the position limit hole on the atomizer holder, the pin of the heater element and the electrode are limited within the position limit hole, achieving the limit of the pin and the electrode, and achieving the welding-free connection based on the limit effect of the position limit hole. The welding-free connection may specifically be pressure connection, buckling connection, elastic interference fit, and the like. Compared to the prior art, these connection methods save the welding process and simplify the complexity of assembly; and because there is no need to make large-sized preparations for welding, the volume of the system can be correspondingly reduced in design. Further, by the arrangement of multiple openings and the elastic element, the stability of the welding-free connection is improved, and the volume of the system can be further reduced.

[0032] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be partly given in the following description, will become apparent from the following description, or will be learned through the practice of the invention.

[0033] Description of Drawings

[0034] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the disclosed content of the present invention will become more understandable. It is easily understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Moreover, similar numbers in the figures are used to represent similar components, among which: Fig. 1 is a three-dimensional structure diagram of an aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention;

[0035] Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views of the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention from different perspectives;

[0036] Fig. 4 is a partial structure diagram of the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention, showing a liquid inlet structure;

[0037] Fig. 5 is a three-dimensional structure diagram of an atomizer of the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention;

[0038] Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the atomizer of the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention;

[0039] Fig. 7 is a structure diagram of a heater element provided by an embodiment of this invention;

[0040] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the contact between an electrode and a pin within a position limit hole in the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention;

[0041] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the pin within the position limit hole in the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention;

[0042] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the contact between an electrode and a pin in the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention;

[0043] Figs. 11 - 13 are schematic diagrams showing the electrode and the pin enter the position limit hole through different openings in the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention;

[0044] Figs. 14 - 15 are schematic diagrams elastic connections between the electrode and the pin in the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention.

[0045] Description of Drawing Label:

[0046] 100: housing; 101 : mouthpiece; 102: air outlet; 103: air inlet; 104: fist seal cover; 105: second seal cover; 110: upper housing; 120: lower housing; 11 : second portion; 12: first portion; 200: containing chamber; 300: atomizer; 310: atomization chamber; 320: atomizer holder; 321 : structural member; 330: airway piece; 341 : heater element; 3411 : body portion; 3412: pin; 342: oil guide element; 350: base assembly; 352: electrode; 353: atomization chamber bottom cover; 354: first airway seal; 400: power supply; 500: controller; 600: liquid inlet structure; 610: support frame; 611 : containing groove; 620: liquid inlet channel; 621 : annular groove; 622: liquid guide groove; 6211 : first side wall; 630: first liquid inlet hole; 640: air-exchange hole; 700: second airway seal; 710: second liquid inlet hole; 800: position limit hole; 810: first opening; 900: through hole; 910: second opening; 1000: elastic element.

[0047] Detailed description

[0048] The following describes some embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only for explaining the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0049] As used herein, the term “delivery system” is intended to encompass systems that deliver at least one substance to a user in use, and includes: combustible aerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, and tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own or for make-your-own cigarettes (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material); non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosolgenerating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials; and aerosol-free delivery systems that deliver the at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

[0050] According to the present disclosure, a “combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is combusted or burned during use in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0051] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a system selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo and a cigar.

[0052] In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to a component for use in a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a filter, a filter rod, a filter segment, a tobacco rod, a spill, an aerosol- modifying agent release component such as a capsule, a thread, or a bead, or a paper such as a plug wrap, a tipping paper or a cigarette paper.

[0053] According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0054] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.

[0055] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

[0056] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an aerosol-generating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

[0057] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosolgenerating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0058] Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device.

[0059] In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosol-generating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.

[0060] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a non- combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source.

[0061] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol-modifying agent.

[0062] In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and / or an aerosol-modifying agent.

[0063] In some embodiments, the delivery system is an aerosol-free delivery system that delivers at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

[0064] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material or a material that is not intended to be aerosolised. As appropriate, either material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and / or one or more other functional materials.

[0065] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active substance. The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.

[0066] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.

[0067] As noted herein, the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes. As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical" includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like.

[0068] Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, Wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Memtha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens.

[0069] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is tobacco. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

[0070] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel.

[0071] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour. As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, Wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.

[0072] In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and / or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.

[0073] In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.

[0074] Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and / or flavourants. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise an “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may for example comprise from about 50wt%, 60wt% or 70wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or 100wt% of amorphous solid.

[0075] The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and / or flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material.

[0076] The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1 ,3- butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

[0077] The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and / or antioxidants.

[0078] The material may be present on or in a support, to form a substrate. The support may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. In some embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the susceptor is on one or either side of the material.

[0079] A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosolgenerating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.

[0080] A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.

[0081] An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the aerosol generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosol-modifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component, that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a flavourant, a colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material.

[0082] An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosolgenerating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

[0083] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems (which may also be referred to as vapour delivery systems) such as nebulisers or e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description the term "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with aerosol delivery system I device and electronic aerosol delivery system I device. Furthermore, and as is common in the technical field, the terms "aerosol" and "vapour", and related terms such as "vaporise", "volatilise" and "aerosolise", may generally be used interchangeably.

[0084] Aerosol delivery systems (e-cigarettes) often, though not always, comprise a modular assembly comprising a reusable device part and a replaceable (disposable / consumable) cartridge part. Often, the replaceable cartridge part will comprise the aerosol generating material and the vaporiser (which may collectively be called a “cartomizer”) and the reusable device part will comprise the power provision (e.g. rechargeable power source) and control circuitry. It will be appreciated these different parts may comprise further elements depending on functionality. For example, the reusable device part will often comprise a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operating status characteristics, and the replaceable cartridge device part in some cases comprises a temperature sensor for helping to control temperature. Cartridges are electrically and mechanically coupled to the control unit for use, for example using a screw thread, bayonet, or magnetic coupling with appropriately arranged electrical contacts. When the aerosol generating material in a cartridge is exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge having a different aerosol generating material, the cartridge may be removed from the reusable part and a replacement cartridge attached in its place. Systems and devices conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part systems / devices.

[0085] It is common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongate shape. For the sake of providing a concrete example, certain embodiments of the disclosure will be taken to comprise this kind of generally elongate two-part system employing disposable cartridges. However, it will be appreciated that the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for different configurations, for example single-part systems or modular systems comprising more than two parts, refillable devices and single-use disposables, as well as other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a boxier shape. More generally, it will be appreciated certain embodiments of the disclosure are based on aerosol delivery systems which are operationally configured to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and the constructional aspects of systems configured to provide the functionality in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure is not of primary significance.

[0086] As described in Technical Background, the present connection between the pin of the heater element and the electrode is carried out through welding, causing problems of complicated component assembly process, large system volume and the like. To this end, an embodiment of this invention creatively provides a new aerosol provision system, in which an atomizer holder is opened with a position limit hole, and welding-free connection between the heater element and the electrode is achieved within the position limit hole, to reduce the complexity of assembly process and the volume of the system.

[0087] The structure of an aerosol provision system of this invention will be described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0088] Fig. 1 is a three-dimensional structure diagram of an aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention, and Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views of the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention from different perspectives. Referring to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, the aerosol provision system is an elongated structure extending along a longitudinal axis. The aerosol provision system comprises a proximal end and a distal end facing away from each other along a height direction, and a housing 100 extending between the proximal and the distal end. The housing 100 is provided with a mouthpiece 101 at the proximal end, and the mouthpiece 101 is opened with an air outlet 102. The housing 100 is further provided with an air inlet 103. The air inlet 103 may be arranged at the distal end as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or may be arranged at other positions on the housing 100.

[0089] A containing space and an airway is formed inside the housing 100, with a containing chamber 200 for accommodating an aerosol-generating material (such as cigarette oil), an atomizer 300, a power supply (battery module) 400 and a controller (control circuit) 500 being provided within the containing space. The containing chamber 200, the atomizer 300, the controller 500 and the power supply 400 are roughly arranged in the height direction of the system. The power supply 400 is configured to supply power to a heater assembly in the atomizer 300 under the control of the controller 500. The atomizer 300 is provided with an atomization chamber 310 inside for accommodating the heater assembly. The atomization chamber 310 is in fluid communication with the containing chamber 200, the aerosol-generating material in the containing chamber 200 can enter the atomization chamber 310 and be heated by the heater assembly.

[0090] The air inlet 103, the atomization chamber 310 and the air outlet 102 are in communication to form the airway in the housing. When a user is smoking, outside air enter from the air inlet 103, passes through the atomization chamber 310 and takes aerosol inside it, and then flows out from the air outlet 102 to the user.

[0091] In one embodiment of this invention, the system further comprises a first seal cover 104 for sealing the air outlet 102 and a second seal cover 105 for sealing the air inlet 103. When the aerosol provision system is not in use, the first seal cover 104 and the second seal cover 105 can be closed to ensure safety and hygiene.

[0092] As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the housing 100 comprises two independent portions, which are respectively an upper housing 110 with the mouthpiece 101 and a lower housing 120. The upper housing 110 is provided with the containing chamber 200 and the atomizer 300 inside; the lower housing 120 is provided with the power supply 400 and the controller 500 inside. The lower end portion of the upper housing 110 is located inside the lower housing 120. In an alternative embodiment, the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 are basically not overlapped in the height direction of the system, and the lower end of the upper housing 110 is connected to the upper end of the lower housing 120 to form the housing 100.

[0093] In one of embodiments, the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 are provided as detachable connections, so that the aerosol-generating material or the atomizer 300 inside the upper housing 110 can be replaced or the atomizer 300 can be connected to different power supplies 400. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 are permanently connected once assembled.

[0094] In an alternative embodiment, unlike the structure shown in Figs. 1 - 3 where the upper housing and the lower housing are independently provided, the housing 100 may also be configured as an integrated independent structure. From the perspective of internal component assembly and reusability, the arrangement of the upper housing and the lower housing is more advantageous than the integrated housing.

[0095] In other embodiments of this invention, the aerosol provision system can be a boxed structure, and the atomizer 300 and the power supply 400 can be arranged in a transverse direction extending left and right. The housing 100 may be configured as an integrated boxed housing. It can also be configured to comprise left and right housings arranged to be connected to each other, with one of the left and right housings being provided with the containing chamber 200 and the atomizer 300 inside, while the other one being provided with the power supply 400 and the controller 500 inside. The left and right housings may be provided in detachable connection. Of course, in an alternative embodiment, the left and right housings are permanently connected once assembled.

[0096] The mouthpiece 101 may be integrally formed with the housing 100, or may be detachably separated from the housing 100. The detachable mouthpiece 101 facilitates the cleaning of the mouthpiece 101. In addition, the provision of the detachable mouthpiece 101 can facilitate entry into the interior of the housing 100 to facilitate the replacement of the aerosol-generating material inside the housing 100.

[0097] The power supply 400 is configured to supply power to the atomizer 300, which may specifically be a battery module. In other examples, the battery can be replaced by portable power sources (for example, capacitive power storage devices such as supercapacitors or ultracapacitors), mechanical power sources (mechanical power springs or generators), or alternative chemical energy sources (for example, fuel cells).

[0098] The aerosol-generating material may be solids, powders, or liquids. In one embodiment of this invention, the containing chamber 200 is used to accommodate a liquid aerosol-generating material. As shown in Figs. 2 - 3, the containing chamber 200 comprises an outer wall, and the outer wall of the containing chamber 200 may be integrally formed with the housing 100, that is, the outer wall forms a part of the housing 100. The outer wall and the housing 100 may also be two independent components, with the housing 100 arranged outside the outer wall. The outer wall is sleeved at least partially outside the atomizer 300, and the containing chamber 200 is formed by the outer wall and a portion of the surface of the atomizer 300 enclosed together. To achieve aerosolization, the liquid aerosol-generating material in the containing chamber 200 needs to be transported to the atomization chamber 310. To this end, the system further comprises a liquid inlet structure 600 for transporting the liquid aerosol-generating material from the containing chamber 200 to the atomization chamber 310.

[0099] Fig. 4 is a partial structure diagram of the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention, showing a liquid inlet structure 600. Referring to Figs. 2 - 4, the liquid inlet structure 600 provided by an embodiment of this invention comprises a support frame 610, a liquid inlet channel 620, a first liquid inlet hole 630 and an air-exchange hole 640, with the liquid inlet channel 620 being in fluid communication with both the containing chamber 200 and the atomization chamber 310.

[0100] The support frame 610 is formed with a liquid guide groove 622 and an annular groove 621 that are in fluid communication with each other. It can be understood that, the annular groove 621 is arranged on the upper surface of the support frame 610, the upper surface is arranged facing the containing chamber 200. The liquid guide groove 622 may be composed of multiple portions, and at least part of the liquid guide groove 622 extends along the longitudinal direction of the aerosol provision system, and the annular groove 621 extends along the transverse direction of the aerosol provision system. The liquid guide groove 622 and the annular groove 621 form the liquid inlet channel 620 mentioned above. The part of the liquid guide groove 622 extending along the longitudinal direction of the aerosol provision system is arranged adjacent to the atomization chamber 310 along the transverse direction of the system. The liquid guide groove 622 has a first side wall 6211 forming a side of the atomization chamber 310, and the first liquid inlet hole 630 and the air-exchange hole 640 are both arranged on the first side wall 6211 , and run through the first side wall 6211. The first liquid inlet hole 630 and the air-exchange hole 640 communicates the liquid guide groove 622 with the atomization chamber 310. The aerosol-generating material in the containing chamber 200 enters the atomization chamber 310 through the liquid guide groove 622 and the first liquid inlet hole 630 successively. The air-exchange hole 640 is configured to be in fluid communication with outside atmosphere of the aerosol provision system. Therefore, during the use of the system, when the pressure inside the containing chamber 200 decreases with the consumption of the aerosol-generating material, due to the pressure difference, the outside atmosphere enters the atomization chamber 310 from the outside, then enters the liquid guide groove 622 through the air-exchange hole 640, and then enters the containing chamber 200 through the liquid guide groove 622, to maintain the hydraulic pressure balance of the containing chamber 200. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the air-exchange hole 640 is arranged above the first liquid inlet hole 630 along the height direction of the system, so that the bubbles generated in the aerosol-generating material are not easily stuck at the first liquid inlet hole 630, preventing the first liquid inlet hole 630 from being blocked, and allowing the aerosolgenerating material to smoothly enter the atomization chamber 310 from the containing chamber 200, avoiding affecting the use of the system.

[0101] Further, the system further comprises a second airway seal 700 for sealing between the support frame 610 and the containing chamber 200. In specific implementation, the shape and size of the second airway seal 700 are matched with the shape and size of an end of the support frame 610 near the containing chamber 200, which is not specifically limited here. The outer wall of the containing chamber 200 is sleeved on the periphery of the second airway seal 700, and the portions of the outer wall and the second airway seal 700 that are in contact are interference fitted. In this way, it can avoid the leakage of the aerosol-generating material in the containing chamber 200, which may contaminate other components such as battery modules in the aerosol provision system. Meanwhile, in order to achieve fluid communication between the containing chamber 200 and the liquid guide groove 622, the second airway seal 700 is opened with a second liquid inlet hole 710 thereon, so that the aerosol-generating material in the containing chamber 200 can enter the liquid guide groove 622 through the second liquid inlet hole 710.

[0102] Fig. 5 is a three-dimensional structure diagram of an atomizer of the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention, Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the atomizer of the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention, and Fig. 7 is a structure diagram of a heater element provided by an embodiment of this invention. Referring to Figs. 2 and 5 - 7, the atomizer 300 comprises an atomization chamber 310, an atomizer holder 320 forming the atomization chamber 310, an airway piece 330, and a heater assembly arranged inside the atomization chamber 310. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the atomizer holder 320 comprises a structural member 321 and a support frame 610 that is matched with and connected to the structural member 321 to form the atomization chamber. The support frame 610 is formed with a containing groove 611 , and the airway piece 330 is assembled inside the containing groove 611. The heater assembly is jointly clamped and fixed in the containing groove 611 by the support frame 610 and the airway piece 330. The heater assembly and the airway piece 330 are both connected to the structural member 321 and the support frame 610.

[0103] As shown in Fig. 6, the heater assembly comprises a heater element 341 and an oil guide body 342 that are stacked. An airway is formed between the airway piece 330 and the heater element 341 , and the oil guide body 342 is arranged the heater element 341 on the side away from the airway, and the oil guide body 342 is attached to the wall of the support frame 610 opened with a first liquid inlet hole 630.

[0104] The oil guide body 342 is used to transport the liquid aerosol-generating material in the containing chamber 200 to the heater element 341 . In one embodiment of this invention, the oil guide body 342 may be a cotton or ceramic oil guide body to achieve oil guide. In one of embodiments of this invention, the oil guide body 342 may be a multi-layer porous structure.

[0105] As an exemplary rather than restrictive explanation, the oil guide rate of the oil guide body 342 at the side near the heater element 341 is lower than that at the side away from the heater element 341 , and the oil absorption rate of the oil guide body 342 at the side near the heater element 341 is higher than that at the side far away from the heater element 341 , so that the oil guide body 342 has a higher oil guide rate at the part of near the heater element 341 , improving its oil guide efficiency, while has a higher oil absorption rate at the part away from the heater element 341 , increasing the oil absorption amount at the heater element 341.

[0106] In one embodiment of this invention, the surface of the airway piece 330 is provided with multiple grooves to collect the condensate formed by aerosol condensation in the atomization chamber 310, and to prevent the condensate from leaking outside the atomization chamber 310.

[0107] In one embodiment of this invention, as shown in Fig. 7, the heater element 341 is a heating mesh. The mesh of the heating mesh is any one of circle and polygons. The heater element 341 comprises a body portion 3411 and a pin 3412 led out from the body portion. The heater element 341 is in a flat shape as a whole, and the body portion 3411 extends along the height direction of the system, two pins 3412 are both L-shaped and semi enclosed around the body portion 3411 in the diagonal direction. The pin 3412 of the heater element 341 may be in the shape of a column or a sheet.

[0108] As an exemplary rather than restrictive explanation, two pins 3412 of the heater element 341 may be the same or different. Fig. 7 shows that in one embodiment of this invention, the two pins 3412 have different shapes.

[0109] As shown in Figs. 5 - 6, the atomizer 300 further comprises a base assembly 350, which is detachably assembled on the atomizer holder 320 to define the bottom face of the atomization chamber 310. The base assembly 350 is provided with an electrode hole for an electrode 352 to pass through and extend towards the atomization chamber 310.

[0110] As shown in Fig. 6, the base assembly 350 comprises an atomization chamber bottom cover 353 and a first airway seal 354 arranged on the atomization chamber bottom cover 353 at the side facing the atomization chamber 310. The atomization chamber bottom cover 353 and the first airway seal 354 are both opened with corresponding electrode holes for the electrode 352 to pass through.

[0111] The electrical connection between the power supply 400 and the heater element 341 is achieved through the connection between the electrode 352 and the pin 3412. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the contact between an electrode and a pin within a position limit hole in the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention, Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the pin within the position limit hole in the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention, and Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the contact between an electrode and a pin in the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of this invention. Referring to Figs. 8 - 10, the atomizer holder is opened with a position limit hole 800 thereon, and the position limit hole 800 may be specifically opened on the support frame 610. The position limit hole 800 is opened with a first opening 810, and the electrode 352 enters the position limit hole 800 through the first opening 810, the pin 3412 also extends into the position limit hole 800, and the electrode 352 and the pin 3412 are connected inside the position limit hole 800 in a welding-free manner.

[0112] It should be noted that there are multiple beneficial effects of opening the position limit hole 800 on the atomizer holder in this application:

[0113] Firstly, the heating element 341 itself is installed and fixed on the atomizer holder. With the position limit hole 800 opened on the atomizer holder, the pin 3412 only needs to extend a relatively short distance before they can be bent into the position limit hole 800 of the atomizer holder. The shorter the pin 3412 is, the less heat loss there will be, and more heat will be concentrated on the main body portion 3411 for effective heating, thereby improving the efficiency of the atomizer.

[0114] Secondly, since the heating element 341 is installed and fixed on the atomizer holder, when installing the heating element, the pin 3412 can be inserted into the position limit hole 800, simplifying the assembly process. If the position limit hole 800 was opened at other positions of the atomizer, such as on the base assembly 350, when installing the base, it would be necessary to insert the pin 3412 into the position limit hole 800 of the base assembly 350, increasing the complexity of the assembly.

[0115] In an embodiment of this invention, the electrode 352 extends from the distal end to the proximal end, and the pin 3412 extends from the proximal end to the distal end. At this time, the first opening 810 is opened on the side of the support frame 610 facing the distal end, so that the electrode 352 can directly extend into the first opening 810. Of course, in other embodiments of this invention, the first opening 810 may be opened at other positions of the support frame 610. For example, the first opening 810 is arranged on the side of the support frame 610 facing the proximal end. At this time, the electrode can extend from the distal end to the proximal end and be bent into the first opening 810.

[0116] In another embodiment of this invention, the power supply 400 and the atomizer 300 are roughly arranged along the transverse direction of the system, and the heater element 341 and the electrode 352 both extend roughly along the transverse direction of the system, and the heater element 341 is basically laid flat inside the atomization chamber 310. At this time, the position limit hole 800 may be arranged along the transverse direction of the system.

[0117] The pin 3412 is more prone to be bent compared to the electrode 352, therefore, in an embodiment of this invention, the first opening 810 is preferably arranged on the atomizer holder 320 at the end facing the electrode 352.

[0118] Taking the power supply 400 and atomizer 300 into consideration, there are multiple possible arrangements for the heater element 341 and the electrode 352, and the extension direction of the position limit hole 800 and the orientation of the first opening 810 in this invention can be arranged according to specific needs. This invention does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0119] The following embodiments of this invention provide several forms of welding-free connection between the electrode 352 and the pin 3412.

[0120] In an embodiment of this invention, the contact connection between the electrode 352 and the pin 3412 within the position limit hole 800 can be achieved through pressure connection. At this time, both the electrode 352 and the pin 3412 are in pressure contact with the inner wall of the position limit hole 800, and the electrode 352, which is subjected to the inner wall pressure, is in pressure contact with the pin 3412. A stable electrical connection between the electrode 352 and the pin 3412 within the position limit hole 800 is achieved in this way.

[0121] In another embodiment of this invention, the contact connection between the electrode 352 and the pin 3412 within the position limit hole 800 can be achieved through adhesive connection. At least a portion of side faces of the electrode 352 and the pin 3412 that are in contact are connected in an adhesive manner through an adhesive to achieve stability in the connection between the electrode 352 and the pin 3412. In a specific implementation, the adhesive has electrical conductivity, and the adhesive connection faces of the electrode 352 and the pin 3412 are also the electrical connection faces of them. In another specific implementation, the electrical connection faces of the electrode 352 and the pin 3412 are faces other than the adhesive connection faces. In another embodiment of this invention, the contact connection between the electrode 352 and the pin 3412 within the position limit hole 800 can be achieved through magnetic adsorption connection. By providing magnetic adsorption structures or faces on the electrode 352 and the pin 3412, stable connection is achieved between the electrode 352 and the pin 3412. And besides the magnetic adsorption structures or faces, a side face of the electrode 352 and a side face of the pin 3412 are arranged to be in contact to achieve electrical connection.

[0122] In another embodiment of this invention, the contact connection between the electrode 352 and the pin 3412 within the position limit hole 800 can be achieved through buckling connection. By providing matched buckling structures on the electrode 352 and the pin 3412, stable connection is achieved between the electrode 352 and the pin 3412. The buckling structures may specifically be a pin extended on the electrode 352 and a hole arranged on the pin 3412 for matching with the pin. The electrical connection is achieved through the buckling connection between the pin and the hole, as well as the contact between the electrode 352 and the side face of the pin 3412.

[0123] In another embodiment of this invention, the contact connection between the electrode 352 and the pin 3412 within the position limit hole 800 can be achieved through elastic connection, which will be described in detail in the following embodiment.

[0124] When the electrode 352 is connected to the pins 3412, one or more of the above methods can be combined.

[0125] By providing the position limit hole on the atomizer holder, the pins of the heater element and the electrode are limited within the position limit hole, achieving the limit of the pins and the electrode, and achieving the welding-free connection based on the limit effect of the position limit hole. The welding-free connection may specifically be pressure connection, buckling connection, elastic interference fit, and the like. Compared to the prior art, these connection methods save the welding process and simplify the complexity of assembly; and because there is no need to make large-sized preparations for welding, the volume of the system can be correspondingly reduced in design.

[0126] In an embodiment of this invention, the pin 3412 may enter the position limit hole 800 through the same or different openings as the electrode 352.

[0127] In an embodiment of this invention, the pin 3412 and the electrode 352 enter the position limit hole 800 through the same opening. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the support frame 610 is provided with a first opening 810 facing the distal end. The electrode 352 extends into the first opening 810 in a direction from the distal end towards the proximal end, and the pin 3412 extends and bends into the first opening 810 in a direction from the proximal end towards the distal end. The electrode 352 and the pin 3412 both enter the position limit hole 800 through the first opening 810. The side face of the pin 3412 is in contact with and connected to the side face of electrode 352 within the position limit hole 800. In Fig. 10, the state of the two in contact is shown.

[0128] In one embodiment of this invention, the portion of the electrode 352 inserted into the position limit hole 800 is roughly parallel to the portion of the pin 3412 bent into the position limit hole 800, for example, the angles between the two are provided between -5° - 5°. Based on the roughly parallel arrangement in this embodiment, it can increase the contact area between the pin 3412 and the electrode 352, thus improving the stability of the electrical connection.

[0129] In one embodiment of this invention, the two contact side faces of the pin 3412 and the electrode 352 are fitted in shape. For example, matching concave and convex surfaces, matching curved surfaces, and matching planes can increase the contact area between the pin 3412 and the electrode 352, improve the tightness of the connection between the two, and thus improve the stability of the electrical connection through adapting the shapes of the two side faces.

[0130] In one embodiment of this invention, the pin 3412 has the maximum thickness and / or maximum width at the bending angle. Based on the arrangement of this embodiment, it can increase the strength at the bending angle, reduce the probability of breaking at the bending angle, and improve the stability of the electrical connection.

[0131] In one embodiment of the assembly of the electrode 352 and the pin 3412, the pin 3412 may have a transverse length exposed to the first opening 810, and during the process of extending into the first opening 810, the electrode 352 presses against the transverse length of the pin 3412 to let it enter the position limit hole 800 through the first opening 810 after bending it. Based on the arrangement in this embodiment, the pin 3412 can be bent while the electrode 352 is extended into the position limit hole, without the need to bend the pin 3412 in advance, further simplifying the assembly process.

[0132] In an embodiment of this invention, the pin 3412 and the electrode 352 enter the position limit hole through different openings. Figs. 11 - 13 are schematic diagrams showing the electrode and the pin enter the position limit hole through different openings in the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 11 - 13 are only used to illustrate the positional relationships of each component and are not intended to limit the specific shapes of each component. As shown in Figs. 11 - 13, the atomizer holder is further provided with a through hole 900 in communication with the position limit hole 800, there is an angle between the through hole 900 and the axis of the position limit hole 800, and the through hole 900 has a second opening 910 facing away from the position limit hole 800. The pin 3412 is inserted into the through hole 900 from the second opening 910 and at least partially extends into the position limit hole 800 through the through hole 900. The two are connected without welding within the position limit hole 800. In this embodiment, the pin and the electrode are configured to enter the position limit hole from different openings, which improves the flexibility of the pin and electrode position arrangements and facilitates the entry of the pin and the electrode into the position limit hole relative to the atomizer holder through their respective closer openings, reducing the size of the pin and the electrode, and thus reducing the volume of the system.

[0133] As shown in Fig. 11 , in one embodiment of this invention, the pin 3412 has a first portion 12 extended into and located within the through hole and a second portion 11 extended into and located within the position limit hole, and there is a bending angle between the first portion 12 and the second portion 11. After the pin 3412 is bent into the position limit hole 800, the side face of the electrode 352 contacts the side face of the second portion 11 of the pin 3412.

[0134] In one embodiment of this invention, the portion of the electrode 352 inserted into the position limit hole 800 is roughly parallel to the second portion 11 of the pin 3412, for example, the angles between the two are provided between -5° - 5°. Based on the roughly parallel arrangement in this embodiment, it can increase the contact area between the pin and the electrode, thus improving the stability of the electrical connection.

[0135] In one embodiment of this invention, the two contact side faces of the second portion 11 of the pin 3412 and the electrode 352 are fitted in shape. For example, matching concave and convex surfaces, matching curved surfaces, and matching planes can increase the contact area between the pin and the electrode, improve the tightness of the connection between the pin and the electrode, and thus improve the stability of the electrical connection through adapting the shapes of the two side faces.

[0136] In one embodiment of this invention, the first portion 12 and the second portion 11 of the pin 3412 have the maximum thickness and / or maximum width at the bending angle. Based on the arrangement of this embodiment, it can increase the strength at the bending angle, reduce the probability of breaking at the bending angle, and improve the stability of the electrical connection.

[0137] In one embodiment of this invention, in a cross-sectional direction of the position limit hole 800, the pin 3412 has a transverse length that can exposed within the channel of the position limit hole 800; and during the process of extending into the position limit hole 800, the electrode 352 presses against the transverse length to bend the pin 3412 to form the second portion 11 . Based on the arrangement in this embodiment, the pin 3412 can be bent to form the second portion 11 electrically connected to the electrode 352 while the electrode 352 is extended into the position limit hole 800, without the need to bend the pin 3412 in advance, further simplifying the assembly process.

[0138] As shown in Fig. 12, in another embodiment of this invention, the pin 3412 has a first portion 12 extended into and located within the through hole 900 and a second portion 11 extended into and located within the position limit hole 800, and the first portion 12 and the second portion 11 are located in the same plane. A side face of the second portion 11 is in contact with an end face of the electrode 352.

[0139] As shown in Fig. 13, in another embodiment of this invention, the pin 3412 has a first portion 12 extended into and located within the through hole 900 and a second portion 11 extended into and located within the position limit hole 800, and the first portion 12 and the second portion 11 are located in the same plane. An end face of the second portion 11 is in contact with a side face of the electrode 352.

[0140] To increase the stability of the connection, when an end face of the second portion 11 of the pin 3412 is in contact with a side face of the electrode 352, the end face of the second portion 11 can be recessed to form an open ring, and the electrode 352 is inserted into the open ring. The opening of the open ring is sized to prevent the electrode from moving out of the opening. Based on the provision of the open ring in this embodiment, surrounding the electrode by the ring arrangement improves the stability of the connection, while increasing the contact area between the pin and the electrode, and overall improving the stability of the electrical connection.

[0141] In the structures shown in Figs. 12 and 13, preferably, the portion of the electrode 352 inserted into the position limit hole 800 is substantially perpendicular to the second portion 11. For example, the angle between the two is provided between 85° - 95°. Based on the roughly perpendicular arrangement in this embodiment, it can increase the contact area between the pin and the electrode, thus improving the stability of the electrical connection.

[0142] Figs. 14 - 15 are schematic diagrams elastic connections between the electrode and the pin in the aerosol provision system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 14, in one embodiment of this invention, to increase the stability of the connection between the electrode 352 and the pin 3412, the system is further provided with an elastic element 1000 configured to provide a force that makes the electrode and the pin to tend to each other. Based on the provision of the elastic element 1000 in this embodiment, the stability and tightness of the connection between the two is improved. The elastic connection can be used in conjunction with other connections such as pressure connections to further improve the stability of the connection. In one embodiment of this invention, a first contact surface and a second contact surface that are parallel to each other are formed between the electrode 352, the pin 3412 and an inner wall of the position limit hole 800; wherein, the electrode 352 is in contact with the pin 3412 on one side face to form the first contact surface, and is in contact with the inner wall on the opposite side face to form the second contact surface, or the pin 3412 is in contact with the electrode 352 on one side face to form the first contact surface, and is in contact with the inner wall on the opposite side face to form the second contact surface. The elastic element 1000 is located on at least one of the first contact surface and the second contact surface.

[0143] As shown in Fig. 14, the elastic element 1000 is arranged on the second contact surface where the electrode 352 is in contact with the inner wall of the position limit hole 800, as shown in Fig. 15, the elastic element 1000 is arranged on the second contact surface where the pin 3412 is in contact with the inner wall of the position limit hole 800; the elastic element 1000 may further arranged on the first contact surface where the electrode 352 is in contact with the pin 3412. It can be understood that the elastic element 1000 can be arranged on multiple first and second contact surfaces mentioned above.

[0144] It should be noted that when the elastic element 1000 is arranged on the first contact surface where the electrode 352 is in contact with the pin 3412, the material of the elastic element 1000 is preferably a conductive material.

[0145] In another embodiment of this invention, the elastic element 1000 may be an independent component or integrated with the position limit hole 800, the pin 3412, or the electrode 352. It may specifically be at least one of: the elastic element 1000 is the position limit hole, and the inner wall face of the position limit hole 800 is an elastic surface; and / or the elastic element 1000 is the pin 3412, and the side face of the pin 3412 close to the inner wall face of the position limit hole 800 is an elastic surface; and / or the elastic element 1000 is the electrode 352, and the side face of the electrode 352 close to the inner wall face of the position limit hole 800 is an elastic surface.

[0146] In one embodiment of this invention, the elastic element and elastic surface may be the plane, or may be corrugated as shown in Figs. 14 and 15.

[0147] In the description of this specification, the referential terminology "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" means that specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are comprised in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the indicative expression of the above-mentioned terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the described specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable way in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0148] Moreover, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used merely for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the characteristics defined as "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly comprise at least one such characteristic. In the description of this invention, the term "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0149] In this invention, unless explicitly defined and limited, terms such as "mounting," "connecting," "connection," "fixing," etc., should be understood broadly. For instance, the connection can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary medium, it can be the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless explicitly defined otherwise. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of these terms in the context of the invention based on the circumstances.

[0150] Although the embodiments of the invention have been shown and described above, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and should not be considered as limiting the invention. Those skilled in the art within the scope of the invention can make variations, modifications, replacements, and variations to the above-described embodiments.

Claims

Claims1. An aerosol provision system, wherein the system comprises: a proximal end and a distal end facing away from each other along a height direction; a mouthpiece, located at the proximal end; a heater element, having a pin; an atomizer holder provided with a position limit hole, the atomizer holder defining a chamber accommodating the heater element, and the position limit hole being provided with a first opening; and an electrode, extended from the first opening into the position limit hole and being in contact with the pin within the position limit hole; wherein the pin and the electrode are in a welding-free connection.

2. The aerosol provision system according to claim 1, wherein the atomizer holder is further provided with a through-hole in communication with the position limit hole, an angle is formed between axes of the through hole and the position limit hole, the through hole has a second opening facing away from the position limit hole, and the pin is inserted into the through hole from the second opening and at least partially extended into the position limit hole via the through hole.

3. The aerosol provision system according to claim 2, wherein the position limit hole extends along the height direction and is provided with the first opening in the side facing the distal end.

4. The aerosol provision system according to claim 2, wherein the pin has a first portion extended into and located within the through hole and a second portion extended into and located within the position limit hole, and there is a bending angle between the first portion and the second portion.

5. The aerosol provision system according to claim 4, wherein a side face of the electrode is in contact with a side face of the second portion.

6. The aerosol provision system according to claim 5, wherein the portion of the electrode inserted into the position limit hole is parallel to the second portion.

7. The aerosol provision system according to claim 5, wherein in a cross-sectional direction of the position limit hole, the pin has a transverse length that can be exposed within the channel of the position limit hole; andwherein the electrode is pushed against the transverse length during extending into the position limit hole to bend the pin to form the second portion.

8. The aerosol provision system according to claim 5, wherein the shapes of the two contact side faces of the second portion and the electrode are fitted.

9. The aerosol provision system according to claim 4, wherein the first portion and the second portion have the maximum thickness and / or maximum width at the bending angle.

10. The aerosol provision system according to claim 2, wherein the pin has a first portion extended into and located within the through hole and a second portion extended into and located within the position limit hole, and the first portion and the second portion are located in the same plane.

11. The aerosol provision system according to claim 10, wherein an end face of one of the second portion and the electrode is in contact with a side face of the other one thereof.

12. The aerosol provision system according to claim 11, wherein the portion of the electrode inserted into the position limit hole is perpendicular to the second portion.

13. The aerosol provision system according to claim 11, wherein an end face of the second portion is in contact with a side face of the electrode; and the end face of the second portion is recessed to form an open ring, and the electrode is inserted into the open ring.

14. The aerosol provision system according to claim 13, wherein the opening of the open ring is sized to prevent the electrode from moving out of the opening.

15. The aerosol provision system according to any one of claims 1 - 14, wherein the aerosol provision system further comprises an elastic element configured to provide a force that makes the electrode and the pin tend towards each other.

16. The aerosol provision system according to claim 15, wherein a first contact surface and a second contact surface that are parallel to each other are formed between the electrode, the pin and an inner wall of the position limit hole; wherein, the electrode is in contact with the pin on one side face to form the first contact surface, and the electrode is in contact with the inner wall on the opposite side face to form the second contact surface; or the pin is in contact with the electrode on one side face to form the first contact surface, and the pin is in contact with the inner wall on the opposite side face to form the second contact surface; andthe elastic element is located on the first contact surface or the second contact surface.

17. The aerosol provision system according to claim 15, wherein the elastic element is at least one of: the position limit hole, and the inner wall face of the position limit hole is an elastic surface; and I or the pin, and the side face of the pin close to the inner wall face of the position limit hole is an elastic surface; and I or the electrode, and the side face of the electrode close to the inner wall face of the position limit hole is an elastic surface.

18. The aerosol provision system according to claim 15, wherein the elastic element is corrugated.

19. The aerosol provision system according to claim 1, wherein the pin and the electrode are in a pressure connection, or elastic connection, or buckling connection, or magnetic adsorption connection, or adhesive connection.

20. The aerosol provision system according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol provision system further comprises: a housing; a power supply, the power supply being arranged within the housing, and configured to power the heater element through the electrode and the pin; and an aerosol-generating material accommodated within the housing.

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