Heat reservoir and heater assembly for aerosol provision system and aerosol provision system

Abstract

There is provided a heat reservoir and a heater assembly for an aerosol provision system, and an aerosol provision system. Wherein the heat reservoir comprises a thermal storage material with a porous structure, pores of the porous structure are in fluid communication with each other to form an air channel. And the thermal storage material comprises stacked particles and gaps enclosed by adjacent particles define the pores; or the thermal storage material comprises a three-dimensional sponge body, and the three-dimensional sponge body defines the pores therein.

Description

[0001] HEAT RESERVOIR AND HEATER ASSEMBLY FOR AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM AND AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of aerosol provision technology, particularly to a heat reservoir and a heater assembly for an aerosol provision system, and an aerosol provision system.

[0004] Background

[0005] The aerosol provision system comprises a heater assembly and an article containing aerosol generating materials. The system heats the article through the heater assembly to generate aerosols for users to puff.

[0006] Heat but not burn system is a typical application of the aerosol provision system. In existing technologies, the heater assembly of a heated but not burn system comprises a heat reservoir. The heat reservoir may be configured to store heat and use the stored heat to heat the air flowing through its interior. The heated air flows out to the article, such as cigarette, to preheat it. This can improve the heating uniformity of the article, thereby enhancing its taste and user experience.

[0007] The existing heat reservoir has an air channel inside for airflow to pass through. By utilizing convective heat exchange, the incoming cold air undergoes sufficient heat exchange with the heat reservoir, thereby heating the cold air into hot air.

[0008] Summary

[0009] In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system. The heat reservoir comprises a thermal storage material with a porous structure, wherein pores of the porous structure are in fluid communication with each other to form an air channel. The thermal storage material comprises stacked particles and gaps enclosed by adjacent particles define the pores; or the thermal storage material comprises a three-dimensional sponge body, and the three-dimensional sponge body defines the pores therein.

[0010] In embodiments, any of the aforementioned heat reservoir may be formed by stacked particles to form pores or by three-dimensional sponge bodies to form pores. Compared to existing technologies, the present application provides a new design of the heat reservoir. Due to the complex and diverse distribution of air channels provided by stacked particles or three- dimensional sponge bodies, different air channels can be designed to meet different product requirements. Furthermore, based on this, a tortuous and multi-directional air channel can be formed, which can achieve turbulent airflow in the air channel to improve the heat exchange efficiency. At the same time, the tortuous and multi-directional air channel can also increase the flow path and flow direction of airflow in the air channel, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency and the heating uniformity.

[0011] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, the thermal storage material may comprise the stacked particles, and the particles may comprise particles of at least two different particle sizes. Different particle sizes may facilitate the formation of pores of different sizes, thereby achieving diversified design of the air channels.

[0012] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, the thermal storage material may comprise the stacked particles, and the particles may have gaps with at least two different sizes therebetween to form the pores of different sizes.

[0013] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, the thermal storage material may comprise the stacked particles, and the particles may be one or more of round spheres, ellipsoids and irregular polyhedrons.

[0014] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, the thermal storage material may comprise the stacked particles, and the particles may form the pores having at least two axial directions tilted towards each other. By arranging pores that are inclined to each other, channels in different directions may be formed, which facilitates the formation of turbulent airflow in the channel, so as to improve the heat exchange efficiency.

[0015] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, the heat reservoir may comprise a plurality of laminated thermal diffusion layers, each thermal diffusion layer may be of the porous structure. Through the stacking arrangement, the pore direction and size of each layer can be independently designed, which is conducive to the diversified and complex design of overall air channel.

[0016] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, all the thermal diffusion layers may be stacked successively along a direction of the heat reservoir from air inflow to air outflow, or all the thermal diffusion layers may be coaxially columnar, and sleeved and stacked successively along a direction of the heat reservoir perpendicular to the direction from air inflow to air outflow.

[0017] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, the thermal storage material may comprise the stacked particles, at least part of the porous structure of the thermal diffusion layers may be formed by the gaps enclosed by adjacent particles, and the particles in at least one of the thermal diffusion layers may be of different particle sizes. In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, an air inlet and an air outlet of the air channel may be respectively arranged at two ends of the heat reservoir in its axial direction. And all the thermal diffusion layers may be stacked successively along the axial direction of the heat reservoir, and in the same thermal diffusion layer the particle size of peripheral particles may be larger than that of internal particles.

[0018] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, the thermal storage material may comprise the stacked particles, at least part of the porous structure of the thermal diffusion layers may be formed by the gaps enclosed by adjacent particles, and the particles in at least two adjacent thermal diffusion layers may be of different particle sizes.

[0019] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, an air inlet and an air outlet of the air channel may be respectively arranged at two ends of the heat reservoir in its axial direction. Thermal diffusion layers may be stacked successively along the axial direction of the heat reservoir, and along an extension direction from the air inlet to the air outlet, the particle size of the particles in the thermal diffusion layers shows an increasing trend. Or, the thermal diffusion layers may be sleeved successively along the radial direction of the heat reservoir, and the particle size of the particles in an outer thermal diffusion layer may be larger than that in an inner thermal diffusion layer.

[0020] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, the thermal storage material comprises the stacked particles, at least part of the porous structure of the thermal diffusion layers may be formed by the gaps enclosed by adjacent particles. And the thermal diffusion layers may comprise a first thermal diffusion layer and a second thermal diffusion layer that are adjacent, and an orthographic projection of the particles of the first thermal diffusion layer on the second thermal diffusion layer covers a gap enclosed by the particles in the second thermal diffusion layer. By arranging the orthographic projections of the pores in adjacent layers to overlap, the direction of airflow in the air channel changes. Multi directional air channel design may change the flow of the airflow into a turbulent state, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency. At the same time, utilizing multidirectional air channels can facilitate heat exchange between the airflow and the areas with different temperature of the heat reservoir, resulting in more uniform heating.

[0021] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, the air channel may have a plurality of channel sections in fluid communication with each other, and at least a part of axial directions of the channel sections may be inclined towards each other. By arranging the channel sections to be inclined relative to each other, the direction of airflow in the air channel changes, which improves the heat exchange efficiency and makes heating more uniform. In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, wherein at least two air channels may share at least one of the channel sections, to define a tortuous path for air in the heat reservoir. By arranging a shared air channel section, a tortuous path of the air channel may also be formed, the flow path of the airflow in the heat reservoir is increased, and the amount of heat that can be obtained by the airflow is increased.

[0022] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, the heat reservoir may further comprise a thermal conductive material coated on a surface of the porous structure or filled in the pores.

[0023] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, the thermal conductive material may be at least one of graphite and aluminium oxide.

[0024] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs for an aerosol provision system, the thermal storage material may be at least one of graphite and ceramics.

[0025] In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a heater assembly for an aerosol provision system, wherein the heater assembly comprises a heating element, configured to heat an aerosol article within the system, and a heat reservoir according to the first aspect configured to absorb heat from the heating element and to heat air passing through the air channel.

[0026] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned heater assemblies for an aerosol provision system, the heat reservoir and the aerosol article may be heated by the same heating element. Or, the heating element may comprise different heating elements, and the heat reservoir and the aerosol article may be heated by the different heating elements.

[0027] In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol provision system, wherein the system comprises the heater assembly according to the second aspect.

[0028] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned aerosol provision system, the heat reservoir may be located upstream of the aerosol article along the airflow direction.

[0029] In embodiments of any of the aforementioned aerosol provision system, the heat element may be at least partially located in the heat reservoir, or may be enclosed outside the heat reservoir.

[0030] In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system, the heat reservoir comprising a thermal storage material with a porous structure, wherein adjacent pores of the porous structure are in fluid communication to define an air channel; wherein the thermal storage material comprises one of: stacked particles, wherein gaps between adjacent particles of the stacked particles define the pores; and a three-dimensional sponge body, wherein the three-dimensional sponge body defines the pores. In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a heater assembly for an aerosol provision system, the heater assembly comprising: a heating element configured to heat an article comprising aerosol generating material; and the heat reservoir according to any of the aforementioned heat reservoirs, wherein the heat reservoir is configured to absorb heat from the heating element and to heat air passing through the air channel.

[0031] In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol provision system, the system comprises the heater assembly according any of the aforementioned heater assemblies.

[0032] The above one or more embodiments may have at least one or more beneficial effects as follows:

[0033] In embodiments, a heat reservoir may be formed by stacked particles to form a porous structure or a three-dimensional sponge body to form a porous structure. Compared to existing technologies, a new design for the heat reservoir is provided. Due to the complex and diverse distribution of air channels provided by stacked particles and three-dimensional sponge bodies, different air channels can be designed to meet different product requirements.

[0034] Furthermore, based on this, a tortuous and multi-directional air channel may be formed, which may achieve turbulent airflow in the air channel. At the same time, the flow path and flow direction of airflow in the air channel may be increased, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency and the heating uniformity, and the amount of heat that the airflow may obtain.

[0035] Additional aspects and advantages will be partially described in the following description, some will become apparent from the following description, and others will be learned through practice.

[0036] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0037] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the disclosed content will become easier to understand. It is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection. In addition, similar numbers in the figure are used to represent similar components, where:

[0038] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of stacked particles of a heat reservoir formed by using stacked particles;

[0039] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the stacked particles of a heat reservoir formed by using stacked particles;

[0040] Figures 3A and 3B are profile views of the thermal diffusion layers stacked along the direction from air inflow to air outflow in a heat reservoir formed by using stacked particles; Figures 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the thermal diffusion layers stacked along the direction perpendicular to air inflow to air outflow in a heat reservoir formed by using stacked particles;

[0041] Figure 5 is an internal structural diagram of a three-dimensional sponge body in a heat reservoir formed by using three-dimensional sponge bodies;

[0042] Figures 6A and 6B are structural diagrams of the heater assembly of an aerosol provision system;

[0043] Figure 7 is a structural diagram of the heater assembly of another aerosol provision system; and

[0044] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol provision system.

[0045] Detailed Description

[0046] The following describes some embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only for explaining technical principles and are not intended to limit the scope of protection.

[0047] 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 aerosol-generating 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.

[0048] 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. 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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 aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0055] 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.

[0056] In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosolgenerating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosolgenerating 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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 aerosolgenerating 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and / or antioxidants.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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 aerosolgenerating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosolmodifying 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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 aerosolmodifying 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.

[0080] 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 aerosol-generating 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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 aerosolgenerating 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] Embodiment one

[0085] Embodiment one provides a heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system. The heat reservoir comprises a thermal storage material with a porous structure, wherein the pores of the porous structure are in fluid communication with each other to form an air channel. The heat reservoir may be provided with an air inlet and an air outlet. When external cold air enters the air channel through the air inlet, it will exchange heat with the heat stored in the heat reservoir. The cold air may be thus heated and may heat the article after flowing out through the air outlet.

[0086] The porous structure of the heat reservoir may be formed in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, the porous structure may be formed by stacked particles. As shown in Figure 1 , gaps are enclosed by adjacent particles 11 , and pores 12 are formed by the gaps. The plurality of pores 12 formed by stacking a plurality of particles 11 form the porous structure inside the heat reservoir.

[0087] In embodiments, the gaps may also be referred to as being between and / or defined by adjacent particles.

[0088] In the embodiments, pores of different sizes, shapes, and directions may be formed by adjusting the properties of the particles, such as particle size, particle shape, the number of particles forming the pores, and the arrangement positions of the particles, thereby forming different air channels to meet different requirements.

[0089] Figure 2 shows a profile view of stacked particles in a viewing direction in one embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, particles 21 have different shapes, such as round spheres, ellipsoids, other polygonal bodies, etc. In addition, it may also be other irregular polyhedrons not shown in the figure. The number of particles forming a pore may be different. For example, pore 22 is formed by gaps between three particles, pore 23 is formed by gaps between four particles, and pore 24 is formed by gaps between seven particles. In addition, as shown in Figure 2, the particle size of the particles may be provided to be different. Based on the above differences, pores with different diameters may be formed, such as pore 23. Of course, based on the above differences, pores of different shapes and directions may also be formed.

[0090] It is understandable that based on the multiple properties of the particles, these properties may be adjusted to form different pores. Further, by providing different pores, diverse and complex air channels may be formed. Compared to existing technologies, it is easier to form diverse and complex air channels to meet the different requirements of different products.

[0091] From the perspective of the particles themselves, in embodiments, the particle size, size, shape, and the number of particles forming the pores of the stacked particles may be all the same. In an alternative embodiment, at least one of the particle size, size, and shape of the stacked particles may be different.

[0092] From the perspective of the formed pores, in embodiments, the diameter, shape, and extension direction of the pores may be all the same. In an alternative embodiment, at least one of the diameter, shape, and extension direction of the pores may be different. For example, forming two pores having axial directions tilted towards each other. Two pores having axial directions tilted towards each other may be formed between a same particle and its adjacent particles.

[0093] From the perspective of the formed air channel, in embodiments, the air channels of the heat reservoir may be straight channels in a single direction or channels that may be perpendicular to each other. The state of the airflow when passing through a straight channel may be laminar state. Since the airflow in the laminar state has a laminar boundary when passing through the heat reservoir, the convective heat exchange capacity of the airflow has not reached the maximum. Moreover, when the airflow passes through the straight channel, the heat exchange time with the heat reservoir may be relatively short, and the heat exchange area may be small, so it may not fully exchange heat with the internal of the heat reservoir. Based on these considerations, in embodiments, the heat reservoir may be provided with multi-directional tortuous air channels. The air channel has a plurality of channel sections in fluid communication with each other, and at least a part of axial directions of the channel sections may be inclined towards each other. In a further embodiment, there may be at least two air channels sharing at least one of the channel sections, to define a tortuous path for air in the heat reservoir. In this embodiment, based on the formed multi-directional air channels, the incoming airflow may be placed in a turbulent state, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0094] There may be temperature differences at different locations inside the heat reservoir, such as higher temperatures in areas close to the heating source and lower temperatures in areas far away from the heating source. Using a straight channel may cause the incoming airflow to flow continuously along the high or low temperature areas, resulting in uneven heating of the airflow passing through different air channels in different areas. In the present application, a complex multi-directional air channel may be designed to allow a same air channel to pass through both high-temperature and low- temperature areas, thereby uniformly heating the airflow.

[0095] In addition, the use of complex multi-directional air channels prolongs the flow path of airflow in the air channels, increases the heat exchange area and time, and thus increases the amount of heat obtained by the airflow from the heat reservoir.

[0096] In order to further facilitate the formation of air channels with high complexity, in embodiments, the heat reservoir may comprise a plurality of laminated thermal diffusion layers, each thermal diffusion layer may be of the porous structure. And at least one layer of the thermal diffusion layer may be formed by stacked particles. Through the stacking arrangement, different particle designs may be made for different thermal diffusion layers as above to further enrich the design of the air channels.

[0097] It should be noted that in embodiments, there is no specific limitation on the directional arrangement of the thermal diffusion layer. Without violating the inventive concept, users can adjust it according to their actual requirements.

[0098] Figures 3A and 3B show cross-sectional views of a partial structure of one of the heat reservoirs along its length direction. As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the thermal diffusion layers 31 are formed by stacked particles 32, and the thermal diffusion layers 31 are stacked successively along a direction of the heat reservoir from air inflow to air outflow. Figures 4A and 4B show cross-sectional views of a partial structure of another one of the heat reservoirs along a direction perpendicular to its length direction. As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the thermal diffusion layers 41 are formed by stacked particles 42. The thermal diffusion layers 41 are coaxially columnar, and sleeved and stacked successively along a direction of the heat reservoir perpendicular to the direction from air inflow to air outflow.

[0099] It should be noted that in embodiments, the particle size of the thermal diffusion layer is not specifically limited. Without violating the inventive concept, users can adjust it according to their actual requirements. As shown in Figure 3A, the particle size of the particles 32 in all thermal diffusion layers 31 may be provided to be the same. As shown in Figure 3B, the particle size of the particles in at least one thermal diffusion layer may be provided to be different. As shown in Figure 4A, the particle size of particles 42 in adjacent thermal diffusion layers 41 may be provided to be different. As shown in Figure 4B, the particle size of particles 42 of adjacent thermal diffusion layers 41 and the particle size of the particles 42 of each thermal diffusion layer 41 may also be provided to be different. Furthermore, the particle size may also be provided to change regularly.

[0100] Different particle sizes of the same diffusion layer and / or different particle sizes of adjacent diffusion layers may make the corresponding pores have different diameters, and thus make the corresponding pore densities different. The difference in diameters and pore densities may adjust the amount of heat obtained by the airflow and the uniformity of the flow. The present application may make corresponding arrangement for the particle size and pore density of diffusion layer based on different purposes.

[0101] In embodiments, we aim to reduce the uneven heating of the article caused by temperature differences between different areas of the heat reservoir by adjusting the particle size. Based on different heating methods, different particle size adjustments may be made.

[0102] Taking the heat reservoir using peripheral heating as an example, the heat reservoir using peripheral heating heats from the periphery towards the interior, and the temperature of the periphery may be generally higher than that of the interior. This may cause the airflow passing through the peripheral area to obtain a temperature increase higher than the airflow passing through the internal area. Considering that the greater the pore density, the more complex the air channel, the more heat exchange, and the more airflow passes through. In embodiments, as shown in Figure 3, the air inlet and the air outlet of the air channel may be respectively arranged at two ends of the heat reservoir in its axial direction, the thermal diffusion layers may be stacked successively along the axial direction of the heat reservoir, and in the same thermal diffusion layer the particle size of peripheral particles may be larger than that of internal particles. Based on this arrangement, the pore density of the peripheral area may be made smaller than the pore density of the internal area, so that the airflow passing through the internal air channel may be more than the airflow passing through the air channel of the peripheral area, and the airflow passing through the internal air channel may undergo more heat exchange. This further reduces the temperature difference between the airflow flowing out from the internal air channel and the airflow flowing out from the peripheral air channel. And the article area corresponding to the internal air channel may obtain more airflow relative to the article area corresponding to the peripheral air channel. This compensates for the uneven heating of the article caused by the low temperature of the airflow near the interior.

[0103] Figure 4A shows an alternative embodiment, in which the air inlet and the air outlet of the air channel may be respectively arranged at two ends of the heat reservoir in its axial direction, the thermal diffusion layers may be sleeved successively along the radial direction of the heat reservoir, and the particle size of the particles in an outer thermal diffusion layer may be larger than that in an inner thermal diffusion layer. This makes the outer pore density smaller than the inner pore density. As a result, the airflow passing through the internal air channel may be more than the airflow passing through the air channel of the peripheral area, and the airflow passing through the internal air channel may undergo more heat exchange. This further reduces the temperature difference between the airflow flowing out from the internal air channel and the airflow flowing out from the peripheral air channel. And the article area corresponding to the internal air channel may obtain more airflow relative to the article area corresponding to the peripheral air channel. This compensates for the uneven heating of the article caused by the low temperature of the airflow near the interior.

[0104] For a heat reservoir using central heating, the internal temperature may be generally higher than the peripheral temperature, and the peripheral heat dissipates outward, so the peripheral temperature may be lower than the internal temperature. Based on this, in embodiments, when the thermal diffusion layers are stacked successively along a direction of the heat reservoir from air inflow to air outflow, in the same thermal diffusion layer the particle size of peripheral particles may be larger than that of internal particles. Alternatively, the thermal diffusion layers may be sleeved successively along the radial direction of the heat reservoir, and the particle size of the particles in an outer thermal diffusion layer may be smaller than that in an inner thermal diffusion layer. Based on this, the pore density of the peripheral area may be made greater than the pore density of the internal area, so that the airflow passing through the peripheral air channel may be more than the airflow passing through the internal air channel, and the airflow passing through the peripheral air channel may undergo more heat exchange. This reduces the temperature difference between the airflow flowing out from the internal air channel and the airflow flowing out from the peripheral air channel. And the article area corresponding to the peripheral air channel may obtain more airflow relative to the article area corresponding to the internal air channel. This compensates for the uneven heating of the article caused by the low temperature of the airflow near the periphery.

[0105] The heating source of a heat reservoir may be generally located near the air inflow side and away from the air outflow side, so that once the airflow enters the heat reservoir, effective heat exchange may be carried out to increase the temperature. Based on this, the temperature on the air outflow side of the heat reservoir may be generally lower than the temperature of the air inflow side. Therefore, in embodiments, in order to avoid cooling of the heated airflow on the air outflow side, we hope that the airflow can stay as close to the air inflow side as possible for heating, and flow out as soon as possible near the air outflow side to avoid cooling. Based on this, in embodiments, the air inlet and the air outlet of the air channel may be respectively arranged at two ends of the heat reservoir in its axial direction, the thermal diffusion layers may be stacked successively along the axial direction of the heat reservoir, and along an extension direction from the air inlet to the air outlet, the particle size of the particles in the thermal diffusion layers shows an increasing trend. Based on this, the diameter of the thermal diffusion layer near the air inlet position may be made small, the pore density may be made large, and the air channels may be made complex and multi-directional, thus enabling sufficient heat exchange to raise the temperature. The diameter of the thermal diffusion layer near the air outlet position maybe made large, the pore density may be made small, and the airflow can flow out quickly to the article for heating.

[0106] It can be understood that in embodiments, the air inlet and the air outlet of the air channel may be respectively arranged at two ends of the heat reservoir in its axial direction, the thermal diffusion layers may be sleeved successively along the radial direction of the heat reservoir, and along an extension direction of each thermal diffusion layer from the air inlet to the air outlet, the particle size of the particles in the thermal diffusion layers shows an increasing trend. So, the diameter of the thermal diffusion layer near the air inlet position may be made small, the pore density may be made large, and the air channels may be made complex and multi-directional, thus enabling sufficient heat exchange to raise the temperature. The diameter of the thermal diffusion layer near the air outlet position may be made large, the pore density may be made small, and the airflow can flow out quickly to the article for heating. In addition to the above configuration, in embodiments, the thermal diffusion layer formed by stacked particles may also comprise a first thermal diffusion layer and a second thermal diffusion layer that are adjacent, and an orthographic projection of the particles of the first thermal diffusion layer on the second thermal diffusion layer covers a gap enclosed by the particles in the second thermal diffusion layer. In this way, the axial direction of the pores in adjacent diffusion layers deviates, so that the direction of the formed air channel changes. Based on this, multi-directional air channels may be formed. Moreover, the deviated pores may be connected to the pores in other directions to form more tortuous air channels, thereby increasing the path and direction of the airflow and improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0107] In addition to the porous structure formed by stacked particles, some embodiments also provide a heat reservoir formed by three-dimensional sponge body. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an internal air channel formed by a three-dimensional sponge body. It can be understood that the pore directions in the three-dimensional sponge body may be diverse, and the connectivity between the pores may be complex and diverse, thus forming complex internal air channels.

[0108] In embodiments, different three-dimensional sponge bodies may be arranged to form different thermal diffusion layers, and a heat reservoir may be formed by stacking the thermal diffusion layers. Further adjustments may be made to the diameter and pore density in the thermal diffusion layer to achieve a better result.

[0109] For example, the air inlet and the air outlet of the air channel may be respectively arranged at two ends of the heat reservoir in its axial direction, the three-dimensional sponge bodies of different layers may be stacked successively along the axial direction of the heat reservoir, and along an extension direction from the air inlet to the air outlet, the diameter of the thermal diffusion layer shows an increasing trend. This can be achieved by choosing between compact sponge bodies and loose sponge bodies. Based on this, the diameter of the thermal diffusion layer near the air inlet position can be made small, the pore density can be made large, and the air channels may be made complex and multi-directional, thus enabling sufficient heat exchange to raise the temperature. The diameter of the thermal diffusion layer near the air outlet position can be made large, the pore density may be made small, and the airflow can flow out quickly to the article for heating.

[0110] It can be understood that the air inlet and the air outlet of the air channel may be respectively arranged at two ends of the heat reservoir in its axial direction, the three- dimensional sponge bodies of different layers may be sleeved successively along the radial direction of the heat reservoir, and along an outward direction of the radial direction, the diameter shows an increasing trend to adapt to the peripheral heating mode, or the diameter shows an decreasing trend to adapt to the central heating mode.

[0111] In embodiments, the thermal diffusion layer may be implemented entirely using stacked particles or entirely using three-dimensional sponge bodies. In alternative embodiments, partially stacked particles and partially three-dimensional sponge bodies may be used, and the thermal diffusion layer formed by the particles and sponge bodies may be arranged crosswise.

[0112] In the above embodiments, the stacked particles may form a porous membrane to form a thermal diffusion layer for stacking.

[0113] In the above embodiments, the thermal storage material may be selected from at least one of graphite and ceramics.

[0114] In embodiments, to increase the thermal conductivity, a thermal conductive material may be coated on a surface of the porous structure and / or filled in the pores.

[0115] It should be understood that the heat reservoirs or their internal structures shown in Figures 1 to 5 are only given as examples, and other variations can also be used in the present application.

[0116] Embodiment two

[0117] Corresponding to the heat reservoir provided in Embodiment one, Embodiment two provides a heater assembly. Figures 6A and 6B are structural diagrams of the heater assembly provided in Embodiment two. As shown in Figure 6, the heater assembly 60 comprises a heating element 610 and a heat reservoir 620. Wherein the heating element 610 may be configured to heat an aerosol article 630 and the heat reservoir 620 within a system. The aerosol article 630 is not a component of the heater assembly 60. The aerosol article shown in the figure is only for the convenience of explaining the function of the heater assembly 60. The heat reservoir 620 may be configured to absorb heat from the heating element and to heat air flowing through the air channel. And the heat reservoir 620 can be the same or similar to the heat reservoir of the Embodiment one.

[0118] It should be noted that in embodiments, there is no specific limitation on the number and type of the heating elements. Without violating the inventive concept, users can adjust them according to actual requirements.

[0119] As an exemplary and non-restrictive description, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, in the embodiments, the heat reservoir and the aerosol article share the same heating element, that is, the same heating element is responsible for heating both the heat reservoir and the aerosol article simultaneously. The same heating element may be one or more.

[0120] Under the premise of using the same heating element, the heating element may be a central heating element, such as the heating needle shown in Figure 6A. In an alternative embodiment, the heating element may be a peripheral heating element, such as the tubular heating element wrapping the aerosol article and the heat reservoir as shown in Figure 6B. When multiple heating elements are used, different types of heating elements can be selected.

[0121] As another embodiment, the heat reservoir and the aerosol article in the embodiment may also be heated by different heating elements respectively. As shown in Figure 7, the heater assembly 70 comprises heating elements 710 and a heat reservoir 720. The heating elements are configured to heat an aerosol article 730 and the heat reservoir 720 within a system. The heating elements 710 comprise a first heating element 711 and a second heating element 712, wherein the first heating element 711 heats the heat reservoir 720, and the second heating element 712 heats the aerosol article 730.

[0122] Under the premise of using different heating elements, the first heating element 711 and the second heating element 712 may be the same type of heating element, such as a central heating element or a peripheral heating element. In an alternative embodiment, the first heating element 711 and the second heating element 712 may be different types of heating elements, as shown in Figure 7. The first heating element 711 may be a peripheral heating element, while the second heating element 712 may be a central heating element.

[0123] Different heat reservoir designs may be used for different heating elements. This may be referred to in respect the description of Embodiment one and will not be described in detail here.

[0124] In a further embodiment, the heating characteristics jointly brought by the heating elements used in the aerosol article and the heating element used in the heat reservoir may be combined to adaptively adjust the diameter and pore density distribution of the heat reservoir to balance the disadvantages brought by the heating element and improve the heating uniformity and the heat exchange efficiency. In one embodiment, when using a central heating element for the aerosol article, considering that the temperature around the article is lower than the central temperature, the arrangement of the heat reservoir may be adjusted to provide more and higher temperature airflow around the article.

[0125] Embodiment three

[0126] Embodiment three provides an aerosol provision system. Figure 8 shows a structural diagram of the aerosol provision system. As shown in Figure 8, the aerosol provision system 80 comprises a housing 810 with an internal chamber and a heater assembly located in the internal chamber. The heater assembly can be the same or similar to the heater assembly in Embodiment two.

[0127] The heater assembly comprises a heat reservoir 820 and a heating element 830. The aerosol provision system 80 further comprises an aerosol article 840. The heating element 830 may be configured to heat the aerosol article 840 and the heat reservoir 820. The heating element 830 may be configured to be at least partially located in the heat reservoir 820 for central heating, or to be enclosed outside the heat reservoir 820 for peripheral heating. In an alternative embodiment, the heating element 830 may also be electromagnetic, infrared, electromagnetic wave heating, etc.

[0128] The heat reservoir 820 may be provided with an air inlet 821 , an air outlet 823, and an air channel 822 connecting the air inlet and the air outlet. The heat reservoir 820 may be located upstream of the aerosol article 840 along the airflow direction, to flow the heated air out to the aerosol article 840 for heating.

[0129] Referring to Figure 8, one end of the housing 810 is provided with an article insertion port 811. The housing 810 also has a housing air inlet 812. The housing air inlet 812 can be provided at one end of the article insertion port 811 or at other positions of the housing 810. The housing air inlet 812 is in fluid communication with the air inlet 821 of the heat reservoir 820.

[0130] In a further embodiment, the aerosol provision system 80 may also comprise a power supply (battery assembly) 850 and a microcontroller 860 arranged in the chamber. The power supply 850 may be configured to supply power to the heating element 830 under the control of the microcontroller 860. The heat generated by the heating element 830 when powered on atomizes the aerosol generating material in the aerosol article 840.

[0131] The power supply 850 may be configured to supply power, which may specifically be a battery assembly. In other embodiments, the battery may be replaced by a portable power source (e.g., a capacitive power storage such as a supercapacitor or a ultracapacitor), a mechanical power source (e.g., a mechanical power spring or a generator), or an alternative chemical energy source (e.g., a fuel cell).

[0132] Specifically, when the aerosol provision system is used, the heating element 830 operates to heat the heat reservoir 820 and the aerosol article 840. External cold air enters the air channel 822 of the heat reservoir through the air inlet 821 , and exchanges heat with the heat reservoir 820 to increase the temperature and become hot air when passing through the air channel 822. The hot air flows out to the aerosol article 840 through the air outlet 823 to heat the aerosol article 840.

[0133] Compared to existing technologies, the present application provides a new heat reservoir formed by stacked particles and / or three-dimensional sponge bodies. Furthermore, stacked particles and three-dimensional sponge bodies are convenient for forming diverse and complex air channels, so different air channels can be designed to meet different product requirements. When using it to form tortuous and multi-directional air channels, turbulent airflow in the air channels may be achieved, and the path, direction, and heat exchange area of airflow in the air channels may be increased, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency and heating uniformity, and increasing the amount of heat that the airflow may obtain.

[0134] 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.

[0135] 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, the term "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0136] 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 relevant context based on the circumstances.

[0137] Although embodiments have been shown and described above, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and should not be considered as limiting. Those skilled in the art within the scope can make variations, modifications, replacements, and variations to the above-described embodiments.

Claims

Claims1. A heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system, the heat reservoir comprising a thermal storage material with a porous structure, wherein adjacent pores of the porous structure are in fluid communication to define an air channel; wherein the thermal storage material comprises one of: stacked particles, wherein gaps between adjacent particles of the stacked particles define the pores; and a three-dimensional sponge body, wherein the three-dimensional sponge body defines the pores.

2. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to claim 1, wherein the thermal storage material comprises the stacked particles, and wherein the particles of the stacked particles comprise particles of at least two different particle sizes.

3. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thermal storage material comprises the stacked particles, and wherein the particles define gaps of at least two different sizes such that the pores of the porous structure comprise at least two different sizes.

4. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, wherein the thermal storage material comprises the stacked particles, and wherein the particles are one or more of round spheres, ellipsoids and irregular polyhedrons.

5. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to any of claims 1 to4, wherein the thermal storage material comprises the stacked particles, and wherein the particles define the pores having at least two axial directions tilted towards each other.

6. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to any of claims 1 to5, wherein the heat reservoir comprises a plurality of laminated thermal diffusion layers, wherein each thermal diffusion layer comprises the porous structure.

7. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to claim 6, wherein all the thermal diffusion layers are configured to be stacked successively along a direction of the heat reservoir from air inflow to air outflow, or wherein all the thermal diffusion layers are configured to be coaxially columnar, and sleeved and stacked successively along a direction of the heat reservoir perpendicular to the direction from air inflow to air outflow.

8. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to claim 6, wherein the thermal storage material comprises the stacked particles, wherein at least part of the porous structure of the thermal diffusion layers is formed by the gaps between adjacent particles, and wherein the particles in at least one of the thermal diffusion layers are of different particle sizes.

9. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to claim 8, wherein the heat reservoir comprises an axis, and wherein an air inlet and an air outlet of the air channel are respectively arranged at a first axial end and a second axial end of the heat reservoir, and wherein all the thermal diffusion layers are configured to be stacked successively along the axial direction of the heat reservoir, and in the same thermal diffusion layer the particle size of peripheral particles is larger than that of internal particles.

10. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to claim 6, wherein the thermal storage material comprises the stacked particles, a portion of the porous structure of the thermal diffusion layers is formed by the gaps between adjacent particles, and the particles in at least two adjacent thermal diffusion layers are of different particle sizes.

11. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to claim 10, wherein the heat reservoir comprises an axis, and wherein an air inlet and an air outlet of the air channel are respectively arranged at a first axial end and a second axial end of the heat reservoir; the thermal diffusion layers are configured to be stacked successively along the axial direction of the heat reservoir, and in a direction extending from the air inlet to the air outlet, the particle size of the particles increases in at least some successive thermal diffusion layers, or wherein the thermal diffusion layers are configured to be sleeved successively along the radial direction of the heat reservoir, and wherein an outer thermal diffusion layer comprises particles of a greater particle size than an inner thermal diffusion layer.

12. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to claim 6, wherein the thermal storage material comprises the stacked particles, wherein a portion the porous structure of the thermal diffusion layers is formed by the gaps between adjacent particles, wherein the thermal diffusion layers comprise a first thermal diffusion layer and a second thermal diffusion layer that are adjacent, and wherein an orthographic projection of theparticles of the first thermal diffusion layer on the second thermal diffusion layer covers a gap between the particles in the second thermal diffusion layer.

13. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the air channel has a plurality of channel sections in fluid communication with each other, and at least a part of axial directions of the channel sections are inclined towards each other.

14. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to claim 13, wherein there are at least two air channels sharing at least one of the channel sections to define a tortuous path for air in the heat reservoir.

15. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the heat reservoir further comprises a thermal conductive material coated on a surface of the porous structure or filled in the pores.

16. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to claim 15, wherein the thermal conductive material comprises at least one of graphite and aluminum oxide.

17. The heat reservoir for an aerosol provision system according to one of claims 1 to 12, the thermal storage material comprises at least one of graphite and ceramics.

18. A heater assembly for an aerosol provision system, the heater assembly comprising: a heating element configured to heat an article comprising aerosol generating material; and the heat reservoir according to any of claims 1 to 17, wherein the heat reservoir is configured to absorb heat from the heating element and to heat air passing through the air channel.

19. The heater assembly for an aerosol provision system according to claim 18, wherein the heat reservoir and the aerosol article are configured to be heated by the same heating element, or the heating element comprises different heating elements, and wherein the heat reservoir and the aerosol article are configured to be heated by the different heating elements.

20. An aerosol provision system, the system comprises the heater assembly according to claim 18 or 19.

21. The aerosol provision system according to claim 20, wherein the heat reservoir is located upstream of the aerosol article along the airflow direction.

22. The aerosol provision system according to claim 20, wherein the heat element is at least partially located in the heat reservoir, or is enclosed outside the heat reservoir.

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