KR20240009427A - Aerosol delivery device - Google Patents

Abstract

An aerosol presentation device (702) is disclosed, comprising a mouthpiece (726) and one or more first aerosol generating zones (730) located at a first distance (d1) from the mouthpiece (726). One or more second aerosol generating zones 731 are located within a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece 726, where d2 > d1. The aerosol presentation device 702 further comprises one or more first aerosol delivery channels 710 arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more first aerosol generating zones 730 to the mouthpiece 726, one One or more first aerosol delivery channels 710 have a first cross-section or other profile, and one or more second aerosol delivery channels 711 direct aerosol generated from one or more second aerosol generating zones 731 to the mouse. Arranged to communicate with piece 726, the one or more second aerosol delivery channels 711 have a second cross-section or other profile, the second cross-section or other profile being different from the first cross-section or other profile.

Description

Aerosol delivery device

The present invention relates to aerosol-providing devices, aerosol-generating articles, aerosol-providing systems, and methods of generating aerosols.

Electronic aerosol delivery systems, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), generally have a reservoir of source liquid, typically containing a formulation containing nicotine, from which the aerosol is emitted, e.g. For example, it is produced through heat vaporisation. Accordingly, an aerosol source for an aerosol delivery system may comprise a heater having a heating element arranged to receive source liquid from a reservoir, for example via wicking/capillary action. While the user inhales from the aerosol delivery device, power is supplied to the heating element, which vaporizes the source liquid near the heating element to produce an aerosol for inhalation by the user. Such aerosol delivery devices are typically provided with one or more air inlet holes located distal to the mouthpiece end of the system. When a user sucks on a mouthpiece connected to the mouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn through the inlet holes and past the aerosol source. There is a flow path connecting the aerosol source and the mouthpiece opening, such that air drawn past the aerosol source continues to move along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying with it a portion of the aerosol from the aerosol source. Aerosol carrying air exits the aerosol delivery system through the mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.

Other aerosol-producing devices generate aerosols from solid materials such as tobacco or tobacco derivatives. Such devices operate in a broadly similar manner to the liquid-based systems described above in that the solid tobacco material is heated to its vaporization temperature to produce an aerosol, which is subsequently inhaled by the user.

In most aerosol delivery devices, users seek consistent delivery from puff to puff so that each puff tastes the same and/or provides the same desired effect. However, the aerosol delivery devices described above are not always able to provide consistent delivery.

Various approaches attempted to help solve some of these problems are described.

According to one aspect, an aerosol delivery device is provided, the aerosol delivery device comprising:

mouthpiece;

one or more first aerosol generating zones located within a first distance d1 from the mouthpiece;

one or more second aerosol generating zones located within a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece, where d2 > d1;

one or more first aerosol delivery channels arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more first aerosol generating zones to the mouthpiece, the one or more first aerosol delivery channels having a first cross-section or other profile; and

comprising one or more second aerosol delivery channels arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more second aerosol generating zones to the mouthpiece, the one or more second aerosol delivery channels having a second cross-section or other profile, The second cross-section or other profile is different from the first cross-section or other profile.

According to various embodiments, the cross-sectional areas of the delivery channels from the aerosol generating regions located closer to the mouthpiece can be arranged to be larger than those located further away from the mouthpiece, such that the respective delivery channels The effective air-path volume is more similar, and thus more consistent aerosol delivery can be provided.

Alternatively, it has been recognized that the volume in which an aerosol can be formed can control the rate at which the aerosol is formed. In particular, providing a larger volume for aerosol formation can allow the desired aerosol to be generated more quickly.

Delivery of aerosol from aerosol generating zones located farther from the mouthpiece can typically take longer than from aerosol generating zones located closer to the mouthpiece. Applicants have identified that providing increased volume for aerosol formation can cause aerosols to form more rapidly. Accordingly, the cross-sectional areas of delivery channels from aerosol generating regions located closer to the mouthpiece may be larger than those located farther from the mouthpiece, thereby reducing aerosol delivery due to greater distance from the mouthpiece. The increased time for is offset by the decreased time required for aerosol formation. Such a system may allow for more consistent delivery time of aerosol from aerosol generation zones located at different distances from the mouthpiece, thereby providing an improved user experience.

Optionally, the first cross-section or other profile is larger than the second cross-section or other profile.

Optionally, the effective air path volume of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels is approximately equal to the effective air path volume of the one or more second aerosol delivery channels.

Optionally, the cross-section or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels and one or more second aerosol delivery channels are such that the amount of aerosol provided from the one or more first aerosol generating zones and one or more second aerosol generating zones It is configured to be substantially identical.

Optionally, the second cross-section or other profile is larger than the first cross-section or other profile.

Optionally, the cross-section or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels and one or more second aerosol delivery channels are such that the delivery rate of the aerosol from the first aerosol generation zones and the second aerosol generation zones to the outlet is substantially It is configured to be identical.

Optionally, the aerosol presentation device comprises a central aerosol delivery channel, wherein one or more first aerosol delivery channels and one or more second aerosol delivery channels are formed within the central aerosol delivery channel.

Optionally, the central aerosol delivery channel has a tapered cross-section or other profile.

Optionally, the one or more first aerosol delivery channels are separate from the one or more second aerosol delivery channels.

Optionally, the aerosol providing device further comprises one or more heating elements for heating one or more aerosol generating zones.

Optionally, the one or more heating elements include one or more resistive or inductive heating elements.

According to another aspect, an aerosol delivery system is provided, the aerosol delivery system comprising:

an aerosol delivery device as described above; and

and aerosol-generating articles comprising portions of aerosol-generating materials.

According to another aspect, an aerosol-generating article is provided, the aerosol-generating article comprising:

exit;

one or more first portions of aerosol-generating material located at a first distance d1 from the outlet;

one or more second portions of aerosol-generating material located at a second distance d2 from the outlet, where d2 > d1;

one or more first aerosol delivery channels arranged to communicate aerosol generated from one or more first portions of the aerosol-generating material to an outlet, the one or more first aerosol delivery channels having a first cross-section or other profile; and

comprising one or more second aerosol delivery channels arranged to communicate aerosol generated from one or more second portions of the aerosol-generating material to the outlet, the one or more second aerosol delivery channels having a second cross-section or other profile; The second cross-section or other profile is different from the first cross-section or other profile.

Optionally, the one or more first aerosol delivery channels have a larger cross-section or a different profile than the one or more second aerosol delivery channels.

Optionally, the effective air path volume of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels is approximately equal to the effective air path volume of the one or more second aerosol delivery channels.

Optionally, the cross-section or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels and one or more second aerosol delivery channels are such that the amount of aerosol provided from the one or more first aerosol generating zones and one or more second aerosol generating zones It is configured to be substantially identical.

Optionally, the one or more second aerosol delivery channels have a larger cross-section or a different profile than the one or more first aerosol delivery channels.

Optionally, the cross-section or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels and one or more second aerosol delivery channels are such that the delivery rate of the aerosol from the one or more first aerosol generation zones and one or more second aerosol production zones is It is configured to be substantially identical.

Optionally, the aerosol-generating article comprises a central aerosol delivery channel, wherein one or more first aerosol delivery channels and one or more second aerosol delivery channels are formed within the central aerosol delivery channel.

Optionally, the cross-section or other profile of the central aerosol delivery channel is tapered.

Optionally, the one or more first aerosol delivery channels are separate from the one or more second aerosol delivery channels.

According to another aspect, an aerosol delivery system is provided, the aerosol delivery system comprising:

Aerosol-generating articles as described above; and

An aerosol-providing device configured to receive an aerosol-generating article, wherein the aerosol-providing device is configured to generate an aerosol from portions of the aerosol-generating material.

According to another aspect, a method is provided for generating an aerosol, comprising:

Providing an aerosol delivery device, the aerosol delivery device comprising: a mouthpiece; one or more first aerosol generating zones located within a first distance d1 from the mouthpiece; comprising one or more second aerosol generating zones located within a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece, where d2 > d1;

communicating an aerosol generated from one or more first aerosol generating zones to the mouthpiece through one or more first aerosol delivery channels having a first cross-section or other profile; and

communicating aerosol generated from one or more second aerosol generating zones to the mouthpiece through one or more second aerosol delivery channels having a second cross-section or other profile, wherein the second cross-section or other profile is connected to the first cross-section. Or it is different from another profile.

According to another aspect, a method is provided for generating an aerosol, comprising:

providing an aerosol-generating article, the aerosol-generating article comprising: an outlet; one or more first portions of aerosol-generating material located at a first distance d1 from the outlet; comprising one or more second portions of aerosol-generating material located at a second distance d2 from the outlet, where d2 > d1;

communicating an aerosol generated from one or more first portions of the aerosol-generating material to an outlet through one or more first aerosol delivery channels having a first cross-section or other profile; and

communicating aerosol generated from one or more second portions of the aerosol-generating material to the outlet through one or more second aerosol delivery channels having a second cross-section or other profile, wherein the second cross-section or other profile comprises the first Different from cross section or other profile.

The features and aspects of the invention described above in relation to the first and other aspects of the invention are equivalent to the specific combinations described above as well as to embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the invention as appropriate. It will be understood that they are applicable and combinable.

Various embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device and an aerosol generating article.
Figure 2A is a top-down view of the aerosol-generating article of Figure 1, Figure 2B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the longitudinal (length) axis of the aerosol-generating article, and Figure 2C is a side view along the width axis of the aerosol-generating article.
Figure 3 is a top-down cross-sectional view of the heating elements of the aerosol presentation device of Figure 1;
4 is a top-down view of an exemplary touch-sensitive panel for operating various functions of an aerosol delivery system.
Figure 5 is an example of a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device and an aerosol generating article.
Figure 6A is a top-down view of the aerosol-generating article of Figure 5, Figure 6B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the longitudinal (length) axis of the aerosol-generating article, and Figure 6C is a side view along the width axis of the aerosol-generating article.
Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device and an aerosol-generating article, Figure 7A is a cross-sectional view along line S of the aerosol delivery device of Figure 7 according to one embodiment, and Figure 7B is another embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view along line S of the aerosol providing device of FIG. 7.
Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device and an aerosol generating article.
Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article, Figure 9a is a cross-sectional view along line S' of the aerosol-generating article of Figure 9 according to one embodiment, and Figure 9b is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol-generating article of Figure 9 according to another embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view along the ‘S’ line.
Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article.

Aspects and features of specific examples and embodiments are discussed or described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally, and they are not discussed/described in detail for the sake of brevity. Accordingly, it will be understood that aspects and features of the devices and methods discussed herein, which are not described in detail, may be implemented in accordance with any prior art for implementing such aspects and features.

This disclosure relates to “non-flammable” aerosol delivery systems. A “non-flammable” aerosol delivery system is one that does not combust or burn the constituent aerosol-generating materials of the aerosol delivery system (or its components) to facilitate delivery of the aerosol to the user. . Moreover, as is common in the art, the terms “vapor” and “aerosol” and related terms such as “evaporate,” “volatilize,” and “aerosolize” can generally be used interchangeably. .

In some embodiments, the non-flammable aerosol delivery system is a hybrid system that generates an aerosol using a combination of aerosol generating materials, one or more of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be in solid, liquid or gel form, for example, and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system includes a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. Solid aerosol generating materials may include plant-based materials such as tobacco or non-tobacco products.

Typically, a non-flammable aerosol delivery device may include articles (sometimes referred to as consumables) for use in the non-flammable aerosol delivery device. However, it is envisioned that articles that themselves include means for powering the aerosol generating components can themselves form non-flammable aerosol delivery systems.

The aerosol-generating article - some or all of it - is intended to be consumed during use by a user. Aerosol-generating articles may include or consist of aerosol-generating materials. A consumable is an article that contains or consists of aerosol-generating materials, some or all of which are intended to be consumed during use by a user. The consumable may include one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage region, an aerosol-generating material delivery component, an aerosol-generating region, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter, and/or an aerosol modifier. The consumable may also include an aerosol generator, such as a heater, which emits heat to cause the aerosol generating material to generate an aerosol upon use. The heater may comprise, for example, a combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor. The aerosol-generating article may include one or more other elements, such as a filter or an aerosol modification material (e.g., a component for adding flavor to or otherwise altering the properties of an aerosol passing through or passing through the aerosol modification material).

Non-flammable aerosol delivery devices often, but not always, include modular assemblies that include both a reusable aerosol delivery device and a replaceable article. In some implementations, the non-flammable aerosol delivery device can include a power source and a controller (or control circuitry). The power source may be an electrical power source, such as a battery or rechargeable battery, for example. In some implementations, the non-flammable aerosol presentation device can also include an aerosol generating component. However, in other implementations, the aerosol-generating article may partially or fully include aerosol-generating components.

An aerosol generating component (aerosol generator) is a device configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from an aerosol generating material. In some implementations, the aerosol-generating component is a heater that can interact with the aerosol-generating material to release one or more volatile substances from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating component can generate an aerosol from an aerosol generating material without heating. For example, an aerosol-generating component can generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material without applying heat, for example, through one or more of vibrational, mechanical, pressurizing, or electrostatic means.

In some implementations, the heater may include one or more electrically resistive heaters, including, for example, one or more nichrome resistive heater(s) and/or one or more ceramic heater(s). The heater may include one or more induction heaters that include an arrangement including one or more susceptors that can form a chamber into which an article containing the aerosol-capable material is inserted or otherwise positioned in use. Alternatively or additionally, one or more susceptors may be provided on the aerosol-generating material. Additionally, other heating arrangements may be used.

Aerosol-generating articles for use in non-flammable aerosol-presenting devices include aerosol-generating materials. An aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating an aerosol, for example, when energized, irradiated or heated in any other way. Aerosol-generating materials may be in the form of solids, liquids or semi-solids (such as gels), which may or may not contain, for example, active substances and/or flavoring agents.

Where appropriate, the aerosol-generating material may include any one or more of an active ingredient, a carrier ingredient, a flavor, and one or more other functional ingredients.

The aerosol-generating material may be present on or in the carrier support (or carrier component) to form the substrate. The carrier support may be or comprise, for example, paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted aerosol generating material, plastic material, ceramic material, composite material, glass, metal or metal alloy. .

In some implementations, an aerosol-generating article for use in a non-flammable aerosol-presenting device can include an aerosol-generating material or a region for receiving an aerosol-generating material. In some implementations, an aerosol-generating article for use in a non-flammable aerosol delivery device may include a mouthpiece, or alternatively, a non-flammable aerosol delivery device may include a mouthpiece in communication with the aerosol-generating article. . The area for receiving the aerosol-generating material may be a storage area for storing the aerosol-generating material. For example, a storage area can be a repository.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation of the aerosol delivery system 1. The aerosol delivery system (1) comprises two main components: an aerosol delivery device (2) and an aerosol generating article (4).

Aerosol presentation device 2 includes an external housing 21, a power source 22, control circuitry 23, a plurality of aerosol generating components 24, a receptacle 25, a mouthpiece end 26, and an air inlet. (27), including an air outlet (28), a touch sensing panel (29), a suction sensor (30), and an end-of-use indicator (31).

The outer housing 21 may be formed of any suitable material, for example a plastic material. The outer housing 21 is arranged such that the power source 22, control circuitry 23, aerosol generating components 24, receptacle 25 and inhalation sensor 30 are located within the outer housing 21. The outer housing 21 also defines an air inlet 27 and an air outlet 28, described in detail below. The touch sensitive panel 29 and end-of-use indicator are located on the outside of the outer housing 21.

The outer housing 21 may further include a mouthpiece end 26. The outer housing 21 and the mouthpiece end 26 are formed as a single component (ie, the mouthpiece end 26 forms part of the outer housing 21). The mouthpiece end 26 is defined as the area of the outer housing 21 containing the air outlet 28, and which allows the user to comfortably place his/her lips around the mouthpiece end 26 so that the lips are positioned at the air outlet (28). 28) can be shaped in such a way that it engages. In Figure 1, the thickness of the outer housing 21 decreases towards the air outlet 28, providing a relatively thinner portion of the aerosol presentation device 2 that can be more easily received by the user's lips. However, in other implementations, the mouthpiece end 26 may be a removable component that is separate from the outer housing 21 but can be coupled to the outer housing 21 and used for cleaning and/or attaching to another mouthpiece. It can be removed for replacement with end 26.

Power source 22 is configured to provide operating power to aerosol presentation device 2. Power source 22 may be any suitable power source, such as a battery. For example, power source 22 may include a rechargeable battery, such as a lithium ion battery. The power source 22 may form an integral part of the aerosol presentation device 2 or may be removable. In some implementations, the power source 22 is connected to an aerosol delivery device (e.g., mains power) via an associated connection port, such as a USB port (not shown), or to an external power source (e.g., mains power) via a suitable wireless receiver (not shown). It can be recharged through the connection in 2).

Control circuitry 23 is suitably configured or programmed to control the operation of the aerosol presentation device 2 to provide specific operational functions of the aerosol presentation device 2. Control circuitry 23 may be considered to logically include various sub-units/circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the operation of the aerosol presentation device. For example, control circuitry 23 may include a logical sub-unit for controlling recharging of power source 22 . Additionally, control circuitry 23 may include logical sub-units for communication, for example to facilitate data transfer to or from device 2 . However, the primary function of control circuitry 23 is to control aerosolization of the aerosol-generating material, as described in more detail below. The functionality of control circuitry 23 may be achieved, for example, by one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and/or one or more suitably configured custom integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip configured to provide the desired functionality. It will be appreciated that this may be provided in a variety of different ways using (s)/chipset(s). The control circuitry 23 is connected to the power source 23 and receives power from the power source 22 and may be configured to distribute or control power to other components of the aerosol presentation device 2.

In the described implementation, the aerosol presentation device (2) further comprises a receptacle (25) arranged to receive the aerosol-generating article (4).

Aerosol-generating article 4 may include a carrier component 42 and aerosol-generating material 44. The aerosol-generating article 4 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 2A-2C. Figure 2a is a top-down view of the aerosol-generating article 4, Figure 2b is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the longitudinal (length) axis of the aerosol-generating article 4, and Figure 2c is a side view along the width axis of the aerosol-generating article 4. .

The aerosol-generating article 4 may comprise a carrier component 42, in this embodiment formed of a card. The carrier component 42 forms the majority of the aerosol-generating article 4 and serves as a base on which the aerosol-generating material 44 will be deposited.

Carrier component 42 is broadly cuboidal in shape with length I, width w, and thickness t _c as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. As a specific example, the length of the carrier component 42 may be 30 to 80 mm, the width may be 7 to 25 mm, and the thickness may be 0.2 to 1 mm. However, it should be appreciated that the above are exemplary dimensions of carrier component 42 and that in other implementations carrier component 42 may have different dimensions as appropriate. In some implementations, carrier component 42 has one or more protrusions extending in length and/or width directions of carrier component 42 to help facilitate handling of aerosol-generating article 4 by a user. may include.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A-2C , the aerosol-generating article 4 includes a plurality of individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44 disposed on the surface of the carrier component 42. More specifically, the aerosol-generating article 4 comprises six individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44, labeled 44a to 44f and arranged in a 2×3 array. However, it should be appreciated that in other implementations more or fewer individual parts may be provided and/or the parts may be arranged in a different array (eg, a 1 x 6 array). In the example shown, the aerosol-generating material 44 is disposed at individual distinct locations on a single surface of the component carrier 42. Although the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 are shown as having a circular footprint, it should be recognized that the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 may take on any other footprint, such as square or rectangular, as appropriate. . The individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44 have a diameter d and a thickness t _a as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. The thickness t _a can take any suitable value, for example, the thickness t _a can range from 50 μm to 1.5 mm. In some embodiments, the thickness t _a is from about 50 μm to about 200 μm, or from about 50 μm to about 100 μm, or from about 60 μm to about 90 μm, suitably about 77 μm. In other embodiments, the thickness t _a may be greater than 200 μm, for example between about 50 μm and about 400 μm, or about 1 mm, or about 1.5 mm.

The individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 may be separate from each other so that each of the individual portions may be individually or selectively energized (eg, heated) to generate an aerosol. In some implementations, portions of aerosol-generating material 44 may have a mass of 20 mg or less, such that the amount of material that will be aerosolized at any time by a given aerosol-generating component 24 is relatively small. For example, the mass per portion may be 20 mg or less, may be 10 mg or less, or may be 5 mg or less. Of course, it should be recognized that the total mass of aerosol-generating articles 4 may exceed 20 mg.

The aerosol-generating article 4 may include multiple portions of aerosol-generating material, all of which are formed of the same aerosol-generating material. Alternatively, the aerosol-generating article 4 may include multiple portions of aerosol-generating material 44, where at least two portions are formed of different aerosol-generating materials.

The receptacle 25 is of a suitable size to removably receive the aerosol generating article 4 therein. Although not shown, the aerosol presentation device 2 has an external housing for allowing access to the receptacle 25 to allow a user to insert and/or remove an aerosol generating article 4 to the receptacle 25. It may include a removable portion of (21) or a hinged door. The removable portion or hinged door of the outer housing 21 may also serve to retain the aerosol-generating article 4 within the receptacle 25 when closed. If the aerosol-generating article 4 is depleted or the user simply wishes to switch to a different aerosol-generating article 4, the aerosol-generating article 4 is removed from the aerosol providing device 2 and a replacement aerosol-generating article ( 4) can be positioned in the receptacle 25 in that position. Alternatively, the aerosol presentation device 2 may comprise a permanent opening in communication with the receptacle 25 through which the aerosol-generating article 4 may be inserted into the receptacle 25 . In these implementations, a retaining mechanism may be provided to retain the aerosol-generating article 4 within the receptacle 25 of the aerosol presentation device 2.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the aerosol presentation device 2 includes a number of aerosol generating components 24. In the described implementation, the aerosol generating components 24 are heating elements 24, more specifically resistive heating elements 24. Resistive heating elements 24 receive electrical current and convert electrical energy into heat. Resistive heating elements 24 may be formed of or include any suitable resistive heating material that generates heat when receiving an electric current, such as nichrome (Ni20Cr80). In one implementation, the heating elements 24 may comprise an electrically insulating substrate on which resistive tracks are disposed.

Figure 3 is a top-down cross-sectional view of the aerosol presentation device 2 showing the arrangement of heating elements 24 in more detail. 1 and 3 the heating elements 24 are positioned so that the surface of the heating element 24 forms part of the surface of the receptacle 25 . That is, the outer surface of the heating elements 24 is flush with the inner surface of the receptacle. More specifically, the outer surface of the heating element 24, which has the same height as the inner surface of the receptacle 25, is a heating element (i.e., its temperature increases) that is heated when an electric current passes through the heating element 24. 24) is the surface.

The heating elements 24 are arranged such that when the aerosol-generating article 4 is received in the receptacle 25, each heating element 24 is aligned with a corresponding individual portion of the aerosol-generating material 44. Accordingly, in this example, the six heating elements 24 are arranged in a 2x3 configuration, roughly corresponding to the 2x3 array of six individual portions of the aerosol generating material 44 shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. arranged in an array. However, as previously discussed, the number of heating elements 24 may be different in different implementations, for example, 8, 10, 12, 14, etc. heating elements 24. It can exist. In some implementations, the number of heating elements 24 is 6 or more, but 20 or less.

More specifically, the heating elements 24 are labeled 24a to 24f in FIG. 3 , where each heating element 24 is an aerosol generating material 44 as indicated by the corresponding letter following reference numerals 24/44. It should be recognized that it is arranged to align with the corresponding part of . Accordingly, each of the heating elements 24 can be individually activated to heat a corresponding portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 .

Although the heating elements 24 are shown flush with the interior surface of the receptacle 25 , in other implementations the heating elements 24 may protrude into the receptacle 25 . In either case, the aerosol-generating article 4 has a heating element 24 when present in the receptacle 25 such that the heat generated by the heating element 24 is conducted through the carrier component 42 to the aerosol-generating material 44. It contacts the surface of the field 24.

In some implementations, to improve heat transfer efficiency, the receptacle may include components that apply a force to the surface of the carrier component 42 to press the carrier component 42 onto the heater elements 24. This increases the efficiency of heat transfer through conduction to the aerosol generating material 44. Additionally or alternatively, the heater elements 24 may be configured to move in a direction toward/away from the aerosol-generating article 4 and do not include aerosol-generating material 44. may be pressed into the surface of the carrier component 42.

In use, the aerosol presentation device 2 (more specifically the control circuitry 23) is configured to deliver power to the heating elements 24 in response to user input. In general, the control circuitry 23 is configured to selectively apply power to the heating elements 24 to subsequently heat corresponding portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 to generate an aerosol. When a user inhales from the aerosol delivery device 2 (i.e., inhales from the mouthpiece end 26), air flows into the aerosol delivery device 2 through the air inlet 27 and into the receptacle 25 (where , air is mixed with the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol generating material 44) and is then drawn into the user's mouth through the air outlet 28. That is, the aerosol is delivered to the user through the mouthpiece end 26 and the air outlet 28.

The aerosol delivery device 2 of Figure 1 includes a touch sensitive panel 29 and a suction sensor 30. Collectively, the touch sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30 serve as mechanisms for receiving user input that results in the creation of an aerosol, and thus may be more broadly referred to as user input mechanisms. The received user input may be said to indicate the user's desire to generate an aerosol.

The touch-sensitive panel 29 may be a capacitive touch sensor, wherein the user of the aerosol delivery device 2 places his or her finger or another suitable conductive object (e.g., a stylus) on the touch-sensitive panel. It can be operated by placing it. In the described implementation, the touch-sensitive panel includes an area that a user can press to initiate aerosol generation. Control circuitry 23 may be configured to receive signaling from touch-sensitive panel 29 and use this signaling to determine whether a user is pressing (i.e., activating) a region of touch-sensitive panel 29. there is. Control circuitry 23 is configured to supply power from power source 22 to one or more of the heating elements 24 when control circuitry 23 receives such signaling. Power may be supplied for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 3 seconds) from the moment the touch is detected or in response to the length of time the touch is detected. In other implementations, the touch-sensitive panel 29 may be replaced with a user-operable button, etc.

The inhalation sensor 30 may be a pressure sensor or a microphone, etc. configured to detect the flow of air or the drop in pressure caused by the user inhaling the aerosol presentation device 2. Intake sensor 30 is positioned in fluid communication with the air flow path (i.e., in fluid communication with the air flow path between inlet 27 and outlet 28). In a similar manner to that described above, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to receive signaling from the inhalation sensor and use this signaling to determine whether the user is inhaling the aerosol delivery system 1 . Control circuitry 23 is configured to supply power from power source 22 to one or more of the heating elements 24 when control circuitry 23 receives such signaling. Power may be supplied for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 3 seconds) from the moment inhalation is detected or in response to the length of time that inhalation is detected.

In the example described, both the touch sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30 detect the user's desire to begin generating an aerosol for inhalation. The control circuitry 23 may be configured to power the heating element 24 only when signaling from both the touch sensitive panel 29 and the suction sensor 30 is detected. This may help prevent unintentional activation of the heating elements 24 from accidentally activating one of the user input mechanisms. However, in other implementations, the aerosol delivery system 1 may have only one of the touch sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30.

These aspects of the operation of the aerosol delivery system 1 (i.e., puff detection and touch detection) can be performed according to established techniques (e.g., using conventional inhalation sensor and inhalation sensor signal processing techniques and It can be performed autonomously (using a touch sensor and touch sensor signal processing techniques).

In some implementations, in response to detecting signaling from one or both of the touch sensitive panel 29 and the suction sensor 30, the control circuitry 23 applies power to each of the individual heating elements 24. It is configured to supply sequentially.

More specifically, the control circuitry 23, in response to a series of detections of signaling received from one or both of the touch sensitive panel 29 and the suction sensor 30, heats each of the individual heating elements 23. It is configured to supply power sequentially. For example, the control circuitry 23 may activate a first heating element 24 of the plurality of heating elements 24 when signaling is first detected (e.g., from when the aerosol presentation device 2 is first switched on). It may be configured to supply power. In response to detecting that signaling has ceased or that a predetermined period of time has elapsed from signaling, control circuitry 23 determines that first heating element 24 has been activated (and thus aerosol-generating material 44 registers that the corresponding individual part has been heated. Control circuitry 23 determines, in response to receiving subsequent signaling from one or both of touch sensitive panel 29 and suction sensor 30, that second heating element 24 should be activated. Accordingly, when signaling from the touch sensitive panel 29 and the suction sensor 30 is received by the control circuitry 23, the control circuitry 23 activates the second heating element 24. This process is repeated for the remaining heating elements 24 so that all heating elements 24 are activated sequentially.

Effectively, this operation means that for each inhalation, a different portion of the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 are heated and an aerosol is generated therefrom. That is, a single individual piece of aerosol-generating material is heated with each user inhalation.

In other implementations, control circuitry 23 determines that second heating element 24 should be activated in response to subsequent signaling from one or both of touch sensitive panel 29 and suction sensor 30. It may be configured to activate the first heating element 24 a plurality of times (e.g. twice) before activating each of the plurality of heating elements 24 once and once all the heating elements 24 have been activated. Once activated, detection of subsequent signaling causes the heating elements to be sequentially activated once again.

These sequential activations may be referred to as “sequential activation modes” and are primarily designed to deliver a consistent aerosol from inhalation to inhalation (which may be measured, for example, in terms of total aerosol produced or total components delivered). . Accordingly, this mode occurs when each portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 of the aerosol-generating article 4 is substantially identical; That is, it may be most effective when the parts 44a to 44f are formed of the same material.

In some other implementations, in response to detecting signaling from the touch sensitive panel 29 and the suction sensor 30, the control circuitry 23 is configured to simultaneously power one or more of the heating elements 24. do.

In some implementations, two or more separate portions of aerosol-generating material 44 may be heated per inhalation.

In such implementations, control circuitry 23 may be configured to energize selected ones of heating elements 24 in response to a predetermined configuration. A predetermined configuration may be a configuration selected or determined by a user. For example, the touch sensitive panel 29 may be connected to one of the heating elements 24 when signaling from the touch sensitive panel 29 and the intake sensor 30 is received by one or both of the control circuitry 23. May include sections that allow the user to individually select which ones to activate. In some implementations, the user may also be able to set the power level for each heating element 24 to be supplied to the heating element 24 in response to receiving signaling.

Figure 4 is a top-down view of a touch-sensitive panel 29 according to these implementations. Figure 4 schematically shows the outer housing 21 and the touch sensitive panel 29 as previously described. The touch sensitive panel 29 has six zones 29a to 29f corresponding to each of the six heating elements 24, and a display for indicating that the user wishes to start inhalation or as previously described. Likewise, it includes a zone (29g) corresponding to the zone for generating aerosol. Each of the six zones 29a to 29f corresponds to a touch sensitive zone that can be touched by the user to control power delivery to each of the six corresponding heating elements 24 . In the described implementation, each heating element 24 can be configured to operate in a number of states, e.g., an off state in which the heating element 24 is not powered, a first level of power supplied to the heating element 24 There may be a low power state, and a high power state in which a second level of power is supplied to the heating element 24, where the second level of power is greater than the first level of power. However, in other implementations, heating elements 24 may have fewer or more states available. For example, each heating element 24 may have an off state in which the heating element 24 is not powered and an on state in which the heating element 24 is powered.

Accordingly, the user can determine (and optionally select) which heating elements 24 (and subsequently portions of the aerosol-generating material 44) are to be heated by interacting with the touch-sensitive panel 29 prior to generating the aerosol. , you can set how much they should be heated. For example, a user may tap zones 29a-29f repeatedly to cycle through different states (eg, off, low power, high power, off, etc.). Alternatively, the user may press and hold areas 29a to 29f to cycle through the different states, where the duration of the press determines the state.

The touch sensitive panel 29 may be provided with one or more indicators for each of the individual zones 29a to 29f to indicate what state the heating element 24 is currently in. For example, the touch-sensitive panel may include one or more LEDs or similar lighting elements, the intensity of which indicates the current state of the heating element 24. Alternatively, colored LEDs or similar lighting elements may be provided, with the color indicating the current state. Alternatively, the touch-sensitive panel 29 may be placed underneath (e.g., a transparent touch-sensitive panel 29 or in areas of the touch-sensitive panel 29 ) that displays the current state of the heating element 24 and a display element (which may be provided adjacent to 29a to 29f).

Once the user has set up the configuration for the heating elements 24, it is necessary to detect signaling from the touch-sensitive panel 29 (in particular, area 29g of the touch-sensitive panel 29) and the suction sensor 30. In response, the control circuitry 23 is configured to supply power to the selected heating element 24 according to a preset configuration.

Accordingly, these simultaneous heating element 24 activations may be referred to as a “simultaneous activation mode”, which primarily allows the user to operate on a session-by-session or even puff-by-puff basis. It is designed to deliver a customisable aerosol from a given article (4), with the intention of allowing one to tailor one's experience. Accordingly, this mode may be most effective when the portions of aerosol-generating material 44 of the aerosol-generating article 4 are different from each other. For example, portions 44a and 44b are formed from one material, portions 44c and 44d are formed from a different material, and so on.

Accordingly, for this mode of operation, the user can select the parts to be aerosolized at any given moment and thus select the combinations of aerosols to be provided.

In both simultaneous and sequential activation modes, the control circuitry 23 may, for example, activate when each of the heating elements 24 is sequentially activated a predetermined number of times or when a given heating element 24 is activated a predetermined number of times. When activated for as long as and/or for a given cumulative activation time and/or with a given cumulative activation power, it may be configured to generate a warning signal indicating the end of use of the aerosol-generating article 4. In Figure 1, the aerosol delivery device 2 includes an end-of-use indicator 31, which in this implementation is an LED. However, in other implementations, the end-of-use indicator 31 may include any mechanism capable of providing a warning signal to the user; That is, the end-of-use indicator 31 may be an optical element for transmitting an optical signal, a sound generator for transmitting an auditory signal, and/or a vibrator for transmitting a haptic signal. In some implementations, indicator 31 may be coupled to or otherwise provided by a touch-sensitive panel (eg, if the touch-sensitive panel includes a display element). The aerosol-providing device 2 can prevent subsequent activation of the aerosol-providing device 2 when a warning signal is being output. The warning signal can be switched off, and the control circuitry 23 is such that when the user switches off the warning signal via manual means such as a button (not shown) and/or replaces the aerosol-generating article 4, It is reset.

More specifically, in implementations in which sequential activation mode is utilized, control circuitry 23 is configured to count the number of times signaling from one or both of touch sensitive panel 29 and suction sensor 30 is received during a period of use. It may be configured that once the count reaches a predetermined number, the aerosol-generating article 4 is determined to have reached the end of its lifespan. For example, for an article 4 comprising six separate portions of aerosol generating material 44, the predetermined number may be 6, 12, 18, etc., depending on the very implementation in question. .

In implementations where a simultaneous activation mode is utilized, control circuitry 23 may be configured to count the number of times one or each of the individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44 are heated. For example, the control circuitry 23 can count the number of times the nicotine retaining portion has been heated and, when the number of times reaches a predetermined number, determine the end of the life of the aerosol-generating article 4.

Alternatively, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to separately count each individual portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 when that individual portion is heated. Each portion may result in the same or a different predetermined number, and when any one of the counts for each of the portions of the aerosol-generating material reaches the predetermined number, control circuitry 23 determines that the aerosol-generating article ( 4) Determine the end of life.

In any of the implementations, control circuitry 23 may also consider the length of time the portion of the aerosol-generating material has been heated and/or the temperature to which the portion of the aerosol-generating material has been heated. In this regard, rather than counting individual activations, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to calculate a cumulative parameter indicative of the heating conditions experienced by each of the portions of the aerosol-generating material 44. The parameter could for example be accumulation time, whereby the temperature at which the material is used controls the length of time added to the accumulation time. For example, a section heated at 200°C for 3 seconds may contribute 3 seconds to the accumulation time, while a section heated at 250°C for 3 seconds may contribute 4.5 seconds to the accumulation time.

The foregoing techniques for determining the end of life of an aerosol-generating article 4 should not be construed as a comprehensive list of methods for determining the end of life of an aerosol-generating article 4 and, in fact, are not intended to be an exhaustive list of methods for determining the end of life of an aerosol-generating article 4. Any other suitable method may be used depending on the principles.

In an implementation of the aerosol delivery system 1 described above, a plurality of (individual) portions of aerosol-generating material 44 are provided that can be selectively aerosolized using aerosol-generating components 24 . These aerosol delivery systems (1) offer advantages over other systems designed to heat larger quantities of material. In particular, for a given inhalation, only a selected portion (or portions) of the aerosol-generating material is aerosolized, resulting in an overall more energy efficient system.

In heating systems, several parameters affect the overall efficiency of such a system in delivering a sufficient amount of aerosol to the user on a per-puff basis. On the other hand, the thickness of the aerosol-generating material is important because it affects how quickly the aerosol-generating material reaches operating temperature (and subsequently generates an aerosol). This may be important for several reasons, but it will also lead to more efficient use of energy from the power source 22 since the heating elements may not need to be active for as long compared to heating thicker portions of the material. You can. On the other hand, the total mass of aerosol-generating material that is heated affects the total amount of aerosol that can be generated and subsequently delivered to the user. Additionally, the temperature to which the aerosol-generating material is heated can affect both how quickly the aerosol-generating material reaches operating temperature and the amount of aerosol produced.

5 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation of an aerosol delivery system 200 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Aerosol delivery system 200 includes components generally similar to those described with respect to FIG. 1 . However, the reference numbers have been increased by 200. For efficiency, components bearing similar reference numbers should be understood to be substantially identical to their counterparts in FIGS. 1 and 2A-2C, unless otherwise noted.

The aerosol presentation device 202 includes an external housing 221, a power source 222, control circuitry 223, induction coils 224a, a receptacle 225, a mouthpiece end 226, an air inlet 227, It includes an air outlet 228, a touch sensitive panel 229, a suction sensor 230, and an end-of-use indicator 231.

Aerosol-generating article 204 includes a carrier component 242, aerosol-generating material 244, and susceptor elements 244b, as shown in more detail in FIGS. 6A-6C. Figure 6A is a top-down view of the aerosol-generating article 4, Figure 6B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the longitudinal (length) axis of the aerosol-generating article 204, and Figure 6C is a side view along the width axis of the aerosol-generating article 204. .

5 and 6A-6C represent an aerosol delivery system 200 that uses induction to heat aerosol-generating material 244 to produce an aerosol for inhalation.

In the described implementation, the aerosol generating component 224 consists of two parts; That is, it is formed of induction coils 224a located on the aerosol providing device 202 and susceptors 224b located on the aerosol generating article 204.

Accordingly, in this described implementation, each aerosol generating component 224 includes elements that are distributed between the aerosol generating article 204 and the aerosol presentation device 202.

Induction heating is a process in which an electrically conductive object, called a susceptor, is heated by impregnating the object with a changing magnetic field. This process is described by Faraday's law of induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater may include an electromagnet and a device for passing a changing current, such as alternating current, through the electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the object being heated are properly positioned relative to each other such that the resulting changing magnetic field generated by the electromagnet penetrates the object, one or more eddy currents are created inside the object. An object has resistance to the flow of electric currents. Therefore, when these eddy currents are created in an object, their flow against the object's electrical resistance causes the object to heat up. This process is called Joule, ohmic or ohmic heating.

A susceptor is a material that can be heated by penetration by a changing magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically conductive material, such that its penetration by a varying magnetic field causes inductive heating of the susceptor. The susceptor material may be a magnetic material, whereby penetration by a changing magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the susceptor. The susceptor can be both electrically conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor can be heated by both heating mechanisms. An aerosol presentation device configured to generate a changing magnetic field is referred to herein as a magnetic field generator.

Magnetic hysteresis heating is a process in which an object made of magnetic material is heated by penetrating it with a changing magnetic field. Magnetic materials can be considered to include many atomic-scale magnets or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field penetrates these materials, the magnetic dipoles align with the field. Thus, when a changing magnetic field, for example an alternating magnetic field such as that produced by an electromagnet, penetrates a magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes depending on the changing magnetic field applied. This magnetic dipole reorientation causes heat generation in the magnetic material.

When an object is both electrically conductive and magnetic, permeating the object with a changing magnetic field can cause both Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating in the object. Moreover, the use of magnetic materials can strengthen the magnetic field, which can increase Joule heating.

In the described implementation, susceptors 224b are formed of aluminum foil, but it should be appreciated that other metallic and/or electrically conductive materials may be used in other implementations. As can be seen in FIG. 6C , carrier component 242 has a plurality of susceptors that correspond in size and location to individual portions of aerosol-generating material 244 disposed on the surface of carrier component 242. Includes (224b). That is, the susceptors 224b have a similar width and length as the individual portions of the aerosol generating material 244.

The susceptors are shown as embedded in the carrier component 242. However, in other implementations, susceptors 224b may be disposed on the surface of carrier component 242. In another implementation (not shown), the susceptor may be provided as a layer substantially covering the carrier component.

The aerosol presentation device 202 includes a plurality of induction coils 224a schematically shown in FIG. 5 . Induction coils 224a are shown adjacent to receptacle 225 and the axis of rotation around which a given coil is wound extends into receptacle 225 and is in the plane of carrier component 242 of aerosol-generating article 204. These are generally flat coils arranged generally orthogonally. It should be appreciated that the exact windings are not shown in Figure 5 and that any suitable induction coil may be used.

The control circuit 223 includes a mechanism for generating alternating current that is transmitted to any one or more of the induction coils 224a. The alternating current creates an alternating magnetic field as described above, which in turn causes the corresponding susceptor(s) 224b to heat up. Accordingly, the heat generated by the susceptor(s) 224b is transferred to portions of the aerosol generating material 244.

As described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2A-2C , control circuitry 223 controls coils 224a in response to receiving signaling from touch sensitive panel 229 and/or suction sensor 230. ) is configured to supply current to the Any of the techniques for selecting which heating elements 24 are heated by control circuitry 23 as previously described may include controlling circuitry 223 to generate an aerosol for user inhalation. In response to receiving signaling from the touch sensitive panel 229 and/or the inhalation sensor 230, which induction coils 224a are energized (and therefore which portions of the aerosol generating material 244 are subsequently energized) It can be similarly applied to choosing whether to heat.

Although an induction heated aerosol delivery system has been previously described in which induction coils 224a and susceptors 224b are distributed between an aerosol generating article 204 and device 202, the induction coils 224a and susceptors ( An inductively heated aerosol delivery system may be provided in which 224b) is located solely within the aerosol delivery device 202. For example, referring to FIGS. 6A-6C , susceptors 224b may be provided above the induction coils 224a and the susceptors 224b may be coupled to the lower surface of the carrier component 242. It can be arranged (in a similar way to the aerosol delivery system 1 shown in Figure 1) to contact.

Accordingly, Figure 5 describes a more specific implementation in which inductive heating may be used in an aerosol presentation device 202 to generate an aerosol for user inhalation, to which the techniques described in this disclosure may be applied.

However, in accordance with the present disclosure, the inventors have developed aerosol-generating components 24 ( For example, it has been found that devices 2 202 having an array of heating elements 24 can, in some instances, cause inconsistencies in the amount of aerosol delivered to the user per puff, even if the heating conditions are generally the same.

This means that some of the portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 are provided at different spatial distances relative to the opening 28 of the mouthpiece 26, such that the aerosol is initially formed at a location adjacent to the portion of the aerosol-generating material. This is thought to be partly due to the fact that the distance a given aerosol must travel can vary. Accordingly, the volume of the air path between the aerosol-generating material and the mouthpiece may vary depending on the location of the aerosol-generating material.

Typically, hot aerosols cool and condense as they travel. This means that aerosols generated from different parts of the aerosol generating material 44 may cool and condense by different amounts. This can result in inconsistencies in the aerosol delivered from each individual portion (such as inconsistent particle size distributions, etc.).

Applicants have also identified that the volume in which the aerosol is generated can affect the amount of aerosol generated. In particular, providing a larger air path volume for aerosol generation can provide a larger volume of aerosol.

Aerosol generating regions located close to the mouthpiece may have substantially reduced air path volumes than for aerosol generating regions located farther from the mouthpiece.

Accordingly, the Applicant believes that it may be advantageous for the cross-sectional areas of the delivery channels from aerosol generating zones located closer to the mouthpiece to be larger than those located farther from the mouthpiece, and thus the respective effective air path volume. can be more similar, thus providing more consistent aerosol delivery.

Alternatively, Applicants understand that the volume in which an aerosol can be formed can control the rate at which the aerosol is formed. In particular, providing a larger volume for aerosol formation can allow the desired aerosol to be generated more quickly.

Delivery of aerosol from aerosol generating zones located farther from the mouthpiece can typically take longer than from aerosol generating zones located closer to the mouthpiece. Applicants have identified that providing increased volume for aerosol formation can cause aerosols to form more rapidly. Accordingly, the Applicant believes that the cross-sectional areas of the delivery channels from aerosol generating regions located closer to the mouthpiece may be larger than those located further away from the mouthpiece, and thus due to the greater distance from the mouthpiece. It is recognized that the increased time for aerosol delivery may be advantageously offset by the reduced time required for aerosol formation. Such a system may allow for more consistent delivery time of aerosol from aerosol generation zones located at different distances from the mouthpiece, thereby providing an improved user experience.

7 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation of an aerosol delivery system 700 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Aerosol delivery system 700 includes components generally similar to those described with respect to FIG. 1 . However, the reference numbers have been increased by 700. For efficiency, components bearing similar reference numbers should be understood to be substantially identical to their counterparts in FIGS. 1 and 2A-2C, unless otherwise noted.

Aerosol presentation device 702 includes an external housing 721, control circuitry 723, aerosol generating components 724, a receptacle 725, a mouthpiece end 726, an air inlet 727, and an air outlet 728. ) includes. Although not shown in FIG. 7 , the aerosol delivery device may further include a power source, a touch sensitive panel, a suction sensor, and an end of use indicator, as described with respect to FIG. 1 .

Aerosol delivery system 700 includes an aerosol generating article 704. This may be substantially similar to the aerosol-generating article 4 described in FIGS. 2A-2C or the aerosol-generating article 204 described with respect to FIGS. 6A-6C.

Aerosol generating components 724 may be heating elements as described with respect to FIG. 1 . In an alternative embodiment, aerosol generating components 724 may be induction coils as described with respect to FIG. 5 . In such an embodiment, the aerosol-generating article may include one or more susceptors as described with respect to FIGS. 6A-6C.

The aerosol presentation device 702 has one or more first aerosol generating zones 730 located at a first distance d1 from the mouthpiece 726 and one located at a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece 726. It has more second aerosol generation zones 731.

Aerosol presentation device 702 of FIG. 7 illustrates two aerosol generation zones 730, 731, but it will be appreciated that aerosol presentation devices with a larger number of aerosol generation zones are clearly contemplated. Moreover, each of the first and second aerosol generating zones 730, 731 may include one or more aerosol generating zones.

The one or more first aerosol delivery channels 710 are arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more first aerosol generating zones 730 to the mouthpiece 726, wherein the first aerosol delivery channels 710 have has a cross-section or other profile, and the one or more second aerosol delivery channels 711 are arranged to communicate the aerosol generated from the one or more second aerosol generating zones 731 to the mouthpiece 726, wherein one or more The second aerosol delivery channels 711 have a second cross-section or other profile.

The first cross-section or other profile is different from the second cross-section or other profile.

One or more first aerosol delivery channels 710 may be separate from one or more second aerosol delivery channels 711 .

7A shows a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an aerosol presentation device 702 along line S. The cross-section or other profile of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 710a is larger than the cross-section or other profile of the one or more second aerosol delivery channels 711a.

The effective air path volume of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 710 may be approximately equal to the effective air path volume of the one or more second aerosol delivery channels 711 .

As discussed above, changing the effective air path volume can control the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol generation zone. Providing aerosol delivery channels with different cross-sections or other profiles allows for more uniform production of aerosol from aerosol generation zones located at different distances from the mouthpiece 726, thereby allowing for more consistent delivery of the aerosol. .

The cross-section or other profile of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 710a and one or more second aerosol delivery channels 711b is obtained from the first aerosol generation regions 730 and the second aerosol generation regions 731. It can be configured such that the amount of aerosol provided is substantially the same.

7B shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the aerosol presentation device 702 along line S. The cross-section or other profile of the one or more second aerosol delivery channels 711b is larger than the cross-section or other profile of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 710b.

As described above, increasing the volume of the aerosol delivery channel from the aerosol generating zone can reduce the formation time of the aerosol from the aerosol generating zone. As such, increasing the volume of the aerosol delivery channel from the aerosol generating zone located farther from the mouthpiece allows the increased travel time from the aerosol generating zone to the mouthpiece to be offset, thereby allowing the increased travel time from the aerosol generating zone to the mouthpiece to be located at different distances from the mouthpiece. Provides an improved user experience by allowing for more consistent delivery time of aerosol from different aerosol zones.

The cross-section or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 710b and one or more second aerosol delivery channels 711b include one or more first aerosol generation regions 730 and one or more second aerosol generation regions It can be configured so that the amount of aerosol provided from 731 is substantially the same.

In one embodiment, each of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 710 and one or more second aerosol delivery channels 711 may include separate aerosol delivery channels.

Although aerosol presentation device 702 of FIG. 7 is illustrated as including one or more first and second aerosol delivery channels 710, 711, aerosol presentation device 702 may include additional aerosol delivery channels. It will be understood that there is.

In one embodiment, there is one aerosol delivery channel for each aerosol generating zone. In other embodiments, there is more than one aerosol delivery channel for each aerosol generating zone. In another embodiment, there is one aerosol delivery channel for one or more first aerosol generating zones and one aerosol delivery channel for one or more second aerosol generating zones.

The embodiment of aerosol presentation device 702 illustrated in FIG. 7 shows the first and second aerosol delivery channels 710, 711 as separate aerosol delivery channels, but aerosol presentation device 702 has a central aerosol delivery channel. Can be included instead of or in addition to channels. Each of the first and second aerosol delivery channels 710, 711 may include a section of a central aerosol delivery channel.

Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an aerosol presentation device 802 including a central aerosol delivery channel 812. 8 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation of an aerosol delivery system 800 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Aerosol delivery system 800 includes components generally similar to those described with respect to FIG. 1 . However, the reference numerals have been increased by 800. For efficiency, components bearing similar reference numbers should be understood to be substantially identical to their counterparts in FIGS. 1 and 2A-2C, unless otherwise noted.

Aerosol presentation device 802 includes an external housing 821, control circuitry 823, aerosol generating components 824, a receptacle 825, a mouthpiece end 826, an air inlet 827, and an air outlet 828. ) includes. Although not shown in FIG. 8 , aerosol delivery device 802 may further include a power source, a touch sensitive panel, a suction sensor, and an end of use indicator, as described with respect to FIG. 1 .

Aerosol delivery system 800 includes an aerosol generating article 804. This may be substantially similar to the aerosol-generating article 4 described in FIGS. 2A-2C or the aerosol-generating article 204 described with respect to FIGS. 5A-5C.

The aerosol presentation device 802 has one or more first aerosol generating zones 830 located at a first distance d1 from the mouthpiece 826 and one located at a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece 826. It has more second aerosol generation zones 831.

The aerosol presentation device 802 of FIG. 8 illustrates two aerosol generation zones 830, 831, but it will be appreciated that aerosol presentation devices with a larger number of aerosol generation zones are clearly contemplated. Moreover, each of the first and second aerosol generating zones 830, 831 may include one or more aerosol generating zones.

Aerosol presentation device 802 includes a central aerosol delivery channel 812. Central delivery channel 812 may be defined by the shape of receptacle 825. In another embodiment, central delivery channel 812 is a separate channel separate from receptacle 825.

One or more first aerosol delivery channels 810 are arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more first aerosol generating zones 830 to the mouthpiece 826 and one or more second aerosol delivery channels 811 ) is arranged to communicate the aerosol generated from the one or more second aerosol generating zones 831 to the mouthpiece 826.

Each of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 810 and one or more second aerosol delivery channels 811 includes at least one section of a central aerosol delivery channel 812.

The cross-section or other profile of the central aerosol delivery channel 812 adjacent one or more first aerosol generating regions 830 may be a cross-section or other profile of the central aerosol delivery channel 812 adjacent one or more second aerosol generating regions 831. It is different from other profiles.

Accordingly, the cross-section or other profile of the one or more first and second delivery channels 810, 811 is different.

The cross-section or other profile of the central aerosol delivery channel 812 may be a tapered cross-section or other profile.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 , the cross-section or other profile of the central aerosol delivery channel 812 adjacent one or more first aerosol generating regions 830 has a central aerosol delivery channel 812 adjacent one or more second aerosol generating regions 831. Larger than the cross-section or other profile of the aerosol delivery channel 812. Accordingly, the effective air path volume from one or more of the first and second aerosol generating zones 830, 831 to the mouthpiece 826 may be similar, resulting in more consistent aerosol delivery.

In an alternative embodiment, the cross-section or other profile of the central aerosol delivery channel 812 adjacent one or more second aerosol generating zones 811 is such that the central aerosol delivery channel adjacent one or more first aerosol generating zones 810 It may be larger than the cross section of 812 or any other profile. In such an embodiment, the rate of delivery of aerosol from one or more second aerosol generating zones 811 may be increased compared to the rate of delivery of aerosol from one or more first aerosol generating zones 810 . This may offset the increased distance of one or more second aerosol generating zones 811 from the mouthpiece 826, allowing for more consistent delivery times.

In the above, it is assumed that there is one common outlet to which the aerosol is directed when the user inhales over the aerosol presentation device. However, the principles of the present disclosure are equally applicable to aerosol presentation devices with multiple outlets.

Additionally, although the mouthpiece is described above as forming part of and/or coupled to the external housing, it is understood that in some embodiments the mouthpiece may form part of the aerosol generating article. It must be understood. This may be particularly the case where the aerosol-generating article comprises a chamber through which air and/or aerosols may pass, and the chamber comprises an aerosol-generating material. In these embodiments, the aerosol-generating article is placed into a receptacle of the aerosol-providing device, and the mouthpiece of the aerosol-generating article protrudes from the receptacle so that it extends from the aerosol-providing device. In these examples, the receptacle includes an opening through which the mouthpiece protrudes. The opening in these embodiments may be referred to as the outlet of the aerosol presentation device.

9 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation of an aerosol-providing production article 904 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Aerosol-generating article 904 includes components generally similar to those described with respect to FIGS. 2A-2C. However, the reference numbers have been increased by 900. For efficiency, components bearing similar reference numbers should be understood to be substantially identical to their counterparts in FIGS. 1 and 2A-2C, unless otherwise noted.

Aerosol generating article 904 includes an air inlet 927 and an outlet 928.

Aerosol-generating article 904 includes one or more first portions of aerosol-generating material 944a located at a first distance d1 from outlet 928 and an aerosol generating material 944a located at a second distance d2 from outlet 928. and one or more second portions of product material 944b, where the second distance d2 is greater than the first distance d1.

Although the aerosol-generating article 904 of FIG. 9 is illustrated as having two portions of aerosol-generating material 944a, 944b, it will be understood that other numbers and configurations of aerosol-generating material are clearly contemplated. For example, an aerosol-generating article may include a 3 x 2 array of aerosol-generating material portions as shown for the aerosol-generating article in FIGS. 2A-2C.

The aerosol-generating material portions may be substantially similar to the aerosol-generating material portions 44a-44f described with respect to FIGS. 2A-2C.

The aerosol-generating article may include a carrier 942. The carrier may be substantially similar to carrier 42 of FIGS. 2A-2C.

The aerosol-generating article may further include a cover layer 943. The cover layer may be or include, for example, paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted aerosol generating material, plastic material, ceramic material, composite material, glass, metal or metal alloy. Cover layer 943 may be or include the same material as carrier 942, but need not be.

The one or more first aerosol delivery channels 910 are arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more first aerosol generating material portions 944a to the outlet 928, the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 910 has a first cross-section or other profile, and the one or more second aerosol delivery channels 911 are arranged to communicate the aerosol generated from the one or more second aerosol generating zones 944b to the outlet 928, The two aerosol delivery channels 911 have a second cross-section or other profile.

The first cross-section or other profile is different from the second cross-section or other profile.

The one or more first aerosol delivery channels 910 may be separate from the one or more second aerosol delivery channels 911 .

Figure 9A shows a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an aerosol-generating article 904 along line S'. The cross-section or other profile of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 910a is larger than the cross-section or other profile of the one or more second aerosol delivery channels 911a.

The effective air path volume of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 910 may be approximately equal to the effective air path volume of the one or more second aerosol delivery channels 911 .

As discussed above, changing the effective air path volume can control the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol generating material. Providing different cross-sections or other profiles to the aerosol delivery channels may allow for more uniform production of aerosol from aerosol generation zones located at different distances from outlet 928, allowing for more consistent delivery of the aerosol.

The cross-section or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 910a and one or more second aerosol delivery channels 911b include one or more first aerosol generation regions 944a and one or more second aerosol generation regions The amount of aerosol provided from 944b can be configured to be substantially the same.

Figure 9B shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the aerosol-generating article 904 along line S'. The cross-section or other profile of the one or more second aerosol delivery channels 911b is larger than the cross-section or other profile of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 910b.

As described above, increasing the volume of the aerosol delivery channel from the aerosol generating zone can reduce the formation time of the aerosol from the aerosol generating zone. As such, increasing the volume of the aerosol delivery channel from the aerosol generating zone located farther from the mouthpiece allows the increased travel time from the aerosol generating zone to the mouthpiece to be offset, thereby allowing the increased travel time from the aerosol generating zone to the mouthpiece to be located at different distances from the mouthpiece. Provides an improved user experience by allowing for more consistent delivery time of aerosol from different aerosol zones.

The cross-section or other profile of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 910b and the cross-section or other profile of the one or more second aerosol delivery channels 911b comprise one or more first aerosol-generating material portions 944a and one or more The amount of aerosol provided from the second aerosol generating material portions 944b may be configured to be substantially equal.

In one embodiment, each of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 910 and the one or more second aerosol delivery channels 911 may be separate aerosol delivery channels.

Although the aerosol-generating article 904 of FIG. 9 is illustrated as including one or more first and second aerosol delivery channels 910, 911, the aerosol-generating article 904 may include additional aerosol delivery channels. It will be understood that there is.

In one embodiment, there is one aerosol delivery channel for each piece of aerosol generating material. In other embodiments, there is more than one aerosol delivery channel for each portion of aerosol generating material. In another embodiment, there is one aerosol delivery channel for one or more first aerosol-generating material portions and one aerosol delivery channel for one or more second aerosol-generating material portions.

The embodiment of the aerosol generating article 904 illustrated in FIG. 9 shows the first and second aerosol delivery channels 910, 911 as separate aerosol delivery channels, but the aerosol presentation device 904 has a central aerosol delivery channel. It can be included instead of or in addition to channels. Each of the one or more first and second aerosol delivery channels 910, 911 may include a section of a central aerosol delivery channel.

10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article 1004 including a central aerosol delivery channel 1012 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Aerosol-generating article 1004 includes components generally similar to those described with respect to FIGS. 2A-2C. However, the reference numerals have been increased by 1000. For efficiency, components bearing similar reference numbers should be understood to be substantially identical to their counterparts in FIGS. 1 and 2A-2C, unless otherwise noted.

Aerosol-generating article 1004 includes a carrier 1042. The carrier may be substantially similar to carrier 42 of FIGS. 2A-2C.

Aerosol-generating article 1004 may further include a cover layer 1043. Cover layer 1043 may be or include, for example, paper, card, cardboard, cardboard, reconstituted aerosol generating material, plastic material, ceramic material, composite material, glass, metal, or metal alloy. Cover layer 1043 may be or include the same material as carrier 1042, but need not be.

The aerosol-generating article 1004 comprises one or more first aerosol-generating material portions 1044a located at a first distance d1 from the mouthpiece and one or more second aerosol portions 1044a located at a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece. Includes production material portions 1044b.

Although aerosol-generating article 1004 of FIG. 10 illustrates two aerosol-generating material portions 1044a, 1044b, it will be appreciated that aerosol-providing devices having a larger number of aerosol-generating material portions are clearly contemplated. For example, aerosol-generating article 1004 may include a 3 x 2 array of aerosol-generating material portions as described with respect to FIGS. 2A-2C.

Aerosol-generating material portions 1044a, 1044b may be substantially similar to those described for aerosol-generating material portions 44a-44f of FIGS. 2A-2C.

Aerosol generating article 1004 includes a central aerosol delivery channel 1012.

Aerosol generating article 1004 further includes a chamber 1045. Central delivery channel 1012 may be defined by the shape of chamber 1045.

One or more first aerosol delivery channels 1010 are arranged to communicate aerosol generated from one or more first aerosol generating material portions 1044a to an outlet 1028 and one or more second aerosol delivery channels 1011 ) is arranged to communicate the aerosol generated from the one or more second aerosol generating material portions 1044b to the outlet 1028.

Each of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels 1010 and one or more second aerosol delivery channels 1011 includes at least one section of a central aerosol delivery channel 1012.

The cross-section or other profile of the central aerosol delivery channel 1012 adjacent the one or more first aerosol-generating material portions 1044a is defined as the Different from cross section or other profile.

Accordingly, the cross-section or other profile of the one or more first and second delivery channels 1010, 1011 is different.

The cross-section or other profile of the central aerosol delivery channel 1012 may be a tapered cross-section or other profile.

10 , the cross-section or other profile of the central aerosol delivery channel 1012 adjacent one or more first aerosol-generating material portions 1044a is adjacent to one or more second aerosol-generating material portions 1044b. greater than the cross-section or other profile of the adjacent central aerosol delivery channel 1012. Accordingly, the effective air path volume from the one or more first and second aerosol generating material portions 1044a, 1044b to the mouthpiece may be similar, resulting in more consistent aerosol delivery.

In an alternative embodiment, the cross-section or other profile of the central aerosol delivery channel 1012 adjacent one or more second aerosol-generating material portions 1044b is configured to provide a central aerosol delivery channel adjacent one or more first aerosol-generating material portions 1044a. The cross-section or other profile of the channel 1012 may be larger. In such embodiments, the rate of delivery of aerosol from one or more second portions of aerosol-generating material 1044b may be increased compared to the rate of delivery of aerosol from one or more portions of first aerosol-generating material 1044a. This may offset the increased distance of one or more second aerosol generating material portions 1044b from the mouthpiece, allowing for more consistent delivery times.

The aerosol generating articles 904, 1004 of FIGS. 9 and 10 may be suitable for use with the aerosol presentation device 2 of FIG. 1. Alternatively, the aerosol generating articles 904, 1004 of FIGS. 9 and 10 may be suitable for use with the aerosol presentation device 202 of FIG. 5. In such cases, the aerosol-generating articles 904, 1004 may further include a susceptor portion (not shown), as shown for the aerosol-generating articles in FIGS. 6A-6C.

Although systems have been previously described in which an array of aerosol-generating components (e.g., heater elements) are provided to energize individual portions of aerosol-generating material, in other implementations, the aerosol-generating article and/or aerosol-generating components can be configured to energize each other. It can be configured to move relative to each other. That is, there may be fewer aerosol-generating components than individual portions of aerosol-generating material provided on the carrier component of the aerosol-generating article, thereby enabling each of the individual portions of aerosol-generating material to be individually energized. To achieve this, relative movement of the aerosol-generating article and aerosol-generating components is required. For example, a movable heating element can be provided within the receptacle such that the heating element can be moved relative to the receptacle. In this way, the movable heating element can be translated (eg, in the width and length directions of the carrier component) such that the heating element can be aligned with each individual portion of the aerosol-generating material. This approach can reduce the number of aerosol generating components required while still providing a similar user experience.

Although implementations have been previously described in which individual spatially separate portions of aerosol-generating material are deposited on the carrier component, in other implementations, the aerosol-generating material is not provided in individual spatially separate portions but instead includes aerosol-generating material It should be recognized that it can be provided in continuous sheets of. In these implementations, specific regions of a sheet of aerosol-generating material can be selectively heated to generate an aerosol in substantially the same manner as described above. However, the present disclosure has described heating (or otherwise aerosolizing) portions of an aerosol-generating material, regardless of whether the portions are spatially separate. In particular, a zone (corresponding to a portion of the aerosol-generating material) may be defined on a continuous sheet of aerosol-generating material based on the dimensions of the heating element (or more specifically the surface of the heating element designed to increase temperature). In this regard, the corresponding area of the heating element when protruding onto the sheet of aerosol-generating material may be considered to define a zone or portion of the aerosol-generating material. According to the present disclosure, each section or portion of aerosol-generating material may have a mass of less than or equal to 20 mg, but the entire continuous sheet may have a mass of greater than 20 mg.

Although implementations have been previously described in which the aerosol delivery device may be configured or operated using a touch sensitive panel mounted on the aerosol delivery device, instead, the aerosol delivery device may be configured or controlled remotely. For example, the control circuitry may be provided with corresponding communication circuitry (eg, Bluetooth) that allows the control circuitry to communicate with a remote device, such as a smartphone. Accordingly, the touch sensing panel can actually be implemented using an app (APP) running on a smartphone. The smartphone can then transmit user inputs or configurations to the control circuitry, and the control circuitry can be configured to operate based on the received inputs or configurations.

Although implementations have been previously described in which an aerosol is generated by energizing (e.g., heating) an aerosol generating material (the generated aerosol is then inhaled by a user), in some implementations, the generated aerosol is generated prior to being inhaled by the user. It should be recognized that an aerosol modification component may be passed through or passed through to modify one or more properties of the aerosol. For example, the aerosol presentation device 2, 202, 702, 802 may include an air permeable insert (not shown) that is inserted into the airflow path downstream of the aerosol generating material (e.g. , the insert can be positioned at the outlet). The insert may include materials that alter any one or more of the flavor, temperature, particle size, nicotine concentration, etc. of the aerosol as it passes through the insert before entering the user's mouth. For example, the insert may include tobacco or treated tobacco. These systems may be referred to as hybrid systems. The insert may include any suitable aerosol modifying material, which may include the aerosol generating materials described above.

Although it has been previously described that the heating elements are arranged to provide heat to a portion of the aerosol-generating material at an operating temperature at which an aerosol is generated from the portion of the aerosol-generating material, in some implementations, the heating elements 24 are configured to provide heat to the portion of the aerosol-generating material. Arrangements are made to preheat the parts to a preheating temperature (lower than the operating temperature). At the preheat temperature, little or no aerosol is generated when the part is heated to the preheat temperature. In particular, in some implementations, the control circuitry is configured to supply power/energy before a first predetermined period of time begins (i.e., prior to receiving signaling indicating the user's intention to inhale the aerosol). However, a smaller amount of energy is required to raise the temperature of the aerosol-generating material from the preheating temperature to the operating temperature, thus increasing the responsiveness of the system but increasing total energy consumption. This may be particularly suitable for relatively thicker parts of aerosol-generating material, such as parts with a thickness of more than 400 μm, which require relatively larger amounts of energy to be supplied to reach the operating temperature. However, in these implementations, energy consumption (eg, from a power source) may be relatively higher.

Although each of the heating elements may provide the same heating profile to each aerosol generating zone, it will be appreciated that one or more of the heating elements may instead be configured to provide a different heating profile to each aerosol generating zone. . For example, aerosol generating regions located farther from the mouthpiece may be heated according to a heating profile that generates a larger volume of aerosol than aerosol generating regions located closer to the mouthpiece, resulting in an increased travel distance. Accordingly, additional loss of aerosol due to condensation can be offset, providing more consistent delivery of aerosol from different aerosol generating zones.

Although implementations have been described above in which the aerosol delivery device includes an end-of-use indicator, it should be recognized that the end-of-use indicator may be provided by another device remote from the aerosol delivery device. For example, in some implementations, the control circuitry of the aerosol-presenting device may include a communication mechanism that enables data transfer between the aerosol-presenting device and a remote device, for example, a smartphone or smartwatch. In such implementations, when the control circuitry determines that the aerosol-generating article has reached the end of its use, the control circuitry is configured to transmit a signal to the remote device, which sends an alert (e.g., using a display of the smartphone). It is configured to generate a signal. Other remote devices and other mechanisms for generating warning signals may be used as described above.

Additionally, when portions of the aerosol-generating material are provided on the carrier component, in some implementations, the portions are relatively thinner in a weakened region of the aerosol-generating material in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane of the carrier component. ), for example, may include through holes or regions. This may be the case where the hottest part of the aerosol-generating material is the area in direct contact with the carrier component (i.e., these may be scenarios where heat is applied primarily to the surface of the aerosol-generating material that is in contact with the carrier component). Accordingly, the through holes may provide channels through which generated aerosols can escape through the aerosol presentation device and be released into the environment/air flow, rather than causing potential accumulation of aerosols between the carrier component and the aerosol generating material. there is. This accumulation of aerosols can reduce the heating efficiency of the system because, in some implementations, this accumulation of aerosols causes lifting of the aerosol-generating material from the carrier component, reducing the efficiency of heat transfer to the aerosol-generating material. . Each piece of aerosol-generating material may suitably be provided with one or more attenuated zones.

In some implementations, the aerosol-generating article can include an identifier, such as a readable barcode or RFID tag, and the aerosol presentation device includes a corresponding reader. When an aerosol-generating article is inserted into the receptacle of the aerosol-providing device, the aerosol-producing device can be configured to read an identifier on the aerosol-generating article. The control circuitry may be configured to recognize the presence of an aerosol-generating article (thereby allowing heating and/or resetting an end-of-life indicator) or to identify the type and/or location of portions of the aerosol-generating material relative to the aerosol-generating article. You can. This may affect which parts the control circuitry aerosolizes and/or how those parts are aerosolized, for example, through adjustment of the aerosol generation temperature and/or heating duration. Any suitable technique for recognizing aerosol-generating articles may be used.

Although the embodiments described above focus on some specific example aerosol delivery systems, it will be understood that the same principles can be applied to aerosol delivery systems using other technologies. That is, various aspects of the aerosol delivery system function in certain ways that do not directly relate to the basic principles of the examples described herein.

In order to solve various problems and advance the art, this disclosure shows by way of example various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced. The advantages and features of the present disclosure are merely a representative sample of embodiments and are not limited and/or exclusive. These advantages and features are presented solely to aid in understanding and teaching the claimed invention(s). The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not limited to the disclosure as defined by the claims, or to equivalents of the claims. They should not be considered limitations, and it should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. The various embodiments may suitably include, consist of, or consist of various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., with those specifically described herein and others; or it may consist essentially of them, and thus it will be understood that the features of the dependent claims may be combined with the features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly recited in the claims. This disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims (24)

An aerosol delivery device comprising:
mouthpiece;
one or more first aerosol generating zones located within a first distance d1 from the mouthpiece;
one or more second aerosol generating zones located within a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece, where d2 >d1;
one or more first aerosol delivery channels arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more first aerosol generating zones to the mouthpiece, the one or more first aerosol delivery channels having a first cross-section or other profile; and
comprising one or more second aerosol delivery channels arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more second aerosol generating zones to the mouthpiece, the one or more second aerosol delivery channels having a second cross-section or other profile, 2 the cross-section or other profile is different from the first cross-section or other profile,
Aerosol delivery device. According to claim 1,
wherein the first cross-section or other profile is larger than the second cross-section or other profile,
Aerosol delivery device. According to claim 1 or 2,
wherein the effective air path volume of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels is approximately equal to the effective air path volume of the one or more second aerosol delivery channels.
Aerosol delivery device. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The cross-sections or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels and one or more second aerosol delivery channels are such that the amount of aerosol provided from the one or more first aerosol generation zones and one or more second aerosol generation zones is substantially equal. configured to,
Aerosol delivery device. According to claim 1,
wherein the second cross-section or other profile is larger than the first cross-section or other profile,
Aerosol delivery device. According to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The cross-section or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels and one or more second aerosol delivery channels may be such that the delivery rate of aerosol from the one or more first aerosol generation zones and one or more second aerosol generation zones to the outlet is substantially Consisting of being equal to,
Aerosol delivery device. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The aerosol presentation device includes a central aerosol transmission channel, wherein the one or more first aerosol delivery channels and the one or more second aerosol delivery channels are formed in the central aerosol delivery channel.
Aerosol delivery device. According to clause 7,
wherein the central aerosol delivery channel has a tapered cross-section or other profile,
Aerosol delivery device. According to any one of claims 1 to 8,
wherein the one or more first aerosol delivery channels are separate from the one or more second aerosol delivery channels,
Aerosol delivery device. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
further comprising one or more heating elements for heating the one or more aerosol generating zones,
Aerosol delivery device. According to claim 10,
wherein the one or more heating elements comprise one or more resistive or inductive heating elements.
Aerosol delivery device. An aerosol delivery system comprising:
An aerosol providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 11; and
comprising an aerosol-generating article comprising portions of an aerosol-generating material,
Aerosol delivery system. An aerosol-generating article comprising:
exit;
one or more first portions of aerosol-generating material located at a first distance d1 from the outlet;
one or more second portions of aerosol-generating material located at a second distance d2 from the outlet, where d2 >d1;
one or more first aerosol delivery channels arranged to communicate aerosol generated from one or more first portions of the aerosol-generating material to an outlet, the one or more first aerosol delivery channels having a first cross-section or other profile; and
comprising one or more second aerosol delivery channels arranged to communicate aerosol generated from one or more second portions of the aerosol-generating material to the outlet, the one or more second aerosol delivery channels having a second cross-section or other profile; the second cross-section or other profile is different from the first cross-section or other profile,
Aerosol-generating articles. According to claim 13,
wherein the one or more first aerosol delivery channels have a larger cross-section or a different profile than the one or more second aerosol delivery channels.
Aerosol-generating articles. The method of claim 13 or 14,
wherein the effective air path volume of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels is approximately equal to the effective air path volume of the one or more second aerosol delivery channels.
Aerosol-generating articles. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15,
The one or more first aerosol delivery channels and the cross-section or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels may be configured to determine the amount of aerosol provided from the one or more first aerosol generating zones and the one or more second aerosol generating zones. configured to be substantially identical,
Aerosol-generating articles. According to claim 13,
wherein the one or more second aerosol delivery channels have a larger cross-section or a different profile than the one or more first aerosol delivery channels.
Aerosol-generating articles. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17,
The cross-section or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol delivery channels and the one or more second aerosol delivery channels may be such that the delivery rate of the aerosol from the one or more first aerosol generating zones and the one or more second aerosol producing zones is substantially Consisting of being equal to,
Aerosol-generating articles. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18,
wherein the aerosol-generating article includes a central aerosol delivery channel, wherein the one or more first aerosol delivery channels and the one or more second aerosol delivery channels are formed within the central aerosol delivery channel.
Aerosol-generating articles. According to clause 19,
wherein the cross-section or other profile of the central aerosol delivery channel is a tapered channel,
Aerosol-generating articles. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 20,
wherein the one or more first aerosol delivery channels are separate from the one or more second aerosol delivery channels,
Aerosol-generating articles. An aerosol delivery system comprising:
An aerosol-generating article according to any one of claims 13 to 21; and
an aerosol-providing device configured to receive an aerosol-generating article, the aerosol-providing device configured to generate an aerosol from portions of the aerosol-generating material,
Aerosol delivery system. As a method of generating an aerosol,
Providing an aerosol delivery device, the aerosol delivery device comprising: a mouthpiece; one or more first aerosol generating zones located within a first distance d1 from the mouthpiece; comprising one or more second aerosol generating zones located within a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece, where d2 >d1;
communicating an aerosol generated from one or more first aerosol generating zones to the mouthpiece through one or more first aerosol delivery channels having a first cross-section or other profile; and
communicating aerosol generated from one or more second aerosol generating zones to the mouthpiece through one or more second aerosol delivery channels having a second cross-section or other profile, wherein the second cross-section or other profile is connected to the first cross-section. or different from other profiles,
How to generate an aerosol. As a method of generating an aerosol,
providing an aerosol-generating article, the aerosol-generating article comprising: an outlet; one or more first portions of aerosol-generating material located at a first distance d1 from the outlet; comprising one or more second portions of aerosol-generating material located at a second distance d2 from the outlet, where d2 >d1;
communicating an aerosol generated from one or more first portions of the aerosol-generating material to an outlet through one or more first aerosol delivery channels having a first cross-section or other profile; and
communicating aerosol generated from one or more second portions of the aerosol-generating material to the outlet through one or more second aerosol delivery channels having a second cross-section or other profile, wherein the second cross-section or other profile comprises the first cross-section or different from other profiles,
How to generate an aerosol.