Patent Grant
11172708
The present application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2017/060507, filed May 3, 2017, published in English, which claims priority to Great Britain Application No. 1607839.6, filed May 5, 2016, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates generally to aerosol generating systems and more particularly to a cartridge for use with an aerosol generating system, the cartridge containing an aerosol-forming liquid which can be heated to produce an aerosol for inhalation by a user.
The use of aerosol generating systems (also known as electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, personal vaporisers and electronic vapour inhalers), which can be used as an alternative to conventional smoking articles such as lit-end cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, is becoming increasingly popular and widespread. The most commonly used e-cigarettes are usually battery powered and use a resistance heating element to heat and atomise a liquid containing nicotine, to produce a nicotine-containing aerosol (often called vapour) which can be inhaled by a user. The aerosol is inhaled through a mouthpiece to deliver nicotine to the lungs, and aerosol exhaled by the user generally mimics the appearance of smoke from a conventional smoking article. Although inhalation of the aerosol creates a physical sensation which is similar to conventional smoking, harmful chemicals such as carbon dioxide and tar are not produced or inhaled because there is no combustion.
In the conventional e-cigarettes described above, the liquid is wicked onto the resistance heating element where it is heated and vaporised. However, problems can arise with continued use of the e-cigarette, because deposits form on the surface of the resistance heating element due to localised burning of the liquid. This can reduce the efficiency of the resistance heating element. Furthermore, when the deposits are subsequently heated during operation of the e-cigarette, they can evaporate to create an unpleasant taste and/or generate harmful gases. These problems can be addressed by replacing the resistance heating element or the e-cigarette itself, but this involves unwanted expense and inconvenience for the user.
The present disclosure seeks to address these difficulties.
According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cartridge for use with an aerosol generating system, the cartridge comprising:
The cartridge provides a convenient way for a user to load the aerosol-forming liquid into the electronic vapour inhaler, reducing the likelihood of spillage and waste. The reservoir may be non-refillable or may be refillable.
The conveyed aerosol-forming liquid is heated rapidly and efficiently by the induction heatable element in the presence of an electromagnetic field and this gives a fast heating response. The aerosol-forming liquid conveyed by the capillary element from the reservoir to the induction heatable element is vaporised when the induction heatable element heats the aerosol-forming liquid to its boiling point and this causes the capillary element to convey more aerosol-forming liquid from the reservoir to the induction heatable element by virtue of capillary action.
The cartridge does not have any moving parts and the induction heatable element does not require an electrical connection. In preferred embodiments the induction heatable element can be discarded with the cartridge. Optimal heating is achieved during the whole process of vaporising the contents of the reservoir due to precise microprocessor controlled energy delivery. Since the induction heatable element is renewed each time the cartridge is replaced, there is no reduction in performance or degradation in flavour or aroma over time. This is to be contrasted, for example, with the conventional aerosol-generating systems described above which employ a resistance heating element. In other embodiments, the induction heatable element can be easily replaced by a user thereby offering the advantages described above. Because the induction heatable element is a low-cost component, it can be replaced at minimal expense unlike the resistance heating element in the conventional e-cigarettes described above.
The capillary element is formed from an electrically insulating material. Thus, the capillary element does not heat up in the presence of an electromagnetic field. The capillary element is desirably formed from a heat-resistant material so that it can withstand the high temperatures attained by the induction heatable element during operation of the aerosol generating system.
The capillary element may contact the induction heatable element.
The capillary element may be located adjacent to, but spaced apart from, the induction heatable element. The spacing between the capillary element and the induction heatable element can be varied. The spacing controls the amount of aerosol-forming liquid which is stored on the induction heatable element and which is available for vaporisation when the induction heatable element is heated. Thus, the spacing affects, and can be optimised to control, the amount of aerosol generated when a user inhales during operation of the aerosol generating system.
The capillary element may have a first end in contact with the aerosol-forming liquid in the reservoir and an opposite second end arranged to transfer the conveyed aerosol-forming liquid onto the induction heatable element.
The second end of the capillary element may contact the induction heatable element. In this case, the second end of the capillary element may be shaped, e.g., may include a cut-out portion, to define an outlet which enables the conveyed liquid to be transferred from the second end onto the induction heatable element. The shaping, e.g., the depth of the cut-out portion, controls the amount of aerosol-forming liquid which is stored on the induction heatable element and which is available for vaporisation when the induction heatable element is heated. Thus, the shaping affects, and can be optimised to control, the amount of aerosol generated when a user inhales during operation of the aerosol generating system.
The second end of the capillary element may be located adjacent to, but spaced apart from, the induction heatable element. The spacing between the second end of the capillary element and the induction heatable element can be varied and the spacing controls the amount of aerosol-forming liquid which is stored on the induction heatable element and which is available for vaporisation when the induction heatable element is heated. Thus, the spacing affects, and can be optimised to control, the amount of aerosol generated when a user inhales during operation of the aerosol generating system.
The capillary element may comprise a capillary tube and/or a capillary wick. The capillary wick may comprise a plurality of wicking strands.
The cartridge may include a plurality of said capillary elements for conveying the aerosol-forming liquid from the reservoir to the induction heatable element. The use of a plurality of capillary elements provides an increased rate of transfer of the aerosol-forming liquid to the induction heatable element.
The capillary element may comprise a porous body. The porous body may include mineral wool.
The porous body may be a porous body of solid material. The porous body may include a porous ceramic material.
The induction heatable element may be encapsulated by the porous body. This may provide for enhanced heating of the aerosol-forming liquid.
The induction heatable element may comprise a substantially circular disc. The disc may have a thickness in the range from 20 μm to 1.5 mm. The disc may have a diameter in the range from 6 mm to 12 mm.
The induction heatable element may comprise aluminium or any conductive material which heats up in the presence of an electromagnetic field as a result of eddy currents induced in the induction heatable element and/or hysteresis losses.
The cartridge may comprise:
The first and second induction heatable elements may be arranged to be heated to different temperatures by the aerosol generating system. The cartridge can, therefore, be used to heat aerosol-forming liquids having different boiling points, thus providing optimal heating of the individual liquids and ensuring that neither liquid is overheated. For example, the first aerosol-forming liquid may be vegetable glycerin and the first induction heatable element may be arranged to heat the vegetable glycerin to a temperature of approximately 290° C. to vaporise it. The second liquid may be propylene glycol and the second induction heatable element may be arranged to heat the propylene glycol to a temperature of approximately 189° C. to vaporise it.
The first and second induction heatable elements may be formed of different materials and/or may have different dimensions. This enables the first and second induction heatable elements to be heated to different temperatures when subjected to the same electromagnetic field during operation of the aerosol-generating system.
The above arrangements employing first and second reservoirs in combination with corresponding first and second induction heatable elements are advantageous since they enable an aerosol to be generated using two different aerosol-forming liquids with different boiling points in a single, easy-to-use, cartridge. The use of two aerosol-forming liquids is advantageous since it may allow the flavour and aroma of the resultant aerosol to be optimised.
It should be understood that further reservoirs, induction heatable elements and capillary elements may be provided so that more than two different aerosol-forming liquids can be heated to different temperatures to vaporise them and thereby produce an aerosol for inhalation by a user.
The cartridge may comprise a non-liquid flavour-release medium and may comprise a further induction heatable element arranged to heat the non-liquid flavour-release medium. Heat is transferred from the further induction heatable element to the non-liquid flavour-release medium by one or more of conduction, radiation and convection.
The non-liquid flavour-release medium may comprise any material or combination of materials which can be heated to release a vapour or aerosol for inhalation by a user. The non-liquid flavour-release medium is a dry material and can be easily handled. The non-liquid flavour-release medium may be tobacco or a tobacco material or a dry herbal material. The non-liquid flavour-release medium could take any suitable form, including fine pieces or pellets or a fibrous form. The non-liquid flavour-release medium may be impregnated with a vapour-forming medium such as propylene glycol, glycerol or a combination thereof.
Such a ‘hybrid’ arrangement, using an aerosol-forming liquid and a non-liquid flavour-release medium is highly advantageous since it allows the principal part of the aerosol to be formed by vaporisation of the aerosol-forming liquid whilst at the same time allowing more complex flavour compounds to be released by heating the non-liquid flavour-release medium. The resulting aerosol inhaled by the user has a flavour and aroma which mimics as closely as possible the flavour and aroma of a conventional lit-end cigarette or other conventional smoking article.
The non-liquid flavour-release medium may be adhered to a surface of the further induction heatable element. The non-liquid flavour-release medium may alternatively be packed around the further induction heatable element.
The cartridge may include one or more further capillary elements for conveying the aerosol-forming liquid from the reservoir to the non-liquid flavour-release medium. This arrangement advantageously ensures that the aerosol-forming liquid can permeate onto the non-liquid flavour-release medium at an optimum rate to prevent it from drying out and possibly burning and/or charring during the heating process.
The or each further capillary element may comprise a capillary tube and/or a capillary wick. The or each further capillary element may include one or more of the features of the capillary element defined above.
The cartridge may comprise a housing in which the liquid reservoir may be located. The housing may have one or more air inlets through which ambient air can flow into the housing and a mouthpiece defining an outlet through which an aerosol can be inhaled by a user.
According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol generating system comprising:
The induction heating arrangement typically comprises an induction coil.
The aerosol generating system may comprise a body in which the induction heating arrangement is accommodated and a cavity may be formed in the body in which the cartridge may be removably inserted.
The aerosol generating system may further include a capsule comprising:
The capsule may be as described in GB 2527597 A.
Again, this is a ‘hybrid’ arrangement, using an aerosol-forming liquid and a non-liquid flavour-release medium, and has the same advantages as the ‘hybrid’ arrangement described above.
The aerosol generating system may include a subsidiary induction heatable element, at least part of which is exposed to enable the temperature of the subsidiary induction heatable element to be directly measured, for example using a probe. A predetermined relationship between the temperature of the subsidiary induction heatable element and the temperatures of the induction heatable elements which heat the aerosol-forming liquid(s) and optionally the non-liquid flavour-release medium allows the temperature(s) of the induction heatable elements to be determined indirectly, by measuring the temperature of the subsidiary induction heatable element. This is advantageous because direct measurement of the temperatures of the induction heatable elements which heat the conveyed aerosol-forming liquid(s) and optionally the non-liquid flavour-release medium is generally impractical due to their size and/or inaccessibility.
According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol generating system comprising:
According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for determining the temperature of at least one induction heatable element in an aerosol generating system comprising an induction heating arrangement arranged to inductively heat the at least one induction heatable element and thereby heat one or more of an aerosol-forming liquid and a non-liquid flavour-release medium, and a subsidiary induction heatable element arranged to be heated by the induction heating arrangement, at least part of the subsidiary induction heatable element being exposed, the method comprising:
The subsidiary induction heatable element preferably has smaller dimensions than the or each induction heatable element which heats the aerosol-forming liquid(s) and/or the non-liquid flavour-release medium.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring initially to
The cartridge 30, shown as a separate component in
The aerosol generating system 10 includes an induction heating arrangement 24 comprising an induction coil 26 which can be energised by the power source 20 and the operation of which can be controlled by the control arrangement 18. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, when the induction coil 26 is energised, an alternating and time-varying electromagnetic field is produced which generates eddy currents and/or hysteresis losses in the induction heatable element 36 causing it to heat up. As a result, the aerosol-forming liquid 34 conveyed to the induction heatable element 36 by the capillary element 38 is heated and the aerosol-forming liquid 34 vaporises when it reaches its boiling point. When a user inhales through the mouthpiece 44, air is drawn into the air inlet 40 and flows along a passageway 46 defined in the housing 41. The vaporised aerosol-forming liquid is entrained in the air flowing through the passageway 46 and cools to form an aerosol before exiting the mouthpiece 44 and entering the user's mouth. As liquid 34 conveyed from the reservoir 32 to the induction heatable element 36 is vaporised during operation of the aerosol generating system 10, it will be understood that further aerosol-forming liquid 34 is conveyed by the capillary element 38 from the reservoir 32 to the induction heatable element 36 by virtue of capillary action.
In the cartridge 30 illustrated in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment of
Referring now to
The first and second aerosol-forming liquids 34a, 34b stored in the first and second reservoirs 32a, 32b differ from each other and have different boiling points. In one embodiment, the first aerosol-forming liquid 34a is vegetable glycerin and has a boiling point of approximately 290° C. whilst the second aerosol-forming liquid 34b is propylene glycol and has a lower boiling point of approximately 189° C.
Although
The cartridges 72 illustrated in
In more detail and referring initially to
The embodiment of
It will be noted that the cartridges 72 illustrated in
As an alternative to incorporating a non-liquid flavour-release medium into the cartridge 72 itself as shown in
Although the use of a subsidiary induction heatable element 90 has been described only in connection with a capsule 80, it will be understood that the subsidiary induction heatable element 90 can be can be used in combination with any of the cartridges 30, 70 illustrated in
Although exemplary embodiments have been described in the preceding paragraphs, it should be understood that various modifications may be made to those embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the breadth and scope of the claims should not be limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments. Each feature disclosed in the specification, including the claims and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purposes, unless expressly stated otherwise.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise”, “comprising”, and the like, are to be construed in an inclusive as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”.
Any combination of the above-described features in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the present invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1607839 | May 2016 | GB | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2017/060507 | 5/3/2017 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2017/191176 | 11/9/2017 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20120184905 | Shekalim | Jul 2012 | A1 |
| 20140366898 | Monsees | Dec 2014 | A1 |
| 20150128967 | Robinson et al. | May 2015 | A1 |
| 20150245669 | Cadieux et al. | Sep 2015 | A1 |
| 20150272216 | Dai | Oct 2015 | A1 |
| 20150320116 | Bleloch et al. | Nov 2015 | A1 |
| 20170202266 | Sur | Jul 2017 | A1 |
| 20180192700 | Fraser | Jul 2018 | A1 |
| 20190124981 | Fursa | May 2019 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2504732 | Feb 2014 | GB |
| 2527597 | Dec 2015 | GB |
| 2015177043 | Nov 2015 | WO |
| 2016014652 | Jan 2016 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/EP2017/060507, dated Sep. 10, 2017. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190142066 A1 | May 2019 | US |
