The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generation device in which an aerosol generating substrate is heated to form an aerosol. The disclosure is particularly applicable to a portable aerosol generation device, which may be self-contained and low temperature. Such devices may heat, rather than burn, tobacco or other suitable aerosol substrate materials by conduction, convection, and/or radiation, to generate an aerosol for inhalation.
The popularity and use of reduced-risk or modified-risk devices (also known as vaporisers) has grown rapidly in the past few years as an aid to assist habitual smokers wishing to quit smoking traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and rolling tobacco. Various devices and systems are available that heat or warm aerosolisable substances as opposed to burning tobacco in conventional tobacco products.
A commonly available reduced-risk or modified-risk device is the heated substrate aerosol generation device or heat-not-burn device. Devices of this type generate an aerosol or vapour by heating an aerosol substrate that typically comprises moist leaf tobacco or other suitable aerosolisable material to a temperature typically in the range 150° C. to 350° C. Heating an aerosol substrate, but not combusting or burning it, releases an aerosol that comprises the components sought by the user but not the toxic and carcinogenic by-products of combustion and burning. Furthermore, the aerosol produced by heating the tobacco or other aerosolisable material does not typically comprise the burnt or bitter taste resulting from combustion and burning that can be unpleasant for the user and so the substrate does not therefore require the sugars and other additives that are typically added to such materials to make the smoke and/or vapour more palatable for the user.
In such devices, the aerosol substrate is heated by a heating element, for example in a heating chamber. The aerosol substrate is consumed through generation of the aerosol, and must be regularly replaced. It is therefore desirable to provide a convenient way of replacing the aerosol substrate in the heating chamber.
According to a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an aerosol generation system comprising: an aerosol generation device comprising: an aerosol generation chamber configured to receive a consumable comprising a portion of aerosol generating substrate; and a loading channel comprising a loading port at one end, and intersecting with the aerosol generation chamber; a plurality of the consumables in the loading channel, wherein each consumable is configured to push an adjacent consumable along the loading channel as successive consumables are pushed into the loading port; and a heating element configured to heat a portion of aerosol generating substrate in the aerosol generation chamber.
By providing a push-loading mechanism for adding consumables, and a loading channel that can store a plurality of consumables, the aerosol generation device can be loaded with reduced frequency. Additionally, the loading mechanism of the aerosol generation device is robust with no required moving parts, so the lifetime of the aerosol generation device is increased.
Optionally, a length of the loading channel is equal to a length of the plurality of the consumables. As a result, when the loading channel has received a maximum number of the consumables, the loading channel is full and a consumable is correctly aligned in the aerosol generation chamber.
According to a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a consumable for use in an aerosol generation device, the consumable comprising: a support frame configured to hold a portion of aerosol generating substrate, wherein the support frame is substantially rigid or resilient along a loading axis, wherein the consumable is configured to pass through a loading channel of an aerosol generation device along the loading axis.
By providing a support structure for pushing successive consumables, the consumable behaves more reliably when pushed with the push-loading mechanism, and the need for unblocking and cleaning the push-loading mechanism is reduced.
Optionally, the consumable further comprises a sealing member for inhibiting air flow along the loading channel.
By inhibiting air flow along the loading channel, aerosol extraction by driving air through or past the substrate can be performed more efficiently.
Optionally, the consumable further comprises an air inlet and air outlet for allowing air to pass through the portion of aerosol generating substrate.
By providing an air inlet and air outlet, air can flow through the substrate, and aerosol extraction from the substrate is increased.
Optionally, the consumable further comprises a cleaning member for wiping an internal surface of the loading channel.
By providing a cleaning member on the consumable, a build-up of residue from aerosol generation is reduced, and a lifetime of the aerosol generation device is improved. The residue may, for example, take the form of a sticky, oily, or burnt substance released during heating of an aerosol substrate.
Optionally, the consumable comprises a lid for accessing and covering the portion of aerosol generating substrate.
By providing a lid, a build-up of residue from aerosol generation is reduced, and a lifetime of the aerosol generation device is improved.
Optionally, the consumable further comprises a heating element.
By providing a heating element in the consumable, the heating element can be easily replaced, and a lifetime of the aerosol generation device is improved.
Optionally, the support frame comprises a thermally conductive plate configured to transmit heat from a heating element of the aerosol generating device to the aerosol generating substrate.
By providing a thermally conductive plate, heat can be transferred to the substrate more efficiently.
According to a third aspect, the present disclosure provides an aerosol generation device comprising: an aerosol generation chamber configured to receive a consumable comprising a portion of aerosol generating substrate; and a loading channel extending through the aerosol generation device and intersecting with the aerosol generation chamber, wherein the loading channel comprises a loading port at one end through which a consumable can be pushed into the loading channel, and the loading channel is configured to hold a plurality of consumables pushed along the loading channel by addition of a further consumable at the loading port.
Optionally, the aerosol generation device further comprises a sealing member arranged to inhibit air flow along the loading channel when a consumable is received in the aerosol generation chamber.
By inhibiting air flow along the loading channel, aerosol extraction by driving air through or past the consumable can be performed more efficiently.
Optionally, the loading channel comprises an unloading port at an end of the loading channel opposed to the loading port, wherein pushing an additional consumable into the loading port pushes a previous consumable out of the unloading port.
Providing a push-unloading mechanism further makes the device easier to operate.
Optionally, the loading port and the unloading port are similar such that the consumable can be pushed into the loading channel via either the loading port or the unloading port.
Providing a reversible loading/unloading system further makes the device easier to operate.
Optionally, the aerosol generation device further comprises an elongate body and a mouthpiece arranged at one end of the elongate body, wherein the loading channel is arranged along the elongate body.
Aerosol generation devices are known to have an elongate shape so that they can be easily handheld. By orienting the loading channel along the elongate direction, a number of consumables which can be stored in the loading channel is increased.
Optionally, the aerosol generation device further comprises a driver for pushing a plurality of consumables in the loading channel. For example, the driver may be configured for shifting a next consumable into the aerosol generation chamber after an aerosol generating session has been completed for a current consumable received in the aerosol generation chamber.
Providing an actuator enables use of multiple consumables in between the user performing a loading or unloading operation. The actuator may also provide a mechanism for emptying the loading channel.
Referring to
A loading channel 13 is configured for receiving a plurality of consumables 2 through a loading port 131, and conveying the consumables 2 to an aerosol generation chamber 12. The loading channel 13 extends through the aerosol generation device 1 inside the housing 11 and intersects with the aerosol generation chamber 12.
In this example, the loading channel 13 is further configured to convey the consumables 2 on to an unloading port 132 at an end of the loading channel opposed to the loading port 131. However, in other examples, the aerosol generation device 1 may be configured to unload the consumables 2 back through the loading port 131.
Preferably a length of the loading channel 13 is equal to a length of a predetermined plurality of the consumables 2, in this case a length of three consumables as shown in
An air flow channel 14 is connected through the aerosol generation chamber 12.
By pumping air along the air flow channel 14, the aerosol generated in the aerosol generation chamber 12 is extracted from the aerosol generation device 1. For example, one end of the aerosol generation device 1 may be configured as a mouthpiece 15 including an end of the air flow channel 14.
Referring to
In this embodiment, the loading channel 13 and the air flow channel 14 each intersect with the aerosol generation chamber 12 in a common plane, with the air flow channel 14 extending through the plane of
In addition, when the last consumable (2-D) is pushed from the loading port 131, a first consumable (2-A) is pushed out of the unloading port 132 (in embodiments where an unloading port 132 is present).
The loading port 131 and the unloading port 132 are similar, such that the consumable 2 can be pushed into the loading channel 13 via either the loading port 131 or the unloading port 132. This may, for example, help to support both left-handed and right-handed operation of an aerosol generation device 1. However, in order to avoid confusion about which end of the loading channel 13 is the loading port 131, the unloading port 132 may instead be configured such that it is not possible to push a consumable 2 into the unloading port 132.
The housing 11, aerosol generation chamber 12, loading channel 13, and air flow channel 14 may generally be made from any rigid material such as a thermoplastic ora metal (e.g. aluminium). The device 1 may, for example, be substantially made from a heat-resistant material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or polyamide (PA) in order to prevent thermal deformation or melting. The heat-resistant material may be a super engineering plastic such as polyimide (PI), polyphenylenesulfide (PPS) or polyether ether ketone (PEEK).
In the embodiment of
The sealing member 133 may be made from a different material from the rest of the loading channel. For example, the sealing member 133 may be made from a pliable material, such as an elastomer (e.g. rubber), so that the sealing member 133 can bend while the consumables 2 are being pushed along the loading channel 13, and wear on the sealing member 133 is reduced. Alternatively, the sealing member 133 could be a rigid protrusion arranged to provide a tight fit for the consumable 2 in the loading channel 13.
In the examples of
In
The substrate may for example comprise nicotine or tobacco and an aerosol former. Tobacco may take the form of various materials such as shredded tobacco, granulated tobacco, tobacco leaf and/or reconstituted tobacco. Suitable aerosol formers include: a polyol such as sorbitol, glycerol, and glycols like propylene glycol or triethylene glycol; a non-polyol such as monohydric alcohols, acids such as lactic acid, glycerol derivatives, esters such as triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate, glycerin or vegetable glycerin. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating agent may be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. The substrate may also comprise at least one of a gelling agent, a binding agent, a stabilizing agent, and a humectant.
The substrate is porous such that air can flow through the substrate and collect aerosol as it does so. The substrate may for example be a foam, or packed strands or fibres. The substrate may be formed through an extrusion and/or rolling process into a stable shape.
As shown in
In each of
While the example consumables 2 of
Referring first to the example consumable 2 of
The support frame 22 is substantially rigid or resilient along a loading axis, i.e. a direction in which the consumable 2 is configured to move along a loading channel 13. As shown in
The support frame 22 may be made from a similar material to that used for the structural features of the aerosol generation device 1 (housing 11, aerosol generation chamber 12 etc.), such as a thermoplastic or metal. For example, the support frame 22 may be substantially hollow and formed by bending a sheet material.
As additionally indicated in
As further shown in
The primary difference from the first example is the inclusion of one or more sealing elements 26 with the consumable. These can be provided in addition or alternative to the sealing elements 133 of the aerosol generation device 1, and have a similar construction to the sealing element 133 described above, except that the sealing elements 26 protrude from a surface of the consumable 2 to seal the loading channel 13 when the consumable 2 is arranged in the aerosol generation chamber 12. As shown in
Additionally, and separately from the sealing elements 26,
In each of
Additionally, in each of
In each of the examples of
Referring specifically to
Furthermore, in order to power a heating element mounted on the consumable 2, the consumable 2 may comprise electrical contacts 272. Similarly, the loading channel 13 may comprise electrical rails, or electrical contacts specifically positioned in the aerosol generation chamber 12, in order to supply power to the electrical contacts 272.
As a further addition or alternative, referring to
The consumable 2 may have multiple cleaning members 29. As shown in
Any of the features of described above with reference to
The second example of an aerosol generation device 1 differs from the first example primarily in that the loading channel 13 is arranged along an elongate axis of the housing 11, where the housing 11 forms an elongate body with the mouthpiece 15 at one end.
An elongate body is known to be used in aerosol generation devices 1 to make them easier to hold by hand. By aligning the loading channel 13 parallel to an elongate direction of the aerosol generation device 1, this configuration means that a length of the loading channel 13 available for holding consumables 2 is increased.
Additionally, with the loading channel 13 extending along an elongate axis of the housing 11, the user may push consumables 2 into the loading channel 13 either adjacent to the mouthpiece 15 or at an end of the housing 11 that opposes the mouthpiece 15. Either of these loading port configurations can be operated while the user has one hand extending around the elongate axis to conveniently and intuitively hold the aerosol generation device 1.
A further optional feature shown in the second example of
Additionally, in the second example of
The third example of an aerosol generation device 1 differs from the first example primarily in that the loading port 131 is also used as the unloading port. With this configuration, a user can push-load a plurality of consumables 2, one at a time, and use each consumable 2 for a respective aerosol generating session. However, the aerosol generation device 1 does not need to be emptied after every aerosol generating session, and instead further consumables 2 can be added until the loading channel 13 is full.
The aerosol generation device 1 may also comprise a driver 134 for pushing a plurality of consumables in the loading channel 13.
In the third example, the driver 134 is configured for pushing the consumables 2- A, 2-B, 2-C back out of the loading channel 13 in order to empty the loading channel. The driver 134 may be an electronic actuator controlled by a user using a button, or controlled automatically by a control circuit. Alternatively, the driver 134 may be a purely mechanical system such as a telescopic element configured to retract when pushed until the loading channel 13 is full and to extend fully when pushed while the loading channel is full.
The driver 134 may additionally or alternatively be configured for shifting a next consumable into the aerosol generation chamber 12 after an aerosol generating session has been completed for a current consumable 2 received in the aerosol generation chamber.
An aerosol generation device 1 according to the first example or second example may similarly comprise a driver 134 for emptying the loading channel through the loading port 131 or unloading port 132, or for shifting a next consumable 2 into the aerosol generation chamber 12.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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20177439.5 | May 2020 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/064366 | 5/28/2021 | WO |