Patent Application
20240324674
The present disclosure relates to aerosol provision systems such as nicotine delivery systems (e.g. electronic cigarettes and the like).
Electronic aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) generally contain an aerosol precursor material, such as a reservoir of a source liquid containing a formulation, typically including nicotine, or a solid material such a tobacco-based product, from which an aerosol is generated for inhalation by a user, for example through heat vaporization. Thus, an aerosol provision system will typically comprise a vaporizer, e.g. a heating element, arranged to vaporize a portion of precursor material to generate an aerosol in an aerosol generation region of an air channel through the aerosol provision system. As a user inhales on the device and electrical power is supplied to the vaporizer, air is drawn into the device through one or more inlet holes and along the air channel to the aerosol generation region, where the air mixes with the vaporized precursor material and forms a condensation aerosol. The air drawn through the aerosol generation region continues along the air channel to a mouthpiece opening, carrying some of the aerosol with it, and out through the mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.
It is common for aerosol provision systems to comprise a modular assembly, often having two main functional parts, namely a control unit and disposable/replaceable cartridge part. Typically the cartridge part will comprise the consumable aerosol precursor material and the vaporizer (atomiser), while the control unit part will comprise longer-life items, such as a rechargeable battery, device control circuitry, activation sensors and user interface features. The control unit may also be referred to as a reusable part or battery section and the replaceable cartridge may also be referred to as a disposable part or cartomizer.
The control unit and cartridge are mechanically coupled together at an interface for use, for example using a screw thread, bayonet, latched or friction fit fixing. When the aerosol precursor material in a cartridge has been exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge having a different aerosol precursor material, the cartridge may be removed from the control unit and a replacement cartridge may be attached to the device in its place.
A potential drawbacks for cartridges containing liquid aerosol precursor (e-liquid) is the risk of leakage. An e-cigarette cartridge will typically have a mechanism, e.g. a capillary wick, for drawing aerosolizable material from an aerosolizable material reservoir to a vaporizer located in an air path/channel connecting from an air inlet to an aerosol outlet for the cartridge. Because there is a fluid transport path from the aerosolizable material reservoir into the open air channel through the cartridge, there is a corresponding risk of aerosolizable material leaking from the cartridge. Leakage is undesirable both from the perspective of the end user naturally not wanting to get the e-liquid on their hands or other items, and also from a reliability perspective, since leakage from an end of the cartridge connected to the control unit may damage the control unit, for example due to corrosion. Some approaches to reduce the risk of leakage may involve restricting the flow of aerosolizable material to the vaporizer, for example by tightly clamping a wick where it enters the air channel. In normal use, the aerosolizable material taken up by the wick is sufficient to keep the vaporizer cool (i.e., at an ideal operating temperature), but when the aerosolizable material taken up is insufficient (e.g., when the aerosolizable material in the reservoir runs low) this can in some scenarios give rise to overheating and undesirable flavors.
Further potential drawbacks in respect of existing aerosol provision systems is the ability to potentially continue using the aerosol provision system after certain adverse conditions in the aerosol provision system may have occurred. In that respect, further operation of the aerosol provision system in such instances may be undesirable.
A further potential drawback in respect of existing aerosol provision systems is the fact that they may get dry if not used for a period of time. In that respect, this means that the vicinity around the vaporizer/heating element may be become dry, as a result of any aerosolizable material in the proximity of the vaporizer/heating element being drawn away back to the reservoir, e.g. via the effect of capillary action in the wick (where such a wick is provided). In such dry conditions, subsequent use of the vaporizer/heating element may cause it to become hotter than it would if the aerosol provision system was used more recently, and which may be undesirable.
Various approaches are therefore described herein which seek to help address or mitigate some of the issues discussed above.
According to a first aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol provision system comprising a reservoir for aerosolizable material, a wick for receiving aerosolizable material from the reservoir, and a vaporizer for vaporising aerosolizable material in the wick;
According to a second aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol provision system comprising a reservoir for aerosolizable material, and a vaporizer for vaporizing aerosolizable material from the reservoir;
According to a third aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a cartridge for an aerosol provision system comprising the cartridge and a control unit, wherein the cartridge comprises:
According to a fourth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a cartridge for an aerosol provision system comprising the cartridge and a control unit, wherein the cartridge comprises:
According to a fifth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol provision system comprising a reservoir for aerosolizable material, and a vaporizer for vaporising aerosolizable material from the reservoir;
According to a sixth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a cartridge for an aerosol provision system comprising the cartridge and a control unit, wherein the cartridge comprises:
According to a seventh aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a method of physically preventing the operation of an aerosol provision system comprising a reservoir for aerosolizable material, and a vaporizer for vaporizing aerosolizable material from the reservoir; wherein the method comprises:
According to an eighth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a method of physically preventing the operation of a cartridge for use in an aerosol provision system, wherein the cartridge comprises a reservoir for aerosolizable material, and a vaporizer for vaporising aerosolizable material from the reservoir; wherein the method comprises: detecting a predetermined event from the cartridge; and
According to a ninth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol provision system comprising a wick and a vaporizer for vaporising aerosolizable material in the wick, wherein the wick comprises a first outer portion comprising a first sorptivity and a second inner portion comprising a second sorptivity which is greater than the first sorptivity, such that the wick is operable to encourage aerosolizable material in the wick to pass from the first portion to the second portion.
According to a tenth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a cartridge for an aerosol provision system comprising the cartridge and a control unit, wherein the cartridge comprises a wick and a vaporizer for vaporising aerosolizable material in the wick, wherein the wick comprises a first outer portion comprising a first sorptivity and a second inner portion comprising a second sorptivity which is greater than the first sorptivity, such that the wick is operable to encourage aerosolizable material in the wick to pass from the first portion to the second portion.
According to an eleventh aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol provision system comprising:
According to a twelfth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a method of providing power to a heating element in an aerosol provision system, wherein the aerosol provision system further comprises control circuitry, and wherein the method comprises the control circuitry:
It will be appreciated that features and aspects of the invention described above in relation to the various aspects of the invention are equally applicable to, and may be combined with, embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the invention as appropriate, and not just in the specific combinations described herein.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed/described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and these are not discussed/described in detail in the interests of brevity. It will thus be appreciated that aspects and features of apparatus and methods discussed herein which are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.
The present disclosure relates to non-combustible aerosol provision systems, which may also be referred to as aerosol provision systems, such as e-cigarettes. According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosolizable material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery to a user. Aerosolizable material, which also may be referred to herein as aerosol generating material or aerosol precursor material, is material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way.
Throughout the following description the term “e-cigarette” or “electronic cigarette” may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with aerosol provision system/device and electronic aerosol provision system/device. An electronic cigarette may also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosolizable material is not a requirement.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosolizable materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosolizable material and a solid aerosolizable material. The solid aerosolizable material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.
Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol provision device and an article for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device. However, it is envisaged that articles which themselves comprise a means for powering an aerosol generating component may themselves form the non-combustible aerosol provision system.
In some embodiments, the article for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise an aerosolizable material (or aerosol precursor material), an aerosol generating component (or vaporizer), an aerosol generating area, a mouthpiece, and/or an area for receiving aerosolizable material.
In some embodiments, the aerosol generating component is a heater capable of interacting with the aerosolizable material so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosolizable material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating component is capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without heating. For example, the aerosol generating component may be capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without applying heat thereto, for example via one or more of vibrational, mechanical, pressurisation or electrostatic means.
In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosolizable material which may comprise an active constituent, a carrier constituent and optionally one or more other functional constituents.
The active constituent may comprise one or more physiologically and/or olfactory active constituents which are included in the aerosolizable material in order to achieve a physiological and/or olfactory response in the user. The active constituent may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, and psychoactives. The active constituent may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active constituent may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, a vitamin such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, a cannabinoid, or a constituent, derivative, or combinations thereof. The active constituent may comprise a constituent, derivative or extract of tobacco or of another botanical. In some embodiments, the active constituent is a physiologically active constituent and may be selected from nicotine, nicotine salts (e.g. nicotine ditartrate/nicotine bitartrate), nicotine-free tobacco substitutes, other alkaloids such as caffeine, or mixtures thereof.
In some embodiments, the active constituent is an olfactory active constituent and may be selected from a “flavor” and/or “flavorant” which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. In some instances such constituents may be referred to as flavors, flavorants, cooling agents, heating agents, and/or sweetening agents. They may include naturally occurring flavor materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, Ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavor enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gasone or more of extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, piment, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), flavor enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, oil, liquid, or powder.
In some embodiments, the flavor comprises menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavor may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucalyptol, WS-3.
The carrier constituent may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the carrier constituent may comprise one or more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.
The one or more other functional constituents may comprise one or more of pH regulators, coloring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.
As noted above, aerosol provision systems (e-cigarettes) often comprise a modular assembly including both a reusable part (control unit) and a replaceable (disposable) cartridge part. Devices conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part devices. It is also common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongate shape. For the sake of providing a concrete example, certain embodiments of the disclosure described herein comprise this kind of generally elongate two-part device employing disposable cartridges. However, it will be appreciated the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for other electronic cigarette configurations, for example modular devices comprising more than two parts, as devices conforming to other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a more boxy shape.
The e-cigarette 1 comprises two main components, namely a cartridge 2 and a control unit 4. The control unit 4 and the cartridge 2 are shown separated in
The cartridge 2 and control unit 4 are coupled by establishing a mechanical and electrical connection between them. The specific manner in which the mechanical and electrical connection is established is not of primary significance to the principles described herein and may be established in accordance with conventional techniques, for example based around a screw thread, bayonet, latched or friction-fit mechanical fixing with appropriately arranged electrical contacts/electrodes for establishing the electrical connection between the two parts as appropriate. For example electronic cigarette 1 represented in
The electronic cigarette 1 has a generally elongate shape extending along a longitudinal axis L. When the cartridge is coupled to the control unit, the overall length of the electronic cigarette in this example (along the longitudinal axis) is around 12.5 cm. The overall length of the control unit is around 9 cm and the overall length of the cartridge is around 5 cm (i.e. there is around 1.5 cm of overlap between the interface end portion 6 of the cartridge and the receptacle 8 of the control unit when they are coupled together). The electronic cigarette has a cross-section which is generally oval and which is largest around the middle of the electronic cigarette and tapers in a curved manner towards the ends. The cross-section around the middle of the electronic cigarette has a width of around 2.5 cm and a thickness of around 1.7 cm. The end of the cartridge has a width of around 2 cm and a thickness of around 0.6 mm, whereas the other end of the electronic cigarette has a width of around 2 cm and a thickness of around 1.2 cm. The outer housing of the electronic cigarette is in this example is formed from plastic. It will be appreciated the specific size and shape of the electronic cigarette and the material from which it is made is not of primary significance to the principles described herein and may be different in different implementations. That is to say, the principles described herein may equally be adopted for electronic cigarettes having different sizes, shapes and/or materials.
The control unit 4 may in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure be broadly conventional in terms of its functionality and general construction techniques. In the example of
The outer housing 10 of the control unit 4 in this example has a generally oval cross section conforming to the shape and size of the cartridge 2 at their interface to provide a smooth transition between the two parts. The receptacle 8 and the end portion 6 of the cartridge 2 are symmetric when rotated through 180° so the cartridge can be inserted into the control unit in two different orientations. The receptacle wall 12 includes two control unit air inlet openings 14 (i.e. holes in the wall). These openings 14 are positioned to align with an air inlet 50 for the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the control unit. A different one of the openings 14 aligns with the air inlet 50 of the cartridge in the different orientations. It will be appreciated some implementations may not have any degree of rotational symmetry such that the cartridge is couplable to the control unit in only one orientation while other implementations may have a higher degree of rotational symmetry such that the cartridge is couplable to the control unit in more orientations.
The control unit further comprises a battery 16 for providing operating power for the electronic cigarette, control circuitry 18 for controlling and monitoring the operation of the electronic cigarette, a user input button 20, an indicator light 22, and a charging port 24.
The battery 16 in this example is rechargeable and may be of a conventional type, for example of the kind normally used in electronic cigarettes and other applications requiring provision of relatively high currents over relatively short periods. The battery 16 may be recharged through the charging port 24, which may, for example, comprise a USB connector.
The input button 20 in this example is a conventional mechanical button, for example comprising a sprung mounted component which may be pressed by a user to establish an electrical contact in underlying circuitry. In this regard, the input button may be considered an input device for detecting user input, e.g. to trigger aerosol generation, and the specific manner in which the button is implemented is not significant. For example, other forms of mechanical button or touch-sensitive button (e.g. based on capacitive or optical sensing techniques) may be used in other implementations, or there may be no button and the device may rely on a puff detector for triggering aerosol generation.
The indicator light 22 is provided to give a user with a visual indication of various characteristics associated with the electronic cigarette, for example, an indication of an operating state (e.g. on/off/standby), and other characteristics, such as battery life or fault conditions. Different characteristics may, for example, be indicated through different colors and/or different flash sequences in accordance with generally conventional techniques.
The control circuitry 18 is suitably configured/programmed to control the operation of the electronic cigarette to provide conventional operating functions in line with the established techniques for controlling electronic cigarettes. The control circuitry (processor circuitry) 18 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units/circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the electronic cigarette's operation. For example, depending on the functionality provided in different implementations, the control circuitry 18 may comprises power supply control circuitry for controlling the supply of power from the battery/power supply to the cartridge in response to user input, user programming circuitry for establishing configuration settings (e.g. user-defined power settings) in response to user input, as well as other functional units/circuitry associated functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and conventional operating aspects of electronic cigarettes, such as indicator light display driving circuitry and user input detection circuitry. It will be appreciated the functionality of the control circuitry 18 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality.
The housing part 32 in this example comprises a housing outer wall 64 and a housing inner tube 62 which in this example are formed from a single molding of polypropylene. The housing outer wall 64 defines the external appearance of the cartridge 2 and the housing inner tube 62 defines a part the air channel through the cartridge. The housing part is open at the interface end 54 of the cartridge and closed at the mouthpiece end 52 of the cartridge except for a mouthpiece opening/aerosol outlet 60 in fluid communication with the housing inner tube 62. The housing part 32 includes an opening in a sidewall which provides the air inlet 50 for the cartridge. The air inlet 50 in this example has an area of around 2 mm2. The outer surface of the outer wall 64 of the housing part 32 includes the protrusions 56 discussed above which engage with corresponding detents in the interior surface of the receptacle wall 12 defining the receptacle 8 to provide a releasable mechanical engagement between the cartridge and the control unit. The inner surface of the outer wall 64 of the housing part includes further protrusions 66 which act to provide an abutment stop for locating the dividing wall element 36 along the longitudinal axis L when the cartridge is assembled. The outer wall 64 of the housing part 32 further comprises holes which provide latch recesses 68 arranged to receive corresponding latch projections 70 in the end cap to fix the end cap to be housing part when the cartridge is assembled.
The outer wall 64 of the housing part 32 includes a double-walled section 74 that defines a gap 76 in fluid communication with the air inlet 50. The gap 76 provides a portion of the air channel through the cartridge. In this example the doubled-walled section 74 of the housing part 32 is arranged so the gap defines an air channel running within the housing outer wall 64 parallel to the longitudinal axis with a cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of around 3 mm2. The gap/portion of air channel 76 defined by the double-walled section of the housing part extends down to the open end of the housing part 32.
The air channel seal 34 is a silicone molding generally in the form of a tube having a through hole 80. The outer wall of the air channel seal 34 includes circumferential ridges 84 and an upper collar 82. The inner wall of the air channel seal 34 also includes circumferential ridges, but these are not visible in
The outlet tube 38 comprises a tubular section of ANSI 304 stainless steel with an internal diameter of around 8.6 mm and a wall thickness of around 0.2 mm. The bottom end of the outlet tube 38 includes a pair of diametrically opposing slots 88 with an end of each slot having a semi-circular recess 90. When the cartridge is assembled the outlet tube 38 mounts to the outer surface of the air channel seal 34. The outer diameter of the air channel seal is around 9.0 mm in its relaxed state so that a seal is formed when the air channel seal 34 is compressed to fit inside the outlet tube 38. This seal is facilitated by the ridges 84 on the outer surface of the air channel seal 34. The collar 80 on the air channel seal 34 provides a stop for the outlet tube 38.
The aerosolizable material transport element 42 comprises a capillary wick and the vaporizer 40 comprises a resistance wire heater wound around the capillary wick. In addition to the portion of the resistance wire wound around the capillary wick, the vaporizer comprises electrical leads 41 which pass through holes in the plug 44 to contact electrodes 46 mounted to the end cap 54 to allow power to be supplied to the vaporizer via the electrical interface the established when the cartridge is connected to a control unit. The vaporizer leads 41 may comprise the same material as the resistance wire wound around the capillary wick, or may comprise a different material (e.g. lower-resistance material) connected to the resistance wire wound around the capillary wick. In this example the heater coil 40 comprises a nickel iron alloy wire and the wick 42 comprises a glass fibre bundle. The vaporizer and aerosolizable material transport element may be provided in accordance with any conventional techniques and is may comprise different forms and/or different materials. For example, in some implementations the wick may comprise fibrous or solid a ceramic material and the heater may comprise a different alloy. In other examples the heater and wick may be combined, for example in the form of a porous and a resistive material. More generally, it will be appreciated the specific nature aerosolizable material transport element and vaporizer is not of primary significance to the principles described herein.
When the cartridge is assembled, the wick 42 is received in the semi-circular recesses 90 of the outlet tube 38 so that a central portion of the wick about which the heating coil is would is inside the outlet tube while end portions of the wick are outside the outlet tube 38.
The plug 44 in this example comprises a single molding of silicone, may be resilient. The plug comprises a base part 100 with an outer wall 102 extending upwardly therefrom (i.e. towards the mouthpiece end of the cartridge). The plug further comprises an inner wall 104 extending upwardly from the base part 100 and surrounding a through hole 106 through the base part 100.
The outer wall 102 of the plug 44 conforms to an inner surface of the housing part 32 so that when the cartridge is assembled the plug in 44 forms a seal with the housing part 32. The inner wall 104 of the plug 44 conforms to an inner surface of the outlet tube 38 so that when the cartridge is assembled the plug 44 also forms a seal with the outlet tube 38. The inner wall 104 includes a pair of diametrically opposing slots 108 with the end of each slot having a semi-circular recess 110. Extended outwardly (i.e. in a direction away from the longitudinal axis of the cartridge) from the bottom of each slot in the inner wall 104 is a cradle section 112 shaped to receive a section of the aerosolizable material transport element 42 when the cartridge is assembled. The slots 108 and semi-circular recesses 110 provided by the inner wall of the plug 44 and the slots 88 and semi-circular recesses 90 of the outlet tube 38 are aligned so that the slots 88 in the outlet tube 38 accommodate respective ones of the cradles 112 with the respective semi-circular recesses in the outlet tube and plug cooperating to define holes through which the aerosolizable material transport element passes. The size of the holes provided by the semi-circular recesses through which the aerosolizable material transport element passes correspond closely to the size and shape of the aerosolizable material transport element, but are slightly smaller so a degree of compression is provided by the resilience of the plug 44. This allows aerosolizable material to be transported along the aerosolizable material transport element by capillary action while restricting the extent to which aerosolizable material which is not transported by capillary action can pass through the openings. As noted above, the plug 44 includes further openings 114 in the base part 100 through which the contact leads 41 for the vaporizer pass when the cartridge is assembled. The bottom of the base part of the plug includes spacers 116 which maintain an offset between the remaining surface of the bottom of the base part and the end cap 48. These spacers 116 include the openings 114 through which the electrical contact leads 41 for the vaporizer pass.
The end cap 48 comprises a polypropylene molding with a pair of gold-plated copper electrode posts 46 mounted therein.
The ends of the electrode posts 44 on the bottom side of the end cap are close to flush with the interface end 54 of the cartridge provided by the end cap 48. These are the parts of the electrodes to which correspondingly aligned sprung contacts in the control unit connect when the cartridge is assembled and connected to the control unit. The ends of the electrode posts on the inside of the cartridge extend away from the end cap 48 and into the holes 114 in the plug 44 through which the contact leads 41 pass. The electrode posts are slightly oversized relative to the holes 114 and include a chamfer at their upper ends to facilitate insertion into the holes 114 in the plug where they are maintained in pressed contact with the contact leads for the vaporizer by virtue of the plug.
The end cap has a base section 124 and an upstanding wall 120 which conforms to the inner surface of the housing part 32. The upstanding wall 120 of the end cap 48 is inserted into the housing part 32 so the latch projections 70 engage with the latch recesses 68 in the housing part 32 to snap-fit the end cap 48 to the housing part when the cartridge is assembled. The top of the upstanding wall 120 of the end cap 48 abuts a peripheral part of the plug 44 and the lower face of the spacers 116 on the plug also abut the base section 124 of the plug so that when the end cap 48 is attached to the housing part it presses against the resilient part 44 to maintain it in slight compression.
The base portion 124 of the end cap 48 includes a peripheral lip 126 beyond the base of the upstanding wall 112 with a thickness which corresponds with the thickness of the outer wall of the housing part at the interface end of the cartridge. The end cap also includes an upstanding locating pin 122 which aligns with a corresponding locating hole 128 in the plug to help establish their relative location during assembly.
The dividing wall element 36 comprises a single molding of polypropylene and includes a dividing wall 130 and a collar 132 formed by projections from the dividing wall 130 in the direction towards the interface end of the cartridge. The dividing wall element 36 has a central opening 134 through which the outlet tube 38 passes (i.e. the dividing wall is arranged around the outlet tube 38). When the cartridge is assembled, the upper surface of the outer wall 102 of the plug 44 engages with the lower surface of the dividing wall 130, and the upper surface of the dividing wall 130 in turn engages with the projections 66 on the inner surface of the outer wall 64 of the housing part 32. Thus, the dividing wall 130 prevents the plug from being pushed too far into the housing part 32—i.e. the dividing wall 130 is fixedly located along the longitudinal axis of the cartridge by the protrusions 66 in the housing part and so provides the plug with a fixed surface to push against. The collar 132 formed by projections from the dividing wall includes a first pair of opposing projections/tongues 134 which engage with corresponding recesses on an inner surface of the outer wall 102 of the plug 44. The protrusions from the dividing wall 130 further provide a pair of cradle sections 136 configured to engage with corresponding ones of the cradle sections 112 in the part 44 when the cartridge is assembled to further define the opening through which the aerosolizable material transport element passes.
When the cartridge is assembled an air channel extending from the air inlet 50 to the aerosol outlet 60 through the cartridge is formed. Starting from the air inlet 50 in the side wall of the housing part 32, a first section of the air channel is provided by the gap 76 formed by the double-walled section 74 in the outer wall 64 of the housing part 32 and extends from the air inlet 50 towards the interface end 54 of the cartridge and past the plug 44. A second portion of the air channel is provided by the gap between the base of the plug 44 and the end cap 48. A third portion of the air channel is provided by the hole 106 through the plug 44. A fourth portion of the air channel is provided by the region within the inner wall 104 of the plug and the outlet tube around the vaporizer 40. This fourth portion of the air channel may also be referred to as an aerosol/aerosol generation region, it being the primary region in which aerosol is generated during use. The air channel from the air inlet 50 to the aerosol generation region may be referred to as an air inlet section of the air channel. A fifth portion of the air channel is provided by the remainder of the outlet tube 38. A sixth portion of the air channel is provided by the outer housing inner tube 62 which connects the air channel to the aerosol outlet 60. The air channel from the aerosol generation region to be the aerosol outlet may be referred to as an aerosol outlet section of the air channel.
Also, when the cartridge is assembled a reservoir 31 for aerosolizable material is formed by the space outside the air channel and inside the housing part 32. This may be filled during manufacture, for example through a filling hole which is then sealed, or by other means. The specific nature of the aerosolizable material, for example in terms of its composition, is not of primary significance to the principles described herein, and in general any conventional aerosolizable material of the type normally used in electronic cigarettes may be used. The present disclosure may refer to a liquid as the aerosolizable material, which as mentioned above may be a conventional e-liquid. However, the principles of the present disclosure apply to any aerosolizable material which has the ability to flow, and may include a liquid, a gel, or a solid, where for a solid a plurality of solid particles may be considered to have the ability to flow when considered as a bulk.
The reservoir is closed at the interface end of the cartridge by the plug 44. The reservoir includes a first region above the dividing wall 130 and a second region below the dividing wall 130 within the space formed between the air channel and the outer wall of the plug. The aerosolizable material transport element (capillary wick) 42 passes through openings in the wall of the air channel provided by the semi-circular recesses 108, 90 in the plug 44 and the outlet tube 38 and the cradle sections 112, 136 in the plug 44 and the dividing wall element 36 that engage with one another as discussed above. Thus, the ends of the aerosolizable material transport element extend into the second region of the reservoir from which they draw aerosolizable material through the openings in the air channel to the vaporizer 40 for subsequent vaporization.
In normal use, the cartridge 2 is coupled to the control unit 4 and the control unit activated to supply power to the cartridge via the contact electrodes 46 in the end cap 48. Power then passes through the connection leads 41 to the vaporizer 40. The vaporizer is thus electrically heated and so vaporises a portion of the aerosolizable material from the aerosolizable material transport element in the vicinity of the vaporizer. This generates aerosol in the aerosol generation region of the air path. Aerosolizable material that is vaporised from the aerosolizable material transport element is replaced by more aerosolizable material drawn from the reservoir by capillary action. While the vaporizer is activated, a user inhales on the mouthpiece end 52 of the cartridge. This causes air to be drawn through whichever control unit air inlet 14 aligns with the air inlet 50 of the cartridge (which will depend on the orientation in which the cartridge was inserted into the control unit receptacle 8). Air then enters the cartridge through the air inlet 50, passes along the gap 76 in the double-walled section 74 of the housing part 32, passes between the plug 44 and the end cap 48 before entering the aerosol generation region surrounding the vaporizer 40 through the hole 106 in the base part 100 of the plug 44. The incoming air mixes with aerosol generated from the vaporizer to form a condensation aerosol, which is then drawn along the outlet tube 38 and the housing part inner 62 before exiting through the mouthpiece outlet/aerosol outlet 60 for user inhalation.
With reference to
In accordance with some embodiments, the reservoir 31 may comprise a first end 31A which is proximal the aerosol outlet 60 of the cartridge 200, and a second end 31B which is proximal the vaporizer 40.
Similarly, in accordance with some embodiments, the aerosol provision system 300 may be further provided with the contact electrodes 46, with the cartridge 200 comprising at least one first contact electrode(s) 46A for engaging with at least one corresponding second contact electrode(s) 46B from the interface from the control unit 400.
Noting the above, and with initial reference to the aerosol provision system 300 shown in
As will be described, the structure 301 might take many forms, however a primary purpose of the structure is to disable the operation of the aerosol provision system 300 (or the cartridge 200 where the structure is located as part of the cartridge 200) in response to the predetermined temperature being exceeded. The predetermined temperature may be specific to each aerosol provision system 300, and/or cartridge 200, and may be pre-selected such to be an indicator of dry out in the cartridge 200, i.e. not enough aerosolizable material reaching the vaporizer 40, which can thus cause the vaporizer 40 and/or the wick 42 to overheat. In terms of how the temperature of the vaporizer 40 and/or the wick 42 may be detected, various systems exist in this respect already. For instance, in accordance with some embodiments, the control circuitry 18 from the aerosol provision system 300 may be configured to monitor the resistance of the vaporizer 40, and determine the temperature of the vaporizer 40 and/or the wick 42 based upon this monitoring of the resistance of the vaporizer 40. In that respect, for a given amount of power supplied to the vaporizer 40, the temperature of the vaporizer 40 and/or the wick 42 will be related to the recorded resistance for the vaporizer 40.
Appreciably as well, the temperature of the vaporizer 40, and/or or the wick 42, may be determined by the aerosol provision system 300 comprising at least one temperature sensor appropriately located in the aerosol provision system 300, and/or cartridge 200, and which is configured to output sensor information indicative of the temperature of the vaporizer 40 and/or the wick 42, wherein the sensor information is configured to be received by the control circuitry 18, such that the control circuitry 18 may be configured to determine the temperature of the vaporizer 40 and/or the wick 42 based upon the sensor information from the at least one temperature sensor.
In the above instances where the predetermined temperature is exceeded, the structure 301 is intended to change from the first configuration to the second configuration to prevent the operation of the aerosol provision system 300 (or the cartridge 200)-such to prevent damage thereto, and such to reduce the likelihood of any injury to the user through otherwise continued use of the aerosol provision system 300 (or the cartridge 200).
In accordance with some embodiments, the structure may be conveniently configured to reversibly change between the first configuration and the second configuration. Any such reversibility in the structure may be particularly advantageous in instances when the temperature has cooled back down to below the predetermined temperature. Accordingly, and in some particular embodiments thereof, the structure may be configured to change from the second configuration to the first configuration once the temperature of the vaporizer 40 and/or the wick 42 subsequently falls below the predetermined temperature.
For the sake of completeness, as described above, the structure 301 has been described as being configured to change from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to the temperature of the vaporizer 40 and/or the wick 42 exceeding the predetermined temperature. However, it will be appreciated that where the structure is configured to change from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to the temperature of the vaporizer 40 exceeding the predetermined temperature, the aerosol provision system 300 in some particular embodiments thereof may not actually employ any form of wick 42. Accordingly in those embodiments, there may be more simply provided an aerosol provision system 300 comprising the reservoir 31 for aerosolizable material, and the vaporizer 40 for vaporizing aerosolizable material from the reservoir 31; wherein the structure from the aerosol provision system 300, in response to the temperature of the vaporizer 40 exceeding the predetermined temperature, may operable to change from the first configuration in which operation of the vaporizer 40 is possible, to the second configuration in which operation of the vaporizer 40 is prevented.
With the above in mind, and turning to the structure 301 itself, as noted above the structure might take many forms, and may in principal be located anywhere on the aerosol provision system 300, such as part of the cartridge 200 and/or part of the control unit 400. In embodiments where the structure is located in the cartridge 200, there may be effectively provided, in accordance with some embodiments, a cartridge 200 comprising the reservoir 31 for aerosolizable material; the wick 42 for receiving aerosolizable material from the reservoir; and the vaporizer 40 for vaporising for aerosolizable material in the wick 42; and the structure which, in response to a temperature of the vaporizer 40 or wick 42 exceeding a predetermined temperature, is operable to change from a first configuration in which operation of the vaporizer 40 is possible, to a second configuration in which operation of the vaporizer 40 is prevented.
In accordance with some embodiments, the structure may relate to an air channel 302 from the aerosol prevision system 300, which extends from an air inlet to an outlet, wherein the vaporizer 40 is located in the air channel between the air inlet and outlet. In the embodiment shown in
Where such an air channel 302 is present, in accordance with some embodiments, the structure 301 may comprises a portion 304 of the air channel, wherein in the first configuration the air channel 302 is open for allowing air to travel from the air inlet 50 to the outlet 60 via the air channel 302, and wherein the second configuration the air channel 302; 304 is blocked such that air is prevented from passing from the air inlet 50 to the outlet via the air channel 302.
In the above embodiments, the portion 304 of the air channel 302 may in principal be located anywhere in the air channel 302 to stop the flow of air between the air inlet 50 and the outlet 60. In accordance with some particular embodiments, such as that shown in
In accordance with some particular embodiments where the portion of deformable material 306 is provided, in response to the temperature exceeding the predetermined temperature, the portion of deformable material 306 may be configured to be undergo a phase change, and/or be heated and to deform, from the first configuration to the second configuration. In such embodiments where the deformable material 306 is heated, any particular heat source may be used to provide the heat to the deformable material, such as a heat source provided adjacent to the deformable material. In a particularly convenient embodiment, the heat in such instances may be provided by the vaporizer 40 itself. In that respect, and in the event that the temperature of the vaporizer 40 exceeds the predetermined temperature, the excess heat from the vaporizer 40 may be configured to cause the deformable material to undergo the phase change, and/or deform/move to the second configuration.
Staying with the deformable material 306, in accordance with another embodiment of the structure, the portion of deformable material 306 may equally be configured to prevent the operation of the vaporizer 40 in the second configuration, but not the first configuration. Appreciably, this might be achieved by the portion of deformable material 306 in the second configuration severing/shorting a component of the vaporizer 40 itself and/or severing/shorting any connection lead(s) 41 to the vaporizer 40 which delivers power to the vaporizer 40.
In accordance with some particular embodiments, the portion of deformable material 306 may comprises a bimetallic strip and/or a shape memory element. In such embodiments, the bimetallic strip and/or the shape memory element may be configured to move from a first position in the first configuration to a second position in the second configuration. In such embodiments, and in accordance with potentially other embodiments, it may be the case that the temperature of the vaporizer 40 or wick 42 exceeding the predetermined temperature generates sufficient heat from the vaporizer 40 to cause this heat to change the structure 301 (such as, but not limited to, the bimetallic strip or the shape memory element) from the first configuration to the second configuration.
Building on the embodiments which apply a constricting force to the portion 304 of the air channel 302, in accordance with some other similar embodiments, the structure 301 may comprise an expansion member 308 which is configured to expand from the first configuration to the second configuration, wherein the portion 304 of the air channel 302 in the second configuration is blocked by the expansion member 308, but not blocked by the expansion member in the first configuration. Such an expansion member 308 might appreciably take a number of different forms as required, and could for instance be an air bag which is configured to expand to block the portion 304 of the air channel 302; an expandable foam which is configured to block the portion 304 of the air channel 302; or a telescopically actuatable member which is configured to telescopically expand into, and thus block, the portion 304 of the air channel 302. Thus it will be appreciated that the expansion member 308 need not be limited to any particular form necessarily.
Also in respect of the expansion member 308, in accordance with some embodiments thereof, the expansion member 308 may be configured to prevent the operation of the vaporizer in the second configuration, but not the first configuration. Appreciably, this might be achieved by the expansion member 308 in the second configuration severing/shorting a component of the vaporizer 40 itself and/or severing/shorting any connection lead(s) 41 to the vaporizer 40 which delivers power to the vaporizer 40.
Staying with the possible form of the structure 301, in accordance with some embodiments the structure 301 may comprises a valve 310 which is configured to block the portion 304 of the air channel 302 in the second configuration, but not in the first configuration. In terms of the structure of such a valve, 310, in accordance with some particular embodiments, the valve may be a ball valve, comprising a ball member that is configured to remain in a seated, non-obstructing location in the first position, and which is configured to be unseated in the second position and moved to a location whereby the ball member blocks the portion 304 of the air channel 302. In such embodiments where a valve 310 is present therefore, it will be appreciated that any other valve type may be used, so long as the valve 310 is configured to block the portion 304 of the air channel 302 in the second configuration.
Thus described above are a number of different forms for the structure 301, which may be configured in such embodiments to block the air channel 302 in the second configuration. For the sake of completeness as well, it is to be noted that the structure may comprise any combination(s) of the above described features. For instance, and in accordance with some particular embodiments, the structure may comprise the portion of the deformable material 306 alongside the expansion member 308 and/or the valve 310. In such embodiments therefore, the portion of the deformable material 306 may therefore act separately to, alongside, and/or help effect the operation of the expansion member 308 and/or the valve 310.
Turning to
In accordance with some embodiments, as alluded to above, the structure 301 may comprise a bimetallic strip, wherein the bimetallic strip is configured to move from a first position in the first configuration to a second position in the second configuration. In such embodiments, the bimetallic strip may have other applications aside from its use as the portion of deformable material 306. In that respect, and in accordance with some embodiments, the aerosol provision system 300 may be configured to deliver power to the vaporizer 40 through the bimetallic strip 320 in the first position, as shown in
In a similar operation as with the bimetallic strip, and in accordance with some embodiments, the structure 301 may comprise a shape memory element, wherein the shape memory element is configured to move from a first position in the first configuration to a second position in the second configuration. Like the bimetallic strip, the shape memory element may have other applications aside from its use as the portion of deformable material 306. In that respect, and in accordance with some embodiments, the aerosol provision system 300 may be configured to deliver power to the vaporizer 40 through the shape memory element 322 in the first position, as shown in
In the above respects therefore, and in accordance with some embodiments, the structure 301 may be configured to act as, or comprise, a circuit breaker 324. In such embodiments, upon the temperature of the vaporizer 40 or wick 42 exceeding the predetermined temperature, the second configuration may comprise the circuit breaker 324 being tripped such to prevent power from being supplied to the vaporizer 40. In the embodiments where the circuit breaker 324 is employed, in accordance with some particular embodiments thereof, the bimetallic strip 320 and/or the shape memory element 322 may be the circuit breaker 324, as shown in
Staying with embodiments where power to the vaporizer 40 is configured to pass through the structure 301 in the first configuration, as shown in
Aside from using a circuit breaker 324, the structure 301 in accordance with some embodiments may act as, or comprise, a fuse 328, as shown in
In accordance with some embodiments, in response to the temperature of the vaporizer or wick exceeding the predetermined temperature, any control circuitry 18 from the aerosol provision system may be configured to send a signal to the structure 301 which commands the structure to change from the first configuration to the second configuration. Such a signal may be sent in response to the control circuitry 18 determining (such as via any provided temperature sensor, or by monitoring the resistance 40 of the vaporizer as outlined above) that the temperature of the vaporizer 40 or the wick 42 exceeds the predetermined temperature. Such an embodiment is shown in
With regard to the exact positioning of the structure 301, at its broadest level it will be appreciated that the structure may be located in anywhere in the aerosol provision system 300 in so far as it is able to change from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to the temperature of the vaporizer or wick exceeding the predetermined temperature. In embodiments where the cartridge 200 and the control unit 400 are provided, the structure 301 may located in the cartridge 200 and/or the control unit 400.
In embodiments where the structure 301 is configured to change from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to heat from the vaporizer 40, in such embodiments it may be particularly advantageous for the structure 301 to be located as close to the vaporizer 40 (and its associated heat) as possible. In that way, the structure 301 may then be able to respond more quickly in response to the temperature exceeding the predetermined temperature. Accordingly, in respect of some embodiments, the structure 301 may be located in a position proximal the vaporizer, such as being located on the wick 42, or an external surface of the wick 42.
In some other embodiments, and to similar effect in locating the structure proximal the vaporizer 40, at least a portion of the structure 301 may be located within at least one of: 20 mm; 10 mm; 5 mm; or 3 mm of the vaporizer.
Rather than being proximal the vaporizer 40, in accordance with some particular embodiments, the vaporizer 40 may comprise the structure 301. In such embodiments, the structure 301 may appreciably comprise a fuse or some other weakened element in the vaporizer 40 which is configured to change from the first configuration to the second configuration, as required, in response to the temperature exceeding the predetermined temperature.
Thus, described herein is a plurality of distinct different structures 301 which may be used, individually, or together, as required and which, in response to the temperature of the vaporizer 40 and/or the wick 42 exceeding the predetermined temperature, are operable to change from a first configuration in which operation of the vaporizer 40 is possible, to a second configuration in which operation of the vaporizer 40 is prevented.
For those structures requiring actuation in response to the temperature of the vaporizer 40 and/or the wick 42 exceeding the predetermined temperature (e.g. as shown in
Similarly, in terms of how the structure may be powered, where applicable, it will be appreciated that this may be achieved using either the power supply 16 (as shown in the embodiment of
Thus in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure, a cartridge for an aerosol provision system may generally comprise a housing part having a mouthpiece end and an interface end, wherein the mouthpiece end includes an aerosol outlet for the cartridge and the interface end includes an interface for coupling the cartridge to a control unit. An air channel wall (which may be formed by various components of the cartridge) extends from an air inlet for the cartridge to the aerosol outlet via an aerosol generation region in the vicinity of a vaporizer. The cartridge has a reservoir within the housing part containing aerosolizable material for aerosolization. The reservoir is defined by a region within the housing part which is outside the air channel and an end of the reservoir at the interface end of the housing part is sealed by a resilient plug comprising a base part and an outer wall, wherein the outer wall of the resilient plug forms a seal with an inner surface of the housing part. Respective ends of a aerosolizable material transport element pass through opening in the air channel or into the reservoir so as to convey aerosolizable material from the reservoir to the vaporizer.
With reference to
In accordance with some embodiments, the reservoir 31 may comprise a first end 31A which is proximal the aerosol outlet 60 of the cartridge 200, and a second end 31B which is proximal the vaporizer 40.
Noting the above, and with initial reference to the aerosol provision system 300 shown in
As will be described, the structure might take many forms, however a primary purpose of the structure is to prevent the operation of the aerosol provision system 300 (or the cartridge 200 where the structure is located as part of the cartridge 200) from being reused in response to the predetermined event occurring.
In terms of what the predetermined event might be, this might be any adverse condition in respect of the aerosol provision system 300 and/or the cartridge 200. In some particular embodiments however, the predetermined event may be the vaporizer 40 exceeding a predetermined temperature, and/or an amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 31 reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount. Each of these events may ultimately be indicative of dry out in the cartridge, i.e. not enough aerosolizable material reaching the vaporizer 40, which can thus cause the vaporizer 40 and/or the aerosolizable material transport element (capillary wick) 42 to overheat. In terms of how such dry out conditions may be detected, various systems exist in this respect already. Such systems may include monitoring the amount of energy supplied to the vaporizer 40, to thus understand how much aerosolizable material has been vaporised by the vaporizer 40. Other systems include monitoring the temperature of the vaporizer 40 by way of a sensor or sensing mechanism, such as a temperature sensor, in communication or proximity with the vaporizer 40.
In the above instances where the predetermined event occurs, such as (but not necessarily limited to) any of the adverse conditions described above, the structure thus serves to permanently prevent further operation of the aerosol provision system 300 (or the cartridge 200) to thus prevent damage thereto, and to reduce the likelihood of any injury to the user through otherwise continued use of the aerosol provision system 300 (or the cartridge 200) once the predetermined event has occurred.
Turning to the structure itself, as noted above the structure might take many forms, and may in principal be located anywhere on the aerosol provision system 300, such as part of the cartridge 200 and/or part of the control unit.
In accordance with some embodiments, the structure may relate to an air channel 302 from the aerosol prevision system 300, which extends from an air inlet to an outlet, wherein the vaporizer 40 is located in the air channel between the air inlet and outlet. In the embodiment shown in
Where such an air channel 302 is present, in accordance with some embodiments, the structure may comprises a portion 304 of the air channel, wherein in the first position the air channel 302 is open for allowing air to travel from the air inlet 50 to the outlet 60 via the air channel 302, and wherein the second position the air channel 302; 304 is blocked such that air is prevented from passing from the air inlet 50 to the outlet via the air channel 302.
In the above embodiments, the portion 304 of the air channel 302 may in principal be located anywhere in the air channel 302 to stop the flow of air between the air inlet 50 and the outlet 60. In accordance with some particular embodiments, such as that shown in
In terms of how the air channel 302 might be blocked in the above embodiments, in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure, the structure may comprise a portion of viscous material 306, such as wax in a very particular embodiment, which is configured to block the portion 304 of the air channel 302 in the second position, but not in the first position. In such embodiments, and in response to the predetermined event, the viscous material 306 may be configured to be delivered inside the portion 304 of the air channel 302, such as for instance from a previous stored position located next to the portion 304 of the air channel 302. Alternatively, rather than the viscous material 306 be delivered inside the portion 304 of the air channel 302, the viscous material 306 instead may be caused to be delivered around the outside, and thus apply a constricting force to, the portion 304 of the air channel 302 such to block the portion 304 of the air channel 302.
In accordance with some particular embodiments where the portion of viscous material 306 is provided, in response to the predetermined event, the portion of viscous material 306 may be configured to be undergo a phase change, and/or be heated and to flow, from the first position to the second position. In such embodiments where the viscous material 306 is heated, any particular heat source may be used to provide the heat to the viscous material, such as a heat source provided adjacent to the viscous material. In a particularly convenient embodiment, the heat in such instances may be provided by the vaporizer 40 itself. In that respect, and in a very particular embodiment, this might be particularly advantageous in instances where the predetermined event is the vaporizer 40 exceeding a predetermined temperature. In that embodiment, the excess heat from the vaporizer 40 may be configured to cause the viscous material to undergo a phase change, and/or flow/move towards the second position.
Staying with the viscous material 306, in accordance with another embodiment of the structure, the portion of viscous material 306 may equally be configured to prevent the operation of the vaporizer in the second position, but not the first position. Appreciably, this might be achieved by the portion of viscous material 306 in the second position severing/shorting a component of the vaporizer 40 itself and/or severing/shorting any connection lead(s) 41 to the vaporizer 40 which delivers power to the vaporizer 40.
Building on the embodiments which apply a constricting force to the portion 304 of the air channel 302, in accordance with some other similar embodiments, the structure may comprise an expansion member 308 which is configured to irreversibly expand from the first position to the second position, wherein the portion 304 of the air channel 302 in the second position is blocked by the expansion member 308, but not blocked by the expansion member in the first position. Such an expansion member 308 might appreciably take a number of different forms as required, and could for instance be an air bag which is configured to expand to block the portion 304 of the air channel 302; an expandable foam which is configured to block the portion 304 of the air channel 302; or a telescopically actuatable member which is configured to telescopically expand into, and thus block, the portion 304 of the air channel 302. Thus it will be appreciated that the expansion member 308 need not be limited to any particular form necessarily.
Also in respect of the expansion member 308, in accordance with some embodiments thereof, the expansion member 308 may be configured to prevent the operation of the vaporizer in the second position, but not the first position. Appreciably, this might be achieved by the expansion member 308 in the second position severing/shorting a component of the vaporizer 40 itself and/or severing/shorting any connection lead(s) 41 to the vaporizer 40 which delivers power to the vaporizer 40.
Staying with the possible form of the structure, in accordance with some embodiments the structure may comprises a valve 310 which is configured to irreversibly block the portion 304 of the air channel 302 in the second position, but not in the first position. In terms of the structure of such a valve, 310, in accordance with some particular embodiments, the valve may be a ball valve, comprising a ball member that is configured to remain in a seated, non-obstructing location in the first position, and which is configured to be irreversibly unseated in the second position and moved to a location whereby the ball member permanently blocks the portion 304 of the air channel 302. In such embodiments where a valve 310 is present therefore, it will be appreciated that any other valve type may be used, so long as the valve 310 is configured to permanently or irreversibly block the portion 304 of the air channel 302 in the second position.
Thus described above are a number of different forms for the structure, which may be configured in such embodiments to irreversibly/permanently block the air channel 302 in the second position. For the sake of completeness as well, it is to be noted that the structure may comprise any combination(s) of the above described features. For instance, and in accordance with some particular embodiments, the structure may comprise the portion of the viscous material 306 alongside the expansion member 308 and/or the valve 310. In such embodiments therefore, the portion of the viscous material 306 may therefore act separately to, alongside, and/or help effect the operation of the expansion member 308 and/or the valve 310.
Turning to
In a particular embodiment, in the second position at least one of the electrodes 46A; 46B may be located in a retracted position which prevents the first electrode(s) 46A from contacting the second electrode(s) 46B.
Such an embodiment is shown best in
Mindful of the above, it will be appreciated that the moveable portion 312 and the recess 314 in the above embodiments may be either positioned on the cartridge 200 (as shown in
Turning to
The formation and shape of the moveable member 318 may be as required such that the moveable member 318 is operable to prevent the cartridge from releasably coupling with the control unit in the second position. However, in a particular embodiment (such as that shown in
The moveable member from the aerosol provision system 400, as applicable, may be located as part of the cartridge 200 or as part of the control unit 400, such as the cartridge receiving section 8 of the control unit 400.
In terms of the operation of the moveable member, this is best described with reference to the embodiment shown in
In response to the detection of the predetermined event, in such embodiments, the moveable member 318 may then be configured to irreversibly move or expand to a position at least partially outside the cavity 320 such that the cartridge 200 is then prevented from releasably coupling with the control unit 400 (as shown in
Thus, described herein is a plurality of distinct different structures which may be used, individually, or together, as required and which, in response to a predetermined event, are operable to irreversibly change from a first position in which operation of the aerosol provision system 300 or cartridge 200 is possible, to a second position in which operation of the aerosol provision system 300 or cartridge 200 is physically prevented.
In terms of how the structure may be actuated in response to any such predetermined event, it will be appreciated that the structure may be actuated in a number of different ways. In some particular embodiments, the structure may be actuated based off a signal which is sent from the control circuitry 18 from the aerosol provision system 300 to the structure. The signal may be sent using either a wired or wireless connection between the control circuitry 18 and the structure. In the particular embodiments shown in
Similarly, in terms of how the structure may be powered, it will be appreciated that this may be achieved using either the power supply 16 (as shown in the embodiments of
With reference to
In that respect therefore, starting with
In accordance with some embodiments, the reservoir 31 may comprise a first end 31A which is proximal the aerosol outlet 60 of the cartridge 2, and a second end 31B which is proximal the vaporizer 40.
Similarly, in accordance with some embodiments, the aerosol provision system 1 may be further provided with the contact electrodes 46, with the cartridge 2 comprising at least one first contact electrode(s) 46A for engaging with at least one corresponding second contact electrode(s) 46B from the interface from the control unit 4.
Noting the above, and with initial reference to the aerosol provision system 1 shown in
By the word sorptivity, this parameter expresses the tendency of a material to absorb and transmit water and other liquids by capillarity, and which is measured in m/s1/2. Widely used test for measuring the sorptivity of material involves immersing a bar shaped section of material, with a constant cross-sectional area A along the length of the bar, that is wetted at one end of the bar. In that test, the cumulative volume V of absorbed liquid after a time t is defined as:
V=A·S·SQRT(t)
Hence, by knowing A, and measuring the variance in V over a predetermined time t, one can derive the sorptivity value S for the material.
Conscious of the above, during the operation of the wick 42, some parts therefrom may have more of a tendency to become dry than others. This may be as a result of the relative location of the vaporizer 40 relative to the wick 42, and/or the points where aerosolizable material initially ingresses the wick 42 (shown in
In accordance with some embodiments, the wick 42 may comprise a fibrous material, such as (but not limited to) a fibrous material comprising glass fibres. In some particular embodiments thereof, to better assist with the aerosolizable material in the wick 42 being encouraged to pass from the first portion 302 to the second portion 304, the fibrous material may comprise fibers which extend in a direction from the first portion 302 to the second portion 304.
In the above instances where there are fibers which extend in a direction from the first portion 302 to the second portion 304, the orientation of these fibers will thus depend on the constructions/formation of the wick 42. For instance, as shown in the context of the wick shown in
In accordance with some embodiments where the reservoir 31 is present, in some embodiments thereof, the first outer portion 302 may comprise a secondary portion 302B located at a second end 42B of the wick 42, wherein the secondary portion 302B is configured to receive the aerosolizable material from the reservoir 31. In accordance with some particular embodiments thereof, the first end 42A of the wick may be opposite the second end 42B, such as in embodiments where the wick comprises a cylindrical wick 42 (as shown in
In such embodiments, and other embodiments, the aerosol provision system 1 may be configured such that the vaporizer 40 extends around any combination of the wick 42; the first portion 302 of the wick 42; and/or the second portion of the wick 304. In that respect, the vaporizer 40 may in accordance with some embodiments comprise a heating coil, such that in accordance with some embodiments, the vaporizer 40 (or the heating coil) may extend around the wick 42, such as the second portion 304 of the wick 42. Such an arrangement is shown in
To assist with the vaporizing of aerosolizable material, and to help cool the vaporizer 40, in accordance with some embodiments, the vaporizer may be located on an external surface of the wick 42, such as an external surface of the first and/or second portions 302; 304 of the wick 42. Such an arrangement is shown in
Turning to the arrangement shown in
In accordance with some of the above embodiments, and other embodiments alike, the first outer portion 302 may be located more proximal to the vaporizer 40, than the second inner portion 304 is located to the vaporizer 40. In the particular arrangement shown in
In terms of the geometry of the wick 42, it will be appreciated that this geometry may take any required form to adequately facilitate the delivery of aerosolizable material from the reservoir 31 to the vaporizer 40. As alluded to previously in respect of some of the above embodiments, in accordance with some embodiments the wick 42 may extend along a length L between a first end 42A and a second end 42B of the wick 42, which in some particular embodiments may be ends 42A; 42B through which aerosolizable material is configured to be delivered into the wick 42 from the reservoir 31 (as shown in
In accordance with some embodiments, the cross section of the wick 42 may change across its length L, as shown in the arrangement in
Rather than any progressive change in the areas of the cross section, and/or the maximum width of the wick 42, along the length L of the wick, in accordance with some embodiments, the wick 42 may comprise step-changes in this cross sectional area/width of the wick 42, as shown in the arrangement of
In respect of any length of the wick 42, it will be appreciated that this may vary depending on the application of the wick 42. However, in applications where the wick 42 is intended for use in an aerosol provision system 1 which comprises the cartridge 2 and control unit 4 such as those herein described, and/or which may be a portable or handheld aerosol provision system 1, the wick 42 in some embodiments thereof may be configured to have a maximum length L of no more than 5 cm; no more than 3 cm; and/or no more than 2 cm, depending on the embodiment of aerosol provision system 1 in which the wick 42 is employed.
In respect of the wick arrangements shown in
With the provision of a ceramic wick 42, and whilst also applicable to other wick 42 types, in accordance with some embodiments thereof, the first outer portion 302 of the wick 304 may comprise a first porous material defining a first average pore size, and wherein the second inner portion 304 comprises a second porous material defining a second average pore size, wherein the second average pore size is greater than the first average pore size. With the provision of this greater average pore size in the second inner portion 304, this facilitates the inner portion of the wick 42, which might otherwise become relatively dry in use, compared with other portions of the wick 42, to be fed with more aerosolizable material than it might otherwise normally receive. In this way, the dryness in this second inner portion 302 of the wick 42 may be reduced, to thus improve the cooling properties of the wick 42 as a whole, as explained previously. For the sake of completeness, by reference to the average pore size, this average pore size may be defined as the mean pore size for each of the first portion 302 and/or the second portion 304, or in some other embodiments defined as the median pore size for each of the first portion 302 and/or the second portion 304.
In accordance with some embodiments of the wick 42, to further encourage aerosolizable material in the wick to pass from the first portion 302 to the second portion 304, it may be that the first outer portion 302 comprises a first arrangement of fibrous material defining a first density inside the wick 42, wherein the second inner portion 304 comprises a second arrangement of the fibrous material defining a second density inside the wick 42, wherein the second density is different from the first density. In such embodiments, it may be the case that if the fibrous material is more densely packed in the first portion 302 of the wick 42, compared with the second portion 304 of the wick 42, (considering, purely as an illustrative example, an embodiment where the fibrous material comprises cotton fibres) this relative difference in the densities of the fibrous material may encourage aerosolizable material in the wick 42 to pass from the first portion 302 to the second portion 304.
From the foregoing therefore, it will be appreciated that described herein are a number of different arrangements for providing a wick 42 which comprises a first outer portion 302 comprising a first sorptivity and a second inner portion 304 comprising a second sorptivity which is greater than the first sorptivity, such that the wick 42 is operable to encourage aerosolizable material in the wick to pass from the first portion 302 to the second portion 302.
With that in mind, it is envisaged that such a wick 42, at a very broad level may be utilised in any of the aerosol provision systems 1 described herein. Furthermore, and in embodiments where the wick is employed in the cartridge 2 of the aerosol provision systems 1 described herein, there may be thus provided a cartridge 2 for an aerosol provision system 1 comprising the cartridge 2 and the control unit 4, wherein the cartridge 2 comprises the wick 42 and the vaporizer 40 for vaporising aerosolizable material in the wick 42, wherein the wick 42 comprises the first outer portion 302 comprising the first sorptivity and the second inner portion 304 comprising the second sorptivity which is greater than the first sorptivity, such that the wick 42 is operable to encourage aerosolizable material in the wick to pass from the first portion 302 to the second portion 304.
With reference to
In the above respect therefore, and in accordance with some embodiments of the aerosol provision system 1 described herein, there may by provided an aerosol provision system 1 comprising a vaporizer/heating element 40 for generating a vapour from an aerosolizable material; and control circuitry 18 configured to provide power for the heating element 40 for performing a heating operation to generate the vapour. In such embodiments, such as that shown in
The predetermined period of time TO, as shown in
It will be appreciated that the exact duration of the predetermined period of time T0, the amount of the first amount of power P1, and the amount of the second amount of the power P2, will be dependent on the arrangements of features in each aerosol provision system 1, and notably on the type, material, and/or location of features (such as the reservoir 31, the heating element 40 and/or any wick 42 provided in the aerosol provision system 1). However, as noted above, the general overriding parameter is that the first amount of power P1 is less than the second amount of power P2.
Conscious of the above, and in accordance some embodiments, after the first amount of power P1 is provided, the control circuitry 18 may be configured to provide power to the heating element for a predetermined duration T2, which may correspond to the duration of the heating operation.
In accordance with some embodiments, such as that shown in
In accordance with some other embodiments, such as that shown in
In accordance with some particular embodiments where the control circuitry 18 is configured to increase the amount of power to the heating element 40 during the predetermined duration T2, in such embodiments the amount of power to the heating element 40 at the end of the predetermined duration T2 may be the same as the second amount of power P2, as is shown in the embodiments of
The control circuitry 18 in accordance with some embodiments may be configured to maintain the power to the heating element 40 at a first value for a first time interval T2A in the predetermined duration T2, and configured to then increase the power to the heating element 40 to a second value for a second time interval T2B in the predetermined duration T2, wherein the second time interval T2B is after the first time interval T2A. In a particular embodiment thereof, the first value may be the first amount of power P1 and/or the second value may be the second amount of power P2. Such a particular embodiment is shown in the embodiment of
It will be appreciated in the above embodiments that the first time interval T2A may have the same duration or a different duration to that of the second time interval T2B. In accordance with particular embodiments thereof as well, the second time interval T2B may immediately follow the first time interval T2A as shown in the embodiment of
To vary the power between the first amount of power P1 and the second amount of power P2, this may be achieved in a number of different ways. In that respect therefore, in accordance with some embodiments, the first amount of power P1 may have a maximum voltage which is less than the maximum voltage of the second amount of power P2. Alternatively/additionally, the first amount of power P1 may have a maximum current which is less than the maximum current of the second amount of power P2. In embodiments where the power is supplied to the vaporizer/heating element 40 using pulse width modulation (PWM), in such embodiments the first amount of power P1 may have a maximum duty cycle which is less than the maximum duty cycle of the second amount of power P2.
From the above embodiments therefore, it can be seen that a variety of different mechanism(s) may be employed to ensure that in the event that a previous heating operation of the heating element 40 has not occurred within the predetermined period of time ending immediately before the start of the heating operation, the first, lower, amount of power P1 is provided to the heating element 40, which is less than second the amount of the power P2, to reduce the likelihood of overheating in the heating element 40.
In accordance with some embodiments, the control circuitry 18 may be further configured, in the event that a previous heating operation of the heating element 40 has not occurred within the predetermined period of time TO ending immediately before the start of the heating operation, to set the first amount of power P1 based on the duration of time T1 since the previous heating operation. In that respect, the control circuitry 18 may be configured to decrease the first amount of power P1, as the duration of time T1 since the previous heating operation increases. In so doing, the longer the duration of time T1, the dryer conditions there may be in the vicinity of the heating element 40, hence a lower amount of first power P1 being used as these conditions become dryer through time.
In accordance with the above embodiments as well, the control circuitry 18 may be further configured to provide the first amount of power P1 at the start of the heating operation in the event that a previous heating operation of the heating element 40 has never occurred (e.g. when the heating element 40 is new, and/or first supplied (e.g. as part of the cartridge 2 as shown in the embodiment of
In terms of the above described power regimes described with reference to the embodiments shown in
In such embodiments as well, and in some particular embodiments thereof, the aerosol provision system 1 may further comprise the wick 42 configured to receive the aerosolizable material from the reservoir 31, wherein the heating element 40 is configured to vaporize the aerosolizable material received in the wick 42.
Aside from the above structural features and functionality which may be employed in the aerosol provision system 1, in accordance with some embodiments, the control circuitry 18 may be further configured to adjust the predetermined period of time TO based on a compensating parameter. Where such a compensating parameter is present, it is envisaged that this compensating parameter may be to account for a variety of different aspects of the aerosol provision system 1 which may affect how quickly the conditions in the vicinity of the heating element 40 become sufficiently dry to merit/warrant the first, lower, amount of power P1 being provided to the heating element 40 at the start of any given next heating operation. Such embodiments will now be described with reference to the embodiment shown in
Conscious of the above, and in accordance with embodiments where the compensating parameter is present, the aerosol provision system 1 may, such as the embodiment shown in
Where the compensating parameter is present, the aerosol provision system 1 may, such as the embodiment shown in
Where the compensating parameter is present, the aerosol provision system 1 may, such as the embodiment shown in
In embodiments where the compensating parameter is present, as noted above the compensating parameter may account for a variety of different aspects of the aerosol provision system 1 which may affect how quickly the conditions in the vicinity of the heating element 40 become sufficiently dry. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the control circuitry 18 may be further configured to modify the compensating parameter based on viscosity data relating to the viscosity of the aerosolizable material in the aerosol provision system. In such embodiments, it will be appreciated for instance that the viscosity data may be stored in a memory 188 of the aerosol provision system, wherein the viscosity data is configured to be retrieved by the control circuitry from the memory 188. Alternatively/additionally in such embodiments, the aerosol provision system 1 may further comprise a sensor 186 for detecting the viscosity of the aerosolizable material, wherein the sensor 186 is configured to output a fourth signal containing the viscosity data. Such a sensor 186 may, for instance, be located in the reservoir 31, as shown for instance in the embodiment in
The aerosol provision system 1, in accordance with some embodiments, may be further configured to modify the compensating parameter based on composition data relating to the composition of the aerosolizable material in the aerosol provision system. Like the viscosity data, such composition data may be stored in the memory 188 of the aerosol provision system, wherein the composition data is configured to be retrieved by the control circuitry 18 from the memory 188. Alternatively/additionally in such embodiments, the aerosol provision system 1 may further comprise a sensor 190, such as located for instance in the reservoir 31, for detecting the composition of the aerosolizable material, wherein the sensor 190 is configured to output a signal containing the composition data. In that respect, depending on the composition of the aerosolizable material, this composition may contribute to how quickly the conditions in the vicinity of the heating element 40 become sufficiently dry to merit/warrant the first, lower, amount of power P1 being provided to the heating element 40 at the start of any given next heating operation.
In a similar vein, and in accordance with some embodiments of the aerosol provision system, the control circuitry 18 may be configured to modify the compensating parameter based on data relating to the amount of aerosolizable material vaporised by the heating element 40, or based on a remaining amount of aerosolizable material in the aerosol provision system 1, such as the remaining amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 31. In accordance with such embodiments, such data may be derived from either a sensor 192 in contact with the aerosolizable material and/or in the reservoir 31 (as shown in the embodiment of
In the above respect as well, in accordance with some embodiments, the aerosol provision system 1 may further comprise an orientation sensor 194, such as but limited to an accelerometer(s) configured to output orientation sensor data, to the control circuitry 18, relating to the orientation of the aerosol provision system 1. In such embodiments, the control circuitry may be further configured to process the orientation sensor data from the orientation sensor 194 to modify the compensating parameter. In this respect for instance, if the aerosol provision system 1 has been orientated in such a position whereby the aerosolizable material is drained away from the vicinity of the heating element 40 (e.g. placed in an inverted position to that shown in the embodiment of
Aside from the above possibilities for the compensating parameter, in embodiments where a wick 42 is provided, is some particular embodiments thereof, the control circuitry 18 may be further configured to modify the compensating parameter based on data relating to a property of the wick 42. This property, in some particular embodiments, may be at least one of the dimensions of the wick 42; the material of the wick 42; and/or the temperature of the wick 42. In this respect, it will be appreciated that any of these properties of the wick may itself be an indicator of dryness in the vicinity of the heating element 40 after a heating operation.
In this respect for instance, if a dimension(s) of the wick falls below a predetermined threshold amount (which is an amount that may be stored in the memory 188, and which may be specific to the wick 42 in question), this may be indicative of a wick which is lacking moisture content or which is dryer than usual. Accordingly, in such conditions, the control circuitry 18 may modify the compensating parameter such to adjust/decrease the predetermined period of time TO.
Equally, if the material of the wick 42 is prone to dry out more quickly than a wick 42 of a different material, the control circuitry 18 may be configured to modify the compensating parameter such to adjust/decrease the predetermined period of time TO.
Appreciably as well, if the temperature of the wick 42 exceeds a predetermined temperature (which is a predetermined temperature that may be stored in the memory 188, and which may be specific to the wick 42 in question), the control circuitry 18 may be configured to modify the compensating parameter such to adjust/decrease the predetermined period of time TO. Such a temperature of the wick 42 may be estimated by monitoring the resistance of the heating element 40, noting this resistance will be directly related to the temperature of the wick 42.
From the above described embodiments therefore, there is consequentially and similarly provided a method of providing power to a heating element 40 in an aerosol provision system 1, wherein the aerosol provision system 1 further comprises the control circuitry 18, and wherein the method comprises the control circuitry 18 receiving a signal to provide power to the heating element 40 as part of a heating operation. The method then comprises the control circuitry 18 providing the first amount of power P1 to the heating element 40 at the start of the heating operation in the event that the control circuitry 18 determines the previous heating operation of the heating element 40 as having not occurred within a predetermined period of time TO ending immediately before the start of the heating operation; and providing the second amount of power P2, which is greater than the first amount of power P1, to the heating element 40 at the start of the heating operation in the event that the control circuitry 18 determines the previous heating operation of the heating element 40 as having occurred within the predetermined period of time TO ending immediately before the start of the heating operation.
In terms of how any of the sensor(s) 180; 182; 184; 186; 190; 192; 194, and/or the memory 188, described with reference to
Equally, with regard to the positioning of any such sensor(s) and/or the memory, it will be appreciated that their locations may be provided anywhere in the aerosol provision system 1 as may be required to allow them to provide their required functionality. In that respect therefore, and where the aerosol provision system 1 comprises a cartridge 2 and a control unit 4, any provided temperature sensor 180; humidity sensor 182; pressure sensor 184 and/or orientation sensor 194 may be located in either the cartridge 2 or the control unit 4. Also in respect of any provided sensor(s) in the aerosol provision system 1, it will be appreciated that any signal therefrom may be sent using either a wired or wireless connection between the control circuitry 18 and the sensor. In the particular embodiment shown in
For the avoidance of any doubt as well, the power regimes described with reference to the embodiments shown in
One aspect of some particular cartridge configurations in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure is the manner in which the resilient plug 44 provides a seal to the housing part 32. In particular, in accordance with some example implementations the outer wall 102 of the resilient plug 44 which seals to the inner surface of the housing part 32 to form the end of the aerosolizable material reservoir extends in direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge to a position which is further from the interface end of the cartridge than the aerosolizable material transport element/vaporizer. That is to say, the ends of the aerosolizable material transport element extends into the aerosolizable material reservoir in a region which is surrounded by the outer sealing wall of the resilient plug. Not only does this help seal the reservoir against leakage, it allows the geometry of the reservoir in the region which supplies the aerosolizable material transport element with aerosolizable material to be governed by the geometry of the resilient plug. For example, the radial thickness of the reservoir in this region can readily be made smaller than the radial thickness in other longitudinal positions along the air channel, which can help trap aerosolizable material in the vicinity of the aerosolizable material transport element, thereby helping to reduce the risk of dry out for different orientations of the cartridge during use.
The outer wall of the resilient plug may, for example, contact the inner surface of the housing part at locations over a distance of at least 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm and 10 mm in a direction extending from the interface end to the mouthpiece end (i.e. parallel to the longitudinal axis). The outer wall of the resilient plug may be in contact with the inner surface of the housing over the majority of this distance, or the outer wall of the resilient plug may include a number of (e.g. four) circumferential ridges 140 to help improve sealing. The resilient plug may be slightly oversized relative to the opening in the housing part so that it is biased into slight compression. For example, for the implementation shown in
In terms of the radial size/width of the reservoir in the annular region where the aerosolizable material transport element extends into the reservoir, a distance between the air channel wall and the outer wall of the resilient plug in this region may, for example, be in the range 3 mm to 8 mm. In the example cartridge discussed above which has a generally oval housing part and a generally circular air channel, it will be appreciated the thickness of the reservoir is different at different locations around the air channel. In this example the aerosolizable material transport element is arranged to extend into the reservoir in the region where it is widest in the axial direction, i.e. into the “lobes” of the oval reservoir around the air channel. The portions of the aerosolizable material transport element that extend into the reservoir may, for example, have a length, as measured from the interior of the air channel wall, in the range 2 mm to 8 mm, e.g. in the range 3 mm to 7 mm or in the range 4 mm to 6 mm. The specific geometry in this regard (and for other aspects of the configuration) may be chosen having regard to a desired rate of aerosolizable material transport, for example having regard to the capillary strength of the aerosolizable material transport element and the viscosity of the aerosolizable material, and may be established for a given cartridge design through modelling or empirical testing.
Another aspect of some particular cartridge configurations in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure is the manner in which the air channel is routed through the cartridge, and in particular from the air inlet to the vicinity of the vaporizer (the aerosol generation region). In particular, whereas in a conventional cartridges an air inlet is typically provided at the interface end of the cartridge, in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure, an air inlet for the cartridge is located in a side wall of the housing part at a position which is further from the interface end than at least a part of the resilient plug that seals an end of the reservoir. Thus, the air channel in the cartridge is initially routed from the air inlet towards the interface end and bypasses the resilient plug before changing direction and entering the aerosol generation chamber through the resilient plug. This can allow the outer surface of the cartridge at the interface end, where it is closest to the vaporizer, to be closed, thereby helping to reduce the risk of leakage from the cartridge, both in terms of aerosolizable material coming through the openings in the air channel which is not retained by the aerosolizable material transport element in the air channel (e.g. due to saturation/agitation) or aerosolizable material that has being vaporized but condensed back to aerosolizable material in the air channel during use. In some implementations, a distance from air inlet to the interface end of the housing part may be at least 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm or 10 mm.
In some example implementations an absorbent element, for example a portion of sponge material or a series of channels forming a capillary trap, may be provided between the air inlet and the aerosol generation chamber, for example in the region air channel formed between the base of the resilient plug and the end cap, to further help reduce the risk of leakage by absorbing aerosolizable material that forms in the air channel and so helping prevent the aerosolizable material travelling around the air channel through the air inlet or towards the aerosol outlet.
In some example implementations the air channel from the air inlet to the aerosol outlet may have its smallest cross-sectional area where it passes through the hole 106 in the resilient plug. That is to say, the hole in the resilient plug may be primarily responsible for governing the overall resistance to draw for the electronic cigarette.
Another aspect of some particular cartridge configurations in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure is the manner in which the dividing wall element divides the air reservoir into two regions, namely a main region above the dividing wall (i.e. towards a mouthpiece end of the cartridge) and a aerosolizable-material-supply region below the dividing wall (i.e. on the same side of the dividing wall as where the aerosolizable material transport element extends from the vaporizer into the reservoir). The dividing wall includes openings to govern the flow of aerosolizable material on the main region to the aerosolizable material supply region. The dividing wall can help retain aerosolizable material in the aerosolizable material supply region of the reservoir, example when the electronic cigarette is tilted through various orientations, which can help avoid dry out. The dividing wall can also conveniently provide a mechanical stop for the resilient plug to abut/press against so as to help correctly locate the resilient plug during assembly and maintain the resilient plug in slight compression between the dividing wall and the end cap when the cartridge is assembled.
In the example discussed above, the dividing wall is formed as a separate element form the housing part, wherein an inner surface of the housing part includes one or more protrusions arranged to contact the side of the dividing wall facing the mouthpiece end of the cartridge to locate the dividing wall along a longitudinal axis of the cartridge, but in other examples the dividing wall may be integrally formed with the housing part.
In the example discussed above the dividing wall is in the form of an annular band around the air channel and comprises four fluid communication openings 150 located in respective quadrants of the band. However, more or fewer openings through the dividing wall may be provided in different implementations. Individual openings may, for example, have an area of between 4 mm2 and 15 mm2.
A combined area for the at least one openings as a fraction of the total area of the dividing wall exposed to aerosolizable material supply region of the reservoir region may be, for example, from 20% to 80%; 30% to 70% or 40% to 60%.
It will be appreciated that while the above description has focused on some specific cartridge configurations comprising a number of different features, cartridges in accordance with other embodiments of the disclosure may not include all these features. For example, in some implementations an air path generally of the kind discussed above, i.e. with an air inlet which is in a sidewall of the cartridge and closer to the mouthpiece end of the cartridge than the vaporizer, may be provided in a cartridge which does not include a resilient plug with an outer sealing wall which extends around the vaporizer and/or does not include a dividing wall element of the kind discussed above. Similarly, a cartridge which does include a resilient plug with an outer sealing wall which extends around the vaporizer may have an air inlet into the cartridge which is at the interface end of the cartridge, and not in a sidewall, and which may also not have a dividing wall element of the kind discussed above. Furthermore, a cartridge which does include a dividing wall element, might not include an air inlet located further from the interface end of the cartridge than the vaporizer and/or an extended outer sealing wall for a resilient plug as discussed above.
Thus, there has been described an aerosol provision system comprising a reservoir for aerosolizable material, a wick for receiving aerosolizable material from the reservoir, and a vaporizer for vaporizing aerosolizable material in the wick;
There has also been described an aerosol provision system comprising a reservoir for aerosolizable material, and a vaporizer for vaporizing aerosolizable material from the reservoir;
There has also been described a cartridge for an aerosol provision system comprising the cartridge and a control unit, wherein the cartridge comprises:
There has also been described a cartridge for an aerosol provision system comprising the cartridge and a control unit, wherein the cartridge comprises:
There has also been described an aerosol provision system 300 comprising a reservoir for aerosolizable material, a wick 42 for receiving aerosolizable material from the reservoir 31, and a vaporizer 40 for vaporizing aerosolizable material in the wick 42. A structure 301 from the aerosol provision system 300, in response to a temperature of the vaporizer 40 or wick 42 exceeding a predetermined temperature, is operable to change from a first configuration in which operation of the vaporizer 40 is possible, to a second configuration in which operation of the vaporizer 40 is prevented. This structure 301 could be operable to reversibly change between the first configuration and the second configuration, and might be configured to short circuit the vaporizer 40 in some cases. The structure might also be configured to disconnect a connection lead 41 for delivering power to the vaporizer 40 in some cases.
There has also been described an aerosol provision system comprising a reservoir for aerosolizable material, and a vaporizer for vaporizing aerosolizable material from the reservoir;
There has also been described a cartridge for an aerosol provision system comprising the cartridge and a control unit, wherein the cartridge comprises:
There has also been described a method of physically preventing the operation of an aerosol provision system comprising a reservoir for aerosolizable material, and a vaporizer for vaporizing aerosolizable material from the reservoir; wherein the method comprises:
There has also been described a method of physically preventing the operation of a cartridge for use in an aerosol provision system, wherein the cartridge comprises a reservoir for aerosolizable material, and a vaporizer for vaporizing aerosolizable material from the reservoir; wherein the method comprises:
There has also been described an aerosol provision system 300 comprising a reservoir 31 for aerosolizable material, and a vaporizer 40 for vaporizing aerosolizable material from the reservoir 31. The aerosol provision system further comprises a structure 306; 308; 310; 312; 318 which, in response to a predetermined event, is operable to irreversibly change from a first position in which operation of the aerosol provision system 300 is possible, to a second position in which operation of the aerosol provision system 300 is physically prevented. The predetermined event may be the vaporizer 40 exceeding a predetermined temperature, or the amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 31 reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount.
There has also been described an aerosol provision system comprising a wick and a vaporizer for vaporizing aerosolizable material in the wick, wherein the wick comprises a first outer portion comprising a first sorptivity and a second inner portion comprising a second sorptivity which is greater than the first sorptivity, such that the wick is operable to encourage aerosolizable material in the wick to pass from the first portion to the second portion.
There has also been described a cartridge for an aerosol provision system comprising the cartridge and a control unit, wherein the cartridge comprises a wick and a vaporizer for vaporizing aerosolizable material in the wick, wherein the wick comprises a first outer portion comprising a first sorptivity and a second inner portion comprising a second sorptivity which is greater than the first sorptivity, such that the wick is operable to encourage aerosolizable material in the wick to pass from the first portion to the second portion.
There has also been described an aerosol provision system 1 comprising a wick 42 and a vaporizer 40 for vaporizing aerosolizable material in the wick 42, wherein the wick 42 comprises a first outer portion 302 comprising a first sorptivity and a second inner portion 304 comprising a second sorptivity which is greater than the first sorptivity, such that the wick 42 is operable to encourage aerosolizable material in the wick 42 to pass from the first portion 302 to the second portion 304. This facilitates with the second inner portion 304 of the wick 42 being supplied with aerosolizable material, to help reduce the effects of dry out therein, and to assist with keeping the wick 42 cool.
There has also been described an aerosol provision system comprising:
There has also been described a method of providing power to a heating element in an aerosol provision system, wherein the aerosol provision system further comprises control circuitry, and wherein the method comprises the control circuitry:
There has also been described an aerosol provision system 1 comprising a heating element 40 for generating a vapor from an aerosolizable material as part of a heating operation. Control circuitry 18 is configured to provide a first amount of power to the heating element 40 at a start of the heating operation in the event that a previous heating operation of the heating element 40 has not occurred within a predetermined period of time TO ending immediately before the start of the heating operation. The control circuitry 18 then provides a second amount of power, which is greater than the first amount of power, to the heating element 40 at the start of the heating operation in the event that a previous heating operation of the heating element 40 has occurred within the predetermined period of time TO ending immediately before the start of the heating operation.
While the above described embodiments have in some respects focused on some specific example aerosol provision systems, it will be appreciated the same principles can be applied for aerosol provision systems using other technologies. That is to say, the specific manner in which various aspects of the aerosol provision system function, for example in terms of the underlying form of the vaporizer or vaporizer technology used are not directly relevant to the principles underlying the examples described herein.
In that respect, it will also be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the embodiments of aerosol provision system described herein. For instance, although the vaporizer 40 has been described in a number of the above embodiments as being located in the cartridge, it will be appreciated that in some embodiments the vaporizer may be located in the control unit of the aerosol provision system.
In order to address various issues and advance the art, this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and to teach the claimed invention(s). It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. other than those specifically described herein, and it will thus be appreciated that features of the dependent claims or clauses may be combined with features of the independent claims or independent clauses in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the claims and clauses. The disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future. In effect, any combination of feature(s) from one set of claims may be combined with any other individual feature(s) from any of the remaining set of claims or clauses.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014907.6 | Sep 2020 | GB | national |
| 2014908.4 | Sep 2020 | GB | national |
| 2014912.6 | Sep 2020 | GB | national |
| 2014913.4 | Sep 2020 | GB | national |
The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No. PCT/GB2021/052356, filed Sep. 10, 2021, which claims priority from GB Application No. 2014907.6, filed Sep. 22, 2020, GB Application No. 2014908.4, filed Sep. 22, 2020, GB Application No. 2014912.6, filed Sep. 22, 2020 and 2014913.4, filed Sep. 22, 2020, each of which hereby fully incorporated herein by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/GB2021/052356 | 9/10/2021 | WO |
