CN116157034A

CN116157034A - Aerosol generating device and consumable

Info

Publication number: CN116157034A
Application number: CN202180060709.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: A·R·J·罗根; A·赖特
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2020-07-17
Filing date: 2021-07-16
Publication date: 2023-05-23
Also published as: KR20230041004A; EP4181703A1; WO2022013433A1; JP2023533673A; US20230320420A1

Abstract

An aerosol-generating system comprising a consumable (160) and an aerosol-generating device (100) is provided. The consumable includes a housing (169) configured to contain an aerosol-generating material, the housing having a first surface (162 a) configured to engage the aerosol-generating device. The first surface includes a frangible material (165) configured to break upon interaction with a piercing element (116) of the aerosol-generating device and a protective barrier (166) configured to resist the piercing element. The frangible material and the protective barrier are arranged such that the protective barrier defines a frangible region (167) in the first surface. The aerosol-generating device comprises piercing elements arranged to pierce a mating frangible region in the first surface of the consumable and to be prevented from piercing a protective barrier in the first surface of the consumable.

Description

Aerosol generating device and consumable

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device.

Background

Aerosol-generating devices such as electronic cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular consumer products.

Heating devices for aerosolization or vaporization are known in the art. Such devices typically include a heater arranged to heat the aerosol-generating product. In operation, the aerosol generating product is heated by the heater to aerosolize the components of the product for inhalation by the consumer. Such devices are typically designed to heat the aerosol-generating product without burning it. The aerosol-generating product may comprise tobacco in a form similar to a conventional cigarette, or tobacco in a capsule; other aerosol-generating products may be liquid, or liquid contents in a capsule.

It is necessary to ensure that only the proper aerosol-generating product is used with the corresponding aerosol-generating device. The present invention aims to address this need.

Disclosure of Invention

In a first aspect, there is provided a consumable for an aerosol-generating device, wherein the consumable comprises a housing configured to contain an aerosol-generating material, the housing having a first surface configured to engage with the aerosol-generating device, the first surface comprising:

a frangible material configured to break upon interaction with one or more piercing elements of the aerosol-generating device; and

a protective barrier configured to resist the one or more piercing elements;

wherein the frangible material and the protective barrier are arranged such that the protective barrier defines one or more frangible regions in the first surface.

In this way, the consumable can only engage the piercing element when properly arranged in the chamber. The requirement to properly position the consumable in the chamber may enhance the child resistant capability of the aerosol generating device.

Optionally, the consumable is a capsule or cartridge comprising an aerosol-generating material (such as an aerosolizable liquid, an aerosolizable solid, or a combination thereof). Alternatively, the consumable is a cigarette-like consumable, also referred to as a tobacco rod, and the aerosol-generating material may be tobacco.

Optionally, the one or more frangible regions are arranged in alignment with cooperating piercing elements of the one or more piercing elements of the aerosol-generating device such that the first surface is pierceable by the piercing elements when the arrangement of the frangible regions coincides with the arrangement of the piercing elements.

In this way, the consumable can only be used with an aerosol generating device having a cooperating piercing element. This may prevent unauthorized, incompatible or counterfeit consumables from being used with the aerosol generating device.

Optionally, the one or more frangible regions provide an airflow path into the housing when pierced by the one or more cooperating piercing elements.

In this way, the use of the consumable when improperly engaged in the device is prevented, thereby further helping to stop unauthorized or incompatible consumables from being used with the aerosol generating device.

Optionally, the one or more frangible regions are defined by one or more openings in the protective barrier.

Optionally, the first surface comprises a layer of barrier material over the layer of frangible material, the barrier material forming a protective barrier and being arranged such that one or more openings in the protective barrier expose the frangible material to form one or more frangible regions.

In this way, the frangible region can be manufactured by an efficient bi-material process.

Optionally, the consumable comprises a cavity configured to receive a heating element of the aerosol-generating device.

In this way, the heating element may be positioned within the consumable in order to efficiently heat the aerosol-generating material in the consumable.

In a second aspect, there is provided an aerosol-generating device configured to receive a consumable, the aerosol-generating device comprising:

one or more piercing elements arranged to pierce one or more mating frangible regions in the first surface of the consumable and to be prevented from piercing a protective barrier in the first surface of the consumable such that:

when the consumable is connected to the aerosol-generating device and each of the one or more piercing elements is aligned with one or more mating frangible regions in the first surface of the consumable, the aerosol-generating device engages the consumable and the one or more piercing elements pierce the one or more mating frangible regions; and

the aerosol-generating device is prevented from engaging the consumable when the consumable is connected to the aerosol-generating device and the at least one piercing element is aligned with the protective barrier of the first surface of the consumable.

In this way, the piercing element can engage the consumable only when the consumable is properly arranged in the chamber. The requirement to properly position the consumable in the chamber may enhance the child resistant capability of the aerosol generating device. Furthermore, the consumable can only be used with aerosol generating devices having cooperating piercing elements. This may prevent unauthorized, incompatible or counterfeit consumables from being used with the aerosol generating device.

Optionally, the aerosol-generating device is configured to receive the consumable of the first aspect.

Optionally, the one or more piercing elements have an air flow channel therethrough arranged to provide air flow into the consumable when the co-operating frangible region of the consumable has been pierced.

In this way, aerosol generation is prevented from being used with the consumable when not properly engaged with the consumable. This further helps to prevent unauthorized or incompatible consumables from being used with the aerosol generating device.

Optionally, the aerosol generating device further comprises:

a chamber having an opening for receiving a consumable, and wherein the one or more piercing elements are disposed in the chamber; and

A base portion located in the chamber, wherein the one or more piercing elements are disposed on the base portion.

In this way, the piercing element may be configured to engage the consumable when inserted into the chamber for the aerosolization process. This improves the user experience, as no separate step is required to engage the consumable before or after insertion of the consumable. Since the operator does not need to open the consumable by hand alone to insert it into the device, the risk of leakage of the contents of the consumable onto the operator's hand is reduced.

Optionally, the base portion divides the chamber to define a first chamber portion facing the opening and a second chamber portion facing away from the opening.

Optionally, the first chamber portion is configured to heat the consumable to produce an aerosol product and the second chamber portion is configured to preheat the airflow to the consumable.

In this way, the preheating of the airflow in the second region of the chamber may improve the user experience by mixing the preheated air with the aerosol generated in the first region of the chamber. This may result in a more consistent temperature for the aerosol product. In addition, preheating the air prior to its being drawn into the consumable prevents the inhalation of ambient (or cold) air from affecting the heating of the aerosol-generating material. Such cool air may reduce the temperature in the aerosol-generating material, requiring more power to be supplied to the heating element to aerosolize the aerosol-generating material. By preheating the air, less power needs to be supplied to the portion of the heating element for aerosolization, as the preheated air reduces or prevents the effect of temperature drop in the aerosol-generating material.

Optionally, the aerosol-generating device further comprises a heating element, wherein the heating element passes through the opening in the base portion such that a first heating element portion is arranged in the first chamber portion to heat the consumable and a second heating element portion is arranged in the second chamber portion to preheat the airflow to the consumable.

In this way, a single heating element may have: a first portion located in the first portion of the chamber to aerosolize aerosol-generating material in the consumable; and a second portion located in the second portion of the chamber to preheat the airflow to the consumable. The portion of the heating element located in the second portion of the chamber does not engage the consumable but may heat the air in the second portion of the chamber, which is then drawn into the consumable. This arrangement prevents waste of heat generated in the second portion of the heating element.

Optionally, the base portion is a moveable base configured to move along the length of the chamber.

In this way, the movable base can securely hold consumables of different lengths within the chamber.

In a third aspect, there is provided an aerosol-generating system comprising the consumable of the first aspect and the aerosol-generating device of the second aspect.

In a fourth aspect, there is provided an aerosol-generating system comprising a consumable for an aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating device configured to receive the consumable;

wherein the consumable comprises a housing configured to contain an aerosol-generating material, the housing having a first surface configured to engage with the aerosol-generating device, the first surface comprising:

a protective barrier configured to resist the one or more piercing elements;

wherein the frangible material and the protective barrier are arranged such that the protective barrier defines one or more frangible regions in the first surface; and is also provided with

Wherein the aerosol generating device comprises:

a chamber having an opening for receiving the consumable; and a base portion located in the chamber, wherein the base portion separates the chamber to define a first chamber portion towards the opening and a second chamber portion away from the opening; and

one or more piercing elements disposed on the base portion in the chamber to pierce one or more mating frangible regions in the first surface of the consumable and to be prevented from piercing a protective barrier in the first surface of the consumable such that:

And in this way the piercing element may be configured to engage the consumable when inserted into the chamber for the aerosolization process. This improves the user experience, as no separate step is required to engage the consumable before or after insertion of the consumable. Since the operator does not need to open the consumable by hand alone to insert it into the device, the risk of leakage of the contents of the consumable onto the operator's hand is reduced.

Optionally, the one or more frangible regions of the consumable are arranged in alignment with cooperating piercing elements of the one or more piercing elements of the aerosol generating device such that the first surface is pierceable by the piercing elements when the arrangement of the frangible regions coincides with the arrangement of the piercing elements.

Optionally, the one or more frangible regions of the consumable provide an airflow path into the housing when pierced by the one or more cooperating piercing elements.

Optionally, the one or more frangible regions of the consumable are defined by one or more openings in the protective barrier.

Optionally, the first surface of the consumable comprises a layer of barrier material over the layer of frangible material, the barrier material forming a protective barrier and being arranged such that one or more openings in the protective barrier expose the frangible material to form one or more frangible regions.

Optionally, the one or more piercing elements of the aerosol generating device have an airflow passage therethrough arranged to provide airflow into the consumable when the co-operating frangible region of the consumable has been pierced.

Optionally, the first chamber portion of the aerosol-generating device is configured to heat the consumable to generate an aerosol product, and the second chamber portion of the aerosol-generating device is configured to preheat the airflow to the consumable.

Optionally, the base portion of the aerosol-generating device is a moveable base configured to move along the length of the chamber.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a cut-away view of an aerosol-generating device;

FIG. 1B is a cut-away view of an aerosol-generating device having a consumable received therein;

FIG. 2A is a cut-away view of a consumable for an aerosol generating device;

fig. 2B is a plan view of a consumable for an aerosol generating device;

Fig. 2C is a perspective view of a consumable for an aerosol generating device;

fig. 3A is a plan view of a base portion of the aerosol-generating device;

FIG. 3B is a cut-away view of a base portion of the aerosol-generating device;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cut-away view of a chamber region of the aerosol-generating device; and

fig. 5 is a cut-away view of the heating element and the base portion.

Detailed Description

The aerosol-generating device 100 is a device arranged to heat an aerosol-generating medium or consumable 160 to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a consumer. In a specific example, the aerosol-generating medium or consumable 160 may be a capsule or cartridge containing an aerosolizable liquid, an aerosolizable solid, or a combination thereof that generates an aerosol when heated. In alternative examples, an aerosol-generating device having corresponding features may be configured for use with an aerosol-generating medium or consumable 160, which is a cigarette-type consumable, also referred to as a tobacco rod, wherein the aerosol-generating material may be tobacco. The tobacco rod may have a tobacco region containing tobacco and a mouth region containing, for example, a filter connected by wrapping paper. The aerosol-generating device 100 is configured to heat a tobacco rod to generate an aerosol without burning tobacco. Such devices may be considered "heating non-combustion" devices. The aerosol-generating device 100 may also be considered an electronic cigarette or a vapor-generating device. In the context of the present disclosure, the terms "vapor" and "aerosol" may be used interchangeably.

Fig. 1A shows a cut-away view of a cross-section of an aerosol-generating device 100 configured to receive a consumable of the capsule 160 type. It will be readily appreciated that a similar aerosol-generating device 100 (having features corresponding to those described later) may be configured to receive a tobacco rod-type consumable.

The aerosol-generating device 100 is configured to receive an aerosol-generating consumable 160 (hereinafter referred to as a capsule), as shown in fig. 1B, which shows a cutaway view presenting a cross-section of the aerosol-generating device 100 with the capsule 160 received therein. The capsule 160 may include an aerosol generating material such as an aerosolizable liquid, an aerosolizable solid, or a combination thereof. The capsule is presented in more detail in fig. 2A-2C.

The aerosol-generating device 100 has a body 146 in which the chamber 102 is arranged. The opening 104 in the body 146 provides access to the chamber 102. The chamber 102 is configured to receive the bladder 160 through the opening 104. The chamber 102 may have a cross-sectional size and shape defined by the inner wall 120 of the chamber 102 that corresponds to the size and shape of the bladder such that the bladder 160 fits securely within the chamber 102 and is held in place by the inner wall 120. In an example, the chamber 102 is generally cylindrical in shape. In examples where the device is configured for use with tobacco rod-type consumables, the chamber may likewise be sized so that it is for receiving a tobacco rod.

The heating element 106 is positioned within the chamber 102 and is configured to heat the bladder 160 when received in the chamber 102. In the example of fig. 1A and 1B, the heating element 106 is a heat patch that extends inwardly from the bottom 114 of the chamber 102 to the chamber 102. Such a heating plate 106 may be elongated in the axial direction of the chamber 102 and planar in the radial direction of the chamber 102, with an engagement end at the end closest to the opening 104. In an example, the engagement end may be pointed or spike-shaped. The bottom 114 of the chamber 102 may be considered the end of the chamber 102 opposite the opening 104. The heating element 106 extends from the bottom 114 of the chamber 102 toward the opening 104 of the chamber 102. The heating element 106 may extend entirely along the axial length of the chamber 102 or extend through a substantial portion of the axial length of the chamber 102. The heating element 106 is positioned substantially centrally within the chamber 102 and is sized to fit into a heating element cavity 163 in the bladder 160. When inserted into the chamber 102, the heating element 106 engages the first end portion 162 of the bladder 160; as the bladder 160 is pushed further into the chamber 102, the heating element 106 engages the bladder by sliding through the axial length of the heating element cavity 163.

In the example of a tobacco rod consumable, the heating element 106 can be inserted into a tobacco region of a tobacco rod to aerosolize the tobacco.

In the alternatives of the capsule 160 and aerosol-generating device 100 of fig. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and 2C, the heating element may alternatively be integrated into or mounted onto the inner wall of the chamber so as to surround the consumable (such as the capsule or tobacco rod). In such an alternative, the heating element may be a coil heater. In a further alternative, the heating element may be a component of the consumable and disposed within the consumable. In such examples, the electrical connection between the aerosol-generating device and the consumable may be made when the consumable and the aerosol-generating device are connected to each other in order to power the heater, or the heating element may be configured to be inductively heated by an inductive heater component in the aerosol-generating device. In examples such as these, the capsule need not have a heating element cavity configured to receive a heating element component of the aerosol-generating device.

Returning to fig. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, and 2C for the capsule 160 and aerosol-generating device 100, the heating element 106 is coupled to a power source 132, such as a battery, and to a controller 134 that is operable to control the aerosol-generating device 100. The battery 132 and the controller 134 may be housed within a body 146 of the aerosol-generating device 100. The controller 134 detects when a heater activation button (not shown) is pressed and controls the flow of power from the battery to the heating element 106 to heat the heating element 106 for the aerosolization process. The controller 134 may be a microcontroller unit and may include one or more processors and memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to control the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100.

Turning to fig. 2A, 2B and 2C, a capsule 160 for use in the aerosol-generating device 100 of fig. 1A and 1B is presented. The capsule 160 has a housing 169 configured to contain an aerosol-generating material. The housing defines an interior volume 161 in which the aerosol-generating material is disposed. The liquid aerosol-generating material may be held within the absorbent or porous material in the interior volume 161; the solid aerosol-generating material may be stored directly within the interior volume 161.

The housing 169 of the bladder 160 has: a first end portion 162 having a first surface 162 a; and a second end portion 164 having a second surface 164 a. The first end portion 162 may be an end portion opposite the second end portion 164, and the first surface 162a may be a surface located at an end of the bladder 160 opposite the second surface 164 a. The housing 169 further includes a sidewall connecting the first surface 162a at the first end portion 162 to the second surface 164a at the second end portion 164.

The first surface 162a may include an opening to the heating element cavity 163. When the capsule 160 and the aerosol-generating device 100 are connected to each other, the heating element 106 of the aerosol-generating device 100 is received in the heating element cavity 163. In this way, the heating element 106 may provide thermal energy to the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol. The heating element 106 may directly aerosolize the solid aerosol-generating material by heating the solid aerosol-generating material without combustion. The heating element 106 may aerosolize the liquid aerosol generating material by heating and evaporating the liquid held within the absorbent material.

The capsule 160 may be inserted into the chamber 102 of the aerosol-generating device 100 by first passing the first end portion 162 of the capsule 160 through the opening 104 of the chamber 102 such that the capsule 160 moves into the chamber 102. As the bladder 160 moves into the chamber 102, the heating element 106 moves into a heating element cavity 163 in the bladder 160.

When inserted into the chamber 102 of the aerosol-generating device 100, the second end portion 164 of the capsule 160 is proximate the opening 104 of the chamber 102. The second end portion 164 of the capsule 160 may include an integrated mouthpiece (not shown) upon which a user draws to inhale the generated aerosol when the capsule 160 is inserted into the chamber 102. Alternatively, a separate nozzle (not shown) may be engaged with the second end portion 164 to form an airflow path from the bladder 160 into the separate nozzle when the bladder 160 has been inserted into the chamber 102; a separate mouthpiece may then be connected to the body 146 of the aerosol-generating device 100 to form an arrangement in which the capsule 160 is housed within the mouthpiece and body 146 of the aerosol-generating device 100.

In use, as described in greater detail later, when an operator inhales on the mouthpiece, air is drawn into the first end portion 162 of the bladder 160 to balance the pressure drop created inside the bladder 160. The air drawn into the capsule 160 mixes with the generated aerosol to produce an aerosol product. This generated aerosol, as well as inhaled air, is drawn through the second end portion 164 of the capsule and into the mouthpiece where the operator of the aerosol generating device 100 inhales the aerosol.

In the example of a tobacco rod-type consumable, the tobacco rod is insertable in a configuration similar to that described for the capsule 160. The first end portion of the tobacco rod may be considered at least a portion of the tobacco region, while the second end portion of the tobacco rod may be considered at least a portion of the mouth or filter region. When the tobacco rod is received in the chamber, the mouth region of the tobacco rod extends outwardly from the opening 104 so that an operator may inhale on the mouth.

Returning to fig. 1A and 1B, one or more air inlets 122 are disposed in a body 146 of the aerosol-generating device 100 and are connected to the chamber 102 by air inlet passages 124. When a user of the aerosol-generating device 100 inhales on the mouthpiece, the pressure within the chamber 102 drops and air is drawn into the chamber 102 from outside the device 100 through the air inlet passage 124. The air inlet channel 124 is arranged to feed air into the chamber 102 or at the bottom 114 of the chamber 102 substantially towards the bottom 114 of the chamber 102. In some examples, the opening of the air inlet 122 may be disposed adjacent to the opening 104 of the chamber 102 in an end surface of the body 146 of the aerosol-generating device 100. In such an example, the air inlet passage 124 may extend along the length of the chamber 102 to supply air to the bottom of the chamber 102; this may be considered an inlet counterflow because the airflow into the chamber moves substantially in a direction opposite to the direction of airflow through the chamber 102 and bladder 160 toward the opening 104. The placement of the opening of the air inlet 122 adjacent to the opening 104 of the chamber 102 prevents an operator from inadvertently blocking the opening of the air inlet 122 with their hand while holding the aerosol-generating device 100. Waste heat from the chamber 102 may also cause the gas flow to change temperature as it passes along the chamber 102 through the channel 124. In other examples, the opening of the air inlet 122 may be disposed in a sidewall of the body 146 near the bottom of the chamber 102 to provide a shortest airflow path into the chamber 102 in the airflow channel 124.

The base portion 108 is located within the chamber 102. The base portion 108 may be a movable base 108 configured to move along the length of the chamber 102 in an axial direction of the chamber 102 (i.e., in a direction along the length of the chamber 102 toward and away from the opening 104 of the chamber 102). The movable base 108 may be attached to a rail (not shown) along which the movable base 108 is guided for movement through the chamber 102. The movable base 108 is a platform against which the first surface 162a of the bladder 160 presses when the bladder 160 is inserted into the chamber 102. The movable base 108 has a cross-sectional shape and size that is sized to be approximately equal to the cross-sectional shape and size of the chamber 102 and a thickness dimension that is substantially less than the depth of the chamber 102. In an example, the movable base 108 may have a thickness of 2 to 10mm and the chamber 102 may have a depth of 10 to 50 mm.

In some examples, the moveable base 108 may be resiliently biased within the chamber 102 toward the opening 104 to a first or extended position (fig. 1A), such as by a spring. The first position may be substantially centered along the length of the chamber 102 or toward the opening 104. When a consumable (such as a capsule 160 or tobacco rod) is pushed into the chamber 102, it presses against the movable base 108 and the movable base 108 moves downward in the chamber 102 away from the opening 104 against the resilient biasing force. The friction between the consumable and the inner wall 120 of the chamber 102 overcomes the resilient biasing force to hold the consumable in place with the movable base 108 in a second or retracted position closer to the bottom 114 of the chamber 102 (fig. 1B). That is, the movable base 108 is movable between an extended position at a first distance from the opening 104 and a retracted position at a second distance from the opening 104, the second distance being greater than the first distance. Consumables (including capsules or tobacco rods) of different sizes or lengths may be inserted into the chamber 102; if the consumable is a short length, equivalent to or less than the depth of the chamber 102, it is disadvantageous that the consumable falls into the chamber 102 such that the second end portion 164 is not proximate to the opening 104 of the chamber 102. The resilient biasing force applied to the movable base 108 prevents the consumable from sliding deeper into the chamber 102 than desired. In this manner, the movable base 108 secures the consumable in an operable position within the chamber 102 such that the second end portion 164 is proximate the opening 104 of the chamber 102. In an example, the movable base may be in a fully retracted position when the tobacco rod consumable is inserted. In another example, the movable base may be in a semi-retracted position when the capsule 160-type consumable is inserted. However, the movable base allows different length capsules and/or different length tobacco rods to be inserted and held securely in place in the fully or semi-retracted position.

Alternatively or additionally, in other examples, the position of the movable base 108 may be manually controlled by a user of the aerosol-generating device 100 between a first position (fig. 1A) and a second position (fig. 1B). For example, the movable base 108 may be connected to an electric motor or solenoid that drives the movable base 108 in a direction toward and away from the opening 104. The electric motor or solenoid may be controlled by the controller 134 of the aerosol-generating device 100 to move along the length of the chamber 102 in response to a user of the device 100 selecting an input configured to instruct the controller 134 to move the movable base 108. In another example, the movable base 108 may be mechanically manually moved by a user of the aerosol-generating device 100. A through pin disposed in a slot or threaded groove may connect the movable base 108 to a handle external to the aerosol-generating device 100 that mechanically causes the movable base 108 to move along the length of the chamber 102 when moved in a sliding or rotating manner by a user. Advantageously, these means for adjusting the position of the movable base 108 allow a user of the aerosol-generating device 100 to adjust the depth of the chamber 102 such that capsules of different lengths may be received within the chamber 102 while ensuring that the second end portion 164 is proximate the opening 104 of the chamber 102.

The movable base 108 may be in the form of a disk. The movable base 108 has a first surface 110 facing the opening 104 of the chamber 102, and a second surface 112 on the opposite side of the movable base 108 from the first surface 110 facing the bottom 114 of the chamber 102.

A slot 118 is disposed in the movable base 108 through which the heating element 106 passes. In this manner, the moveable base 108 may move along the length of the heating element 106 as it moves within the chamber 102.

In other examples, the base portion 108 is fixed in place rather than movable. Such a fixed base 108 may be located at an intermediate position between the opening 104 and the bottom 114 of the chamber 102 and the chamber 102. Alternatively, such a fixed base may be located approximately at the bottom 114 of the chamber 102. The heating element may pass through a slot in the fixed base or may protrude from the fixed base itself.

When the capsule 160 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 100, the first surface 162a of the capsule 160 interacts with the base portion 108.

The movable portion 108 is shown in more detail in fig. 3A and 3B.

Fig. 3A shows a plan view of the base portion 108, and fig. 3B shows a cross-sectional view of the base portion 108 along line A-A.

The base portion 108 includes one or more piercing elements 116 configured to engage and pierce a first surface 162 of the capsule 160 when the base portion 108 and the capsule 160 are connected to one another.

The piercing element protrudes outwardly from the first surface 110 of the base portion towards the opening 104 of the chamber 102. The piercing element has an engagement end remote from the first surface 110. The engagement end is configured to pierce the first surface 162a of the capsule 160. In an example, the engagement end may be pointed. The piercing element may be spike-like in shape as it tapers towards the engagement end. For example, the piercing element 116 may be conical or pyramidal. Alternatively, the piercing element 116 may have a constant diameter over a substantial portion of its length, followed by a pointed end at the engagement end. In another alternative, the piercing elements 116 may have a constant diameter, but a sufficiently narrow cross-section such that they create a high pressure point when engaged with the first surface 162a of the capsule 160 in order to pierce the first surface of the capsule.

In the example of fig. 3A and 3B, six piercing elements 116 are distributed around a slot 118 through which the heating element 106 passes. A slot 118 for the heating element 106 is located in the center of the base portion 108 to correspond to the central position of the heating element 106 within the chamber 102. It should be appreciated that six piercing elements 116 are presented for exemplary purposes only, and that the base portion 108 may include any suitable number of piercing elements 116. The piercing elements 116 need not be distributed around the slot 118 in the arrangement depicted in fig. 3A and 3B, but may instead be distributed in the base portion 108 in any suitable arrangement.

The slot 118 may be sized to have a cross-sectional shape similar to the cross-section of the heating element 106, but slightly larger, so that the heating element 106 may pass through the slot 118 without restriction. Alternatively, the slot 118 may be sized such that the heating element 106 fits through it such that there is a snug fit between the heating element 106 and the moveable base 108. As previously described, in some examples, the heating element 106 may be disposed in or on the inner wall 120 of the chamber 102. In such an example, when the center of the chamber 102 is free of the heating element 106, the base portion 108 need not have a slot 118 for the heating element 106.

One or more apertures 117 are disposed in the base portion 108. These holes 117 are through-hole forming channels 117 that connect the second surface 112 of the base portion 108 through the base portion 108 and the piercing element 116 to allow air flow through the base portion 108 and the piercing element 116. That is, a through hole 117 extends from the engagement end of the piercing element 116, through the piercing element 116 and the base portion 108 and to the second surface 112 of the base portion. This allows an airflow path from the second surface, through the base portion 108 and through the piercing element 116. The through hole 117 extends through the base portion 108 and the piercing element 116 in the direction of the axial length of the chamber 102, i.e. in the direction along which the capsule 160 is inserted into the chamber 102. In this way, when the piercing element engages the capsule, an airflow path is created from the second portion of the chamber, through the through-hole 117 and into the capsule. In an example, the through hole 116 may have a diameter in the range of 0.1 to 3.0 mm.

Preferably, the piercing elements 116, and thus the through holes 117, are substantially uniformly and/or symmetrically distributed in the base portion 108 so as to provide a uniform air flow into the capsule 160.

It should be noted that the through hole 117 is not shown in fig. 1A, 1B, 4 and 5 for visual clarity only.

The base portion 108 may be a material that resists deformation when heat is applied so as to resist deformation of the base portion 108 when the heating element 106 heats the bladder 160. Such materials may include, for example, metals, plastics, and ceramics. It is also preferred that the base portion 108 be formed of a thermally conductive material to assist in spreading heat over the first surface 162a of the bladder 160 adjacent the base portion 108; this may help to warm the air flow entering bladder 160. An example of such a material is aluminum.

Returning to fig. 2A-2C, the first surface 162A of the capsule 160 may include a frangible material layer or layer 165 configured to fracture upon interaction with the one or more piercing elements 116. A protective barrier layer 166 may be disposed over the frangible material layer 165. In an example, the frangible material layer 165 may comprise aluminum foil, HDPE, silicon, or paper, while the protective barrier layer 166 may comprise cardboard, steel, high temperature resistant plastic (such as polyimide), or nylon 66. A protective barrier layer 166 is disposed with the frangible material layer 165 to define one or more frangible or frangible regions 167 in the first surface. The protective barrier layer 166 is formed of an elastomeric material that may not be readily penetrated by the penetrating element 116. That is, the protective barrier layer 166 prevents the piercing elements from piercing some areas of the first surface 162a (i.e., the non-frangible areas), but allows piercing other areas of the first surface 162a (i.e., the frangible areas 167). Fig. 2A shows a cross-sectional view of bladder 160 including frangible layer 165 and barrier layer 166.

The one or more frangible regions 167 can be defined by one or more openings or through-holes in the protective barrier layer 166. That is, the first surface 162a of the bladder 160 includes a layer of barrier material 166 over a layer of frangible material 165 such that the layer of barrier material 166 is the outermost layer. A series of openings forming frangible regions 167 can be patterned in barrier layer 166 to expose frangible material 165. This can be seen in fig. 2A as well as fig. 2C (which presents a perspective view of bladder 160, showing the layers at the first surface). It should be noted that the sidewalls of bladder 160 may extend over frangible layer 165 and barrier layer 166, and that frangible layer 165 and barrier layer 166 are not covered by the sidewalls in fig. 2C, so as to provide an environment for their placement at first surface 162 a.

Fig. 2B presents an exemplary plan view of the first surface 162a of the bladder 160. The barrier material 166 forms a protective barrier and is arranged such that one or more openings in the protective barrier 166 expose the frangible material 165 to form one or more frangible regions 167. The one or more frangible regions 167 can be specifically arranged to be alignable with the mating piercing element 116 of the one or more piercing elements of the aerosol-generating device 100. When the arrangement of frangible region 167 is consistent with the arrangement of piercing element 116, then first surface 162a is only pierceable by piercing element 116. The one or more frangible regions 167 provide an airflow path into the housing 169 when pierced by the one or more mating piercing elements 116.

That is, the frangible region 167 in the first surface 162a of the capsule 160 can be configured to have a layout that corresponds to the piercing element 116 on the first surface 110 of the base portion 108 of the aerosol-generating device 100 (as shown in fig. 2B and 3A). In this way, only the capsule 160, in which the arrangement of the frangible region 167 matches the arrangement of the piercing element 116 of the aerosol-generating device 100, can be used with the aerosol-generating device 100. When one or more of the piercing elements 116 are not aligned with the frangible region 167, the piercing element 116 abuts a protective barrier layer 166 that may not be readily pierced by the piercing element 116. This prevents engagement of the capsule 160 with the frangible region 167 arrangement which does not match the piercing element 116 arrangement of the aerosol generating device 100. This may prevent unauthorized or incompatible capsules from being used with the aerosol-generating device.

In some examples, the second surface 164a of the bladder 160 may also include one or more frangible regions in a manner similar to that described with reference to the first surface 162a of the bladder 160. These frangible regions may be engaged with the piercing element in the attachable mouthpiece.

The first surface 162a of the bladder 160 also includes an opening 168 that opens into the heating element cavity 163 in the bladder 160. In an example, the opening 168 may be sized similarly to the slot 118 in the base portion 108 and may be aligned with the slot in the base portion. The heating element cavity 163 may be sized to mate with the heating element 106; this allows for efficient heat transfer between the heating element 106 and the aerosolizable material in the capsule 160.

When the capsule is inserted into the chamber, the piercing element 116 aligns with and pierces the frangible region. In the case of the resiliently biased movable base 108, the resilient biasing force is sufficiently large to allow the piercing element 116 to pierce the frangible region 167 without retracting the movable base 108 into the chamber 102; when the piercing element 116 has pierced and engaged the frangible region 167, the moveable base 108 is then pushed deeper into the chamber 102 as the operator continues to push the capsule 160 into the chamber 102.

The piercing element 116 is then received within the capsule 160. The through hole 117 in the piercing element 116 provides an airflow path from the air inlet 122 of the aerosol-generating device 100 into the capsule 160. In use, when an operator of the aerosol-generating device 100 inhales on the mouthpiece, air is drawn from the through-hole 112 in the base portion 108 into the capsule 160 and through the capsule through the pierced frangible region 167, which creates a pressure drop in the chamber 102. Air is drawn into the chamber 102 from the air inlet 122 through the air inlet passage 124 to balance the pressure drop. As the user continues to inhale, the airflow moves through the through holes 117 or channels in the base portion 108 and the piercing element 116 and into the first end portion 162 of the capsule 160. As the airflow is drawn through the capsule 160, the airflow interacts with the aerosol generated in the capsule 160 by the heating element 106 to form an aerosol product that is drawn through the mouthpiece at the second end portion of the capsule 160 when the user inhales. That is, the piercing element 116 and the through hole 117 in the base portion 108 facilitate the following airflow path: from the air inlet 122, through the air inlet passage 124, into the chamber 102, through the base portion 108 and through-hole 117 in the piercing element 116, into the first end portion 162 of the capsule 160, through the capsule 160 to the second end portion 164 and through the mouthpiece for inhalation.

In some examples, bladder 160 may include a plurality of internal volumes 161 that are separate from one another and defined by inner walls. Each internal volume may comprise a different aerosol-generating material such that when heated, an aerosol is generated from each aerosol-generating material and then mixed to form an aerosol product. Each of the interior volumes may be accessed through one or more frangible regions 167.

In a similar manner to the capsule 160-type consumable, the tobacco rod-type consumable may have a similar first surface engageable with the piercing element. The first surface of the tobacco rod may be an end surface that is first inserted into the cavity and engaged with the base portion. That is, the first surface of the tobacco rod is an end surface opposite the end portion comprising the mouthpiece. The first surface of the tobacco rod may have one or more frangible or breakable regions configured to align with the piercing element, as described with reference to the capsule 160-type consumable. The first surface of the tobacco rod may also have an opening to receive a heating element.

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged cut-away view of the region of the chamber 102 of the aerosol-generating device 100, wherein the base portion 108 is displaced between the opening 104 of the chamber 102 and the bottom 114 of the chamber 102. For clarity, the balloon is not shown.

The axial displacement of the base portion 108 from the opening 104 and the bottom 114 of the chamber 102 causes the base portion 108 to divide the chamber 102 into two regions or portions, a first chamber region 136 toward the opening 104 and a second chamber region 138 toward the bottom 114 of the chamber 102. That is, the base portion 108 separates the chamber 102 such that the chamber has a first region 136 facing toward the opening 104 and a second region 138 facing away from the opening 104. The first region 136 and the second region 138 of the chamber 102 are separated by the base portion 108. The first surface 110 of the base portion 108 faces a first region 136 of the chamber 102, and the second surface 112 of the base portion 108 faces a second region 138 of the chamber 102.

When the heating element 106 extends through the base portion 108 along the axial length of the chamber 102, the heating element 106 is also divided into two portions by the base portion 108. The first portion 150 of the heating element 106 is disposed within the first region 136 of the chamber 102 and the second portion 152 of the heating element 106 is disposed within the second region 138 of the chamber 102. This division of the heating element 106 into two parts is presented in fig. 5, which shows a cut-away view of the base portion 108 dividing the heating element 106 into a first portion 150 and a second portion 152 in the axial direction.

In examples where the base portion 108 is a movable base, the length of the heating element 106 forming the first portion 150 and the length forming the second portion 152 change as the movable base 108 moves. Likewise, as the moveable base 108 moves, the volume of the chamber 102 forming the first region 136 and the volume forming the second region 138 change.

As depicted, the movable base 108 is pushed toward the bottom 114 of the chamber 102 by a consumable (such as a capsule 160 or tobacco rod) or is moved toward the bottom 114 of the chamber 102 to contain the consumable. In either case, the movable base 108 does not move completely to the bottom 114 of the chamber 102 (as shown in fig. 1B), so that the second region 138 of the chamber 102 may still be present when the consumable is received in the chamber 102.

When inserted into the chamber 102, the consumable is positioned only in the first region 136 of the chamber 102 and not in the second region 138. The first portion 150 of the heating element is inserted into a heating element cavity 163 in the capsule 160-type consumable or into the tobacco region of the tobacco rod-type consumable to provide thermal energy to the aerosolizable material contained in the capsule 160 or tobacco material in the tobacco rod. The second portion 152 of the heating element 106 is not engaged with the consumable. In effect, the second region 138 of the chamber 102 is empty because the consumable is not received in this region and the second portion 152 of the heating element 106 does not directly heat the consumable.

The air inlet passage 124 is disposed toward or at the bottom 114 of the chamber 102 so as to be positioned in the second region 138 of the chamber 102. The air inlet passage 124 supplies air from the air inlet 122 into the second region 138 of the chamber 102. When the heating element 106 is activated to heat the contents of the bladder 160, the first portion 150 of the heating element 106 heats the bladder 160 and the second portion 152 of the heating element 106 heats the air in the second region 138 of the chamber 102. That is, as ambient air 126 (air at a temperature external to the device) is drawn into the second region 138 of the chamber 102, it is heated by the second portion 152 of the heating element 106 to form preheated air 128, which is then drawn through the through-holes 116 in the base portion 108. This heating of the ambient air 126 in the second region 138 of the chamber 102 creates a pre-heat air flow 128 that leads to the bladder 160. As such, the second region 138 of the chamber 102 may be considered a pre-heat region because it pre-heats the airflow, while the first region 136 of the chamber 102 may be considered a heat region because it heats (and aerosolizes) the aerosol-generating material in the capsule 160. Also, for tobacco rod-type consumables, similar effects are achieved in a similar manner.

In this way, heat generated in the portion of the heating element 106 that does not engage the consumable is not wasted. This is particularly beneficial for consumables of shorter length; since a larger portion of the heating element 106 does not engage such a short consumable, a larger portion of the heat will be wasted. The pre-heating area 138, which is implemented by the movable base 108 and the through-holes 117 in the piercing element 116, allows this otherwise wasted heat to be used to pre-heat the air flow rather than being wasted.

The preheating of the air in the second region 138 of the chamber 102 may improve the user experience by mixing the preheated air with the aerosol generated by aerosolizing the aerosol generating material in the consumable. This may result in a more consistent temperature for the aerosol product. In addition, preheating the air prior to the air being drawn into the consumable prevents the ingestion of ambient (or cold) air 126 from affecting the heating of the aerosol-generating material in the consumable by the first portion 150 of the heating element 106. Such cold air 126 may reduce the temperature in the consumable, requiring more power to be supplied to the heating element 106. By preheating the air 128, less power needs to be supplied to the heating element 106 for aerosolization, as the preheated air reduces or prevents the effects of temperature drop in the consumable.

In the arrangement described above, the same power is applied to heat both portions of the heating element 106. In a modified arrangement, the heating element 106 may be divided into a plurality of heating zones, which may be individually and differently powered and thus heated to different temperatures. The heating zone may be formed by a plurality of heating track sections within and along the length of the heating element 106, each heating track section being individually connected to a controller 134 and a power source 132 so as to be individually controlled for heating purposes.

The controller 134 may determine the position of the movable base 108 along the axial length of the heating element 106. For example, the controller 134 determines the position of the movable base 108 along the rail and, thus, the corresponding position along the heating element 106. Based on the determined position of the movable base 108 along the heating element 106, the controller 134 may determine which heating zones are in the first region 136 of the chamber 102 (i.e., which heating zones form the first portion 150 of the heating element 106) and which heating zones are in the second region 138 of the chamber 102 (i.e., which heating zones are used for the second portion 152 of the heating element 106) to select an appropriate heating profile. The heating profile corresponds to the relative position of the movable base along the heating element; the heating profile may be stored in a memory accessible to the controller. That is, each heating profile corresponds to a different combination of heating zones in the first portion 150 of the heating element 106 and the second portion 152 of the heating element 106.

For a selected heating profile, the controller 134 controls the power of the heating elements 106 such that the heating zones in the first region 136 (i.e., the heating zones forming the first portion 150) are heated to a first temperature (or supply a first power level) and the heating zones forming the second portion 152 are heated to a second temperature (or supply a second power level). The first temperature and the second temperature (or the first power level and the second power level) may be different. In this manner, the first portion 150 of the heating element 106 may be heated to a different temperature than the second portion 152. This allows the air to be preheated in a preheating zone where the second portion 152 of the heating element 106 is at a different temperature than the first portion 150 of the heating element 106 for aerosolization. For example, it may be preferable to use a higher or lower heating temperature for the preheated air rather than the same temperature as that used for aerosolization of the aerosol-generating material in the consumable.

In some examples, the user input may be used to set a desired temperature (i.e., an aerosolization temperature) of the first portion 150 of the heating element 106 and/or a desired temperature (i.e., a pre-heat temperature) of the second portion 152 of the heating element 106.

In a further modification, the controller 134 may control the power of the heating elements 106 such that the heating zones within the second portion 152 of the heating elements 106 are not heated (i.e., no power is supplied to these heating zones). In this way, the air is not preheated in the second region 138 of the chamber 102. In some examples, this may save battery power because power is supplied only to the first portion 150 of the heating element 106 where it is desired to aerosolize the aerosol generating material.

In an exemplary operating procedure, for a consumable of the capsule 160 type, an operator of the aerosol generating device 100 inserts the capsule 160 into the chamber 102, with the first end portion 162 of the capsule 160 first entering. As the bladder 160 moves into the chamber 102, the heating element 106 is received in the heating element cavity 163. The first surface 162a of the bladder 160 is pressed against the base portion 108. When the piercing element 116 is aligned with the frangible region 167, the frangible region 167 is pierced and the piercing element 116 is received within the capsule 160. When at least one piercing element 116 is not aligned with frangible region 167, piercing element 116 is prevented from piercing frangible region 167 and is not received in bladder 160.

When the bladder 160 is properly engaged with the base portion 108, the first portion 150 of the heating element 106 is positioned in the heating element cavity 163 in the bladder 160.

The operator presses the heater activation button to heat the heating element 106. The first portion 150 of the heating element 106 heats the aerosol generating material to generate an aerosol within the capsule 160. The second portion 152 of the heating element 106 heats the air in the second region 138 of the chamber 102 below the bladder 160. The operator inhales on the mouthpiece. This inhalation causes an air flow from the air inlet 122 in the body 146 of the aerosol-generating device 100 through the air inlet passageway 124 and into the second region 138 of the chamber 102. This incoming air is preheated 128 by the second portion 152 of the heating element 106. The flow of pre-heat air 128 passes through the base portion 108 through a through hole 117 in the base portion 108 extending through the piercing element 116. This causes the flow of pre-heated air 128 to enter the bladder 160 at the first end portion 162. The air flow is drawn through the capsule 160 where it mixes with the generated aerosol to form an aerosol product that is drawn through a mouthpiece at the second end portion 164 of the capsule 160.

The corresponding operating program can be used for tobacco rod-type consumables.

It will be readily appreciated that the features of any of the embodiments described herein may be readily combined with the features of any of the other embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating system comprising a consumable for an aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating device configured to receive the consumable;

a protective barrier configured to resist the one or more piercing elements;

Wherein the aerosol generating device comprises:

2. The aerosol-generating system of claim 1, wherein the one or more frangible regions of the consumable are arranged in alignment with mating piercing elements of the one or more piercing elements of the aerosol-generating device such that the first surface is pierceable by the piercing elements when the arrangement of the frangible regions coincides with the arrangement of the piercing elements.

3. The aerosol-generating system of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more frangible regions of the consumable provide an airflow path into the housing when pierced by the one or more cooperating piercing elements.

4. The aerosol-generating system of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more frangible regions of the consumable are defined by one or more openings in the protective barrier.

5. The aerosol-generating system of claim 4, wherein the first surface of the consumable comprises a layer of barrier material over a layer of frangible material, the barrier material forming the protective barrier and being arranged such that one or more openings in the protective barrier expose the frangible material to form the one or more frangible regions.

6. The aerosol-generating system of any preceding claim, wherein the consumable comprises a cavity configured to receive a heating element of the aerosol-generating device.

7. An aerosol-generating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more piercing elements of the aerosol-generating device have airflow channels therethrough arranged to provide airflow into the consumable when the co-operating frangible region of the consumable has been pierced.

8. An aerosol-generating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the first chamber portion of the aerosol-generating device is configured to heat the consumable to produce an aerosol product and the second chamber portion of the aerosol-generating device is configured to preheat an airflow to the consumable.

9. The aerosol-generating system of claim 8, wherein the aerosol-generating device further comprises a heating element, wherein the heating element passes through an opening in the base portion such that a first heating element portion is disposed in the first chamber portion to heat the consumable and a second heating element portion is disposed in the second chamber portion to preheat an airflow to the consumable.

10. An aerosol-generating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the base portion of the aerosol-generating device is a moveable base configured to move along the length of the chamber.