Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Field
The present disclosure relates to non-combustible aerosol provision systems
such as
nicotine delivery systems (e.g. electronic cigarettes and the like).
Background
Electronic aerosol delivery systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-
cigarettes) generally
contain an aerosol-generating material, such as a reservoir of a source liquid
containing a
formulation, typically including nicotine, or a solid material such as a
tobacco-based product,
from which an aerosol is generated for inhalation by a user, for example
through heat
vaporisation. Thus, an aerosol provision system will typically comprise an
aerosol generation
chamber containing an aerosol generator, e.g. a heating element, arranged to
vaporise a
portion of aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol in the aerosol
generation
chamber. As a user inhales on the device and electrical power is supplied to
the aerosol
generator, air is drawn into the device through inlet holes and into the
aerosol generation
chamber where the air mixes with the vaporised aerosol-generating material and
forms a
condensation aerosol. There is a flow path between the aerosol generation
chamber and an
opening in the mouthpiece so the incoming air drawn through the aerosol
generation
chamber continues along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying some
of the
vapour / condensation aerosol with it, and out through the mouthpiece opening
for inhalation
by the user.
Some existing approaches utilise resistive heating elements to generate an
aerosol, where
the resistive heating element generates heat in response to an electrical
current being
applied thereto. Such approaches often require an electrical connection to be
established
between the resistive heating element and a controller and/or power supply.
Various approaches are described which seek to help address some of these
issues.
Summary
According to a first aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an
aerosol provision
system for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the
system
comprising: an optical arrangement provided by the system and comprising at
least one
irradiative light source, the optical arrangement configured to generate a
plurality of light
beams from the at least one irradiative light source; an aerosol-generating
material
contained within the system; wherein the optical arrangement is configured to
direct the
plurality of light beams to intersect at a spatial point within the system,
the spatial point
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located at or adjacent to at least a part of the aerosol-generating material
and / or a target
material.
According to a second aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a
receptacle for an
aerosol provision systems configured to receive a plurality of light beams
from the aerosol
provision system comprising an optical arrangement configured to generate the
plurality of
light beams, the receptacle comprising: an aerosol-generating material
contained within the
receptacle; wherein the receptacle is configured to direct the plurality of
light beams to
intersect at a spatial point within the receptacle, the spatial point located
at or adjacent to at
least a part of the aerosol-generating material and / or a target material.
According to a third aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an
aerosol generator
apparatus for an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from an
aerosol-
generating material, the aerosol generator apparatus comprising: an optical
arrangement
comprising at least one irradiative light source, the optical arrangement
configured to
generate a plurality of light beams from the at least one irradiative light
source; wherein the
optical arrangement is configured to direct the plurality of light beams to
intersect at a spatial
point, the spatial point located at or adjacent to at least a part of an
aerosol-generating
material and / or a target material.
According to a fourth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided means
for generating
an aerosol, the means comprising: optical means configured to generate a
plurality of light
beams; and an aerosol-generating material; wherein the optical means are
configured to
direct the plurality of light beams to intersect at a spatial point within a
system, the spatial
point located at or adjacent to at least a part of the aerosol-generating
material and / or
target material.
According to a fifth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a method
of generating
an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material by an aerosol provision system,
the method
comprising: providing an optical arrangement in the system, the optical
arrangement
configured to generate a plurality of light beams; and providing an aerosol-
generating
material contained within the system, wherein the optical arrangement is
configured to direct
the plurality of light beams to intersect at a spatial point within the
system, the spatial point
located at or adjacent to at least a part of the aerosol precursor material
and / or a target
material, wherein the method further comprises generating the plurality of
light beams.
Further respective aspects and features are defined by the appended claims.
The foregoing paragraphs have been provided by way of general introduction,
and are not
intended to limit the scope of the following claims. The described
embodiments, together
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with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following
detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only,
with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 schematically represents in cross-section an aerosol provision system
in
accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure;
Figures 2A, 2B and 2C schematically represent in cross-section views through a
cartridge
part in accordance with the example aerosol provision system of Figure 1.
Figures 3A, and 3B schematically represent in cross-section views through a
cartridge part
in accordance with the example aerosol provision system of Figure 1.
Figure 4 schematically represents in cross-section an aerosol provision system
in
accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure;
Figure 5 schematically represents in cross-section an aerosol provision system
in
accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure;
Figure 6 schematically represents in cross-section an aerosol provision system
in
accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure; and
Figure 7 schematically represents a method of generating an aerosol by an
aerosol provision
system in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure.
Detailed Description
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
that release
compounds from an aerosol-generating material without combusting the aerosol-
generating
material. According to the present disclosure, a "non-combustible" aerosol
provision system
is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol
provision system (or
component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery
of at least one
substance to a user.
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In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol
provision system,
such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an
electronic
cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery
system (END),
although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating
material is not a
requirement.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an
aerosol-
generating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. An
example of
such a system is a tobacco heating system.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid
system to
generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a
plurality of
which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for
example, in the
form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some
embodiments, the
hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a
solid aerosol-
generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for
example,
tobacco or a non-tobacco product.
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
vapour provision system / device, electronic vapour provision system / device,
vapour
delivery system / device, electronic vapour delivery system / device, aerosol
provision
system / device, electronic aerosol provision system / device, aerosol
delivery system /
device, and electronic aerosol delivery system / device. Furthermore, and as
is common in
the technical field, the terms "vapour" and "aerosol", and related terms such
as "vaporise",
"volatilise" and "aerosolise", may generally be used interchangeably.
Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-
combustible
aerosol provision device (sometimes referred to as a control part) and a
consumable for use
with the non-combustible aerosol provision device.
In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosol-
generating
material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision
devices. These
consumables are sometimes referred to as articles.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a
non-
combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and
a
controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source.
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In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise
an area
for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation
area, a housing,
a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol
provision
device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating
material storage
area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator,
an aerosol
generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/or an
aerosol-modifying
agent.
Aerosol provision systems often, though not always, comprise a modular
assembly including
both a reusable part (also referred to as a control unit) and a replaceable /
disposable
cartridge part (also referred to as a consumable or consumable part). Often
the replaceable
cartridge part will comprise the aerosol-generating material and the reusable
part will
comprise the power supply (e.g. rechargeable battery), activation mechanism
(e.g. button or
puff sensor), and control circuitry. However, it will be appreciated these
different parts may
also comprise further elements depending on functionality. For example, for a
so-called
hybrid device the cartridge part may also comprise or be connectable to an
additional flavour
material or aerosol-modifying agent. For example the flavour material may be a
portion of
tobacco, provided as an insert ("pod") to add flavour to an aerosol generated
elsewhere in
the system. The flavour material or aerosol modifying agent may be a substance
that is able
to modify aerosol in use. The agent may modify aerosol in such a way as to
create a
physiological or sensory effect on the human body. Example aerosol modifying
agents are
actives, flavourants and sensates. A sensate creates an organoleptic sensation
that can be
perceived through the senses, such as a cool or sour sensation.
The flavour material may be removable so it can be replaced, for example to
change flavour
or because the usable lifetime of the flavour material is less than the usable
lifetime of the
aerosol generating components of the cartridge. The reusable device part will
often also
comprise additional components, such as a user interface for receiving user
input and
displaying operating status characteristics.
As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which,
where local
regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste or aroma in a
product for adult
consumers. In some examples, flavour materials may include tobacco materials
or materials
including tobacco extracts and / or nicotine, although it should be
appreciated that any
suitable material for providing a flavour may be used..
For modular devices a cartridge and control unit may be electrically and
mechanically
coupled together for use, for example using a screw thread, latching, bayonet
fixing, or an
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interference fit with appropriately engaging electrical contacts. When the
aerosol-generating
material in a cartridge is exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a
different cartridge
having a different aerosol-generating material, a cartridge may be removed
from the control
unit and a replacement cartridge attached in its place.
It is relatively common for aerosol provision systems, including multi-part
devices, to have a
generally elongate shape and, for the sake of providing a concrete example,
certain
embodiments of the disclosure described herein will be taken to comprise a
generally
elongate multi-part device employing disposable cartridges which include an
aerosol-
generating material.
It will be appreciated the underlying principles described herein may equally
be adopted for
different configurations of aerosol delivery systems, for example devices
conforming to other
overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance
devices that
typically have a more box-like shape or smaller form-factor devices such as so-
called pod-
mod devices. More generally, it will be appreciated embodiments of the
disclosure may be
based on aerosol provision systems configured to incorporate the principles
described
herein regardless of the specific format of other aspects of such aerosol
provision systems.
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through an aerosol provision system 1 (such
as an
electronic cigarette or e-cigarette) in accordance with certain embodiments of
the disclosure.
The aerosol provision system 1 comprises two main components, namely a
reusable part 2
and a replaceable / disposable cartridge part 4.
In normal use the reusable part 2 and the cartridge part 4 are releasably
coupled together at
an interface 6. When the cartridge part is exhausted (i.e. when aerosol-
generating material,
such as a liquid, in the cartridge part is depleted or substantially depleted)
or the user simply
wishes to switch to a different cartridge part, the cartridge part may be
detached from the
reusable part and a replacement cartridge part attached to the reusable part
in its place. The
interface 6 may provide structural and air path connection between the two
parts and may be
established in accordance with conventional techniques, for example based
around a screw
thread, latch mechanism, or bayonet fixing with appropriately arranged
mechanical contacts
and openings for establishing the physical connection and air path between the
two parts as
appropriate. The specific manner by which the cartridge part 4 mechanically
mounts to the
reusable part 2 is not significant to the principles described herein, but for
the sake of a
concrete example is assumed here to comprise a latching mechanism, for example
with a
portion of the cartridge being received in a corresponding receptacle in the
reusable part
with cooperating latch engaging elements (not represented in Figure 1). It
will also be
appreciated the interface 6 in some implementations additionally provide an
electrical
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connection between the respective parts. For example, in some implementations
there may
be electronic components provided within the cartridge part which require
power from the
reusable part. Alternatively, the transfer of electrical power from the
reusable part to the
cartridge part may be wireless (e.g. based on electromagnetic induction), so
that an
electrical connection between the reusable part and the cartridge part is not
needed.
In Figure 1, the cartridge part 4 comprises a cartridge housing 42 which may
be formed of a
plastics material. The cartridge housing 42 supports other components of the
cartridge part
and provides the mechanical interface 6 with the reusable part 2. The
cartridge housing may
be is generally circularly symmetric about a longitudinal axis along which the
cartridge part
couples to the reusable part 2. As an example the cartridge part may have a
length of
around 4 cm and a diameter of around 3 cm. However, it will be appreciated the
specific
geometry, and more generally the overall shapes and materials used, may be
different in
different implementations.
Within the cartridge housing 42 is a reservoir 44 that contains liquid aerosol-
generating
material. The liquid aerosol-generating material may be conventional, and may
be referred to
as e-liquid. The liquid reservoir 44 in this example has an annular shape with
an outer wall
defined by the cartridge housing 42 and an inner cartridge wall 58 that
defines an air path 52
through the cartridge part 4. The reservoir 44 is closed at each end with end
walls to contain
the e-liquid. The reservoir 44 may be formed in accordance with conventional
techniques, for
example it may comprise a plastics material and be integrally moulded with the
cartridge
housing 42.
The cartridge part comprises a wick 46 which extends transversely across the
cartridge air
path 52 with at least one end extending into the reservoir 44 of e-liquid
through openings in
the inner cartridge wall 58. The wick 46 is an example of an aerosol-
generating material
transfer element, and different aerosol-generating material transfer elements
may be used in
implementations using different aerosol-generating materials or in some other
implementations may be omitted completely.
In Figure 1, the wick 46 is shown oriented with its longitudinal axis
perpendicular to the plane
of Figure 1 (i.e., the wick 46 extends into and out of the page). The
aforementioned openings
in the inner cartridge wall 58 are therefore not shown in Figure 1. The
openings in the inner
cartridge wall 58 are sized to broadly match the dimensions of the wick 46 to
provide a
reasonable seal against leakage from the liquid reservoir into the cartridge
air path without
unduly compressing the wick, which may be detrimental to its fluid transfer
performance. The
e-liquid in the reservoir 44 infiltrates the wick 46 through the at least one
end of the wick
extending into the reservoir 44 and is drawn along the wick by surface tension
/ capillary
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action (i.e. wicking). In some examples, the wick 46 may be made of any
conventional
material such as woven or unwoven cotton or glass filaments. In other
examples, the wick 46
may be provided by a porous material such as a ceramic material or woven metal
fibres.
Additionally, while Figure 1 depicts an elongated wick which extends
transversely across the
cartridge air path 52, in other examples, the wick 46 may be a flattened
structure which may
be provided adjacent to a surface of the inner cartridge wall 58.
The reusable part 2 comprises an outer housing 12 that supports other
components of the
reusable part 2 and provides the mechanical interface 6 with the cartridge
part 4. The
reusable part further comprises a battery 26 for providing operating power for
the aerosol
provision system, control circuitry 20 for controlling and monitoring the
operation of the
aerosol provision system, a user input button 14, an inhalation sensor (puff
detector) 16,
which in this example comprises a pressure sensor located in a pressure sensor
chamber
18, and a visual display 24. The outer housing 12 may further define an air
inlet 28 for the
aerosol provision system which is fluidly connected to the pressure sensor
chamber 18 and,
also, which is fluidly connected with an air inlet of the cartridge part 4
when the cartridge part
4 and reusable part 2 have been attached.
The outer housing 12 of the reusable part 2 may be formed, for example, from a
plastics or
metallic material and in this example has a circular cross-sectional area
generally
conforming to the shape and size of the cartridge part 4, so as to provide a
smooth transition
between the two parts at the interface 6. In this example, the reusable part
has a length of
around 6 cm so the overall length of the aerosol provision system when the
cartridge part
and reusable part are coupled together is around 10 cm. However (and as
already noted) it
will be appreciated that the overall shape and scale of an aerosol provision
system
implementing an embodiment of the disclosure is not significant to the
principles described
herein.
The air inlet 28 connects to an air path 30 through the reusable part 2. The
reusable part air
path 30 in turn connects to the cartridge air path 52 across the interface 6
when the reusable
part 2 and cartridge part 4 are connected together. The pressure sensor
chamber 18
containing the pressure sensor 16 is in fluid communication with the air path
30 in the
reusable part 2 (i.e. the pressure sensor chamber 18 branches off from the air
path 30 in the
reusable part 2). Thus, when a user inhales on the mouthpiece opening 50,
there is a drop in
pressure in the pressure sensor chamber 18 that may be detected by the
pressure sensor
16, and also air is drawn in through the air inlet 28, along the reusable part
air path 30,
across the interface 6, through the vapour generation region where aerosol-
generating
material such as e-liquid is vaporised and becomes entrained in the air flow,
along the
cartridge air path 52, and out through the mouthpiece opening 50 for user
inhalation.
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The battery 26 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 26 may be
recharged through a charging connector in the reusable part housing 12, for
example a USB
connector.
The user input button 14 in this example is a conventional mechanical button,
for example
comprising a spring mounted component which may be pressed by a user to
establish an
electrical contact. In this regard, the input button may be considered to
provide a manual
input mechanism for the aerosol provision device, but the specific manner in
which the
1.0 button is implemented is not significant. For example, different forms
of mechanical button or
touch-sensitive button (e.g. based on capacitive or optical sensing
techniques) may be used
in other implementations. The specific manner in which the button is
implemented may, for
example, be selected having regard to a desired aesthetic appearance.
The display 24 is provided to give a user a visual indication of various
characteristics
associated with the electronic cigarette, for example current power setting
information,
remaining battery power, and so forth. The display may be implemented in
various ways. In
this example the display 24 comprises a conventional pixelated LCD screen that
may be
driven to display the desired information in accordance with conventional
techniques. In
other implementations the display may comprise one or more discrete
indicators, for
example LEDs, that are arranged to display the desired information, for
example through
particular colours and / or flash sequences. More generally, the manner in
which the display
is provided and information is displayed to a user using the display is not
significant to the
principles described herein. Some embodiments may not include a visual display
and may
include other means for providing a user with information relating to
operating characteristics
of the aerosol provision system, for example using audio signalling or haptic
feedback, or
may not include any means for providing a user with information relating to
operating
characteristics of the aerosol provision system.
The control circuitry 20 is suitably configured / programmed to control the
operation of the
aerosol provision system to provide functionality in accordance with
embodiments of the
disclosure as described further herein, as well as for providing conventional
operating
functions of the aerosol provision system in line with the established
techniques for
controlling such devices. The control circuitry (processor circuitry) 20 may
be considered to
logically comprise various sub-units / circuitry elements associated with
different aspects of
the aerosol provision system's operation in accordance with the principles
described herein
and other conventional operating aspects of aerosol provision system, such as
display
driving circuitry and user input detection. It will be appreciated the
functionality of the control
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circuitry 20 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.
In this example the aerosol provision system 1 comprises a user input button
14 and an
inhalation sensor 16. The control circuitry 20 may be configured to receive
signalling from
the inhalation sensor 16 and to use this signalling to determine if a user is
inhaling in the
aerosol provision system and also to receive signalling from the input button
14 and to use
this signalling to determine if a user is pressing (i.e. activating) the input
button. The control
circuitry 20 may only cause aerosol to be generated when signalling from both
the user input
button 14 and inhalation sensor 16 are present. These aspects of the operation
of the
aerosol provision system (i.e. puff detection and button press detection) may
in themselves
be performed in accordance with established techniques (for example using
conventional
inhalation sensor and inhalation sensor signal processing techniques and using
conventional
input button and input button signal processing techniques). Other example
aerosol
provision systems may have only one of a user input button 14 and an
inhalation sensor 16.
In further examples, an aerosol provision system may have neither a user input
button or an
inhalation sensor depending on the configuration and operation of the system.
In accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, the aerosol
provision system 1
comprises an optical arrangement 70 comprising one or more components
configured to
generate and direct generated light towards a spatial point 76 located at or
adjacent to a
portion of an aerosol-generating material (such as the e-liquid described
above) to be
vaporised and / or at a target material which may be in contact with a aerosol-
generating
material. The optical arrangement 70 is an example of an aerosol generator and
is
configured to cause generation of an aerosol from the aerosol-generating
material.
As described above, the control circuitry 20 is configured to cause the
generation of aerosol
in response to receiving the appropriate signalling. The optical arrangement
70 generates
light from one or more irradiative light sources 71 in response to a signal
from the control
circuitry 20 upon determination by the control circuitry that a user is
inhaling or intends to
inhale (e.g. based on a signal from the inhalation sensor 16 and / or
actuation of the input
button 14).
The optical arrangement 70 comprises one or more irradiative light sources 71
such as one
or more LEDs and / or one or more lasers, although the skilled person will
appreciated that
other light sources may be suitable for use in accordance with the present
invention.
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In accordance with the present disclosure, the optical arrangement 70 is
configured to direct
different light beams generated by the one or more light sources 71 to the
spatial point 76. In
this regard, by light beam it is meant light that propagates in a
substantially similar direction,
albeit with some slight divergence or convergence which may be a dependent on
the specific
light source 71 used (for example, light generated by a laser typically has a
low
divergence/convergence). As such a light beam can be described as a
directional projection
of light energy radiating through a medium (for example glass, plastic,
acrylic, air or
vacuum). The plurality of light beams intersect at the spatial point 76.
In this regard, the light intensity at the spatial point 76 where the light
beams intersect is a
combination of the light intensity of each individual light beam intersecting
at the spatial point
76. Accordingly, at the spatial point 76, the power per unit area (intensity)
is much greater
which, when presented with a substance that absorbs the irradiated light,
results in a greater
transfer of energy to that substance. In other words, if one were to position
a substance to
be heated at the spatial point 76, then said substance would receive more
energy per
second (and thus potentially heat quicker and to a higher temperature) than if
the substance
were positioned at a location along any one of the light beams that did not
intersect with
another light beam.
In this way, each of the individual light beams of the plurality of light
beams generated by the
optical arrangement 70 of the aerosol provision system 1 can be provided with
a power that
is insufficient to cause generation of aerosol from an aerosol-generating
material (i.e., a
relatively low power or low intensity), while the combined power (intensity)
at the spatial
intersection 76 can be set to be sufficient to generate aerosol from an
aerosol generating-
material.
Such a configuration can help improve user safety when using a light source as
a
mechanism for generating aerosol, as such an arrangement provides reduced
intensity light
beams at locations other than the spatial point 76, meaning any inadvertent
exposure to one
of the light beams reduces or eliminates damage / harm to the user when
exposed to said
beams. Indeed, the intensity of each of the individual light beams can be set
to a value which
may be deemed relatively safe to humans based on local regulations / industry
standards for
light sources.
Hence, at the spatial point 76 is provided the aerosol-generating material
(e.g., the e-liquid)
or a target material which may be in contact with the aerosol-generating
material. In some
examples, a target material may be comprised of a material susceptible to
heating by
absorption of light directed from the optical arrangement and to
correspondingly heat
aerosol-generating material in contact with the optical arrangement by, at
least, conduction.
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For instance, the target material may be a metallic plate / disk, etc., which
is arranged
adjacent to the aerosol-generating material (or the wick 46 holding the
aerosol-generating
material). In some examples, the target material may be configured to retain
and / or to
supply an aerosol-generating material ready for vaporisation by light directed
from the optical
arrangement 70. For example, as shown in Figure 1, a target material may be
the wick 46
which acts to transport and hold an aerosol-generating material by capillary
action. In
alternative implementations, a transparent region (e.g., a glass well) may be
provided in
which liquid aerosol-generating material is provided, wherein the spatial
point 76 is provided
inside the transparent region (e.g., inside the glass well). A range of
different options exist
for providing the spatial point 76 relative to the aerosol-generating material
will be
appreciated by the skilled person, but it should be understood broadly that
either the
aerosol-generating material or a target material designed to transfer energy /
heat to the
aerosol-generating material is provided at the spatial point 76. In respect of
the light
source(s) 71 suitable light source(s) 71 may be employed within the principles
of the present
disclosure. For a given substance (which may be the aerosol-generating
material or a target
material in contact with the aerosol-generating material), the light source(s)
are selected
such that, firstly, the aerosol-generating material or target material can
sufficiently absorb the
light, and secondly, such that the combination of light beams at the spatial
point 76 provides
sufficient energy to cause the aerosol-generating material or target material
to heat to a
temperature sufficient to cause aerosol to be generated by the aerosol-
generating material.
The exact type and/or number and/or operational characteristics of the light
source(s) 71 will
depend on the energy (or more particularly the power) required to aerosolise
the aerosol
generating material in the particular arrangement. For instance, this may
depend on the type
of aerosol generating material, the mass of aerosol generating material to be
heated, the
energy transfer efficiency of the system, the distance the light beams have to
travel in the
specific system (i.e., the energy loss per unit distance), etc. The skilled
person would be able
to identify suitable light source(s) 71 based on empirical testing or
mathematical modelling of
the various aerosol provision systems. One might expect a power in the range
of
approximately 2 to 8 W, e.g., 5 W, to be sufficient to vaporise a small
quantity of liquid (e.g.,
a few ml of liquid). The light source(s) 71 may be configured to output light
beams having a
combined power at the spatial point 76 totalling around 2 to 8 W in these
implementations.
The plurality of light beams may be provided in different ways. In some
examples, any one
or each of the light sources 71 may be configured to each generate a plurality
of light beams,
for example with the light emitted from a light source 71 by being passed
through one or
more beam splitters to split the emitted light into a plurality of lower
intensity light beams. In
these examples, a relatively higher powered / intensity light source is used
to generate a
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plurality of lower power / intensity light beams. In other examples, a beam
from one light
source 71 is not split but is instead already provided at a relatively low
power / intensity. In
these examples, a plurality of light sources 71 are required to achieve the
desired power /
intensity at the spatial point 76.
The optical arrangement 70 is configured to direct the light beams to the
spatial point 76
within the system. The optical arrangement 70 may include a plurality of
optical components
configured to direct each of the light beams. For example, the components may
include light
propagating channels 72 which may comprise a light guide such as a fibre optic
cable, or a
plastic or acrylic material having a suitable refractive index, or may be a
cavity or void
through which the light propagates. The channel 72 may also act as a
collimator in some
examples. In the example of Figure 1, each light beam of the plurality of
light sources 71 is
directed by a different light propagating channel 72 towards the spatial point
76. The optical
arrangement 70 may comprise further optical components (not shown) such as
lenses,
mirrors, gratings or any other suitable optical elements for directing or
otherwise controlling
the light beam.
In examples where the channel 72 includes a light guide, light beams directed
into the light
guide in accordance with the examples are effectively channelled from a first
end 73 of the
light guide, which may be adjacent a light source 71, to a second end 74 of
the light guide.
Light may be reflected within the light guide by total internal reflection and
/ or by a coating
(i.e. a reflective or mirror coating) provided on a surface of the light
guide, such that the light
is able to travel between the first and second ends 73,74 with substantially
no loss.
In examples where the optical arrangement 70 includes a cavity or void forming
a channel
72, certain surfaces of the void may be coated with a reflective coating such
that the optical
arrangement 70 is configured to channel light from a first end 73 of the void,
which may be
adjacent a light source 71, to a second end 74 of the void. In these examples
the first and /
or the second ends 73, 74 may be provided with a window through which the
light may be
input or output, respectively. Windows of these examples may prevent dust and
other
contaminants from entering the void and potentially settling on the inner
surfaces of the void.
The channel 72 is configured such that light emitted from the second end 74 of
the channel
is directed through a spatial point 76 which may be located at or adjacent to
at least a part of
the aerosol-generating material. In some examples, the second end 74 can be
considered to
have a surface having a normal which is aligned with the spatial point 76 such
that a light
beam from emitted channel 72 having a propagation direction which is
substantially parallel
to the normal is directed towards the spatial point 76. By spatial point 76 it
is meant that light
is directed towards an abstract point, region or area relative to the aerosol
provision system
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that can be defined using for example coordinates. It will be appreciated that
a light beam in
accordance with examples of the present invention may have a spread
perpendicular to the
propagation direction of the respective light beam. As such, only a portion of
a respective
light beam may pass through the spatial point (if unimpeded), whilst a
different portion may
pass substantially adjacent to the spatial point (if unimpeded).
The propagation direction of a light beam entering a channel 72 may be
different to the
propagation direction of a light beam exiting the channel 72. For example, as
shown in
Figure 1, a light beam is emitted into a first end 73 of the channel 72 by a
light source 71 in a
direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the aerosol provision device 1.
The light beam is
then emitted from a second end 74 of the channel 72 in a direction
perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the aerosol provision device 1. The channel 72 may be
curved or angled
to change the propagation direction of the light beam within the channel 72.
The light beam
may be reflected or scattered off the curved or angled face of the channel 72
towards the
second end 74. As previously stated faces of the channel such as the curved or
angled face
may have a mirror or reflective finish to enhance the reflection of light
within the channel 72
and thus effect a change in the direction of the light beam. In some examples,
the curvature
of the channel may be selected to maximise total internal reflection. Fibre
optic cables, or a
suitable material, may be placed in the channel, where the fibre optic cables
may be curved
accordingly.
By curving or bending the channel 72, the optical arrangement 70 may be
configured so that
light beams may be provided to the channel 72 having a first propagation
direction and
emitted from the channel 72 having a second propagation direction. The second
propagation
direction may be selected so that the light beams emitted from the second end
74 of the
channel 72 are emitted at 90 , or approximately so, to a longitudinal axis of
the device 1 and
in particular a longitudinal axis of the airflow channel formed by inner
cartridge wall 58.
Advantageously, by emitting light beams at 90 , or approximately so, to a
longitudinal axis of
the (substantially cylindrical) airflow channel, the light beams will not be
transmitted out of
the device 1 directly as the propagation direction of each light beam will
coincide with a
component of the device, for example an opposing side of inner cartridge wall
58. Any light
of the light beams which is emitted from the device 1 (for example, through
the mouthpiece
outlet 50) will have had to have scattered or reflected off one or more
surfaces and therefore
is likely to be of a significantly reduced intensity (e.g. due to dispersion
or absorption).
As shown in Figure 1, the optical arrangement 70 may comprise components in
both the
reusable part 2 and the cartridge part 4. For example, the channel 72 may have
a first
portion in the reusable part 2 and a second portion in the cartridge part 4,
which in Figure 1
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can broadly be defined by the line indicating the interface 6. The optical
arrangement 70 is
configured to generate light beams from the light sources 71 and direct them
into the first
portion of the channel provided in the reusable part 2 (to the left of the
interface 6 in Figure
1). The first portion of the channel 72 provided by the reusable part 2 and
the second portion
of the channel provided by the cartridge part 4 (to the right of the interface
6 in Figure 1) are
configured so that light may be emitted from the first portion into the second
portion, when
the reusable part 2 and the cartridge part 4 are connected together. Light
beams are
transmitted along the second portion of the channel 72 and exit the second end
74 directed
towards the spatial point 76. While Figure 1 shows a channel 72 having a curve
in the
second portion of the channel 72, in other example devices a curve may be
provided in the
first portion of the channel (in the reusable part 2) either instead of or in
addition to the curve
in the second portion of the channel 72.
It will be appreciated that the interface 6 will be configured to provide the
connection
between different portions of channels 72. In some examples, ends of one or
both of the
portions of a channel 72 may be provided with a window at the interface 6.
Where the
channel 72 is provided by a void or cavity, a window prevents dust or other
contaminants
from entering the respective portion. In some examples, only one of the
portions of the
channel may be provided with a window at the interface. For example, a window
may be
provided in the first portion as the reusable part 2 has a relatively longer
usage lifetime than
the cartridge 4 and therefore may be susceptible to contaminant build up over
time. In
contrast, if the cartridge part 4 is disposable then significant amounts of
contaminant may
not build up during the usage lifetime of the cartridge part 4. In some
examples, one of the
two portions of a channel 72 may comprise a light guide while the other of the
two portions
may comprise a void or cavity defining the channel 72. For example, if the
cartridge part 4 is
disposable, providing a channel 72 in the form of a void or cavity (i.e.
absent of material)
reduces material usage. Furthermore, not providing the second portion of the
channel 72
with a window at the interface 6 may further reduce material usage. In
contrast, the first
portion of the channel 72 in the reusable part 2 may be unchanged over the
lifetime of the
aerosol-generating device.
As shown in Figure 1, each light beam of the plurality of light beams is
directed by a different
light propagating channel 72 towards the spatial point 76 such that each light
beam will, at
least partially, intersect the spatial point 76 unless impeded. For example
light beams may
be impeded by the aerosol-generating material and / or the target material
(e.g. a wick 46)
dependent on the position of the spatial point 76 with respect to the aerosol-
generating
material and / or the target material. Each of the plurality of light beams
has a different
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propagation direction. As such, in the absence of any further reflections or
scattering, the
plurality of light beams intersect with each other only at the spatial point
76.
As detailed above, the wick 46 may be arranged or configured to provide liquid
such that in
use liquid vaporised by light beams from the optical arrangement 70 may be
replenished.
Electrical power may be supplied to the light sources 71 (for example, by the
control circuitry
20 or in response to a signal from the control circuitry 20) to generate light
beams which are
directed towards the spatial point 76 to vaporise an amount of e-liquid
(aerosol-generating
material) which has been drawn to the vicinity of the spatial point 76 by the
wick 46.
Vaporised e-liquid may then become entrained in air drawn along the cartridge
air path 52
from the vaporisation region and out of a mouthpiece outlet 50 for user
inhalation, broadly in
the manner described above.
Each light source 71 may deliver a light beam having a particular power (e.g.
energy per unit
of time) to the spatial point 76 (unless impeded by for example the vaporising
material)).
Each light beam may be considered to have a respective intensity which is
dependent upon
the particular light source 71 and its efficiency (subject to energy losses in
the optical
arrangement 70). The intensity at the spatial point 76 may be considered to be
the combined
sum of the intensity of each respective light beam. Hence, a target power or
amount of
energy to be delivered can be supplied to the spatial point 76 by a
combination of lower
power light sources. For example, in Figure 1 each light source 71 may be
configured to
generate light beams 71 supplying half of the target power to the spatial
point 76. For
example, in the case of two light sources 71, each light source may generate a
beam having
a power of 2.5 W at the spatial point 76 to provide a total combined power
delivery of around
5 W at the spatial point. Advantageously, this may firstly allow optical
components to be
used that are not compatible with higher power light beams (e.g. which may be
cheaper
materials or materials manufactured to a lower tolerance) and secondly reduces
the risk of
damage or harm to a user of the aerosol provision device 1 from a light beam.
In other
words, unless the user places a body part (for example an eye) at the spatial
point 76, the
light will be at a significantly reduced intensity.
Figures 2A, 2B and 20 are cross-sectional views through a cartridge part 4
which may be
used with the example aerosol provision system 1 of Figure 1. In contrast to
the cross-
sectional view shown in Figure 1, Figures 2A, 2B and 2C show a cross-sectional
view in a
plane perpendicular to the cross-sectional view of Figure 1 and to a
longitudinal axis of the
device 1 shown in figure 1. Certain features of Figures 2A, 2B and 2C are
substantially
similar to those of Figure 1 and will not be described in detail.
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The examples of Figures 2A, 2B and 20 depict different examples of cartridge
parts 4 having
light-propagating channels 72 (or a portion thereof), where each channel 72 is
part of an
optical arrangement 70 and is configured to receive a light beam and to emit
said light beam
from a second end 74 such that they are directed at a spatial point 76. The
spatial points 76
may coincide with a wick 46 and/or aerosol-generating material which may be
supplied by
the wick 46 from a liquid reservoir 44 formed between an outer cartridge wall
42 and an
inner cartridge wall 58. As such the spatial points 76 in each of Figures 2A,
2B and 2C are
located at or adjacent to a portion of a aerosol-generating material (such as
an e-liquid) to be
vaporised and/ or at a target material (e.g. the wick) which may be in contact
with an
aerosol-generating material.
For each example, the inner cartridge wall 58 additionally defines the air
passage or channel
52 through the cartridge part 4. When, in normal use, a user inhales on the
device 1, air from
an air inlet 28 (not shown) of the device 1 travels through the air channel
52, past the wick
46 and aerosol-generating material towards a mouthpiece outlet 50 (not shown).
As
previously described the optical arrangement 70 may generate light in response
to a signal
from the control circuitry 20 upon determination by the control circuitry 20
that a user is
inhaling or intends to inhale (e.g. based on a signal from the inhalation
sensor 16 and / or
actuation of the input button 14). Light beams generated in response to such a
signal are
directed by the light-propagating channels 72 towards the spatial point to
vaporise the
aerosol-generating material, such as an e-liquid, which is at or adjacent to
the spatial point
76. The aerosol-generating material is vaporised and becomes entrained in the
air flow and
travels along the cartridge air path 52, and out through the mouthpiece
opening 50 for user
inhalation.
The channels 72 may be provided substantially in the liquid reservoir 44 such
that an outer
surface of the materials forming the outer walls of channels 72 partially
defines the extent
(e.g. a boundary) of the liquid reservoir 44. The materials forming the outer
walls of channels
72 may be selected from materials known to be compatible (e.g. inert) with
aerosol-
generating material and/or the outer surface of the channels 72 adjacent to
the reservoir 44
may be coated with a material known to be compatible with the aerosol-
generating material.
It will be appreciated that the particular material or coating used may differ
depending on the
nature of the aerosol-generating material.
In alternative examples, the channels 72 may be provided in the inner
cartridge walls 58; for
example they may be formed as an internal void or cavity within the inner
cartridge wall 58
which may be configured to provide the channels 72; for example said voids or
cavities may
be filled or coated with a material or a fibre optic cable or mirror component
may be inserted
into the cavity.
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The example cartridge part 4 of Figure 2A has two light-propagating channels
72 which are
provided on opposing sides of the inner cartridge wall 58 and spatial point 76
such that the
light beams directed from each have anti-parallel propagation directions.
In contrast the example cartridge part 4 of Figure 2B has three light-
propagating channels 72
which are provided at various positions around the inner cartridge wall 58 and
spatial point
76 such that the light beams directed from each have a different non-parallel
propagation
direction.
It will be appreciated that while the cartridge parts of Figures 2A and 2B
have two and three
light-propagating channels 72, in other examples there may be more light-
propagating
channels 72. For example, in some examples there may be four or more light
propagating
channels 72. Furthermore, arrangements of light-propagating channels
(irrespective of the
number of light-propagating channels) may have different levels of symmetry.
In some
examples, light channels may be arranged so that the propagation direction of
light beams
emitted from the light channels have rotational symmetry around the spatial
point 76 (for
example, if there are three light channels, the light beams may propagate in a
plane but with
vectors differing by 1200). In some examples, the light channels may be
arranged to have
mirror symmetry with respect to a mirror plane passing through the spatial
point 76.
In some other examples there may be no symmetry with regard to the propagation
direction
of the light beams emitted from the light channels 72. The example cartridge
part 4 of Figure
2C has two light-propagating channels 72 which are provided on a single side
(e.g. half) of
the inner cartridge wall 58 (with respect to the wick 46 and / or aerosol-
generating material.
Advantageously, the light beams emitted from different light channels 72 are
directed on to
substantially the same surface of the aerosol-generating material and / or
wick 46 which
increases the heating of the aerosol-generating material at that location. It
will be
appreciated that while the cartridge parts of Figure 2C has two light-
propagating channels
72, in other examples there may be more light-propagating channels 72. For
example, in
some examples there may be three or more light propagating channels 72.
Figures 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views through a cartridge part 4 in
accordance with
the example aerosol provision system 1 of Figure 1. The cross-sectional view
shown in
Figures 3A and 3B is in the same plane as the cross-sectional view of Figure
1. The features
of Figures 3A and 3B are substantially similar to those of Figure 1, and are
indicated by
similar reference signs accordingly. These features will not be described in
detail, and only
the differences will be described below.
In contrast to the example cartridge part 4 shown in Figure 1, in the example
cartridge parts
4 of Figures 3A and 3B, the optical arrangement 70 is configured so that light
beams are
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provided to the channels 72A and 72B having first propagation directions and
are emitted
from the channels 72A, 72B having second propagation directions which are not
at 900 to
the longitudinal axis of the device 1.
For both the examples of Figures 3A and 3B the optical arrangement 70 is
configured to
generate light beams in response to a signal from the control circuitry 20 and
to direct the
generated light beams via the light-propagating channels 72 towards the
spatial point 76 to
vaporise the aerosol-generating material, such as an e-liquid, which is at or
adjacent to the
spatial point 76. The aerosol-generating material is vaporised and becomes
entrained in the
air flow and travels along the cartridge air path 52, and out through the
mouthpiece opening
50 for user inhalation. As shown the spatial point 76 coincides with a wick 46
and a aerosol-
generating material supplied by the wick 46 from a liquid reservoir 44 which
is formed
between an outer cartridge wall 42 and an inner cartridge wall 58. It will be
appreciated that
in other examples, there may not be a wick 46 and / or a liquid reservoir 44
and that these
are provided merely as one example implementation.
In the example of Figure 3A, the optical arrangement 70 is configured so that
the second
propagation direction of the light beam has an angle with respect to a
longitudinal axis of the
device 1 and / or a longitudinal axis of the (substantially cylindrical)
airflow channel 52 which
prevents the propagation of light beams directly out of the device 1.
Advantageously any
light of the light beams which is emitted from the device 1 (for example,
through the
mouthpiece outlet 50) will have had to have scattered or reflected off of one
or more
surfaces and is likely to of significantly reduced intensity (e.g. due to
dispersion or
absorption). It will be appreciated that the minimum angle of the second
propagation
direction of the light beam, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the
which prevents light
beams from propagating directly out of the device 1 will be determined by the
width of the
channel 52 and the distance from the emission point of the second end 74 of
the channel 72
to the device outlet (e.g. mouthpiece outlet 50). For a cylindrical air
channel 52 the minimum
allowable angle that prevents a light beam from being emitted directly from
the device 1 can
be calculated using the equation Ornin = tan-1(channel width/distance from
emission point to
outlet). As such, if the emission point of the second end 74 is relatively
close to the
mouthpiece outlet then the minimum allowable angle will be larger. In contrast
if the
emission point of the second end is relatively far away from the mouthpiece
outlet 50 then
the minimum allowable angle is smaller. Additionally, if the width increases
the minimum
allowable angle increases.
In the example of Figure 3B, the optical arrangement 70 is configured so that
the second
propagation direction of the light beam has an angle with respect to a
longitudinal axis of the
device 1 and / or a longitudinal axis of the (substantially cylindrical)
airflow channel 52 which
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allows the propagation of light beams directly out of the device 1. While the
second
propagation direction of the light beams is such that the light beams are not
scattered or
reflected by the channel walls 58 before they are emitted from the device 1,
the device 1 still
advantageously provides safety benefits given that second propagation
directions of the light
beams are not parallel with each other. That is, in this example, the
propagation direction of
the light beam emitted from each light source is substantially unchanged as it
propagates
along the channel towards to the spatial point 76. As such, even if the light
beams are
emitted directly from the airflow channel 52, they will diverge. As a result,
a user looking
down the mouthpiece outlet 50 will receive the combined power of the light
beams only if
they place there eyeball within the immediate vicinity of the outlet (and if
the light beams do
not scatter or reflect off other objects such as a wick 46 or the
aerosolisable material). The
equation emiõ = tan-1(half eye width /distance from emission point to user
eye) can be used to
calculate a minimum allowable angle which prevents a light beam from directly
intercepting a
portion of the eye when the eye is positioned at a reasonable distance
directly opposite an
outlet of the device. For example, assuming that an eye has a width of at most
6 cm, and
that the user may hold the mouthpiece outlet 50 within 5 cm of the eye to
allow them to look
down the mouthpiece outlet then a minimum allowable angle may be at least
approximately
30 with respect to a longitudinal axis of the airflow channel
(notwithstanding the distance
travelled by the light beam within the device 1). This would ensure that light
beams emitted
from the outlet 50 would be incident with portions of the user surrounding the
eye (when the
eye is directly opposite the aperture) rather than the eye itself. If a user
is expected to hold
the device within 1 cm of their eye (and the light beams travel at least 1 cm
within the device
before emission) then the minimum allowable angle may be approximately 56'
with respect
to a longitudinal axis of the airflow channel. Furthermore, even if the light
beams have a
second propagation direction having an angle with respect to a longitudinal
axis of the
airflow channel of less than the minimum allowable angle, then the light beams
will still
diverge (as they are configured to not be parallel) and as such the light
beams will not be
incident on the same portion of the eye. As a result, the energy deposited on
a particular
portion of the eye is less that the total energy deposited and as such
potential damage to the
eye may be substantially reduced as the energy is deposited over a greater
area.
It will be appreciated that the light beams may in practice scatter or reflect
from the aerosol-
generating material and /or a target material, such as the wick 46, that are
located either
proximately to the spatial point or otherwise in the beam path of one or more
of the light
beams. As such the risk to a user may be lessened by the interaction of the
light beam with
the aerosol-generating material and /or a target material. However, it may be
that a portion
of the light beam does not interact with the aerosol-generating material, a
target material or
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any other component, or it may be that the cartridge part 4 has been damaged
such that the
aerosol-generating material and /or a target material have been displaced from
their normal
locations. As such configurations of the optical arrangements 70 in accordance
with Figures
3A and 3B can lead to significant safety improvements.
Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view through an example aerosol provision
system 1.
Certain features of Figure 4 are substantially similar to those of Figure 1
and will not be
described in detail. In contrast to the example aerosol provision system 1 of
Figure 1 which
has two light sources 71, the example aerosol provision system 1 of Figure 4
has a single
light source 71.
The optical arrangement 70 of the example system 1 of Figure 4 comprises a
beam splitter
80 configured to generate two distinct light beams from the single light beam
generated by
the light source 71. Any conventional beam splitter may be used; for example a
beam splitter
may comprise a cube formed from two prisms, or a half silvered mirror or a
sheet of glass or
plastic having a thin metal coating. In principle the beam splitter is
configured to allow 50%
of incident light (e.g. from the light source 71) to be transmitted and 50% of
the incident light
to be reflected at a boundary provided by the beam splitter which is arranged
at 450 to the
propagation direction of the incident light. The transmitted light propagates
in the direction of
the incident light while the reflected light propagates perpendicular to the
incident light. It will
be appreciated that the properties of the beam splitter can be adjusted to
adjust the
proportion of light in the reflected and transmitted component.
As shown the optical arrangement 70 comprises channels 72 (which may contain
light guide
materials) for the initial light beam and each of the split light beams. In
other examples, the
beam splitter 80 may be provided as part of or adjacent to the light source 71
such that there
is no need for an initial channel 72. Furthermore, while Figure 4 shows two
channels 72 for
directing two distinct light beams; in other examples, the optical arrangement
70 may be
configured to direct further light beams through the spatial point 76. The
further light beams
may be provided by one or more further light sources 71 (not shown) and /or by
the use of
further beam splitters 80 (not shown) which are configured (e.g. positioned)
to either split
light beams which have already been split once, or which a split light beam of
a further light
source 71. It will be appreciated that the optical arrangements 70 in
accordance with the
example of Figure 4 may also be combined with other example optical
arrangements 70
such as those shown in Figure 2A, 2B and 2C.
In the example of Figure 4, the light propagating channels 72 of the optical
arrangement 70
are configured so that light beams have a first propagation direction in the
channel 72 after
the beam splitter 80 and a second propagation direction after they are emitted
from the
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channel 72. As shown, the channels may include mirrors 82 (or mirrored
surfaces) which are
configured to reflect the light beams around a corner of the channel. For
example, the
corners of the channels are depicted as approximately 900. Mirrors 82 may be
provided at
450 to the incident light beam (before the corner) so that the reflected light
(after the corner)
is at 900 to the incident light. It will be appreciated that corners of 90'
are just an example
and that one or more mirrors 82 can be arranged as necessary to redirect light
through the
channel 72. It will be appreciated that the planar mirrors 82 of Figure 4 are
interchangeable
and / or combinable with the curved channel faces described in relation to
Figure 1.
In the example of Figure 4 the light beams are emitted into a receiving cavity
or receptacle
60 of the reusable part 2 which is a cavity for receiving the cartridge part 4
containing the
aerosol-generating material. The interface 6 facilitates the connection of the
cartridge part 4
within the receiving cavity 60 of the reusable part 2. An advantage of the
example optical
arrangement 70 depicted in Figure 4 is that even when the cartridge part 4 is
not present,
the spatial point 76 through which the plurality of light beams pass (in the
absence of any
intermediate material) is within the device 1 (i.e. within the reusable part
2). In some other
examples, not shown rather than inserting a cartridge part 4, a aerosol-
generating material
may be provided without a housing into the receiving cavity 60. The aerosol-
generating
material may be directly illuminated by the light beams generated and emitted
by the optical
arrangement 70.
Furthermore the optical arrangement 70 is configured so that the light beams
are emitted
from the second end 74 of the channel 72 at 900, or approximately so, to a
longitudinal axis
of the device 1 and in particular to the direction in which the cartridge part
4 is received into
the receiving cavity. Advantageously, by emitting light beams at 90 , or
approximately so, to
receiving direction of the cavity (e.g. the light beams are in the plane of an
aperture into
which the cartridge part 4 is received), the light beams will not be
transmitted out of the
device 1 directly as the propagation direction of each light beam will
coincide with a
component of the device, for example a wall of the receiving cavity 60.
In some other examples, the channels 72 may be configured to emit light beams
having
second propagation directions which are not at 90' to the direction in which
the cartridge
part 4 is received into the receiving cavity. In these other examples, the
channels 72 may be
configured in accordance with the channels 72 of Figures 3A and 3B.
As shown, the spatial point 76 is a location within the receiving cavity 60
through which the
plurality of light beams pass. When a cartridge part 4 is inserted, at least
partially, into the
receiving cavity 60, the spatial point 76 will be located at or adjacent to a
portion of a
aerosol-generating material (such as an e-liquid) to be vaporised and/ or at a
target material
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which may be in contact with a aerosol-generating material. As such, when the
optical
arrangement 70 generates light in response to a signal from the control
circuitry 20 (upon
determination by the control circuitry that a user is inhaling or intends to
inhale), light beams
are directed towards the spatial point 76 and are incident with a portion of a
aerosol-
generating material (such as an e-liquid) to be vaporised and/ or at a target
material.
As shown in Figure 4 a target material may be a wick 46 which acts to
transport liquid and to
retain a aerosol-generating material by capillary action. The wick 46 may be
in connection
with a liquid reservoir having a quantity of liquid aerosol-generating
material. The wick
material is configured to passively replenish liquid aerosol-generating
material vaporised at
the target location from liquid aerosol-generating material in the liquid
reservoir. The
cartridge part 4 may include one or more channels 72 configured to align with
channels 72 of
the control part 2 when the control part 2 and cartridge part 4 are attached.
The channels 72
of the cartridge part 4may facilitate the transmission of light beams towards
the spatial point.
In other examples, the cartridge part 4 may not include channels 72 and
instead the light
beams may for example be incident on an external surface of the cartridge part
4 or may be
emitted into an air path 52 of the cartridge part 4.
Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view through an example aerosol provision
system 1.
Certain features, indicated by like reference signs, of Figure 5 are
substantially similar to
those of Figures 1 and 4 and will not be described in detail. The example
aerosol provision
system 1 of Figure 5 has a target material 84 configured to absorb energy in
response to
illumination by one or more of a plurality of light beams.
The example aerosol provision system 1 of Figure 5 has an optical arrangement
70
comprising two distinct light sources 71 and respective light propagating
channels 72. It will
be appreciated that in alternative examples, a beam splitter 80 as described
in relation to
Figure 4 could be used to generate two light beams from a single light source
71 and / or
additional light beams from one or more of the light sources 71 shown in
Figure 5. The light
propagating channels 72 shown are linear channels. The channels 72 may be
hollow
cavities or may be filled with a medium in which light can propagate.
The walls of the channels 72 may be coated with a reflective material to
prevent or reduce
transmission out of the channel 72 except by the second end 74. A material may
be provided
in the channel having a refractive index (in contrast to the refractive index
of an adjacent
material) chosen to promote total internal reflections, for example by
ensuring a large critical
angle. In some examples, the light emitted by the light source 71 into the
first end 73 may
not substantially interact with the walls or outer surfaces of the channel 72.
For example,
light beams may be emitted from the light sources 71 such that the light is
converging
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towards a point outside of the channel (for example spatial point 76). Said
convergence may
be facilitated by one or more focussing elements (e.g. lenses) provided in or
at the first end
73 of the channel 72 or may be as a result of an inherent characteristic of
the light source
71.
As shown in Figure 5, the spatial point 76 is a location within the receiving
cavity 60 through
which the plurality of light beams pass. When a cartridge part 4 is inserted,
at least partially,
into the receiving cavity 60, the spatial point 76 will be located at or
adjacent to a portion of a
aerosol-generating material (such as an e-liquid) to be vaporised and/ or at a
target material
84 which may be in contact with a aerosol-generating material. As such, when
the optical
arrangement 70 generates light in response to a signal from the control
circuitry 20 (upon
determination by the control circuitry that a user is inhaling or intends to
inhale), light beams
are directed towards the spatial point 76 and are incident with a portion of a
aerosol-
generating material (such as an e-liquid) to be vaporised and/ or at a target
material 84.
The target material 84 may be comprised of a material susceptible to heating
by absorption
of light directed from the optical arrangement and to correspondingly heat a
aerosol-
generating material in contact with the optical arrangement by, at least,
conduction. In some
examples, a target material may be configured to retain and / or to supply an
aerosol-
generating material at a target location ready for vaporisation by light
directed from the
optical arrangement. As an example, the target material 84 may be provided by
a plate,
which may or may not be air permeable. Light beams incident with a first side
of the plate
are absorbed (at least in part) causing the plate to heat up. An aerosolisable
material may be
provided on a second side of the plate and may be heated by conduction when
the plate is
heated. The aerosolisable material will vaporise once it has been heated
sufficiently.
Dependent on the configuration of the cartridge part 4 and the aerosolisable
material, the
aerosolisable material at the second side of the plate may passively or
actively be
replenished from a reservoir 44 contained within the cartridge part 4, or the
aerosolisable
material adjacent to the second side may be depleted permanently when it is
aerosolised (in
these examples, a reservoir 44 is not provided in the cartridge part 4). An
air channel 52 may
be provided for aerosols to be drawn through towards the user after
vaporisation. The plate
may be provided by any suitable material, for example a ceramic or metallic
material.
In other examples, the target material 84 may be provided by a liquid
permeable structure
such as a mesh or a wick which may be formed of a woven or unwoven material.
The target
material 84 is saturated with aerosolisable material contained within the
cartridge part 4. As
the target material 84 is heated, the aerosolisable material is heated and may
aerosolise
once the aerosolisable material reaches a required temperature. The target
material 84 may
be configured to passively replenish the aerosolisable material from a
reservoir 44 contained
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within the cartridge part 4. An air channel 52 may be provided for aerosols to
be drawn
through towards the user after vaporisation. The liquid permeable structure
may be provided
by any suitable material, for example a ceramic or metallic material. For
example, the liquid
permeable structure may comprise woven or unwoven metal wires.
Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view through an example aerosol provision
system 1.
Certain features, indicated by like reference signs, of Figure 6 are
substantially similar to
those of Figures 1, 4 and 5 and will not be described in detail. In contrast
to the example
aerosol provision system 1 of Figures 1, 4 and 5 the example aerosol provision
system 1 of
Figure 6 has an optical arrangement 70 configured to direct a first plurality
of light beams
towards a first spatial point 76A and a second plurality of light beams
towards a second
spatial point 76B.
The example aerosol provision system 1 of Figure 6 has an optical arrangement
70
comprising two distinct light sources 71 and respective light propagating
channels 72. Part
way along each of the light propagating channels 72 (and within the cartridge
part 4) a beam
splitter 80 is provided which is configure to split a light beam emitted into
the channel 72 into
two light beams, a first of which is directed towards the first spatial point
76A and a second
of which is directed towards the second spatial point 76B. It will be
appreciated that while the
beam splitters 80 are shown as being within the cartridge part 4, in an
alternative
arrangement the beam splitters 80 could be provided in the control part 2
instead. The
channel 72 continues after the beam splitter 80 to direct the split light
beams as necessary
towards their respective target spatial points 76A, 76B.
The spatial points 76A, 76B will be located at or adjacent to a portion of
aerosol-generating
material (such as an e-liquid) to be vaporised and/ or at a target material
which may be in
contact with aerosol-generating material. As such, when the optical
arrangement 70
generates light in response to a signal from the control circuitry 20 (upon
determination by
the control circuitry that a user is inhaling or intends to inhale), light
beams are directed
towards the spatial points 76A, 76B (through second ends 74A and 74B of the
channel
72)and are incident with a portion of a aerosol-generating material (such as
an e-liquid) to be
vaporised and/ or at a target material. By having two different spatial points
76A, 76B vapour
can be produced in two different regions of the cartridge part.
It will be appreciated that in other examples, the cartridge part 4 may be in
accordance with
the examples of Figure 4 and 5 and as such the optical arrangement 70 may be
provided
substantially in the control part 2. Furthermore, Figure 6 depicts mirrors 80
for directing the
light beams towards the second ends 74B. In other examples, a curved channel
or a fibre
optic cable may be used instead.
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Figure 7 schematically represents a method of generating an aerosol (e.g. an
inhalable
medium) by a system for generating an aerosol in accordance with certain
embodiments of
the disclosure. The method comprises a first step Si of providing an optical
arrangement in
the system, the optical arrangement configured to generate a plurality of
light beams; a
second step S2 of providing an aerosol precursor material contained within the
system,
wherein the optical arrangement is configured to direct the plurality of light
beams to
intersect at a spatial point within the system, the spatial point located at
or adjacent to at
least a part of the aerosol precursor material; and a third step S3 of
generating the plurality
of light beams.
Although it has been described above that the aerosol provision system
comprises an optical
arrangement designed such that individual light beams generated by the optical
arrangement have a lower power in substantially locations except for at the
spatial point
where the light beams intersect with the purpose of reducing or preventing
harm / damage to
a user's appendage / eye or to other objects, it should be appreciated that
other safety
mechanisms may also be employed alongside the above. For example, the aerosol
provision
device may be provided with a mechanism for detecting whether a cartridge part
4 is
coupled to the aerosol provision device. For example, this may include a
sensor such as an
optical sensor for optically sensing the presence of the cartridge part or an
electronic
element such as a resistor or the like included on the cartridge part and
electrically couples
to the device when the cartridge part is coupled to the device. In the
presence of the
cartridge part, the control circuity is configured to allow the optical
arrangement to generate
one or more light beams for causing vaporisation of the aerosol-generating
material.
However, if the cartridge part is not detected, then the control circuitry may
be configured to
prevent the optical arrangement from generating the one or more light beams,
even in
response to a user instruction (e.g., a button push) signifying the user's
desire to generate
aerosol. This may further reduce the chances of the user inadvertently
interacting with a light
beam. Additionally, this may also help reduce electrical energy wastage by
avoiding
unnecessary activation of the optical arrangement.
Thus there has been described an aerosol provision system for generating an
aerosol from
an aerosol-generating material, the system comprising: an optical arrangement
provided by
the system and comprising at least one irradiative light source, the optical
arrangement
configured to generate a plurality of light beams from the at least one
irradiative light source;
an aerosol-generating material contained within the system; wherein the
optical arrangement
is configured to direct the plurality of light beams to intersect at a spatial
point within the
system, the spatial point located at or adjacent to at least a part of the
aerosol-generating
material and / or a target material. Also described are a receptacle for an
aerosol provision
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system, an aerosol generator apparatus for an aerosol provision system, means
for
generating an aerosol, and a method of generating an aerosol from an aerosol-
generating
material by an aerosol provision system.
Whereas the embodiments discussed above have to some extent focused on devices
having
a liquid aerosol-generating material to generate the inhalable medium, as
already noted the
same principles may be adopted for devices based on other aerosolisable
materials, for
example solid materials, such as plant derived materials, such as tobacco
derivative
materials, or other forms of aerosolisable material, such as gel, paste or
foam based
aerosolisable materials. Thus, the aerosol-generating material may, for
example, be in the
form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain nicotine and / or
flavourants. In
some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise an "amorphous
solid",
which may alternatively be referred to as a "monolithic solid" (i.e. non-
fibrous). In some
embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a
solid
material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some
embodiments, the
aerosol-generating material may for example comprise from about 50wt%, 60wt%
or 70wt%
of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or 100wt% of amorphous solid.
The aerosol-generating material may in some embodiments comprise a vapour- or
aerosol-
generating agent or a humectant. Example such agents are 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. A formulation
comprising one or
more aerosol generating agent(s) may be called an active herein.
Furthermore, and as already noted, it will be appreciated the above-described
approaches
may be implemented in aerosol provision systems, e.g_ electronic smoking
articles, having a
different overall construction than that represented in Figure 1. For example,
the same
principles may be adopted in an aerosol provision system which does not
comprise a two-
part modular construction, but which instead comprises a single-part device,
for example a
disposable (i.e. non-rechargeable and non-refillable) device. Furthermore, in
some
implementations of a modular device, the arrangement of components may be
different. For
example, in some implementations the control unit may also comprise the
vaporiser with a
replaceable cartridge providing a source of aerosolisable material for the
vaporiser to use to
generate aerosol.
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
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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
utilised 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 may be combined with features of the independent claims
in combinations
other than those explicitly set out in the claims. The disclosure may include
other inventions not
presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.
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