Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ELECTRONIC AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM
Field
The present disclosure relates to electronic aerosol provision systems such as
nicotine
delivery systems (e.g. electronic cigarettes and the like).
Background
Electronic aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-
cigarettes)
generally contain an aerosol (or vapour) precursor / forming material, such as
a
reservoir of a source liquid containing a formulation, typically comprising a
base liquid
with additives such as nicotine and often flavourants, and / or a solid
material such as a
tobacco-based product, from which an aerosol is generated, e.g. through heat
vaporisation. Thus, an aerosol provision system will typically comprise an
aerosol
generation chamber containing an atomiser (or vaporiser), e.g. a heating
element,
arranged to vaporise a portion of precursor material to generate an aerosol in
the
aerosol generation chamber. As a user inhales on the device and electrical
power is
supplied to the heating element, air is drawn into the device through inlet
holes and
into the aerosol generation chamber where the air mixes with the vaporised
precursor
material to form an aerosol. There is a flow path connecting the aerosol
generation
chamber with 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 with it, and out through the mouthpiece opening
for
inhalation by the user.
Aerosol provision systems may comprise a modular assembly including both
reusable
and replaceable cartridge parts. Typically a cartridge part will comprise the
consumable
aerosol precursor material and / or the vaporiser, while a reusable device
part will
comprise longer-life items, such as a rechargeable battery, device control
circuitry,
activation sensors and user interface features. The reusable part may also be
referred to
as a control unit or battery section and replaceable cartridge parts that
include both a
vaporiser and precursor material may also be referred to as cartomisers.
Some aerosol provision systems may include multiple aerosol sources which can
be
used to generate vapour / aerosol that is mixed and inhaled by a user.
However, in
some cases, a user may desire a more consistent control over delivery of
aerosol
3,5 irrespective of the type of source and/or heater.
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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 device for generating aerosol from a first aerosol generating
material and a
second aerosol generating material, the device comprising: a first user input
mechanism for controlling a first aerosol generator configured to generate
aerosol from
the first aerosol generating material; a second user input mechanism for
controlling a
second aerosol generator configured to generate aerosol from the second
aerosol
io generating material; and control circuitry configured to receive an
input from a user via
either the first user input mechanism or the second user input mechanism and
to
control a property of the respective aerosol generator; wherein, in response
to the
input, the control circuitry is configured to alter the property of the first
aerosol
generator by a first amount when the input is provided to the first user input
mechanism and the control circuitry is configured to alter the property of the
second
aerosol generator by a second amount, different from the first amount, when
the input
is provided to the second user input mechanism.
According to a second aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an
aerosol
provision system for generating aerosol from a first aerosol generating
material and for
generating aerosol from a second aerosol generating material, the system
comprising:
an aerosol provision device in accordance with the first aspect, a first
aerosol
generating material, and a second aerosol generating material.
According to a third aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a method
of
controlling an aerosol provision device for generating aerosol from a first
aerosol
generating material and a second aerosol generating material, the device
comprising a
first user input mechanism for controlling a first aerosol generator
configured to
generate aerosol from a first aerosol generating material, a second user input
mechanism for controlling a second aerosol generator configured to generate
aerosol
from a second aerosol generating material; and control circuitry configured to
receive
an input from a user via either the first user input mechanism or the second
user input
mechanism and to control a property of the respective aerosol generator, the
method
comprising: identifying an input to either the first user input mechanism or
to the
second user input mechanism; and either altering the property of the first
aerosol
generator by a first amount when the input is provided to the first user input
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mechanism; or altering the property of the second aerosol generator by a
second
amount when the input is provided to the second user input mechanism; wherein,
the
second amount is different from the first amount.
According to a fourth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided aerosol
provision means for generating aerosol from first aerosol generating material
means
and a second aerosol generating material means, the aerosol provision means
comprising: first user input means for controlling first aerosol generator
means
configured to generate aerosol from the first aerosol generating material
means; second
io user input means for controlling second aerosol generator means
configured to
generate aerosol from the second aerosol generating material means; and
control
means configured to receive an input from a user via either the first user
input means
or the second user input means and to control a property of the respective
aerosol
generator means; wherein, in response to the input, the control means is
configured to
alter the property of the first aerosol generator means by a first amount when
the input
is provided to the first user input means and the control means is configured
to alter
the property of the second aerosol generator means by a second amount,
different from
the first amount, when the input is provided to the second user input means.
It will be appreciated that features and aspects of the invention described
above in
relation to the first and other aspects of the invention are equally
applicable to, and
may be combined with, embodiments of the invention according to other aspects
of the
invention as appropriate, and not just in the specific combinations described
above.
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 shows an aerosol delivery system in cross-section, the
aerosol
delivery system including a control part, a mouthpiece part, and two aerosol
generating
materials, and configured to deliver aerosol to a user from one or more of the
aerosol
generating materials;
Figure 2 schematically shows, in cross-section, the aerosol delivery system of
Figure 1
in exploded form showing the individual constituents of the aerosol delivery
system;
Figure 3 schematically shows, in cross-section, an alternative control part in
which each
receptacle is provided with an individual air flow path connected to an
individual air
inlet;
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Figure 4 schematically shows, in cross-section, an alternative aerosol
delivery system in
cross-section, the aerosol delivery system including a control part, a
mouthpiece part,
and two aerosol generating materials arranged in series, and configured to
deliver
aerosol to a user from one or more of the aerosol generating materials;
Figure 5 diagrammatically shows an example circuit layout in a state where two
aerosol
generators are electrically connected to the control part of Figures 1, 2 and
4; and
Figure 6 schematically represents a method of controlling an aspect of the
electronic
aerosol provision device in accordance with certain embodiments of the
disclosure.
io 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.
In accordance with embodiments of the disclosure a device is described having
control
circuitry which allows a user to control the amount of aerosol generated from
a first
aerosol generating material and a second aerosol generating material by the
user
interacting with a first user input mechanism and / or a second user input
mechanism.
Advantageously, the system is able to provide a level of user control over the
composition of the aerosol to be inhaled based on a single input by the user
to one of
the user input mechanisms.
As such, the present disclosure relates to aerosol provision systems, which
may also be
referred to as vapour provision systems, such as e-cigarettes. The term
"aerosol
provision system" is intended to encompass systems that deliver at least one
substance
to a user, such as non-combustible aerosol provision systems.
Non-combustible aerosol provision systems release compounds from at least one
aerosol-generating material without combusting the aerosol-generating
material, such
as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to
generate
aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials. In this regard,
means of
generating an aerosol other than via a condensation aerosol are envisaged,
such as
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atomization via vibrational, photonic, irradiative, electrostatic means etc.
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.
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),
io 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.
Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-
combustible aerosol provision device and one or more consumables 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 throughout
the
disclosure.
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
one or more areas for receiving consumables, one or more aerosol generators,
one or
more aerosol generation areas, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an
aerosol-
modifying agent.
An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be
generated from
the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is
a
heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy,
so as to
release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an
aerosol.
ro In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to
cause an aerosol to be
generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating. For example,
the
aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material
to one
or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.
In some embodiments, consumables are articles comprising or consisting of
aerosol-
generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during
use by a
user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an
aerosol-
generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer
component,
an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter
and/or an
aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator,
such
as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to
generate aerosol
in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material
heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.
A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying
magnetic field,
such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically-
conductive
material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes
induction
heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic
material, so that
penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis
heating of
the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and
magnetic,
so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The device that
is
configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic
field
generator, herein.
The substance(s) to be delivered are aerosol-generating materials. As
appropriate, a
substance may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours,
one or
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more aerosol-former materials, and/or one or more other functional materials.
In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active
substance.
The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material,
which is a
material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active
substance
may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives.
The active
substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active
substance
may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as
B6 or
B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or
combinations
thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents,
derivatives or
extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some
embodiments,
the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or
more
botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical
is tobacco.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or
more
botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical
is selected
from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or
more
botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical
is selected
from rooibos and fennel.
In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour.
As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which,
where
local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or
other
somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include
naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals,
synthetically
obtained materials, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the flavour
comprises menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint. In some embodiments, the
flavour
comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or
redberry.
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In some embodiments, the flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the
flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco. In some
embodiments,
the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.
In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to
achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and
perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in
addition to
or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing
heating,
cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is
not limited
io to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not
limited to
eucolyptol, WS-3.
Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating
aerosol, for
example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-
generating
material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may
or may not
contain an active substance 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%, 6owt% or 70wt%
of
amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or loowt% of amorphous solid.
The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances
and/or
flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more
other
functional material.
The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of
forming
an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one
or
more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene
glycol,
tetraethyl ene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl
vanill ate,
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.
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The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH
regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers,
and/or
antioxidants.
The material may be present on or in a support, to form a substrate. The
support may,
for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted
material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material,
glass, a metal, or
a metal alloy. In some embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some
embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the material. In some
alternative
embodiments, the susceptor is on one or either side of the material.
An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the
aerosol
generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for
example by
changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol.
The aerosol-
modifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release
component,
that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent.
The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The
aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a
flavourant, a
colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for
example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in
powder,
thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from
filtration
material.
In accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure an aerosol provision
device
for generating aerosol from a first aerosol generating material and a second
aerosol
generating material comprises a first user input mechanism, a second user
input
mechanism and control circuitry. The first user input mechanism allows for
control of a
first aerosol generator configured to generate aerosol from a first aerosol
generating
material. The second user input mechanism allows for control of a second
aerosol
generator configured to generate aerosol from a second aerosol generating
material.
The control circuitry is configured to receive an input from a user via either
the first
user input mechanism or the second user input mechanism and to control a
property of
the respective aerosol generator (i.e. the first or second aerosol generator).
In response
to the input, the control circuitry is configured to alter the property of the
first aerosol
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generator by a first amount when the input is provided to the first user input
mechanism and the control circuitry is configured to alter the property of the
second
aerosol generator by a second amount, different from the first amount, when
the input
is provided to the second user input mechanism. Advantageously based on a
single
input by the user, the system is able to affect two different responses (i.e.
changing a
property of a respective aerosol generator) based on which user input
mechanism the
user interacts with. It will be appreciated that the control circuitry is
configured to
determine which user input mechanism the input is provided to.
In some examples the first user input mechanism comprises at least one user
input
mechanism selected from the group comprising a slider, a rotatable wheel, one
or more
buttons, one or more switches, and a touchscreen. In some examples the second
user
input mechanism comprises at least one selected from the group comprising a
slider, a
dial, one or more buttons, one or more switches, and a touchscreen. In some
examples
the first user input mechanism and the second user input mechanism are
configured
similarly (e.g. both may be sliders or both may be sliders displayed on a
touchscreen).
In some examples, a single touchscreen provides both the first and second user
input
mechanism. The control circuitry may be configured to display any of one or
more
virtual sliders, one or more virtual dials, one or more virtual buttons, and
one or more
virtual switches.
Figures 1 and 2 are highly schematic cross-sectional views of an example
aerosol
provision system 1 in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.
Figure 1
shows the aerosol provision system 1 in an assembled state while Figure 2
shows the
aerosol provision systemi in a disassembled state / partially exploded state.
As will be
discussed below, parts of the example aerosol provision system 1 are provided
as
removable / detachable from other parts of the aerosol provision system 1.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the example aerosol provision system 1
comprises a
control / device (or battery / reusable) part 2, a detachable mouthpiece (or
lid) part 3,
and, in this example, two aerosol generating components 4a and 4b,
collectively
referred to herein as the aerosol generating components 4. In use, the aerosol
provision
system 1 is configured to generate aerosol from the aerosol generating
components 4
(by vaporising an aerosol precursor material) and deliver / provide the
aerosol to a user
through the mouthpiece part 3 as the user inhales through the mouthpiece part
3. It
should be appreciated that the aerosol provision system 1 includes the aerosol
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generating components 4 in addition to the control part 2 and mouthpiece part
3. In
this example, the term aerosol provision device refers to the control / device
part 2 and
mouthpiece part 3 without the aerosol generating components 4. However, to aid
in the
general explanation of the system disclosed, the terms "system" and "device"
are used
interchangeably herein to refer to either of the device including aerosol
generating
components and the device excluding aerosol generating components.
One aspect of the example aerosol provision system is the functionality of
providing
consistent control of the delivery of aerosol to the user regardless of the
state /
io configuration of the aerosol provision system. By this, and as will
become apparent
from below, it is meant that whether a user interacts with a control of a
first input
mechanism (controlling an aspect related to production of aerosol from the
first aerosol
generating component 4a) or whether the user interacts with a control of a
second
input mechanism (controlling an aspect related to production of aerosol from
the
second aerosol generating component 4b), the user will be provided with a
consistent
(or close to consistent) experience of control. In other words while the
operational
characteristics related to generating aerosol from each of the aerosol
generating
components 4 differ (based on the aerosol precursor material and the mechanism
for
generating aerosol); the user may experience an equivalent control of aerosol
generation when interacting with either of the input mechanisms.
This may be in terms of the quantity of aerosol produced (i.e., the quantity /
volume of
aerosol inhaled). That is, the user may adjust the quantity of aerosol
produced by the
same proportion or amount (or approximately the same, e.g., within 10%) for
equivalent interactions with either of the first input mechanism or the second
input
mechanism.
By way of reference only, the following discussion will refer to top, bottom,
left and
right sides of the system. This will generally refer to the corresponding
directions in the
associated figures; that is, the natural directions in the plane of the
figures. However,
these directions are not meant to confer a particular orientation of the
system 1 during
normal use. For example, the top of the assembled system refers to a part of
the system
that contacts the user's mouth in use, while the bottom refers to the opposite
end of the
system. The choice of directions is only meant to illustrate the relative
locations of the
various features described herein.
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Turning back to Figures 1 and 2, the control part 2 includes a housing 20
which is
configured to house a power source 21 for providing operating power for the
aerosol
provision device 1 and control circuitry 22 for controlling and monitoring the
operation
of the aerosol delivery device 1. In this example, the power source 21
comprises a
battery that 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.
io The control part 2 also comprises a first user input mechanism 25a and a
second user
input mechanism 25b (collectively, the user input mechanisms 25). The user
input
mechanism 25 may be provided on or through the housing 20 such that it is
accessible
(i.e. able to be interacted with) by the user during normal use of the device
(i.e. without
having to deconstruct the device). The user input mechanisms 25 are in
electronic
communication with the control circuitry 22 such that an interaction with
either of the
user input mechanisms 25 is communicated as a signal to the control circuitry
22. By
user input mechanism 25 it is meant that a mechanism is provided that the user
can
interact with to provide an input to the control circuitry 22. The user input
mechanism
may be a physical input mechanism; for example a slider, wheel, switch(es), or
20 button(s). Alternatively the user input mechanism may be a virtual input
mechanism;
for example the user input mechanisms 25 may be displayed on a single
touchscreen, or
on separate touchscreens, provided on the side of the control part 2. For
example the
touch screen may depict a slider or wheel depicting a value associated with a
parameter,
and the user can interact with the slider or wheel (e.g. by placing their
finger on the
25 slider or wheel and moving their finger along the screen) to change the
value.
The outer housing 20 may be formed, for example, from a plastics or metallic
material
and in this example has a generally rectangular cross section with a width (in
the plane
of Figure 1.) of around 1.5 to 2 times its thickness (perpendicular to the
plane of Figure
1). For example, the electronic cigarette may have a width of around 5 cm and
a
thickness of around 3 cm. The control part 2 takes the form of a box / cuboid,
in this
example, although it should be appreciated that the control part 2 can have
other
shapes as desired.
The control part 2 further comprises an air inlet 23 provided on / in the
outer surface of
the housing 20, two discrete aerosol generating areas, e.g. receptacles, 24a
and 24b
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each defining a space / volume for receiving one of the aerosol generating
components,
e.g. the first aerosol generating component 4a or the second aerosol
generating
component 4b, an air channel 26 which extends into the housing 20 and fluidly
connects the air inlet 23 with the receptacles 24a and 24b. As will be
appreciated in the
following these features form part of an air or aerosol pathway through the
aerosol
provision device 1 in which air is passed from outside the aerosol provision
device 1 via
air inlet 23, through the aerosol generating areas / receptacles 24a and 24b
containing
the aerosol generating components 4 and into the user's mouth.
Turning now to the aerosol generating components 4, by the term it is meant a
consumable from which an aerosol can be generated. In some embodiments,
consumables are articles comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating
material 46,
part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. In its
simplest
form a consumable consists solely of an aerosol generating material; for
example a
plant based material, such as a tobacco material. Such an aerosol generating
component may be formed in a variety of ways; for example as a loose material
or as a
solid "plug" of material. The aerosol generating component may be inserted
into one or
both of the receptacles 24a and 24b. The device then comprises an aerosol
generator
configured to produce an aerosol from aerosol generating material contained in
one of
the receptacles 24. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater
configured
to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release
one or more
volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some
embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be
generated
from the aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol
generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one
or more
of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy. In some examples,
the control
part 2 comprises a heating element 47a (i.e. the aerosol generator) configured
to heat
the aerosol-generating material by conduction.
In some examples the consumable 4 may comprise one or more other components,
such as a housing or wrapper 40. Additionally the housing and /or the aerosol
generating material may define one or more of an aerosol-generating material
storage
area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation
area, a
mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent. For example, as shown
in
consumable 4a comprises an aerosol-generating material 46a and a housing or
wrapper
4oa. For consumable 4a, the housing or wrapper 4oa provides an external
barrier layer
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which protects the aerosol-generating material 46a at least partially. The
housing or
wrapper 4oa comprise or define an inlet and an outlet for allowing air flow
through the
consumable 4a during use (for example, when a user puffs on the device, air
may flow
into the consumable 4a through the inlet and out of the outlet.
Where the consumable 4a comprises a housing or wrapper 40a and the control
part 2
comprises a heating element 47a configured to heat the aerosol-generating
material by
conduction, the housing or wrapper 4oa may be formed of a material which does
not
inhibit the transfer of heat to the aerosol-generating material 46a. In some
examples,
_ro the aerosol generating material 46a may also have a susceptor
material interspersed
within it and / or the housing or wrapper 4oa may comprise or consist of a
susceptor
material. In some examples, the control part 2 comprises a heating element 47a
configured to generate a varying magnetic field which acts to heat the
susceptor
material.
In some examples, a consumable 4b comprises a housing 4013, which defines a
liquid
reservoir 41b that stores a source liquid for vaporisation (i.e. an aerosol-
generating
material 46b), and a cartomiser channel 44b, and an aerosol generator which in
this
example is formed of a wicking element 42h and a heating element 43h coiled
around
the wicking element 42b. The wicking elements 42b are configured to wick /
transport a
source liquid (using the capillary motion) from the respective liquid
reservoirs 41b to
the respective heating elements 43b.
In the example shown, the aerosol generator is provided in the channel 44b
defined by
the housing 40b of the consumable 4b. Such a consumable is sometimes referred
to as a
cartomiser. The channel 44b is arranged such that, when the consumable 4b is
installed
or provided in its respective receptacles, the channels 44a and 44b are
fluidly
communicated with the air channel 26 and air inlet 23, and thus air drawn in
through
the air inlet 23 passes along the air channel 26 and along cartomiser channels
44a and
44b of the cartomisers 4.
The term "aerosol generating area" refers to an area / region within the
system in which
aerosol is or can be generated. For instance, in Figures 1 and 2, the aerosol
generating
area includes receptacles 24a and 24b, which are configured to receive the
consumables
4. In other words, the consumables are considered as the components
responsible for
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generating aerosol, whereas the receptacles 24 house the consumables 4 and
thus
define an area where aerosol is generated.
The mouthpiece part 3 includes a housing 30 which comprises two openings 31a,
31b at
one end (a top end); that is, the mouthpiece openings are located at the same
end of the
mouthpiece part 3 and are generally arranged such that a user can place their
mouth
over both of the openings. The mouthpiece part 3 also includes receptacles
32a, 32h at
the opposite end (a bottom end), and respective mouthpiece channels 33a, 33b
extending between the receptacles 32a, 32b and the openings 31a, 31b.
The mouthpiece part 3 has a generally tapered or pyramidal outer profile which
tapers
towards the top end of the mouthpiece part 3. The bottom end of the mouthpiece
part 3
is where the mouthpiece part 3 and control unit 2 meet or interface and is
sized to have
dimensions in the width direction (i.e., in the horizontal direction of the
plane of
Figures 1 and 2) and thickness direction (i.e., in a direction orthogonal to
the plane of
Figures 1 and 2) that broadly correspond to equivalent dimensions of the
control part 2
in order to provide a flush outer profile when the control part 2 and the
mouthpiece
part 3 are coupled together. The end of the mouthpiece part 3 in which the
openings 31
are located (top end) is smaller in the width direction than the bottom end by
around
one third (e.g. to around 2 cm wide). That is, the mouthpiece part 3 tapers in
the width
direction towards the top end. This end forms the part of the aerosol
provision device 1
that is received in the user's mouth (in other words, this is the end the user
would
normally put their lips around and inhale through).
The mouthpiece part 3 is formed as a separate and removable component from the
control part 2 and is provided with any suitable coupling / mounting mechanism
that
allows the mouthpiece part 3 to couple to the control part 2, e.g., snap-
fitting, screw
thread, etc. When the mouthpiece part 3 is coupled to the control part 2 to
form the
assembled aerosol provision device 1 (e.g., as generally shown in Figure 1),
the length of
the assembled aerosol provision device 1 is around 10 cm. However, it will be
appreciated that the overall shape and scale of an aerosol provision device 1
implementing the present disclosure is not significant to the principles
described
herein.
The receptacles 32a, 32b are arranged to fluidly connect to air passages (e.g.
channel
44b) in the consumables 4a and 4b respectively (specifically at an opposite
end of the
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consumables to the end that connects to and is received in receptacles 24a,
24b). The
receptacles 32a, 32b are fluidly connected to mouthpiece channels 33a and 33b
which
in turn are fluidly connected to openings 3ia and 31b. Therefore, it should be
appreciated that when the device 1 is fully assembled (e.g., as shown in
Figure 1), the
openings 3ia and 31b of the mouthpiece part 3 are fluidly connected to air
inlet 23 in
the control part 2.
Hence, the example aerosol provision device 1 generally provides two routes
through
which air / aerosol may pass through the device. For example, a first route
starts from
io air inlet 23, passes along air channel 26, then passes into the
receptacle 24a and
through the first aerosol generating component 4a (e.g. through the aerosol-
generating
material 46a within the aerosol generating component 4a between the inlet and
outlet),
into the receptacle 32a, and along the mouthpiece channel 33a of the
mouthpiece part 3
to the opening 31a. Equally, a second route starts from air inlet 23, passes
along air
channel 26, then passes into the receptacle 24b and through the second aerosol
generating component 4h (e.g. through channel 44b), into the receptacle 32b,
along the
mouthpiece channel 33b of the mouthpiece part 3 and to the opening 31b. In
this
example, each of the first and second routes share a common component upstream
of
the aerosol generating components 4 (namely, air channel 26 which is coupled
to air
inlet 23) but branch off from this common component. In the following, the
cross-
section of the routes is described as circular; however, it should be
appreciated that the
cross-section may be non-circular (e.g., any regular polygon) and also that
the cross-
section need not be a constant size or shape along the length of the two
routes.
It should be appreciated by the foregoing that the example aerosol provision
device 1
includes a number of components that are referenced by a number followed by a
letter,
e.g., 24a. Components indicated by the letter "a" are components that connect
to, or
define a first air / aerosol path, associated with a first aerosol generating
component 4a,
while components indicated by the letter "b" are components that connect to,
or define
a second air / aerosol path, associated with a second aerosol generating
component 4h.
Components having the same number will have the same functionality and
construction as one another unless otherwise indicated. In general, the
components will
be collectively referred to in the following by their corresponding number,
and unless
otherwise indicated, the description applies to both components "a" and "b"
referenced
by that number.
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It will be appreciated that in other examples in accordance with other
embodiments of
the disclosure, the aerosol provision system 1 may comprise a different
configuration of
aerosol generating components. For example, a system (not shown) may comprise
multiple aerosol generating components, each in accordance with the consumable
4a.
In some of these examples, either the aerosol generating material and / or the
aerosol
generator have different characteristics or properties. In another example, a
system
(not shown) may comprise multiple aerosol generating components, each in
accordance
with the consumable 4h. In some of these examples, either the aerosol
generating
_to material and / or the aerosol generator have different characteristics
or properties. In
another example, either or both of the consumables 4 may be replaced with a
consumable having a different configuration (for example a consumable intended
to be
heated by optical illumination or by a vibration, increased pressure, or
electrostatic
energy). For these examples, the control part 2 may be altered for use with a
consumable of a different type. In another example, a system may have more
than two
aerosol generating components.
Returning to Figures 1 and 2; in use, a user inhales on the mouthpiece part 3
of the
example device 1 (and specifically through openings 31) to cause air to pass
from
outside the housing 20 of the reusable part 2, through the respective routes
through the
device along which the air / aerosol passes and ultimately into the user's
mouth. The
aerosol generators (e.g. heating elements 47a and 43h) are activated in order
to
vaporise the aerosol generating material (e.g. source liquid contained in the
wicking
element 42b) such that the air passing through the consumables 4 collects or
mixes
with the aerosol (e.g. vaporised source liquid). For example consumables such
as the
consumable 4b, source liquid may pass into / along the wicking elements 42b
from the
liquid reservoir 41b through surface tension / capillary action.
Electrical power is supplied to the heating elements 43b,47a from battery 21,
controlled
/ regulated by control circuitry 22. The control circuitry 22 is configured to
control the
supply of electrical power from the battery 21 to the heating elements 43b,
47a so as to
generate a vapour from the aerosol generating components 4 for inhalation by a
user.
In some examples where the consumable comprises an aerosol generator,
electrical
power is supplied to a respective heating element 43h within an aerosol
generating
component 4h via electrical contacts (not shown) established across the
interface
between the respective aerosol generating component 4b and the control part 2,
for
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example through sprung / pogo pin connectors, or any other configuration of
electrical
contacts which engage when the aerosol generating component 4b are received in
/
connected to the receptacles 24b of the control part 2. Of course, respective
heating
elements 43b could be supplied with energy via other means, such as via
induction
heating, in which case electrical contacts that interfaces between the control
part 2 /
receptacles 24 and the aerosol generating components 4 are not required.
The control circuitry 22 is suitably configured / programmed to provide
functionality in
accordance with embodiments of the disclosure as described herein, as well as
for
providing conventional operating functions of the aerosol provision device 1
in line with
the established techniques for controlling conventional e-cigarettes. Thus the
control
circuitry 22 may be considered to logically comprise a number of different
functional
blocks, for example a functional block for controlling the supply of power
from the
battery 21 to the heating element 47a for heating the first aerosol generating
component 4a, a functional block for controlling the supply of power from the
battery
21 to the heating element 43b in the second aerosol generating component 4b, a
functional block for controlling operational aspects of the device 1 in
response to user
input (e.g., for initiating power supply), for example configuration settings,
as well as
other functional blocks associated with the normal operation of electronic
cigarettes
and functionality in accordance with the principles described herein. It will
be
appreciated the functionality of these logical blocks may be provided in
various
different ways, for example using a single suitably programmed general purpose
computer, or suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s) /
circuitry. As
will be appreciated the aerosol provision device 1 will in general comprise
various other
elements associated with its operating functionality, for example a port for
charging the
battery 21, such as a USB port, and these may be conventional and are not
shown in the
figures or discussed in detail in the interests of brevity.
Power may be supplied to the heating elements 43, 47 on the basis of actuation
of a
button (or equivalent user actuation mechanism) provided on the surface of the
housing 20 and which supplies power when the user presses the button.
Alternatively,
power may be supplied based on detection of a user inhalation, e.g., using an
airflow
sensor or pressure sensor, such as a diaphragm microphone, connected to and
controlled by the control circuitry 22 which sends a signal to the control
circuitry 22
when a change in pressure or airflow is detected. It should be understood that
the
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principles of the mechanism for starting power delivery is not significant to
the
principles of the present disclosure.
As mentioned previously, an aspect of the present disclosure is an aerosol
delivery
device 1 configured to provide consistent control of aerosol delivery to the
user
regardless of the configuration of the device 1 (e.g. number and type of
aerosol
generating components 4). In the example aerosol delivery device 1 shown in
Figures 1
and 2, the aerosol generating components 4 are provided separately from the
control
part 2 and the mouthpiece part 3 and can therefore be inserted into or removed
from
_ro the receptacles 24. The aerosol generating components 4 may be replaced
/ removed
for a variety of reasons. For example, the aerosol generating components 4 may
be
provided with different flavoured source liquids and the user can insert two
aerosol
generating components 4 of different flavours (e.g., strawberry flavoured and
menthol /
mint flavoured) into the respective receptacles 24 to create different
flavoured aerosols,
if desired. Alternatively, the aerosol generating components 4 can be removed
/
replaced in the event that a aerosol generating components 4 runs dry (that
is, the
source liquid in the liquid reservoir 41 is depleted).
Turning to the aerosol generating components 4 in more detail, the consumables
4 each
comprise the housing 40, which in this example is formed of a plastics
material. The
housing 40 is generally in the form of a hollow cylinder having an outer
diameter. For
the consumable 4h the housing 40b additionally defines an inner diameter, with
the
walls of the inner diameter defining the limits of the cartomiser channel 44b.
The
housing 401) supports other components of the cartomiser 4b, such as the
aerosol
generator mentioned above, and also provides a mechanical interface with the
receptacle 24b of the control part 2 (described in more detail below).
In this example the consumables 4 has a length of around 1 to 1.5 cm, an outer
diameter
of 6 to 8 mm and an inner diameter of around 2 to 4 mm. However, it will be
appreciated the specific geometry, and more generally the overall shapes
involved, may
be different in different implementations.
As mentioned, the consumable 4h comprises a source liquid reservoir 41b which
takes
the form of a cavity between the outer and inner walls of the housing 40b. The
source
liquid reservoir 41b contains a source liquid. A source liquid for an
electronic cigarette
will typically comprise a base liquid formulation, which makes up the majority
of the
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liquid, with additives for providing desired flavour / smell / nicotine
delivery
characteristics to the base liquid. For example, a typical base liquid may
comprise a
mixture of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerol (VG).The liquid
reservoir 41b
in this example comprises the majority of the interior volume of the
cartomiser 4h. The
reservoir 41b may be formed in accordance with conventional techniques, for
example
comprising a moulded plastics material.
The aerosol generator of consumable 4h comprises a heating element 43b which
in this
example comprise an electrically resistive wire coiled around the wicking
element 42h.
In this example, the heating element 43h comprises a nickel chrome alloy
(Cr2oNi8o)
wire and the wicking element 42b comprises a glass fibre bundle, but it will
be
appreciated that the specific atomiser configuration is not significant to the
principles
described herein.
The receptacles 24 formed in the control part 2 are approximately cylindrical
and
generally have a shape (inner surface) that conforms to the outer shape of the
aerosol
generating components 4. As mentioned, the receptacles 24 are configured to
receive at
least a part of the aerosol generating components 4. The depth of the
receptacles (that
is a dimension along the longitudinal axis of the receptacles 24) is slightly
less than the
length of the aerosol generating components 4 (e.g., o.8 to 1.3 cm) such that,
when the
aerosol generating components 4 are received in the receptacles 24, the
exposed ends of
the aerosol generating components 4 slightly protrude from the surface of the
housing
20. The outer diameter of the aerosol generating components 4 is slightly
smaller (e.g.,
about 1 mm or less) than the diameter of the receptacles 24 to allow the
aerosol
generating components 4 to slide into the receptacles with relative ease, but
to fit
reasonably well within the receptacles 24 to reduce or prevent movement in a
direction
orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol generating components 4. In
this
example the aerosol generating components 4 are mounted in a generally side-by-
side
configuration in the body of the control part 2.
In order to insert, replace or remove the aerosol generating components 4, the
user will
typically disassemble the device 1 (e.g., into a state generally as shown in
Figure 2). The
user will remove the mouthpiece part 3 from the control part 2 by pulling the
mouthpiece part 3 in a direction away from the control part 2, remove any
previous
aerosol generating components 4 located in the receptacles (if applicable) by
pulling the
aerosol generating components 4 in a direction away from the control part 2,
and insert
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a new aerosol generating component 4 in the receptacle 24. With the aerosol
generating
component(s) 4 inserted in the receptacles 24, the user then reassembles the
device 1
by coupling the mouthpiece part 3 to the reusable part 2. An assembled device
1 is
schematically shown in Figure 1, although it should be noted that certain
features are
not shown to scale and exaggerated for the purposes of clarity, such as the
gap between
the mouthpiece part 2 and the housing 20 of the control part 2, for example.
Figure 3 schematically shows, in cross-section, an alternative arrangement of
the
control part. Figure 3 depicts a control part 2' which is the same as control
part 2, with
io the exception that control part 2' comprises two air inlets 23a' and
23b' and two air
channels 26a' and 26b'. As can be seen from Figure 3, the air channels 26' are
separate
from one another ¨ that is, they are not fluidly connected within the control
part 2'.
Each air channel 26' connects to a receptacle 24 and to an air inlet 23'. In
essence,
Figure 3 depicts an implementation that is identical to the implementations
described
above with respect to Figures 1 and 2 with the exception that there is no
shared (or
common) component of the flow paths through the device. That is, air channel
26a'
connects air inlet 23a' to receptacle 24a only, and air channel 26b' connects
air inlet
23b' to receptacle 24b only.
Figure 4 schematically shows, in cross-section, an alternative serial
arrangement of the
aerosol provision system in which the air flows through each consumable 4 in
turn.
Figure 4 depicts a control part 2" which is the same as control part 2, with
the exception
that control part 2" comprises only a single receptacle 24b for receiving
consumable 4b.
Figure 4 additionally depicts a mouthpiece 3" which is the same as mouthpiece
3, with
the exception that mouthpiece 2" comprises only a cavity 51 for receiving
consumable
4a. As can be seen from Figure 4, example aerosol provision device 1"
generally
provides a single route through which air / aerosol may pass through the
device. For
example, the route starts from air inlet 23, passes along air channel 26, then
passes into
the receptacle 24h and through the second aerosol generating component 4h
(e.g.
through channel 44b of the second aerosol generating component 4b), into the
receptacle 32a, then passes through the mouthpiece channel 33 into cavity 51
and
through the first aerosol generating component 4a (e.g. through the aerosol-
generating
material 46a within the aerosol generating component 4a between the inlet and
outlet),
and along to the opening 31 in the mouthpiece part 3".
In essence, Figure 4 depicts an implementation that operates identically to
the
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implementations described above with respect to Figures 1 and 2 with the
exception
that there aerosol produced by in the second aerosol generating component 4h
must
travel through the first aerosol generating component 4a before being inhaled
by the
user. It will be appreciated that a mouthpiece 3" in accordance with the above
example
comprises an aerosol generator, such as heating element 47, for generating an
aerosol
from the aerosol generating material 46a. In these examples, the mouthpiece 3"
may
include contacts for forming an electrical connection with the control part
2".
In other examples, the mouthpiece 3" may not include an aerosol generator and
instead
the aerosol generator may be provided in the aerosol generating component or
in the
K.) control part 2. Where the aerosol generator component includes the
aerosol generator,
the mouthpiece 3" may include contacts for forming an electrical contact with
both the
control part 2" and the aerosol generator component 4.
In some examples, the control part 2" may accommodate both consumables 4 in
series
with the mouthpiece 3" forming a fluid airflow connection with the final
consumable of
the series.
In some examples the mouthpiece 3" and a consumable 4b are provided as a
single
integrally formed component. In other words the two components are not
intended to
be separated and may have a common housing material formed as a single piece.
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to the distribution of power between
the
consumables 4a and 4h in order to influence aerosol generation.
As mentioned, the control circuitry 22 is configured to control the supply of
power to
the heating elements 47a, 47b of the different aerosol generating components
4; hence
one function of the control circuitry 22 is power distribution. As used herein
the term
"power distribution circuitry" refers to the power distribution function /
functionality
of the control circuitry 22.
Figure 5 is an exemplary schematic circuit diagram showing the electrical
connections
between battery 21 and the heating elements 47a and 43b of two aerosol
generating
components 4a and 4h installed in the device 1. Figure 4 shows heating element
47a
and heating element 43h connected in parallel with the battery 21 through
control
circuitry 22. The control circuitry 22 may be a single chip / electronic
component
configured to perform the described functionality. Control circuitry block 22
is a power
control mechanism for controlling the power supplied to heating element 47a,
and for
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controlling the power supplied to heating element 43b. The power control
mechanism
may implement, for example, a pulse width modulation (PWM) control technique
for
supplying power to the respective heating elements 47a, 43b.
In Figure 5, two aerosol generators are installed in the device as identified
by the
presence of two heating elements 43b, 47a. Heating element 43b is depicted as
a single
resistive wire while heating element 47a is depicted as two perpendicular
wires. While
not shown the two depicted wires of heating element 47a may be provided on
alternative sides of the consumable 4a to provide heating to both sides of the
aerosol-
_ro generating material. Additionally, in place of the wires of heating
elements 43b,47a
other resistive materials may be used such as conductive plates or mesh
materials. It
will be further appreciated that as previously discussed the heating elements
43b, 47a
may be replaced in some embodiments with different types of aerosol generators
(e.g.
optical aerosol generators or vibration based aerosol generators).
The control circuitry 22 is configured to identify the presence of both
aerosol
generating components 4 in the device and subsequently supply power to both
aerosol
generating components 4.
The control circuitry 22 is electrically connected to the first user input
mechanism 25a
and the second user input mechanism 25b. While not shown, the user input
mechanisms 25 may be connected directly to the power source 21 or may be
connected
indirectly to the power source 21 through the control circuitry 22.
The control circuitry 22 is configured to receive an input from either the
first user input
mechanism 25a or the second user input mechanism 25b that indicates that a
user has
interacted or actuated the respective user input mechanism 25and to control a
property
of the respective aerosol generator 43a,47b. The control circuitry 22 is
configured to
control a property of the respective aerosol generator based on the input. A
property
may be a characteristic of how the respective aerosol generator is operated.
For
example, a property may include a power supplied to the respective aerosol
generator, a
target operating temperature, a target resistance of the respective aerosol
generator, a
target current through the respective aerosol generator, or a time period for
powering
the respective aerosol generator during use (e.g. during a puff operation) .
In some
examples the control circuitry 22 may receive an input during a puff operation
or at the
start of a puff operation and may control a property for that puff operation.
In some
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examples the control circuitry may receive the input prior to the puff
operation and
may control a property for use in a next puff operation or for use in
subsequent puff
operations (until the user input and/or the device is turned off).
By puff operation, it is meant the operation of one or both of the aerosol
generators in
response to a user inhalation or puff (such an inhalation could be detected
directly
through use of a puff sensor or could be detected indirectly by a user
interacting (e.g.
actuating) with a user input).
In examples, in response to the input, the control circuitry 22 is configured
to alter the
property of the first aerosol generator 47a by a first amount when the input
is provided
to the first user input mechanism 25a and the control circuitry 22 is
configured to alter
the property of the second aerosol generator 43b by a second amount, different
from
the first amount, when the input is provided to the second user input
mechanism 25b.
For example, if the property is a target power then the first amount may be a
smaller
change in power (e.g. o.5W) than the second amount (e.g. 1.0W).
In response to providing an input to the first or second user input mechanism
25a,25b
the characteristics of aerosol produced by the first and second aerosol
generators is
changed, for example an increase in power or temperature may cause an increase
in
the level of aerosol produced from the modified aerosol generator, change an
average
size of aerosol particles produced by the modified aerosol generator (e.g. the
median
mass aerodynamic diameter of the particles), or increase the aerosol
temperature.
However, the scale of the effect will be dependent on at least the aerosol
generator and
the aerosol generating material. For example, the same power increase (as a
result of a
user input) will result in a greater effect to a more efficient aerosol
generator.
Additionally, if the aerosol generator acts on a larger mass or surface area
of aerosol
generating material then the effect will be diminished because the increased
energy
supplied to the aerosol generating material is distributed to a larger volume
of material
(i.e. it is less specific). Hence, the effect resulting from a change to a
property of an
aerosol generator is highly dependent on the configuration of the device 1.
In some examples, the first and second amounts may be chosen to cause an
equivalent
or near equivalent effect. As such, altering the property of the first aerosol
generator by
the first amount causes a first change in the amount of aerosol generated by
the first
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aerosol generator, and altering the property of the second aerosol generator
by the
second amount causes a second change in the amount of aerosol generated by the
second aerosol generator where the first change and the second change are
approximately equal.
For example, if altering a property of the first aerosol generator by the
first amount (e.g.
increasing power by 20%) results in an increase of aerosol generation of
around 10%
then the second amount may be selected so that altering a property of the
second
aerosol generator by the second amount (e.g. increasing power by 5%) also
results in an
io increase of aerosol generation of around 10%. Advantageously, a
user using such an
example system will interpret that they are causing an equivalent effect based
on their
input (10% increase in aerosol production) irrespective of the change made to
the
property of the first or second aerosol generator.
In other words, in some examples, the second amount is set such that altering
the
property of the second aerosol generator by the second amount causes a change
in the
amount of aerosol generated by the second aerosol generator that is
approximately
equal to the change in the amount of aerosol generated by the first aerosol
generator
when the property of the first aerosol generator is altered by the first
amount.
In some examples, the first and second amounts are different because the first
and
second aerosol generators are different types to each other. For example, the
first
aerosol generator may be selected from the group comprising a resistive
heater, a piezo-
electric atomiser, an optical aerosol generator (e.g. a laser), and an
inductive heater,
and the second aerosol generator may be selected from the group comprising a
resistive
heater, a piezo-electric atomiser, an optical aerosol generator (e.g. a
laser), and an
inductive heater. The effect of a change to a parameter has a different effect
for each
type of aerosol generator. By way of example only and simply to illustrate the
principles
of the present disclosure, a 20% increase in power to a resistive heater may
result in a
10% increase in aerosol generation, whereas a 20% increase in power to an
optical
aerosol generator, such as a laser, may result in an increase of 15%.
In some examples, the first and second aerosol generators are the same type of
aerosol
generator but have different configurations. For example, one of the first and
second
aerosol generators may be larger than the other of the first and second
aerosol
generators. In an example, one of the first and second aerosol generators may
be
configured to operate at a higher power rating. In a further example, one of
the first and
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second aerosol generators may be configured to generate aerosol from a smaller
volume
(e.g. the first and second aerosol generating materials may be different sizes
and the
aerosol generators may be configured to match. In these examples, the
resultant change
in aerosol generation due to a change to the property of either the first or
second
aerosol generator is dependent on the configuration of the respective aerosol
generator.
In some examples, the first and second amounts are different because the first
and
second aerosol generating materials differ. In some of these examples, the
first and
second aerosol generators may be substantially similar in configuration (e.g.
they may
io be the same type), while in others of these examples, the first and
second aerosol
generators may be substantially different in configuration (e.g. they may have
a
different type). In some examples the first and the second aerosol generating
material
are selected from the group comprising a liquid, a gel or a solid, wherein the
second
aerosol generating material is different to the first aerosol generating
material. The
amount of aerosol generated from each aerosol generating material will depend
on the
type of material and the characteristics of the aerosol generator.
In some examples, the first aerosol generating material has different
vaporisation
temperature to the second aerosolisable material. An aerosol generating
material
having a lower vaporisation temperature will vaporise at a lower temperature
than an
aerosol generating material having a higher vaporisation temperature. Hence,
the effect
of changing a property by the first or second amount differs depending on the
respective aerosol generating material. In some examples, the first aerosol
generating
material has different specific heat capacity to the second aerosolisable
material. An
aerosol generating material having a lower specific heat capacity requires
less energy to
heat to a target temperature. Hence, the effect of changing a property by the
first or
second amount differs depending on the respective aerosol generating material.
In some examples, the input is a selection of one of a plurality of values for
a property
of either the first or second aerosol generator. The control circuitry 22 is
configured to
alter the property of the first aerosol generator 47a by a first amount when
the input is
provided to the first user input mechanism 25a selecting a different one of
the plurality
of values for a property of the first aerosol generator. Similarly the control
circuitry 22
is configured to alter the property of the second aerosol generator 47b by a
second
amount when the input is provided to the second user input mechanism 25b
selecting a
different one of the plurality of values for a property of the second aerosol
generator. It
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will be appreciated that there will be a corresponding first and second amount
for each
potential change between a first one of the plurality of values and a second
one of a
plurality of values.
In some examples, the input is a selection of a boost mode for either the
first or second
aerosol generator. By a boost mode it is meant that the generation of aerosol
is
increased. In some examples a plurality of values consists of a first and
second value
where the default or normal mode corresponds to the first value of the
plurality of
values and the boost mode corresponds to the second value of the plurality of
values.
io The control circuitry 22 is configured to alter the property of the
first aerosol generator
47a by a first amount when the input is provided to the first user input
mechanism 25a
to select the boost mode for the first aerosol generator. Similarly the
control circuitry
22 is configured to alter the property of the second aerosol generator 4713 by
a second
amount when the input is provided to the second user input mechanism 25b to
select
the boost mode for the second aerosol generator.
In some examples, altering the property of the second aerosol generator by a
second
amount causes a change in the amount of aerosol generated by the second
aerosol
generator that is approximately equal to the change in the amount of aerosol
generated
by the first aerosol generator when the property of the first aerosol
generator is altered
by the first amount. Hence, whether the input is to the first or second user
input
mechanism 25 (thereby selecting a boost mode of either the first or second
aerosol
generator), the user experiences an approximately equal increase in the amount
of
aerosol generated.
Figure 6 schematically represents a method of controlling an aspect of the
electronic
aerosol provision device for generating aerosol from a first aerosol
generating material
and a second aerosol generating material in accordance with certain
embodiments of
the disclosure. The device comprises a first user input mechanism for
controlling a first
aerosol generator configured to generate aerosol from a first aerosol
generating
material, a second user input mechanism for controlling a second aerosol
generator
configured to generate aerosol from a second aerosol generating material, and
control
circuitry configured to receive an input from a user via either the first user
input
mechanism or the second user input mechanism and to control a property of the
respective aerosol generator.
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The method comprises the control unit performing a first step Si of
identifying an input
to either the first user input mechanism or to the second user input
mechanism; and
either a second step S2 of altering the property of the first aerosol
generator by a first
amount when the input is provided to the first user input mechanism oi a third
step S3
of altering the property of the second aerosol generator by a second amount
when the
input is provided to the second user input mechanism. The second amount being
different from the first amount.
In some examples, altering the property of the second aerosol generator by a
second
amount causes a change in the amount of aerosol generated by the second
aerosol
generator that is approximately equal to the change in the amount of aerosol
generated
by the first aerosol generator when the property of the first aerosol
generator is altered
by the first amount. Hence, whether the input is to the first or second user
input
mechanism 25, the user experiences an approximately equal increase in the
amount of
aerosol generated. This allows a user to change the characteristics (e.g.
flavours) of the
aerosol in an intuitive way (e.g. independently of the flavour source or
aerosol
generator).
Thus, there has been described an aerosol provision device for generating
aerosol from
a first aerosol generating material and a second aerosol generating material,
the device
comprising: a first user input mechanism for controlling a first aerosol
generator
configured to generate aerosol from the first aerosol generating material; a
second user
input mechanism for controlling a second aerosol generator configured to
generate
aerosol from the second aerosol generating material; and control circuitry
configured to
receive an input from a user via either the first user input mechanism or the
second
user input mechanism and to control a property of the respective aerosol
generator;
wherein, in response to the input, the control circuitry is configured to
alter the
property of the first aerosol generator by a first amount when the input is
provided to
the first user input mechanism and the control circuitry is configured to
alter the
property of the second aerosol generator by a second amount, different from
the first
amount, when the input is provided to the second user input mechanism.
Thus, there has also been described an aerosol provision system for generating
aerosol
from a first aerosol generating material and for generating aerosol from a
second
aerosol generating material, the system comprising: a first aerosol generating
material,
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a second aerosol generating material, and an aerosol provision device for
generating
aerosol from the first aerosol generating material and the second aerosol
generating
material, the device comprising: a first user input mechanism for controlling
a first
aerosol generator configured to generate aerosol from the first aerosol
generating
material; a second user input mechanism for controlling a second aerosol
generator
configured to generate aerosol from the second aerosol generating material;
and
control circuitry configured to receive an input from a user via either the
first user input
mechanism or the second user input mechanism and to control a property of the
respective aerosol generator; wherein, in response to the input, the control
circuitry is
K.) configured to alter the property of the first aerosol generator by a
first amount when the
input is provided to the first user input mechanism and the control circuitry
is
configured to alter the property of the second aerosol generator by a second
amount,
different from the first amount, when the input is provided to the second user
input
mechanism.
Thus, there has also been described a method of controlling an aerosol
provision device
for generating aerosol from a first aerosol generating material and a second
aerosol
generating material, the device comprising a first user input mechanism for
controlling
a first aerosol generator configured to generate aerosol from a first aerosol
generating
material, a second user input mechanism for controlling a second aerosol
generator
configured to generate aerosol from a second aerosol generating material; and
control
circuitry configured to receive an input from a user via either the first user
input
mechanism or the second user input mechanism and to control a property of the
respective aerosol generator, the method comprising: identifying an input to
either the
first user input mechanism or to the second user input mechanism; and either
altering
the property of the first aerosol generator by a first amount when the input
is provided
to the first user input mechanism; or altering the property of the second
aerosol
generator by a second amount when the input is provided to the second user
input
mechanism; wherein, the second amount is different from the first amount.
Thus, there has also been described aerosol provision means for generating
aerosol
from first aerosol generating material means and a second aerosol generating
material
means, the aerosol provision means comprising: first user input means for
controlling
first aerosol generator means configured to generate aerosol from the first
aerosol
generating material means; second user input means for controlling second
aerosol
generator means configured to generate aerosol from the second aerosol
generating
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material means; and control means configured to receive an input from a user
via either
the first user input means or the second user input means and to control a
property of
the respective aerosol generator means; wherein, in response to the input, the
control
means is configured to alter the property of the first aerosol generator means
by a first
amount when the input is provided to the first user input means and the
control means
is configured to alter the property of the second aerosol generator means by a
second
amount, different from the first amount, when the input is provided to the
second user
input means.
_ro While the above described embodiments have in some respects focussed on
some
specific example aerosol provision systems, it will be appreciated the same
principles
can be applied for aerosol provision systems using other technologies. That is
to say,
the specific manner in which various aspects of the aerosol provision system
function
are not directly relevant to the principles underlying the examples described
herein.
In order to address various issues and advance the art, this disclosure shows
by way of
illustration various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be
practiced.
The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample
of
embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented
only to
assist in understanding and to teach the claimed invention(s). It is to be
understood
that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures,
and/or other
aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the
disclosure as
defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that
other
embodiments may be 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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