EP4611482A1

EP4611482A1 - Aerosol provision device

Info

Publication number: EP4611482A1
Application number: EP24160894.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Damyn Musgrave; Connor BRUTON; Steve Hughes; Neil MCCARAGHER
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Priority date: 2024-03-01
Filing date: 2024-03-01
Publication date: 2025-09-03
Also published as: WO2025181274A1

Abstract

An aerosol provision device (100) comprises an article receiving portion (110) for receiving, in use, an article (120) comprising an aerosol generating material. The aerosol provision device (100) also comprises a heating arrangement (125) which is configured to heat an article (120) received within the article receiving portion (110). The heating arrangement (125) comprises at least one heating element (130) and a support element (140) to which the at least one heating element (130) is attached. The at least one heating element (130) comprises a semiconductor material.

Description

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol provision device, an aerosol provision system, and a method of manufacturing an aerosol provision device.

Background

Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and the like burn tobacco during use to create tobacco smoke. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these articles by creating products that release compounds without combusting. Examples of such products are so-called "heat not burn" products or tobacco heating devices or products, which release compounds by heating, but not burning, material. The material may be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine.

Summary

From a first aspect, there is provided an aerosol provision device comprising:

an article receiving portion for receiving, in use, an article comprising an aerosol generating material; and
a heating arrangement, configured to heat an article received within the article receiving portion, the heating arrangement comprising:
- at least one heating element comprising a semiconductor material; and
- a support element to which the at least one heating element is attached.

Optionally, the semiconductor material comprises at least one of: silicon carbide or gallium nitride.
Optionally, the support element comprises a substantially planar support element and wherein the at least one heating element is substantially planar.
Optionally, the support element is tubular, and wherein the at least one heating element is tubular.
Optionally, the at least one heating element is attached to an inside surface of the support element.
Optionally, the at least one heating element at least partially defines the article receiving portion.
Optionally, the at least one heating element is arranged to contact the article when the article is received within the article receiving portion.
Optionally, the support element is formed from an electrically insulative and/or thermally insulative material.
Optionally, the support element is formed from borosilicate-glass.
Optionally, the support element has a thickness of at least 80 micrometres, e.g. at least 100 micrometres.
Optionally, the at least one heating element has a thickness in the range 10-500 micrometres, e.g. 50-100 micrometres.
Optionally, the at least one heating element is deposited on the support element by at least one of physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition.
Optionally, the support element is made from a material which has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is less than or equal to 20×10^-6/K. This coefficient of thermal expansion may be the linear coefficient of thermal expansion.
Optionally, the support element is made from a material which has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is substantially the same (e.g. the same) as the coefficient of thermal expansion of the semiconductor material.
Optionally, the at least one heating element is mechanically attached to the support element.
Optionally, the at least one heating element and the support element together form a sub-assembly which is assembled, during manufacture, prior to arranging of the sub-assembly within the aerosol provision device.
From another aspect, the present disclosure provides an aerosol provision system comprising:

the aerosol provision device according to any embodiment described above; and
an article comprising an aerosol generating material.

From another aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing an aerosol provision device, the method comprising:

forming a support element;
attaching at least one heating element comprising a semiconductor material to the support element to form a sub-assembly; and
arranging the sub-assembly at least partially within a housing of the aerosol provision device.

Optionally, the method step of attaching the at least one heating element to the support element comprises depositing the at least one heating element on the support element by at least one of physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition.
Optionally, the method step of attaching the at least one heating element to the support element comprises mechanically attaching the at least one heating element to the support element.

Brief Description Of The Drawings

Various embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 2a shows a heating arrangement according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 2b shows a heating arrangement according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 3 shows another heating arrangement according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 4a shows a heating arrangement sub-assembly and its associated aerosol provision device housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 4b shows an assembled aerosol provision device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Fig. 5 shows a flowchart describing a method of manufacturing an aerosol provision device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein, the term "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. Aerosol-generating material may include any plant based material, such as tobacco-containing material and may, for example, include one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes. Aerosol-generating material also may include other, non-tobacco, products, which, depending on the product, may or may not contain nicotine. Aerosol-generating material may for example be in the form of a solid, a liquid, a gel, a wax or the like. Aerosol-generating material may for example also be a combination or a blend of materials. Aerosol-generating material may also be known as "smokable material".
The aerosol-generating material may comprise a binder and an aerosol former. Optionally, an active and/or filler may also be present. Optionally, a solvent, such as water, is also present and one or more other components of the aerosol-generating material may or may not be soluble in the solvent. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially free from botanical material. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially tobacco free.
The aerosol-generating material may comprise or be an "amorphous solid". The amorphous solid may be a "monolithic solid". 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 comprise an aerosol-generating film. The aerosol-generating film may comprise or be a sheet, which may optionally be shredded to form a shredded sheet. The aerosol-generating sheet or shredded sheet may be substantially tobacco free.
According to the present disclosure, a "non-combustible" aerosol provision system (sometimes referred to as "an 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 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.
Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable (sometimes referred to as an "article") 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 (e.g. an energy storage device) and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source.
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.
An aerosol generating device can receive an article comprising aerosol generating material for heating. An "article" in this context is a component that includes or contains in use the aerosol generating material, which is heated to volatilise the aerosol generating material, and optionally other components in use. A user may insert the article into the aerosol generating device before it is heated to produce an aerosol, which the user subsequently inhales. The article may be, for example, of a predetermined or specific size that is configured to be placed within a heating chamber of the device which is sized to receive the article.
Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of an aerosol provision system 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The aerosol provision system 102 comprises an aerosol provision device 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, together with an article 120 comprising an aerosol generating material. The aerosol provision device 100 includes an article receiving portion 110 which is configured to receive an article 120. The article receiving portion 110 may be in the form of a cavity or chamber within the aerosol provision device 100 for receiving the article 120 therein. It will be appreciated, however, that the article receiving portion 110 may take any suitable form that is capable of suitably receiving the article 110.
As depicted, the article 120 may be separate to (e.g. separable or removable from) the aerosol provision device 100. The article 120 may comprise an aerosol generating material, which when heated will produce an aerosol which can be inhaled by a user of the aerosol provision system 102. As set out above, the aerosol generating material may comprise any suitable material.
The aerosol provision device 100 further includes a heating arrangement 125, which is configured to heat the article 120 when received within the article receiving portion 110. As the heating arrangement 125 heats the article 120 when received therein, the heating arrangement 125 may be considered to be an aerosol generator. The heating arrangement 125 comprises: a heating element 130 comprising (e.g. which is made at least in part from) a semiconductor material; and a support element 140 to which the heating element 130 is attached. As will be appreciated, the semiconductor material of the heating element 130 may have an electrical resistance to the flow of electrical current therethrough. Accordingly, the heating element 130, comprising the semiconductor material, may generate heat when an electrical current is applied to the heating element 130. The heating element 130 comprising the semiconductor material may thus be considered to form a resistive heating element. The heating element 130 may be formed from the semiconductor material.
As well as the aforementioned components, the aerosol provision device 100 may comprise a power source 150. The power source 150 may comprise, for example, at least one of: a battery (which may be single use or be rechargeable), a rechargeable capacitor (e.g. a rechargeable super capacitor), a rechargeable solid-state battery (SSB), a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (LiB) or the like, a hermetically sealed battery, a pouch cell battery or some combination thereof. The power source 150 may be charged by plugging a power supply into the aerosol provision device 100, or the power source 150 may be replaceable, e.g. in the form of a replaceable battery. Whilst not depicted, the aerosol provision device 100 may further comprise a controller configured to control the supply of electrical power from the power source 150 to the heating arrangement 125, specifically the heating element 130 thereof.
Various other components may be included in the aerosol provision device 100, such as an activation switch or button, a central controller, among other components common to aerosol provision devices. However, for the sake of brevity, these components are not discussed here. Notwithstanding this, the skilled person would readily appreciate, if necessary, how to utilise some or all of these components when implementing the present invention.
It has been found that when at least some semiconductor materials are used in the production of heating elements for aerosol provision devices 100, the heating elements can be brittle and prone to breaking, e.g. after being exposed to the stresses of regular use. The Applicant has appreciated that by attaching the heating element 130 (which comprises the semiconductor material) to a support element 140, the heating element 130 may be more durable, e.g. the heating element 130 may be less prone to breaking. The support element 140 may function to protect the heating element 130 from damage. When attached to the support element 140, the heating element 130 may effectively obtain the strength properties of the support element 140, as opposed to the heating element 130 itself.
In some embodiments, the semiconductor material of the heating element 130 may comprise at least one of silicon carbide or gallium nitride. In embodiments where the semiconductor material comprises silicon carbide, it may be doped with nitrogen or phosphorous, in order to make a n-type semiconductor. Alternatively, the silicon carbide could be doped with beryllium, boron, aluminium or gallium to form a p-type semiconductor. Obtaining a p-type or an n-type semiconductor may result in a respective decrease or increase in conductivity of the doped semiconductor when heated. Suitable selection of the type of semiconductor material and the type of doping may thus be performed in order to obtain a heating element 130 with the desired properties for generating heat suitable for the specific aerosol provision device.
In some embodiments, the heating arrangement 125 may comprise a plurality of heating elements 130. Each of the plurality of heating elements 130 may be attached to the same support element 140, or discrete support elements. Each of the plurality of heating elements 130 may have substantially the same shape, or they may each vary in physical dimensions in order to deliver a specific and customised heating profile to the article 120. In some embodiments, the heating element 130 (or each heating element where multiple are provided) may have substantially the same length as the length of the article receiving portion 110 (the length L depicted in Fig. 1). In other embodiments, at least one of the heating elements 130 may extend along part of the length L of the article receiving portion 110.
The heating arrangement 125 may take any suitable form, and its specific form may depend on the type of article 120, or the type of aerosol generating material therein, which it is design to be used with. Figs. 2a, 2b, 3 each show different forms and shapes of the heating element relative to the support element, and will be discussed in more detail below. These embodiments are merely examples of potential formats for the heating arrangement 125 shown in Figure 1. As will be appreciated, the skilled person will be capable of implementing a variety of shapes for the heating elements 130. For example, the heating element may not be regular in cross section, or it may vary in shape and size along one or more of its axes.
The support element, and thus the heating element attached thereto, may have any suitable form. In some embodiments, the support element may comprise a substantially planar support element, as is shown in Figs. 2a and 2b, which show example heating arrangements 225a, 225b. As shown in Fig. 2a, the heating arrangement 225a may comprise a substantially (e.g. fully) planar support element 240a to which a heating element 230a may be attached. As depicted, the heating element 230a may similarly be substantially (e.g. fully) planar. Such a heating arrangement 225a may be utilised in the aerosol provision device 100 shown in Figure 1. A substantially planar heating arrangement 225a, of the type shown in Figure 2a may be well suited to the heating of substantially planar articles.
In some embodiments, the aerosol provision device 100 may utilise multiple heating elements as part of the heating arrangement.
As shown in Figure 2a, the heating element 230a may have the same size and shape as the support element 240a such that the heating element 230a is in contact with the entire surface of the support element 240a.
Alternatively, in some embodiments, as shown in Fig. 2b, the support element 240b may be larger than the heating element 230b in the planar dimension, though the support element 240b could equally be smaller than the heating element 230b. Having a support element 240b with a larger planar dimension than the heating element 230b it supports may advantageously allow for an increased robustness of the heating arrangement 225b as a whole.
The substantially planar heating arrangements 225a, 225b may be placed along (e.g. arranged so as to define) one side of the article receiving portion 110, or multiple sides of the article receiving portion 110. In some embodiments, wherein the article receiving portion 110 has, for example, four sides along its longitudinal axis, a heating arrangement 225a, 225b of the type shown in Figures 2a, 2b may be placed along each of the four sides.
Whilst in some embodiments the support element may be substantially planar, it will be appreciated that the support element may take any other suitable shape. In some embodiments, the support element may be tubular. This is illustrated in Fig. 3, which shows an example heating arrangement 325, with a tubular support element 340 and heating element 330 attached thereto. In such embodiments, the tubular support element 340 and heating element 330 may surround an article receiving portion 310. In some embodiments, the tubular support element 340 and heating element 330 may act to define the article receiving portion 310. At least one of the heating elements 330 may also be tubular, as depicted. The tubular shape of the support 340 and the heating element 330 may be constant in cross sectional area along the longitudinal axis of the heating arrangement 325. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the cross-sectional area may vary along the longitudinal axis in either a continuous or discontinuous manner. For example, the support element 340 may taper towards a distal end, with the heating element 330 having the same configuration.
Whilst the tubular heating arrangement 325 depicted in Figure 3 has a circular cross section, it will be appreciated that the configuration of the tubular heating arrangement 325 may extend to other shaped configurations. For example, the heating element 330 and support element 340 may be arranged as concentric quadrilateral or hexagonal hollow prisms. In other words, while the cross section of the tubular heating arrangement 325 is circular, the cross section could equally be a quadrilateral or a hexagon. Any shape of cross section may be used, and may be constructed by a single heating element and single support element, or multiple heating and support elements which are joined to form the desired cross section. The flexibility of arranging the heating and support elements in this manner allows for any suitable shape of article receiving portion to be supported.
As shown in Figure 3, the heating element 330 may be attached to an inside surface 345 of the support element 340, with the heating element 330 in full contact with the inside surface 345 of the support element 340. However, in some embodiments, the heating element 330 may be attached to the support element 340 by only contacting part of the surface of the support element 340. That is to say that there may be gaps between the heating element 330 and the support element 340, which could allow for improved cooling of the heating element 330 when the aerosol provision device 100 is not in use. The support element 340 may, for example, comprise protrusions which the heating element 330 is attached to. In some embodiments, the gaps may be filled with a thermally insulating material to prevent the dissipation of heat from the heating element 330 to elsewhere in the device.
Referring back to Figure 1, the article receiving portion 110 within the aerosol provision device 100 may be defined, at least in part, by any suitable part of the device 100. However, in some embodiments, at least some of the article receiving portion 110 is defined by the heating element 130 of the heating arrangement 125. This may be the case, for example, in the embodiment of the heating arrangement 325 shown in Figure 3 whereby the heating element 330 defines the article receiving portion 310. Any of the heating arrangements 225a, 225b, 325 described above may be employed in the device 100 shown in Figure 1.
With reference back to Figure 1, when the article 120 is inserted into the article receiving portion 110, it may directly contact one of the heating elements 130. In some embodiments, the article 120 may contact more than one of the heating elements 130 of the aerosol provision device 100. In some embodiments, the article 120 may contact all of the heating elements of the heating arrangement 125 of the aerosol provision device 100. This may ensure that as much heat as possible is transferred from the heating elements 130 to the article 120, enabling efficient heating of the aerosol generating material within the article 120. Where a tubular heating element 330, as shown in Figure 3, is provided, the article 120 may contact substantially all, e.g. all, of an exposed surface of the tubular heating element 330.
With reference to Figure 1, some example embodiments of the aerosol provision device 100, specifically in relation to the heating arrangement 125 comprising support element 140 and heating element 130, will now be described. However, it will be appreciated that the features of various embodiments discussed below may equally be applied to the heating arrangements 225a, 225b, 325, e.g. the heating elements and support elements thereof. The support element 140 may be formed from an electrically insulative material. In some embodiments, the support element 140 is formed from a thermally insulative material. In another embodiment, the support element 140 is formed from both an electrically and thermally insulative material. This may protect the rest of the aerosol provision device 100 from the high temperatures of the heating elements 130 when the heating element 130 is powered. Using an electrically insulative material may also prevent any electrical current running through the heating element 130 from electrically shorting any other electrical components of the device 100. The electrically insulative material may be, for example, a ceramic or polymer-based material. The thermally insulative material may be a ceramic or polymer-based material.
In some embodiments, the support element 140 may be formed from borosilicate-glass. A support element 140 formed from such a material may be more resistant to thermal shock than other common glasses, and thus be able to withstand more extreme temperature differentials without fracturing.
In some embodiments, the support element 140 may have a thickness of at least 80 micrometres, preferably at least 100 micrometres. For example, the support element 140 may be made of Corning^® Willow^® Glass or other similar, thin glass types. Forming the support element 140 out of a flexible material such as the Willow^® glass may allow for the support element 140 to take on any shape needed to support the specific arrangement of the heating elements 130.
In some embodiments, the heating element 130 may have a thickness in the range of 10-500 micrometres, preferably between 50-100 micrometres. A heating element 130 with a thickness in this range may allow for the heating element 130 to take up less space in the aerosol provision device 100, enabling a more compact overall device 100. It may also provide a heating element 130 with suitable resistive properties for the generation appropriate levels of heat for the generation of an aerosol.
The heating element 130 may be attached to the support element 140 in any suitable manner. The heating element 130 comprising a semiconductor material may be attached to the support element 140 by a chemical vapour deposition technique, such as atomic layer deposition. In some embodiments, the heating element 130 comprising the semiconductor material may be deposited via a physical vapour deposition technique such as plasma vapour deposition. In other embodiments, particularly when the desired thickness is closer to 10 micrometres, deposition of the heating element 130 onto the support element 140 can be performed using molecular beam epitaxy. As will be appreciated, the deposition of the heating element 130 in this manner may be considered to also form the heating element 130 on the support element 140. In the embodiments discussed above, the bonds at the interface between the surfaces of the heating element 130 and the support element 140, formed during physical vapour deposition or chemical vapour deposition, serve to attach the two elements. The bonds may thus provide the attachment.
The material which the support element 140 is made from may have a coefficient of thermal expansion that is less than or equal to 20×10^-6/K. This coefficient of thermal expansion may be the linear coefficient of thermal expansion.
In order to reduce the mechanical stress and/or strain experienced by the semiconductor material of the heating element 130 and the support element 140 to which it is attached, the materials chosen for the heating element 130 and the support element 140 have substantially the same coefficient of thermal expansion. This may ensure that as the heating arrangement 125 expands and contracts with successive heating and cooling cycles, the heating element 130 and the support element 140 expand and contract at substantially the same rate thereby reducing the chance of introducing micro or macro defects in the materials, such as cracks or lattice dislocations. In some embodiments, a difference in the thermal expansion coefficients of the heating element 130 and the support element 140 may be less than 10%, e.g. less than 5%.
Fig. 4a shows an embodiment wherein a heating arrangement 425, which is made up of at least one heating element 430 and at least one support element 440 are attached together to form a sub-assembly 415. As shown in Figure 4a, the sub-assembly 415 may define an article receiving portion 410. The heating arrangement 425 may have a tubular configuration as depicted in Fig. 3, though any other configuration described above is suitable depending on the desired form factor. The sub-assembly 415 is its own separate component, which can be arranged within the space 405 in a housing 401 of the aerosol provision device 400 during the assembly of the aerosol provision device 400.
As depicted in Fig. 4a, in some embodiments, the heating element 430 may be attached to the support element 440 via a mechanical means. The mechanical means may, for example, comprise at least one catch 445 arranged to attach (e.g. hold) the heating element 430 against the support element 440. The mechanical means, e.g. the at least one catch 445, may be integrally provided with the support element 440. The mechanical means may comprise any suitable arrangement for holding the heating element 430 against the support element 440 and the catch 445 depicted is just one example. In alternative embodiments, part of the heating element 430 may have protrusions which are received by corresponding grooves of the support element 440, and the two elements may be held together by frictional forces. In other embodiments, the heating element 430 may be attached to the support element 440 by any other suitable means, e.g. through physical or chemical vapour deposition as described above. In some embodiments, instead, or in addition to the mechanical means, the heating element 430 may be attached to the support element 440 by an adhesive, e.g. a glue. In some embodiments, the mechanical means may be configured to form a friction fit between the heating element 430 and the support element 440.
Fig. 4b shows an assembled aerosol provision device 400 wherein the sub-assembly 415 has been inserted into the space 405 of the housing 401. As with other embodiments, when the heating arrangement 425 is inserted into the space 405, the aerosol provision device 400 has a heating arrangement 425 and an article receiving portion 410. Manufacturing a sub-assembly 415 in this way may allow for a more straightforward construction of the aerosol provision device 400. It may also allow for the heating element 430 to be attached to the support element 440 more easily. In embodiments where the semiconductor material of the heating element 430 is deposited on the support element 440 via a chemical or physical vapour deposition technique, forming a sub-assembly 415 may make it easier to apply said techniques during the deposition process.
In addition to the various embodiments of the aerosol provision devices discussed above, a method 500 of manufacturing an aerosol provision device 400 is also provided, as shown in Fig. 5. For ease of reference, the method will be described with respect to the aerosol provision device 400 shown in Figs. 4a, 4b, however it should be appreciated that it may be applied to any of the embodiments described herein.
At step 510, the support element 440 is formed. The support element 440 may be formed by any suitable method, and the material chosen may be any suitable material, such as borosilicate glass as mentioned above. Next, step 520 involves attaching at least one heating element 430 to the support element 440, thereby forming a sub-assembly 415 as discussed above. In some embodiments, attaching at least one heating element 430 to the support element 440 can be done by any of the methods described above, for example by using at least one of chemical vapour deposition or physical vapour deposition. While chemical or physical vapour deposition is used to deposit the heating element 430 onto the support element 440, the bonds at the interface between the surfaces of the heating element 430 and the support element 440 serve to attach the two elements. Alternatively, some embodiments of step 520 may involve the mechanical attachment of at least one heating element 430 to the support element 440. In other embodiments, the attachment of at least one heating element 430 to the support element 440 may comprise using both a mechanical attachment and a use of at least one of chemical vapour deposition and physical vapour deposition. Other embodiments may comprise attachment using a form of adhesive.
Following formation of the sub-assembly 415, at step 530, the sub-assembly 415 may be arranged at least partially within a housing 401 of the aerosol provision device 400. In some embodiments, the sub-assembly 415 may be contained (e.g. entirely contained) within a housing 401 of the aerosol provision device 400.
By following the steps of the above-described method, the resulting aerosol provision device 400 may be manufactured more easily, and may be more easily repaired and serviced if necessary.
Whilst in the various embodiments described herein the aerosol provision device has been described as comprising an article receiving portion, it will be appreciated that the article receiving portion may instead be (e.g. be replaced by) an aerosol receiving portion configured to receive an aerosol generating material (e.g. in liquid form) which may or may not be part of an article.
The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope of the invention 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 claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

Claims

An aerosol provision device comprising:
an article receiving portion for receiving, in use, an article comprising an aerosol generating material; and

a heating arrangement, configured to heat an article received within the article receiving portion, the heating arrangement comprising:
at least one heating element comprises a semiconductor material; and

a support element to which the at least one heating element is attached.
The aerosol provision device of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor material comprises at least one of: silicon carbide or gallium nitride.
The aerosol provision device of any preceding claim, wherein the support element comprises a substantially planar support element and wherein the at least one heating element is substantially planar.
The aerosol provision device of any preceding claim, wherein the support element is tubular, and wherein the at least one heating element is tubular.
The aerosol provision device of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one heating element is attached to an inside surface of the support element.
The aerosol provision device of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one heating element at least partially defines the article receiving portion.
The aerosol provision device of any preceding claim, wherein the support element is formed from borosilicate-glass.
The aerosol provision device of any preceding claim, wherein the support element has a thickness of at least 80 micrometres, e.g. at least 100 micrometres.
The aerosol provision device of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one heating element has a thickness in the range 10-500 micrometres, e.g. 50-100 micrometres.
The aerosol provision device of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one heating element is deposited on the support element by at least one of physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition.
The aerosol provision device of any preceding claim, wherein the support element is made from a material which has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is substantially the same as the coefficient of thermal expansion of the semiconductor material.
The aerosol provision device of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one heating element is mechanically attached to the support element.
The aerosol provision device of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one heating element and the support element together form a sub-assembly which is assembled, during manufacture, prior to arranging of the sub-assembly within the aerosol provision device.
An aerosol provision system comprising:
the aerosol provision device of any preceding claim; and

an article comprising an aerosol generating medium.
A method of manufacturing an aerosol provision device, the method comprising:
forming a support element;

attaching at least one heating element comprising a semiconductor material to the support element to form a sub-assembly; and

arranging the sub-assembly at least partially within a housing of the aerosol provision device.