EP4623721A1

EP4623721A1 - System for refilling aerosol provision device, device and method

Info

Publication number: EP4623721A1
Application number: EP24165953.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: David Bishop; Howard ROTHWELL; Ugurhan Yilmaz; Christopher Daniels; Keiann WILLIAMS; Mark HARRIMAN; Andrews OHENE
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Priority date: 2024-03-25
Filing date: 2024-03-25
Publication date: 2025-10-01
Also published as: WO2025202617A1

Abstract

Described is a system including: an aerosol provision device comprising an aerosol-generating material storage portion for storing an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision device arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage portion; and a recharging and refilling device configured to couple to the aerosol provision device, the recharging and refilling device comprising a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the recharging and refilling device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the recharging and refilling device, and recharging circuitry configured to recharge a power source of the aerosol provision device from a power supply of the recharging and refilling device when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the recharging and refilling device. The transfer mechanism comprises a volume bounded by one or more walls, and in which aerosol-generating material is capable of being stored, wherein at least one of the one or more walls comprises a collapsible wall, and wherein the volume is in fluid communication with the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device via an outlet. Collapsing of the collapsible wall causes aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the one or more walls via the outlet and to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device. Also described is a recharging and refilling device and a method for refilling and recharging.

Description

Field

The present disclosure relates to systems for providing aerosol to a user including 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) are used by some as a replacement or alternative to cigarettes, for example such as those looking to reduce nicotine consumption.
Electronic aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) generally contain a reservoir of a source liquid containing a formulation, typically including nicotine, from which an aerosol is generated, e.g. through heat vaporisation. An aerosol source for an aerosol provision system may thus comprise a heater having a heating element arranged to receive source liquid from the reservoir, for example through wicking / capillary action. While a user inhales on the device, electrical power is supplied to the heating element to vaporise source liquid in the vicinity of the heating element to generate an aerosol for inhalation by the user. Such devices are usually provided with one or more air inlet holes located away from a mouthpiece end of the system. When a user sucks on a mouthpiece connected to the mouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn in through the inlet holes and past the aerosol source. There is a flow path connecting between the aerosol source and an opening in the mouthpiece so that air drawn past the aerosol source continues along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying some of the aerosol from the aerosol source with it. The aerosol-carrying air exits the aerosol provision system through the mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.
To help reduce material wastage and/or disposal of such electronic aerosol provision systems, some electronic aerosol provision systems are provided with refillable reservoirs, which can be refilled with aerosol-generating material and used for multiple times without disposal. However, implementing this refilling process in a way that avoids leakage or exposure of the aerosol-generating material to user's skin and in a convenient, easy-to-use way and energy efficient way for users presents some challenges.
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 a system including: an aerosol provision device comprising an aerosol-generating material storage portion for storing an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision device arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage portion; and a recharging and refilling device configured to couple to the aerosol provision device, the recharging and refilling device comprising a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the recharging and refilling device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the recharging and refilling device, and recharging circuitry configured to recharge a power source of the aerosol provision device from a power supply of the recharging and refilling device when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the recharging and refilling device. The transfer mechanism comprises a volume bounded by one or more walls, and in which aerosol-generating material is capable of being stored, wherein at least one of the one or more walls comprises a collapsible wall, and wherein the volume is in fluid communication with the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device via an outlet. Collapsing of the collapsible wall causes aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the one or more walls via the outlet and to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device.
In some examples, the transfer mechanism comprises an engagement member arranged to engage with the one or more walls, wherein the transfer mechanism is operably controlled to apply a force directly or indirectly to the collapsible wall through the engagement member causing the volume bounded by the one or more walls to decrease.
In some examples, the engagement member is configured to move in a first direction toward the one or more walls.
In some examples, the engagement member is controlled to move in the first direction by a predetermined amount.
In some examples, the transfer mechanism comprises a housing in which the volume bounded by the one or more walls is provided, and wherein the housing movably receives the engagement member such that the engagement member is guided by the housing as the engagement member moves towards the volume bounded by the one or more walls.
In some examples, the collapsible wall is formed from a flexible material.
In some examples, the transfer mechanism comprises an inflatable element configured to receive a fluid to increase the volume of the inflatable element, and wherein the inflatable element is positioned such that an increase in volume of the inflatable element causes a decrease in the volume bounded by the one or more walls.
In some examples, the refilling device is configured such that at least one of the one or more walls of the volume bounded by the one or more walls is exposed such that a user of the system is capable of interacting with at least one of the one or more walls to reduce the volume bounded by the one or more walls.
In some examples, the system comprises an aerosol-generating material supply path extending between a reservoir of the refilling device and the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device, the reservoir comprising the volume bounded by the one or more walls, wherein aerosol-generating material stored in the reservoir of the refilling device is capable of being transferred along the aerosol-generating material supply path upon collapsing of the collapsible wall.
In some examples, the aerosol-generating material supply path is formed of a first part extending from the reservoir to an aerosol provision device interface of the refilling device, and a second part extending from a refill device interface of the aerosol provision device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion, wherein when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the refilling device, the refill device interface and the aerosol provision device interface are engaged with one another to fluidly couple the first part and the second part of the aerosol-generating material supply path.
According to a second aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a recharging and refilling device configured refill an aerosol-generating material storage portion for storing an aerosol-generating material of an aerosol provision device, the aerosol provision device arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage portion, the recharging and refilling device including: a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the recharging and refilling device to an aerosol-generating material storage portion of an aerosol provision device coupled to the recharging and refilling device, and recharging circuitry configured to recharge a power source of the aerosol provision device from a power supply of the recharging and refilling device when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the recharging and refilling device. The transfer mechanism comprises a volume bounded by one or more walls and in which aerosol-generating material is capable of being stored, wherein at least one of the one or more walls comprises a collapsible wall, and wherein the volume is in fluid communication with the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device via an outlet. Collapsing of the collapsible wall causes aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the one or more walls via the outlet and to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device.
According to a third aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a method for refilling and recharging an aerosol-generating material storage portion of an aerosol provision device for aerosolising aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage portion, the method including: coupling the aerosol provision device to a recharging and refilling device, wherein the recharging a refilling device comprises a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the recharging and refilling device to an aerosol-generating material storage portion of an aerosol provision device coupled to the recharging and refilling device, and recharging circuitry configured to recharge a power source of the aerosol provision device from a power supply of the recharging and refilling device when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the recharging and refilling device; recharging the power source of the aerosol provision system; and collapsing a collapsible wall of the transfer mechanism, wherein one or more walls bound a volume, wherein at least one of the one or more walls comprises the collapsible wall, wherein the volume stores aerosol-generating material and is in fluid communication with the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device via an outlet, and wherein collapsing of the collapsible wall causes aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the one or more walls via the outlet and to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device.
According to a fourth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a system including:
aerosol provision means comprising aerosol-generating material storage means for storing an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision means arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage means; and recharging and refilling means configured to couple to the aerosol provision means, the recharging and refilling means comprising transfer means for transferring aerosol-generating material from the recharging and refilling means to the aerosol-generating material storage means when the aerosol provision means is coupled to the recharging and refilling means, and recharging circuitry configured to recharge power means of the aerosol provision means from a power supply means of the recharging and refilling means when the aerosol provision means is coupled to the recharging and refilling means. The transfer means comprises a volume bounded by one or more walls, and in which aerosol-generating material is capable of being stored, wherein at least one of the one or more walls comprises a collapsible wall, and wherein the volume is in fluid communication with the aerosol-generating material storage means of the aerosol provision means via an outlet, and wherein collapsing of the collapsible wall causes aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the one or more walls via the outlet and to the aerosol-generating material storage means of the aerosol provision 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 a system for providing an aerosol to a user, including an aerosol provision device, an aerosol modifying agent release component, and a refill and recharge device according to an aspect of the present disclosure;
Figure 2 schematically shows, in cross-section, the aerosol provision device of the system of Figure 1 in more detail;
Figure 3 schematically shows, in cross-section, the consumable of the system of Figure 1 in more detail;
Figure 4 schematically shows, in cross-section, the refill and recharge device of the system of Figure 1 in more detail in accordance with an implementation of the present disclosure, and in particular where the refill and recharge device comprises an inflatable element for applying a force to the reservoir of the refill and recharge device to cause aerosol-generating material to exit the reservoir;
Figure 5 schematically shows, in cross-section, the refill and recharge device of the system of Figure 1 in more detail in accordance with another implementation of the present disclosure, and in particular where the refill and recharge device comprises an opening for allowing a user to apply a force to the reservoir of the refill and recharge device to cause aerosol-generating material to exit the reservoir;
Figure 6 schematically shows, in cross-section, the refill and recharge device of the system of Figure 1 in more detail in accordance with another implementation of the present disclosure, and in particular where the refill and recharge device comprises a roller for applying a force to the reservoir of the refill and recharge device to cause aerosol-generating material to exit the reservoir;
Figure 7 schematically shows the arrangement of the roller and reservoir of the refill and recharge device of Figure 6 in isolation;
Figure 8 schematically shows, in cross-section, a modification of the refill and recharge device of Figure 4, where the refill and recharge device comprises a lid; and
Figure 9 shows a flow chart depicting a method for refilling and/or recharging an aerosol provision device using a refill and recharge device according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and these are not discussed / described in detail in the interests of brevity. It will thus be appreciated that aspects and features of apparatus and methods discussed herein which are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.
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 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 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 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.
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 generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material. As appropriate, either material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and/or one or more other functional materials.
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%, 60wt% or 70wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or 100wt% 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.
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 an active substance, 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.
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 glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material and/or the aerosol-modifying agent 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.
As noted herein, the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.
As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical" includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like. Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v.,Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v.,Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Memtha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens
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 aerosol-generating material and/or aerosol-modifying agent 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 (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.
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. 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 to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material and/or aerosol-modifying agent comprises an aerosol-former material. Examples of aerosol-former materials are provided above. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material and/or aerosol-modifying agent comprises one or more other functional materials, which may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.
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. 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.
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.
In accordance with the present disclosure, provided is a system comprising a recharging and refilling device configured to refill and recharge an aerosol provision device. The recharging and refilling device comprises a volume bounded by one or more walls, in which aerosol-generating material is capable of being stored, wherein at least one of the one or more walls comprises a collapsible wall. The volume bounded by the collapsible wall is in fluid communication with the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device via an outlet. To transfer aerosol-generating material to the aerosol provision device, the collapsible wall is collapsed, e.g., under application of a force, to cause aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the one or more walls via the outlet and to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device. In particular, the applied force causes the volume bound by the one or more walls to collapse, by virtue of the collapsing of the collapsible wall. This provides a simple, low cost and easy to use recharging and refilling device for recharging and refilling an aerosol provision device.
Figure 1 schematically shows a system 1 for providing an aerosol to a user in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The system 1 comprises a refill and recharge device 10 (sometimes referred to herein as a refill/recharge pack 10), an aerosol provision device 20, and an aerosol modifying agent release component 30 (sometimes referred to herein as a consumable or article).
Figure 1 schematically shows each of these components separated from one another. Each of these components will be described in more detail below. However, by way of summary, the aerosol provision device 20 is arranged to engage with the consumable 30 (for example, the aerosol provision device 20 may comprise a receptacle 21 for receiving at least a part of the consumable 30), with the consumable 30 and aerosol provision device 20 together being operable to deliver aerosol to a user. The combination of the aerosol provision device 20 and consumable 30 may be referred to herein as an aerosol provision system. The refill/recharge pack 10 is arranged to engage with the aerosol provision device 20 (for example, the refill/recharge pack 10 may comprise a receptacle 11 for receiving at least a part of the aerosol provision device 20), with the refill/recharge pack 10 being operable to recharge and/or refill the aerosol provision device 20 when the aerosol provision device 20 is engaged with the refill/recharge pack 10.
Figure 2 schematically shows the aerosol provision device 20 in more detail, along with a schematic representation of the consumable 30, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that Figure 2 is not shown to any particular scale and the various components are only schematically shown. In addition, it should be appreciated that certain features of the aerosol provision device 20 are omitted from Figure 2, such as the various wiring and electrical connections between certain components, for example.
The aerosol provision device 20 comprises a housing 20a, the receptacle 21 (which in this example is formed by the housing 20a), a power source 22, control circuitry 23, an aerosol-generating material storage area (or herein referred to as a reservoir) 24, an aerosol-generating material transport element 25, an aerosol generator 26, an airflow path formed of an air inlet 27a, a vapour generation chamber 27b, air passage 27c, and outlet 27d, a reservoir refill mechanism 28 and electrical contacts 29a and 29b.
In the described example, the aerosol provision system (i.e., the combination of the consumable 30 and the aerosol provision device 20) is configured to have the shape and dimensions of a cigarette. That is, the aerosol provision system may be broadly cylindrical and have a total dimension in the length direction L (i.e., along a longitudinal axis thereof) of between 13 cm and 6 cm, or between 12 cm and 7 cm, or between 9 cm and 8 cm and a total width dimension W (i.e., perpendicular to the longitudinal axis) of between 5 to 10 mm, or between 7 to 9 mm. However, it should be appreciated that in other implementations, the size and/or shape of the aerosol provision system may be different.
With reference to Figure 2, it can be seen that the width of consumable 30 is less than the width of the aerosol provision device 20, thereby providing a stepped profile at the relevant end of the aerosol provision system where the consumable 30 protrudes from the receptacle 21. In some implementations, the consumable 30 may be configured such that the protruding section has a similar width to the aerosol provision device 20. When the two are engaged, the protruding section of the consumable 30 protruding from the receptacle 21 forms a flush outer surface with the outer surface of the aerosol provision device 20. In other implementations, the consumable 30 may couple to the aerosol provision device 20 in a different manner, and may have a width dimension the same as the width dimension of the aerosol provision device 20 (for example, when the consumable 30 is attached at an end of the aerosol provision device 20).
In the described example, the aerosol provision system is intended to be held by a user during use and used in a similar manner to a cigarette. In this regard, providing the aerosol provision system with similar dimensions to a cigarette increases familiarity to users transitioning from cigarettes to electronic aerosol provision systems, which therefore may help ease such a transition. In some implementations, the aerosol provision system may also have a similar weight to a cigarette, for broadly similar reasons.
The outer housing 20a in the described implementation has an overall cylindrical shape. The outer housing 20a defines a proximal or mouth end 20b at which the receptacle 21 and consumable 30 (when present) are located and a distal end 20c, opposite the proximal end 20b. The outer housing 20a may be formed, for example, from a plastics or metallic material. In some implementations, the outer housing 20a may be circumscribed, at least partly, by a paper material or cellulose material. Within the outer housing 20a is located the various components of the aerosol provision device 20, such as the power source 22, control circuitry 23, etc.
The power source 22 in this implementation is a battery 22. The battery 22 is rechargeable and may be, for example, of the kind normally used in aerosol provision systems and other applications requiring provision of relatively high currents over relatively short periods. The battery 22 may be, for example, a lithium ion battery, although other battery chemistries may also be considered. The battery 22 is capable of being recharged via an external source (such as the refill/recharge pack 10, described later). In the present example, the aerosol provision device 20 includes a first electrical contact 29a at the distal end 20c of the outer housing 20a and a second electrical contact 29b at the proximal end 20b of the outer housing 20, positioned at an inner surface of the receptacle 21. The first and second electrical contacts 29a, 29b may be annular and extend around the outer surface of the outer housing 20a and the inner surface of the receptacle 21, accordingly. Broadly, the first electrical contact 29a is configured to couple to a positive terminal of an external power source (or alternatively a negative terminal) and the second electrical contact 29b is configured to couple to a negative terminal of an external power source (or alternatively a positive terminal). The electrical contacts 29a, 29b are electrically coupled to the terminals of the battery 22 (either directly or via suitable recharging circuitry) and can facilitate recharging of the battery 22. However, in other implementations, the electrical contacts 29a, 29b may be arranged differently (for example, at the same end of the housing 20a), or may be omitted if, for example, the battery 22 is to be recharged inductively using suitable wireless recharging circuitry provided in the housing 20a.
The control circuitry 23 is suitably configured / programmed to control the operations of the aerosol provision system. The control circuitry 23 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units / circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the aerosol provision system's operation and may be implemented by provision of a (micro)controller, processor, ASIC or similar form of control chip. The control circuitry 23 may be arranged to control any functionality associated with the aerosol provision system. By way of non-limiting examples only, the functionality may include the charging or re-charging of the battery 22, the discharging of the battery 22 (e.g., for providing power to the aerosol generator 26), in addition to other functionality such as controlling visual indicators (e.g., LEDs) / displays, communication functionality for communicating with external devices, etc. The control circuitry 23 may be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB). Note also that the functionality provided by the control circuitry 23 may be split across multiple circuit boards and / or across components which are not mounted to a PCB, and these additional components and / or PCBs can be located as appropriate within the aerosol provision device 20. For example, functionality of the control circuitry 23 for controlling the (re)charging functionality of the battery 23 may be provided separately (e.g. on a different PCB) from the functionality for controlling the discharge of the battery 22.
In the described implementation, the reservoir 24 (which is an example of an aerosol-generating material storage area) is provided as part of the aerosol provision device 20, for example, within housing 20a. In the described implementation, the reservoir 24 may be integrally formed with the aerosol provision device 20. The reservoir 24 may be unable to be removed from the aerosol provision device 20. However, in other implementations, the reservoir 24 may be removable from the aerosol provision device 20 (e.g., provided as a separate but connectable component of the aerosol provision device 20). The reservoir 24 may comprise one or more walls that define a volume, within which an aerosol generating material is capable of being stored. In the present example, the reservoir 24 is configured to store a liquid aerosol-generating material, and may therefore be configured so as to reduce or prevent leakage of the aerosol-generating material out of the reservoir 24. The reservoir 24 may take any suitable shape, such as a cylindrical shape.
In the present example, at one end of the reservoir 24 (e.g., an end closest to the distal end 20c of the housing 20a), the reservoir 24 is provided in fluid communication with an aerosol-generating material transport element 25 and an aerosol generator 26. For example, the reservoir 24 may comprising an opening, within which the aerosol-generating material transport element 25 is located or extends.
The aerosol-generating material transport element 25 is configured to transport the aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 24 to the aerosol generator 26. The specific mechanism underlying how the aerosol-generating material transport element 25 functions may depend on the aerosol-generating material stored in the reservoir 24. In some implementations, where the aerosol-generating material is a liquid or other material capable of flowing, the aerosol-generating material transport element 25 may be configured to transport aerosol-generating material via capillary action. In some implementations, the aerosol-generating material transport element 25 may comprise a porous material (e.g., ceramic) or a bundle of fibres (e.g., glass or cotton fibres) which define a plurality of pores or interstices capable of drawing liquid from the reservoir 24 to be provided to the aerosol generator 26. Any suitable aerosol-generating material transport element 25 may be utilised having regard to the specific aerosol-generating material stored in the reservoir 24 and/or the type of aerosol generator 26 used.
The aerosol generator 26 is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In the described implementations, the aerosol generator 26 is a heater or heating element. The heating element is 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. The form of the heating element is not particularly limited. In some implementations, the heating element may be a planar structure. By way of example, the heating element may take the form of an electrically conductive plate or sheet, for example of titanium or other electrically resistive material such as NiChrome. However, in other implementations, the heating element may take other forms, such as an electrically resistive wire or trace or the like. The precise form of the heating element is not specific to the present disclosure; however, it is noted that some technologies may, currently, be more suited to implementation in the aerosol provision device 20 having the size requirements specified above. In some implementations, the heating element is electrically connected to the control circuitry 23 and battery 22, and heating of the heating element is achieved by passing an electrical current between locations on the heating element. In other implementations, the heating element may be a susceptor element which is intended to generate heat upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field (generated by a suitable magnetic field generator located in the aerosol provision device 20 and controlled by the control circuitry 23).
In the described implementation, the aerosol generator 26 is a heating element. However, in yet other implementations, the aerosol generator 26 may be configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator 26 may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.
In the described implementation, the aerosol generator 26 is integrally formed with the aerosol provision device 20. However, in other implementations, the aerosol generator 26 and/or the aerosol-generating material transport element 25 may be removable from the aerosol provision device 20. In implementations where the reservoir 24 is removable, the aerosol generator 26 and aerosol-generating material transport element 25 may be removable with the reservoir 24 (for example, the reservoir 24, aerosol-generating material transport element 25, and aerosol generator 26 may form a single component that is replaceable).
In some implementations, the aerosol-generating material transport component 25 may be integrated with the aerosol generator 26 to form a combined aerosol generator and aerosol-generating material transport component. For example, in some implementations, the aerosol generator 26 may comprise a porous, conductive plate or a plurality of sintered steel fibres forming a planar structure.
In other implementations, the aerosol-generating material transport component 25 may be omitted; for example, in configurations where the aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 24 is capable of being transported to the aerosol generator 26 without the aerosol-generating material transport component 25. However, it should also be acknowledged that the aerosol-generating material transport component 25 may be provided not only to facilitate transport of aerosol-generating material to the aerosol generator 26, but also to regulate the transport of aerosol-generating material to the aerosol generator 26 (e.g., to provide a defined flow of aerosol-generating material).
The aerosol provision device 20 further comprises an airflow path formed of an air inlet 27a, a vapour generation chamber 27b, air passage 27c, and outlet 27d. Optionally, a pressure sensor 27e (or other suitable sensor) is provided in the airflow path. The air inlet 27a comprises one or more openings provided in the outer housing 20a. The air inlet 27a is provided in fluid communication with a vapour generation chamber 27b, which is a region around the aerosol generator 26 where vapour is initially generated and aerosol initially formed. In Figure 2, the vapour generation chamber 27b is shown as region extending the width of the reservoir 24, but it should be appreciated the vapour generation chamber 27b may take any suitable size or shape. The vapour generation chamber 27b is provided in fluid communication with the aerosol generator 26 such that it is capable of receiving generated vapour from the aerosol generator 26. The vapour generation chamber 27b is further provided in fluid communication with air passage 27c. The air passage 27c extends in the region between the reservoir 24 and the outer housing 20a, and passes either side of the reservoir 24, up to the outlet 27d provided at the base of the receptacle 21. Hence, it should be understood that the air pathway in the aerosol provision device 20 extends from the air inlet 27a to the outlet 27d at the base of the receptacle 21, via the vapour generation chamber 27b.
During use of the aerosol provision system, when a user inhales at a mouthpiece end of the aerosol provision system (for example a mouthpiece end of the consumable 30 / proximal end 20b of the housing 20a), air is drawn into the aerosol provision device 20 via the air inlet 27a, passes through the vapour generation chamber 27b where vaporised aerosol-generating material is entrained in the air, before being passed through the air passage 27c and to the air outlet 27d. As will be discussed in more detail below, the aerosol is then passed through the consumable 30 to impart at least one of a flavour and an active substance (e.g., nicotine) to the aerosol before being delivered to the user.
It should be appreciated that the specific form / arrangement of the airflow path is not specific to the principles of the present disclosure, and any suitable arrangement of the airflow path relative to the reservoir 24 may be utilised. For example, the air inlet 27a may be arranged at a different location than that shown in Figure 2, for instance at the distal end 20c of the housing 20a. In other implementations, the reservoir 24 may be an annular chamber having a central opening through which a singular air passage 27c passes, for example.
The aerosol provision device 20 further comprises a reservoir refill mechanism 28. The reservoir refill mechanism 28 is arranged in fluid communication with the reservoir 24 and is configured to allow the reservoir 24 to be refilled with aerosol-generating material, for example from the refill/recharge pack 10. For example, as the aerosol generator 26 is activated, some of the aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 24 is used up. The reservoir refill mechanism 28 is any suitable mechanism that allows the reservoir 24 to be refilled with aerosol-generating material. Refilling the reservoir 24 with aerosol-generating material allows the aerosol provision device 20 to be used multiple times, therefore improving the longevity of the aerosol provision device 20 and reducing material waste. In addition, the reservoir refill mechanism 28 is configured to provide a suitable seal (depending on the nature of the aerosol-generating material) to prevent the escape of aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 24. For example, in some implementations, the reservoir refill mechanism 28 may be valve, such as a spring-loaded ball valve, which is biased into a closed position but capable of being urged to an open position when the reservoir refill mechanism 28 is engaged with a suitable refilling mechanism (e.g., in the refill/recharge pack 10) for refilling of the reservoir 24 with aerosol-generating material. In other implementations, the reservoir refill mechanism 28 may comprise a septum capable of being pierced by a suitable needle or the like of a suitable refilling mechanism (e.g., in the refill/recharge pack 10). The reservoir refilling mechanism 28 is configured to allow aerosol-generating material to pass therethrough.
In the described example, the reservoir refill mechanism 28 is accessible through the receptacle 21. That is, the reservoir refill mechanism 28 is arranged such that the suitable refilling mechanism (e.g., in the refill/recharge pack 10) is capable of passing through an opening in the base of the receptacle 21 and interacting with the reservoir refill mechanism 28. In the present example, the air outlet 27d functions as the opening in the base of the receptacle 21 that allows both the aerosol to pass through the consumable 30 (when installed in the receptacle 21) and the suitable refilling mechanism (e.g., in the refill/recharge pack 10) to engage with the reservoir refill mechanism 28 (when the consumable 30 is not installed in the receptacle 21). However, it should be appreciated that in other implementations, the reservoir refill mechanism 28 may be arranged at an alternate location, for example, on a side of the housing 20a.
Broadly speaking, it should be appreciated that the aerosol provision device 20 of Figure 2 represents an example aerosol provision device 20. The exact arrangement of the components within the housing 20a, such as the aerosol generator 26, reservoir 24, air pathway, etc. may vary from implementation to implementation.
Figure 3 schematically shows the consumable 30 in more detail, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.
The consumable 30 comprises a housing 30a, a first, distal end retaining element 31, a second, proximal end retaining element 32, and an aerosol modifying agent 33.
The housing 30a of the consumable 30 may take any suitable shape, but in the present example is a cylindrical shape. The consumable 30 is sized so as to be received, at least partly, within the receptacle 21 of the aerosol provision device 20, and hence in this example, the receptacle 21 is also similarly cylindrical in shape. The housing 30a may be formed of any suitable material, for example a plastic material. In some implementations, the housing 30a may be formed from paper or a similar material such as card. Forming the housing 30a from paper or card may reduce the manufacturing cost of the consumable 30.
The housing 30a of Figure 3 is shown as being a tubular with openings at either ends thereof. At each end, a retaining element 31, 32 is provided. The retaining elements 31, 32 are positioned to extend across the openings of the tubular housing 30a. Accordingly, the retaining elements 31, 32 and the housing 30a define a volume therebetween. Within the volume is located the aerosol modifying agent 33. Accordingly, it should be understood that the retaining elements 31, 32 help to retain the aerosol modifying agent 33 within the consumable 30. In addition, the retaining elements 31, 32 are configured to allow air (and aerosol from the aerosol provision device 20) to pass through the retaining elements 31, 32. Hence, the retaining elements 31, 32 may take any suitable configuration that allows the retaining elements 31, 32 to both retain the aerosol modifying agent in the volume between the retaining elements 31, 32 and to allow air to pass therethrough. For example, in some implementations, the retaining elements 31, 32 comprise a planar mesh or a porous substrate. In some implementations, the retaining elements 31, 32, and in particular the retaining element 32 at the proximal end of the housing 30a, may be formed from a filter material, for example cellulose acetate. In such implementations, the retaining elements 31, 32 may also act as a filter for filtering certain constituents from the air flow that passes through the retaining elements 31, 32.
The aerosol modifying agent 33 may be any suitable aerosol modifying agent, for example any of the aerosol modifying agents listed above. In broad terms, the aerosol modifying agent 33 is configured to modify one or more properties of the aerosol that passes by or through the aerosol modifying agent 33. In accordance with certain aspects of the disclosure, the aerosol modifying agent 33 comprises an active substance. For example, in one implementation, the aerosol modifying agent 33 comprises nicotine. In accordance with certain aspects of the disclosure, the aerosol modifying agent 33 comprises a flavour or flavourant. For example, in one implementation, the aerosol modifying agent 33 comprises a tobacco flavouring.
In the described implementation, the aerosol modifying agent 33 is or comprises tobacco, for example, cut-rag tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, and/or treated tobacco. By using tobacco as the aerosol modifying agent 33, tobacco flavouring and nicotine may be imparted to aerosol passing through the consumable 30 and the aerosol modifying agent 33. In addition, the aerosol that is generated and modified by such a tobacco aerosol modifying agent 33 has similar flavours/tastes to smoke generated by cigarettes, thereby helping to facilitate switching of cigarette users to aerosol provision systems by improving the familiarity of the aerosol provision system to such cigarette users.
With reference to Figures 2 and 3, when the consumable 30 is engaged with the aerosol provision device 20, specifically when the consumable 30 is inserted into receptacle 21, the consumable 30 is inserted such that the distal end (i.e., the end comprising retaining element 31) is inserted first into the receptacle 21. That is, when the consumable 30 is inserted into the receptacle 21, the first, distal retaining element 31 is closest to the distal end 20c of the aerosol provision system 20.
During use of the aerosol provision system (i.e., the combination of the consumable 30 and the aerosol provision device 20), a user places their mouth at the proximal end of the consumable 30 containing the retaining element 32. When the user inhales, air is drawn into the aerosol provision device 20 through the air inlet 27a. In some implementations, the aerosol provision device 20 comprises the pressure sensor 27e (or a similar sensor, such as a flow sensor) which is capable of sensing reduce pressure or air flow through the airflow path as a result of a user inhalation. When the pressure sensor 27e senses air flow (for example, a drop in pressure) resulting from a user inhalation, the control circuitry 23 detects such a drop and subsequently supplies power to the aerosol generator 26 (from battery 22) to cause the aerosol generator 26 to activate, i.e., heat, and generate vapour. In other implementations, the aerosol provision device 20 may comprise a user input mechanism, such as a button (not shown), on the housing 20a of the aerosol provision device 20 which is able to be actuated by a user to cause activation of the aerosol generator 26. When the aerosol generator 26 is activated, aerosol-generating material supplied to the aerosol generator is vaporised / aerosolised and released into the vapour generation chamber 27b. As described above, the vapour is entrained into the airflow and forms an aerosol before being passed along the air passage 27c and out via the outlet 27d. Once the aerosol exits the outlet 27d, the aerosol passes through the retaining element 31 of the consumable 30, through or past the aerosol modifying agent 33, and out of the consumable 30 via the retaining element 32 to be delivered to the user's mouth.
Hence, it should be understood that the aerosol modifying agent 33 acts to modify at least one property of the aerosol that is generated by the aerosol generator 26. In the described implementation, the properties include at least one of: the flavour and the presence of an active substance (such as nicotine). However, it should be appreciated that other properties, for example temperature of the aerosol, may also be affected by the aerosol modifying agent 33.
The consumable 30 is separable from the aerosol provision device 20. In use, when the aerosol modifying agent in the consumable 30 is exhausted (in that it no longer imparts flavour and/or nicotine to the aerosol to an acceptable level), the consumable 30 may be removed from the aerosol provision device 20 and a replacement consumable 30 attached to the device 20 in its place. Provided the reservoir 24 contains sufficient aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision system can continue to generate aerosol via the aerosol generator 26. In the event that insufficient aerosol-generating material is present in the reservoir 24, the reservoir 24 may be refilled with aerosol-generating material, via the reservoir refill mechanism 28. Therefore, it should be understood that the aerosol provision device 20 is generally regarded as reusable, and usable with multiple (e.g., sequential) consumables 30 which may be regarded as disposable.
The aerosol-generating material may be any suitable aerosol-generating material, as described above. For example, the aerosol-generating material may be a liquid aerosol-generating material, which may be referred to herein as a source liquid, e-liquid or liquid. The source liquid may be broadly conventional, and may contain nicotine and / or other active ingredients, and / or one or more flavours, as described above. In some implementations, the source liquid may contain no nicotine.
In some implementations, the aerosol-generating material stored in the reservoir 24 is free from active ingredients (such as nicotine) and / or flavourants. Without wishing to be bound by theory, when the aerosol-generating material is heated, aerosol-forming material is vaporised / aerosolised and this acts as a transport medium for components such as the active ingredients and / or flavourants which may, in some implementations, not be directly vaporised by the aerosol generator 26 in use. While it is expected that some of the active ingredients and / or flavourants are transported from the aerosol generator 26 by the vaporised aerosol-former material, it has been found that some of the active ingredients / flavourants can be left in contact with the aerosol generator 26. This can lead to residues forming on the aerosol generator 26. These residues can build up on the aerosol generator 26 over time and may subsequently impact the performance of the aerosol generator 26 to provide aerosol to the user. By using an aerosol-generating material that is free from active ingredients (such as nicotine) and/or flavourants, when the aerosol-generating material is aerosolised by the aerosol generator 26 (e.g., via heating), it has been found that a relatively lower amount of residues of the aerosol-generating material are left behind on the aerosol generator 26 (e.g., after vaporisation), therefore prolonging the operational lifetime of the aerosol generator 26. For example, it has been found that in systems that aerosolise an aerosol-generating material that comprises nicotine, for example, the performance of the aerosol generator 26 (e.g., in terms of the mass of aerosol produced for a given puff) starts to decrease after around 5,000 puffs (or discrete activations of the aerosol generator 26). Conversely, in systems that aerosolise an aerosol-generating material that is free of nicotine, for example, the performance of the aerosol generator 26 may not start to decrease until around 20,000 puffs. Accordingly, the lifetime of the aerosol generator 26, and hence of the aerosol provision device 20, may be relatively increased by using such an aerosol-generating material.
In some implementations, the aerosol-generating material is free from any active ingredients and/or flavourants. "Free from" as used herein means that the aerosol-generating material does not contain any active ingredients and/or flavourants or contains no greater than negligible or trace amount of the active ingredients and/or flavourants. More concretely, the aerosol-generating material comprises an active ingredient in an amount of no greater than 0.01 wt.% based on the weight of the aerosol-generating material (such as a liquid aerosol-generating material) and/or the aerosol-generating material comprises one or more flavourants in an amount of no greater than 0.01 wt.% based on the weight of the aerosol-generating material (such as a liquid aerosol-generating material).
In some implementations, the aerosol-generating material comprises, consists of, or essentially consists of an aerosol-former material. As described above, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some implementations, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1 ,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate. In some implementations, the aerosol-generating material may comprise water.
In some implementations, the aerosol-generating material selected from the group comprising, or consisting of:: propylene glycol, (vegetable) glycerol, and water. The aerosol-generating material may comprise or consist of any one or combination of the above. In the aerosol provision device 20 of the described implementation, the aerosol generator 26 is provided as an integral part of the aerosol provision device 20. As noted above, the aerosol provision device 20 is intended to be used with multiple consumables 30 and thus the aerosol generator 26 is intended to be used multiple times over a prolonged period of use. In addition, the aerosol generator 26 may be used for a longer period than aerosol provision systems that have a disposable, integrated reservoir and heater (for example, in the form of a disposable cartomiser). Hence, the aerosol generator 26 integrally provided with the aerosol provision device 20 may be more prone to build-up of residue over time which may affect performance if used with an aerosol-generating material having other constituents, such as a flavour or an active substance, for example. Therefore, by using an aerosol-generating material that is free from active ingredients and / or flavourants, the aerosol generator 26 can be used for a longer period of time with relatively lower levels of residual build-up, thereby maintaining acceptable performance for longer.
However, in such implementations, while use of the aerosol-generating material that is free from active ingredients and / or flavourants has certain advantages, the aerosol generated therefrom is typically unflavoured and does not contain an active substance (such as nicotine). Particularly for consumers who are transitioning from cigarettes or the like to aerosol provision systems, the presence of flavour and/or active substance may be qualities in an aerosol that these consumers are looking to be provided with, and the absence of these qualities may lead to such users reverting back to cigarettes or the like. Therefore, as described above, the consumable 30 comprises an aerosol modifying agent 33, which is positioned along the airflow path (e.g., at the air outlet 27d of the aerosol provision device 20) such that the aerosol generated by the aerosol generator 26 passes to or through the aerosol modifying agent 33 to modify a characteristic of the aerosol. In the described implementation, the aerosol modifying agent 33 is capable of imparting a (tobacco) flavour and/or active substance (nicotine) to the aerosol generated by the aerosol generator 26 as the aerosol passes to or through the aerosol modifying agent 33 (which, as noted above, may be or comprise a tobacco or tobacco based substance). In this way, despite the aerosol-generating material not containing any flavour (at least beyond any flavour of the propylene glycol / (vegetable) glycerol) and/or active substance, the aerosol modifying agent 33 is capable of providing flavour and/or an active substance to the aerosol that is delivered to the user.
It should be appreciated, however, that in other implementations the aerosol-generating material may contain an active substance and/or flavour. In such implementations, the consumable 30 may be configured to modify additional or alternative characteristics of the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material. For example, the consumable 30 may impart an additional flavour, and/or reduce the temperature of the aerosol, and/or impart an additional active substance.
In the above example, the receptacle 21 provides a location where the consumable 30 couples or otherwise engages with the aerosol provision device 20. In the above example, the consumable 30 is held in place in the receptacle 21 by friction-fit. That is, the diameter of the receptacle 21 may be the same size as (or slightly smaller than, e.g., 0.1 or less of a mm) the diameter of the consumable 30. However, in other implementations, the consumable 30 may be engaged with the receptacle 21 in other ways, for example based around a screw thread, latch mechanism, bayonet fixing or magnetic coupling. In addition, it should be appreciated that the receptacle 21 represents only an example of a suitable interface for interfacing with and engaging the consumable 30. In other implementations, the consumable 30 may be engaged with the aerosol provision device 20 in any suitable way.
In the described example, in use, the user places their mouth on the outer housing 30a of the consumable 30 (at the proximal end thereof). However, it should be appreciated that in some implementations, the consumable 30 may be completely contained within the aerosol provision device 20. Accordingly, a part of the housing 20a (for example, a removable cover that provides access to the receptacle 21) may alternatively form the mouthpiece for the aerosol provision system.
In other implementations, the consumable 30 may be omitted and instead the aerosol provision device 20 is provided with a mouthpiece through which the aerosol generated by the aerosol generator 26 from the aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 24 is capable of being delivered to a user.
Figure 4 schematically shows the refill/recharge pack 10 in more detail, along with a schematic representation of the aerosol provision device 20, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that Figure 4 is not shown to any particular scale and the various components are only schematically shown. In addition, it should be appreciated that certain features of the refill/recharge pack 10 are omitted from Figure 4, such as the various wiring and electrical connections between certain components, for example.
The refill/recharge pack 10 comprises a housing 10a, receptacle 11 for receiving the aerosol provision device 20, power source 12, control circuitry 13, reservoir 14, chamber 151, aerosol-generating material conduit 16a, 16b and 16c, aerosol provision device engagement mechanism 17, electrical contacts 18a, 18b, inflatable element 152 and fluid supply mechanism 153.
The refill/recharge pack 10 is configured to have the shape and dimensions of a cigarette pack. That is, the refill/recharge pack 10 may be broadly cuboidal and have a dimension in the length direction L (i.e., along a longitudinal axis thereof) of between 14 cm and 6 cm, or between 13 cm and 7 cm, or between 10 cm and 8 cm, a total width dimension W (i.e., perpendicular to the longitudinal axis) of between 8 cm and 5 cm, or between 7 cm and 5.5 cm, and a total depth dimension (not shown in Figure 4, but perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis and width direction) of between 3 cm and 1 cm, or between 2.5 cm and 1.5 cm. The dimension in the length direction L may be dependent on the length of the aerosol provision device 20.
In the example of Figure 4, the refill/recharge pack 10 comprises the receptacle 11 which is sized so as to receive the aerosol provision device 20. For example, the receptacle 11 may define a cylindrical recess having a similar width / diameter and length as the aerosol provision device 20. The receptacle 11 has a longitudinal axis that is parallel with the length dimension of the refill/recharge pack 10. In Figure 4, the distal end of the aerosol provision device 20 protrudes out of the receptacle 11 when the aerosol provision device 20 is fully inserted. This may aid in allowing a user to remove the aerosol provision device 20 from the refill/recharge pack 10 by providing a region of the aerosol provision device 20 for the user to grip (e.g., with their thumb and forefinger). In some implementations, the aerosol provision device 20 may be fully enclosed within the receptacle 11. In such implementations, a mechanism may be implemented to help lift the aerosol provision device 20 from the receptacle 11 for removal from the refill/recharge pack 10.
The refill/recharge pack 10 is intended to receive the aerosol provision device 20 between uses of the aerosol provision device 20 / system, to recharge the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20 and to refill the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20. When the user removes the aerosol provision device 20 from the refill/recharge pack 10 after recharging and refilling is complete, the action is similar to removing a cigarette from a cigarette packet. In this regard, providing the refill/recharge pack 10 with similar dimensions to a cigarette pack increases familiarity to users transitioning from cigarettes to electronic aerosol provision systems, which therefore may help ease such a transition. In some implementations, the refill/recharge pack 10 may also have a similar weight to a cigarette pack, for broadly similar reasons.
The outer housing 10a in the described implementation has an overall cuboidal shape having a top surface (through which the receptacle 11 is accessible), a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and one or more side surfaces extending therebetween and perpendicular thereto. The outer housing 10a may be formed, for example, from a plastics or metallic material. In some implementations, the outer housing 10a may be circumscribed, at least partly, by a paper material or cellulose material. Within the outer housing 10a is located the various components of the refill/recharge pack 10, such as the power source 12, control circuitry 13, etc.
The power source 12 in this implementation is a battery 12. The battery 12 may be rechargeable, for example a lithium ion battery, although other battery chemistries may also be considered. The battery 12 is capable of being recharged via an external source (such as via a connection to mains power through a suitable cable, not shown, or via inductive charging). In some implementations, the battery 12 may not be rechargeable. In such implementations, the outer housing 10a may comprise a door or hatch that allows for the battery 12 to be replaced with a fresh (i.e., charged) battery 12. The battery 12 is intended to be used to recharge the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20, and thus has a capacity at least equal to the capacity of the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20. However, in some implementations, the capacity of the battery 12 of the refill/recharge pack 10 may be greater, for example 5 or more, 10 or more, or 20 or more times greater than the capacity of the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20. This means that the refill/recharge pack 10 is capable of recharging the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20 multiple times on a single charge.
The control circuitry 13 is suitably configured / programmed to control the operations of the refill/recharge pack 10. The control circuitry 13 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units / circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the refill/recharge pack's operation and may be implemented by provision of a (micro)controller, processor, ASIC or similar form of control chip. The control circuitry 13 may be arranged to control any functionality associated with the refill/recharge pack 10. By way of non-limiting examples only, the functionality may include the charging or re-charging of the battery 12 (e.g., from the external source), the discharging of the battery 12 (e.g., for recharging the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20), and the transfer of aerosol generating material from the reservoir 14 to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20. In some examples, other functionality such as controlling visual indicators (e.g., LEDs) / displays of the refill/recharge pack 10, communication functionality for communicating with external devices, etc. may also be controlled by the control circuitry 13. The control circuitry 13 may be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB). Note also that the functionality provided by the control circuitry 13 may be split across multiple circuit boards and / or across components which are not mounted to a PCB, and these additional components and / or PCBs can be located as appropriate within the refill/recharge pack 10.
The refill/recharge pack 10 further comprises a reservoir 14 configured to store aerosol-generating material. In the present example, the reservoir 14 is configured to store a liquid aerosol-generating material, and may therefore be configured so as to reduce or prevent leakage of the aerosol-generating material out of the reservoir 14. The reservoir 14 may take any suitable shape, such as a cuboidal shape.
The reservoir 14 in the refill/recharge pack 10 comprises one or more walls that together define a volume bounded by the one or more walls. The volume defined by the one or more walls is capable of receiving the aerosol-generating material. In accordance with the present disclosure, at least one of the one or more walls of the reservoir 14 is a collapsible wall. The collapsible wall is configured such that, relative to an initial position or state of the one or more walls, the volume of the reservoir 14 is capable of being changed (e.g., decreased) when the collapsible wall is moved (e.g., towards at least one other wall of the reservoir 14). The collapsible wall may be configured in any suitable way to allow for such a change in the volume of the reservoir 14 in response to an applied force. For example, the collapsible wall may be formed from a flexible material, such as rubber or a thin plastic, that is capable of moving / bending / deforming without breaking.
In the present example, all walls of the reservoir 14 are said to be collapsible. The walls of the reservoir 14 may be formed from a suitable flexible material, such as rubber as described above. This configuration may be considered to define a bag or a pouch in which the aerosol-generating material is capable of being stored. However, in other implementations, the reservoir 14 may be formed such that only one wall of the reservoir 14 is collapsible and the remaining walls are rigid (e.g., such that the collapsible wall is suspended or supported by at least some of the rigid walls).
The reservoir 14 defines a sealed volume comprising an opening or outlet 14a through which aerosol-generating material stored in the reservoir 14 is capable of exiting the reservoir 14. As will be described in more detail below, the aerosol-generating material that exits the reservoir 14 is capable of being provided to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 for refilling the reservoir 24. That is, the aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 14 is intended to be transferred to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 when the aerosol provision device 20 is installed in the receptacle 11. The reservoir 14 is intended to be used to refill the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20, and thus in some implementations, has an initial volume (i.e., prior to the collapsible wall being collapsed) at least equal to the volume of the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20. However, in some implementations, the initial volume of the reservoir 14 of the refill/recharge pack 10 may be greater, for example 5 or more, 10 or more, or 20 or more times greater than the volume of the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20. This means that the refill/recharge pack 10 is capable of refilling the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 multiple times from the reservoir 14 of the refill/recharge pack 10.
In some implementations, the reservoir 14 may be integrally formed with the refill/recharge pack 10, and may or may not be refillable. However, in other implementations, the reservoir 14 may be removable from the refill/recharge pack 10. In these implementations, once the reservoir 14 is depleted, the reservoir 14 may be removed and replaced with a new (full) reservoir 14.
In the present implementation, at the base of the receptacle 11 of the refill/recharge pack 10, an aerosol provision device engagement mechanism 17 for engaging with the aerosol provision device 20 is provided. The engagement mechanism 17 is sized so as to be received in the receptacle 21 of the aerosol provision device 20. That is, the aerosol provision device 20 is inserted into the receptacle 11, proximal end 20b first such that as the aerosol provision device 20 is lowered into the receptacle 11, the engagement mechanism 17 aligns with and engages the receptacle 21 of the aerosol provision device 20.
As described previously, the reservoir refill mechanism 28 is accessible through the base of the receptacle 21. The engagement mechanism 17 is configured to engage with the reservoir refill mechanism 28 so as to facilitate refilling of the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20. In particular, the engagement mechanism 17 comprises a protrusion 17a at an end thereof that is arranged to protrude through the outlet 27d of the aerosol provision device 20 and engage with, and actuate (e.g., move the spring-loaded ball valve of) the reservoir refill mechanism 28. The protrusion 17a may be suitably shaped to engage with the reservoir refill mechanism 28, and may take different forms in dependence on the specific reservoir refill mechanism 28 employed in the aerosol provision device 20. For example, if the reservoir refill mechanism 28 is a septum, the protrusion 17a may take the form of a needle.
The refill/recharge pack 10 comprises an aerosol-generating material conduit formed of three parts; a first conduit 16a in fluid communication with the opening 14a of the reservoir 14 and shown extending vertically downwards from the reservoir 14, , a second conduit 16b in fluid communication with the first conduit 16a and shown extending horizontally from the first conduit 16a towards and in fluid communication with a third conduit 16c shown extending vertically through the engagement mechanism 17 and the protrusion 17a and terminating at an opening at the end of the protrusion 17a. Together, the first, second and third conduits16a, 16b, 16c are referred to herein as aerosol-generating material conduit 16. The aerosol-generating material conduit 16 (or conduit 16) is configured to allow aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 14 to pass along the conduit 16 and to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 via the reservoir refill mechanism 28. That is, the conduit 16 is capable of supplying aerosol-generating material to an opening in the protrusion 17a, which when the aerosol provision device 20 is installed in the receptacle 11, supplies aerosol-generating material to the reservoir 24 to refill the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 through an interface of the aerosol provision device 20 provided, in part, by the reservoir refill mechanism 28. In the present example, the conduit 16 is configured to transport liquid aerosol-generating material to the opening in the protrusion 17a.
The refill/recharge pack 10 further comprises a transfer mechanism for causing or enabling the transfer of aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 14 of the refill/recharge pack 10 to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20.
In the implementation of Figure 4, the refill/recharge pack comprises a chamber 151 in which the reservoir 14 is located, an inflatable element 152 that is also located in the chamber 151, and fluid supply mechanism 153 that is coupled to conduit 154 and inlet 155, which forms an inlet for the inflatable element 152.
The chamber 151 sized so as to receive the reservoir 14 and the inflatable element 152. The chamber 151 comprises rigid walls defining a fixed volume. The chamber 151 may, for example, be formed from the same materials as the housing 10a of the refill/recharge pack 10 (such as metal or plastic). As will be described in more detail below, the chamber 151 acts to contain both the reservoir 14 and inflatable element 152 and allows for the volume of either/both of the reservoir 14 and inflatable element 152 to change in use. In use, the volumes of the reservoir 14 and inflatable element 152 are subject to change but will typically, together, fill the chamber 151. Because of the fixed volume of the chamber 151, which is set by the rigid walls of the chamber 151, it should be broadly understood that, in use, the volume of the reservoir 14 plus the volume of the inflatable element 152 is equal to the volume defined by the chamber 151.
The inflatable element 152 is an element that is capable of changing its volume by being inflated (e.g., with a fluid, such as gas). The inflatable element 152 comprises one or more walls that together define a volume bounded by the one or more walls. The one or more walls may be formed from a material that is capable of expansion / stretching or the like, for example, rubber. The volume defined by the one or more walls of the inflatable element 152 is capable of receiving a fluid, such as gas, during use. When the inflatable element 152 is provided with fluid, such as gas, the pressure within the volume defined by the one or more walls increases and, by virtue of the material forming the one or more walls, the one or more walls are configured to stretch / expand in response to / to counteract the increase in pressure by increasing the volume occupied by the inflatable element 152. It should be appreciated that the one or more walls of the inflatable element 152 are arranged to provide a sealed volume, with the exception of an inlet 155 for receiving the fluid. The one or more walls of the inflatable element 152 are therefore configured to be impermeable to the fluid that is provided to the inflatable element 152 (in other words, to prevent the fluid simply passing through the one or more walls of the inflatable element 152).
The refill/recharge pack 10 is provided with the fluid supply mechanism 153. The fluid supply mechanism 153 may be any suitable mechanism capable of supplying fluid to the inflatable element 152 to cause the inflatable element 152 to inflate (increase in volume). For example, the fluid supply mechanism 153 may comprise a pump that is configured to pump fluid (such as air from the environment external to the refill/recharge pack 10) and supply the fluid to the inflatable element 152. In other implementations, the fluid to be pumped by be a liquid, such as water, and the refill/recharge pack may be provided with a water tank or the like configured to supply water to the inflatable element 152. In other implementations, the fluid supply mechanism may comprise a pressurised source of fluid; for example, such as a canister of compressed air. The fluid supply mechanism 153 in such implementations may be controlled to provide the fluid to the inflatable element 152 by releasing the fluid from the compressed fluid source. The precise way in which the fluid supply mechanism 153 is provided, and how it supplies fluid to the inflatable element 152 is not significant to the principles of the present disclosure. The fluid supply mechanism 153 is provided in fluid communication with the inlet 155 of the inflatable element 152 via the conduit 154 which extends between the outlet of the fluid supply mechanism 153 and the inlet 155 of the inflatable element 152.
As should be understood from the above, when the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 is to be refilled with aerosol-generating material, assuming the aerosol provision device 20 is installed in the receptacle 11, the fluid supply mechanism 153 is controlled to start supplying fluid to the inflatable element 152. For example, the control circuitry 13 of the refill/recharge pack 10 may be configured to cause power to be supplied from the power source 12 to an actuatable element of the fluid supply mechanism 153 (such as a motor or release valve) to thereby cause fluid to be supplied to the inflatable element 152. The volume occupied by the inflatable element 152 increases in proportion to the amount of fluid supplied to the inflatable element 152 via the fluid supply mechanism 153, e.g., under control of the control circuitry 13.
As the volume occupied by the inflatable element 152 increases, owing to the fixed volume of the chamber 151, the inflatable element 152 expands, at least, in the direction of the reservoir 14. That is, the inflatable element 152 is capable of moving along a first direction, which in this implementation is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chamber 151 and the refill/recharge pack 10, although may be defined differently in other implementations. As a result, an engagement member 152a (e.g., a wall / surface) of the inflatable element 152 contacts or engages with an engagement member (e.g., wall / surface, such as the collapsible wall) of the reservoir 14. With continued supply of fluid to the inflatable element 152, the engagement member 152a of the inflatable element 153 applies a force to the wall / surface of the reservoir 14. Because the reservoir 14 comprises at least one collapsible wall, when the force applied to the wall / surface of the reservoir 14 by the inflatable element 153 is sufficient to overcome any resistance provided by the collapsible wall of the reservoir 14 to collapsing and/or any inertia provided by the aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 14, the force supplied causes aerosol-generating material in reservoir 14 caused to exit the reservoir 14 via outlet 14a and the volume of the reservoir 14 to decrease.
Broadly, the inflatable element 152 acts as a mechanism to apply a force to the reservoir 14 via an engagement member 152a (in this case, a surface of the inflatable element 152 adjacent the reservoir 14). The application of this force causes the aerosol-generating material to exit the reservoir 14 via the outlet 14a as the reservoir 14 is compressed and the collapsible wall allows the reservoir 14 to decrease in volume. The outlet 14a of the reservoir 14 is provided in fluid communication with the conduit 16 and therefore the aerosol-generating material that exits the reservoir 14 via outlet 14a is passed / forced along the conduit 16 and to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20.
In this regard, the refill/recharge pack 10 may be said to comprise a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the refill/recharge pack 10 to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 when the aerosol provision device 20 is coupled to the refill/recharge pack 10. The transfer mechanism may be said to comprise the reservoir 14 and the collapsible wall thereof (that is, more generally, a volume bounded at least in part by a collapsible wall), as well as the engagement member 152a of the inflatable element 152 along with the fluid supply mechanism 153. Together, these are the components of the described refill/recharge pack 10 that contribute to the emission / exiting of aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 14 to be provided to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20.
The control circuitry 13 may be configured to control the inflation of the inflatable element 152 by controlling the operation of the fluid supply mechanism 153. For example, in response to detecting that the aerosol provision device 20 is located in the receptacle 11; that is, the fluid supply mechanism 153 may be controlled to supply fluid to the inflatable element 152 to cause aerosol-generating material to exit the reservoir 14 when the aerosol provision device 20 is determined to be present in the receptacle 11. In some implementations, the control circuitry 13 and/or the fluid supply mechanism 153 may be configured to deliver a predetermined amount of fluid to the inflatable element 152, which consequently causes the volume of the reservoir 14 to decrease by a predetermined amount and release a predetermined amount of aerosol-generating material. The relationship between the amount of fluid supplied to the inflatable element 152 and the amount of aerosol-generating material that subsequently exits the reservoir 14 may be determined in advance, e.g., empirically or via modelling. The predetermined amount of fluid delivered to the inflatable element 152 / aerosol-generating material that exits the reservoir 14 may be a fixed quantity (e.g., equivalent to 5%, 10%, 50% or 100% of the volume of the reservoir 24) and as such each time the fluid supply mechanism 153 is operated the predetermined amount of aerosol-generating material is delivered to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20. That is, for example, each actuation of the fluid supply mechanism 153 delivers an amount of aerosol-generating material equivalent to 5% of the volume of the reservoir 24. This may be controlled based on, e.g., a predetermined time of operation of the fluid supply mechanism 153 and/or supplying a predetermined signal (e.g., a voltage / current / power) to the actuator of the fluid supply mechanism 153. Although not shown, in some implementations, the refill/recharge pack 10 may be provided with a mechanism to measure or estimate the amount of aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 (e.g., such as a pair of capacitive plates in the receptacle 11 positioned either side of the reservoir 24 when the aerosol provision device is installed in the receptacle 11, with the measured capacitance indicative of the amount of aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 24). The control circuitry 13 prior to, or after, each activation of the fluid supply mechanism 153 may determine whether refilling is permitted; that is, whether the reservoir 24 has sufficient volume to receive the fixed quantity of aerosol-generating material. In other implementations, the control circuitry 13 may use a measurement / estimation of the amount of aerosol-generating material to determine a quantity of aerosol-generating material to supply. In other words, the fluid supply mechanism 153 may be controlled to deliver the determined amount of aerosol-generating material, e.g., by the control circuitry 13 determining the duration for which to operate the fluid supply mechanism 153, or the signal to apply to the actuator. In this way, the refilling of the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 can be controlled.
In other implementations, the fluid supply mechanism 153 may be controlled manually by the user. For example, if the fluid supply mechanism 153 is a pump, the fluid supply mechanism 153 may be provided with a rotatable arm, dial or lever that the user manually actuates to generate pumping. In other examples, if the fluid supply mechanism 153 is a pressurised canister of air, the user may manually actuate a release valve to provide the compressed air to the inflatable element 153. A manually operated fluid supply mechanism 153 may be configured to operate in a notched manner (e.g., for a rotatable arm) or to release a predetermined amount of fluid before requiring further actuation of the fluid supply mechanism 153, although such mechanism may be less precise than the electrically controlled implementations described above. However, such manually operated fluid supply mechanism 153 avoid the need for power and thus the battery 12 may be made smaller or the overall housing 10a of the refill/recharge pack 10 may be made smaller, for example.
It should be appreciated that the collapsible wall of the reservoir 14 need not directly contact the engagement member 152a of the inflatable element 152. Provided that the reservoir 14 is configured or arranged in the chamber 151 such that the reservoir 14 is capable of collapsing in the direction along which the force is applied to the reservoir 14 by the engagement member 152a of the inflatable element 152, aerosol-generating material may exit the reservoir 14 by virtue of the decrease in volume of the reservoir 14.
The chamber 151 acts, in this example, a means of guiding the inflatable element 152 such that the inflatable element is capable of applying a force to the reservoir 14 (e.g., along a given direction). However, any suitable structure may be employed in order to achieve this function - for example, the inflatable element 152 may be formed such that the inflatable element 152 is only capable of expansion in or along one direction. Additionally, the chamber 151 also acts to cause the collapse of the reservoir 14 by applying a counter-force to the walls of the reservoir 14 as a force is applied by the engagement member 152a. In other words, the chamber 151 prevents the reservoir 14 simply from deforming in shape but not volume. However, any suitable structure may be employed that ensures the reservoir 14 decreases in volume in response to the applied force. For example, the reservoir 14 may comprise rigid walls except for one collapsible wall, and the rigid walls of the reservoir 14 may provide a suitable counter-force.
When the inflatable element 152 is inflated, in some implementations, the inflatable element 152 may be prevented from deflating (either permanently or until a release mechanism is actuated by a user). For example, the inlet 155 may be provided with a one-way valve that permits fluid to enter, but not exit, the inflatable element 152. In other implementations, the inflatable element 152 may only be inflated while the fluid supply mechanism 153 is supplying fluid to the inflatable element 152. In the latter example, the force to cause aerosol-generating material to exit the reservoir 14 may only be applied while a refilling operation is being performed, which may reduce the risk of leakage of the aerosol-generating material e.g., from the opening of conduit 16c at the protrusion 17a. In the former example, more fluid may be required to inflate the inflatable element 152 between refilling operations.
When the inflatable element 152 is fully inflated, the reservoir 14 is consequently at its smallest volume and the maximum amount of aerosol-generating material has been emitted from the reservoir 14. In some implementations, the reservoir 14 may be refilled (via a suitable mechanism) and the inflatable element 153 deflated to allow for easier refilling of the reservoir 14. In other implementations, the reservoir 14 may be replaceable with a new (and full) reservoir 14. In such implementations, the chamber 151 may be the housing of a replaceable part of the refill/recharge pack 10, such that the chamber 151, including the inflatable element 153 and reservoir 14 may be removed and replaced with a new chamber 151. In such instances, where the inlet 155 of the inflatable element 152 includes a one-way valve, the removed hosing (i.e., chamber 151, reservoir 14, inflatable element 152) may be configured such that the reservoir 14 is incapable of being refilled with aerosol-generating material. This may help to prevent unauthorised refilling of such removable components.
Hence, in general, the refill/recharge pack 10 is configured to cause aerosol-generating material provided in the reservoir 14 to pass to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 when the aerosol provision device 20 is located in the receptacle 11. Accordingly, the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 is capable of being refilled with aerosol-generating material by the refill/recharge pack 10.
In addition, with reference back to Figure 4, the refill/recharge pack 10 comprises electrical contacts 18a and 18b. The electrical contacts 18a, 18b are arranged in the refill/recharge pack 10 such that they are able to be brought into electrical connection with the electrical contacts 29a, 29b of the aerosol provision device 20 when the aerosol provision device 20 is located in the receptacle 11. More specifically, a first electrical contact 18a of the refill/recharge pack 10 is arranged so as to electrically connect with the first electrical contact 29a of the aerosol provision device 20, and a second electrical contact 18b is arranged so as to electrically connect with the second electrical contact 29b of the aerosol provision device 20.
In Figure 4, the first electrical contact 18a of the refill/recharge pack 10 is provided at a location toward the opening of the receptacle 11 such that when the aerosol provision device 20 is inserted into the receptacle 11, the first electrical contact 29a at the distal end 20c of the aerosol provision device 20 is capable of being bought into electrical connection with the first electrical contact 18a of the refill/recharge pack 10. The first electrical contact 18a may take any suitable form; for example, the electrical contact 18a may be an annular ring provided extending, coaxially, with the axis of the receptacle 11. In other implementations, the electrical contact 18a may comprise one or more contact pads provided at a surface of the receptacle 11. In some implementations, the radial extent of the first electrical contact 29a of the aerosol provision device 20 about the longitudinal axis of the aerosol provision 20 and the radial extent of the first electrical contact 18a of the refill/recharge pack 10 about the longitudinal axis of the receptacle 11 is such that the aerosol provision device 20 can be inserted at any rotational position about the longitudinal axis of the aerosol provision device 20 relative to the receptacle 11 and still provide electrical contact between the first electrical contacts 18a, 29a. For example, the electrical contact 29a may extend 360° around the longitudinal axis of the aerosol provision device 20, and the electrical contact 18a may extend between 1° to 360° around the longitudinal axis of the receptacle 11.
In Figure 4, the second electrical contact 18b of the refill/recharge pack 10 is provided at a location on the outer surface of the engagement mechanism 17. In this case, when the aerosol provision device 20 is inserted into the receptacle 11, the second electrical contact 29b located within the receptacle 21 of the aerosol provision device 20 is capable of being bought into electrical connection with the second electrical contact 18b of the refill/recharge pack 10 when the engagement mechanism 17 engages with the receptacle 21. The second electrical contact 18b may take any suitable form; for example, the electrical contact 18b may be an annular ring provided extending, coaxially, with the axis of the engagement mechanism 17. In other implementations, the electrical contact 18b may comprise one or more contact pads provided at a surface of the engagement mechanism 17. In some implementations, the radial extent of the second electrical contact 29b of the aerosol provision device 20 about the longitudinal axis of the receptacle 21 and the radial extent of the second electrical contact 18a of the refill/recharge pack 10 about the longitudinal axis of the engagement mechanism 17 is such that the aerosol provision device 20 can be inserted at any rotational position about the longitudinal axis of the aerosol provision device 20 relative to the receptacle 11 and still provide electrical contact between the second electrical contacts 18b, 29b. For example, the electrical contact 29b may extend 360° around the longitudinal axis of the receptacle 21, and the electrical contact 18b may extend between 1° to 360° around the longitudinal axis of the engagement mechanism 17.
When the aerosol provision device 20 is installed in the receptacle 11 of the refill/recharge pack 10, the refill/recharge pack 10 is configured to recharge the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20. The battery 12 of the refill/recharge pack 10 is electrically connected (potentially via recharging circuitry of the control circuitry 13) to the first electrical contact 18a and the second electrical contact 18b. When the aerosol provision device 20 is inserted into the receptacle 11, and the first electrical contact 29a of the aerosol provision device 20 bought into electrical connection with the first electrical contact 18a of the refill/recharge pack 10 and the second electrical contact 29b of the aerosol provision device 20 bought into electrical connection with the second electrical contact 18b of the refill/recharge pack 10, the refill/recharge pack 10 is configured to cause recharging of the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20 by applying suitable power from the battery 12 of the refill/recharge pack 10. Although not shown in Figure 4, the refill/recharge pack 10 and/or the aerosol provision device 20 may have suitable circuitry to control and/or monitor the recharging of the battery 24 of the aerosol provision device 20, for example to help ensure the recharging is performed safely and accurately.
Hence, in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, the refill/recharge pack 10 is also configured to cause electrical power provided in the battery 12 of the refill/recharge pack 10 to pass to the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20 when the aerosol provision device 20 is located in the receptacle 11. Accordingly, the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20 is capable of being recharged with electrical power by the refill/recharge pack 10. The configuration of the refill/recharge pack 10 as shown in Figure 4 is to be understood as an example of the refill/recharge pack 10; however, in other implementations, the refill/recharge pack 10 may be configured differently. For example, the position of the electrical contacts 18a, 18b may be different from what is shown in Figure 4. Additionally, the conduit 16 and engagement mechanism 17 may be different from what is shown. Various aspects of the refill/recharge pack 10 may also depend on the configuration of the aerosol provision device 20 (or vice versa).
In the example shown in Figure 4, the reservoir 14 is located next to the receptacle 11 of the refill/recharge pack 10. This configuration may help achieve overall dimensions of the refill/recharge pack 10 consistent with cigarette packs, as described above. However, it should be appreciated that in other implementations, the position of the reservoir 14 relative to the receptacle 11 may be different from that shown.
In the example shown in Figure 4, the conduit 16 extends from the base of the reservoir 14 and is fed, in effect, in a direction towards the opening of the receptacle 11 when passing along the engagement mechanism 17. However, in other implementations, the conduit 16 and engagement mechanism 17 may be differently configured. For example, if the reservoir refill mechanism 28 is provided on a side of the aerosol provision device 20 / reservoir 24, the engagement mechanism 17 may similarly be provided extending from a side of the receptacle 11. In such implementations, the engagement mechanism 17 may be configured to move between a retracted position (in which the engagement mechanism 17 is moved out of the receptacle 11 therefore not impacting the ability to position the aerosol provision device 20 in the receptacle 11) to an extended position (in which the engagement mechanism 17 is moved into the receptacle 11 to engage with the reservoir refill mechanism 28 of the aerosol provision device 20). The conduit 16 may be arranged accordingly, for example, extending from a side of the reservoir 14. In addition, a moveable engagement mechanism 17 is not limited to the side of the receptacle 11. For example, the engagement mechanism 17 as shown in Figure 4 may alternatively be configured to extend / retract.
As should be appreciated, an aerosol-generating material supply path (i.e., that path the aerosol-generating material travels from reservoir 14 to reservoir 24) is formed from two parts; a first part including the conduit 16, the opening of the protrusion 17a, and an aerosol provision device interface (the part of the engagement mechanism 17 / protrusion 17a that engages with the aerosol provision device 20), and a second part including a refill/recharge pack interface (the part of the receptacle 21 of the aerosol provision device 20 that engages with the refill/recharge pack 10), the reservoir refill mechanism 28 and the reservoir 24. In use, once the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 has been refilled, the aerosol provision device 20 is removed from the receptacle 11. This results in a decoupling of the first part and second part of the aerosol-generating material supply path. In some implementations, this may result in either air entering the first part of the aerosol-generating material supply path via the opening at protrusion 17a, or aerosol-generating material leaking out of the first part of the aerosol-generating material supply path. In such implementations, a valve (for example, in conduit 16c) may be provided that may be used to prevent air flowing in the direction along the conduit 16c to the reservoir 14 and prevents aerosol-generating material flowing in the opposite direction.
In the example shown in Figure 4, the aerosol provision device 20 is inserted with the distal end 20c protruding from the receptacle 11 (or otherwise arranged near the opening of the receptacle 11). In this orientation, the inlet to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 (comprising the reservoir refill mechanism 28) is closer to the engagement mechanism 17 than the aerosol generator 26. In other words, if one assumes that the surface of the refill/recharge pack 10 comprising the opening to the receptacle 11 is a top surface, the aerosol generator 26 is closer to the top surface than the reservoir refill mechanism 28. During refilling, when aerosol-generating material is passed into the reservoir 24 via the reservoir refill mechanism 28, any air that is located in the reservoir 24 is displaced by the aerosol-generating material from the refill/recharge pack 10 via the aerosol generator 26 / aerosol-generating material transport element 25. That is to say, the displaced air may exit the reservoir 24 by following a similar pathway that the aerosol-generating material would otherwise follow in normal operation from the reservoir 24 to the aerosol generator 26. This configuration means that the pressure within the reservoir 24 can be equalised and refilling can be performed uninhibited without provision of a separate air release valve or the like provided in the reservoir 24. In addition, it should be noted that during use of the aerosol provision system, the consumable 30 when installed in the receptacle 21 acts to block or obscure from sight the reservoir refill mechanism 28, thereby providing a sleeker visual appearance to the user.
However, it should be appreciated that in other implementations, the refill/recharge pack 10 and/or aerosol provision device 20 may be configured differently. In some implementations, the reservoir 24 may be provided with an air release valve.
In the described implementation, the engagement mechanism 17 acts dually to function as a mechanism for refilling the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 and as a mechanism for recharging the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20. However, it should be appreciated that in other implementations, the engagement mechanism 17 may be configured to perform only one of these functions, with the other function being implemented using different components and/or a second engagement mechanism.
Figure 4 represents an example refill/recharge pack 10 where the refilling of the reservoir 24 is performed by inflating an inflatable element 152 to cause a reservoir 14 having a collapsible wall to decrease in volume resulting in aerosol-generating material exiting the reservoir 14 and being provided to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20. The transfer mechanism is said to comprise, amongst other things, the inflatable element 152, engagement member 152a, and fluid supply mechanism 153. However, other implementations are envisaged.
Figure 5 schematically represents a further implementation of the refill/recharge pack 10. In particular, the refill/recharge pack 10 comprises an opening 10b in the housing 10 thereof that permits a user to directly apply a force to the reservoir 14 to cause the volume of the reservoir 14 to change shape. Figure 5 will be understood from Figure 4, and like components are described with like reference signs. A description of these components is omitted herein.
As noted above, the refill/recharge pack 10 of Figure 5 is modified from that of the implementation described by Figure 4 in that the inflatable element 152 and fluid supply mechanism 153 are omitted, and instead the housing 10 of the refill/recharge pack 10 is provided with an opening 10b that communicates with the chamber 151 (in which the reservoir 14 having a collapsible wall is provided) and is arranged such that an object, such as a user's finger, for example, can be inserted through the hole and interact with a surface of the reservoir 14.
For example, in use, the user can insert their finger through the opening 10b of the housing 10 to bring their finger into engagement with a surface of the reservoir 14. In this example, the user's finger takes the place of the engagement member 152a of Figure 5. As such, the user's finger engages with the reservoir 14 and, by applying a force to the reservoir 14 (as schematically shown by the arrow in Figure 5), the user is capable of causing the reservoir 14 to collapse by virtue of the collapsible wall of the reservoir 14 and force aerosol-generating material out of the reservoir 14 and along the conduit 16 to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20.
In this example, the transfer mechanism of the refill/recharge pack 10 may be said to comprise the reservoir 14 and the collapsible wall thereof (that is, more generally, a volume bounded at least in part by a collapsible wall), as well as the opening 10a of the housing that enables the user to interact with, and apply a force to, the reservoir 14. Together, these are the components of the described refill/recharge pack 10 that contribute to the emission / exiting of aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 14 to be provided to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20.
In some implementations, the user may not make direct contact with the reservoir 14. For example, in some implementations, the chamber 151 may be provided with a moveable wall 156 (shown in phantom in Figure 5) that is configured to slide / move in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the chamber 151 and the refill/recharge pack 10 (that is, in a direction towards the reservoir 14). Instead of the user's finger directly contacting the reservoir 14, the user's finger instead contacts the moveable wall 156, which in turn contacts the reservoir 14. The overall manner of operation is largely similar to that described above, but with the moveable wall 156 being the component that applies the force to the reservoir 14. In this regard, the moveable wall 156 is considered to have an engagement member 156a (i.e., the surface of the moveable wall 156 that contacts / engages the reservoir 14). In some implementations, such as that shown in Figure 5, the engagement member 156a may have a surface area in contact with the reservoir 14 that is larger than a typical surface area of the user's finger, and as such may result in a more even distribution of force on the reservoir 14.
In some implementations, the moveable wall 156 may be configured to comprise a handle portion that extends from the housing 10a of the refill/recharge pack 10 and, potentially, also through the opening 10b. The handle portion may allow a user to interact with and apply a force to the moveable wall 156 even if the volume of the reservoir 14 is relatively low (that is, when the moveable wall 156 is close to the bottom of the chamber 151 and may be unable to be easily accessed by the user).
In yet further implementations, the refill/recharge pack 10 may comprise a mechanism that is operable, electronically, to interact with (i.e., push) the reservoir 14 or the moveable wall 156. For example, the refill/recharge pack 10 may be provided with a push rod or a screw rod arranged to protrude into the chamber 151 with an end thereof engaging the reservoir 14 or the moveable wall 156. The end of the push rod or screw rod may be attached to the reservoir 14 / moveable wall 156 or separate therefrom. A suitable movement mechanism, such as a motor, may be electrically controlled, e.g., via the control circuitry 13, and supplied with power, e.g., from the battery 12, to apply a force to the reservoir 14 and/or moveable wall 156.
Figure 6 schematically represents a further implementation of the refill/recharge pack 10. In particular, the refill/recharge pack 10 comprises roller 157 provided in the chamber 151 that is configured to apply a force to the reservoir 14 to cause the volume of the reservoir 14 to change shape (i.e., decrease). Figure 6 will be understood from Figures 4 and 5, and like components are described with like reference signs. A description of these components is omitted herein.
In Figure 6, the refill/recharge pack 10 is provided with a roller 157 that is arranged such that, in operation, a force can be applied to the reservoir 14 to force aerosol-generating material out of the reservoir 14 and the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20. The roller 157 is arranged so as to engage with the collapsible wall of the reservoir 14 and, in particular, to allow the collapsible wall(s) to be wound around the roller 157 as the roller 157 is actuated. The roller 157 is cylindrical in shape comprises end portions 157a that are arranged to engage with cut-outs formed in the walls of the chamber 151 (as schematically shown in Figure 6). The end portions 157a are arranged to engage with a drive mechanism (not shown) that is capable of rotating and translating the roller 157.
Figure 7 shows the arrangement of the roller 157 and reservoir 14 of Figure 6 in more detail and in isolation, for the purposes of explaining actuation of the roller 157. The reservoir 14 in Figure 7 is shown as having a pouch-like construction, where the major surfaces / walls of the reservoir 14 are formed from a collapsible / flexible material. The reservoir 14 includes a tab 14b (which may be a leading edge of the reservoir 14) that facilitates attachment of the reservoir 14 to the roller 157. In the present example, the roller 157 includes a slot that extends from one side of the roller 157 to the other through the centre of the roller 157. The slot is configured to accommodate the tab 14b of the reservoir 14. That is, the tab 14b of the reservoir 14 is slotted through the slot of the roller 157 such that at least a part of the reservoir 14 passes through the roller 157 from one side to the other. In other implementations, a part of the reservoir 14, e.g., the tab 14b, may be adhered to the outer surface of the roller 157. Hence, broadly speaking, it should be understood that a part of the reservoir 14, which comprises the collapsible wall, is fixed to the roller 157.
As noted above, the roller 157 is configured to both be rotated and be translated by the drive mechanism. The arrows in Figure 7 represent this action. When the roller 157 is rotated, for example in the direction as shown in Figure 7 (e.g., anticlockwise) about the axis of the roller 157, the reservoir 14 starts to wind around the outer surface of the roller 157. In order to keep the reservoir 14 in the same relative location in the chamber 151, the roller 157 is also configured to move along the longitudinal axis of the chamber 151 (in this example, downwards towards the outlet 14a of the reservoir 14 as shown by the downward arrow in Figure 7). If the roller 157 did not move downwards along with the rotation of the roller 157 then the reservoir 14 would be urged upwards (i.e., towards the roller 157). In some implementations this may be possible provided a connection between the outlet 14a of the reservoir 14 and the conduit 16a can be ensured (e.g., by providing a flexible / extendable conduit 16a).
It should be appreciated that as the roller 157 is rotated (and optionally translated), more of the reservoir 14 is wound around the roller 157 and, correspondingly, the volume of the unwound part of the reservoir 14 decreases. Hence, in a similar manner to as described above, a force is applied to the reservoir 14, in case via the rotational motion of the reservoir 14 about the roller 157 and through an engagement member of the roller 157 that engages with the reservoir 14, in order to cause the volume of the reservoir 14 to decrease and expel aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 14 to be provided to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20.
In this example, the transfer mechanism comprises the reservoir 14 and the collapsible wall thereof (that is, more generally, a volume bounded at least in part by a collapsible wall), as well as the roller 157. Together, these are the components of the described refill/recharge pack 10 that contribute to the emission / exiting of aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 14 to be provided to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20.
The drive mechanism for driving the roller 157 of the above-described implementation may be electrically driven, e.g., by a motor or stepper motor under the control of the control circuitry 13 and powered by the power source 12, or may be manually driven, e.g., by a user rotating and/or translating the roller 157 via a rotatable arm or dial or the like provided on the side of the housing 10a of the refill/recharge pack 10.
Hence, a number of implementations have been shown by which the reservoir 14 of the refill/recharge pack 10 comprising a collapsible wall can be reduced in volume to expel aerosol-generating material stored within the reservoir 14 via the outlet 14a and into the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 via the conduit 16. In each implementations described above, the transfer mechanism for transferring the aerosol-generating material comprises a volume bounded by a collapsible wall in which the aerosol-generating material is capable of being stored. Collapsing of the collapsible wall is achieved by applying a force to the reservoir 14 / collapsible wall of the reservoir 14. The way in which the force is generated may be implemented in a variety of ways - for example, via a user pushing / pressing the reservoir, via an inflatable element 152 or via a mechanically moveable element such as the roller 157. The above described implementations are considered to be examples of how a force may be generated and applied to the reservoir 14; however, the principles of the present disclosure are applicable to other mechanisms capable of generating and applying a force to the reservoir 14 in order to collapse the reservoir 14 and reduce the volume thereof. By collapsing the reservoir 14, the reduction in the volume of the reservoir 14 causes aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the collapsible wall via the outlet 14a and to be provided to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20.
The refill/recharge packs 10 described above provide simple and easy to use mechanisms for transferring aerosol-generating material to the reservoir of the aerosol provision device 20. Moreover, because the aerosol-generating material is provided in a sealed reservoir 14 (except for the outlet 14a) the risk of aerosol-generating material being exposed or coming into contact with the user's skin can be considered relatively low.
Figure 8 schematically shows a modification of the refill/recharge pack 10 of Figure 4. Figure 8 will be understood from Figure 4, and like components are provided with like reference signs. A description thereof is omitted for conscience.
In Figure 8, the refill/recharge pack 10 comprises a lid 10b which selectively allows access to receptacle 11 when the lid 10b is opened or removed. In some implementations, the lid 10b is a separately component to the housing 10a, that may be removed and coupled to the housing 10a. In other implementations, the lid 10b is movably mounted to the housing 10a of the refill/recharge pack 10. In particular implementations, the lid 10b is arranged to rotate about an axis parallel to the width direction in a hinge-like manner. The lid 10b is capable of moving between a closed position in which the opening of the receptacle 11 is obscured by the lid 10b, and an open position in which the opening of the receptacle 11 is exposed and an aerosol provision device 20 is able to be inserted therein. Cigarette packs often comprise a lid, and thus providing lid 10b on the refill/recharge pack 10 provides increased familiarity to users transitioning to non-combustible aerosol provision systems. As seen in Figure 8, when lid 10b is present, the overall length dimension of the refill/recharge pack 10 includes the extent of the lid 10b in the longitudinal direction.
It should be appreciated that the lid 10b as shown in Figure 8 is applicable to the implementations of Figures 5 and 6, as well as to refill/recharge packs 10 more generally.
Figure 9 is a flow diagram representing an example method of refilling and recharging an aerosol provision device 20 using the collapsible reservoir 14 forming a component of the transfer mechanism, along with a means of applying a force to the collapsible reservoir 14.
The method starts at step S1, where the aerosol provision device 20 is coupled to refill/recharge pack 10. With reference to Figures 1 to 7, this step may include ensuring that the receptacle 21 is free of a consumable 30, inserting the aerosol provision device 20 into the receptacle of the refill/recharge pack 10, and engaging the engagement mechanism 17 with the receptacle 21. Once the aerosol provision device 20 is located in the receptacle 11, it should be appreciated that the conduit 16 and reservoir 14 is fluidly coupled to the reservoir refill mechanism 28 and reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20, and the electrical contacts 18a, 18b are electrically coupled to electrical contacts 29a, 29b.
At step S2, the method comprises refilling the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 with aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 14 of the refill/recharge pack 10. As described above, aerosol-generating material is capable of passing along the conduit 16 from the reservoir 14 to the reservoir refill mechanism 28 and to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20, when the volume of the reservoir 14 is caused to decrease by virtue of a force applied to the collapsible reservoir 14 and the reservoir 14 collapsing in response to the force. As noted above, this may include inflating an inflatable element 152, a user or other mechanism pressing against the reservoir 14, or rotating a roller 157 or similar rotating element to squeeze / compress the reservoir 14.
In some implementations, the refilling process starts automatically upon detection of the aerosol provision device 20 in the receptacle 11 (e.g., using a suitable sensor located in the receptacle 11 for sensing when the aerosol provision device 20 is present in the receptacle 11). In other implementations, the refilling process starts upon receipt of an instruction to do so, e.g., from a user.
The refilling process is performed until the reservoir 24 is filled with aerosol-generating material. At step S3, the refilling operation is stopped. In some implementations, the control circuitry 13 may be configured to stop the refilling operation as described above. In other implementations, such as those where the user manually applies a force to the reservoir 14, the user may stop the refilling process when a greater resistance to collapsing of the reservoir 14 is felt, which may be indicative of the reservoir 24 becoming full of aerosol-generating material.
At step S4, which may be performed simultaneously with steps S2 and S3 or after steps S2 and S3, the method comprises recharging the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20 with power from the battery 12 of the refill/recharge pack 10. As described above, electrical power is capable of passing from the battery 12 to the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20 via the electrical contacts 18a, 18b on the refill/recharge pack 10 and electrical contacts 29a, 29b on the aerosol provision device 10. In some implementations, the recharging process starts automatically upon detection of the aerosol provision device 20 in the receptacle 11. In other implementations, the recharging process starts upon receipt of an instruction to do so, e.g., from a user. The recharging process is performed until the battery 22 is recharged, or until the reservoir 24 is refilled with aerosol-generating material.
After step S4, the aerosol provision device 20 is ready to be removed from the refill/recharge pack 10. The user may choose to remove the aerosol provision device 20 as soon as the refill/recharge operations are complete, or leave the aerosol provision device 20 in the refill/recharge pack 10 until a later time. Once the aerosol provision device 20 is removed from the refill/recharge pack 10, the user inserts a consumable 30 into the receptacle 24 to form the aerosol provision system and the aerosol provision system is then ready for use. When the aerosol provision devices requires refilling and/or recharging, the user performs the method of Figure 9 once again.
In the described implementations above, the aerosol-generating material is an aerosol-generating consisting of at least one of: propylene glycol, (vegetable) glycerol, and water. However, it should be appreciated that in other implementations, the aerosol-generating material may comprise other constituents; for example, such as one or more active substances and/or flavours, one or more other aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional materials.
In accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, there is also provided a system including: aerosol provision means (including aerosol provision device 20) comprising aerosol-generating material storage means (including reservoir 24) for storing an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision means arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage means; and recharging and refilling means (including refill/recharge pack 10) configured to couple to the aerosol provision means, the recharging and refilling means comprising transfer means (including chamber 151, inflatable element 152 and fluid supply mechanism 153) for transferring aerosol-generating material from the recharging and refilling means to the aerosol-generating material storage means when the aerosol provision means is coupled to the recharging and refilling means, and recharging circuitry (including electrical contacts 18a, 18b) configured to recharge power means (including power source 22) of the aerosol provision means from a power supply means (including power source 12) of the recharging and refilling means when the aerosol provision means is coupled to the recharging and refilling means. The transfer means comprises a volume bounded by one or more walls, and in which aerosol-generating material is capable of being stored, wherein at least one of the one or more walls comprises a collapsible wall, and wherein the volume is in fluid communication with the aerosol-generating material storage means of the aerosol provision means via an outlet, and wherein collapsing of the collapsible wall causes aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the one or more walls via the outlet and to the aerosol-generating material storage means of the aerosol provision means.
Thus, there has been described a system including: an aerosol provision device comprising an aerosol-generating material storage portion for storing an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision device arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage portion; and a recharging and refilling device configured to couple to the aerosol provision device, the recharging and refilling device comprising a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the recharging and refilling device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the recharging and refilling device, and recharging circuitry configured to recharge a power source of the aerosol provision device from a power supply of the recharging and refilling device when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the recharging and refilling device. The transfer mechanism comprises a volume bounded by one or more walls, and in which aerosol-generating material is capable of being stored, wherein at least one of the one or more walls comprises a collapsible wall, and wherein the volume is in fluid communication with the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device via an outlet. Collapsing of the collapsible wall causes aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the one or more walls via the outlet and to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device. Also described is a recharging and refilling device and a method for refilling and recharging.
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.
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

A system comprising:
an aerosol provision device comprising an aerosol-generating material storage portion for storing an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision device arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage portion; and

a recharging and refilling device configured to couple to the aerosol provision device, the recharging and refilling device comprising a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the recharging and refilling device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the recharging and refilling device, and recharging circuitry configured to recharge a power source of the aerosol provision device from a power supply of the recharging and refilling device when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the recharging and refilling device,

wherein the transfer mechanism comprises a volume bounded by one or more walls, and in which aerosol-generating material is capable of being stored, wherein at least one of the one or more walls comprises a collapsible wall, and wherein the volume is in fluid communication with the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device via an outlet, and

wherein collapsing of the collapsible wall causes aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the one or more walls via the outlet and to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device.
The system of claim 1, wherein the transfer mechanism comprises an engagement member arranged to engage with the one or more walls, wherein the transfer mechanism is operably controlled to apply a force directly or indirectly to the collapsible wall through the engagement member causing the volume bounded by the one or more walls to decrease.
The system of claim 2, wherein the engagement member is configured to move in a first direction toward the one or more walls.
The system of claim 2 or 3, wherein the engagement member is controlled to move in the first direction by a predetermined amount.
The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the transfer mechanism comprises a housing in which the volume bounded by the one or more walls is provided, and wherein the housing movably receives the engagement member such that the engagement member is guided by the housing as the engagement member moves towards the volume bounded by the one or more walls.
The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the collapsible wall is formed from a flexible material.
The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the transfer mechanism comprises an inflatable element configured to receive a fluid to increase the volume of the inflatable element, and wherein the inflatable element is positioned such that an increase in volume of the inflatable element causes a decrease in the volume bounded by the one or more walls.
The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the refilling device is configured such that at least one of the one or more walls of the volume bounded by the one or more walls is exposed such that a user of the system is capable of interacting with at least one of the one or more walls to reduce the volume bounded by the one or more walls.
The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the system comprises an aerosol-generating material supply path extending between a reservoir of the refilling device and the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device, the reservoir comprising the volume bounded by the one or more walls, wherein aerosol-generating material stored in the reservoir of the refilling device is capable of being transferred along the aerosol-generating material supply path upon collapsing of the collapsible wall.
The system of claim 9, wherein the aerosol-generating material supply path is formed of a first part extending from the reservoir to an aerosol provision device interface of the refilling device, and a second part extending from a refill device interface of the aerosol provision device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion, wherein when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the refilling device, the refill device interface and the aerosol provision device interface are engaged with one another to fluidly couple the first part and the second part of the aerosol-generating material supply path.
A recharging and refilling device configured refill an aerosol-generating material storage portion for storing an aerosol-generating material of an aerosol provision device, the aerosol provision device arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage portion, the recharging and refilling device comprising:
a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the recharging and refilling device to an aerosol-generating material storage portion of an aerosol provision device coupled to the recharging and refilling device, and

recharging circuitry configured to recharge a power source of the aerosol provision device from a power supply of the recharging and refilling device when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the recharging and refilling device,

wherein the transfer mechanism comprises a volume bounded by one or more walls and in which aerosol-generating material is capable of being stored, wherein at least one of the one or more walls comprises a collapsible wall, and wherein the volume is in fluid communication with the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device via an outlet, and

wherein collapsing of the collapsible wall causes aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the one or more walls via the outlet and to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device.
A method for refilling and recharging an aerosol-generating material storage portion of an aerosol provision device for aerosolising aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage portion, the method comprising:
coupling the aerosol provision device to a recharging and refilling device, wherein the recharging a refilling device comprises a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the recharging and refilling device to an aerosol-generating material storage portion of an aerosol provision device coupled to the recharging and refilling device, and recharging circuitry configured to recharge a power source of the aerosol provision device from a power supply of the recharging and refilling device when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the recharging and refilling device;

recharging the power source of the aerosol provision system; and

collapsing a collapsible wall of the transfer mechanism, wherein one or more walls bound a volume, wherein at least one of the one or more walls comprises the collapsible wall , wherein the volume stores aerosol-generating material and is in fluid communication with the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device via an outlet, and wherein collapsing of the collapsible wall causes aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the one or more walls via the outlet and to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device.
A system comprising:
aerosol provision means comprising aerosol-generating material storage means for storing an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision means arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage means; and

recharging and refilling means configured to couple to the aerosol provision means, the recharging and refilling means comprising transfer means for transferring aerosol-generating material from the recharging and refilling means to the aerosol-generating material storage means when the aerosol provision means is coupled to the recharging and refilling means, and recharging circuitry configured to recharge power means of the aerosol provision means from a power supply means of the recharging and refilling means when the aerosol provision means is coupled to the recharging and refilling means,

wherein the transfer means comprises a volume bounded by one or more walls, and in which aerosol-generating material is capable of being stored, wherein at least one of the one or more walls comprises a collapsible wall, and wherein the volume is in fluid communication with the aerosol-generating material storage means of the aerosol provision means via an outlet, and

wherein collapsing of the collapsible wall causes aerosol-generating material to exit the volume bounded by the one or more walls via the outlet and to the aerosol-generating material storage means of the aerosol provision means.