RU2816751C2 - Atomizer and aerosol delivery device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: aerosol-forming systems.

SUBSTANCE: atomizer for an aerosol delivery device includes a fluid transfer element containing a rigid monolith, a heater. The rigid monolith has a first side with a recess formed in it and a second side opposite to the first side. The heater comprises a flat heating surface arranged to face the first side of the rigid monolith so that the heating surface faces the main surface of the recess formed in the first side of the rigid monolith.

EFFECT: uniformity of heating is increased, the heat flux density is optimized, and the efficiency of aerosol release is increased.

15 cl, 9 dwg

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices, such as smoking articles, and, more particularly, to aerosol delivery devices that can use electrically generated heat, by conduction or induction, to produce an aerosol (e.g., smoking articles, commonly called electronic cigarettes). Smoking articles may be configured to heat an aerosol precursor, which may include materials that may be made or derived from tobacco, or otherwise include tobacco, which precursor is capable of forming an inhalable substance for human consumption.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

[0002] Over the years, many smoking devices have been proposed as an improvement or alternative to smoking products that require combustion of tobacco for use. It is understood that many of these devices have been designed to provide the sensations associated with smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes, but without delivering the significant amounts of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products that result from the combustion of tobacco. To this end, a variety of smoking products, flavor generators, and medicinal inhalers have been proposed that use electrical energy to vaporize or heat volatile material or attempt to provide the sensation of smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes without substantially burning the tobacco. See, for example, various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and heat generating sources disclosed in the prior art as described in US Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al., US Patent Publication No. 2013/0255702 to Griffith Jr. . et al. and US Patent Publication No. 2014/0096781 to Sears et al., which are incorporated herein by reference. Also see, for example, the various types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electrically powered heat generating sources referenced by trademark and trade information in U.S. Patent Application No. 14/170,838 to Bless et al. filed February 3, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] It is preferred to provide a steam generating unit of the aerosol delivery device, the steam generating unit being configured to provide improved steam generation. It is also preferred to provide aerosol delivery devices that are configured using such vapor generating units.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices and components of such devices. In particular, wicks may be incorporated into aerosol delivery devices to form vapor generating units, which can be combined with power units to form aerosol delivery devices.

[0005] In one or more embodiments, the present invention may relate to an atomizer that is particularly useful in an aerosol delivery device. In particular, the atomizer may include at least a fluid transfer element and a heater. The fluid transfer element may be formed from a rigid material, such as a porous or non-porous monolith. The combined heater and fluid transfer element may have improved vaporization in light of the particular configurations of the individual components and materials.

[0006] In some embodiments, an exemplary atomizer may comprise a fluid transfer element comprising a rigid monolith, wherein the rigid monolith has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and a heater comprising a substantially flat heating surface, wherein the heating surface is positioned so as to face the first side of the rigid monolith.

[0007] In some embodiments, the rigid monolith is formed from a porous material configured to absorb the aerosol precursor composition in the vicinity of a heating surface through capillary action.

[0008] In some embodiments, the rigid monolith is formed from a substantially non-porous material, the rigid monolith comprising at least one opening extending from a first side to a second side to provide a channel for vaporized aerosol precursor.

[0009] In particular embodiments, the fluid transfer element also includes an absorbent pad along the first side of the rigid monolith.

[00010] In some embodiments, the rigid monolith also includes at least one passage near its periphery to provide a channel configured to transfer liquid aerosol precursor from a second side to a first side of the rigid monolith.

[00011] In some embodiments, the rigid monolith has a recess formed in the first side, and the heating surface is positioned to face the main surface of the recess. In some embodiments, the rigid monolith includes at least one opening extending from the main surface to the second side. The at least one hole may comprise a centrally located hole. The at least one hole may comprise a plurality of holes, and the central hole may have a larger diameter than the rest of the plurality of holes. In some cases, the main surface includes a protrusion through which a centrally located hole extends. In some embodiments, the recess of the rigid monolith has a depth greater than about 30% of the thickness of the disk. If an absorbent pad and recess are provided, the pad may be located in the recess. In some embodiments, the absorbent pad may include a centrally located opening.

[00012] In some embodiments, the heater includes at least one heating element selected from the group consisting of a heating wire, a conductive mesh, and a conductive track printed on the surface of the substrate, or a heater coated with thermally conductive materials.

[00013] In some embodiments, the atomizer also includes thermal insulation separated from the heater, which insulation may be a mica disk or other low thermal conductivity materials.

[00014] In specific aspects of the disclosure of the present invention, an atomizer, as described herein, may be included for use in an aerosol delivery device.

[00015] In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device defines an air flow path from the air inlet to the mouthpiece that extends along the second side of the rigid monolith.

[00016] In some embodiments, the rigid monolith includes at least one opening extending from the first side to the second side, the aerosol delivery device being configured such that the vaporized aerosol precursor is drawn through the at least one opening under the influence of gravitational force or differential pressure created by drawing in air moving along an air flow path along the second side of a rigid monolith.

[00017] In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device comprises a reservoir (eg, a container) including an aerosol precursor composition. The reservoir may be tubular or other shape, such as rectangular, and the aerosol delivery device may provide an air flow path from the air inlet to a mouthpiece that extends through the reservoir.

[00018] In some embodiments, the rigid monolith also includes circumferential grooves formed on a second side thereof, the grooves being configured to assist in sealing the rigid monolith with the reservoir.

[00019] The fluid transfer element may absorb or otherwise transfer the aerosol precursor composition from a reservoir to a heater that is in thermal communication with the fluid transfer element. The heater is located outside the reservoir so as to vaporize at least a portion of the aerosol precursor composition, which is transferred from the reservoir through the fluid transfer element. The resulting vapor may combine with air that is drawn into the aerosol delivery device to form an aerosol that flows to the tip of the mouthpiece of the aerosol delivery device and exits the aerosol delivery device. The aerosol delivery device containing the atomizer may be a single one-piece structure that houses all of the aerosol-generating elements described herein (eg, power, control, and evaporation elements). The aerosol delivery device may be a cartridge or container that is attached to a separate control housing, the control housing may include a power element (eg, a battery) and/or a control element.

[00020] The present invention includes, without limitation, the following embodiments:

[00021] Embodiment 1: An atomizer comprising: a fluid transfer element comprising a rigid monolith, the rigid monolith having a first side and a second side opposite the first side; and a heater comprising a substantially flat heating surface, the heating surface being positioned to face a first side of the rigid monolith.

[00022] Embodiment 2: The atomizer according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the rigid monolith is formed of a porous material configured to absorb the aerosol precursor composition in the vicinity of a heating surface through capillary action.

[00023] Embodiment 3: The atomizer according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the rigid monolith is formed from a substantially non-porous material, the rigid monolith comprising at least one opening extending from a first side to a second side to provide a channel for vaporized aerosol precursor .

[00024] Embodiment 4: The atomizer as in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the fluid transfer member also includes an absorbent pad along the first side of the rigid monolith.

[00025] Embodiment 5: The atomizer according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the rigid monolith also includes at least one passage near its periphery to provide a channel configured to transfer liquid aerosol precursor from a second side to a first side of the rigid monolith.

[00026] Embodiment 6: The atomizer as in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the rigid monolith has a recess formed in the first side and the heating surface is positioned to face the main surface of the recess.

[00027] Embodiment 7: The atomizer according to any preceding embodiment, wherein the rigid monolith includes at least one hole extending from the main surface to the second side.

[00028] Embodiment 8: The atomizer according to any preceding embodiment, wherein said at least one opening comprises a centrally located opening.

[00029] Embodiment 9: The atomizer as in any preceding embodiment, wherein the at least one hole comprises a plurality of holes and the central hole has a larger diameter than the rest of the plurality of holes.

[00030] Embodiment 10: The atomizer as in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the main surface includes a protrusion through which a centrally located opening extends.

[00031] Embodiment 11: The atomizer as in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the recess has a depth greater than about 30% of the thickness of the rigid monolith.

[00032] Embodiment 12: The atomizer as in any of the preceding embodiments, also comprising an absorbent pad located in a recess between the heating surface and the main surface.

[00033] Embodiment 13: The atomizer as in any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the heater comprises at least one heating element selected from the group consisting of a heating wire, a conductive mesh, and a conductive track printed on the surface of the substrate.

[00034] Embodiment 14: The atomizer as in any of the preceding embodiments, also comprising insulation separated from the heater.

[00035] Embodiment 15: The atomizer as in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the insulation contains mica.

[00036] Embodiment 16: An aerosol delivery device comprising an atomizer according to any preceding embodiment.

[00037] Embodiment 17: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment, wherein the aerosol delivery device defines an air flow path from the air inlet to the mouthpiece that extends along the second side of the rigid monolith.

[00038] Embodiment 18: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment, wherein the rigid monolith comprises at least one opening extending from a first side to a second side, wherein the aerosol delivery device is configured such that evaporated aerosol precursor is drawn through said aerosol precursor. the at least one opening under the influence of a pressure difference created by drawing in air moving along an air flow path along the second side of the rigid monolith.

[00039] Embodiment 19: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment, comprising a reservoir including an aerosol precursor composition, wherein the aerosol delivery device defines an air flow path from the air inlet to a mouthpiece that extends through the reservoir.

[00040] Embodiment 20: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment, wherein the rigid monolith also includes circumferential grooves formed on a second side thereof, the grooves being configured to facilitate sealing of the rigid monolith to the reservoir.

[00041] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the disclosure of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. The present invention includes any combination of two, three, four or more of the foregoing embodiments, as well as combinations of two, three, four or more features or elements set forth herein, whether or not such features or elements are combined in expressly in the description of a particular embodiment herein. This invention is intended to be read as a whole, such that any individual features or elements of the disclosed invention in any of its aspects and embodiments are to be considered combinable unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00042] Having therefore described the present invention in the foregoing general terms, reference is made below to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, in which:

[00043] in FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device comprising a cartridge and a power supply including various elements that may be used in the aerosol delivery device in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention;

[00044] in FIG. 2 is an illustration of a fluid transfer element according to an embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention;

[00045] in FIG. 3 is an illustration of a heater and insulation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[00046] in FIG. 4 is an exploded view illustration of an atomizer according to an embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention;

[00047] in FIG. 5 is an end perspective view of a container that functions as a reservoir according to an embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention;

[00048] in FIG. 6 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device containing the container of FIG. 5 and the atomizer according to FIG. 4, which includes a reservoir and an atomizer according to embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention;

[00049] in FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a first side of a heater according to another embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention;

[00050] in FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view from the second side of the heater of FIG. 7.

[00051] In FIG. 9 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device containing the container of FIG. 5 and the atomizer according to FIG. 7 and 8.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[00052] The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to examples of its implementations. These exemplary implementations are described in such a way that the disclosure will thoroughly, completely and completely convey the scope of the invention to one skilled in the art. In fact, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments given herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to ensure that the present invention complies with applicable legal requirements. In this specification and in the accompanying claims, grammatical construction indicating that an element is in the singular also implies the plural unless the context of the invention clearly dictates otherwise.

[00053] As described below, embodiments of the present invention relate to aerosol delivery systems. Aerosol delivery systems according to the disclosure of the present invention use electrical energy to heat a material (eg, without burning the material to any significant extent and/or without significantly chemically altering the material) to produce a respirable agent; and the components of such systems are in the form of products that are compact enough to be considered portable devices. In other words, the use of aerosol delivery system components does not produce smoke, i.e. from by-products of the combustion or pyrolysis of tobacco, but rather, the use of these systems results in the formation of vapors generated during the process of evaporation or evaporation of certain components included in them. In some embodiments, the components of aerosol delivery systems may be characterized as electronic cigarettes, and said electronic cigarettes may include tobacco and/or tobacco-derived components and thereby deliver tobacco-derived components in the form of an aerosol.

[00054] The aerosol-generating means of certain aerosol delivery systems can provide a variety of sensations (e.g., inhalation and exhalation rituals, types of tastes and aromas, sensory effects, physical sensation, rituals of use, visual cues such as those provided by a visible aerosol, and the like) smoking a cigarette, cigar or pipe that involves lighting and burning tobacco (and then inhaling tobacco smoke) without any significant combustion of any of its components. For example, a user of an aerosol-generating device according to the disclosure of the present invention may hold and use the device in the same manner as a smoker uses a traditional type of smoking article by puffing through one end of said means to inhale the aerosol generated by the means, taking or taking puffs at selected intervals. etc.

[00055] The proposed aerosol delivery devices can also be characterized as vapor-generating products or drug delivery products. Thus, such articles or devices may be adapted to deliver one or more substances (eg, flavoring agents and/or pharmaceutical active ingredients) in an inhalable form or state. For example, the inhaled substances may be essentially in the form of a vapor (eg, a substance that is in the gaseous phase at a temperature below its critical point). Alternatively, the inhaled substances may be in the form of an aerosol (i.e., a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas). For the sake of simplicity, as used herein, the term “aerosol” is intended to refer to vapors, gases and aerosols of a form or type suitable for human inhalation, whether or not visible and whether or not in a form that may be considered "smoke-like".

[00056] Aerosol delivery devices according to the disclosure of the present invention generally comprise a number of components located within an outer housing or shell, which may be referred to as a housing. The overall design of the outer housing or shell may vary, and the configuration and format of the outer housing, which may define the overall size and shape of the aerosol delivery device, may also vary. Typically, an elongated body resembling the shape of a cigarette or cigar may be formed from a single integral housing, or the elongated housing may be formed from two or more detachable housings. For example, an aerosol delivery device may comprise an oblong casing or body that may be substantially tubular in shape and thus resemble the shape of a conventional cigarette or cigar. In another embodiment, the shell may have a rectangular, triangular, oval, or other cross-sectional shape. In one embodiment, all components of the aerosol delivery device are located in a single housing. Alternatively, the aerosol delivery device may comprise two or more housings that are connected and removable. For example, an aerosol delivery device may have at one end a control housing (or power supply) containing a housing containing one or more reusable components (for example, a battery and various electronic equipment for controlling the operation of the product), and at the other end attached to it with a removable outer housing or shell containing aerosol-forming components (eg, one or more aerosol precursor components such as flavorants and aerosol formers, one or more heaters, and/or one or more wicks).

[00057] The aerosol delivery devices of the present invention may be formed from an outer casing or shell that is not substantially tubular in shape, but may be substantially larger in size. The housing or shell may be configured to include a mouthpiece and/or may be configured to receive a separate housing (eg, a cartridge or container), which may contain consumables such as a liquid aerosol former, and may include a vaporizer or atomizer.

[00058] Aerosol delivery devices according to the disclosure of the present invention often include some combination of a power source (e.g., an electrical power supply), at least one control component (e.g., means for actuating, controlling, regulating, and stopping power to generate heat, e.g. , by controlling electric current from a power source to other components of the product - for example, a microcontroller or microprocessor), a heater or heat-producing element (for example, an electrical resistive heating element or material configured to generate heat as a result of eddy currents by induction, which themselves alone or in combination with one or more additional elements may be generically referred to as an "atomizer"), aerosol precursor compositions (e.g., typically a liquid capable of forming an aerosol upon the application of sufficient heat; such ingredients are typically listed as "smoke juice", "e-liquid " and "e-juice"), and a mouthpiece or mouthpiece area to allow a puff to be drawn through the aerosol delivery device for inhaling the aerosol (e.g., a defined air flow path through the article so that the generated aerosol can be expelled from it after a puff is taken).

[00059] More specific formats, configurations and arrangements of components in aerosol delivery systems in accordance with the present invention will be apparent in light of the further disclosure of the invention presented below. In addition, the selection and arrangement of various components of aerosol delivery systems can be understood by considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, such as those representative products referenced in the Background Art section of this disclosure.

[00060] One example implementation of an aerosol delivery device 100 illustrating components that may be used in an aerosol delivery device according to the disclosure of the present invention is presented in FIG. 1. As can be seen from the partial cutaway image, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include a power supply 102 and a cartridge 104, which may be aligned in a permanently operable or detachable manner. The interaction of the power supply 102 with the cartridge 104 may be a press fit (as shown), a threaded engagement, an interference fit, a magnetic engagement, or the like. In particular, connection components such as those further described herein may be used. For example, the power supply may include an interface element that is configured to interact with a connector on the cartridge. As a further example, in some embodiments, the housing of the power supply 102 may define a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the cartridge 104. In such embodiments, in which at least a portion of the cartridge 104 is housed in the cavity of the power supply 102, the cartridge 104 may be retained in the cavity of the power supply 102 by an interference fit (e.g., through the use of retainers and/or other elements that create an interference interaction between the outer surface of the cartridge 104 and the inner surface of the cavity wall), by magnetic interaction, or other suitable method.

[00061] In specific embodiments, the power supply 102 and/or cartridge 104 may be referred to as disposable or refillable. For example, the power supply may have a replaceable battery or a rechargeable battery and thus may be combined with any type of recharging technology, including connection to a conventional wall charger, connection to a car charger (such as a cigarette lighter socket), connection to a computer, any of which may include a universal serial bus (USB) connector (e.g., USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, USB Type C), a connection to a photovoltaic cell (sometimes listed as a solar photovoltaic cell), or to a solar photovoltaic cell panel, a wireless charger, such as a charger that uses inductive wireless charging (including, for example, wireless charging in accordance with the Qi wireless charging standard developed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC)) or to a wireless radio frequency (RF) charger. Examples of inductive wireless charging systems are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0112196 by Sur et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Also in some embodiments, the cartridge may be a disposable cartridge, as described in US Patent No. 8,910,639 to Chang et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[00062] As shown in FIG. 1, the power supply 102 may be formed from a power supply shell 101, which may include a control component 106 (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB), an integrated circuit, a memory component, a microcontroller, and the like, as well as a resistance temperature sensor for controlling the temperature) , flow sensor 108, battery 110, and light-emitting diode 112, and such components may be aligned in various ways. Additional indicators (eg, a haptic feedback component, an auditory feedback component, or the like) may be included in addition to or as an alternative to the light-emitting diode. Additional representative types of components that provide visual signals or indicators, such as light-emitting diode components, and their construction and use are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al., No. 8,499,766 to Newton, and No. 8,539,959 to Scatterday, and US Patent Publication No. 2015/0020825 to Galloway et al. and US Patent Publication No. 2015/0216233 to Sears et al., which are incorporated herein by reference. It is clear that not all illustrated elements are necessary. For example, the light emitting diode may be omitted or replaced by another indicator, such as a vibration indicator. Likewise, the flow sensor can be replaced by a manual actuator such as a push button.

[00063] The cartridge 104 may be formed by a cartridge shell 103 enclosing a reservoir 144 that is in fluid communication with a fluid transfer element 136 configured to absorb or otherwise transfer the aerosol precursor composition stored in the reservoir shell to the heater 134. The fluid transfer element may be formed from one or more materials configured to transfer fluid, for example, by capillary action. The fluid transfer element can be formed, for example, from fibrous materials (for example, organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics (aluminum oxide, silica, zirconia, SiC, SiN, AlN, etc. .), porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillary tubes, porous polymers or the like. Thus, the fluid transfer element can be any material that contains a network of open pores (ie, a plurality of pores that are interconnected such that fluid can flow from one pore to another in a plurality of directions through the element). The pores may be nanopores, micropores, macropores, or combinations thereof. As further described herein, some embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention may, in particular, relate to the use of non-fibrous transfer elements. Thus, in some embodiments, fibrous transfer elements may be explicitly omitted. Alternatively, combinations of fibrous transfer elements and non-fibrous transfer elements can be used. In some embodiments, the fluid transfer element may be a substantially solid, non-porous material, such as a polymer or dense ceramics or metals, configured to direct fluid through openings or slits without necessarily relying on capillary action. Such a solid body can be used in combination with a porous absorbent pad. The absorbent pad may be formed from silica fibers, organic cotton, rayon, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, highly porous ceramic or metal mesh, etc.

[00064] Various embodiments of materials configured to produce heat when electrical current is applied to them may be used to form the heater 134. Examples of materials from which the wire coil may be made include fechral (FeCrAl), nichrome, nickel, stainless steel, indium tin oxide, tungsten, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), aluminum alloyed molybdenum disilicide (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, silver and palladium alloys, graphite and graphite-based materials (eg, carbon-based foams and filaments), conductive inks, boron-doped silicon, and ceramics (eg, PTC and NTC ceramics). Heater 134 may be a resistive heating element or a heating element configured to generate heat by induction. Heater 134 may be coated with a thermally conductive ceramic such as aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, beryllium oxide, alumina, silicon nitride, or composites thereof.

[00065] An opening 128 may be provided in the cartridge shell 103 (e.g., at the tip of the mouthpiece) to allow the generated aerosol to exit the cartridge 104. Such components are representative of the components that may be present in the cartridge and are not intended to limit the volume of the cartridge components. covered by the disclosure of the present invention.

[00066] The cartridge 104 may also include one or more electronic components 150, which may include an integrated circuit, a memory component, a sensor, or the like. Electronic component 150 may be configured to communicate with control component 106 and/or an external device via wired or wireless means. Electronic component 150 may be located anywhere within cartridge 104 or base 140 thereof.

[00067] Although the control component 106 and the flow sensor 108 are shown separately, it should be understood that the control component and the flow sensor may be combined on an electronic circuit board with the air flow sensor attached directly thereto. The control component 106 may be considered to include an RTD temperature sensor, or the RTD temperature sensor may be included in the electronic component 150. Additionally, the electronic circuit board may be positioned horizontally relative to the illustration in FIG. 1, in which the electronic circuit board may be longitudinally parallel to the central axis of the power supply. In some embodiments, the air flow sensor may include its own circuit board or other main component to which it can be attached. In some embodiments, a flexible circuit board may be used. The flexible circuit board can be made in a variety of shapes, including substantially tubular shapes. Printed circuit board and pressure sensor configurations, for example, are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0245658 to Worm et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[00068] The power supply 102 and the cartridge 104 may include components configured to facilitate fluid interaction with each other. As shown in FIG. 1, the power supply 102 may include an interface 124 having a cavity 125 therein. The cartridge 104 may include a base 140 configured to interact with the interface 124 and may include a projection 141 configured to be integrated into the cavity 125. Such interaction may facilitate establishing a stable connection between the power supply 102 and the cartridge 104 and establishing an electrical connection between the battery 110 and the control component 106 in the power supply and the heater 134 in the cartridge. In addition, the power supply shell 101 may include an air intake 118, which may be a recess in the shell in which it is connected to the interface element 124, which allows air from the environment around the interface element to pass into the shell, where it then passes through the element cavity 125 mate into the cartridge through the projection 141. The air intake 118 is not limited to being on or adjacent to the power supply shell 101, but may be formed on the outside of the cartridge or some other part of the aerosol delivery device, such as a removable mouthpiece.

[00069] A mating element and base suitable for use in accordance with the disclosure of the present invention are described in US Patent Publication No. 2014/0261495 to Novak et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. For example, a mating element as shown in FIG. 1 may define an outer periphery 126 configured to mate with an inner periphery 142 of the base 140. In one embodiment, the inner periphery of the base may have a radius substantially equal to or slightly greater than the radius of the outer periphery of the mate. In addition, the interface element 124 may define one or more projections 129 on the outer periphery 126 configured to cooperate with one or more recesses 178 formed on the inner periphery of the base. However, various other designs, shapes, and components may be used to connect the base to the interface. In some embodiments, the connection between the base 140 of the cartridge 104 and the interface element 124 of the power supply 102 may be substantially permanent, while in other embodiments, the connection between them may be removable so that, for example, the power supply can be reused with one or more optional cartridges, which may be disposable and/or reusable.

[00070] In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 100 may be substantially rod-shaped or substantially tubular in shape or substantially cylindrical in shape. In other embodiments, additional shapes and sizes are covered, such as rectangular, oval, hexagonal or triangular cross-section, polyhedral shapes, and the like. In particular, the power supply 102 may not be rod-shaped, but may be substantially rectangular, circular, or some other shape. Likewise, the power supply 102 may be substantially larger than the power supply, which is expected to be the size of a conventional cigarette.

[00071] Reservoir 144 shown in FIG. 1 may be a container (eg, formed by walls substantially impermeable to the aerosol precursor composition) or a fibrous reservoir. Container walls can be flexible and foldable. Alternatively, the walls of the container may be substantially rigid. The container may be substantially sealed to prevent the aerosol precursor composition from escaping except at any particular opening provided specifically for passage of the aerosol precursor composition, such as through a transfer element as otherwise described herein. In exemplary embodiments, the reservoir 144 may comprise one or more layers of nonwoven fibers and may be substantially formed in the shape of a tube surrounding the interior of the cartridge shell 103. The fibers may consist of polycarbonate, silicone, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene or ceramic. The aerosol precursor composition may be retained in reservoir 144. Liquid components, for example, may be sorptionally retained in reservoir 144 (ie, when reservoir 144 contains fibrous material). Reservoir 144 may be fluidly coupled to fluid transfer element 136. In this example, fluid transfer element 136 may transfer the aerosol precursor composition stored in reservoir 144 by capillary action to heating element 134, which in this embodiment is a metal wire coil. Typically, the heating element 134 is located in the heating device with the fluid transfer element 136.

[00072] In use, when a user takes a puff through the article 100, air flow is detected through the sensor 108, the heating element 134 is activated, and the components for the aerosol precursor composition are vaporized by the heating element 134. Taking a puff through the tip of the mouthpiece of the article 100 causes air from the environment to enter. into the air intake 118 and its passage through the cavity 125 in the interface element 124 and the central hole in the protrusion 141 of the base 140. In the cartridge 104, the drawn air combines with the generated steam to form an aerosol. The aerosol is removed by sucking, drawing, or otherwise puffing from the heating element 134 and exiting the mouthpiece opening 128 in the mouthpiece tip of the product 100. Alternatively, in the absence of an airflow sensor, the heating element 134 may be activated manually, such as by means of a push button. .

[00073] An input element may be included in the aerosol delivery device (and may replace or complement an airflow or pressure sensor). An input device may be included to allow the user to control functions of the device and/or to output information to the user. Any component or combination of components can be used as input to control a device function. For example, one or more push buttons may be used, as described in US Publication No. 2015/0245658 by Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. Likewise, a touch screen may be used, as in US Patent Application No. 14/643,626, filed March 10, 2015 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. As a further example, components configured to recognize gestures based on specified movements of the aerosol delivery device may be used as an input device. See US Publication No. 2016/0158782 by Henry et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. As another example, a capacitive sensor may be implemented on an aerosol delivery device to allow a user to provide input by, for example, touching the surface of the device on which the capacitive sensor is implemented.

[00074] In some embodiments, the data input device may comprise a computer or computing device, such as a smartphone or tablet. In particular, the aerosol delivery device may be connected to a computer or other device via wires, such as by using a USB cable or similar protocol. The aerosol delivery device may also communicate with a computer or other device acting as an input device via wireless communication. See, for example, systems and methods for controlling a device via a read request as described in US Publication No. 2016/0007561 by Ampolini et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In such embodiments, an application or other computer program may be used in conjunction with a computer or other computing device to input control commands to the aerosol delivery device, such control commands including, for example, the ability to produce an aerosol of a specific composition by selecting nicotine content and/or content additional flavorings to be included.

[00075] The various components of the aerosol delivery device of the present invention may be selected from those described in the art and commercially available. Examples of batteries that can be used in accordance with the invention are described in US Patent Publication No. 2010/0028766 to Peckerar et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[00076] The aerosol delivery device may include a sensor or sensing element for controlling the supply of electrical power to the heat generating element when aerosol production is required (eg, during a puff operation). Thus, for example, a method or method is provided for turning off the power supply to the heat generating element when the aerosol delivery device is not in use, and for turning on the power supply to drive or start generating heat by the heat generating element during a puff. Additional characteristic types of sensing and detection mechanisms, their structure and configuration, their components and general methods of their operation are described in US Patent No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, Jr., US Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., and PCT No. WO 2010/003480 by Flick, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[00077] The aerosol delivery device may include a control mechanism for controlling the amount of electrical power supplied to the heat generating element during a puff. Representative types of electronic components, their structure and configuration, their features and general methods of their operation are described in US Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., US Patent No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al., US Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., US Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., US Patent No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen et al., US Patent No. 8,205,622 to Pan, US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0230117 to Fernando et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0060554 by Collet et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0270727 by Ampolini et al., and US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0257445 by by Henry et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[00078] Representative types of substrates, reservoirs or other components for supporting an aerosol precursor are described in US Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton, US Patent Publications No. 2014/0261487 to Chapman et al., US Pat. No. 2014/0059780 to Davis et al. , and US Publication No. 2015/0216232 by Bless et al., which are incorporated herein by reference. Also, various absorbent materials, as well as the design and operation of these absorbent materials in certain types of electronic cigarettes, are described in US Pat. No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[00079] For aerosol delivery systems that are characterized as electronic cigarettes, the aerosol precursor composition may include tobacco or tobacco-derived components. On the one hand, tobacco may be presented in the form of tobacco parts or pieces, such as finely ground, shredded or powdered tobacco flakes. Tobacco balls, pellets, or other solid forms may be included, such as those described in US Patent Publication No. 2015/0335070 to Sears et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the tobacco may be provided in the form of an extract, such as a spray-dried extract, which includes many of the water-soluble components of tobacco. Alternatively, tobacco extracts may take the form of relatively high nicotine content extracts that also contain trace amounts of other extracted tobacco-derived components. In another respect, tobacco-derived components may be provided in relatively pure form, such as certain flavoring agents that are tobacco-derived. On the one hand, a component that is derived from tobacco and that can be used in a highly purified or substantially pure form is nicotine (eg, pharmaceutical grade nicotine). In other embodiments, only non-tobacco materials may form the aerosol precursor composition.

[00080] The aerosol precursor composition, also referred to as a vapor precursor composition or "e-liquid", may contain various components including, for example, a polyhydric alcohol (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol, or a mixture thereof), nicotine, tobacco, tobacco extract, and/or flavorings. Representative types of aerosol precursor components and compositions are also known and characterized in US Patent No. 7,217,320 to Robinson and US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0008457 to Zheng et al.; No. 2013/0213417 by Chong and No. 2014/0060554 by Collett et al.; No. 2015/0020823 by Lipowicz et al.; and No. 2015/0020830 by Koller, and WO 2014/182736 by Bowen et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Other aerosol precursors that may be used include the aerosol precursors that are included in R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company's VUSE® products, Lorillard Technologies' BLUTM products, Mistic Ecigs' MISTIC MENTHOL product, Nu Mark LLC's MARK TEN products, JUUL's product Juul Labs, Inc. and into VYPE products from CN Creative Ltd. Also preferred are so-called "smoke juices" for electronic cigarettes, which are available from Johnson Creek Enterprises LLC. Further additional examples of aerosol precursor compositions are marketed under the brand names BLACK NOTE, COSMIC FOG, THE MILKMAN E-LIQUID, FIVE PAWNS, THE VAPOR CHEF, VAPE WILD, BOOSTED, THE STEAM FACTORY, MECH SAUCE, CASEY JONES MAINLINE RESERVE, MITTEN VAPORS, DR. CRIMMY'S V-LIQUID, SMILEY E LIQUID, BEANTOWN VAPOR, CUTTWOOD, CYCLOPS VAPOR, SICBOY, GOOD LIFE VAPOR, TELEOS, PINUP VAPORS, SPACE JAM, MT. BAKER VAPOR and JIMMY THE JUICE MAN. The amount of aerosol precursor that is included in the aerosol delivery system is such that the aerosol generating agent has acceptable sensory and desired performance characteristics. For example, it is desirable that a sufficient amount of aerosol-forming material (eg, glycerin and/or propylene glycol) be used to produce a visible primary aerosol, which in many respects resembles the appearance of tobacco smoke. The amount of aerosol precursor within the aerosol generating system may depend on factors such as the number of puffs required on the aerosol generating means. In one or more embodiments, about 0.5 ml or more, about 1 ml or more, about 2 ml or more, about 5 ml or more, or about 10 ml or more of the aerosol precursor composition may be included.

[00081] Other features, controls, or components that may be contained in aerosol delivery systems according to the disclosure of the present invention are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al., in U.S. Patent No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al., in Pat. U.S. No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,365,742 to Hon, U.S. Patent No. 8,402,976 to Fernando et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/ 0163063 to Fernando et al., US Patent Publication No. 2013/0192623 to Tucker et al., US Patent Publication No. 2013/0298905 to Leven et al., US Patent Publication No. 2013/0180553 to Kim et al. al., US Patent Publication No. 2014/0000638 to Sebastian et al., US Patent Publication No. 2014/0261495 to Novak et al., and US Patent Publication No. 2014/0261408 to DePiano et al. are incorporated herein by reference.

[00082] The foregoing description of product use may be applied to various embodiments described herein through minor modifications that may be apparent to one skilled in the art in light of additional disclosure provided herein. The above description of use, however, is not intended to limit the use of the specified article, but is provided to satisfy all necessary requirements of the disclosure of the present invention. Any of the elements shown in the product as shown in FIG. 1, or otherwise described above, may be included in an aerosol delivery device according to the disclosure of the present invention.

[00083] In one or more embodiments, the present invention may specifically relate to aerosol delivery devices that are configured to provide increased steam production. This increase can be caused by many factors. In some embodiments, the fluid transfer element may be formed in part or entirely from a porous monolith, such as porous ceramic, porous glass, porous polymer, or the like. Examples of monolithic materials suitable for use in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure are described, for example, in U.S. Patent Application No. 14/988,109, filed January 5, 2016, and in U.S. Patent No. 2014/0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, the porous monolith may form a substantially rigid wick. In particular, the transfer element may be a substantially single monolithic material rather than a bundle of individual fibers, as is known in the art.

[00084] The use of a rigid porous monolith as a fluid transfer element may be beneficial to improve heating uniformity and reduce the potential for charring of the fluid transfer element due to uneven heating. It may also be desirable to eliminate the presence of fibrous materials in the aerosol delivery device. Despite such advantages, porous monoliths also pose certain challenges for successful implementation as a fluid transfer element. Such problems are due in part to the different material properties of porous monoliths (eg, porous ceramics) compared to fibrous wicks. For example, aluminum oxide has both higher thermal conductivity and higher heat capacity than silicon dioxide. These thermal properties cause heat to be removed from the aerosol precursor composition at the wick/heater interface, and this may require a higher initial energy output to achieve comparable fluid evaporation. The present invention provides means to overcome such difficulties.

[00085] In some embodiments that use a porous monolith, the energy requirement for evaporation when using a porous monolith can be reduced, and the rate of the evaporation reaction can be improved by increasing the heat flux density (measured in watts per square meter - W/ m2) along the surface of the element for transferring fluid from the porous monolith. The present invention particularly describes embodiments suitable for providing such an increase in heat flux density.

[00086] In some embodiments, the present invention provides an atomizer configuration in which the fluid transfer element provides a flat heat receiving surface for receiving heat from the flat heating surface of the heater. In FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the present invention in which the fluid transfer element 236 is in the form of a substantially rigid porous monolith. The fluid transfer element 236 has a main body 240 in the shape of a circular disk with a first side 244 and a second side 248. The periphery of the main body 240 may take shapes other than circular to fit the overall cross-section of the aerosol delivery device in which the transfer element 236 is used. fluid medium. The first and second sides 244, 248 generally correspond to opposing surfaces of the circular disk in the illustrated embodiment. The first and second sides 244, 248 may be surfaces that are substantially parallel to each other. The circular disk may have an outer diameter D _M from about 6 mm to about 14 mm, although the dimensions of the main body 240 may vary depending on the dimensions of the components of the associated aerosol delivery device. For example, in the case where the aerosol delivery device resembles a cigarette, as shown in FIG. 1, the outer diameter D _M may be selected such that the main body is accommodated in the shell 103 (FIG. 1) when the disk is positioned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol delivery device. The outer diameter D _M may be constant as shown, or may be varied, for example, to provide a stepped portion or a tapered outer surface to facilitate assembly of the aerosol delivery device, including, without limitation, facilitating contact of the working fluid between the reservoir that contains the precursor composition aerosol, and the radial outer part of the main body 240.

[00087] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, the first side 244 may be a heat receiving side designed to be positioned adjacent to, and optionally in contact with, a heater. The second side 248 may be an aerosol release side that is configured to remove vapor from the fluid transfer member 236 when sucked by the flow of air generated by the user when taking a puff through the tip of the mouthpiece of the aerosol delivery device. In other embodiments not shown in the drawing, heat may be applied to the second side 248, the aerosol may be removed from the first side 244 by suction, or both heating and suction removal may occur substantially relative to one side of the main body 240. In some embodiments, both heating and exhaust removal are contemplated on each side of the main body 240, especially in embodiments in which the air flow will pass adjacent to each side of the main body.

[00088] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, the first side 244 may include a recess 252 formed or otherwise provided within the main body 240. The recess 252 may have a shape that matches the shape of the periphery of the main body 240. In the case of a circular shape shown, the recess 252 may have a diameter D _R of about 5 mm to about 12 mm, generally greater than half the diameter D _M of the main body 240. The diameter D _R may be selected based in part on the radius of the channel passing through the reservoir at a location adjacent the fluid transfer element 236.

[00089] The portion of the main body 240 between the outer periphery and the recess 252 may be referred to as the absorbent region 254, which may be placed, wholly or partially, in contact with the reservoir, as shown in FIG. 6.

[00090] Recess 252 may have a depth Z, where Z is from about 1 mm to about 4 mm and optionally from about 1.75 mm to about 2 mm, which can be from about one-third to about three-quarters of the thickness T _M main body 240. Again, the absolute depth and relative depth of the recess 252 may vary. In one embodiment, the depth Z may be large enough such that the heater and insulation (e.g., thermal insulation) can be substantially completely contained within the recess 252. In another embodiment, the recess 252 receives the heater and the insulation may be placed on the top surface 255 of the main housing 240.

[00091] The recess 252 defines a main surface 256, which may be referred to as a heat receiving surface. In some embodiments, there may be no recess and the top surface 255 may be a heat receiving surface. The main body 240 has a vapor generating region 260 formed between the main surface 256 of the recess 252 and the second side 248. The vapor generating region 260 may have a thickness T _V from about 0.5 mm to about 2.5 mm. In one embodiment, T _V is approximately 1 mm. The area of the main surface 256, determined by the diameter D _R of the recess 252, and the thickness T _V of the vapor-generating region 260 can be selected to optimize the heat flux density and to optimize the ratio of the surface area from which the aerosol precursor can be released relative to the volume of the vapor-generating region in which the aerosol precursor can be released. aerosol precursor to be located.

[00092] As shown in FIG. 2, one or more openings 270 may be provided in the vapor generating region 260 that extends from the main surface 256 to the second side 248 of the main body 240. The diameter of the openings D _A may range from about 0.1 mm to about 0.9 mm and may be approximately 0.35 mm, although other sizes are possible. Openings 270 are provided in the porous main body 240 to increase the open surface area from which the aerosol precursor can be released to form vapor. In addition to selecting the size of each opening 270, the number and location of the openings may be varied to optimize aerosol release efficiency. The efficiency of aerosol release can be determined based on factors such as the power required to heat the fluid transfer element 236 compared to the volume of aerosol precursor vaporized. All holes 270 may be approximately the same size or their sizes may vary. For example, smaller openings may be located near the center of the vapor generating region 260 with larger openings located near the periphery of the vapor generating region, or vice versa. The holes 270 may be arranged randomly or in various ordered patterns, such as a square grid, concentric circles, or holes aligned along radial lines of the circular main surface 256.

[00093] The spacing between holes 270 may also vary. Closely spaced holes 270 may be separated by a thickness of 0.5*D _A or less, while widely spaced holes may be spaced about D _A or even further apart. The total surface area of the ends of the openings 270 relative to the total area of the main surface 256 may also vary from about 90% open area to about 10% open area or less without taking into account the porosity of the main body 240 itself. For example, in some embodiments, the openings 270 may be absent altogether. , in which case the percentage of open area will be defined as zero. The use of openings 270 may promote heat transfer away from the heater by convection and conduction, either to provide more uniform heating of the fluid transfer element 236 or, alternatively, to prevent the heater or fluid transfer element from overheating. When openings 270 are used to increase surface area, alternative surface irregularities, such as pockets, cavities, grooves, ribs, projections, protrusions, or the like may be provided in the vapor generating region 260 of second side 248 to likewise increase the surface area facing the the second side 248 of the main body 240.

[00094] Heater 234 is shown in FIG. 3, and the heater is configured to have a substantially flat heating surface 280 configured to face and be in close proximity to a heat receiving surface (e.g., base surface 256 or absorbent pad if present) of fluid transfer element 236 from her. In one embodiment, heating wire 282 is arranged substantially along a plane to provide a substantially flat heating element. In one embodiment, the heating element may be sandwiched between materials with high thermal conductivity, such as ceramics (aluminum oxide, zirconia, beryllium oxide, etc.). In one embodiment, the heating wire 282 is formed as a conductive trace printed or otherwise deposited on the surface of a flat disk 283 made of ceramic or other heat-resistant materials. The periphery of the heater 234 may be configured to be similar to the shape and diameter of the main surface 256 (FIG. 2), such that the heater 234 may be located substantially within the recess 252 in close proximity to the main surface or even contact it to transfer heat from heating surface 280 of heater 234 to vapor generating region 260 of fluid transfer element 236. In some embodiments, the radius R of heater 234 is no greater than half the diameter D _R of recess 252. In one embodiment, heater 234 may be a stamped heater in accordance with US Pat. No. 9,491,974, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[00095] The internal arrangement of the heating wire 282 within the planar arrangement is not particularly limited with respect to the heating wire path, the number of turns thereof, or the resulting distance between adjacent portions of the heating wire. Again, heating wire 282 may be located on or inserted into heating surface 282.

[00096] Heater 234 may further include electrical leads 284 to provide positive and negative electrical connections to the heater. The electrical leads 284 may be integral with the heating wire 282 or may be separate elements that can be attached (eg, by welding or using a connector) to the heating wire. The arrangement of pins 284 is not particularly limited. The terminals 284 may be located adjacent to each other or separately from each other.

[00097] An exploded view of fluid transfer element 236 and heater 234 is shown in FIG. 4. Electrical and thermal insulation 288 may also be provided, such as a sheet of mica or similar insulating materials. As can be understood from FIG. 4, insulation 288 may be provided on the first side 244 of the main body 240 and may be configured to substantially enclose the heater 234 within the recess 252. It can be understood that electrical leads 284 extend through or around the insulation 288 to form an electrical connection to a source nutrition. The insulation 288 may be sized and sized to match the heater 234 within the recess 252 or the insulation may be larger in diameter and located along the top surface 255 of the main body 240.

[00098] The combination of transfer element 226, heater 234, and additional insulation 288 provides the atomizer 290. As can be understood from FIG. 4, heater 234 may be configured to be located within recess 252 of fluid transfer element 236. In this configuration, the energy from the heater 234 is focused onto a smaller surface area of the vapor generating region 260 of the main body 240.

[00099] In one or more alternative embodiments, the heating wire 282 of the heater 234 may be provided in the form of a mesh heater or a sieve-shaped heater, which may be effective in increasing the heating surface area coverage over the fluid transfer element 236 from the porous monolith. Again, the heater 234 may be configured to contact at least a portion of the first side 244, such as the main surface 256 of the fluid transfer element, the heater being in the form of a conductive mesh. As used herein, the terms mesh and sieve are to be considered interchangeable and specifically refer to a network of intersecting conductive threads. Thus, the conductive mesh can be considered as a network of conductive threads and/or an interwoven structure. The conductive threads may be formed from any suitable conductive material, such as others listed herein for forming the heater. In one or more embodiments, the conductive threads may be at least partially interwoven with non-conductive threads or the like.

[000100] Heater 234, if formed from a conductive mesh, may form a regular pattern of conductive filaments forming parallelograms or other shapes consistent with the mesh configuration. In particular, conductive threads can surround insulating spaces. The insulation spaces may be open (eg, air-insulated) or may be at least partially filled with insulation. The insulating spaces may be configured to have a defined area such that the heating capacity of the heater is increased for a reduced power supplied to the heater. In some embodiments, the isolation spaces may have an average individual area of from about 0.01 μm ² to about 2 mm ² . In additional embodiments, the isolation spaces may have an average individual area of from about 0.05 μm ² to about 1.5 mm ² , from about 0.1 μm ² to about 1 mm ² , from about 0.25 μm ² to about 0. 5 mm ² or from about 0.5 µm ² to about 0.1 mm ² . In some embodiments, the isolation spaces may have an average individual area in the upper range, for example, from about 0.005 μm ² to about 2 mm ² , from about 0.01 μm ² to about 1.5 mm ² , or from about 0.02 μm ² up to approximately 1 mm ² . In some embodiments, the isolation spaces may have an average individual area in the lower range, for example, from about 0.01 μm ² to about 10 μm ² , from about 0.02 μm ² to about 5 μm ² , or from about 0.05 μm ² to about 1 µm ² .

[000101] The heating wire 282 or, alternatively, the conductive mesh is not limited to generating heat by resisting the current directly applied to it. The heating wire 282 or conductive mesh may similarly be configured to generate heat through induction and eddy currents in the presence of an alternating magnetic field without a direct electrical connection to the power source. For induction heating, other types of materials such as ferritic steel, ferromagnetic ceramics, aluminum, etc. can be used as heating elements.

[000102] In additional embodiments, a nebulizer 290 such as shown in FIG. 4 may be included in an aerosol delivery device 300 (FIG. 6), which may include a container 304. An end perspective view of a container 304 suitable for integration with the atomizer 290 is shown in FIG. 5. The container 304 may include an outer housing or shell 303 defining a reservoir 344 configured to store a liquid aerosol precursor 345 (FIG. 6). The container 304 may include at least one air inlet 308. In the embodiment shown, the air inlet openings 308 are spaced circumferentially and extend radially from the periphery of the container 304. The air inlet openings 308 lead to the chamber 310 either along the step 318 or embedded below the top of the step 318. In both cases, the end of the container 304 will be designed so as to avoid mixing between the air path and the liquid in the reservoir 344. The lumen 314 may extend from the chamber 310 through the reservoir 304 to the mouthpiece 327 (FIG. 6) to allow air to be drawn in to allow exit from the aerosol delivery device 300. One or more openings 316 provide access to the reservoir 344. The openings 316 may be formed in a stage 318 located around the cavity 310. The stage 318 may include one or more circular rings 320 protruding axially from it. The circular rings 320 may be configured to cooperate with mating grooves (516, FIG. 8) to assist in sealing the fluid transfer element with the container 304.

[000103] As shown in FIG. 6, atomizer 290 may be mounted on stage 318. Aerosol precursor 345 may exit the reservoir through one or more openings 316 (FIG. 5) and be absorbed by porous fluid transfer member 236. Alternatively, as described below, the fluid transfer element may be coupled to an absorbent pad between the heater and the fluid transfer element to absorb the aerosol precursor. When the heater 234 is activated, the aerosol precursor composition is vaporized and drawn into the chamber 310 through the openings 270 or absorbed from the second side 248 of the porous fluid transfer element 236.

[000104] In the embodiment shown, air drawn through air inlet ports 308 entrains generated vapor (e.g., in the form of an aerosol in which the generated vapor is mixed with air) from chamber 310 through lumen 314 to mouthpiece 327. Air flow path P , shown by the dotted line in FIG. 6, from the inlet ports 308 to the mouthpiece 327 extends along the second side 248 of the fluid transfer element 236. In the illustrated embodiment, the air flow path P does not pass through or around the fluid transfer element 236 or through the openings 270. Instead, a pressure differential is created in the chamber 310 caused by drawing air flowing from the air inlet openings 308 through outlets of the holes 270 and from the mouthpiece 327, which draws the generated aerosols from the holes 270 into the chamber 310, where the aerosols are carried away by the air flow. The pressure difference may also further wick the aerosol precursor 345 into the fluid transfer element 236 from the reservoir 344. As shown in the drawing, the reservoir 344 may be substantially tubular and the aerosol passes through the reservoir along an airflow path P. The outer shape of the reservoir 344 may correspond to the shape of the shell 303, which is not limited to a cylindrical tube, but may include other outer shapes with a central or other lumen passing through them. Other element configurations are also possible. The container 304 may include a connector 340 for connecting the container to a control housing or power supply (eg, element 102 in FIG. 1). The connector 340 may have a design similar to the base 140 shown in FIG. 1, or may have any additional structure suitable for connecting the capacitance 304 to the control housing/power supply. Although not shown, it is understood that electrical connections are included to provide an electrical connection between the heater 234 and the battery (eg, cell 110 in FIG. 1) or other power supply device. Any of the corresponding elements of the aerosol delivery device 100 of FIG. 1 may also be included in the aerosol delivery device 300.

[000105] The use of at least two separate heaters may be beneficial to improve vaporization. More specifically, the first heater may be used to preheat the liquid for vaporization within the fluid transfer element, and the second heater may be used to actually vaporize the liquid. Preheating may reduce the total power and/or absolute temperature and/or duration of heating required to produce the desired volume of steam. The external heater, for example, may be a pre-heater, and the internal heater may be an evaporative heater. Additionally or alternatively, at least two separate heaters may be located on the outer surface of the fluid transfer element. One of the heaters may function as a preheater, and the other of the heaters may function as an evaporative heater. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a preheater (not shown) may be positioned between heater 234 (which may function as an evaporative heater) and reservoir 344. The preheater may preheat the liquid aerosol precursor composition flowing from reservoir 344 to evaporative heater 234 such that the evaporative heater may more easily provide vaporization as described above, and/or the preheater can reduce the viscosity of the liquid aerosol precursor composition to improve fluid flow from the reservoir to the evaporative heater. In FIG. 6, the second heater located between heater 234 and reservoir 344 may be a mesh heater as described herein, may be a simple wire coil, or may be any other type of heater suitable for providing preheating of the fluid in the fluid transfer element. .

[000106] Referring to FIG. 7 and 8 show exploded views of atomizers 490 according to the second embodiment. Atomizer 490 may include insulation 488, which may be substantially similar to insulation 288 of the first embodiment. Atomizer 490 may include a heater 434, which may be substantially similar to heater 234 of the first embodiment. The atomizer 490 may include a highly absorbent pad 504, which may include a fibrous material suitable for absorbing and absorbing the liquid aerosol precursor composition. Suitable materials for spacer 504 include silica, ceramic, or cotton. Spacer 504 may include an optional center hole 508.

[000107] In addition, the atomizer 490 includes a fluid transfer element 436 according to the second embodiment, wherein the fluid transfer element is a non-porous monolith formed from ceramic, metal or polymer. The fluid transfer element 436 may be configured to transfer fluid regardless of its porosity. Fluid transfer member 436 has a main body 440 with a first side 444 and a second side 448. The thickness between the first side 444 and the second side 448 may be substantially less than other dimensions of the main body 440 such that the main body can be considered substantially flat. . In the embodiment shown, the main body 440 is circular in shape and thus can be described as a disk. Other additional shapes are also possible, such as rectangles, hexagons, triangles, other regular and irregular polygonal shapes, ovals and other shapes.

[000108] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 7, the first side 444 includes a recess 452 formed or otherwise provided within the main body 440. The recess 452, if present, may define the main surface 456. In other embodiments, the recess may be absent.

[000109] One or more passages 458 may be provided near the periphery of the main body 440 that extends between the second side 448 and the first side 444. The passages 458 are configured to provide passages for the aerosol precursor composition 345 (FIGS. 6 and 9) to allowing flow from the reservoir 344 (FIGS. 6 and 9) to the first upper side 444 of the fluid transfer element 436, for example in the recess 452 from its periphery. When the main body 440 interacts with the container 404 (FIG. 9), it can be understood that the passages 458 are arranged to correspond with the openings 316 (FIG. 5). The number of holes 316 and the number of passes 458 can be selected depending on the desired flow rate of the liquid aerosol precursor composition. The edges of the passages 458 on the first side 444 may touch the perimeter of the main surface 456 or may protrude into the main surface.

[000110] The aerosol precursor composition 345 can then move into the space between the main surface 456 and the heater 434, for example, by being absorbed by the absorbent pad 504, or freely flow into the space if there is no absorbent pad, such that the aerosol precursor composition can be in direct contact with the heater. When heater 434 is energized, the collected aerosol precursor composition is converted into an aerosol and can exit through openings 470 through fluid transfer element 436 into chamber 410 (FIG. 9) to be entrained by air flow along air flow path P (FIG. 9) .

[000111] In one embodiment, openings 470 may be substantially similar to openings 270 described above. If a porous spacer 504 is provided, the range of sizes of the holes 470 can be increased, for example, from about 0.1 mm to about 1 mm.

[000112] In some embodiments, the openings 470 include a central opening 472. The central opening 472 may be larger than the remaining openings 470. The central openings may range in size from about 0.5 mm to about 4 mm. In the illustrated embodiment in FIG. 7, a central opening 472 extends through a raised projection 474 that extends from a main surface 456 of the main body 440. The projection 474 may operate to prevent liquid aerosol precursor composition from leaking from the spacer 504 into the central opening 472. In the illustrated embodiment, the projection 474 includes at least one a recess 476 formed in its outer part. The recess 476 may release aerosols from the absorbent pad 504 toward the central opening 472. In other embodiments, the raised projection 474 may be absent. It will be understood that the raised projection 474 extends through the central opening 508 of the absorbent pad 504. In the absence of the projection 474, the central opening 508 may also be lowered or remain without a projection.

[000113] In one embodiment, the main surface 456 is also formed with supports 512 formed around the periphery of the main surface. The supports 512 may support the heater 434 and maintain a desired gap between the heater and the main surface 456. The gap receives the aerosol precursor composition. The gap can range in size from about 0.1*Z to about 0.75*Z, where Z (FIG. 2) is the depth of the recess 452. The height of the gap can also correspond to the height of the passages 458 above the main surface 456.

[000114] In one embodiment, the second side 448 (FIG. 8) of the main body 440 is provided with grooves 516. The grooves 516 may facilitate contact and fit between the main body 440 and the container 404 (FIG. 9), helping to create a mechanical seal to prevent fluid leakage. aerosol precursor into chamber 410. For example, landing may involve interaction between grooves 516 and circular rings 320 (FIG. 5) described above.

[000115] In one or more cases, the values described herein may be characterized by the word “about.” It is understood that a value expressed as "about" the stated amount indicates that the stated amount may be exactly the stated value or may differ from the stated value by up to 5%, up to 2%, or up to 1%.

[000116] Many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the present invention relates using the disclosures set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims (18)

1. An atomizer for an aerosol delivery device, containing: a fluid transfer element comprising a rigid monolith, the rigid monolith having a first side with a recess formed therein and a second side opposite the first side; And a heater comprising a flat heating surface, wherein the heating surface is positioned to face the first side of the rigid monolith such that the heating surface faces the main surface of the recess formed in the first side of the rigid monolith. 2. An atomizer for an aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the rigid monolith is formed from a porous material configured to absorb the aerosol precursor composition near the heating surface due to capillary action. 3. The atomizer for an aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the rigid monolith is formed from a non-porous material, the rigid monolith comprising at least one opening extending from the first side to the second side to provide a channel for the vaporized aerosol precursor. 4. The atomizer for the aerosol delivery device of claim 3, wherein the fluid transfer member also comprises an absorbent pad along the first side of the rigid monolith. 5. The atomizer for the aerosol delivery device of claim 3, wherein the rigid monolith further comprises at least one passage near its periphery to provide a channel configured to transfer liquid aerosol precursor from a second side to a first side of the rigid monolith. 6. An atomizer for an aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the rigid monolith includes at least one hole extending from the main surface to the second side. 7. An atomizer for an aerosol delivery device according to claim 6, wherein said at least one hole comprises a centrally located hole, and optionally wherein said at least one hole comprises a plurality of holes, and wherein the centrally located hole has a larger diameter, than the rest of the plurality of holes, or in which the main surface includes a protrusion through which a centrally located hole extends. 8. An atomizer for an aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, in which the recess has a depth of more than 30% of the thickness of the rigid monolith. 9. An atomizer for an aerosol delivery device according to any one of claims. 5-8, also containing an absorbent pad located in the recess between the heating surface and the main surface. 10. An atomizer for an aerosol delivery device according to any one of claims. 1-9, wherein the heater includes at least one heating element selected from the group consisting of a heating wire, a conductive mesh, and a conductive track printed on the surface of the substrate, or wherein the atomizer also includes insulation separated from the heater, wherein the insulation is contains mica if necessary. 11. An aerosol delivery device containing an atomizer for an aerosol delivery device according to any one of claims. 1-10. 12. The aerosol delivery device of claim 11, wherein the aerosol delivery device defines an air flow path from the air inlet to the mouthpiece that extends along the second side of the rigid monolith. 13. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12, wherein the rigid monolith comprises at least one opening extending from the first side to the second side, wherein the aerosol delivery device is configured such that the evaporated aerosol precursor is drawn through said at least one opening under the action of the pressure difference created by the drawing in of air moving along the air flow path along the second side of the rigid monolith. 14. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12, comprising a reservoir containing an aerosol precursor composition, the aerosol delivery device defining an air flow path from the air inlet to a mouthpiece that extends through the reservoir. 15. The aerosol delivery device of claim 14, wherein the rigid monolith also includes circumferential grooves formed on its second side, the grooves being configured to facilitate sealing of the rigid monolith with the reservoir.

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