RU2838074C1 - Programmed switching in aerosol delivery device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: smoking accessories.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to an aerosol delivery device and a control housing for an aerosol delivery device. Technical result is achieved by the fact that the aerosol delivery device comprises a power supply configured to provide voltage; an aerosol generating component configured to be energized to generate an aerosol from the aerosol precursor composition; a voltage regulator circuit connected between a power supply and a load including an aerosol generation component and configured to provide an output voltage, in which it is possible to adjust the voltage provided by the power supply to obtain a given target voltage value; switching device, which includes a first switch and a second switch, wherein the first switch is a multi-position switch including first and second inputs connected to the voltage regulator circuit and ground, respectively, and an output connected to the second switch, wherein the second switch is connected to the voltage regulator circuit and the load and is located between them; and a processing circuit connected to the first switch and configured to output a signal during the aerosol generation time period to cause the first switch to switch the output voltage to the second switch and the ground by means of the first and second inputs, respectively, and thus cause the second switch to switch the output voltage to the aerosol generation component and disconnect therefrom to power the aerosol generation component, as well as technical result is achieved by control housing for such aerosol delivery device.

EFFECT: ease of device use.

28 cl, 10 dwg

Description

AREA OF TECHNOLOGY

[0001] The present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices, such as smoking articles, that generate an aerosol. The smoking articles may be configured to heat or otherwise deliver an aerosol precursor or otherwise generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor that may include materials that may be made or obtained from tobacco or otherwise include tobacco, wherein said precursor is capable of forming an inhalable substance for human consumption.

LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY

[0002] Over the years, a variety of smoking articles have been proposed as an improvement or alternative to smoking products that rely on the combustion of tobacco. Some exemplary alternatives include devices in which a solid or liquid fuel is burned to transfer heat to the tobacco or in which a chemical reaction is used to provide such a heating source. Additional exemplary alternatives use electrical energy to heat tobacco and/or other aerosol-generating substrate materials, such as those described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0003] The intent of improvements or alternatives to smoking articles has generally been to provide the sensations associated with smoking cigarettes, cigars, or smoking pipes, but without delivering significant amounts of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products. To this end, a variety of smoking articles, flavor generators, and medicinal inhalers have been proposed that use electrical energy to vaporize or heat a volatile material or attempt to provide the sensations of smoking cigarettes, cigars, or smoking pipes without substantially burning the tobacco. See, for example, the various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and heat generating sources disclosed in the prior art, as described in U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0255702 to Griffith Jr. and 2014/0096781 to Sears et al., which are incorporated herein by reference. See also, for example, the various types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electrically driven heat generating sources referenced by trademark and trade information in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0220232 to Bless et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. Additional types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electrically driven heat generating sources referenced by trademark and trade information are listed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0245659 to DePiano et al., which is also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other representative cigarettes or smoking articles that have been described and, in some cases, made commercially available include those described in U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al.; U.S. Patent Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,875 to Brooks et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,249,586 to Morgan et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,388,594 to Counts et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,666,977 to Higgins et al.; U.S. Patent No. 6,053,176 to Adams et al.; U.S. Patent No. 6,164,287 to White; U.S. Patent No. 6,196,218 to Voges; U.S. Patent No. 6,810,883 to Felter et al.; U.S. Patent No. 6,854,461 to Nichols; U.S. Patent No. 7,832,410 to Hon; U.S. Patent No. 7,513,253 to Kobayashi; U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al.; U.S. Patent No. 7,896,006 to Hamano; U.S. Patent No. 6,772,756 to Shayan; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0095311 to Hon; in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006/0196518, 2009/0126745, and 2009/0188490 to Hon; in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0272379 to Thorens et al.; in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0260641 and 2009/0260642 to Monsees et al.; in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0149118 and 2010/0024834 to Oglesby et al.; in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0307518 to Wang; and in WO 2010/091593 to Hon, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] Representative products that are similar in many attributes to cigarettes, cigars, or smoking pipes of traditional types have been marketed as ACCORD°, manufactured by Philip Morris Incorporated; ALPHA™, JOYE 510™, and M4™, manufactured by InnoVapor LLC; CIRRUS™ and FLING™, manufactured by White Cloud Cigarettes; BLU™, manufactured by Fontem Ventures B.V.; COHITA™, COLIBRI™, ELITE CLASSIC™, MAGNUM™, PHANTOM™, and SENSE™, manufactured by EPUFFER® International Inc.; DUOPRO™, STORM™, and VAPORKING®, manufactured by Electronic Cigarettes, Inc.; EGAR™, manufactured by Egar Australia; eGo-C™ and eGo-T™ by Joyetech; ELUSION™ by Elusion UK Ltd; EONSMOKE® by Eonsmoke LLC; FIN™TM by FIN Branding Group, LLC; SMOKE® by Green Smoke Inc. USA; GREENARETTE™ by Greenarette LLC; HALLIGAN™, HENDU™, JET™, MAXXQ™, PINK™ and PITBULL™ by SMOKE STICK®; HEATBAR™ by Philip Morris International, Inc.; HYDRO IMPERIAL™ and LXE™ by Crown7; LOGIC™ and THE CUBAN™ by LOGIC Technology; LUCI® by Luciano Smokes Inc.; METRO®, manufactured by Nicotek, LLC; NJOY® and ONEJOY™, manufactured by Sottera, Inc.; NO. 7™, manufactured by SS Choice LLC; PREMIUM ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE™, manufactured by PremiumEstore LLC; RAPP E-MYSTICK™, manufactured by Ruyan America, Inc.; RED DRAGON™, manufactured by Red Dragon Products, LLC; RUYAN®, manufactured by Ruyan Group (Holdings) Ltd.; SF®, manufactured by Smoker Friendly International, LLC; GREEN SMART SMOKER®, manufactured by The Smart Smoking Electronic Cigarette Company Ltd.; SMOKE ASSIST®, manufactured by Coastline Products LLC; SMOKING EVERYWHERE®, manufactured by Smoking Everywhere, Inc.; V2CIGS™, manufactured by VMR Products LLC; VAPOR NINE™, manufactured by VaporNine LLC; VAPOR4LIFE®, manufactured by Vapor 4 Life, Inc.; VEPPO™, manufactured by E-CigaretteDirect, LLC; VUSE®, manufactured by R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company; MISTIC MENTHOL product, manufactured by Mistic Ecigs; the VYPE product, manufactured by CN Creative Ltd; IQOS™, manufactured by Philip Morris International; GLO™, manufactured by British American Tobacco Company; MARK TEN products, manufactured by Nu Mark LLC; and the JUUL product, manufactured by Juul Labs, Inc. Other electrical aerosol delivery devices, and in particular devices that have been characterized as so-called electronic cigarettes, have been marketed under the trade names COOLER VISIONS™; DIRECT E-CIG™; DRAGONFLY™; EMIST™; EVERSMAKE™; GAMUCCI®; HYBRID FLAME™; KNIGHT STICKS™; ROYAL BLUES™; SMOKETIP® and SOUTH BEACH SMOKE™.

[0005] However, it is preferable to provide aerosol delivery devices with improved electronic equipment, such as those that can improve the convenience of use of the devices.

DISCLOSURE OF THE ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices capable of generating an aerosol and which, in some embodiments, may be referred to as electronic cigarettes, heated-but-not-burning cigarettes (or devices), or heat-not-burning devices. The present invention includes, without limitation, the following exemplary embodiments.

[0007] An exemplary embodiment 1: An aerosol delivery device comprising a power source configured to provide a voltage; an aerosol generating component configured to be energized to generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor composition; a voltage regulator circuit coupled between the power source and a load including the aerosol generating component and configured to provide an output voltage, wherein the voltage provided by the power source is adjustable to obtain a predetermined target voltage value; a switching device including a first switch and a second switch, wherein the first switch is a multi-position switch including first and second inputs connected respectively to the voltage regulator circuit and ground, and an output connected to the second switch, wherein the second switch is coupled to the voltage regulator circuit and the load and is located therebetween; and a processing circuit connected to the first switch and configured to output a signal during the aerosol generation time period to cause the first switch to switchably connect the output voltage to the second switch and ground via the first and second inputs, respectively, and thus cause the second switch to switchably connect and disconnect the output voltage to the aerosol generation component to power the aerosol generation component.

[0008] Exemplary embodiment 2: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 1, wherein the voltage regulator circuit is a pulse stabilizer circuit.

[0009] Exemplary embodiment 3: The aerosol delivery device of Exemplary embodiment 1 or Exemplary embodiment 2, wherein the voltage regulator circuit is a buck-boost regulator circuit.

[0010] Exemplary embodiment 4: An aerosol delivery device according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1-3, wherein when the output voltage is connected to the second switch, the output voltage causes the second switch to close and thereby connect the output voltage to the aerosol generating component, and when ground is connected to the second switch, the output voltage is disconnected from the second switch and thereby causes the second switch to open and disconnect the output voltage from the aerosol generating component.

[0011] Exemplary embodiment 5: The aerosol delivery device of any one of exemplary embodiments 1-4, wherein the second switch is a field effect transistor including a gate terminal coupled to the output of the first switch and source and drain terminals coupled to a voltage regulator and a load, respectively.

[0012] Exemplary embodiment 6: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 5, further comprising a shutter driver coupled to and located between the shutter terminal and the output of the first switch, wherein the shutter driver is configured to receive the output voltage and generate an excitation signal for the second switch.

[0013] Exemplary embodiment 7: The aerosol delivery device of any one of exemplary embodiments 1-6, wherein the second switch is a solid state relay with an internal optocoupler for isolating the power source from the load.

[0014] Exemplary embodiment 8: An aerosol delivery device according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1-7, wherein the aerosol generating component includes a heating element configured to be energized to vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition, and the aerosol delivery device also includes an infrared temperature sensor coupled to the processing circuit and configured to measure infrared energy emitted by one or more of the heating element, a liquid transfer element for the aerosol precursor composition, or an aerosol precursor composition during a period of aerosol generation, and the processing circuit is also configured to determine a temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition from the infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor, and to regulate a signal when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target value.

[0015] Exemplary embodiment 9: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 8, wherein the processing circuit is configured to regulate a signal and comprises being configured to regulate a signal to cause the first switch to connect the output voltage or ground to the second switch when the temperature is below or above a predetermined target value, respectively.

[0016] Exemplary embodiment 10: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 8 or exemplary embodiment 9, wherein the signal is a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, and the processing circuit configured to regulate the signal includes being configured to regulate a duty cycle of the PWM signal when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target value.

[0017] Exemplary embodiment 11: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 10, wherein the processing circuit is configured to adjust the duty cycle of the PWM signal and comprises being configured to increase or decrease the duty cycle when the temperature is below or above a predetermined target value, respectively.

[0018] Exemplary embodiment 12: The aerosol delivery device of any one of exemplary embodiments 8-11, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered, and the processing circuit is configured to determine an ambient temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor, and wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine the temperature including being configured to compensate for the ambient temperature.

[0019] Exemplary embodiment 13: The aerosol delivery device of exemplary embodiment 12, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to periodically measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered, between aerosol generation times when the heating element is powered, and the processing circuit is configured to periodically determine an ambient temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor.

[0020] Exemplary embodiment 14: An aerosol delivery device according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1-13, further comprising a sensor configured to output a pressure measurement value caused by air flow through at least a portion of the housing and configured to convert the pressure measurement value into a corresponding signal, wherein the processing circuit is also configured to receive the corresponding signal and to initiate a period of time for generating an aerosol in response thereto.

[0021] An exemplary embodiment 15: A control housing for an aerosol delivery device, comprising a power source configured to provide a voltage; wherein an aerosol generating component and terminals are configured to connect the aerosol generating component to the control housing, wherein the aerosol generating component is configured to be energized for generating an aerosol from an aerosol precursor composition; a voltage regulator circuit connected between the power source and a load including the aerosol generating component and configured to provide an output voltage, in which the voltage provided by the power source is adjustable to obtain a predetermined target voltage value; a switching device including a first switch and a second switch, wherein the first switch is a multi-position switch including first and second inputs connected respectively to the voltage regulator circuit and ground, and an output connected to the second switch, wherein the second switch is connected to the voltage regulator circuit and the load and is located therebetween; and a processing circuit connected to the first switch and configured to output a signal during the aerosol generation time period to cause the first switch to switchably connect the output voltage to the second switch and ground via the first and second inputs, respectively, and thus cause the second switch to switchably connect and disconnect the output voltage to the aerosol generation component to power the aerosol generation component.

[0022] Exemplary embodiment 16: The control housing of exemplary embodiment 15, wherein the voltage regulator circuit is a pulse stabilizer circuit.

[0023] Exemplary embodiment 17: The control housing of exemplary embodiment 15 or exemplary embodiment 16, wherein the voltage regulator circuit is a buck-boost regulator circuit.

[0024] Exemplary embodiment 18: The control housing of any one of exemplary embodiments 15-17, wherein when the output voltage is connected to the second switch, the output voltage causes the second switch to close and thereby connect the output voltage to the aerosol generating component, and when ground is connected to the second switch, the output voltage is disconnected from the second switch and thereby causes the second switch to open and disconnect the output voltage from the aerosol generating component.

[0025] Exemplary embodiment 19: The control housing according to any one of exemplary embodiments 15-18, in which the second switch is a field effect transistor including a gate terminal connected to the output of the first switch and source and drain terminals connected to a voltage regulator and a load, respectively.

[0026] Exemplary embodiment 20: The control body according to exemplary embodiment 19, also comprising a gate driver connected to the gate terminal and the output of the first switch and located therebetween, wherein the gate driver is configured to receive the output voltage and generate an excitation signal for the second switch.

[0027] Exemplary embodiment 21: The control housing according to any of the exemplary embodiments 15-20, in which the second switch is a solid state relay with an internal optocoupler for isolating the power source from the load.

[0028] An exemplary embodiment 22: The control body according to any one of the exemplary embodiments 15-21, wherein the aerosol generating component includes a heating element configured to be energized to evaporate the components of the aerosol precursor composition, and the control body also includes an infrared temperature sensor connected to the processing circuit and configured to measure infrared radiation energy emitted by the heating element during the aerosol generating time period, and the processing circuit is also configured to determine the temperature of the heating element from the infrared radiation energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor and to regulate the signal when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target value.

[0029] Exemplary embodiment 23: The control body of exemplary embodiment 22, wherein the processing circuit being configured to regulate a signal includes being configured to regulate a signal to cause the first switch to connect the output voltage or ground to the second switch when the temperature is respectively below or above a predetermined target value.

[0030] Exemplary embodiment 24: The control body of exemplary embodiment 22 or exemplary embodiment 23, wherein the signal is a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, and the arrangement of the processing circuit for regulating the signal includes the arrangement of the processing circuit for regulating the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target value.

[0031] Exemplary embodiment 25: The control housing of exemplary embodiment 24, wherein the processing circuit for adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM signal includes being configured to increase or decrease the duty cycle when the temperature is below or above a specified target value, respectively.

[0032] Exemplary embodiment 26: The control body according to any one of exemplary embodiments 22-25, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered, and the processing circuit is configured to determine the ambient temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor, and wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine the temperature including being configured to compensate for the ambient temperature.

[0033] Exemplary embodiment 27: The control body of exemplary embodiment 26, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to periodically measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered, between aerosol generation periods when the heating element is powered, and the processing circuit is configured to periodically determine the ambient temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor.

[0034] Exemplary embodiment 28: The control housing according to any one of exemplary embodiments 15-27, further comprising a sensor configured to output a pressure measurement value caused by air flow through at least a portion of the housing and configured to convert the pressure measurement value into a corresponding signal, wherein the processing circuit is also configured to receive the corresponding signal and to initiate a period of time for generating an aerosol in response thereto.

[0035] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. The present disclosure includes any combination of two, three, four or more features or elements disclosed in this disclosure, regardless of whether such features or elements are intentionally combined or otherwise set forth in a particular embodiment described herein. This disclosure is intended to be read as a whole, such that any individual features or elements of the invention in any of its aspects and exemplary embodiments should be considered as combinable unless the context of the invention clearly dictates otherwise.

[0036] It should be understood, therefore, that this summary of the invention is provided only for the purpose of summarizing certain exemplary embodiments so as to provide a basic understanding of certain aspects of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described above are merely exemplary and should not be construed as in any way narrowing the scope or spirit of the invention. Other exemplary embodiments, aspects, and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which show, by way of example, the principles of some of the described exemplary embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0037] Having therefore described the present invention in the general terms set forth above, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device including a cartridge and a control body that are connected to each other according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention;

[0039] FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned view of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 1, in which the cartridge and control body are separated from each other according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0040] FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of an aerosol delivery device comprising a control housing and an aerosol source element that are respectively connected to and disconnected from each other, according to another exemplary embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention;

[0041] FIGS. 5 and 6 are a front view and a sectional view, respectively, of the aerosol delivery device of FIGS. 3 and 4 according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0042] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0043] FIGS. 8 and 9 are a side view and a partially cutaway view, respectively, of an aerosol delivery device that includes a cartridge coupled to a control housing, according to exemplary embodiments; and

[0044] FIG. 10 shows an electrical diagram of an aerosol delivery device according to various exemplary embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] The disclosure of the present invention is described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof. These exemplary embodiments are described in such a way that this disclosure thoroughly, completely and fully conveys 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 considered as limited to the embodiments described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present invention complies with applicable legal requirements. In this description and in the appended claims, a grammatical construction indicating that an element is given in the singular also includes the plural, unless the context of the invention clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, although reference may be made herein to quantities, values, geometric relationships or the like, unless otherwise stated, any one or more, if not all, of them may be absolute or approximate in order to take into account reasonable variations that may occur, for example, due to engineering tolerances or the like.

[0046] As described below, exemplary embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention relate to aerosol delivery devices. Some aerosol delivery devices according to the disclosure of the present invention use electrical energy to heat a material (preferably without burning the material to any significant extent) to form an inhalable substance; and components of such systems are in the form of articles that are most preferably compact enough to be considered portable devices. In other words, use of components of preferred aerosol delivery devices does not result in the formation of smoke in the sense that the aerosol arises primarily from by-products of combustion or pyrolysis of tobacco, but rather, use of said preferred systems results in the formation of vapors formed during the vaporization or evaporation of certain components included therein. In some exemplary embodiments, components of the aerosol delivery devices may be characterized as electronic cigarettes, and said electronic cigarettes most preferably include tobacco and/or components derived from tobacco, and thus deliver components derived from tobacco in the form of an aerosol.

[0047] Aerosol-generating components of certain preferred aerosol delivery devices may provide a variety of sensations (e.g., inhalation and exhalation rituals, flavor and aroma types, organoleptic effects, physical sensation, rituals of use, visual cues such as those provided by a visible aerosol, and the like) of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or smoking pipe that are caused by lighting and burning tobacco (and then inhaling the tobacco smoke) without substantially burning any of their components. For example, a user of an aerosol delivery device according to some exemplary embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention may hold and use the component in a manner similar to a smoker using a traditional type of smoking article, by drawing on one end of the component to inhale the aerosol generated by the component, by puffing or drawing at selected intervals, and the like.

[0048] Although the systems are generally described herein in terms of embodiments related to aerosol delivery devices such as so-called "electronic cigarettes," "heated tobacco products," and the like, it should be understood that the mechanisms, components, features, and methods may be embodied in a variety of different forms and associated with different articles. For example, the description provided herein may be used in conjunction with embodiments of traditional smoking articles (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.), heated-but-not-burning cigarettes, and associated with packaging for any of the products disclosed herein. Accordingly, it should be understood that the description of the mechanisms, components, features, and methods disclosed herein are provided in terms of embodiments related to aerosol delivery devices by way of example only, and may be implemented and used in various other products and methods.

[0049] The aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure may also be characterized as vapor-forming articles or drug delivery articles. Thus, such articles or devices may be adapted to deliver one or more substances (e.g., flavoring agents and/or pharmaceutically active ingredients) in a respirable form or state. For example, the respirable substances may be substantially in the form of a vapor (i.e., a substance in the gas phase at a temperature lower than its critical point). Alternatively, the respirable substances may be in the form of an aerosol (i.e., a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas). For simplicity, the term "aerosol" as used herein is intended to refer to vapors, gases, and aerosols of a form or type that are suitable for inhalation by a person, whether or not they are visible and whether or not they have a form that can be considered "smoke-like."

[0050] In use, the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure can be used in various physical actions of a person using a smoking article of a traditional type (for example, a cigarette, cigar or pipe that is consumed by lighting and inhaling tobacco). For example, a user of the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure can hold this article as a smoking article of a traditional type, puffing through one end of said article to inhale the aerosol generated by this article, puffing at selected intervals, and the like.

[0051] The aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure generally comprise a number of components located within an outer housing, which may be referred to as a body or shell. The overall design of the housing may vary, and the configuration or format of the housing, which may define the overall size and shape of the aerosol delivery device, may also vary. Typically, an elongated housing resembling the shape of a cigarette or cigar may be formed from a single housing, or the elongated housing may be formed from two or more separable housings. For example, the aerosol delivery device may comprise an elongated housing, which may be substantially tubular in shape and thus resemble the shape of a conventional cigarette or cigar. In one example, all of the 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 detachable. For example, an aerosol delivery device may have at one end a control body comprising a housing comprising one or more reusable components (e.g., a battery such as a rechargeable battery, a rechargeable supercapacitor, a solid-state battery, a thin-film solid-state battery, a lithium-ion or hybrid lithium-ion supercapacitor, and various electronic equipment for controlling the operation of this article), and at the other end an outer housing or shell removably attached thereto comprising a disposable part (e.g., a disposable cartridge containing a fragrance). More specific formats, configurations and arrangements of components located within a unit such as a single housing or within a unit such as a housing configured to be separated and consisting of a plurality of parts will be apparent in light of the further disclosure of the invention presented below. In addition, the design of various aerosol delivery devices and the arrangement of components can be understood by considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices. It should be understood that alternative non-tubular housing form factors may also be used, including, for example, device housings having a shape and size typically approximating a pack of cigarettes, and form factors such as those used in the GLO™ products manufactured by British American Tobacco and IQOS™ products manufactured by Philip Morris International.

[0052] As will be described in more detail below, the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure comprise some combination of a power source (e.g., an electrical power source), at least one control component (e.g., means for actuating, controlling, regulating, and shutting off the power supply to generate heat, such as by controlling the flow of electrical current from the power source to other components of the aerosol delivery device), a heating element (e.g., an electrical resistive heating element or other component, and/or an inductive coil or other suitable components, and/or one or more radiant heating elements), an aerosol precursor composition (e.g., a solid tobacco material, a semi-solid tobacco material, or a liquid aerosol precursor composition) capable of generating an aerosol when exposed to a sufficient amount of heat, and a mouth end or tip region for allowing a draw to be made through the aerosol delivery device to inhale the aerosol (e.g., providing a predetermined air flow path through the article such that the generated aerosol can be expelled therefrom after the draw has been made). puffs). In some embodiments, the power source includes a single battery or a single battery cell. The power source may supply power to a heating element that is configured to convert electricity into heat and thereby vaporize the components of the aerosol precursor composition.

[0053] In the proposed aerosol delivery device, the alignment of the components can be different. In particular embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition can be located near the end of the aerosol delivery device, which can be configured to be positioned near the user's mouth in such a way as to maximize the delivery of the aerosol to the user. However, other configurations are not excluded. In general, the heating element can be located close enough to the aerosol precursor composition so that heat from the heating element can vaporize the aerosol precursor (as well as one or more flavors, medications, etc., which can also be provided for delivery to the user) and form an aerosol for delivery to the user. When the heating element heats the aerosol precursor composition, the aerosol is formed, released, or generated in a physical form suitable for inhalation by the consumer. It should be noted that the above terms are to be considered interchangeable, so that forms of the said term such as "release, releases, releases or released" include forms such as "form or create, formation or creation, forms or creates and formed or created". In particular, the respirable substance is released as a vapor or an aerosol, or a mixture thereof, and such terms are also used interchangeably herein unless otherwise indicated.

[0054] As noted above, the aerosol delivery device may comprise a battery, a supercapacitor, a solid-state battery or other power source for providing an electric current flow sufficient to provide various functions of the aerosol delivery device, such as powering the heating element, powering the control systems, powering the indicators and the like. The power source may have various embodiments. Preferably, the power source is configured to supply sufficient energy to quickly activate the heating element to ensure the formation of the aerosol and to supply energy to the aerosol delivery device for its use for the desired period of time. The power source is preferably of a size suitable for convenient placement in the aerosol delivery device such that the aerosol delivery device can be conveniently used. In addition, the preferred power source is made sufficiently light and does not interfere with the desired smoking process.

[0055] More specific formats, configurations and arrangements of components in the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure will be apparent in light of the further disclosure of the invention presented below. In addition, the selection of various components of the aerosol delivery device may be understood by considering commercially available aerosol delivery devices. Further, the arrangement of components within the aerosol delivery device may also be appreciated by considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices.

[0056] As described below, the disclosure of the present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices. Aerosol delivery devices may be configured to heat an aerosol precursor composition (sometimes referred to as a means in the form of an inhalable substance) to produce an aerosol (an inhalable substance). The aerosol precursor composition may comprise one or more of the following: a solid tobacco material, a semi-solid tobacco material, or a liquid aerosol precursor composition. In some embodiments, aerosol delivery devices may be configured to heat and produce an aerosol from a fluid aerosol precursor composition (e.g., a liquid aerosol precursor composition). Such an aerosol delivery device may be a so-called electronic cigarette. In other embodiments, aerosol delivery devices may comprise devices with heating, but not combustion.

[0057] A liquid aerosol precursor composition, also referred to as a vapor precursor composition or "e-liquid," is particularly useful for electronic cigarettes and heat-free, combustion-free devices, as well as other devices that atomize or otherwise aerosolize a liquid to produce an inhalable aerosol. The liquid aerosol precursor composition may contain various components, including, by way of example, a polyhydric alcohol (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol, or a mixture thereof), nicotine, tobacco, tobacco extract, and/or flavorings. In some examples, the aerosol precursor composition comprises glycerin and nicotine.

[0058] Some liquid aerosol precursor compositions that can be used in combination with various embodiments can include one or more acids, such as levulinic acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, pyruvic acid, benzoic acid, fumaric acid, combinations thereof, and the like. Incorporation of the acid(s) into liquid aerosol precursor compositions that include nicotine can provide a protonated liquid aerosol precursor composition that includes nicotine as a salt. Representative types of liquid aerosol precursor components and compositions are known and are described in U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al., U.S. Patent No. 9,254,002 to Chong et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0008457 to Zheng et al.; No. 2015/0020823 to Lipowicz et al. and No. 2015/0020830 to Koller, as well as PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2014/182736 to Bowen et al. and U.S. Patent No. 8,881,737 to Collett et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Other aerosol precursors that can be used include aerosol precursors that are included in any of a number of the representative products noted above. Also preferred are so-called "smoke juices" for electronic cigarettes, which are available from Johnson Creek Enterprises LLC. Other additional examples of aerosol precursor compositions are sold under the trademarks 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 aerosol precursor may be used with embodiments of effervescent materials described, by way of example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0055494 to Hunt et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, the use of effervescent materials is described, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,639,368 to Niazi et al., 5,178,878 to Wehling et al., 5,223,264 to Wehling et al., 6,974,590 to Pather et al., 7,381,667 to Bergquist et al., 8,424,541 to Crawford et al., 8,627,828 to Strickland et al., and 9,307,787 to Sun et al., as well as in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0018539 to Brinkley et al. and in PCT Patent Application Publication No. No. WO 97/06786 to Johnson et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0059] The aerosol precursor composition may additionally or alternatively include other active ingredients, including, but not limited to, botanical ingredients (e.g., lavender, peppermint, chamomile, basil, rosemary, thyme, eucalyptus, ginger, cannabis, ginseng, maca, and tisanes), stimulants (e.g., caffeine and guarana), amino acids (e.g., taurine, theanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan), and/or pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and medicinal ingredients (e.g., vitamins such as B6, B12, and C and cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)).

[0060] Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting an aerosol precursor are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0059780 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0216232 to Bless et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Also, various adsorbent materials, as well as the design and operation of these adsorbent materials in certain types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0061] In other embodiments, aerosol delivery devices may comprise heating, but not combustion, devices configured to heat a solid aerosol precursor composition (e.g., an extruded tobacco rod) or a semi-solid aerosol precursor composition (e.g., a glycerin-bearing tobacco paste). The aerosol precursor composition may comprise tobacco-containing pellets, tobacco pieces, tobacco strips, reconstituted tobacco material, or combinations thereof, and/or a mixture of finely divided tobacco, tobacco extract, spray-dried extract, or other form of tobacco mixed with optional inorganic materials (such as calcium carbonate), optional flavorants, and aerosol-forming materials to form a substantially solid or moldable (e.g., extruded) substrate. Representative types and compositions of solid and semi-solid aerosol precursor compositions are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,424,538 to Thomas et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,464,726 to Sebastian et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0083150 to Conner et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0157052 to Ademe et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0000188 to Nordskog et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Additional representative types of solid and semi-solid aerosol precursor compositions and arrangements include those found in the NEOSTIKS™ aerosol source consumables for the GLO™ product manufactured by British American Tobacco and in the HEETS™ aerosol source consumables for the IQOS™ product manufactured by Philip Morris International, Inc.

[0062] In various embodiments, the respirable substance may in particular be a tobacco component or a tobacco-derived material (i.e., a material that is naturally present in tobacco and that can be directly isolated from tobacco or produced synthetically). For example, the aerosol precursor composition may comprise a tobacco extract or fractions thereof combined with an inert substrate. The aerosol precursor composition may also comprise unburned tobacco or a composition comprising unburned tobacco that, when heated to a temperature below its combustion temperature, releases the respirable substance. In some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may comprise tobacco condensates or fractions thereof (i.e., condensed components of smoke generated by combustion of tobacco that release flavorings and, possibly, nicotine).

[0063] The tobacco materials used in the present invention may vary and may include, for example, flue-cured tobacco, Burley tobacco, oriental tobacco or Maryland tobacco, dark tobacco, dark fire-cured tobacco and shag, as well as other rare or specialty tobaccos or mixtures thereof. The tobacco materials may also include so-called "blended" forms and processed forms, such as processed tobacco stems (e.g., cut twisted or cut air stems), expanded tobacco (e.g., air-exploded tobacco such as dry ice expanded tobacco (DIET), preferably in the form of cut filler), reconstituted tobaccos (e.g., reconstituted tobaccos produced using paper or cast sheet manufacturing processes). Various representative types of tobacco, processed types of tobacco, and types of tobacco blends are shown in U.S. Patent No. 4,836,224 to Lawson et al.; U.S. Patent No. 4,924,888 to Perfetti et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,056,537 to Brown et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,159,942 to Brinkley et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,220,930 to Gentry; U.S. Patent No. 5,360,023 to Blakley et al.; U.S. Patent No. 6,701,936 to Shafer et al.; U.S. Patent No. 7,011,096 to Li et al.; in U.S. Patent No. 7,017,585 to Li et al.; in U.S. Patent No. 7,025,066 to Lawson et al.; in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0255965 to Perfetti et al.; in PCT Patent Application Publication WO 02/37990 to Bereman and Bombick et al., Fund. Appl. Toxicol., 39, pp. 11-17, which are incorporated herein by reference. Additional examples of tobacco compositions that can be used in a smoking device, including in accordance with the present invention, are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0064] In addition, the aerosol precursor composition may comprise an inert substrate having a respirable substance or a precursor thereof embedded therein or otherwise applied thereto. For example, a liquid containing a respirable substance may be applied to, absorbed by, or adsorbed into the inert support such that upon heating, the respirable substance is released in a form that can be extracted from the article according to the invention by applying positive or negative pressure. According to some aspects, the aerosol precursor composition may comprise a mixture of odorous and aromatic tobaccos in the form of cut filler. According to another aspect, the aerosol precursor composition may comprise a reconstituted tobacco material such as that described in U.S. Patent No. 4,807,809 to Pryor et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,889,143 to Pryor et al., and U.S. Patent No. 5,025,814 to Raker, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. For additional information regarding a suitable aerosol precursor composition, see U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 15/916,834 to Sur et al., filed March 9, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0065] Regardless of the type of heated aerosol precursor composition, aerosol delivery devices may comprise a heating element configured to heat the aerosol precursor composition. In some embodiments, the heating element is an induction heater. Such heaters often comprise an induction transmitter and an induction receiver. The induction transmitter may comprise a coil configured to create an oscillating magnetic field (e.g., a magnetic field that varies periodically over time) when an alternating current is directed therethrough. The induction receiver may be at least partially located or housed in the induction transmitter and may include a conductive material (e.g., a ferromagnetic material or an aluminum-coated material). By directing an alternating current through the induction transmitter, eddy currents may be created in the induction receiver due to induction. The eddy currents flowing through the resistance of the material forming the induction receiver may heat it using Joule heating (i.e., due to the Joule effect). An induction receptacle, which may form an atomizer, may be heated wirelessly to form an aerosol from an aerosol precursor composition located near the induction receptacle. Various embodiments of an aerosol delivery device with an induction heater are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0127722 to Davis et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0202266 to Sur et al., and U.S. Patent Application No. 15/352,153 to Sur et al., filed November 15, 2016, U.S. Patent Application No. 15/799,365 to Sebastian et al., filed October 31, 2017, and U.S. Patent Application No. 15/836,086 to Sur, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0066] In other embodiments, including those described more particularly herein, the heating element is a conductive type heater, such as in the case of a resistive electric heater. These heaters can be configured to generate heat when an electric current is passed through them. In various embodiments, the conductive type heater can be implemented in various forms, such as a foil, foam, plate, disks, coils, fibers, wire, films, threads, strips, tapes or cylinders. Such heaters often comprise a metallic material and are configured to generate heat as a result of electrical resistance associated with the passage of electric current through them. Such resistive heaters can be located near the aerosol precursor composition to heat it to form an aerosol. Various conductive substrates that can be used with the present invention are described in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0255702 to Griffith et al. Other examples of suitable heaters are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,491,974 to DePiano et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0067] In some embodiments, aerosol delivery devices may comprise a control body and a cartridge in the case of so-called electronic cigarettes, or a control body and an aerosol source element in the case of so-called heated-but-not-combusted devices. In the case of both electronic cigarettes and heated-but-not-combusted devices, the control body may be reusable, while the cartridge/aerosol source element may be configured to allow a limited number of uses and/or configured to allow a single use. The cartridge/aerosol source element may comprise an aerosol precursor composition. To heat the aerosol precursor composition, the heating element may be located in contact with or near the aerosol precursor composition, such as across the width of the control body and the cartridge, or in the control body in which the aerosol source element may be located. The control body may comprise a power source which may be rechargeable or replaceable and thus the control body may be reused with multiple cartridges/elements as an aerosol source.

[0068] The control body may also comprise means for activating the aerosol delivery device, such as a button, a touch surface, or the like for manually operating the device. Additionally or alternatively, the control body may comprise a flow sensor for detecting when the user puffs on the cartridge/element as an aerosol source, thereby activating the aerosol delivery device.

[0069] In various embodiments, the aerosol delivery device according to the disclosure of the present invention may take various general shapes, including, but not limited to, a general shape that can be defined as a substantially rod-like, rod-like, or substantially tubular shape, or a substantially cylindrical shape. In the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings and described with reference thereto, the aerosol delivery device has a substantially circular cross-section, however, other cross-sectional shapes (e.g., oval, square, rectangle, triangle, etc.) are also encompassed by the disclosure of the present invention. The language describing the physical shape of the article may also be applied to its individual components, including the control body and the cartridge/element in the form of an aerosol source. In other embodiments, the control body may take another portable shape, such as the shape of a small box.

[0070] In more specific embodiments, the control body and the cartridge/element in the form of an aerosol source may be disposable or reusable. For example, the control body may have a power source such as a replaceable battery or a rechargeable battery, a solid-state battery, a thin-film solid-state battery, a rechargeable supercapacitor, a lithium-ion or hybrid lithium-ion capacitor, or the like. One example of a power source is a TKI-1550 lithium-ion battery manufactured by Tadiran Batteries GmbH, Germany. In another embodiment, a suitable power source may be a N50-AAA CADNICA nickel-cadmium cell manufactured by Sanyo Electric Company, Ltd., Japan. In other embodiments, a plurality of such batteries, for example, each providing 1.2 volts, may be connected in series.

[0071] In such a case, in some examples, the power source may be connected to any type of recharging technology and thus combined with it. Examples of suitable chargers include chargers that simply supply direct or pulsed direct current (DC) power to the power source, fast chargers that add a control circuit, three-stage chargers, inductive power chargers, smart chargers, motion-powered chargers, pulse chargers, solar chargers, USB-based chargers, and the like. In some examples, the charger includes a power adapter and any suitable charging circuit. In other examples, the charger includes a power adapter, and the control body is equipped with a charging circuit. In these other examples, the charger may sometimes be referred to simply as a power adapter.

[0072] The control body may comprise any number of different terminals, electrical connectors, and the like for connecting to a suitable charger and, in some examples, for connecting to other external devices for communication. More specific suitable examples include direct current (DC) connectors such as barrel connectors, cigarette lighter connectors, and USB connectors, including connectors designated USB 1.x (e.g., Type A, Type B), USB 2.0 and its updates and additions (e.g., Mini A, Mini B, Mini AB, Micro A, Micro B, Micro AB) and USB 3.x (e.g., Type A, Type B, Micro B, Micro AB, Type C), specially designed connectors such as the Apple Lightning connector, and the like. The control body may be directly connected to the charger or other external device, or they may be connected via a suitable cable that also has suitable connectors. In examples where they are connected by a cable, the control housing and the charger or other external device may have the same or different connector types, while the cable has a connector of one type or both connector types.

[0073] In examples including inductive power charging, the aerosol delivery device may be equipped with inductive wireless charging technology and include an inductive receiver for connecting to a wireless charger, charging pad, or the like that includes an inductive transmitter and 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 the power source may be charged from the wireless charger via radio frequency (R.F.) waves. Examples of inductive wireless charging systems are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0112196 to Sur et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Also, in some embodiments, in the case of an electronic cigarette, the cartridge may be a disposable cartridge, as described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,639 to Chang et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0074] One or more connectors may be used to connect a power source to a charging technology, and some may include a charging case, a cradle, a charging base, a case, and the like. More specifically, for example, the control body may be configured to interact with a cradle that contains a USB connector for connecting to a power supply. More specifically, for example, the control body may be configured to be placed in and interact with a case that contains a USB connector for connecting to a power supply. In these and similar examples, the USB connector may be connected directly to the power source, or the USB connector may be connected to the power source through a suitable power adapter.

[0075] Examples of power sources are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,484,155 to Peckerar et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0112191 to Sur et al., filed October 21, 2015, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. With respect to the flow sensor, typical electric current regulating components and other electric current controlling components, including various microcontrollers, sensors, and switches for aerosol delivery devices, are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al.; U.S. Patent Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,875 to Brooks et al.; in U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al.; in U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al.; in U.S. Patent No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen et al.; in U.S. Patent No. 8,205,622 to Pan, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 8,881,737 to Collet et al., in U.S. Patent No. 9,423,152 to Ampolini et al., in U.S. Patent No. 9,439,454 to Fernando et al., and in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0257445 to Henry et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0076] An input element may be included in the aerosol delivery device (and may replace or supplement the flow sensor). An input device may be included to allow a user to control functions of the device and/or to output information to the user. Any component or combination of components may be used as an input to control a function of the device. For example, one or more push buttons may be used as described in U.S. Publication No. 2015/0245658 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. Similarly, a touch screen may be used as described in U.S. Patent Application Ser. 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 predetermined movements of the aerosol delivery device may be used as an input device. See US Publication No. 2016/0158782 to 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, such as by touching a surface of the device on which the capacitive sensor is implemented. In another example, a sensor configured to detect motion associated with the device (e.g., an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a photoelectric proximity sensor, etc.) may be implemented on an aerosol delivery device to allow a user to provide input. Examples of suitable sensors are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0132528 to Sur et al. and US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0158782 to Henry et al., which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0077] As noted above, the aerosol delivery device may comprise various electronic equipment, such as at least one control component. A suitable control component may comprise a plurality of electronic components and, in some examples, may be formed from a printed circuit board, such as a printed circuit board (PCB). In some examples, the electronic components include a processing circuit configured to perform data processing, execute applications, or other processing, monitoring, or control services according to one or more example embodiments. The processing circuit may include a processor implemented in various forms, such as at least one processor core, a microprocessor, a coprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, or various other computing or processing devices including one or more integrated circuits, such as, for example, an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), a FPGA (field programmable gate array), some combinations thereof, and the like. In some examples, the processing circuit may include a memory coupled to or integrated into the processor that may store data, computer program instructions executable by the processor, some combination thereof, or the like.

[0078] In some examples, the control component may include one or more external input/output devices that may be coupled to or integrated into the processing circuit. More particularly, the control component may include a communication interface for providing a wireless connection to one or more networks, computing devices, or other devices on a suitable basis. Examples of suitable communication interfaces are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0261020 to Marion et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Another example of a suitable communication interface is a wireless unit of the single-chip CC3200 microcontroller from Texas Instruments. And examples of suitable methods according to which an aerosol delivery device can be configured to communicate wirelessly are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0007651 to Ampolini et al. and in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0219933 to Henry, Jr. et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0079] Other additional components may be used in the disclosed aerosol delivery device. One example of a suitable component is an indicator, such as light emitting diodes, quantum dot light emitting diodes, or the like, that can glow when the aerosol delivery device is in use. Examples of suitable light emitting diode components, as well as their design and use, are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,499,766 to Newton, U.S. Patent No. 8,539,959 to Scatterday, and U.S. Patent No. 9,451,791 to Sears et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0080] Other operation indicators are also encompassed by the disclosure of the present invention. For example, visual operation indicators also include changes in light color or intensity to indicate the progress of smoking. Tactile (haptic) operation indicators and sound (audio) operation indicators are similarly encompassed by the present disclosure. Moreover, combinations of such operation indicators are also suitable for use in a single smoking article. According to another aspect, the aerosol delivery device may comprise one or more indicators or features, such as, for example, a display, configured to provide information corresponding to the operation of the smoking article, such as, for example, the amount of power remaining in the power source, the progress of the smoking process, an indication corresponding to the activation of the heat source, and/or the like.

[0081] Other components are also discussed. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al. discloses indicators for smoking articles; U.S. Patent No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel Jr. discloses piezoelectric sensors that can be formed at the mouthpiece end of the device to detect lip activity of the user associated with the execution of a puff and subsequently initiate heating; U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al. discloses a puff sensor for controlling the flow of energy in a heat load array in response to the draw resistance of the mouthpiece; U.S. Patent No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al. discloses receptacles in a smoking device that include an identifier that detects a non-uniformity in the infrared transmittance of an inserted component and a controller that executes a detection program upon insertion of the component into the receptacle; U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al. describes a certain executable power cycle with multiple differential phases; U.S. Patent No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al. discloses photonic optocoupler components; U.S. Patent No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al. discloses means for varying the draw resistance through a smoking device; U.S. Patent No. 6,803,545 to Blake et al. discloses certain battery configurations for use in smoking devices; U.S. Patent No. 7,293,565 to Griffen et al. discloses various charging systems for use with smoking devices; U.S. Patent No. 8,402,976 to Fernando et al. discloses computer communication means for smoking devices for facilitating charging and allowing automated control of the device; U.S. Patent No. 8,689,804 to Fernando et al. discloses identification systems for smoking devices; and PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2010/003480 to Flick discloses a fluid flow sensing system indicating the presence of a puff in an aerosol generation system; the contents of each of the foregoing inventions being incorporated herein by reference.

[0082] Further examples of components related to electronic aerosol delivery articles and disclosing materials and components that can be used in the present article are described in U.S. Patents Nos. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al.; 5,249,586 to Morgan et al.; 5,666,977 to Higgins et al.; 6,053,176 to Adams et al.; 6,164,287 to White; 6,196,218 to Voges; 6,810,883 to Felter et al.; 6,854,461 to Nickols; 7,832,410 to Hon; #7,513,253 to Kobayashi; #7,896,006 to Hamano; #6,772,756 to Shayan; #8,156,944 and #8,375,957 to Hon; #8,794,231 to Thorens et al.; #8,851,083 to Oglesby et al.; #8,915,254 and 8,925,555 to Monsees et al.; #9,220,302 to DePiano et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006/0196518 and 2009/0188490 to Hon; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0024834 to Oglesby et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0307518 to Wang; PCT Patent Application Publication No. W02010/091593 to Hon; and PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO2013/089551 to Foo, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Additionally, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0099877 to Worm et al. discloses capsules that can be included in aerosol delivery devices and configurations for keychain aerosol delivery devices and is incorporated herein by reference. Various materials disclosed in the above-mentioned documents can be included in the present devices in various embodiments, and all of the above disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.

[0083] Other features, controls, or components that may be included in aerosol delivery devices according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al., U.S. Patent 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 Application Publication No. 2005/0016550 to Katase, U.S. Patent No. 8,689,804 to Fernando et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0192623 to Tucker et al., U.S. Patent No. 9,427,022 to Leven et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0180553 to Kim et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0000638 to Sebastian et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0261495 to Novak et al., and U.S. Patent No. 9,220,302 to DePiano et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0084] FIGS. 1 and 2 show embodiments of an aerosol delivery device comprising a control body and a cartridge in the case of an electronic cigarette. More particularly, FIGS. 1 and 2 show an aerosol delivery device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention. As indicated, the aerosol delivery device may comprise a control body 102 and a cartridge 104. The control body and the cartridge may be aligned to provide the ability to operate continuously or to be detachably operated. In this regard, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the aerosol delivery device in a connected configuration, and FIG. 2 shows a side view in partial section of the aerosol delivery device in a disconnected configuration. In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may be, for example, substantially rod-shaped or rod-shaped, substantially tubular in shape, or substantially cylindrical in shape when the control body and cartridge are in an assembled configuration.

[0085] The control body 102 and the cartridge 104 may be configured to cooperate with each other using a plurality of connections, such as a tight fit (or interference fit) connection, a threaded connection, a magnetic connection, and the like. Thus, the control body may comprise a first interacting element (e.g., a mating element) that is configured to cooperate with a second interacting element (e.g., a connector) on the cartridge. The first interacting element and the second interacting element may be reversible. As an example, both the first interacting element and the second interacting element may have an external thread, and the other may have an internal thread. As a further example, both the first interacting element and the second interacting element may be a magnet, and the other may be a metal or a matching magnet. In particular embodiments, the interacting elements may be formed directly by existing components of the control body and the cartridge. For example, the casing of the control body may form a cavity at its end, which is designed to accommodate at least a part of the cartridge (for example, a storage container or another shell-forming element of the cartridge). In particular, the storage container of the cartridge may be at least partially accommodated in the cavity of the control body, while the mouthpiece of the cartridge is located outside the cavity of the control body. The cartridge may be retained in the cavity formed by the casing of the control body, for example, by means of an interference fit (for example, by using clamps and/or other elements that create an interference interaction between the outer surface of the cartridge and the inner surface of the wall forming the cavity of the control body), by means of magnetic interaction (for example, by using magnets and/or magnetic metals located inside the cavity of the control body and placed on the cartridge) or other suitable methods.

[0086] As can be seen from the sectional view shown in FIG. 2, each of the control body 102 and the cartridge 104 comprises a plurality of respective components. The components shown in FIG. 2 are a typical example of components that may be present in the control body and the cartridge and are not intended to limit the scope of components covered by the disclosure of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, for example, the control body may be formed by a housing 206 (sometimes referred to as a control body shell), which may include a control component 208 (e.g., a processing circuit and the like), a flow sensor 210, a power source 212 (e.g., a battery, a supercapacitor), and an indicator 214 (e.g., a light emitting diode, a quantum dot light emitting diode), and such components may be aligned in various ways.

[0087] The cartridge 104 may be formed by a housing 216 (sometimes referred to as a cartridge shell) that encloses a reservoir 218 configured to hold an aerosol precursor composition and contains a heating element 220 (sometimes referred to as a heater). In various configurations, this structure may be referred to as a container; and accordingly, the terms "cartridge," "container," and the like may be used interchangeably to refer to a shell or other housing that encloses a reservoir for an aerosol precursor composition and contains a heating element.

[0088] As shown in the drawing, in some examples, the reservoir 218 may be in fluid communication with a liquid transfer element 222 configured to absorb or otherwise transfer an aerosol precursor composition stored in the reservoir housing to a heating element 220. Other configurations of liquid transfer elements are considered within the scope of the present invention. For example, in some embodiments, the liquid transfer element may be located near the distal end of the reservoir and located transversely to the longitudinal axis of the reservoir. In some examples, a valve may be located between the reservoir and the heating element and configured to control the amount of aerosol precursor composition passed or delivered from the reservoir to the heating element.

[0089] Various examples of materials capable of generating heat when an electric current is passed through them may be used to form the heating element 220. The heating element in these examples may be a resistive heating element such as a wire coil, a flat plate, a micro heater, or the like. Examples of materials from which the heating element may be made include fecral (FeCrAl), nichrome, nickel, stainless steel, indium tin oxide, tungsten, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi ₂ ), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), aluminum-doped molybdenum disilicide (Mo(Si,Al) ₂ ), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, silver-palladium alloys, graphite and graphite-based materials (e.g., carbon-based foams and filaments), conductive ink, boron-doped silicon, and ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). The heating element may be a resistive heating element or a heating element capable of generating heat by induction. The heating element may be coated with a thermally conductive ceramic such as aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, beryllium oxide, aluminum oxide, silicon nitride or composites thereof. Examples of embodiments of heating elements used in aerosol delivery devices according to the disclosure of the present invention are further described below, and may be included in devices such as those described herein.

[0090] An opening 224 may be located in the housing 216 (e.g., at the mouthpiece end) to allow the generated aerosol to exit the cartridge 104.

[0091] The cartridge 104 may also contain one or more electronic components 226, which may contain an integrated circuit, a memory component (e.g., an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory), a sensor, or the like. The electronic components may be configured to communicate with the control component 208 and/or with an external device via wired or wireless means. The electronic components may be located anywhere in the cartridge or its base 228.

[0092] Although the control component 208 and the flow sensor 210 are shown separately, it should be understood that various electronic components, including the control component and the flow sensor, can be combined on a circuit board (for example, a printed circuit board) that supports and electrically connects the electronic components. In addition, the circuit board can be located horizontally with respect to the illustration of FIG. 1, in which the circuit board can be longitudinally parallel to the central axis of the control housing. In some examples, the air flow sensor can include its own circuit board or other main element to which it can be attached. In some examples, a flexible circuit board can be used. The flexible circuit board can be made in various shapes, including substantially tubular shapes. In some examples, the flexible circuit board can be combined with the heater substrate, superimposed on it as a layer, or can form part or all of the heater substrate.

[0093] The control body 102 and the cartridge 104 may comprise components configured to facilitate fluid interaction with each other. As shown in FIG. 2, the control body may comprise a coupling element 230 having a cavity 232 therein. The base 228 of the cartridge may be configured to interact with the coupling element and may include a projection 234 configured to be embedded in the cavity. Such interaction may facilitate a stable connection between the control body and the cartridge, as well as establishing an electrical connection between the power source 212 and the control component 208 in the control body and the heating element 220 in the cartridge. Also, the casing 206 may comprise an air intake 236, which may be a recess in the casing in which it is connected to the coupling element, which allows air to pass from the environment around the coupling element into the casing, where it then passes through the cavity 232 of the coupling element into the cartridge through the protrusion 234.

[0094] A mating element and a base suitable for use in accordance with the disclosure of the present invention are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0261495 to Novak et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. For example, the mating element 230, as shown in FIG. 2, may define an outer periphery 238 configured to mate with an inner periphery 240 of a base 228. In one example, 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 mating element. Also, the connector may define one or more projections 242 on the outer periphery configured to cooperate with one or more recesses 244 formed in the inner periphery of the base. However, various other example designs, shapes, and components may be used to connect the base to the mating element. In some examples, the connection between the base of the cartridge 104 and the mating element of the control body 102 may be substantially permanent, while in other examples, said connection therebetween may be detachable, so that, for example, the control body may be reused with one or more additional cartridges, which may be disposable and/or reusable.

[0095] The reservoir 218 shown in FIG. 2 may be a container or a fibrous reservoir as described herein. For example, in this example, the reservoir may comprise one or more layers of nonwoven fiber substantially formed in the form of a tube enclosing the interior of the housing 216. The aerosol precursor composition may be contained in the reservoir. Liquid components may be retained by the reservoir, for example, by sorption. The reservoir may be in fluid communication with the liquid transfer element 222. In this example, the liquid transfer element may transfer the aerosol precursor composition stored in the reservoir by capillary action or by means of a micropump to the heating element 220, which in this example is a coil of metal wire. Typically, the heating element is located in the heating device with the liquid transfer element.

[0096] In some examples, a microfluidic chip may be integrated into the reservoir 218, and the amount and/or mass of the aerosol precursor composition delivered from the reservoir may be controlled using a micropump, such as based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technologies. Other exemplary embodiments of reservoirs and transfer elements used in aerosol delivery devices according to the disclosure of the present invention are further described herein, and such reservoirs and/or transfer elements may be included in devices, such as those described herein. In particular, specific combinations of heating elements and transfer elements, as further described herein, may be included in devices, such as those described herein.

[0097] In use, when a user draws on the aerosol delivery device 100, an air flow is detected by the flow sensor 210, and the heating element 220 is activated to vaporize the components of the aerosol precursor composition. Drawing on the mouth end of the aerosol delivery device causes air from the environment to enter the air intake 236 and pass through the cavity 232 in the interface element 230 and the central opening in the projection 234 of the base 228. In the cartridge 104, the drawn air is mixed with the generated steam to form an aerosol. The aerosol is removed by sucking, pulling or otherwise drawing from the heating element and exits from the opening 224 in the mouth end of the aerosol delivery device.

[0098] For further details regarding embodiments of an aerosol delivery device comprising a control body and a cartridge in the case of an electronic cigarette, see the above-mentioned U.S. Patent Application No. 15/836,086 to Sur and U.S. Patent Application No. 15/916,834 to Sur et al., as well as U.S. Patent Application No. 15/916,696 to Sur, filed March 9, 2018, which are also incorporated herein by reference.

[0099] FIGS. 3-6 show embodiments of an aerosol delivery device comprising a control body and an aerosol source element in the case of a device with heating but not combustion. More particularly, FIG. 3 shows an aerosol delivery device 300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention. The aerosol delivery device may comprise a control body 302 and an aerosol source element 304. In various embodiments, the aerosol source element and the control body may be aligned so as to be able to operate continuously or so as to be disconnectably operated. In this regard, FIG. 3 shows the aerosol delivery device in a connected configuration, and FIG. 4 shows the aerosol delivery device in a disconnected configuration. Various mechanisms may connect the aerosol source element and the control body, such as a threaded interaction, a push-fit interaction, an interference fit, a sliding fit, a magnetic interaction, and the like.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 4, in various embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention, the aerosol source element 304 may comprise a heated end 406 that is configured to be inserted into the control body 302, and a mouthpiece end 408 at which the user draws to create an aerosol. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the heated end may comprise an aerosol precursor composition 410.

[0101] In various embodiments, the aerosol source element 304 or a portion thereof may be wrapped in an outer wrapper material 412, which may be formed from any material suitable for providing additional structure and/or support for the aerosol source element. In various embodiments, the outer wrapper material may comprise a material that resists heat transfer, which may include paper or another fibrous material, such as a cellulosic material. The outer wrapper material may also include at least one filler material embedded in or dispersed in the fibrous material. In various embodiments, the filler material may be in the form of water-insoluble particles. Additionally, the filler material may include inorganic components. In various embodiments, the outer wrapper material may be formed from a plurality of layers, such as an underlying layer, a bulk layer, and an overlying layer, such as a typical wrapper paper in a cigarette. Such materials may include, for example, a lightweight recycled fibrous mass such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice stalks and/or esparto. The outer wrap material may also include a material commonly used in a conventional cigarette filter element, such as cellulose acetate. Additionally, the excess length of the outer wrap material at the mouth end 408 of the aerosol source element may serve to simply separate the aerosol precursor composition 410 from the consumer's mouth, or to provide space for placement of the filter material, as described below, or to affect the draw performed on the article or the flow characteristics of the vapor or aerosol exiting the device during a draw. Further discussion regarding configurations of outer wrap materials that may be used with the present invention may be found in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al.

[0102] In various embodiments, other components may exist between the aerosol precursor composition 410 and the mouth end 408 of the aerosol source element 304, wherein the mouth end may include a filter 414, which may, for example, be formed from cellulose acetate or polypropylene material. The filter may additionally or alternatively comprise strands of tobacco-containing material as described in U.S. Patent No. 5,025,814 to Raker et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In various embodiments, the filter may increase the structural integrity of the mouth end of the aerosol source element and/or provide filtration capability, if desired, and/or provide resistance to draw. In some embodiments, one or any combination of the following may be located between the aerosol precursor composition and the mouth end of the neck: an air gap; phase change materials for cooling air; a means for releasing a flavor; ion exchange fibers capable of selective chemical adsorption; aerogel particles as a filter medium and other suitable materials.

[0103] Various embodiments of the present invention use one or more conductive heating elements to heat the aerosol precursor composition 410 of the aerosol source element 304. In various embodiments, the heating element may be in various shapes, such as a foil, foam, mesh, hollow sphere, hemisphere, disks, spirals, fibers, wire, films, threads, strips, tapes, or cylinders. Such heating elements often comprise a metallic material and are configured to generate heat as a result of electrical resistance associated with the passage of electrical current therethrough. Such resistive heating elements may be located in direct contact with or near the aerosol source element and, in particular, with the aerosol precursor composition of the aerosol source element 304. The heating element may be located in the control housing and/or the aerosol source element. In various embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may comprise components (i.e., heat-conducting constituents) that are incorporated into or are part of a substrate portion, wherein the substrate portion may serve as or assist in the operation of the heating unit. Some examples of various heating elements or components are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al.

[0104] Some non-limiting examples of various configurations of heating elements include configurations in which the heating element is located near the aerosol source element 304. For example, in some examples, at least a portion of the heating element may surround at least a portion of the aerosol source element. In other examples, one or more heating elements may be located near the outer portion of the aerosol source element when inserted into the control housing 302. In other examples, at least a portion of the heating element may penetrate at least a portion of the aerosol source element (such as, for example, one or more pins and/or needles that penetrate the aerosol source element) when the aerosol source element is inserted into the control housing. In some cases, the aerosol precursor composition may include a structure in contact with the aerosol precursor composition or a plurality of beads or particles embedded therein or otherwise part of it that may serve as a heating element or facilitate its operation.

[0105] FIG. 5 shows a front view of an aerosol delivery device 300 according to an example embodiment of the disclosure of the present invention, and FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 5. In particular, the control body 302 of the shown embodiment may comprise a housing 516 that includes an opening 518 formed at its cooperating end, a flow sensor 520 (e.g., a puff sensor or a pressure switch), a control component 522 (e.g., a processing circuit, and the like), a power source 524 (e.g., a battery, a supercapacitor), and an end cap that contains an indicator 526 (e.g., an LED).

[0106] In one embodiment, the indicator 526 may comprise one or more light-emitting diodes, quantum dot light-emitting diodes, or the like. The indicator may be communicatively coupled to the control component 522 and may illuminate, for example, during a puff by the user through the aerosol source element 304 when connected to the control body 302, which is detected by the flow sensor 520.

[0107] The control body 302 of the illustrated embodiment includes one or more heating assemblies 528 (individually or collectively referred to as a heating assembly) configured to heat the aerosol precursor composition 410 of the aerosol source element 304. Although the heating assembly of various embodiments of the present disclosure may have many forms, in the particular embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the heating assembly comprises an outer cylinder 530 and a heating element 532, which in this embodiment comprises a plurality of heater pins that extend from a receiving base 534 (in various configurations, the heating assembly or, more specifically, the heater pins may be referred to as a heater). In the illustrated embodiment, the outer cylinder comprises a double-walled vacuum tube made of stainless steel to maintain the heat generated by the heater pins in the outer cylinder, and more specifically, to maintain the heat generated by the heater pins in the aerosol precursor composition. In various embodiments, the heater pins may be made of one or more conductive materials, including, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, or any combination thereof.

[0108] As shown in the drawing, the heating unit 528 can extend near the interacting end of the housing 516 and can be configured to substantially surround a portion of the heated end 406 of the element 304 in the form of an aerosol source that includes the aerosol precursor composition 410. Thus, the heating unit can form a generally tubular configuration. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the heating element 532 (for example, a plurality of heater pins) is surrounded by an outer cylinder 530 to form a receiving chamber 536. Thus, in various embodiments, the outer cylinder can comprise a non-conductive insulating material and/or a structure including, without limitation, an insulating polymer (for example, plastic or cellulose), glass, rubber, ceramic, porcelain, a double-walled vacuum structure, or any combination thereof.

[0109] In some embodiments, one or more parts or components of the heating assembly 528 may be combined with, packaged with, and/or integrally formed with the aerosol precursor composition 410. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may be formed from a material as described above and may contain one or more conductive materials mixed therewith. In some of these embodiments, the contacts may be directly connected to the aerosol precursor composition such that the aerosol source element is inserted into the receiving chamber of the control body, and the contacts create an electrical connection with the electrical power source. Alternatively, the contacts may be integrally formed with the electrical power source and may extend into the receiving chamber such that when the aerosol source element is inserted into the receiving chamber of the control body, the contacts create an electrical connection with the aerosol precursor composition. Due to the presence of the conductive material in the aerosol precursor composition, the application of energy from an electrical power source to the aerosol precursor composition enables an electric current to flow, and thus, heat to be released from the conductive material. Thus, in some embodiments, the heating element may be described as being formed integrally with the aerosol precursor composition. As a non-limiting example, graphite or another suitable conductive material may be mixed with, embedded in, or otherwise present directly on or within the material forming the aerosol precursor composition, to form a heating element formed integrally with said means.

[0110] As noted above, in the illustrated embodiment, the outer cylinder 530 may also help to simplify the proper positioning of the aerosol source element 304 when the aerosol source element is inserted into the housing 516. In various embodiments, the outer cylinder of the heating unit 528 may cooperate with the inner surface of the housing to ensure the alignment of the heating unit relative to the housing. Thus, as a result of the tight connection between the heating unit, the longitudinal axis of the heating unit may extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing. In particular, the supporting cylinder may extend from the opening 518 of the housing to the receiving base 534 to form the receiving chamber 536.

[0111] The size and shape of the heated end 406 of the aerosol source element 304 provide an insertion into the control housing 302. In various embodiments, the receiving chamber 536 of the control housing may be characterized as being formed by a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface forms an inner volume of the receiving chamber. For example, in the embodiments shown, the outer cylinder 530 forms an inner surface that forms an inner volume of the receiving chamber. In the embodiment shown, the inner diameter of the outer cylinder may be slightly larger than or approximately equal to the outer diameter of the corresponding aerosol source element (e.g., to create a sliding fit) such that the outer cylinder is configured to direct the aerosol source element into a proper position (e.g., a lateral position) relative to the control housing. Thus, the size of the largest outer diameter (or other size depending on the specific cross-sectional shape of the embodiments) of the element in the form of an aerosol source may be smaller than the inner diameter (or other size) on the inner surface of the wall of the open end of the receiving chamber in the control body. In some embodiments, the difference in the respective diameters may be small enough so that the element in the form of an aerosol source fits tightly into the receiving chamber, and friction forces prevent the element in the form of an aerosol source from moving without an applied force. On the other hand, the difference may be sufficient to allow the element in the form of an aerosol source to slide into or out of the receiving chamber without the need for excessive force.

[0112] In the illustrated embodiment, the control housing 302 is configured such that, when the aerosol source element 304 is inserted into the control housing, the heating element 532 (e.g., the heater pins) are located in the approximate radial center of at least a portion of the aerosol precursor composition 410 of the heated end 406 of the aerosol source element. Thus, when used in conjunction with a solid or semi-solid aerosol precursor composition, the heater pins can be in direct contact with the aerosol precursor composition. In other embodiments, such as when used in conjunction with an extruded aerosol precursor composition that forms a tubular structure, the heater pins can be located within a cavity formed by the inner surface of the extruded tubular structure and will not contact the inner surface of the extruded tubular structure.

[0113] During use, the consumer initiates heating of the heating unit 528 and, in particular, the heating element 532, which is located near the aerosol precursor composition 410 (or a particular layer thereof). Heating of the aerosol precursor composition provides for the release of a respirable substance within the aerosol source element 304 to form a respirable substance. When the consumer inhales at the mouth end 408 of the aerosol source element, air is drawn into the aerosol source element through the air inlet 538, such as openings or passages in the control housing 302. The combination of the drawn air and the released respirable substance is inhaled by the consumer as the drawn materials exit the mouth end of the aerosol source element. In some embodiments, to initiate heating, the user may manually activate a button or similar component that causes the heating element of the heating unit to receive electrical energy from a battery or other energy source. The electrical energy may be supplied for a predetermined period of time or may be manually controlled.

[0114] In some embodiments, the flow of electrical energy does not substantially continue between puffs on the device 300 (although the flow of energy may continue to maintain the temperature of the source line higher than the ambient temperature - for example, a temperature that promotes rapid heating to the active heating temperature). However, in the illustrated embodiment, the heating is initiated by the action of a puff by the consumer through the use of one or more sensors, such as the flow sensor 520. Once the puff is discontinued, the heating will cease or decrease. When the consumer has taken a sufficient number of puffs to release a sufficient amount of the inhalable substance (for example, an amount sufficient to be equivalent to a typical smoking process), the aerosol source element 304 can be removed from the control body 302 and discarded. In some embodiments, additional sensing elements may be used, such as capacitive sensing elements and other sensors, as described in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 15/707,461 to Phillips et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0115] In various embodiments, the aerosol source element 304 may be formed from any material suitable for forming and maintaining a suitable shape, such as a tubular shape, and for holding the aerosol precursor composition 410 therein. In some embodiments, the aerosol source element may be formed by a single wall, or in other embodiments by a plurality of walls, and may be formed from a material (natural or synthetic) that is resistant to high temperatures so as to maintain its structural integrity - for example, not to collapse - at least at a temperature that is a heating temperature provided by an electric heating element, as further described herein. Although in some embodiments a high temperature resistant polymer may be used, in other embodiments the aerosol source element may be formed from paper that has a substantially straw shape. As further described herein, the aerosol source element may have one or more layers associated therewith that serve to substantially prevent vapor migration therebetween. In one embodiment, an aluminum foil layer may be applied as a layer to one surface of the aerosol source element. Ceramic materials may also be used. In further embodiments, an insulating material may be used to avoid unnecessarily removing heat from the aerosol precursor composition. Additional examples of the types of components and materials that may be used to provide the functions described above, or used as an alternative to the materials and components described above, may be those of the types set forth in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2010/00186757 to Crooks et al.; 2010/00186757 to Crooks et al.; and 2011/0041861 to Sebastian et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0116] In the illustrated embodiment, the control body 302 includes a control component 522 that controls various functions of the aerosol delivery device 300, including the supply of power to the electrical heating element 532. For example, the control component may include a processing circuit (which may be connected to additional components, as further described herein), which is connected by electrically conductive wires (not shown) to the power source 524. In various embodiments, the processing circuit may control when and how the heating assembly 528, and in particular the heater pins, receive electrical energy to heat the aerosol precursor composition 410 to ensure the release of a respirable substance for inhalation by the consumer. In some embodiments, such control may be activated by the flow sensor 520, as described in more detail above.

[0117] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the heater assembly 528 of the illustrated embodiment comprises an outer cylinder 530 and a heater element 532 (e.g., a plurality of heater pins) that extend from a receiving base 534. In some embodiments, such as those in which the aerosol precursor composition 410 comprises a tubular structure, the heater pins may be configured to extend into a cavity formed by the inner surface of the aerosol precursor composition. In some embodiments, such as the illustrated embodiment in which the aerosol precursor composition comprises a solid or semi-solid substance, the plurality of heater pins are configured to penetrate the aerosol precursor composition contained in the heated end 406 of the aerosol source element 304 when the aerosol source element is inserted into the control housing 302. In such embodiments, one or more components of the heating assembly, including the heater pins and/or the receiving base, can be made of a non-stick or stick-resistant material, such as certain aluminum, copper, stainless steel, carbon steel and ceramic materials. In other embodiments, one or more components of the heating assembly, including the heater pins and/or the receiving base, may be made of a non-stick coating, including, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coatings such as Teflon®, or other coatings such as a non-stick enamel coating or a ceramic coating such as Greblon® or Thermolon™, or a ceramic coating such as Greblon® or Thermolon™.

[0118] Furthermore, although in the illustrated embodiment there are a plurality of heater pins 532 that are substantially uniformly distributed around the receiving base 534, it should be noted that in other embodiments any number of heater pins, including as few as one, may be used with any other suitable spatial configuration. Furthermore, in various embodiments the length of the heater pins may vary. For example, in some embodiments the heater pins may comprise small projections, while in other embodiments the heater pins may extend over any portion of the length of the receiving chamber 536, including up to about 25%, up to about 50%, up to about 75% and up to about the entire length of the receiving chamber. In still other embodiments the heating assembly 528 may adopt other configurations. Examples of Other Configurations

heater that may be suitable for use in the present invention as discussed above can be found in U.S. Patents 5,060,671 to Counts et al.; 5,093,894 to Deevi et al.; 5,224,498 to Deevi et al.; 5,228,460 to Sprinkel Jr. et al.; 5,322,075 to Deevi et al.; 5,353,813 to Deevi et al.; 5,468,936 to Deevi et al.; 5,498,850 to Das; 5,659,656 to Das; #5,498,855 by Deevi et al.; #5,530,225 by Hajaligol; #5,665,262 by Hajaligol; #5,573,692 by Das et al.; and #5,591,368 by Fleischhauer et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0119] In various embodiments, the control body 302 may comprise an air inlet 538 (e.g., one or more openings or passages) therein to allow air from the environment to enter the interior of the receiving chamber 536. Thus, in some embodiments, the receiving base 534 may also comprise an air inlet. Thus, in some embodiments, when a consumer puffs on the mouth end of the aerosol source element 304, air may be drawn through the air inlet of the control body and the receiving base into the receiving chamber, pass into the aerosol source element, and be drawn through the aerosol precursor composition 410 of the aerosol source element for inhalation by the consumer. In some embodiments, the drawn air carries the respirable substance through the optional filter 414 and out of the opening at the mouth end 408 of the aerosol source element. With a heating element 532 located within the aerosol precursor composition, the heater pins may be activated to heat the aerosol precursor composition and cause the release of a respirable substance through the element as an aerosol source.

[0120] As described above with reference, in particular, to FIGS. 5 and 6, various embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention use a conductive type heater for heating the aerosol precursor composition 410. As also indicated above, various other embodiments use an induction heater for heating the aerosol precursor composition. In some of these embodiments, the heating assembly 528 may be implemented as an induction heater that comprises a transformer with an induction transmitter and an induction receiver. In embodiments in which the heating assembly is implemented as an induction heater, the outer cylinder 530 may be implemented as an induction transmitter, and the heating element 532 (e.g., a plurality of heater pins) that extends from the receiving base 534 may be implemented as an induction receiver. In various embodiments, the induction transmitter and/or the induction receiver may be located in the control housing 302 and/or the element 304 in the form of an aerosol source.

[0121] In various embodiments, the outer cylinder 530 and the heating element 532 in the form of an inductive receiver and an inductive transmitter can be made of one or more conductive materials, and in additional embodiments, the inductive receiver can be made of a ferromagnetic material, including, without limitation, cobalt, iron, nickel and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the foil material is made of a conductive material, and the heater pins are made of a ferromagnetic material. In various embodiments, the receiving base can be made of a non-conductive and/or insulating material.

[0122] The outer cylinder 530 in the form of an inductive transmitter may comprise a laminated material with a foil material that surrounds the support cylinder. In some embodiments, the foil material may include an electrical path applied thereto by means of printing, such as, for example, one or more electrical paths that may, in some embodiments, form a helical coil structure when the foil material is located around the heating element 532 in the form of an inductive receiver. Each of the foil material and the support cylinder may form a tubular configuration. The support cylinder may be configured to provide support for the foil material such that the foil material does not come into contact with the pins of the heater and, thus, does not lead to a short circuit with them. Thus, the support cylinder may comprise a non-conductive material that may be substantially transparent to the oscillating magnetic field generated by the foil material. In various embodiments, the foil material may be embedded in the support cylinder or otherwise connected to it. In the embodiment shown, the foil material interacts with the outer surface of the supporting cylinder; however, in other embodiments, the foil material may be located on the outer surface of the supporting cylinder or be completely embedded in the supporting cylinder.

[0123] The foil material of the outer cylinder 530 may be configured to create an oscillating magnetic field (e.g., a magnetic field that changes periodically over time) when an alternating current is directed through it. The heater pins of the heating element 532 may be at least partially located or placed in the outer cylinder and may comprise a conductive material. By directing an alternating current through the foil material, eddy currents may be created in the heater pins due to induction. The eddy currents flowing through the resistance of the material forming the heater pins may heat it using Joule heat (i.e., due to the Joule effect). The heater pins may be heated wirelessly to form an aerosol from the aerosol precursor composition 410 located near the heater pins.

[0124] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device 700 according to another exemplary embodiment. The aerosol delivery device 700 of FIG. 7 is similar to the aerosol delivery device 300 of FIGS. 3-6 and is particularly suitable for segmented heating of the aerosol precursor composition 410. The aerosol delivery device 700 includes a control body 702 similar to the control body 302, but includes one or more heating assemblies 728 (individually or collectively referred to as a heating assembly) configured to heat the aerosol precursor composition of the aerosol source element 304.

[0125] In a particular embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the heating assembly comprises an outer cylinder 530 and a segmented heater 730 that includes a plurality of heating elements 732, such as a plurality of electrically conductive pins (heater pins) that are physically separated and spaced apart from each other. In some examples, each pin of the plurality of electrically conductive pins is a heating element of the plurality of heating elements of the segmented heater. In another example, the plurality of heating elements may be or include physically isolated resistive heating elements that may be located near corresponding regions of the outer surface of the aerosol source element. In another example, the plurality of heating elements may be or include physically isolated coils configured to generate localized/regionally generated eddy currents in corresponding portions of the aerosol source element.

[0126] In examples in which the plurality of heating elements 732 are a plurality of heating pins, these heating pins may extend along the inner surface of the outer cylinder 330 and radially inward from it and, thus, in a longitudinal direction along the aerosol precursor composition 410. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer cylinder comprises a double-walled vacuum tube made of stainless steel to support the heat generated by the heating elements (e.g., the heater pins) in the outer cylinder, and, more particularly, to support the heat generated by the heating elements in the aerosol precursor composition. Similar to the above, in various embodiments, the heating elements may be made of one or more conductive materials, including, without limitation, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, or any combination thereof.

[0127] In some examples, the heating elements 732 of the segmented heater 730 may be configured to be energized to heat a plurality of portions of the aerosol precursor composition 410. The heating elements may be energized simultaneously to heat corresponding portions of the plurality of portions of the aerosol precursor composition. In some examples, the heating elements of the plurality of heating elements may be energized separately. In some of these examples, one or more heating elements may be energized separately to heat a corresponding one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the aerosol precursor composition, and any other heating elements of the plurality of heating elements are simultaneously turned off.

[0128] Other embodiments of the aerosol delivery device, control body, and aerosol source element are described in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 15/916,834 to Sur et al., U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 15/916,696 to Sur, U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 15/836,086 to Sur, and U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 15/976,526 to Sur, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0129] FIGS. 8 and 9 show embodiments of an aerosol delivery device that includes a control body and a cartridge in the case of a non-heating and non-combustion device. In this regard, FIG. 8 shows a side view of an aerosol delivery device 800 that includes a control body 802 and a cartridge 804 according to various exemplary embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 8 shows a control body and a cartridge that are connected to each other. The control body and the cartridge can be aligned to allow operation and disconnection.

[0130] FIG. 9 shows in more detail an aerosol delivery device 800 according to some example embodiments. As shown in the partially cutaway view, the aerosol delivery device may comprise a control body 802 and a cartridge 804, each of which comprises a plurality of corresponding components. The components shown in FIG. 9 are a typical example of components that may be present in the control body and the cartridge and are not intended to limit the scope of components covered by the disclosure of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, for example, the control body may be formed by a control body housing or shell 906, which may include a control component 908 (e.g., processing circuitry and the like), an input device 910, a power source 912, and an indicator 914 (e.g., a light emitting diode, a quantum dot light emitting diode), and such components may be aligned in various ways. In this document, a specific example of a suitable control component includes the PIC16(L)F1713/6 microcontrollers from Microchip Technology Inc., which are described in Microchip Technology, Inc., AN2265, Vibrating Mesh Nebulizer Reference Design (2016), which is incorporated by reference.

[0131] The cartridge 804 may be formed by a housing, sometimes referred to as a cartridge shell 916, which encloses a reservoir 918 configured to hold an aerosol precursor composition and contains a nozzle 920 having at least one piezoelectric/piezomagnetic grid (an aerosol generating component). Similar to the above, in various configurations this structure may be referred to as a container; and accordingly, the terms "cartridge," "container," and the like may be used interchangeably to refer to a shell or other housing enclosing a reservoir for an aerosol precursor composition and containing a nozzle.

[0132] The reservoir 918 shown in FIG. 9 may be a container or a fibrous reservoir as described herein. The reservoir may be in fluid communication with a nozzle 920 to transfer the aerosol precursor composition stored in the reservoir housing to the nozzle. An opening 922 may be located in the cartridge housing 916 (e.g., at the tip of the mouthpiece) to allow the generated aerosol to exit the cartridge 804.

[0133] In some examples, the transfer element may be located between the reservoir 918 and the nozzle 920 and configured to control the amount of the aerosol precursor composition passed or delivered from the reservoir to the nozzle. In some examples, a microfluidic chip may be integrated into the cartridge 804, and the amount and/or mass of the aerosol precursor composition delivered from the reservoir may be controlled using one or more microfluidic components. One example of a microfluidic component is a micropump 924, such as one based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technologies. Examples of suitable micropumps include the micropump model MDP2205 and others from thinXXS Microtechnology AG, the micropumps models mp5 and mp6 and others from Bartels Mikrotechnik GmbH, and piezoelectric micropumps from Takasago Fluidic Systems.

[0134] As also shown in the drawing, in some examples, a microfilter 926 may be located between the micropump 924 and the nozzle 920 to filter the aerosol precursor composition delivered to the nozzle. Like the micropump, the microfilter is a microfluidic component. Examples of suitable microfilters include flow-through microfilters manufactured using lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology.

[0135] In use, when the input device 910 detects a user input to activate the aerosol delivery device, the piezoelectric/piezomagnetic mesh is activated to vibrate and thereby draw the aerosol precursor composition through the mesh. This forms droplets of the aerosol precursor composition that combine with air to form an aerosol. The aerosol is entrained, aspirated, or otherwise diverted from the mesh and exits from the opening 922 in the mouth end of the aerosol delivery device.

[0136] The aerosol delivery device 800 may comprise an input device 910, such as a switch, a sensor or a sensing element for controlling the supply of electric power to at least one piezoelectric/piezomagnetic grid of the nozzle 920 when aerosol generation is required (e.g., during a puff during use). Thus, for example, a method or technique is provided for turning off the power supplied to the grid when the aerosol delivery device is not engaged to implement a puff during operation, and for turning on the power to activate or start the generation and delivery of aerosol from the nozzle during a puff. Additional representative types of sensing and detecting mechanisms, their structure and configuration, their components, and general methods of operation are described above and in U.S. Patent No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, Jr., U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., and PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2010/003480 to Flick, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0137] For further information regarding the above and other embodiments of an aerosol delivery device in the case of a heat-free, combustion-free device, see U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 15/651,548 to Sur, filed July 17, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0138] As described above, the aerosol delivery device of the exemplary embodiments may include various electronic components in the context of either an electronic cigarette, a heating but non-combustion device, or a heating-free and non-combustion device, or even in the case of a device that includes the functionality of one or more of an electronic cigarette, a heating but non-combustion device, or a heating-free and non-combustion device. FIG. 10 shows an electrical diagram of an aerosol delivery device 1000, which may be any one or more of the aerosol delivery devices 100, 300, 700, 800 or include the functionality of any one or more of these devices, according to various exemplary embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention.

[0139] As shown in FIG. 10, the aerosol delivery device 1000 includes a control body 1002 with a control component 1004 (with a processing circuit 1006) and a power source 1008, which may correspond to a corresponding one of the following or include its functionality: a control body 102, 302, 702, 802, a control component 208, 522, 908 and a power source 212, 524, 912. The aerosol delivery device also includes an aerosol generation component 1010, which may correspond to a heating element(s) 220, 532, 732 or a piezoelectric/piezomagnetic nozzle grid 920 or include its functionality. In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device and, in particular, the control body includes terminals 1012 configured to connect the power source 1004 to the aerosol delivery device or, in particular, to the control body. The control body may include an aerosol generating component or second terminals 1014 configured to connect the aerosol generating component to the control body.

[0140] The aerosol delivery device 1000 may include a sensor 1016 that may correspond to the flow sensor 210, 520 or the input device 910 or include its functionality. The sensor may be configured to output pressure measurement values caused by air flow through at least a portion of the housing (for example, the housing 206, 216, 516, 906) of the aerosol delivery device and to convert the pressure measurement values into a corresponding electrical signal. Thus, the processing circuit 1006 may be configured to receive a corresponding signal and initiate a period of time for generating an aerosol in response thereto. Sometimes a differential pressure may be applied, in which the sensor may be configured to measure the ambient pressure, which can then be used to determine the differential pressure when the user puffs on the aerosol delivery device.

[0141] As also shown, in some examples, the aerosol delivery device 1000 may also include a voltage regulator circuit 1018 and a switching device 1020. The voltage regulator circuit is connected between the power source 1008 and the load 1022, which includes the aerosol generation component 1010. The voltage regulator circuit may be configured to provide an output voltage, in which the voltage provided by the power source is adjustable to obtain a predetermined target voltage value. Examples of a suitable voltage regulator circuit include a switching regulator circuit, a buck-boost regulator circuit, and the like.

[0142] Switching device 1020 includes a first switch 1024 and a second switch 1026. The first switch may be a multi-position switch including first and second inputs connected to voltage regulator circuit 1018 and ground, respectively, and an output (directly or indirectly) connected to the second switch. Examples of suitable multi-position switches include a single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch, a double-pole double-throw (DPDT) switch, or the like. The second switch may be connected to the voltage regulator circuit and the load and located between them. In some examples, the second switch is a field-effect transistor (FET) including a gate terminal connected to the output of the first switch and source and drain terminals connected to the voltage regulator and the load, respectively. One example of a suitable field-effect transistor is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). There may be a p-channel field-effect transistor (e.g., a MOSFET) for the negative supply, where current flows into the circuit, or an n-channel field-effect transistor for the positive supply, where current flows into the circuit. In other examples, the second switch may be or include a solid-state relay (SSR), such as a solid-state relay with an internal optocoupler to isolate the power source 1008 from the load 1022.

[0143] In some examples, the aerosol delivery device 1000 may further include a gate driver 1028 connected to the gate terminal of the second switch 1026 and the output of the first switch 1024 and located between them. This gate driver may be configured to receive the output voltage and generate an excitation signal for the second switch.

[0144] The processing circuit 1006 may be connected to the first switch 1024. The processing circuit may be configured to output a signal during the aerosol generation time period to cause the first switch to switchably connect the output voltage (from the power source 1008 via the voltage regulator circuit 1018) to the second switch 1026 and ground via the first and second inputs, respectively. One example of a suitable signal is a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal. It may also be a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) signal for low voltage applications. Thus, the processing circuit may cause the second switch to switchably connect the output voltage to the aerosol generation component 1010 and disconnect it from it to power the aerosol generation component. In particular, for example, when the output voltage is connected to the second switch, the output voltage may cause the second switch to close and thus connect the output voltage to the aerosol generation component. Conversely, for example, when ground is connected to the second switch, the output voltage may be disconnected from the second switch and thus may cause the second switch to open and disconnect the output voltage from the aerosol generation component.

[0145] In some examples, in which the aerosol generating component 1010 corresponds to or includes the functionality of the heating element 220, 532, 732, the heating element can emit infrared energy that is variable and proportional to the temperature of the heating element. Additionally or alternatively, a liquid transfer element (for example, a liquid transfer element 222) for an aerosol precursor composition that is a liquid, or an aerosol precursor composition (for example, an aerosol precursor composition 410), when it is a solid or semi-solid, can emit infrared energy that is variable and proportional to the temperature of the liquid transfer element or the aerosol precursor composition, respectively. In this regard, as also shown, the aerosol delivery device 1000 can further include an infrared temperature sensor 1030 connected to the processing circuit 1006. The infrared temperature sensor may include one or more photodetectors 1032. Examples of suitable infrared temperature sensors include those manufactured by Excelitas Technologies of Waltham, Massachusetts.

[0146] According to example embodiments, the infrared temperature sensor 1030 may be configured to measure infrared radiation energy emitted by one or more of the heating element (aerosol generating component 1010), the liquid transfer element, and/or the aerosol precursor composition during the aerosol generation period. Thus, the processing circuit 1006 may be further configured to determine the temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition from the infrared radiation energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor.

[0147] The processing circuit 1006 may be configured to regulate a signal (output during the aerosol generation time period to cause the first switch 1024 to switchably connect the output voltage to the second switch 1026 and the ground) when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target value. In some examples, this may include a processing circuit configured to regulate a signal to cause the first switch to connect the output voltage or the ground to the second switch when the temperature is respectively lower or higher than the predetermined target value.

[0148] In some examples, the target value may be a set target temperature value. In other examples, the target value may be a temperature range. One example of a suitable temperature range is reflected by the set target temperature value +/- an acceptable tolerance from the set target temperature value. The suitable temperature range may also be used to reflect the amount of added hysteresis. In some of these examples, the processing circuit 1006 may cause the first switch 1024 to connect the output voltage to the second switch 1026, and thus cause the second switch to connect the output voltage to the aerosol generating component when the temperature is below the first set target temperature value. Conversely, the processing circuit may cause the first switch to connect the output voltage to ground and thus cause the second switch to disconnect the output voltage from the aerosol generating component when the temperature is above the second set target temperature value, which is above the first set target temperature value.

[0149] In some examples, the target value may vary over time in accordance with a temperature or power control profile that may be applied over a period of time of use. This may be particularly useful for heated-but-not-burned devices in which a solid or semi-solid aerosol precursor composition may be heated for a longer period of time than a liquid aerosol precursor composition in an electronic cigarette. In particular, in a heated-but-not-burned device, a higher temperature may be applied during an initial period when the aerosol precursor composition is prepared for inhalation, and then decreased over time. For additional information on examples of suitable control profiles, see U.S. Patent No. 9,498,000 to Kuczaj, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0150] In some examples, the target value may change or otherwise vary in accordance with a measurement value of a pressure caused by air flow through at least a portion of the housing of the aerosol delivery device 1000 (e.g., housing 206, 216, 516, 906), provided by the sensor 1016. In more specific examples, the target value may vary in accordance with a predetermined relationship between the pressure and the target value. Examples of suitable predetermined relationships may be described by a step function, a linear function, a nonlinear function, or a combination thereof.

[0151] In some examples, in which the signal is a PWM signal (or PFM signal), the processing circuit 1006 may be configured to adjust the duty cycle of the PWM signal (or PFM) when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target value. In some additional examples, the processing circuit may be configured to increase or decrease the duty cycle when the temperature is lower or higher than the predetermined target value, respectively.

[0152] In some examples, the infrared temperature sensor 1030 may be configured to convert infrared radiation energy into a corresponding electrical signal. Thus, the processing circuit 1006 may be configured to input the corresponding electrical signal into a function that correlates the corresponding electrical signal with a temperature of the heating element (aerosol generating component 1010), the liquid transport element, and/or the aerosol precursor composition. The function may be specified or otherwise represented in a number of different ways, such as a formula, a list of function values, a graph, a graphical image, a bar chart, a table, or the like. Thus, the processing circuit may be configured to determine the temperature of the heating element, the liquid transport element, and/or the aerosol precursor composition.

[0153] In various embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 1000 may implement a calibration procedure for compensating for the ambient temperature and thus for ensuring the accuracy of the temperature determined by the processing circuit 1006. For example, the infrared temperature sensor 1030 may be further configured to measure the infrared energy of the environment emitted by the heating element (aerosol generating component 1010), the liquid transfer element and/or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not energized. The processing circuit may be configured to determine the ambient temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element and/or the aerosol precursor composition from the infrared energy of the environment measured by the infrared temperature sensor, and the function may set a relationship between the electrical signal and the temperature and compensate for the ambient temperature determined by the processing circuit. In addition, the infrared temperature sensor may periodically measure the infrared energy of the environment when the heating element is not energized, between periods of heating time when the heating element is energized. The processing circuit can then periodically determine the ambient temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element, and/or the aerosol precursor composition from ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor.

[0154] In various embodiments, the infrared temperature sensor 1030 may include a plurality of photodetectors to improve the accuracy of the temperature determined by the infrared temperature sensor or the processing circuit 1006, which may be particularly useful as the surface area from which the infrared energy is measured increases. Thus, in some examples in which the infrared temperature sensor is configured to measure the infrared radiation energy emitted by the aerosol precursor composition (for example, the aerosol precursor composition 410), the infrared temperature sensor may include a plurality of photodetectors 1032 configured to measure the infrared radiation energy emitted by a plurality of parts of the aerosol precursor composition. This may include an infrared temperature sensor configured to measure the infrared radiation energy emitted by different parts of the outer surface of the aerosol source element 304, and thus by a plurality of parts of the aerosol precursor composition 410. In some examples, the processing circuit or the infrared temperature sensor can be made or configured to determine the temperatures of a plurality of parts of the aerosol precursor composition from the infrared radiation energy measured by the plurality of photodetectors, and the processing circuit can be configured to regulate the voltage when the average value of the temperatures deviates from a predetermined target value. In this regard, the average temperature is a temperature adopted as characteristic of the temperatures. In some examples, the average temperature can be an arithmetic mean of the temperatures. In other examples, the average temperature can be a geometric mean, a harmonic mean, a median, a mode, or an average range of temperatures.

[0155] In some examples, in which the heating element(s) (aerosol generating component 1010) corresponds to or includes the functionality of the heating elements 732 of the segmented heater 730 that includes a plurality of heating elements, and the infrared temperature sensor 1030 may include a plurality of photodetectors 1032. In some of these examples, each photodetector may be configured to measure infrared radiation energy emitted by a corresponding heating element of the plurality of heating elements, or a portion of the portions of the sections of the aerosol precursor composition that is heated by the corresponding heating element when energized. For each photodetector and portion of the aerosol precursor composition, the processing circuit 1006 or the infrared temperature sensor may be configured to determine the temperature of the corresponding heating element or portion from the infrared radiation energy measured by the photodetector. Then, the processing circuit can be configured to regulate the voltage from the power supply 1008 to the corresponding heating element when the temperature of the part deviates from a predetermined target value for the part. The predetermined target value for the part can be common to a plurality of parts, or the predetermined target value for the part can differ for at least two of the plurality of parts.

[0156] In various example embodiments, the infrared temperature sensor 1030 may provide the functionality of the aerosol delivery device 1000 in addition to or instead of what is described above. For example, the processing circuit 1006 may be configured to perform a lockout of the heating element(s) (aerosol generating component 1010) when the temperature exceeds a threshold temperature.

[0157] In some examples, the infrared temperature sensor 1030 may be configured to measure the ambient infrared energy emitted by the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element(s) (aerosol generating component 1010) is not energized. In some of these examples, the processing circuit 1006 may be configured to determine the ambient temperature of the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor. The processing circuit may then be configured to perform authentication of the aerosol precursor composition based on a comparison of the ambient temperature and a known ambient temperature of the aerosol precursor composition or of an aerosol precursor composition that otherwise represents a particular aerosol precursor composition. In some additional examples, the processing circuit may also be configured to change the locked state of the aerosol delivery device 1000 based on the authentication. The processing scheme may unlock the aerosol delivery device when the aerosol precursor composition matches or is otherwise substantially similar to the genuine (specific) aerosol precursor composition. Conversely, the processing scheme may lock the aerosol delivery device when the aerosol precursor composition does not match or is not substantially similar to the genuine (specific) aerosol precursor composition.

[0158] For further information regarding a suitable infrared temperature sensor in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments, see U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 16/593,454 to Sur, filed October 4, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0159] The above description of the use of the article(s) may be applied to various embodiments described herein by minor modifications that may be apparent to one skilled in the art in light of the additional disclosure provided herein. However, the above description of the use does not limit the use of the article, but is provided to meet all necessary requirements of the disclosure of the present invention. Any of the elements shown in the article(s), as shown in FIGS. 1-10, or otherwise described above, may be included in an aerosol delivery device according to the disclosure of the present invention.

[0160] Many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, using the disclosures provided in the above description and the accompanying drawings. It is therefore to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and 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 (51)

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising: a power source capable of providing voltage; an aerosol generating component configured to be energized to generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor composition; a voltage regulator circuit connected between the power source and the load including the aerosol generating component and configured to provide an output voltage in which the voltage provided by the power source is capable of being regulated to obtain a specified target voltage value; a switching device including a first switch and a second switch, wherein the first switch is a multi-position switch including first and second inputs connected respectively to the voltage regulator circuit and ground, and an output connected to the second switch, wherein the second switch is connected to the voltage regulator circuit and the load and is located between them; and a processing circuit connected to the first switch and configured to output a signal during the aerosol generation time period to cause the first switch to switchably connect the output voltage to the second switch and ground via the first and second inputs, respectively, and thus cause the second switch to switchably connect the output voltage to and disconnect from the aerosol generation component to power the aerosol generation component. 2. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage regulator circuit is a pulse stabilizer circuit. 3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the voltage regulator circuit is a step-up regulator circuit. 4. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein, when the output voltage is connected to the second switch, the output voltage causes the second switch to close and thus connect the output voltage to the aerosol generating component, and when the ground is connected to the second switch, the output voltage is disconnected from the second switch, and thus the second switch is caused to open and the output voltage is disconnected from the aerosol generating component. 5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the second switch is a field effect transistor including a gate terminal connected to the output of the first switch and source and drain terminals connected to a voltage regulator and a load, respectively. 6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 5, also comprising a shutter driver connected to the shutter terminal and the output of the first switch and located between them, wherein the shutter driver is configured to receive the output voltage and generate an excitation signal for the second switch. 7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the second switch is a solid state relay with an internal optocoupler for isolating the power source from the load. 8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol generating component includes a heating element configured to be energized to evaporate the components of the aerosol precursor composition, and the aerosol delivery device also comprises: an infrared temperature sensor coupled to the processing circuit and configured to measure infrared radiation energy emitted by one or more of the heating element, the liquid transfer element for the aerosol precursor composition, or the aerosol precursor composition, during a period of aerosol generation, wherein the processing circuit is also configured to determine the temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element or the aerosol precursor composition from the infrared radiation energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor, and to regulate the signal when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target value. 9. The aerosol delivery device of claim 8, wherein the processing circuit is configured to regulate the signal, including being configured to regulate the signal to cause the first switch to connect the output voltage or ground to the second switch when the temperature is respectively below or above a predetermined target value. 10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 8, wherein the signal is a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, and the implementation of the processing circuit with the ability to regulate the signal includes its implementation with the ability to regulate the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target value. 11. The aerosol delivery device of claim 10, wherein the implementation of the processing circuit with the ability to regulate the duty cycle of the PWM signal includes its implementation with the ability to increase or decrease the duty cycle when the temperature is respectively below or above a specified target value. 12. The aerosol delivery device of claim 8, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered, and the processing circuit is configured to determine the ambient temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor, wherein the implementation of the processing circuit with the possibility of determining the temperature includes its implementation with the possibility of compensating for the ambient temperature. 13. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to periodically measure ambient infrared energy emitted by the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered, between periods of aerosol generation time when the heating element is powered, and the processing circuit is configured to periodically determine the ambient temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition from the ambient infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor. 14. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, also comprising: a sensor configured to output a pressure measurement value caused by an air flow through at least a portion of the casing and to convert the pressure measurement value into a corresponding signal; wherein the processing circuit is also configured to receive a corresponding signal and initiate a period of time for generating an aerosol in response thereto. 15. A control housing for an aerosol delivery device comprising: a power source capable of providing voltage; an aerosol generating component or terminals configured to connect the aerosol generating component to the control body, wherein the aerosol generating component is configured to be energized for generating an aerosol from the aerosol precursor composition; a voltage regulator circuit connected between the power source and the load including the aerosol generating component and configured to provide an output voltage in which the voltage provided by the power source is capable of being regulated to obtain a specified target voltage value; a switching device including a first switch and a second switch, wherein the first switch is a multi-position switch including first and second inputs connected respectively to the voltage regulator circuit and ground, and an output connected to the second switch, wherein the second switch is connected to the voltage regulator circuit and the load and is located between them; and a processing circuit connected to the first switch and configured to output a signal during the aerosol generation time period to cause the first switch to switchably connect the output voltage to the second switch and ground via the first and second inputs, respectively, and thus cause the second switch to switchably connect the output voltage to and disconnect from the aerosol generation component to power the aerosol generation component. 16. The control housing according to item 15, wherein the voltage regulator circuit is a pulse stabilizer circuit. 17. The control housing according to claim 15, wherein the voltage regulator circuit is a step-up-step-down regulator circuit. 18. The control body of claim 15, wherein when the output voltage is connected to the second switch, the output voltage causes the second switch to close and thereby connect the output voltage to the aerosol generating component, and when the ground is connected to the second switch, the output voltage is disconnected from the second switch, and thus the second switch is caused to open and the output voltage is disconnected from the aerosol generating component. 19. The control housing according to claim 15, wherein the second switch is a field-effect transistor including a gate terminal connected to the output of the first switch and source and drain terminals connected to a voltage regulator and a load, respectively. 20. The control body according to claim 19, also comprising a gate driver connected to the gate terminal and the output of the first switch and located between them, wherein the gate driver is configured to receive the output voltage and generate an excitation signal for the second switch. 21. The control housing according to claim 15, wherein the second switch is a solid state relay with an internal optocoupler for isolating the power source from the load. 22. The control body according to claim 15, wherein the aerosol generating component includes a heating element configured to be energized for evaporating the components of the aerosol precursor composition, and the control body also contains: an infrared temperature sensor connected to the processing circuit and configured to measure infrared radiation energy emitted by the heating element during the aerosol generation period, wherein the processing circuit is also configured to determine the temperature of the heating element from the infrared radiation energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor, and to regulate the signal when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target value. 23. The control body according to claim 22, wherein the implementation of the processing circuit with the possibility of regulating the signal includes its implementation with the possibility of regulating the signal to cause the first switch to connect the output voltage or ground to the second switch when the temperature is respectively lower or higher than a predetermined target value. 24. The control housing according to claim 22, wherein the signal is a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, and the implementation of the processing circuit with the ability to regulate the signal includes its implementation with the ability to regulate the duty cycle of the PWM signal when the temperature deviates from a specified target value. 25. The control housing according to claim 24, in which the implementation of the processing circuit with the ability to regulate the duty cycle of the PWM signal includes its implementation with the ability to increase or decrease the duty cycle when the temperature is respectively lower or higher than a specified target value. 26. The control body according to claim 22, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to measure the infrared radiation energy of the environment emitted by the heating element, the liquid transfer element or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered, and the processing circuit is configured to determine the ambient temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element or the aerosol precursor composition from the infrared radiation energy of the environment measured by the infrared temperature sensor, wherein the implementation of the processing circuit with the possibility of determining the temperature includes its implementation with the possibility of compensating for the ambient temperature. 27. The control body according to claim 26, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is configured to periodically measure the infrared radiation energy of the environment emitted by the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition when the heating element is not powered, between periods of aerosol generation time when the heating element is powered, and the processing circuit is configured to periodically determine the ambient temperature of the heating element, the liquid transfer element, or the aerosol precursor composition from the infrared radiation energy of the environment measured by the infrared temperature sensor. 28. The control body according to paragraph 15, also containing: a sensor configured to output a pressure measurement value caused by an air flow through at least a portion of the casing and to convert the pressure measurement value into a corresponding signal; wherein the processing circuit is also configured to receive a corresponding signal and initiate a period of time for generating an aerosol in response thereto.