UA129727C2 - METHOD FOR GENERATING AEROSOL, AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICE, SYSTEM INCLUDING SUCH DEVICE, AND AEROSOL DELIVERY MEANS - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating article comprising portions of aerosol-generating material having compositions that differ from each other, the method comprising: heating a first aerosol-generating material comprising a first component to generate an aerosol from the first aerosol-generating material; heating a second aerosol-generating material comprising a second component different from the first component to generate an aerosol from the second aerosol-generating material, wherein the heating of the first aerosol-generating material and the heating of the second aerosol-generating material are carried out substantially simultaneously. WO 2021/105459 PCT/EP2020/083779

Description

Engineering industry

The present invention relates to systems for delivering aerosol without combustion.

Background of the invention

Electronic aerosol delivery systems, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), typically include a reservoir for a source liquid having a composition that typically includes nicotine, from which an aerosol is generated, for example, by vaporization upon heating. Thus, the aerosol source for an aerosol delivery system may include a heater having a heating element arranged to draw source liquid from the reservoir, for example, by wick/capillary action. When a user inhales through the device, electrical power is supplied to the heating element to vaporize the source liquid in the vicinity of the heating element to generate an aerosol for inhalation by the user. Such devices typically include one or more air inlets that are spaced from the mouthpiece end of the system. When the user inhales through a mouthpiece connected to the mouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn through the inlets and past the aerosol source. A flow path is provided connecting the aerosol source and the mouthpiece opening, whereby air drawn past the aerosol source continues along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying with it some aerosol from the aerosol source. The air carrying the aerosol exits the aerosol delivery system through the mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.

Other aerosol delivery devices generate an aerosol from a solid material, such as tobacco or a tobacco derivative. The principle of operation of such devices is generally similar to the liquid systems described above, in that the solid tobacco material is heated to a vaporizing temperature to generate an aerosol, which is then inhaled by the user.

Most traditional aerosol delivery systems typically offer only minimal customization of the aerosol delivered to the user, primarily by varying only the amount delivered. Some systems that offer more customization are typically larger, for example, some liquid systems utilize a collection of reservoirs that contain different e-cigarette liquids that can be selectively heated to generate an aerosol. Various approaches have been described to help address some of these issues.

The essence of the invention

According to a first aspect of certain embodiments, there is provided a method of generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating article comprising portions of aerosol-generating material having compositions that differ from each other, the method comprising: heating a first aerosol-generating material comprising a first component to generate an aerosol from the first aerosol-generating material; heating a second aerosol-generating material comprising a second component different from the first component to generate an aerosol from the second aerosol-generating material, wherein the heating of the first aerosol-generating material and the heating of the second aerosol-generating material are carried out substantially simultaneously.

According to a second aspect of certain embodiments, an aerosol delivery device is provided for generating an aerosol from an aerosol generating article comprising portions of aerosol generating material having compositions that differ from each other, the device comprising: a plurality of heating elements; and a control circuit adapted to implement the method described in the first aspect of certain embodiments.

According to a third aspect of certain embodiments, there is provided an aerosol generating system comprising an aerosol generating device according to the second aspect and an aerosol generating article comprising a first aerosol generating material comprising a first component and a second aerosol generating material comprising a second component.

According to a fourth aspect of certain embodiments, there is provided an aerosol providing means for generating an aerosol from an aerosol generating article comprising portions of aerosol generating material having compositions that differ from each other, the means comprising: a plurality of heating means; and control means adapted to: provide heating of a first aerosol generating material comprising a first component to generate an aerosol from the first aerosol generating material; provide heating of a second aerosol generating material comprising a second component different from the first component to generate an aerosol from the second aerosol generating material, wherein the heating of the first aerosol generating material and the heating of the second aerosol generating material are carried out substantially simultaneously.

It should be understood that the features and aspects of the present invention described above with respect to the first and other aspects of the present invention are equally applicable to embodiments of the present invention according to other aspects of the present invention and may be combined therewith as appropriate, and not only in the specific combinations described above.

Brief description of graphic materials

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic representation of an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device and an aerosol generating article, the device comprising a plurality of heating elements and the article comprising a plurality of aerosol generating material portions; FIGS. 2A-2C are views from various angles of the aerosol delivery article of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a top-down cross-sectional view of the heating elements of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is an illustrative method of generating aerosol from the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 1, with selected heating elements activated simultaneously; FIG. 5 is a top-down view of an illustrative touch panel for controlling various functions of the aerosol delivery system; FIG. 6 shows a series of graphs showing control signals for activating a plurality of heating elements corresponding to different aerosol-generating materials; FIG. 7 shows an exemplary cross-sectional schematic representation of an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device and an aerosol-generating article, the device comprising a plurality of induction heating coils, and the article comprising a plurality of aerosol-generating material portions and corresponding current-receiving portions; and FIG. BA-8C shows several views from different angles of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 7.

Detailed description

This document explains/describes aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented in a conventional manner and will not be explained/described in detail for the sake of brevity. Thus, it should be understood that aspects and features of the apparatus and methods explained herein that are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

The present invention relates to a "non-combustion" aerosol delivery system. A "non-combustion" aerosol delivery system is a system in which the aerosolizable material of the aerosol delivery system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned to provide aerosol delivery to the user. Furthermore, and as is common in the art, the terms "vapor" and "aerosol", as well as related terms such as "vaporize", "aerosolize", and "aerosolize", may generally be used interchangeably.

In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (EDS), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosolizable material is not a prerequisite. In the following description, the term "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" is sometimes used, but this term can be used interchangeably with the term "aerosol (vapor) delivery system".

Typically, a non-combustion aerosol delivery system may include a non-combustion aerosol delivery device and an article (sometimes referred to as a consumable part) for use with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device. However, it is contemplated that articles that themselves include a means for powering the aerosol generating component may themselves constitute a non-combustion aerosol delivery system.

It is intended that part or all of the product is consumed during use by the user. The product may comprise or consist of a material suitable for conversion into an aerosol. The product may comprise one or more other elements, such as a filter or an aerosol modifying substance (e.g. a component for adding a flavouring substance to the aerosol passing through or over the aerosol modifying substance or for otherwise modifying its properties).

Often, although not always, non-combustion aerosol delivery systems comprise a modular assembly that contains both a reusable aerosol delivery device and a disposable product. In some implementations, the non-combustion aerosol delivery device may comprise a power source 60 and a controller (or control circuit). The power source may be,

for example, an electrical power source such as a battery or a non-rechargeable battery. In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery device may also include an aerosol generating component. However, in other embodiments, the article may partially or completely include an aerosol generating component.

In some embodiments, the aerosol generating component is a heater capable of interacting with the aerosolizable material to release one or more volatiles from the aerosolizable material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating component is capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without heating. For example, the aerosol generating component may be capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without applying heat thereto, such as by one or more vibrational, mechanical, compressional, or electrostatic means.

An article for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device typically comprises an aerosolizable material. An aerosolizable material, which may also be referred to herein as an aerosol-generating material, is a material capable of generating an aerosol, for example, when heated, irradiated or otherwise energized. An aerosolizable material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel, which may or may not contain nicotine and/or flavorings. In the following text, the aerosolizable material is described as comprising an “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e., non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. An amorphous solid is a solid material that can contain a certain amount of a fluid, such as a liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosolizable material may contain, for example, from about 50 wt. 95, 60 wt. В5 or 70 wt. 95 amorphous solid to about 90 wt. 95, 95 wt. 96 or 100 wt. В amorphous solid. However, it should be understood that the principles of the present invention can be applied to other aerosolizable materials, such as (o) tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, a liquid such as e-liquid, and the like.

Accordingly, the aerosolizable material may comprise any one or more of: an active ingredient, a carrier ingredient, a flavoring agent, and one or more other functional ingredients.

An active ingredient, as used herein, can be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. For example, an active ingredient can be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactive substances. An active ingredient can be obtained naturally or synthetically. An active ingredient can include, for example, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6, or B12, or C, melatonin, cannabinoids or compounds, derivatives or combinations thereof. An active ingredient can include one or more compounds, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or other plant material. As indicated herein, an active ingredient can include one or more compounds, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, for example, one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.

In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises caffeine, melatonin, or vitamin B12.

As used herein, the active ingredient may comprise or be derived from one or more plant materials or their components, derivatives or extracts. As used herein, the term "plant material" includes any material derived from plants, including but not limited to extracts, leaves, bark, fibers, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husks, shells, etc. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally occurring in the plant material that has been synthetically produced. The material may be in the form of a liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shavings, strips, sheets, etc. Examples of herbal raw materials are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice, matcha, mate, orange peel, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, cloves, cinnamon, coffee, anise seeds (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, burolistka bo perenni, turmeric, curcuma longa, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassia,

valerian, pimento, maca, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, onion, caraway, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. Mint can be selected from the following mint varieties: Mepia agu/epzi5, Mepia s. u., Mepia piisa, Mepipa regia, Mepia regia siigaga s. m., Mepia rerepia s. m., Mepia zvrisaya sgizra, Mepia sogaiodia, Mepia iopodiitoiya, Mepsta ztameoEepz magpedatsa, Mepia rshediit, Mepia zrisaya s. u. and Mepipa zcameoiiepv.

In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or their constituents, derivatives, or extracts, and the botanical is tobacco.

In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or their components, derivatives or extracts, and the botanicals are selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or their constituents, derivatives or extracts, and the botanicals are selected from rooibos and fennel.

In some embodiments, the aerosolizable material contains a flavoring agent (or flavorant).

As used herein, the terms "flavor" and "flavoring agent" refer to materials that, where permitted by local regulations, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma, or other somatosensory sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavoring materials, botanicals, botanical extracts, synthetically derived materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice, hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese whitebark magnolia leaf, chamomile, gunbut, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, anise seed, cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, coffee berry, lingonberry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruit, Drambuie liqueur, bourbon, Scotch whisky, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery seed, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, hookah, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, cumin, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sorrel, fennel, wasabi, allspice, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, mint oil of any species of the genus Mepiya, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, bay leaf, mate, orange peel, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, perilla, turmeric, coriander, myrtle, blackcurrant, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, basil, onion, caraway, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavor enhancers, bitter receptor site blockers, activators or stimulators of sensitive receptor sites, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g. sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol or mannitol) and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals or mouth fresheners. These may be artificial, synthetic or natural ingredients or mixtures thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, a liquid such as an oil, a solid such as a powder, or a gas.

In some embodiments, the flavoring agent comprises menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavoring agent comprises cucumber, blueberry, citrus and/or ginseng flavoring components. In some embodiments, the flavoring agent comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavoring agent comprises tobacco-extracted flavoring components. In some embodiments, the flavoring agent comprises cannabis-extracted flavoring components.

In some embodiments, the flavoring agent may comprise a sensory agent intended to achieve a somatosensory sensation, typically chemically induced and perceived by stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of the nerves responsible for the perception of aroma or taste, and may include agents that provide a warming effect, a cooling effect, a tingling effect, a numbing effect. A suitable warming agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether, and a suitable cooling agent may be, but is not limited to, eucalyptol, MU/5-3.

AND

The carrier component may comprise one or more components capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the carrier component may comprise one or more of glycerin, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a mixture of diacetin, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

In some embodiments, the carrier component comprises one or more polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, and glycerol; esters of polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol mono-, di-, or triacetate; and/or aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyldodecanedisate and dimethyltetradecanedioate.

One or more other functional ingredients may include one or more pH regulators, colorants, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers and/or antioxidants.

The aerosolizable material may also comprise an acid. The acid may be an organic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of an acid capable of donating one proton to a base, an acid capable of donating two protons to a base, and an acid capable of donating three protons to a base. In some of these embodiments, the acid may comprise at least one carboxyl functional group. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of an alpha-hydroxy acid, a carboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a tricarboxylic acid, and a keto acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be an alpha-keto acid.

In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of succinic acid, lactic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, levulinic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, formic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, propionic acid, and pyruvic acid.

Suitably, the acid is lactic acid. In other embodiments, the acid is benzoic acid. In other embodiments, the acid may be an inorganic acid.

In some of these embodiments, the acid may be a mineral acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, boric acid, and phosphoric acid. In some embodiments, the acid is levulinic acid.

The inclusion of an acid is particularly preferred in embodiments in which the aerosolizable material contains nicotine. In such embodiments, the presence of an acid can stabilize the dissolved components in the suspension from which the aerosolizable material is formed. The presence of an acid can reduce or substantially prevent the evaporation of nicotine during drying of the suspension, thereby reducing nicotine loss during manufacture.

In some embodiments, the aerosolizable material comprises one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of: cannabidiol (CVO), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CVOA), cannabinol (CVM), cannabigerol (CVO), cannabichromene (CVO), cannabicyclol (CVI), cannabivarin (CVU), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCM), cannabidivarin (CVOM), cannabichromevarin (CVSM), cannabigerovarin (CVO), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CVSM), and cannabielsoin (CVE), cannabicitran (CVT).

The aerosolizable material may contain one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of cannabidiol (CBD) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

The aerosolizable material may contain cannabidiol (CBD).

The aerosolizable material may contain nicotine and cannabidiol (CBD).

Aerosolizable material may contain nicotine, cannabidiol (CBD), and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

The aerosolizable material may be present on or in a carrier support (or carrier component) to form the substrate. The carrier support may be or comprise, for example, paper, thick paper, paperboard, cardboard, recycled aerosolizable material, plastic material, ceramic material, composite material, glass, metal or metal alloy.

In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device may include an aerosolizable material or a region for containing an aerosolizable material. In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device may include a mouthpiece, or alternatively, the non-combustion aerosol delivery device may include a mouthpiece that is coupled to the article. The aerosolizable material containing region may be a storage region for storing the aerosolizable material. For example, the storage region may be a reservoir.

Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a schematic representation of an aerosol delivery system 1 according to certain embodiments of the present invention. The aerosol delivery system 1 comprises two main components, namely an aerosol delivery device 2 and an aerosol generating article 4.

The aerosol delivery device 2 comprises an outer housing 21, a power supply 22, a control circuit 23, a set of aerosol generating components 24, a socket 25, a mouthpiece end 26, an air inlet 27, an air outlet 28, a touch panel 29, an inhalation sensor 30 and an end-of-use indicator 31.

The outer housing 21 may be formed from any suitable material, such as a plastic material. The outer housing 21 is arranged such that the power supply 22, the control circuit 23, the aerosol generating components 24, the socket 25 and the inhalation sensor 30 are located within the outer housing 21. The outer housing 21 also defines an air inlet 27 and an air outlet 28, which are described in more detail below. A touch panel 29 and an end-of-use indicator are located on the exterior of the outer housing 21.

The outer housing 21 further includes a mouthpiece end 26. The outer housing 21 and the mouthpiece end 26 are formed as a single component (i.e., the mouthpiece end 26 forms part of the outer housing 21). The mouthpiece end 26 is defined as the portion of the outer housing 21 that includes an air outlet 28 and is shaped to allow a user to conveniently position their lips around the mouthpiece end 26 to engage the air outlet 28. In FIG. 1 , the thickness of the outer housing 21 decreases toward the air outlet 28 to provide a relatively thin portion of the device 2 that may be easier to place between the user's lips. However, in other embodiments, the mouthpiece end 26 may be a removable component that is separate from, but is attachable to, the outer housing 21 and can be removed for cleaning and/or replacement with another mouthpiece end 26.

The power source 22 is adapted to provide operating power to the aerosol delivery device 2. The power source 22 may be any suitable power source, such as a battery. For example, the power source 22 may comprise a non-rechargeable battery, such as a lithium-ion battery. The power source 22 may be removable or may form an integral part of the aerosol delivery device 2. In some implementations, the power source 22 may be recharged by connecting the device 2 to an external power source (such as a power line) via a suitable connection port, such as an O5B port (not shown), or by using a suitable wireless receiver (not shown).

The control circuit 23 is suitably adapted/programmed to control the operation of the aerosol delivery device to provide certain operational functions of the aerosol delivery device 2. The control circuit 23 can be considered to logically comprise various auxiliary blocks/circuit elements associated with various aspects of the operation of the aerosol delivery devices. For example, the control circuit 23 may comprise a logical auxiliary block for controlling the recharging of the power supply 22. Additionally, the control circuit 23 may comprise a logical auxiliary block for communication, for example to facilitate the transmission of data to or from the device 2. However, the primary function of the control circuit 23 is to control the conversion of the aerosol-generating material into an aerosol, as described in more detail below. It should be understood that the functionality of the control circuit 23 may be provided in a variety of other ways, for example, by one or more suitably programmed programmable computers and/or one or more suitably configured specialized integrated circuits/circuits/microcircuits/chipsets adapted to provide the desired functionality. The control circuit 23 is connected to the power supply unit 23, and receives power from the power source 22, and may be adapted to distribute or control the supply of power to other components of the aerosol delivery device 2.

In the described implementation, the aerosol delivery device 2 further comprises a housing 25 arranged to accommodate the aerosol generating article 4.

The aerosol-generating article 4 includes a carrier component 42 and an aerosol-generating material 44. The aerosol-generating article 4 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 2A-2C. FIG. 2A shows a top-down view of the article 4, FIG. 28 shows an end view along the longitudinal axis 60 (lengthwise) of the article 4, and FIG. 2C shows a side view along the widthwise axis of the article 4.

The product 4 includes a carrier component 42, which in this embodiment is formed from thick paper.

The carrier component 42 forms the majority of the article 4 and acts as a base for the aerosol-generating material 44 to be placed thereon.

The carrier component 42 has a generally cubic shape with a length l, a width m, and a thickness t, as shown in Fig. 2A-2C. As a specific example, the length of the carrier component 42 may be from 30 to 80 mm, the width may be from 7 to 25 mm, and the thickness may be from 0.2 to 1 mm. However, it should be understood that the above are illustrative dimensions of the carrier component 42, and in other implementations the carrier component 42 may have other dimensions as needed. In some implementations the carrier component 42 may include one or more protrusions that extend in the length and/or width directions of the carrier component 42 to facilitate handling of the product 4 by a user.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the article 4 comprises a plurality of discrete portions of aerosol-generating material 44 disposed on the surface of a carrier component 42. More specifically, the article 4 comprises six discrete portions of aerosol-generating material 44, designated 44a through 44h, arranged in a two-by-three array. However, it should be understood that in other embodiments, a greater or lesser number of discrete portions may be provided, and/or the portions may be arranged in a different array (e.g., a one-by-six array).

In the illustrated example, the aerosol generating material 44 is disposed at discrete locations on a single surface of the carrier component 42. The individual portions of the aerosol generating material 44 are shown to have a circular projection, but it should be understood that the individual portions of the aerosol generating material 44 may have any other projection, such as a square or rectangular projection, if desired. The individual portions of the aerosol generating material 44 have a diameter a and a thickness t, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. The thickness t may be any suitable value, for example, the thickness t may be from 50 μm to 1.5 mm. In some embodiments, the thickness t is from about 50 μm to about 200 μm, or from about 50 μm to about 100 μm, or from about 60 μm to about 90 μm, suitably about 77 μm. In other embodiments, the thickness thereof may be greater than 200 μm, for example, from about 50 μm to about 400 μm, or up to about 1 mm, or up to about 1.5 mm.

The individual portions of the aerosol generating material 44 are separated from each other such that each of the individual portions can be energized (e.g., heated) individually/selectively to generate an aerosol. In some embodiments, the portions of the aerosol generating material 44 may have a mass of no more than 20 mg, such that the amount of material to be converted into an aerosol by a given aerosol generating component 24 at any one time is relatively low. For example, the mass per portion may be 20 mg or less, or 10 mg or less, or 5 mg or less. It will be appreciated that the total mass of the article 4 may exceed 20 mg.

In the described implementation, at least two of the aerosol generating material portions 44 of the article 4 are different from each other. As described in more detail below, the device 2 is adapted to provide the user with the ability to select which of the aerosol generating material portions to convert into an aerosol for a particular inhalation. When the aerosol generating material portions 44 are different from each other, this allows the user to individualize the aerosol obtained in a single inhalation or inhalation session.

In the described embodiment, the aerosol generating material 44 is an amorphous solid. Typically, the amorphous solid may comprise a gelling agent (sometimes referred to as a binder) and an aerosol generating agent (which may comprise, for example, glycerol). Optionally, the aerosol generating material may comprise one or more of the following: an active agent (which may comprise a tobacco extract), a flavoring agent, an acid and a filler. Other components may also be present if desired. Suitable active agents, flavors, acids and fillers are described above in relation to the 5O aerosolizable material.

Thus, the aerosol generating agent may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a mixture of diacetin, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid and propylene carbonate.

In some embodiments, the aerosol generating agent comprises one or more polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, and glycerin; esters of polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol mono-, di-, or triacetate; and/or aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyldodecanedioate and dimethyltetradecanedioate. In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises a hydrocolloid. In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of alginates, pectins, starches (and derivatives thereof), celluloses (and derivatives thereof such as methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)), gums, silica or silicone compounds, clays, polyvinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more of alginates, pectins, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, agarose, acacia gum, fumed silica, POM, sodium silicate, kaolin, and polyvinyl alcohol.

The gelling agent may comprise one or more compounds selected from cellulosic gelling agents, non-cellulosic gelling agents, guar gum, acacia gum, and mixtures thereof.

In some embodiments, the cellulosic gelling agent is selected from the group consisting of: hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose acetobutyrate (CAB), cellulose acetopropionate (CAPI), and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more of hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, or acacia gum.

In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more non-cellulosic gelling agents, including, but not limited to, agar, xanthan gum, gum arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan, starch, alginate, and combinations thereof. In preferred embodiments, the non-cellulosic gelling agent is alginate or agar.

The aerosol-generating material may comprise an acid. The acid may be an organic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of an acid capable of donating one proton to a base, an acid capable of donating two protons to a base, and an acid capable of donating three protons to a base. In some of these embodiments, the acid may comprise at least one carboxyl functional group. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of an alpha-hydroxy acid, a carboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a tricarboxylic acid, and a keto acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be an alpha-keto acid.

In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of succinic acid, lactic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, levulinic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, formic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, propionic acid, and pyruvic acid.

Suitably, the acid is lactic acid. In other embodiments, the acid is benzoic acid. In other embodiments, the acid may be an inorganic acid.

In some of these embodiments, the acid may be a mineral acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, boric acid, and phosphoric acid. In some embodiments, the acid is levulinic acid.

The inclusion of an acid is particularly advantageous in embodiments in which the aerosol generating material contains nicotine. In such embodiments, the presence of an acid can stabilize the dissolved components in the suspension from which the aerosol generating material is formed. The presence of an acid can reduce or substantially prevent the evaporation of nicotine during drying of the suspension, thereby reducing nicotine loss during manufacture.

In certain embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises a gelling agent that comprises a cellulosic gelling agent and/or a non-cellulosic gelling agent, an active agent, and an acid.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of: cannabidiol (CVO), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CVOA), cannabinol (CVM), cannabigerol (CVO), cannabichromene (CVS), cannabicyclol (CVI), cannabivarin (CVU), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCSUM), cannabidivarin (CVOM), cannabichromevarin (CVSUM), cannabigerovarin (CVOSM), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CVOM), and cannabielsoin (CVE), cannabicitran (CVT).

The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of cannabidiol (CBD) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). 60 The aerosol-generating material may comprise cannabidiol (CBD).

The aerosol-generating material may contain nicotine and cannabidiol (CBD).

The aerosol-generating material may contain nicotine, cannabidiol (CBD), and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

The amorphous solid material may contain a colorant. The addition of a colorant may alter the appearance of the amorphous solid. The presence of a colorant in the amorphous solid may enhance the appearance of the amorphous solid and the aerosol-generating material. By adding a colorant to the amorphous solid, the amorphous solid may be color-coordinated with other components of the aerosol-generating material or with other components of the article containing the amorphous solid.

Depending on the desired color of the amorphous solid, a variety of colorants can be used. The color of the amorphous solid can be, for example, white, green, red, purple, blue, brown, or black. Other colors are also contemplated. Natural or synthetic colorants can be used, such as natural or synthetic dyes, food colorings, and pharmaceutical colorings. In certain embodiments, the colorant is caramel, which can impart a brown appearance to the amorphous solid. In such embodiments, the color of the amorphous solid can be similar to the color of other components (such as tobacco material) in the aerosol-generating material that contains the amorphous solid. In some embodiments, the addition of the colorant to the amorphous solid renders it visually indistinguishable from other components in the aerosol-generating material.

The dye may be introduced during the formation of the amorphous solid (e.g., by forming a suspension containing the materials that form the amorphous solid), or it may be applied to the amorphous solid after its formation (e.g., by spraying it onto the amorphous solid).

The amorphous solid aerosolizable material has several advantages over other types of aerosolizable materials commonly found in some electronic aerosol delivery devices. For example, compared to electronic aerosol delivery devices that aerosolize a liquid aerosolizable material, there is a significantly reduced risk that the amorphous solid will leak or otherwise escape from the location where the amorphous solid is stored. This means that the aerosol delivery devices or articles can be manufactured at lower cost because the components do not necessarily require the same hermetic seals, etc.

Compared to electronic aerosol delivery devices that aerosolize a solid aerosolizable material, such as tobacco, a relatively smaller mass of amorphous solid material can be aerosolized to generate an equivalent amount of aerosol (or to provide an equivalent amount of an aerosol component, such as nicotine). This is in part because the amorphous solid can be modified to be free of undesirable components that may be found in other solid aerosolizable materials (such as cellulosic material in tobacco). For example, in some embodiments, the mass per part of the amorphous solid is no more than 20 mg, or no more than 10 mg, or no more than 5 mg. Accordingly, the aerosol delivery device may provide relatively less power to the aerosol generating component, and/or the aerosol generating component may be relatively smaller to generate such an aerosol, thereby potentially reducing the energy required by the aerosol delivery device.

In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may contain 0.5-60 wt. 905 of a gelling agent; 5-80 wt. 5 of an aerosol generating agent; and 5-60 wt. 905 of at least one active agent, wherein these weight values are based on a dry weight basis. Such amorphous solids may contain an active agent but not contain 50 of a flavoring agent or acid. Such amorphous solids may be referred to as "active agent-loaded" or "active agent-loaded amorphous solids." For example, in one embodiment, the active agent may be nicotine, and thus an amorphous solid described above that contains nicotine may be referred to as a "nicotine amorphous solid." In general, this is an example of an active agent-loaded aerosol generating material, which, as the name suggests, is a portion of the aerosol generating material designed to deliver the active agent when converted into an aerosol.

In these embodiments, the amorphous solid may have the following composition (based on dry weight, DW): gelling agent in an amount of from about 5 wt. 95 to about 40 wt. 95, or from about 10 wt. 95 to about 30 wt. 95, or from about 15 wt. 95 to about 25 wt. 95; aerosol generating agent in an amount of from about 10 wt. 95 to about 50 wt. 90, or from about 20 wt. 95 to about 40 wt. 95, or from about 25 wt. 95 to about 35 wt. 95 (DW/W), active agent in an amount of from about 30 wt. 95 to about 60 wt. 95, or from about 40 wt. 95 to 55 wt. 95, or from about 45 wt. 95 to about 50 wt. 905.

In one embodiment, the amorphous solid contains about 43 wt. 905 gelling agent (12 wt. 905 alginate and 31 wt. 905 CMC), about 48 wt. 905 glycerol, and about 6 wt. 905 nicotine (OM/V).

In some other embodiments, the amorphous solid may contain 0.5-60 wt. 905 of a gelling agent; and 5-80 wt. 96 of an aerosol generating agent, wherein these weight values are on a dry weight basis. Such amorphous solids may be free of flavoring, acid, and active agent. Such amorphous solids may be referred to as "aerosol generating agent-saturated" or "aerosol generating agent-loaded amorphous solids." In general, this is an example of an aerosol generating material saturated with an aerosol generating agent, which, as the name suggests, is the portion of the aerosol generating material designed to deliver the aerosol generating agent when converted to an aerosol.

In these embodiments, the amorphous solid may have the following composition (OMV): gelling agent in an amount of from about 5 wt. 95 to about 40 wt. 95, or from about 10 wt. 95 to about 30 wt. 95, or from about 15 wt. 95 to about 25 wt. 95; aerosol generating agent in an amount of from about 10 wt. 95 to about 50 wt. 95, or from about 20 wt. 95 to about 40 wt. 95, or from about 25 wt. 95 to about 35 wt. 95 (OM/V).

In one embodiment, the amorphous solid contains about 43 wt. 905 of gelling agent (12 wt. U5 alginate and 31 wt. 95 CMC) and about 56 wt. 905 of glycerol (OMV).

In some other embodiments, the amorphous solid may contain 0.5-60 wt. 905 of a gelling agent; 5-80 wt. 5 of an aerosol generating agent; and 1-60 wt. 905 of a flavoring agent, wherein these weight values are based on a dry weight basis. Such amorphous solids may contain a flavoring agent but not an active agent or acid. Such amorphous solids may be referred to as "flavor-loaded" or "flavor-loaded amorphous solids." In general, this is an example of a flavor-loaded aerosol generating material, which, as the name suggests, is the portion of the aerosol generating material designed to deliver the flavoring agent when converted to an aerosol.

In these embodiments, the amorphous solid may have the following composition (MW): gelling agent in an amount of from about 5 wt. 95 to about 40 wt. 95, or from about 10 wt. 95 to 30 wt. 95, or from about 15 wt. 95 to about 25 wt. 905; aerosol generating agent in an amount of from about 10 wt. 95 to about 50 wt. 95, or from about 20 wt. 95 to about 40 wt. 95, or from about 25 wt. 95 to about 35 wt. In (OMMW), flavoring agent in an amount of from about 30 wt. 95 to about 60 wt. 95, or from about 40 wt. 95 to 55 wt. 95, or from about 45 wt. 95 to about 50 wt. 905.

In one embodiment, the amorphous solid contains about 43 wt. 905 of gelling agent (12 wt. 905 of alginate and 31 wt. 905 of CMC), about 19 wt. 905 of glycerol, and about 37 wt. 6 of flavoring agent (FMA).

In some other embodiments, the amorphous solid may contain 0.5-60 wt. 905 gelling agent; 5-80 wt. 95 aerosol generating agent; and 0.1-10 wt. 95 acid, with these weight values being on a dry weight basis. Such amorphous solids may contain acid but not contain active agent and flavoring agent. Such amorphous solids may be referred to as "acid-saturated" or "acidic amorphous solids." In general, this is an example of an acid-saturated aerosol generating material, which, as the name suggests, is the portion of the aerosol generating material designed to deliver the acid upon conversion to an aerosol.

In these embodiments, the amorphous solid may have the following composition (W): gelling agent in an amount of from about 5 wt. 95 to about 40 wt. 95, or from about 10 wt. 95 to about 30 wt. 95, or from about 15 wt. 95 to about 25 wt. 95; aerosol generating agent in an amount of from about 10 wt. 95 to about 50 wt. 95, or from about 20 wt. 95 to about 40 wt. 95, or from about 25 wt. 95 to about 35 wt. U (OMMV), acid in an amount of from about 0.1 wt. 95 to about 8 wt. 95, or from about 0.5 wt. 90 to 7 wt. U5", or from about 1 wt. 95 to about 5 wt. 95, or from about 1 wt. 95 to about 3 wt. 95. 60 In one embodiment, the amorphous solid contains about 56 wt. 905 gelling agent (24 wt. 95 alginate and 32 wt. 95 CMC), about 39 wt. 905 glycerol, and about 3 wt. 95 acid (OMMV).

In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises tobacco extract. In these embodiments, the amorphous solid may have the following composition (W/W): gelling agent (preferably comprising alginate) in an amount of from about 1 wt. 95 to about 60 wt. 95, or from about 10 wt. 95 to 30 wt. 95, or from about 15 wt. 90 to about 25 wt. 90; tobacco extract in an amount of from about 10 wt. 95 to about 60 wt. 95, or from about 40 wt. 95 to 55 wt. 95, or from about 45 wt. 95 to about 50 wt. 95; aerosol generating agent (preferably comprising glycerol) in an amount of from about 5 wt. 96 to about 60 wt. 95, or from about 20 wt. 95 to about 40 wt. U, or from about 25 wt. 95 to about 35 wt. 96 (MB). The tobacco extract may be derived from a single variety of tobacco or from a mixture of extracts from different varieties of tobacco.

Such amorphous solids may be referred to as "tobacco amorphous solids" and may be intended to provide a tobacco-like sensation when converted into an aerosol.

In one embodiment, the amorphous solid comprises about 20 wt. 95 alginate gelling agent, about 48 wt. 95 Virginia tobacco extract, and about 32 wt. 95 glycerol (OMMV).

The amorphous solid according to these embodiments can have any suitable water content. For example, the amorphous solid can have a water content of from about 5 wt. 95 to about 15 wt. 95, or from about 7 wt. 95 to about 13 wt. 90, or about 10 wt. 95.

Accordingly, in any of these embodiments, the amorphous solid has a thickness t, which can be set depending on how the article 4 will be used, as described in more detail below. In some embodiments, the thickness t may be set in the range of about 0.5 to about 2 mm, or about 0.8 to about 1.2 mm. In some other embodiments, the thickness may be from about 50 μm to about 200 μm, or about 50 μm to about 100 μm, or about 60 μm to about 90 μm, or about 77 μm, respectively. The socket 25 is sized to removably receive the article 4 therein. Although not shown, the device 2 may include a hinged door or removable outer housing portion 21 to provide access to the receptacle 25 so that a user can insert and/or remove an article 4 from the receptacle 25. The hinged door or removable outer housing portion 21 may also function to retain the article 4 within the receptacle 25 when closed. When the aerosol-generating article 4 is depleted, or the user simply wishes to replace it with another aerosol-generating article 4, the aerosol-generating article 4 may be removed from the aerosol delivery device 2 and a replacement aerosol-generating article 4 may be placed in the receptacle 25 in its place. Alternatively, the device 2 may include a permanent opening that communicates with the socket 25 and through which the article 4 can be inserted into the socket 25. In such implementations, a retaining mechanism may be provided to retain the article 4 within the socket 25 of the device 2.

As shown in Fig. 1, the device 2 includes a plurality of aerosol generating components 24. In the described implementation, the aerosol generating components 24 are heating elements 24, and more specifically, resistive heating elements 24. Resistive heating elements 24 receive an electrical current and convert the electrical energy into heat. Resistive heating elements 24 may be formed from or may include any suitable resistive heating material, such as nichrome (Mn20Cr80), which generates heat when it receives an electrical current. In one implementation, the heating elements 24 may include an electrically insulating material having resistive traces deposited thereon. However, as explained above and as should be understood, the heating elements may be any suitable form of heating element.

Fig. 3 shows a top-down cross-sectional view of the aerosol delivery device 2, showing in more detail the arrangement of the heating elements 24. In Fig. 1 and 3, the heating elements 24 are arranged such that the surface of the heating element 24 forms part of the surface of the socket 25. In other words, the outer surface of the heating elements 24 is flush with the inner surface of the socket. More specifically, the outer surface of the heating element 24, which is flush with the inner surface of the socket 25, is the surface of the heating element 24 that heats up (i.e., its temperature increases) when an electric current is passed through the heating element 24. The heating elements 24 are arranged such that when the article 4 is placed in the socket 25, each heating element 24 is aligned with a corresponding individual portion of the aerosol generating material 44. Thus, in this example, the six heating elements 24 are arranged in a two-by-three array, which generally corresponds to the two-by-three array arrangement of six separate pieces of aerosol-generating material 44 shown in Figs. 2A-2C. However, as explained above, the number of heating elements 24 may be different in other embodiments, for example, there may be 8, 10, 12, 14, etc. heating elements 24. In some embodiments, the number of heating elements 24 is greater than or equal to six, but does not exceed 20.

More specifically, the heating elements 24 are designated by the numerals 24a-24i in Fig. 3, and it should be understood that each heating element 24 is arranged to be aligned with a corresponding portion of the aerosol generating material 44, as indicated by the corresponding letter following the references 24/44. Accordingly, each of the heating elements 24 can be activated individually to heat a corresponding portion of the aerosol generating material 44.

Although the heating elements 24 are shown to be flush with the interior surface of the socket 25, in other embodiments the heating elements 24 may protrude into the socket 25.

In any case, the article 4 contacts the surfaces of the heating elements 24 when it is present in the socket 25, so that the heat generated by the heating elements 24 is transferred to the aerosol-generating material 44 through the carrier component 42.

In some implementations, to improve heat transfer efficiency, the nest may include components that apply a force to the surface of the carrier component 42 in a manner that presses the carrier component 42 against the heating elements 24, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency by thermal conduction to the aerosol generating material 44.

Additionally or alternatively, the heating elements 24 may be adapted to move towards/away from the article 4 and may be pressed into the surface of a carrier component 42 that does not contain the aerosol-generating material 44.

In use, the device 2 (or more specifically, the control circuit 23) is adapted to deliver power to the heating elements 24 in response to user input. In general, the control circuit 23 is adapted to selectively deliver power to the heating elements 24 to subsequently heat respective portions of the aerosol generating material 44 to generate an aerosol. When the user inhales through the device 2 (i.e., inhales through the mouthpiece end 26), air is drawn into the device 2 through the air inlet 27, into the housing 25, where it mixes with the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol generating material 44, and then into the user's mouth through the air outlet 28. In other words, the aerosol is delivered to the user through the mouthpiece end 26 and the air outlet 28.

The device 2 of Fig. 1 includes a touch panel 29 and an inhalation sensor 30. The touch panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30 together function as mechanisms for receiving user input to initiate aerosol generation and thus may be referred to in a broader sense as user input mechanisms. The received user input can be said to be indicative of the user's desire to generate an aerosol.

The touch panel 29 may be a capacitive touch sensor and may be used by a user of the device 2 who touches the touch panel with a finger or other suitable conductive object (e.g., a stylus). In the described implementation, the touch panel includes a region that the user can press to initiate the generation of an aerosol. The control circuit 23 may be adapted to receive signal information from the touch panel 29 and to use this signal information to determine whether the user is pressing on (i.e., activating) a region of the touch panel 29. If the control circuit 23 receives this signal information, the control circuit 23 is adapted to supply power from the power source 22 to one or more heating elements 24. The power may be supplied for a predetermined period of time (e.g., for three seconds) from the moment the touch is detected or in response to the period of time during which the touch is detected.

In other implementations, the touch panel 29 may be replaced with a user-operated button, etc.

The inhalation sensor 30 may be a pressure sensor or microphone, etc., adapted to detect a pressure drop or air flow caused by a user inhaling through the device 2. The inhalation sensor 30 is in fluid communication with the air flow channel (i.e., is in fluid communication with the air flow channel between the inlet port 27 and the outlet port 28). Similarly, as described above, the control circuit 23 may be adapted to receive signal information from the inhalation sensor and to use this signal information to determine whether the user is inhaling through the aerosol delivery system 1. If the control circuit 23 receives this signaling information, the control circuit 23 is adapted to supply power from the power source 22 to one or more heating elements 24. The power may be supplied for a predetermined period of time (e.g., within three seconds) from the moment an inhalation is detected or in response to a period of time during which an inhalation is detected.

In the described example, both the touch panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30 detect the user's desire to begin generating an aerosol for inhalation. The control circuit 23 may be adapted to only provide power to the heating element 24 when signaling information is detected from both the touch panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30. This may help prevent accidental activation of the heating elements 24 due to accidental activation of one of the user input mechanisms. However, in other implementations, the aerosol delivery system 1 may have only one of the touch panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30.

These aspects of the operation of the aerosol delivery system 1 (i.e., puff detection and touch detection) may themselves be performed according to known techniques (e.g., using a traditional inhalation sensor and inhalation sensor signal processing techniques and using a traditional touch sensor and touch sensor signal processing techniques).

Returning now to the operation of the device 2, in response to detecting signal information from one or both of the touch panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30, the control circuit 23 is adapted to supply power to one or more of the heating elements 24, and, in particular, when at least two heating elements 24 are selected for operation, the control circuit 23 is adapted to supply power to at least two heating elements 24 simultaneously.

Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing an illustrative method of generating an aerosol according to the present invention.

The method begins at step 51, where the user is able to set a heating configuration for further heating the aerosol-generating material 44 of the article 4. In essence, the user is able to select which heating elements 24 are activated upon receipt of signal information from one or both of the touch panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30. In the described implementation, the user is able to select any one or more of the six heating elements 24 to activate and, accordingly, any one or more of the six individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 to heat. In addition, in the described implementation, the user is also able to set the amount of power to be delivered to each heating element 24, it being understood that generally a greater amount of power delivered to the heating element 24 results in a relatively greater amount of aerosol being generated from the portion of the aerosol-generating material 44. Thus, the user can further customize the aerosol generated per inhalation or per session by selecting not only the presence of certain components, but also by selecting the relative proportion of those components in the aerosol. However, it should be understood that the selection of the power level may be optional, and in some implementations the power level may be predetermined and fixed.

The heating configuration may be set manually by the user, such that each individual heating element 24 is available for manual selection and/or the power level is available for manual selection. In other implementations, the user may be able to select from a list of predefined heating configurations, which may be pre-stored in the device 2 or may be obtained from a remote source (e.g., downloaded from a server).

Fig. 5 is a schematic top-down view of a touch panel 29 that allows a user to select the heating elements to be activated. Fig. 5 schematically shows the outer housing 21 and the touch panel 29 as previously described. The touch panel 29 includes six areas 29a-29i that correspond to each of the six heating elements 24 and an area 299 that corresponds to an area for indicating that the user wishes to begin inhalation or aerosol generation as previously described. Each of the six areas 29a-291 correspond to touch areas that the user can touch to select one or more of the six heating elements 24 (and thus to provide power to one or more of the six corresponding heating elements 24 by the control circuit 23). It can be said that the touch panel 29 is both a user input mechanism that allows the user to set the heating configuration and a user input mechanism to initiate aerosol generation. However, it should be understood that in other implementations, these two user input mechanisms may be provided as separate dedicated components (e.g., as a touch panel and a push button).

As mentioned, the power level for each heating element 24 may also be set in certain implementations. In the described implementation, each heating element 24 may have multiple states, such as an off state where no power is supplied to the heating element 24, a low power state where a first power level is supplied to the heating element 24, and a high power state where a second power level is supplied to the heating element 24, with the second power level being greater than the first power level. However, in other implementations, the heating elements 24 may have fewer or more states. To select different power levels or states, the user may repeatedly tap areas 29a-291 to cycle through different states (e.g., off, low power, high power, off, etc.). Alternatively, the user may press and hold area 29a-291 to cycle through different states, with the duration of the press determining the state. Other suitable ways for a user to interact with the touch panel to select an appropriate power level may be implemented in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The touch panel 29 may be provided with one or more indicators for each of the respective areas 29a-291 to indicate the current state of the heating element 24. For example, the touch panel may include one or more GEOs or similar lighting elements, and the intensity of the GEO light indicates the current state of the heating element 24. Alternatively, a color display may be provided

GEO or similar lighting element, and its color indicates the current status.

Alternatively, the touch panel 29 may include a display element (e.g., which may lie beneath the transparent touch panel 29 or be located adjacent to the regions 29a-291 of the touch panel 29) that displays the current state of the heating element 24.

Accordingly, the user can configure which heating elements 24 (and, as a result, which portions of the aerosol-generating material 44) are to be heated (and optionally to what temperature) by interacting with the touch panel 29 prior to generating the aerosol. Once the user has configured the heating elements 24 in step 51, in step 52 the device 2 receives signaling information from one or both of the touch panel 29 (or more specifically, the area 299 of the touch panel 29) and the inhalation sensor 30 indicating the user's intention to inhale the aerosol, as explained above.

At step 53, in response to detecting signal information from one or both of the touch panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30, the control circuit 23 is adapted to supply power to the selected heating elements 24 according to the heating configuration established at step 51.

At step 54, the control circuit 23 stops powering the selected heating elements 24. This may be in response, for example, to the cessation of the alarm information (if the alarm information is only output when the user inhales on the device as detected by the inhalation sensor 30, or only when the user presses the area 294 on the touch panel 29) and/or in response to the expiration of a predetermined time from the first detection of the alarm information.

The method may then return to step 51 or 52 for subsequent inhalations, where it should be understood that step 51 may or may not be implemented depending on whether the user decides to reset the heating configuration.

In general, this method provides the ability to simultaneously activate a plurality of heating elements 245, and may be referred to as a “simultaneous activation mode.” This is distinct from the “sequential activation mode,” in which the heating elements 24 are activated sequentially. However, it should be understood that the device 2 as described above may, in some situations, allow the user to select only one heating element 24 (and thus only one portion of the aerosol-generating material) for a given inhalation by the user.

Although the method of Fig. 4 is described as applying power to selected heating elements 24 at step 53 in response to detecting the signal information at step 52 and subsequently discontinuing power to selected heating elements 24 at step 54, it should be understood that in some 50 implementations, control circuit 23 may be adapted to preheat selected portions of aerosol-generating material 44 prior to detecting the signal information at step 52. This may be the case, in particular, if the portion of aerosol-generating material is relatively thick (e.g., about 1 mm). In these embodiments, the application of energy through the heating element 24 for a period of 2 to 5 seconds (which typically corresponds to the duration of a user's inhalation) may not be sufficient to raise the temperature of the aerosol-generating material 44 to the release temperature (i.e., the temperature at which the aerosol-generating material releases its constituent components), for example, due to the total mass that must be heated. Accordingly, preheating a portion(s) of the aerosol-generating material 44 may allow sufficient additional energy to be applied, 60 when the signaling information is detected in step 51, to generate a sufficient amount of aerosol. In these embodiments, steps 53 and 54 in FIG. 4 should be understood as providing additional power to selected heating elements according to the heating configuration to raise the temperature of the aerosol generating material 44 to an operating temperature at which aerosol is generated from the part (step 53), and discontinuing additional power to selected heating elements according to the heating configuration to lower the temperature of the aerosol generating material 44 below the operating temperature (step 54). The target temperature (which may also be referred to as the operating temperature) is the temperature to which the control circuit 23 causes the heating element to heat to generate an aerosol. Accordingly, the operating temperature may be one or more fixed values.

Fig. 6 is a graph depicting the output of control signals from the control circuit 23, which are ultimately used to supply various levels of power to selected heating elements 24. The control signal causes the power supply 22 (or a power control device, not shown, connected to the power supply 22) to supply a level of power in accordance with the control signal to the selected heating elements to ensure that the heating element reaches a certain target temperature. The control signals are therefore also indicative of the temperature that the heating elements (and subsequently the aerosol-generating material) are to reach during operation.

The magnitude of the control signal is shown on the y-axis of the graphs, while the time is shown on the x-axis. As can be seen in Fig. b, the control signals represent different target temperatures for the heating elements 24; more specifically, Fig. b shows a preheat target temperature Tg, a low target operating temperature Tg-o, and a high target operating temperature Tg-o. Tg-o and Tg-o correspond to the target temperatures associated with the high and low power levels that can be supplied to the heating elements 24 mentioned above, while Tg-o corresponds to the power level supplied to the heating element during the preheating operating phase. Thus, Tg-o represents a higher temperature than Tg-o, WHILE Tg-o is a HIGHER temperature than Tg-o.

Fig. 6 shows two separate graphs: one for the first heating element (top) and one for the second heating element (bottom). In the above description, the first heating element is heating element 24a, and the second heating element is heating element 246.

At the time of its user completes the input of the heating configuration to be used in the device 2 according to step 51 in Fig. 4. In this example, the heating configuration is set such that a high power level is supplied to the heating element 246 and a low power level is supplied to the heating element 24a.

All other heating elements are turned off, and thus no power is supplied to these heating elements in this example; therefore, these elements are not shown in Fig. b. However, in other implementations, all heating elements 24 are supplied with sufficient power to raise the temperature of the heating element to Tre, regardless of which heating element is selected in step 51 of Fig. 4.

In this implementation, once the configuration is set to Hsocn, the control circuit 23 is adapted to provide preheating of the heating elements 24a and 24b, thus the aerosol generating material portions 44a and 44b. Accordingly, the preheating temperature Trge is set lower than the release temperature (Te) at which the aerosol generating material portion 44a or 44b begins to release a significant amount of aerosol. Thus, the aerosol generating material may be heated but not substantially used during the preheating phase.

At the time of the injection: the control circuit 23 receives signal information from one or both of the touch panel 29 (or more specifically, the area 299 of the touch panel 29) and the inhalation sensor 30 indicating the user's intention to inhale the aerosol, as explained above in step 52. In response, the control circuit 23 is adapted to provide a power level to the heating elements 24a and 24p corresponding to the heating configuration. In particular, and as shown in Fig. 6, the control circuit 23 is adapted to provide sufficient power to the heating element 24a to facilitate the heating element 24a in reaching the target temperature Tor-, and the control circuit 23 is adapted to provide sufficient power to the heating element 240 in order to facilitate the heating element 246 in reaching the target temperature Tor-.

At this time, the control circuit 23 determines that the signal information from one or both of the touch panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30 has ceased, indicating the user's intention to inhale the aerosol, or that a predetermined time has elapsed since the signal information was received, and subsequently causes the power to be reduced to both the heating elements 24a and 24b.

246 to a level sufficient to ensure that the heating elements 24a and 245 reach the target temperature of the Trade.

At a later time tc" the control circuit 23 again receives signal information from one or both of the touch panel 29 (or more specifically, the area 299 of the touch panel 29) and the inhalation sensor 30 indicating the user's intention to inhale the aerosol. In response, the control circuit 23 is adapted to provide a power level to the heating elements 24a and 2456 that corresponds to the heating configuration. In this example, between times tc and tc" the user has changed the heating configuration such that the heating element 246 is to be provided with a power level sufficient to cause the heating element 245 to reach the target temperature Tor-ohm. In particular and as shown in Fig. b, the control circuit 23 is adapted to provide sufficient power to both the heating elements 24a and 240 to cause the heating elements 24a and 2465 to reach the target temperature Tor-ohm.

At time φ2, the control circuit 23 determines that the signal information from one or both of the touch panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30 has ceased, indicating the user's intention to inhale the aerosol, or that a predetermined time has elapsed since the signal information was received, and subsequently causes the power to both heating elements 24a and 246 to be reduced to a level sufficient to ensure that the heating elements 24a and 245 reach the target temperature Torg.

This sequence may be repeated until the user turns off the device at time oi, at which point the control signal for controlling the power supplied to the heating elements 24a and 24p may be stopped.

Although Fig. b shows that the target temperatures Tor-pop, PGor-om and Tre are set to be the same for each heating element 24, it should be understood that the target temperatures may be set differently for different heating elements 24 corresponding to different aerosol-generating materials. That is, different aerosol-generating materials may have different corresponding target temperatures Tor-piop, Gor-yomzh and Tre. Similarly, the release temperature Tei may also be different for different aerosol-generating materials.

As described above, the device 2 according to the described implementations is adapted to provide heating of different parts of the aerosol generating material, and in particular the amorphous solids described earlier. In particular, the device 2 is adapted to be able to provide heating of combinations of two or more aerosol generating materials, wherein the device 2 is adapted to provide heating of a first aerosol generating material comprising a first component to generate an aerosol from the first aerosol generating material, and is adapted to provide heating of a second aerosol generating material comprising a second component different from the first component to generate an aerosol from the second aerosol generating material. The control circuit 23 is adapted such that heating of the first aerosol generating material and heating of the second aerosol generating material are carried out substantially simultaneously.

The phrase "substantially simultaneously" in this case should be understood to mean that the time periods during which the heating is performed have a significant portion that overlaps, although the heating time periods may not completely overlap (e.g., one heating period may be longer than the other).

As described, in some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 2 is adapted to heat an aerosol generating material containing the active agent and to heat an aerosol generating material containing the flavorant. Accordingly, the aerosol delivered to the user in this case contains both the active agent (e.g., nicotine) and the flavorant.

In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 2 is adapted to heat the aerosol generating material containing the active agent and to heat the aerosol generating material containing the acid. Accordingly, the aerosol delivered to the user in this case contains both the active agent (e.g., nicotine) and the acid. The provision of the acid in the aerosol may protonate some or all of the nicotine as the aerosol passes through the housing 25 and exits the mouthpiece end 26 of the device.

In some embodiments, the device 2 may be adapted to prevent the conversion of the acid-saturated aerosol generating material into an aerosol if the user has chosen not to select the active agent/nicotine-saturated aerosol generating material to be converted into an aerosol. This is because the primary reason for including the acid may be to provide protonation of the active agent/nicotine. 60 In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 2 is adapted to heat the aerosol generating material containing the active agent and to heat the aerosol generating material containing an aerosol generating agent, such as glycerol. Accordingly, the aerosol delivered to the user in this case contains both the active agent (e.g., nicotine) and an additional amount of glycerol. In this case, and as should be understood from the above, some aerosol-generating materials may contain a portion of glycerol to form an aerosol as a whole. However, in this example, more glycerol may be added to the aerosol delivered to the user by heating a portion of the aerosol-generating material that contains a relatively higher concentration of glycerol. Providing more glycerol may increase the amount of visible aerosol generated (e.g., visible "smoke" exhaled by the user).

In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 2 is adapted to heat an aerosol-generating material containing a flavorant and to heat an aerosol-generating material containing an aerosol-generating agent such as glycerol. Accordingly, the aerosol delivered to the user in this case contains both the flavorant and an additional amount of glycerol. In this case, as explained above, some aerosol-generating materials may contain a portion of glycerol to form an aerosol as a whole.

However, in this example, more glycerol can be added to the aerosol delivered to the user by heating a portion of the aerosol generating material that contains a relatively higher concentration of glycerol. Providing more glycerol can increase the amount of visible aerosol generated (e.g., visible "smoke" exhaled by the user).

In other embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 2 is adapted to heat a third aerosol-generating material comprising a third component different from the first and second components to generate an aerosol from the third aerosol-generating material, wherein the heating of the third aerosol-generating material is carried out substantially simultaneously with the heating of the first and second aerosol-generating materials.

In these embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 2 may be adapted to heat an aerosol generating material containing an active ingredient such as nicotine, and to heat an aerosol generating material containing an aerosol generating agent such as glycerol, and to heat an aerosol generating material containing an acid. In this embodiment, the user may be provided with protonated nicotine provided by the combination of nicotine and acid released by respective portions of the aerosol generating material, while the aerosol delivered to the user may also contain an increased amount of visible vapor.

In other embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 2 may be adapted to heat an aerosol generating material containing an active agent, such as nicotine, and to heat an aerosol generating material containing a flavoring agent, and to heat an aerosol generating material containing an acid. In this embodiment, the user may be provided with protonated nicotine provided by a combination of nicotine and acid released by respective portions of the aerosol generating material, while the aerosol delivered to the user also contains a flavoring agent.

In still other embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 2 is adapted to heat a fourth aerosol-generating material comprising a fourth component different from the first, second and third components to generate an aerosol from the fourth aerosol-generating material, wherein the heating of the fourth aerosol-generating material is carried out substantially simultaneously with the heating of the first, second and third aerosol-generating materials.

In such embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 2 may be adapted to heat an aerosol generating material containing an active agent such as nicotine, and to heat an aerosol generating material containing an aerosol generating agent such as glycerol, and to heat an aerosol generating material containing an acid, and to heat an aerosol generating material containing a flavoring agent. In this embodiment, the user may be provided with protonated nicotine provided by a combination of nicotine and acid released by respective portions of the aerosol generating material, while the aerosol delivered to the user may also contain an increased amount of visible vapor and contain a flavoring agent.

From the foregoing, it should be understood that in accordance with the principles of the present invention, a user is able to customize the aerosol delivered through device 2 by selecting certain heating elements that correspond to certain portions of the various aerosol-generating materials to be activated in response to user input to generate an aerosol. 60 Accordingly, device 2 and device 4 may be provided that provide greater flexibility for the user without requiring modification of product 4.

It should be understood that the above implementations relate to heating two to four different portions of aerosol generating material substantially simultaneously. However, the device is not limited to heating four different portions of aerosol generating material.

For example, the article may comprise six aerosol generating material portions corresponding to an aerosol generating material saturated with an active agent, an aerosol generating material saturated with an aerosol generating agent, an aerosol generating material saturated with an acid, and three aerosol generating materials saturated with a flavoring agent, where each flavoring agent is different. The principles of the present invention may still apply to such embodiments, but the device may be adapted to heat one, two, or three of the flavoring agent saturated portions.

In one example, the aerosol-generating material comprises or is an amorphous solid. Amorphous solids (e.g., as described above) are particularly suitable for individual heating in a single inhalation, in part because amorphous solids are formed from selected ingredients/components and can therefore be designed such that the components capable of being applied (or delivered) (such as, for example, nicotine and glycerol) constitute a relatively high proportion by weight. Thus, amorphous solids can form a relatively high proportion of aerosol from a given mass compared to some other aerosol-generating materials (e.g., tobacco), meaning that relatively smaller portions of amorphous solids can deliver a comparable amount of aerosol.

The amorphous solids may be any of the amorphous solids "saturated with active agent", amorphous solids "saturated with aerosol generating agent", amorphous solids "saturated with flavor", or amorphous solids "saturated with acid" described previously. As described above, different aerosol generating materials may have different Torr-pdp and Torr-ohm temperatures. The table below shows the heating data for the aforementioned amorphous solids, where:

Thor (range) represents the heating range in which the aerosol-generating material can be heated to generate sufficient aerosol to be detectable by humans; Thor-o (range) represents the temperature range in which a relatively large volume of aerosol is generated within the Thor (range) temperature range; Thor-o (range) represents the temperature range in which a relatively low volume of aerosol is generated within the Thor (range) temperature range, and Thor-o (specific) and Thor-o (specific) represent specific illustrative temperature settings for a particular implementation. (range) (range) (range) (specific) (specific) substance 2207 2207 18970 generating aerosol 230" 230" 19976 flavoring 2207 2207 18970 220760 220760 18970

Accordingly, the device 2 is adapted to operate in the temperature ranges as indicated in the above table, when heating an aerosol-generating material containing the components listed above.

Accordingly, as described above, an aerosol delivery device 2 may be provided in which the user is able to selectively control which heating elements 24 (and thus which portions of the aerosol generating material 44) may be heated to provide the user with a customized aerosol. The aerosol generating device is also able to provide an aerosol with different relative amounts of constituent components, thereby offering the user a variety of different experiences from a single product 4.

In some implementations, the control circuit 23 may be adapted to generate a warning signal indicating the end of use of the product 4, for example, when each of the heating elements 24 has been activated a predetermined number of times or when a given heating element 24 has been activated a predetermined number of times and/or for a predetermined total activation time and/or with a predetermined total activation power. In Fig. 1, the device 2 includes an end of use indicator 31, which in this implementation is a GEO. However, in other implementations, the end of use indicator 31 may include any mechanism capable of providing a warning signal to the user; that is, the end of use indicator 31 may be an optical element for delivering an optical signal, an acoustic generator for delivering an acoustic signal, and/or a vibration motor for delivering a tactile signal. In some implementations, the indicator 31 may be combined with or otherwise provided by a touch panel (for example, if the touch panel includes a display element). The device 2 may prevent further activation device 2 when the warning signal is output. The warning signal can be turned off and reset by the control circuit 23 when the user replaces the product 4 and/or turns off the warning signal by manual means such as a button (not shown).

In more detail, the control circuit 23 may be adapted to count the number of times that one or each of the individual portions of the aerosol generating material 44 has been heated. For example, the control circuit 23 may count the number of times that a nicotine-containing portion has been heated, and when this count reaches a predetermined number, determine the end of the service life of the product 4. Alternatively, the control circuit 23 may be adapted to separately count for each individual portion of the aerosol generating material 44 when that portion has been heated. Each portion may be given the same or a different predetermined number, and when any of the counts for each of the portions of the aerosol generating material reaches a predetermined number, the control circuit 23 determines the end of the service life of the product 4.

In any of the implementations, the control circuit 23 may also take into account the duration of heating of the portion of the aerosol generating material and/or the temperature to which the portion of the aerosol generating material was heated. In this regard, instead of counting individual activations, the control circuit 23 may be adapted to calculate an aggregate parameter indicating the heating conditions that affect each of the portions of the aerosol generating material 44. For example, the parameter may be an aggregate time, with the temperature to which the material is heated being used to adjust the duration that is added to the aggregate time.

For example, a part heated to 200°C for three seconds can add three seconds to the total time, and a part heated to 250°C for three seconds can add four and a half seconds to the total time.

The above-described methods for determining the end of the service life of the product 4 should not be considered an exhaustive list of methods for determining the end of the service life of the product 4, and in fact any suitable method may be used in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a schematic representation of an aerosol delivery system 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol delivery system 200 includes components that are generally similar to those described with respect to Fig. 1; however, reference numbers have been increased by 200. For the sake of efficiency, it should be understood that components that have like reference numbers are generally similar to their counterparts in Fig. 1 and Figs. 2A-2C, unless otherwise indicated.

The aerosol delivery device 202 includes an outer housing 221, a power supply 222, a control circuit 223, induction heating coils 224a, a socket 225, a mouthpiece end 226, an air inlet 227, an air outlet 228, a touch panel 229, an inhalation sensor 230, and an end-of-use indicator 231.

The aerosol generating article 204 includes a carrier component 242, an aerosol generating material 244, and current receiving elements 244p, as shown in more detail in FIGS. 8A-8C. FIG. 8A shows a top-down view of the article 4, FIG. 8B shows an end view along the longitudinal axis (lengthwise) of the article 4, and FIG. 8C shows a side view along the widthwise axis 500 of the article 4.

Fig. 7 and 8 show an aerosol delivery system 200 that uses induction to heat an aerosol generating material 244 to generate an aerosol for inhalation.

In the described implementation, the aerosol generating component 224 is formed from two parts, namely induction heating coils 224a, which are located in the aerosol delivery device 202, and current collectors 224b, which are located in the aerosol generating article 204. Accordingly, in this described implementation, each aerosol generating component 224 includes elements that are distributed between the aerosol generating article 204 and the aerosol delivery device 202.

Induction heating is a process in which an electrically conductive object, called a current collector, is heated by passing a changing magnetic field through the object. This process is described by Faraday's law of induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater may include an electromagnet and a device for passing a changing electric current, such as alternating current, through the electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the object to be heated are properly positioned relative to each other so that the resulting changing magnetic field created by the electromagnet passes through the object, one or more eddy currents are generated within the object. The object has resistance to the flow of electric currents. Therefore, when such eddy currents are generated in the object, their flow, which opposes the electrical resistance of the object, causes the object to heat up. This process is called Joule, ohmic, or resistive heating.

The current collector is a material capable of heating as a result of the passage of a changing magnetic field, for example, an alternating magnetic field. The heating material may be an electrically conductive material, such that the passage of the changing magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be a magnetic material, such that the passage of the changing magnetic field causes heating by magnetic hysteresis of the heating material. The heating material may be both electrically conductive and magnetic, such that the heating material is capable of heating by both heating mechanisms.

Magnetic hysteresis heating is a process in which an object made of a magnetic material is heated by the passage of a changing magnetic field through the object. A magnetic material can be considered to contain many atomic-level magnets or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field passes through such a material, the magnetic dipoles align with the magnetic field. Therefore, when a changing magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field generated by an electromagnet, passes through a magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes along with the applied changing magnetic field. This reorientation of the magnetic dipoles causes heat to be generated in the magnetic material.

When an object has both conductive and magnetic properties, the passage of a changing magnetic field through the object can cause both Joule heating and heating by magnetic hysteresis in the object. In addition, the use of a magnetic material can enhance the magnetic field, which can enhance Joule heating. In the described implementation, the current collectors 2246 are formed from aluminum foil, however, it should be understood that other metallic and/or conductive materials can be used in other implementations. As shown in FIG. 8, the carrier component 242 includes a plurality of current collectors 2246 whose size and location correspond to individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 244 disposed on the surface of the carrier component 242. That is, the current collectors 224606 have a width and length similar to the width and length of the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 244.

The current collectors are shown embedded in the carrier component 242. However, in other implementations, the current collectors 2246 may be located on the surface of the carrier component 242.

The aerosol delivery device 202 includes a plurality of induction heating coils 224a, schematically shown in Fig. 7. The heating coils 224a are shown adjacent to a housing 225 and are generally planar coils arranged such that the axis of rotation about which a given coil is wound extends into the housing 225 and is generally perpendicular to the plane of the carrier component 242 of the product 204. The precise windings are not shown in Fig. 7, and it should be understood that any suitable induction coil may be used.

The control circuit 223 includes a mechanism for generating an alternating current that is conducted to any one or more of the induction coils 224a. The alternating current generates an alternating magnetic field, as described above, which in turn causes the corresponding current collector(s) 2240 to heat up. The heat generated by the current collector(s) 2246 is accordingly transferred to the aerosol generating material portions 244.

As described above with reference to Figs. 1 and 2A-2C, the control circuit 223 is adapted to supply current to the heating coils 224a in response to receiving signal information from the touch panel 229 and/or the inhalation sensor 230. Any of the techniques for selecting the heating elements 24 to be heated by the control circuit 23 as previously described can similarly be applied to selecting the heating coils 224a to be energized (and thus to selecting the portions of the aerosol generating material 244 to be heated as a result) in response to receiving signal information from the touch panel 229 and/or the inhalation sensor 230 by the control circuit 223 for the purpose of generating an aerosol for inhalation by the user.

Although an induction heating aerosol delivery system has been described above, where 60 heating coils 224a and current collectors 224p6 are distributed between the product 204 and the device

202, an induction heating aerosol delivery system may be provided where the heating coils 224a and current collectors 2246 are located only within the device 202. For example, with reference to Fig. 7, current collectors 22465 may be provided above the induction heating coils 224a and arranged such that the current collectors 224B contact the bottom surface of the carrier component 242 (similar to aerosol delivery system 1 shown in Fig. 1).

Thus, Fig. 8 shows a more specific implementation where induction heating may be used in an aerosol delivery device 202 to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user, to which the techniques described in this invention may be applied.

Although the above has described a system in which an array of aerosol generating components 24 (e.g., heating elements) is provided to provide energy to individual portions of the aerosol generating material, in other embodiments, the article 4 and/or the aerosol generating component 24 may be adapted to move relative to one another. That is, there may be fewer aerosol generating components 24 than there are individual portions of aerosol generating material 44 provided on the carrier component 42 of the article 4, such that relative movement of the article 4 and the aerosol generating components 24 is necessary to enable individual energy to be provided to each of the individual portions of aerosol generating material 44. For example, a movable heating element 24 may be provided in a socket 25 such that the heating element 24 may move relative to the socket 25. Thus, the movable heating element 24 may be moved (e.g., in the width and length directions of the carrier component 42) such that the heating element 24 may be aligned with respective individual portions of the aerosol generating material 44. This approach may reduce the number of aerosol generating components 42 required while still offering a similar user experience.

Although embodiments have been described above in which discrete, spatially separated portions of aerosol-generating material 44 are disposed on carrier component 42, it should be understood that in other embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may not be provided in discrete, spatially separated portions, but instead may be provided as a continuous sheet of aerosol-generating material 44. In these embodiments, certain portions of the sheet of aerosol-generating material 44 may be selectively heated to generate an aerosol in substantially the same manner as described above. However, regardless of whether the portions are spatially separated, the present invention describes heating (or otherwise converting to an aerosol) portions of aerosol-generating material 44. In particular, a region (corresponding to a portion of the aerosol-generating material) may be defined on a continuous sheet of aerosol-generating material based on the dimensions of the heating element 24 (or more precisely, the surface of the heating element 24 designed to increase temperature). In this regard, it can be considered that the corresponding area of the heating element 24, when projected onto the sheet of aerosol-generating material, defines a region or portion of the aerosol-generating material. According to the present invention, each region or portion of the aerosol-generating material may have a mass of no more than 20 mg, however, the entire continuous sheet may have a mass exceeding 20 mg.

Although implementations have been described above where the device 2 can be adjusted or controlled using a touch panel 29 mounted on the device 2, the device 2 can instead be adjusted or controlled remotely. For example, the control circuit 23 can include a suitable communication circuit (e.g., Wi-Fi) that allows the control circuit 23 to communicate with a remote device, such as a smartphone. Accordingly, the touch panel 29 can actually be implemented using an application, etc., that runs on the smartphone. In this case, the smartphone can transmit user inputs or configurations to the control circuit 23, and the control circuit 23 can be adapted to operate based on the received inputs or configurations.

While embodiments have been described above in which an aerosol is generated by applying energy (e.g., heating) to the aerosol generating material 44, which is then inhaled by the user, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the generated aerosol may be passed through or over an aerosol modifying component to modify one or more properties of the aerosol prior to inhalation by the user. For example, the aerosol delivery device 2, 202 may include an air-permeable insert (not shown) that is inserted into the air flow channel downstream of the aerosol generating material 44 (e.g., the insert may be located in the outlet port 28). The insert may include a material that alters one or more of the flavor, temperature, particle size, nicotine concentration, etc. of the aerosol as it passes through the insert prior to entering the user's mouth. For example, the insert may include tobacco or processed tobacco. Such systems may be referred to as hybrid systems. 60 The insert may contain any suitable aerosol modifying material that may surround the aerosol generating materials described above.

Although embodiments have been described above in which the aerosol delivery device 2 includes an end-of-use indicator 31, it should be understood that the end-of-use indicator 31 may be provided by another device remote from the aerosol delivery device 2. For example, in some embodiments, the control circuit 23 of the aerosol delivery device 2 may include a communication mechanism that allows data to be transmitted between the aerosol delivery device 2 and a remote device, such as a smartphone or smartwatch. In these embodiments, when the control circuit 23 determines that the product 4 has reached the end of its service life, the control circuit 23 is adapted to transmit a signal to the remote device, and the remote device is adapted to generate a warning signal (e.g., using a smartphone display). Other remote devices and other mechanisms for generating a warning signal may be used, as described above.

In some embodiments, the product 4 may include an identifier, such as a readable barcode or RFID tag, etc., and the aerosol delivery device 2 may include a corresponding reader. When the product is inserted into the receptacle 25 of the device 2, the device 2 may be adapted to read the identifier on the product 4. The control circuit 23 may be adapted to recognize the presence of the product 4 (and thus allow heating and/or resetting the end-of-life indicator) or to identify the type and/or location of the aerosol-generating material portions relative to the product 4. This may affect which portions the control circuit 23 converts into an aerosol, and/or the manner in which these portions are converted into an aerosol, for example by adjusting the aerosol generation temperature and/or the duration of heating. Any suitable method of recognizing the product 4 may be employed.

Additionally, when portions of the aerosol generating material are provided on the carrier component 42, in some implementations the portions may include weakened areas, e.g., through holes or zones of relatively thinner aerosol generating material, in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane of the carrier component 42. This may be used when the hottest portion of the aerosol generating material is the area directly in contact with the carrier component (in other words, in scenarios where heat is applied primarily to the surface of the aerosol generating material that contacts the carrier component 42).

Accordingly, the through holes may provide channels for the exit and release of the generated aerosol to the environment/air flow through the device 2 instead of causing a potential accumulation of aerosol between the carrier component 42 and the aerosol generating material 44. Such accumulation of aerosol may reduce the heating efficiency of the system, as the accumulation of aerosol may in some implementations cause the aerosol generating material to lift off the carrier component 42, thereby reducing the efficiency of heat transfer to the aerosol generating material. Each portion of the aerosol generating material may have one or more weakened areas as desired.

Thus, a method has been described for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating article comprising portions of aerosol-generating material having compositions that differ from one another. The method includes heating a first aerosol-generating material comprising a first component to generate an aerosol from the first aerosol-generating material, and heating a second aerosol-generating material comprising a second component different from the first component to generate an aerosol from the second aerosol-generating material. The heating of the first aerosol-generating material and the heating of the second aerosol-generating material are adapted to occur substantially simultaneously. This can provide an aerosol comprising a combination of aerosols generated from each of the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material. An aerosol-providing device and an aerosol-providing system are also described.

Although the embodiments described above have in some aspects focused on certain specific examples of aerosol delivery systems, it should be understood that the same principles may be applied to aerosol delivery systems using other technologies. That is, the specific manner in which various aspects of an aerosol delivery system operate is not directly relevant to the basic ideas underlying the examples described herein.

In order to obviate various problems and to promote progress in the art, this specification sets forth, by way of example, various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced. The advantages and features of the present invention are merely representative of the embodiments and are not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive. They are presented only to facilitate understanding and to illustrate the spirit of the claimed invention(s). It is to be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the present invention are not to be construed as limitations on the invention as defined by the claims or as limitations on the equivalents of the claims, and that other embodiments may be used and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

Various embodiments may suitably include, consist of, or consist essentially of various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. in addition to those specifically described herein, and thus it is to be understood that features in dependent claims may be combined with features in independent claims in combinations in addition to those expressly set forth in the claims.

This invention may include other inventions not currently claimed but which may be claimed in the future.

Claims (28)

FORMULA OF THE INVENTION 1. A method of generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating article comprising portions of an aerosol-generating material having compositions that differ from each other, the method comprising: heating a first aerosol-generating material comprising a first component to generate an aerosol from the first aerosol-generating material; heating a second aerosol-generating material comprising a second component different from the first component to generate an aerosol from the second aerosol-generating material, wherein the heating of the first aerosol-generating material and the heating of the second aerosol-generating material are carried out substantially simultaneously, wherein the first aerosol-generating material is heated to a first temperature at which an aerosol is generated from the first aerosol-generating material, and wherein the second aerosol-generating material is heated to a second temperature at which an aerosol is generated from the second aerosol-generating material, and wherein: (A) the first temperature is selectable from a set of temperatures, each temperature being adapted to cause the first aerosol-generating material to generate different amounts of aerosol, or (B) the second temperature is selectable from a set of temperatures, each temperature being adapted to cause the second aerosol-generating material to generate different amounts of aerosol, or (C) the first temperature is selectable from a plurality of temperatures, each temperature being adapted to cause the first aerosol-generating material to generate different amounts of aerosol, and the second temperature is selectable from a plurality of temperatures, each temperature being adapted to cause the second aerosol-generating material to generate different amounts of aerosol. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to heating the first and second aerosol-generating materials, the method comprises the following steps: selecting a temperature at which the first aerosol-generating material is to be heated; and selecting a temperature at which the second aerosol-generating material is to be heated. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first component is an active substance and the second component is a flavoring. 4. The method of claim 3, characterized in that it includes: heating the first aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature of from about 140 to about 220 "C, wherein the first aerosol-generating material has an active ingredient content of from 30 to 60 wt. 95 based on the dry weight of the first aerosol-generating material; heating the second aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature of from about 160 to about 220 "C, wherein the second aerosol-generating material has a flavorant content of from 1 to 60 wt. 95 based on the dry weight of the aerosol-generating material. 5. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first component is an active substance and the second component is an acid. 6. The method of claim 5, characterized in that it includes: heating the first aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature of from about 60 to about 140 to about 220 "C, wherein the first aerosol-generating material has an active substance content of from about 30 to about 60 wt. 95 based on the dry weight of the first aerosol-generating material; heating the second aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature of from about 160 to about 220 "C, wherein the second aerosol-generating material has an acid content of from about 0.1 to about 8 wt. 95 based on the dry weight of the second aerosol-generating material. 7. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first component is an active ingredient and the second component is glycerol. 8. The method of claim 7, characterized in that it includes: heating the first aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature of from about 140 to about 220 "C, wherein the first aerosol-generating material has an active substance content of from 30 to 60 wt. 95 based on the dry weight of the first aerosol-generating material; heating the second aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature of from about 170 to about 230 "C, wherein the second aerosol-generating material has a glycerol content of from 5 to 80 wt. 95 based on the dry weight of the second aerosol-generating material. 9. The method according to any one of claims 3-8, characterized in that the active substance is nicotine. 10. The method of any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the first component is a flavoring agent and the second component is glycerol. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: heating a first aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature of about 160 to about 220°C, wherein the first aerosol-generating material has a flavorant content of about 5 to about 60 wt. 95 based on the dry weight of the first aerosol-generating material; heating a second aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature of about 170 to about 230°C, wherein the second aerosol-generating material has a glycerol content of about 5 to about 80 wt. 95 based on the dry weight of the aerosol-generating material. 12. The method of any one of claims 1-11, further comprising heating a third aerosol-generating material comprising a third component different from the first and second components to generate an aerosol from the third aerosol-generating material, wherein the heating of the third aerosol-generating material is carried out substantially simultaneously with the heating of the first and second aerosol-generating materials. 13. The method of any one of claims 3-6, further comprising heating a third aerosol-generating material comprising a third component different from the first and second components to generate an aerosol from the third aerosol-generating material, wherein the heating of the third aerosol-generating material is performed substantially simultaneously with the heating of the first and second aerosol-generating materials, wherein the third component is glycerol. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising heating the third aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature of about 170 to about 230°C, wherein the third aerosol-generating material has a glycerol content of about 5 to about 80 wt. 95 based on the dry weight of the third aerosol-generating material. 15. The method of any one of claims 12-14, further comprising heating a fourth aerosol-generating material comprising a fourth component different from the first, second and third components to generate an aerosol from the fourth aerosol-generating material, wherein the heating of the fourth aerosol-generating material is carried out substantially simultaneously with the heating of the first, second and third aerosol-generating materials. 16. The method according to any one of claims. C or 4, characterized in that it further comprises heating a third aerosol-generating material comprising a third component different from the first and second components to generate an aerosol from the third aerosol-generating material and a fourth aerosol-generating material comprising a fourth component different from the first, second and third components to generate an aerosol from the fourth aerosol-generating material, wherein the heating of the third and fourth aerosol-generating materials is carried out essentially simultaneously with the heating of the first and second aerosol-generating materials, the method further comprising: heating the third aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature of from about 160 to about 220 °C, the third aerosol-generating material having an acid content of from 0.1 to 8 wt. 95 based on the dry weight of the third aerosol-generating material; heating the fourth aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature of about 170 to about 230°C, wherein the fourth aerosol-generating material has a glycerol content of about 5 to about 80 wt. 95 based on the dry weight of the fourth aerosol-generating material. 17. The method according to any one of claims 1-16, characterized in that the aerosol-generating material is an amorphous solid. 18. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises heating any one or more of the portions of the aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature that is below a temperature sufficient to generate an aerosol from the corresponding portion of the aerosol-generating material, prior to heating the portion of the aerosol-generating material to a maximum temperature to generate an aerosol from the portion of the aerosol-generating material. 19. An aerosol providing device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol generating article comprising portions of aerosol generating material having compositions that differ from each other, the device comprising: a plurality of heating elements; and a control circuit adapted to implement the method of any one of claims 1-18. 20. An aerosol generating system comprising an aerosol generating device according to claim 19 and an aerosol generating article comprising a first aerosol generating material comprising a first component and a second aerosol generating material comprising a second component. 21. An aerosol delivery device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol generating article comprising portions of an aerosol generating material having compositions that differ from each other, the device comprising: a plurality of heating means; and a control means adapted to implement the method of any one of claims 1-18. Kai 1 y m 2 What 29 and y ego x, and Zh IV ssh 00-05 S eV Shchi ex vch | » g ya | o i Go i x xi x 24 2 Fig. 1 Sho AH A in 1448) | 44b 448) : SHE fu in A, ! Ки : / гу : мете дет я и : Кк и хх и х х и х З С ААГ иЯ1446 : и у ши и у Х х т 4 и В udallllllllllAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ALANA ALANA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANKYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANKY Fig. 2 I. 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