Aerosol Provision System

The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2023/060842 filed Apr. 25, 2023, which claims priority to GB Application No. 2206325.9 filed Apr. 29, 2022, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

The present invention relates to an aerosol provision system and a method of generating an aerosol.

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

Aerosol provision systems, which cover the aforementioned devices or products, are known. Common systems use heaters to create an aerosol from a suitable medium which is then inhaled by a user. Often the medium used needs to be replaced or changed to provide a different aerosol for inhalation. It is known to use induction heating systems as heaters to create an aerosol from a suitable medium. An induction heating system generally consists of a magnetic field generating device for generating a varying magnetic field, and a susceptor or heating material which is heatable by penetration with the varying magnetic field to heat the suitable medium.

Conventional aerosol provision devices comprise a cylindrical heating chamber into which a rod shaped consumable is inserted.

It is known to provide an aerosol provision system comprising an aerosol provision device and a charging unit.

It is desired to provide an improved aerosol provision system.

According to an aspect there is provided an aerosol provision system comprising:

According to various embodiments, the lid positioning arrangement, specifically the first positioning element, second positioning element and engagement element thereof, may beneficially hold the lid in both the first and second positions. Holding the lid in these positions may improve the ease of use of the aerosol provision system as a user may, for example, extract the aerosol provision device from the cavity of the device, without having to also hold the lid in position. Additionally, the engagement of the engagement element and the first positioning element or second positioning element as the lid moves into the first and second positions, respectively, may provide a tactile feedback to a user giving them confidence that the lid has been moved into the correct position. The tactile feedback may, for example, be transmitted through the lid to user's thumb which may be resting thereon, or through the body of the charging unit to a user's hand which may be gripping the charging unit.

Optionally, the first and second positioning elements are arranged on the lid and the engagement element is arranged on the body of the charging unit.

Alternatively, the first and second positioning elements are arranged on the body of the charging unit and the engagement element is arranged on the lid.

Optionally, the first position comprises an open position in which the aerosol provision device can be inserted into, and removed from, the cavity.

Optionally, the second position comprises a closed position in which an upper portion of the cavity is closed by the lid.

Optionally, the lid positioning arrangement further comprises a third positioning element, and wherein the engagement element is arranged to engage the third positioning element when the lid is in a third position so as to hold the lid in the third position.

Optionally, the third position is between the first position and second position.

Optionally, the aerosol provision device comprises a chamber for receiving an aerosol generating article and wherein when the lid is in the third position, the lid is positioned such that the chamber of the aerosol provision device is accessible to a user but the aerosol provision device is prevented from being removed from the cavity of the charging unit, by the lid.

Optionally, the engagement element is configured to contact the first, second and/or third positioning element when the lid is in the respective first, second or third position.

Optionally, the engagement element comprises a protruding element, and wherein the first, second and/or third positioning element comprises a recess into which the protruding element engages.

Optionally, the engagement element comprises an engagement surface which engages the recess and wherein the recess has a shape which substantially conforms to a shape of the engagement surface.

Optionally, the engagement element is resiliently biased so as to engage the first, second and/or third positioning elements.

Optionally, the resilient bias is provided by a resilient member.

Optionally, the engagement element comprises a rounded contact surface arranged to engage the first, second and/or third positioning elements.

Optionally, the engagement element comprises a ball, a ball detent, a detent or a catch.

Optionally, the first, second and/or third positioning element comprises a magnet or magnetizable element and wherein the engagement element comprises a magnet or magnetizable element.

Optionally, the first positioning element and/or the second positioning element and/or the third positioning element are arranged on an underside of the lid or on a portion of the charging unit adjacent the underside of the lid, and wherein the engagement element is arranged on the other of the underside of the lid or the portion of the charging unit adjacent the underside of the lid.

Optionally, the first positioning element and/or the second positioning element and/or the third positioning element are arranged on a side edge portion of the lid or on an inside edge portion of the charging unit, and wherein the engagement element is arranged on the other of the side edge portion of the lid or the inside edge portion of the charging unit.

Optionally, the lid is configured to slide between the first and second positions.

Optionally, the charging unit comprises a housing having one or more rails or grooves and the lid comprises one or more tabs or projections arranged to engage the one or more rails or grooves.

Alternatively, the charging unit comprises a housing having one or more tabs or projections and the lid comprises one or more rails or grooves and wherein the one or more tabs or projections engage the one or more rails or grooves.

Optionally, the aerosol provision system further comprises an aerosol generating article.

According to another aspect there is provided a method of generating an aerosol comprising:

According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an aerosol-generating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device.

In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosol-generating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a non-combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energized so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.

In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.

Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or semi-solid (such as a gel) which may or may not contain an active substance and/or flavorants.

The aerosol-generating material may comprise a binder and an aerosol former. Optionally, an active and/or filler may also be present. Optionally, a solvent, such as water, is also present and one or more other components of the aerosol-generating material may or may not be soluble in the solvent. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially free from botanical material. In particular, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially tobacco free.

The aerosol-generating material may comprise or be an aerosol-generating film. The aerosol-generating film may be formed by combining a binder, such as a gelling agent, with a solvent, such as water, an aerosol-former and one or more other components, such as active substances, to form a slurry and then heating the slurry to volatilize at least some of the solvent to form the aerosol-generating film. The slurry may be heated to remove at least about 60 wt %, 70 wt %, 80 wt %, 85 wt % or 90 wt % of the solvent. The aerosol-generating film may be a continuous film or a discontinuous film, such an arrangement of discrete portions of film on a support. The aerosol-generating film may be substantially tobacco free.

The aerosol-generating film may comprise or be a sheet, which may optionally be shredded to form a shredded sheet.

The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and/or flavors, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material.

An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.

A susceptor is a heating material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The aerosol provision device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.

Non-combustible aerosol provision systems may comprise a modular assembly including both a reusable aerosol provision device and a replaceable aerosol generating article. In some implementations, the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise a power source and a controller (or control circuitry). The power source may, for example, comprise an electric power source, such as a battery or rechargeable battery. In some implementations, the non-combustible aerosol provision device may also comprise an aerosol generating component. However, in other implementations the aerosol generating article may comprise partially, or entirely, the aerosol generating component.