Method of Manufacturing an Aerosol Provision Device

The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2023/070039 filed Jul. 19, 2023, which claims priority to CN Application No. 202210868150.9 filed Jul. 21, 2022 and GB Application No. 2211350.0 filed Aug. 3, 2022, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an aerosol provision device, an aerosol provision device, an aerosol generating system, a method of charging an aerosol provision device and a method of transmitting data to and/or from an aerosol provision device.

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 a resistive heater to create aerosol from a 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 device which is charged by a charging unit and wherein electrical power is supplied by the charging unit to the aerosol provision device in order to charge the aerosol provision device.

It is desired to provide an improved aerosol provision device.

According to an aspect there is provided a method of manufacturing an aerosol provision device comprising:

According to various embodiments an aerosol provision device is provided wherein a plurality of electrical contacts are provided on a distal end of the housing by etching one or more channels into the distal end of the housing and then depositing or printing electrically conductive tracks into the one or more channels. Once deposited or printed, the electrically conductive tracks may be arranged to be substantially flush with the distal end of the housing. The channels and hence finished electrical contacts can follow tortuous paths which are not feasible using conventional wires. Furthermore, the finished electrical contacts can be made smaller than conventional wires and in contrast to conventional wires the cross-sectional profile of the electrical contacts may vary along the length of the conductive tracks. Accordingly, utilizing conductive tracks which have been deposited into channels provides increased flexibility and freedom of design.

Optionally, the one or more electrically conductive tracks are non-planar.

Optionally, the one or more electrically conductive tracks follow a curved or tortuous path.

Optionally, wherein the curved or tortuous path is curved or tortuous in a radial direction.

Optionally, the one or more channels have a circular, oval, polygonal or rectangular cross-sectional profile.

Optionally, the one or more electrically conductive tracks comprise copper, silver, gold, zinc, aluminum, nickel, iron, platinum or tungsten.

Optionally, the step of providing one or more channels in a longitudinal direction along the distal end of the housing comprises etching.

Optionally, the step of etching comprises laser etching.

Optionally, the step of etching comprises wet etching.

Optionally, the aerosol provision device comprises a base portion and wherein at least a portion of the one or more conductive tracks is flush with the base portion.

Optionally, the method further comprises locating the first housing within an outer housing.

Optionally, the outer housing comprises an electrical insulator. The outer housing may, for example, comprise polyetherethreketone (“PEEK”).

According to another aspect there is provided an aerosol provision device comprising:

Optionally, the one or more electrically conductive tracks are non-planar.

Optionally, the one or more electrically conductive tracks follow a curved or tortuous path.

Optionally, the one or more channels have a circular, oval, polygonal or rectangular cross-sectional profile.

Optionally, the one or more electrically conductive tracks comprise copper.

Optionally, the one or more channels are provided by etching or laser etching.

Optionally, the aerosol provision device comprises a base portion and wherein at least a portion of the one or more conductive tracks is flush with the base portion.

Optionally, the first housing is located within an outer housing.

Optionally, the outer housing comprises an electrical insulator. The outer housing may comprise polyetherethreketone (“PEEK”).

According to another aspect there is provided aerosol generating system comprising:

Optionally, the charging unit comprises:

According to another aspect there is provided a method of electrically charging an aerosol provision device comprising connecting an aerosol provision device as described above to a charging unit.

According to another aspect there is provided a method of transmitting data to and/or from an aerosol provision device comprising connecting an aerosol provision device as described above to a charging unit.

Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed or described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and these are not discussed or described in detail in the interests of brevity. It will thus be appreciated that aspects and features of apparatus and methods discussed herein which are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

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

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

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

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is 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 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.