CA3234622A1

CA3234622A1 - Aerosol provision system

Info

Publication number: CA3234622A1
Application number: CA3234622A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Patrick MOLONEY
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Priority date: 2021-10-22
Filing date: 2022-10-12
Publication date: 2023-04-27
Also published as: WO2023067302A1; KR20240067111A; GB202115194D0; EP4418944A1; CN118591314A

Abstract

An aerosol provision system 300 for generating an aerosol, the system 300 comprising a feedback portion 200 for providing feedback F to a user 400 of the aerosol provision system 300. The feedback portion 200 is configured to provide the feedback after an aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in a mode of operation, and is further configured to not provide the feedback F whilst the aerosol provision system is generating the aerosol in the mode of operation. In this way, the feedback F may be delivered at a suitable time after the user 400 has finished operating the aerosol provision system 300, such as when an aerosol provision device from the aerosol provision system 300 such to allow for the feedback F to more readily and easily seen by the user 400.

Description

2 AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM
Field The present disclosure relates to aerosol provision systems such as, but not limited to, nicotine delivery systems (e.g. electronic cigarettes and the like).
Background Electronic aerosol provision systems often employ an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or more generally an aerosol provision device. Such an aerosol provision system typically contains aerosolisable material (also called aerosol-generating material), such as a reservoir of fluid or liquid containing a formulation, typically but not necessarily including nicotine, or a solid material such as a tobacco-based product, from which a vapour/aerosol is generated for inhalation by a user, for example through heat vaporisation. Thus, an aerosol provision system will typically comprise a vaporiser (also called an aerosol generator), e.g. a heating element, arranged to aerosolise a portion of aerosolisable material to generate a vapour.
Once a vapour has been generated, the vapour may be passed through flavouring material to add flavour to the vapour (if the aerosolisable material was not itself flavoured), after which the (flavoured) vapour may be then delivered to a user via a mouthpiece from the aerosol provision system.
A potential drawback of a number of existing aerosol provision systems and associated aerosol provision devices is in respect of their inability to provide appropriate feedback to the user in a way which makes this feedback readily apparent to the user. Various approaches are therefore described herein which seek to help address or mitigate some of these issues, through the use of a feedback portion which can provide user feedback, at a time after the aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in a mode of operation, and not whilst the aerosol provision system is generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.
Summary According to a first aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol, the aerosol provision system comprising:
a feedback portion for providing feedback to a user of the aerosol provision system, wherein the feedback portion is configured to provide the feedback after the aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in a mode of operation, and is further configured to not provide the feedback whilst the aerosol provision system is generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.

According to a second aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a method of providing feedback to a user of an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol, the method comprising:
providing feedback to a user of the aerosol provision system, using a feedback portion, after the aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in a mode of operation, and not whilst the aerosol provision system is generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.
It will be appreciated that features and aspects of the invention described above in relation to the various aspects of the invention are equally applicable to, and may be combined with, embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the invention as appropriate, and not just in the specific combinations described herein.
Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 schematically represents in perspective view an aerosol provision system comprising a cartridge and aerosol provision device (shown separated) in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure;
Figure 2 schematically represents in exploded perspective view of components of the cartridge of the aerosol provision system of Figure 1;
Figures 3A to 3C schematically represent various cross-section views of a housing part of the cartridge of the aerosol provision system of Figure 1;
Figures 4A and 4B schematically represent a perspective view and a plan view of a dividing wall element of the cartridge of the aerosol provision system of Figure 1;
Figures 5A to 5C schematically represent two perspective views and a plan view of a resilient plug of the cartridge of the aerosol provision system of Figure 1;
Figures 6A and 6B schematically represent a perspective view and a plan view of a bottom cap of the cartridge of the aerosol provision system of Figure 1;
Figure 7 schematically represents embodiments of aerosol provision system, useable with an aerosol provision system such as that shown in Figures 1-6B, and comprising a feedback portion configured to provide feedback after the aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in a mode of operation, yet not provide the feedback whilst the aerosol provision system is generating the aerosol in the mode of operation, in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure;

Figure 8A schematically represents an embodiment of aerosol provision system comprising an aerosol provision system and a feedback portion, at a first time when the aerosol provision system is generating an aerosol in a mode of operation, in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure;
Figure 8B schematically represents the embodiment of aerosol provision system of Figure 8A, at a second time, after the aerosol provision system has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation, which corresponds to a time when the feedback portion is providing feedback, in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure;
Figure 80 schematically represents the embodiment of aerosol provision system of Figure 8A, at a third time after the second time, after the aerosol provision system has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation, wherein the third time corresponds to a time when the feedback portion is providing feedback, in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure; and Figure 8D schematically represents the embodiment of aerosol provision system of Figure 8A, at a fourth time after the third time, after the aerosol provision system has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation, wherein the fourth time corresponds to a time when the feedback portion is no longer providing feedback, in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure.
Detailed Description Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed /
described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and these are not discussed / 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 any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.
The present disclosure relates to non-combustible aerosol provision systems (such as an e-cigarette). According to the present disclosure, a "non-combustible" aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosolisable material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery to a user.
Aerosolisable material, which also may be referred to herein as aerosol generating material or aerosol precursor material, is material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. The aerosolisable material may also be flavoured, in some embodiments.

3 Throughout the following description the term "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with an aerosol provision system. An electronic cigarette may also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosolisable material is not a requirement.
In some embodiments, the aerosol provision system is a hybrid device configured to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosolisable materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. In some embodiments, the hybrid device comprises a liquid or gel aerosolisable material and a solid aerosolisable material. The solid aerosolisable material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.
Typically, the (non-combustible) aerosol provision system may comprise a cartridge/consumable part and a body/reusable/aerosol provision device part, which is configured to releasably engage with the cartridge/consumable part.
The aerosol provision system may be provided with a means for powering a vaporiser therein, and there may be provided an aerosolisable material transport element for receiving the aerosolisable material that is to be vaporised. The aerosol provision system may also be provided with a reservoir for containing aerosolisable material, and in some embodiments a further reservoir for containing flavouring material for flavouring a generated vapour from the aerosol provision system.
In some embodiments, the vaporiser may be a heater/heating element capable of interacting with the aerosolisable material so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosolisable material to form a vapour/aerosol. In some embodiments, the vaporiser is capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolisable material without heating. For example, the vaporiser may be capable of generating a vapour/aerosol from the aerosolisable material without applying heat thereto, for example via one or more of vibrational, mechanical, pressurisation or electrostatic means.
In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosolisable material which may comprise an active constituent, a carrier constituent and optionally one or more other functional constituents.
The active constituent may comprise one or more physiologically and/or olfactory active constituents which are included in the aerosolisable material in order to achieve a physiological and/or olfactory response in the user. The active constituent may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, and psychoactives. The active constituent may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active constituent may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, a vitamin such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, a

4 cannabinoid, or a constituent, derivative, or combinations thereof. The active constituent may comprise a constituent, derivative or extract of tobacco or of another botanical. In some embodiments, the active constituent is a physiologically active constituent and may be selected from nicotine, nicotine salts (e.g. nicotine ditartrate/nicotine bitartrate), nicotine-free tobacco substitutes, other alkaloids such as caffeine, or mixtures thereof.
In some embodiments, the active constituent is an olfactory active constituent and may be selected from a "flavour" and/or "flavourant" which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. In some instances such constituents may be referred to as flavours, flavourants, flavouring material, cooling agents, heating agents, and/or sweetening agents.
They may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents.
They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof.
They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gasone or more of extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender,

5 cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, piment, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, oil, liquid, or powder.
In some embodiments, the flavouring material (flavour) may comprise menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigenninal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucalyptol, WS-3.
The carrier constituent may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the carrier constituent may comprise one or more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, Methylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.
The one or more other functional constituents may comprise one or more of pH
regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.
As noted above, aerosol provision systems (e-cigarettes) may often comprise a modular assembly including both a reusable part (body ¨ or aerosol provision device) and a replaceable consumable (cartridge) part. Devices conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part devices. It is also common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongate shape. For the sake of providing a concrete example, certain embodiments of the disclosure described herein may comprise this kind of generally elongate two-part device employing consumable parts.
However, it will be appreciated the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for other

6 electronic cigarette configurations, for example modular devices comprising more than two parts, as devices conforming to other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a more boxy shape.
From the forgoing therefore, and with reference to Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an example aerosol provision system (e-cigarette) 1 in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure. Terms concerning the relative location of various aspects of the electronic cigarette (e.g. terms such as upper, lower, above, below, top, bottom etc.) are used herein with reference to the orientation of the electronic cigarette as shown in Figure 1 (unless the context indicates otherwise). However, it will be appreciated this is purely for ease of explanation and is not intended to indicate there is any required orientation for the electronic cigarette in use.
The e-cigarette 1 (aerosol provision system 1) comprises two main components, namely a cartridge 2 and an aerosol provision device 4. The aerosol provision device 4 and the cartridge 2 are shown separated in Figure 1, but are coupled together when in use.
The cartridge 2 and aerosol provision device 4 are coupled by establishing a mechanical and electrical connection between them. The specific manner in which the mechanical and electrical connection is established is not of primary significance to the principles described herein and may be established in accordance with conventional techniques, for example based around a screw thread, bayonet, latched or friction-fit mechanical fixing with appropriately arranged electrical contacts / electrodes for establishing the electrical connection between the two parts as appropriate. For example electronic cigarette 1 represented in Figure 1, the cartridge comprises a mouthpiece 33, a mouthpiece end 52 and an interface end 54 and is coupled to the aerosol provision device by inserting an interface end portion 6 at the interface end of the cartridge into a corresponding receptacle 8 /
receiving section of the aerosol provision device. The interface end portion 6 of the cartridge is a close fit to be receptacle 8 and includes protrusions 56 which engage with corresponding detents in the interior surface of a receptacle wall 12 defining the receptacle 8 to provide a releasable mechanical engagement between the cartridge and the aerosol provision device. An electrical connection is established between the aerosol provision device and the cartridge via a pair of electrical contacts on the bottom of the cartridge (not shown in Figure 1) and corresponding sprung contact pins in the base of the receptacle 8 (not shown in Figure 1). As noted above, the specific manner in which the electrical connection is established is not significant to the principles described herein, and indeed some implementations might not have an electrical connection between the cartridge and a aerosol provision device at all, for example because the transfer of electrical power from the

7 reusable part to the cartridge may be wireless (e.g. based on electromagnetic induction techniques).
The electronic cigarette 1 (aerosol provision system) has a generally elongate shape extending along a longitudinal axis L. When the cartridge is coupled to the aerosol provision device, the overall length of the electronic cigarette in this example (along the longitudinal axis) is around 12.5 cm. The overall length of the aerosol provision device is around 9 cm and the overall length of the cartridge is around 5 cm (i.e. there is around 1.5 cm of overlap between the interface end portion 6 of the cartridge and the receptacle 8 of the aerosol provision device when they are coupled together). The electronic cigarette has a cross-section which is generally oval and which is largest around the middle of the electronic cigarette and tapers in a curved manner towards the ends. The cross-section around the middle of the electronic cigarette has a width of around 2.5 cm and a thickness of around 1.7 cm. The end of the cartridge has a width of around 2 cm and a thickness of around 0.6 mm, whereas the other end of the electronic cigarette has a width of around 2 cm and a thickness of around 1.2 cm. The outer housing of the electronic cigarette is in this example is formed from plastic. It will be appreciated the specific size and shape of the electronic cigarette and the material from which it is made is not of primary significance to the principles described herein and may be different in different implementations. That is to say, the principles described herein may equally be adopted for electronic cigarettes having different sizes, shapes and / or materials.
The aerosol provision device 4 may in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure be broadly conventional in terms of its functionality and general construction techniques. In the example of Figure 1, the aerosol provision device 4 comprises a plastic outer housing 10 including the receptacle wall 12 that defines the receptacle

8 for receiving the end of the cartridge as noted above. The outer housing 10 of the aerosol provision device 4 in this example has a generally oval cross section conforming to the shape and size of the cartridge 2 at their interface to provide a smooth transition between the two parts. The receptacle 8 and the end portion 6 of the cartridge 2 are symmetric when rotated through 180 so the cartridge can be inserted into the aerosol provision device in two different orientations. The receptacle wall 12 includes two aerosol provision device air inlet openings 14 (i.e. holes in the wall). These openings 14 are positioned to align with an air inlet 50 for the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the aerosol provision device. A
different one of the openings 14 aligns with the air inlet 50 of the cartridge in the different orientations. It will be appreciated some implementations may not have any degree of rotational symmetry such that the cartridge is couplable to the aerosol provision device in only one orientation while other implementations may have a higher degree of rotational symmetry such that the cartridge is couplable to the aerosol provision device in more orientations.
The aerosol provision device further comprises a battery 16 for providing operating power for the electronic cigarette, control circuitry 18 for controlling and monitoring the operation of the electronic cigarette, a user input button 20, an indicator light 22, and a charging port 24.
The battery 16 in this example is rechargeable and may be of a conventional type, for example of the kind normally used in electronic cigarettes and other applications requiring provision of relatively high currents over relatively short periods. The battery 16 may be recharged through the charging port 24, which may, for example, comprise a USB
connector.
The input button 20 in this example is a conventional mechanical button, for example comprising a sprung mounted component which may be pressed by a user to establish an electrical contact in underlying circuitry. In this regard, the input button may be considered an input device for detecting user input, e.g. to trigger aerosol generation, and the specific manner in which the button is implemented is not significant. For example, other forms of mechanical button or touch-sensitive button (e.g. based on capacitive or optical sensing techniques) may be used in other implementations, or there may be no button and the device may rely on a puff detector for triggering aerosol generation.
The indicator light 22 is provided to give a user with a visual indication of various characteristics associated with the electronic cigarette, for example, an indication of an operating state (e.g. on / off / standby), and other characteristics, such as battery life or fault conditions. Different characteristics may, for example, be indicated through different colours and / or different flash sequences in accordance with generally conventional techniques.
The control circuitry 18 is suitably configured / programmed to control the operation of the electronic cigarette to provide conventional operating functions in line with the established techniques for controlling electronic cigarettes. The control circuitry (processor circuitry) 18 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units / circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the electronic cigarette's operation. For example, depending on the functionality provided in different implementations, the control circuitry 18 may comprises power supply control circuitry for controlling the supply of power from the battery/power supply to the cartridge in response to user input, user programming circuitry for establishing configuration settings (e.g. user-defined power settings) in response to user input, as well as other functional units / circuitry associated functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and conventional operating aspects of electronic cigarettes, such as indicator light display driving circuitry and user input detection circuitry.
It will be appreciated

9 the functionality of the control circuitry 18 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and /
or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s) /
circuitry / chip(s) /
chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality.
Figure 2 is an exploded schematic perspective view of the cartridge 2 (exploded along the longitudinal axis L). The cartridge 2 comprises a housing part 32, an air channel seal 34, a dividing wall element 36, an outlet tube 38, a vaporiser/heating element 40, an aerosolisable material transport element 42, a plug 44, and an end cap 48 with contact electrodes 46.
Figures 3 to 6 schematically represents some of these components in more detail.
Figure 3A is a schematic cut-away view of the housing part 32 through the longitudinal axis L
where the housing part 32 is thinnest. Figure 3B is a schematic cut-away view of the housing part 32 through the longitudinal axis L where the housing part 32 is widest.
Figure 3C is a schematic view of the housing part along the longitudinal axis L from the interface end 54 (i.e. viewed from below in the orientation of Figures 3A and 3B).
Figures 4A is a schematic perspective view of the dividing wall element 36 as seen from below. Figure 4B is a schematic cross-section through an upper part of the dividing wall element 36 as viewed from below.
Figure 5A is a schematic perspective view of the plug 44 from above and Figure 5B is a schematic perspective view of the plug 44 from below. Figure 5C is a schematic view of the plug 44 along the longitudinal axis L seen from the mouthpiece end 52 of the cartridge (i.e.
viewed from above for the orientation in Figures 1 and 2).
Figure 6A is a schematic perspective view of the end cap 48 from above. Figure 6B is a schematic view of the end cap 48 along the longitudinal axis L seen from the mouthpiece end 52 of the cartridge (i.e. from above).
The housing part 32 in this example comprises a housing outer wall 64 and a housing inner tube 62 which in this example are formed from a single moulding of polypropylene. The housing outer wall 64 defines the external appearance of the cartridge 2 and the housing inner tube 62 defines a part the air channel through the cartridge. The housing part is open at the interface end 54 of the cartridge and closed at the mouthpiece end 52 of the cartridge except for a mouthpiece opening / aerosol outlet 60, from the mouthpiece 33, which is in fluid communication with the housing inner tube 62. The housing part 32 includes an opening in a sidewall which provides the air inlet 50 for the cartridge. The air inlet 50 in this example has an area of around 2 mm2. The outer surface of the outer wall 64 of the housing part 32 includes the protrusions 56 discussed above which engage with corresponding detents in the interior surface of the receptacle wall 12 defining the receptacle 8 to provide a releasable mechanical engagement between the cartridge and the aerosol provision device.
The inner surface of the outer wall 64 of the housing part includes further protrusions 66 which act to provide an abutment stop for locating the dividing wall element 36 along the longitudinal axis L when the cartridge is assembled. The outer wall 64 of the housing part 32 further comprises holes which provide latch recesses 68 arranged to receive corresponding latch projections 70 in the end cap to fix the end cap to be housing part when the cartridge is assembled.
The outer wall 64 of the housing part 32 includes a double-walled section 74 that defines a gap 76 in fluid communication with the air inlet 50. The gap 76 provides a portion of the air channel through the cartridge. In this example the doubled-walled section 74 of the housing part 32 is arranged so the gap defines an air channel running within the housing outer wall 64 parallel to the longitudinal axis with a cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of around 3 mm2. The gap / portion of air channel 76 defined by the double-walled section of the housing part extends down to the open end of the housing part 32.
The air channel seal 34 is a silicone moulding generally in the form of a tube having a through hole 80. The outer wall of the air channel seal 34 includes circumferential ridges 84 and an upper collar 82. The inner wall of the air channel seal 34 also includes circumferential ridges, but these are not visible in Figure 2. When the cartridge is assembled the air channel seal 34 is mounted to the housing inner tube 62 with an end of the housing inner tube 62 extending partly into the through hole 80 of the air channel seal 34. The through hole 80 in the air channel seal has a diameter of around 5.8 mm in its relaxed state whereas the end of the housing inner tube 62 has a diameter of around 6.2 mm so that a seal is formed when the air channel seal 34 is stretched to accommodate the housing inner tube 62.
This seal is facilitated by the ridges on the inner surface of the air channel seal 34.
The outlet tube 38 comprises a tubular section, for instance made of ANSI 304 stainless steel or polypropylene, with an internal diameter of around 8.6 mm and a wall thickness of around 0.2 mm. The bottom end of the outlet tube 38 includes a pair of diametrically opposing slots 88 with an end of each slot having a semi-circular recess 90.
When the cartridge is assembled the outlet tube 38 mounts to the outer surface of the air channel seal 34. The outer diameter of the air channel seal is around 9.0 mm in its relaxed state so that a seal is formed when the air channel seal 34 is compressed to fit inside the outlet tube 38.
This seal is facilitated by the ridges 84 on the outer surface of the air channel seal 34. The collar 80 on the air channel seal 34 provides a stop for the outlet tube 38.
The aerosolisable material transport element 42 comprises a capillary wick and the vaporiser (aerosol generator) 40 comprises a resistance wire heater wound around the capillary wick.

In addition to the portion of the resistance wire wound around the capillary wick, the vaporiser comprises electrical leads 41 which pass through holes in the plug 44 to contact electrodes 46 mounted to the end cap 54 to allow power to be supplied to the vaporiser via the electrical interface the established when the cartridge is connected to an aerosol provision device. The vaporiser leads 41 may comprise the same material as the resistance wire wound around the capillary wick, or may comprise a different material (e.g. lower-resistance material) connected to the resistance wire wound around the capillary wick. In this example the heater coil 40 comprises a nickel iron alloy wire and the wick 42 comprises a glass fibre bundle. The vaporiser and aerosolisable material transport element may be provided in accordance with any conventional techniques and is may comprise different forms and / or different materials. For example, in some implementations the wick may comprise fibrous or solid a ceramic material and the heater may comprise a different alloy. In other examples the heater and wick may be combined, for example in the form of a porous and a resistive material. More generally, it will be appreciated the specific nature aerosolisable material transport element and vaporiser is not of primary significance to the principles described herein.
When the cartridge is assembled, the wick 42 is received in the semi-circular recesses 90 of the outlet tube 38 so that a central portion of the wick about which the heating coil is would is inside the outlet tube while end portions of the wick are outside the outlet tube 38.
The plug 44 in this example comprises a single moulding of silicone, may be resilient. The plug comprises a base part 100 with an outer wall 102 extending upwardly therefrom (i.e.
towards the mouthpiece end of the cartridge). The plug further comprises an inner wall 104 extending upwardly from the base part 100 and surrounding a through hole 106 through the base part 100.
The outer wall 102 of the plug 44 conforms to an inner surface of the housing part 32 so that when the cartridge is assembled the plug in 44 forms a seal with the housing part 32. The inner wall 104 of the plug 44 conforms to an inner surface of the outlet tube 38 so that when the cartridge is assembled the plug 44 also forms a seal with the outlet tube 38. The inner wall 104 includes a pair of diametrically opposing slots 108 with the end of each slot having a semi-circular recess 110. Extended outwardly (i.e. in a direction away from the longitudinal axis of the cartridge) from the bottom of each slot in the inner wall 104 is a cradle section 112 shaped to receive a section of the aerosolisable material transport element 42 when the cartridge is assembled. The slots 108 and semi-circular recesses 110 provided by the inner wall of the plug 44 and the slots 88 and semi-circular recesses 90 of the outlet tube 38 are aligned so that the slots 88 in the outlet tube 38 accommodate respective ones of the cradles 112 with the respective semi-circular recesses in the outlet tube and plug cooperating to define holes through which the aerosolisable material transport element passes. The size of the holes provided by the semi-circular recesses through which the aerosolisable material transport element passes correspond closely to the size and shape of the aerosolisable material transport element, but are slightly smaller so a degree of compression is provided by the resilience of the plug 44. This allows aerosolisable material to be transported along the aerosolisable material transport element by capillary action while restricting the extent to which aerosolisable material which is not transported by capillary action can pass through the openings. As noted above, the plug 44 includes further openings 114 in the base part 100 through which the contact leads 41 for the vaporiser pass when the cartridge is assembled. The bottom of the base part of the plug includes spacers 116 which maintain an offset between the remaining surface of the bottom of the base part and the end cap 48. These spacers 116 include the openings 114 through which the electrical contact leads 41 for the vaporiser pass.
The end cap 48 comprises a polypropylene moulding with a pair of gold-plated copper electrode posts 46 mounted therein.
The ends of the electrode posts 44 on the bottom side of the end cap are close to flush with the interface end 54 of the cartridge provided by the end cap 48. These are the parts of the electrodes to which correspondingly aligned sprung contacts in the aerosol provision device 4 connect when the cartridge 2 is assembled and connected to the aerosol provision device 4. The ends of the electrode posts on the inside of the cartridge extend away from the end cap 48 and into the holes 114 in the plug 44 through which the contact leads 41 pass. The electrode posts are slightly oversized relative to the holes 114 and include a chamfer at their upper ends to facilitate insertion into the holes 114 in the plug where they are maintained in pressed contact with the contact leads for the vaporiser by virtue of the plug.
The end cap has a base section 124 and an upstanding wall 120 which conforms to the inner surface of the housing part 32. The upstanding wall 120 of the end cap 48 is inserted into the housing part 32 so the latch projections 70 engage with the latch recesses 68 in the housing part 32 to snap-fit the end cap 48 to the housing part when the cartridge is assembled. The top of the upstanding wall 120 of the end cap 48 abuts a peripheral part of the plug 44 and the lower face of the spacers 116 on the plug also abut the base section 124 of the plug so that when the end cap 48 is attached to the housing part it presses against the resilient part 44 to maintain it in slight compression.
The base portion 124 of the end cap 48 includes a peripheral lip 126 beyond the base of the upstanding wall 112 with a thickness which corresponds with the thickness of the outer wall of the housing part at the interface end of the cartridge. The end cap also includes an upstanding locating pin 122 which aligns with a corresponding locating hole 128 in the plug to help establish their relative location during assembly.
The dividing wall element 36 comprises a single moulding of polypropylene and includes a dividing wall 130 and a collar 132 formed by projections from the dividing wall 130 in the direction towards the interface end of the cartridge. The dividing wall element 36 has a central opening 134 through which the outlet tube 38 passes (i.e. the dividing wall is arranged around the outlet tube 38). In some embodiments, the dividing wall element 36 may be integrally formed with the outlet tube 38. When the cartridge is assembled, the upper surface of the outer wall 102 of the plug 44 engages with the lower surface of the dividing wall 130, and the upper surface of the dividing wall 130 in turn engages with the projections 66 on the inner surface of the outer wall 64 of the housing part 32. Thus, the dividing wall 130 prevents the plug from being pushed too far into the housing part 32 -i.e. the dividing wall 130 is fixedly located along the longitudinal axis of the cartridge by the protrusions 66 in the housing part and so provides the plug with a fixed surface to push against. The collar 132 formed by projections from the dividing wall includes a first pair of opposing projections /
tongues 134 which engage with corresponding recesses on an inner surface of the outer wall 102 of the plug 44. The protrusions from the dividing wall 130 further provide a pair of cradle sections 136 configured to engage with corresponding ones of the cradle sections 112 in the part 44 when the cartridge is assembled to further define the opening through which the aerosolisable material transport element passes.
When the cartridge 2 is assembled an air channel extending from the air inlet 50 to the aerosol outlet 60 through the cartridge is formed. Starting from the air inlet 50 in the side wall of the housing part 32, a first section of the air channel is provided by the gap 76 formed by the double-walled section 74 in the outer wall 64 of the housing part 32 and extends from the air inlet 50 towards the interface end 54 of the cartridge and past the plug 44. A second portion of the air channel is provided by the gap between the base of the plug 44 and the end cap 48. A third portion of the air channel is provided by the hole 106 through the plug 44. A fourth portion of the air channel is provided by the region within the inner wall 104 of the plug and the outlet tube around the vaporiser 40. This fourth portion of the air channel may also be referred to as an aerosol/aerosol generation region, it being the primary region in which aerosol is generated during use. The air channel from the air inlet 50 to the aerosol generation region may be referred to as an air inlet section of the air channel. A fifth portion of the air channel is provided by the remainder of the outlet tube 38. A sixth portion of the air channel is provided by the outer housing inner tube 62 which connects the air channel to the aerosol outlet 60, which is located at an end of the mouthpiece 33. The air channel from the aerosol generation region to be the aerosol outlet may be referred to as an aerosol outlet section of the air channel.
Also, when the cartridge is assembled a reservoir 31 for aerosolisable material is formed by the space outside the air channel and inside the housing part 32. This may be filled during manufacture, for example through a filling hole which is then sealed, or by other means. The specific nature of the aerosolisable material, for example in terms of its composition, is not of primary significance to the principles described herein, and in general any conventional aerosolisable material of the type normally used in electronic cigarettes may be used. The present disclosure may refer to a liquid as the aerosolisable material, which as mentioned above may be a conventional e-liquid. However, the principles of the present disclosure apply to any aerosolisable material which has the ability to flow, and may include a liquid, a gel, or a solid, where for a solid a plurality of solid particles may be considered to have the ability to flow when considered as a bulk.
The reservoir is closed at the interface end of the cartridge by the plug 44.
The reservoir includes a first region above the dividing wall 130 and a second region below the dividing wall 130 within the space formed between the air channel and the outer wall of the plug. The aerosolisable material transport element (capillary wick) 42 passes through openings in the wall of the air channel provided by the semi-circular recesses 108, 90 in the plug 44 and the outlet tube 38 and the cradle sections 112, 136 in the plug 44 and the dividing wall element 36 that engage with one another as discussed above. Thus, the ends of the aerosolisable material transport element extend into the second region of the reservoir from which they draw aerosolisable material through the openings in the air channel to the vaporiser 40 for subsequent vaporisation.
In normal use, the cartridge 2 is coupled to the aerosol provision device 4 and the aerosol provision device activated to supply power to the cartridge via the contact electrodes 46 in the end cap 48. Power then passes through the connection leads 41 to the vaporiser 40.
The vaporiser is thus electrically heated and so vaporises a portion of the aerosolisable material from the aerosolisable material transport element in the vicinity of the vaporiser.
This generates aerosol in the aerosol generation region of the air path.
Aerosolisable material that is vaporised from the aerosolisable material transport element is replaced by more aerosolisable material drawn from the reservoir by capillary action.
While the vaporiser is activated, a user inhales on the mouthpiece end 52 of the cartridge. This causes air to be drawn through whichever aerosol provision device air inlet 14 aligns with the air inlet 50 of the cartridge (which will depend on the orientation in which the cartridge was inserted into the aerosol provision device receptacle 8). Air then enters the cartridge through the air inlet 50, passes along the gap 76 in the double-walled section 74 of the housing part 32, passes between the plug 44 and the end cap 48 before entering the aerosol generation region surrounding the vaporiser 40 through the hole 106 in the base part 100 of the plug 44. The incoming air mixes with aerosol generated from the vaporiser to form a condensation aerosol, which is then drawn along the outlet tube 38 and the housing part inner 62 before exiting through the mouthpiece outlet/aerosol outlet 60 for user inhalation.
From the above Figures 1-6B, it can be seen a possible embodiment construction of aerosol provision system 1 which is configured for generating an aerosol, which is suitable for use in the context of the present disclosure (alongside potentially other forms of aerosol provision system).
Turning now to Figures 7-9B, the present disclosure also provides for an aerosol provision system 300 (which could be based off the aerosol provision system 1 as shown in Figures 1-6B, for instance ¨ although other forms of aerosol provisions system could appreciably be also used, in so far as they are able to generate an aerosol) for generating an aerosol, wherein the aerosol provision system 300 further comprises a feedback portion 200 for providing feedback F to a user 400 of the aerosol provision system 300. At a general level, the feedback portion 200 may be configured to provide the feedback F after the aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in a mode of operation, and is further configured to not provide the feedback F whilst the aerosol provision system is generating the aerosol in the mode of operation. In this way therefore, the feedback F for the mode of operation may be provided at a suitable time after the user has finished operating the system, such as when any aerosol provision device 4 (and/or any associated cartridge 2, where such a cartridge type arrangement is employed) is less likely to be in the user's mouth, such to allow for the feedback F to more readily seen by the user 400, and in a way which makes it less likely for the feedback F to be overlooked, or not seen, by the user 400.
As noted above, the feedback portion 200 may be configured to provide the feedback F at some time after the aerosol provision system (or the aerosol provision device 4) has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation (i.e. some time after the situation/position in Figure 8A), to allow the feedback F to be provided in the window of time after the aerosol has been generated in the given mode of operation (as per Figures 8B and 80), yet provided quick enough such that the feedback F may still be provided whilst the user 400 has the aerosol provision device in their hand, as opposed to the device then being located back out of sight from the user 400, such as in their bag 401 or in their pocket (as per Figure 8D).
Appreciating the foregoing therefore, to allow for at least a period of time for the user 400 to take the aerosol provision device out of their mouth, such to make any provided feedback F
that much more apparent to the user 400, in accordance with some embodiments the feedback portion 200 may be configured to provide (i.e. start providing) the feedback F no later than 10 seconds; no later than 8 seconds; no later than 5 seconds; no later than 4 seconds; no later than 3 seconds; no later than 2 seconds; no later than 1 second; no later than 0.8 seconds; no later than 0.5 seconds, and/or no later than 0.3 seconds after, the aerosol provision system (or more specifically, the aerosol provision device 4) has finished generating the aerosol in the mode of operation. By the term finished here, this may be interpreted in accordance with some embodiments as the time when power is no longer being supplied to any provided aerosol generator 40, from the aerosol provision system, for generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.
Equally, so as to not provide the feedback F too early after the aerosol provision system has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation, such to reduce the likelihood of the feedback F being provided whilst any corresponding aerosol provision device 4 (or cartridge 2 therefrom, where such a cartridge is also employed) is still in the user's mouth (where the user 400 may then be more distracted, and thus able to less well perceive, the feedback F
from the feedback portion 200, as shown in Figure 8A), in accordance with some embodiments, the feedback portion 200 may be configured to provide (i.e. start providing) the feedback no earlier than 5 seconds; no earlier than 3 seconds; no earlier than 2 seconds; no earlier than 1 second; no earlier than 0.8 seconds; and/or no earlier than 0.5 seconds, after the aerosol provision system has finished generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.
With respect to the duration 'd' of any provided feedback F, it will be appreciated that this may be selected such to be long enough be best perceived by the user 400 in sufficient detail after the aerosol provision system has finished generating the aerosol in the mode of operation, e.g. as per the positions in Figures 8B and 8C. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the feedback portion 200 may be configured to provide the feedback F for a duration d' of at least 2 seconds; at least 3 seconds; at least 4 seconds; at least 5 seconds;
at least 7 seconds; and/or at least 10 seconds.
Equally, in accordance with some embodiments, the aerosol provision system 300 and/or the feedback portion 200 may be configured to provide the feedback F until a predetermined event is determined as having occurred by the controller 18 of the aerosol provision system 300.
For instance, and in accordance with some very particular embodiments, the predetermined event may be an operation of the input button 20 from the aerosol provision system (or from the aerosol provision device 4) (e.g. the user 400 operating the input button 20 to acknowledge the feedback F).

Another very particular embodiment could appreciably be the predetermined event being a temperature of the aerosol provision system 300 (such as a temperature of the aerosol generator 40) no longer exceeding a predetermined temperature. In this way, and in so far as the feedback F may in some particular embodiments comprise an indication that the aerosol provision device 4 or the aerosol provision system 300 has experienced a fault, such as a fault in the form of the aerosol provision system being determined as having overheated, the feedback F may in such particular embodiments be then provided until such time as the temperature no longer exceeds the predetermined temperature.
Staying with the duration d' of the feedback F, in accordance with some embodiments, the feedback F may be configured to be provided for a duration 'd' which is not so long as to unduly drain the power supply 16 and/or be so long as to annoy or frustrate the user 400 of the aerosol provision system. In such embodiments therefore, the feedback portion 200 may be configured to provide the feedback F for a duration of no more than 30 seconds; no more than 25 seconds; no more than 20 seconds; no more than 15 seconds; no more than 10 seconds; no more than 8 seconds; and/or no more than 5 seconds. Appreciably, in accordance with some particular embodiments as well, the feedback F may be configured to be provided, per a hybrid approach, for a duration 'd' which is the shorter of i) any one of the above durations; and ii) until the predetermined event is determined as having occurred by the controller 18 of the aerosol provision system 300 (e.g the user 400 operating the input button 20 to acknowledge the feedback F). Such a latter, hybrid, duration 'd' can then better provide the feedback F in a way which might be best perceived by the user 400, yet in a way which may not be so long so as to unduly consume power from the power supply 16 and/or be deemed annoying or frustrating to the user 400.
However long the duration 'd' of the feedback F, once the feedback F has been provided, the user 400 may then look to replace any aerosol provision device from the aerosol provision system in either their bag 401 or their pocket, for re-use later on as required, as per the disclosure from Figure 8D.
Appreciating the foregoing, it is envisaged that the feedback F may be supplied in respect of any required number of (different) modes of operation. And in this respect as well, it is to be appreciated that the feedback F provided after each mode of operation may, or may not, be necessarily the same for each of the different modes of operation.
For any given mode of operation, it is envisaged that the feedback F in accordance some embodiments may be configured to provide an indication of a predetermined property of the aerosol provision system (or the aerosol provision device 4).

As will be described, it is envisaged that this predetermined property in accordance with some embodiments could comprise a physical parameter (such as in some particular embodiments a rate of aerosol generation from the aerosol provision system whilst it was generating the aerosol in the mode of operation).
Equally, in accordance with some embodiments, the predetermined property could comprise a chemical parameter (such as a composition of the aerosol-generating material which was vaporised to generate the aerosol in the mode of operation).
Equally, in accordance with some additional/alternative embodiments, the predetermined property could comprise an electrical parameter (e.g. an amount of power delivered to the aerosol generator 40 whilst it was generating the aerosol in the mode of operation).
Turning now to the form of any provided feedback from the feedback portion 200, this may take a variety of different forms. For instance, any provided feedback F may comprise at least one of: visual feedback; acoustic feedback; and/or haptic feedback.
Particularly for those with a visual impairment, the use of acoustic or haptic feedback may be particularly advantageous.
To implement the above feedback F, as required, in accordance with some embodiments, the feedback portion 200 may comprise any one or combination of an optical feedback element or visual feedback element (such as an LED, a light source, or a display); an acoustic element (such as a speaker); and/or a haptic feedback element (such as a vibrator).
Such visual feedback may be particularly advantageous, in so far as once the aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in a mode of operation, the user might then be able to remove any part of aerosol provision system 4 from their lips, and then observe the feedback portion 200 (such as any optical feedback element or visual feedback element therefrom) to conveniently observe the feedback provided by the feedback portion 200 (as e.g. shown in the embodiment relating to Figure 8C).
With the above in mind, appreciably, in some particular embodiments to those set out above, any such feedback portion 200, including any potential visual/acoustic/haptic feedback element(s) therefrom, may be most conveniently located on the aerosol provision device 4 (which may comprise a cartridge 2 / aerosol provision device 4 type arrangement in accordance with some embodiments). Equally however, and in accordance with some potential other embodiments, the feedback portion 200 may not be located on the aerosol provision device 4 (i.e. put differently the aerosol provision device 4 may not comprise the feedback portion 200), and so may instead be located elsewhere, e.g. as part of an electrical device 250, which may be operable to communicate with the aerosol provision device 4. In this way, the electrical device 250 may thus comprise the feedback portion 200.

As to what such an electrical device 250 might be, it is envisaged that this may comprise any form of electrical device 250 which might operably communicate with the aerosol provision system 300 or aerosol provision device 4, such as (and certainly not limited to) any of a portable device, such as a tablet computer, smartphone, portable computer, smart watch, or smart device (such as an electrical wrist strap or ankle strap) which might be carried or worn by a user 400 of the aerosol provision device 4. As required, it will be appreciated that the electrical device 250 may be operable to communicate with the aerosol provision device 4, such as wirelessly via the wireless connection protocol 270. In this case therefore, appreciably the electrical device 250 may then also comprise a wireless transmitter/receiver/transceiver 252, as appropriate, to facilitate any such wireless communication with the aerosol provision device 4 (which equally may then also comprise a wireless transmitter/receiver/transceiver 97 in communication with the controller 18).
Noting the above potential forms for the feedback F, at a general level it is envisaged that the feedback F herein described may be configured to indicate a number of different things.
For instance, and as noted above, the feedback F may be configured in accordance with some embodiments to provide an indication. In more specific embodiments, this indication may comprise:
i) an indication of a predetermined property of the aerosol provision system or of the aerosol provision device 4;
ii) an indication that the aerosol provision system or device has experienced a fault, such as in a very particular embodiment a fault comprising the aerosol provision device 4 and/or any aerosol generator 40 therefrom, being determined as having overheated;
iii) an indication that the power supply 16 comprises less than a predetermined amount of remaining power (e.g. less than 5% or 10% remaining, in a very particular embodiment);
iv) in accordance with embodiments where a cartridge 2 / aerosol provision device 4 4 arrangement is employed, an indication which comprises a suggestion to replace or refill the cartridge 2;
v) an indication that an amount of aerosol-generating material in at least a portion of the aerosol provision system (and or in particular the cartridge 2, where such a cartridge 2 is employed) comprises less than a predetermined amount.
Thus at a general level, it may be appreciated that any provided indication may assist the user 400 in garnering feedback about how the aerosol provision system has been operated.

Appreciably, to better effect some of the above described embodiments, the aerosol provision system 300 may in some embodiments comprise a controller, such as the control circuitry 18 described above. In such embodiments therefore, the controller 18 may be configured to determine whether the aerosol provision system has finished generating the aerosol in the mode of operation. In response to the controller 18 determining that the aerosol provision system has finished generating the aerosol in the mode of operation, the controller 18 may be then configured to generate the output signal, for the feedback portion 200 to provide the feedback.
Although not necessarily, any provided aerosol provision system 300 or device 4 in accordance with some embodiments may also comprise a sensor 91 for generating sensor data. In this way, the controller 18 may be then configured to receive the sensor data from the sensor 91, and determine, using the sensor data, an indication for the feedback F. In response to the controller 18 determining the indication for the feedback F, the controller 18 may be then configured to generate the output signal, for the feedback portion 200 to provide the feedback F comprising the indication after the aerosol provision system has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation.
As to what such a sensor 91 might be, appreciably this might depend on the indication which is intended to be provided as part of the feedback F.
For instance, in accordance with some embodiments, the sensor 91 may comprise a temperature sensor 93, with the sensor data comprising a temperature value which is indicative of a temperature, such as in some embodiments a temperature of a portion of the aerosol provision system 1, such as in some particular embodiments a temperature of the aerosol generator 40 ¨ as per the embodiment from Figure 7.
With such embodiments therefore, the controller 18 may be then configured to determine, using the sensor data, whether the temperature value has exceeded a predetermined temperature. In this way, and in response to the controller 18 determining that the temperature value has exceeded the predetermined temperature, the controller 18 may be further configured to generate the output signal, for the feedback portion 200 to provide the feedback F comprising the indication after the aerosol provision system has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation. Appreciably, such an indication may in some cases comprise an indication that the aerosol provision system or aerosol provision device has experienced a fault and/or overheated.
Another potential application for the feedback F may be to provide an indication of the composition of the aerosol-generating material which was vaporised to generate the aerosol in the mode of operation. Such an application could have advantages where the user 400 might be otherwise unfamiliar with the composition (or flavour) of the aerosol-generating material which has been vaporised. In this way therefore, the feedback F which is provided after the aerosol provision system has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation may thus be helpful to the user 400 for them to better understand which aerosol-generating material was vaporised. With respect to these embodiments, whilst in some cases composition information may be provided directly to the controller 18, e.g. as part of any connection of a cartridge 2 to the aerosol provision device 4, in some embodiments the composition may be determined using sensor data from a sensor 91;99 configured to generate sensor data indicative of a composition of the aerosol-generating material from the aerosol provision system 300. In accordance with some embodiments, this sensor may be configured to be in fluid communication with, and/or in contact with, the aerosol-generating from the aerosol provision system 300. Equally, in accordance with some particular embodiments, any provided cartridge 2 and/or reservoir 31 from the aerosol provision system may thus comprise any such provided sensor 9199, as shown in the embodiment of Figure 7.
In yet another potential application of the feedback F, in response to a determination being made by the controller 18 that an amount of aerosol-generating material in at least a portion of the aerosol provision system (and or in particular the cartridge 2, where such a cartridge 2 is employed) comprises less than a predetermined amount, thus could necessitate the feedback F comprising an indication of a low amount of remaining aerosol-generating material, and/or an indication that the cartridge 2 requires replacing, and/or that the aerosol-generating material requires refilling. With respect to these embodiments therefore, the aerosol provision system 300 may be configured such that the sensor data from the sensor 91 is indicative of an amount of aerosol-generating material in at least a portion of the aerosol provision system (or the cartridge 2, in accordance with some narrower embodiments). In this way therefore, the controller 18 may be configured to determine, using the sensor data, whether the amount of aerosol-generating material comprises less than a predetermined amount. In this way, and in response to determining that the amount of aerosol-generating material comprises less than the predetermined amount, the controller 18 may be then configured to generate the output signal, for the feedback portion 200 to provide the feedback F comprising the indication after the aerosol provision system has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation. As a result of this feedback F
therefore, and once the user 400 has finished operating the aerosol provision system in the mode of operation, the user 400 may then be able to perceive the feedback to know that the remaining amount of aerosol-generating material is low.

Appreciating the foregoing therefore, there has accordingly been described an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol, the aerosol provision system comprising:
a feedback portion for providing feedback to a user of the aerosol provision system, wherein the feedback portion is configured to provide the feedback after the aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in a mode of operation, and is further configured to not provide the feedback whilst the aerosol provision system is generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.
There has also been described a method of providing feedback to a user of an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol, the method comprising:
providing feedback to a user of the aerosol provision system, using a feedback portion, after the aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in a mode of operation, and not whilst the aerosol provision system is generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.
There has also been described an aerosol provision system 300 for generating an aerosol, the system 300 comprising a feedback portion 200 for providing feedback F to a user 400 of the aerosol provision system 300. The feedback portion 200 is configured to provide the feedback after an aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in a mode of operation, and is further configured to not provide the feedback F whilst the aerosol provision system is generating the aerosol in the mode of operation. In this way, the feedback F may be delivered at a suitable time after the user 400 has finished operating the aerosol provision system 300, such as when an aerosol provision device from the aerosol provision system 300 is not in the user's mouth, such to allow for the feedback F to more readily and easily seen by the user 400.
In order to address various issues and advance the art, this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and to teach the claimed invention(s). It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims.
Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc.
other than those specifically described herein, and it will thus be appreciated that features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the claims. The disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.
For instance, in terms of how any provided feedback portion(s) 200 may be powered (if they are present at all), it will be appreciated that each feedback portion 200 may be powered using either the power supply 16, or each powered with its own power source (not shown in the Figures).
Equally, with regard to the positioning of any such feedback portion(s) 200 and/or sensor(s) 91, it will be appreciated that their locations may be provided anywhere in the aerosol provision system 300 as may be required to allow them to provide their required functionality. This may even include a location where the feedback portion 200 and/or sensor(s) 91 is not actually located on the aerosol provision device 4 (e.g.
in a separate electrical device 250 which is attachable to the user 400, such as a strap or some other patch or device which may be secured (releasably if needs be, e.g. via an adhesive patch), to the user 400.
Equally, where the aerosol provision system comprises a cartridge 2 and an aerosol provision device 4, any provided feedback portion(s) 200 and/or sensor(s) 91 may be located in either the cartridge 2 or the aerosol provision device 4, as needed to allow the required functionality of the feedback portion 200 or sensor(s) 91.
For the sake of completeness as well, in respect of any feedback portion(s) 200 or sensor(s) 91 in the aerosol provision device or system, it will be appreciated that any power or signals sent thereto may be provided using either a wired or wireless connection between the control circuitry 18 and the respective feedback portion 200 / sensor 91. In the particular embodiments shown in Figure 7, for instance, a wired connection is provided between the relevant feedback portion 200 and/or sensor 91 and the control circuitry 18, and which extends in the case of the component being located in the cartridge 2 across the interface end 54, via the contact electrodes 46 located on each of the aerosol provision device 4 and the cartridge 2.
Finally, it will also be appreciated that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to a particular number of modes of operation, such that the teaching could appreciably correspond to any integer number of modes of operation (e.g a number between 1 and 100, for instance). In this way, the feedback portion 200 may be configured to provide (nth) feedback after the aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in the (nth) mode of operation, and be further configured to not provide the (nth) feedback whilst the aerosol provision system is generating the aerosol in the (nth) mode of operation.

Where multiple modes of operation are employed, it may be appreciated in accordance with some embodiments thereof, that the feedback F for each mode of operation need not necessarily be provided at the same time, and/or for the same duration, after the aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in the mode of operation.
Accordingly, in some very particular embodiments for instance, one mode of operation may have the feedback F provided no earlier than 1 second after the aerosol provision system has finished generating the aerosol in the mode of operation, and provided for a duration of no more than 5 seconds. Whereas another mode of operation in such embodiments, and potentially other embodiments, might have the feedback F provided no earlier than 0.5 seconds after the aerosol provision system has finished generating the aerosol in the mode of operation, and provided for a duration of no more than 10 seconds (e.g in cases where the feedback F pertaining to this latter mode of operation is deemed more important for the user 400 to see, compared with the feedback F pertaining to the initial mode of operation).
Where multiples mode of operation are employed, it will also be appreciated that the level of feedback corresponding to each mode of operation may differ. Put differently therefore, and in accordance with some embodiments, the feedback F pertaining to a first mode of operation may comprise a greater level of feedback F than the level of feedback corresponding to another mode of operation. By the 'level' of the feedback F, this may comprise the amount of the feedback (e.g. the brightness of the feedback in the case of visual feedback, or the loudness of the feedback in the case of the acoustic feedback), the magnitude of the feedback (e.g. the brightness of the feedback in the case of visual feedback, or the strength of the feedback F in the case of haptic feedback), or even the prominence of the feedback (e.g. the brightness of the feedback in the case of visual feedback, or the strength of the feedback F in the case of haptic feedback, or the loudness of the feedback in the case of the acoustic feedback). Appreciably as well, where such a level is employed, this could also comprise an average level, or a maximum level, in accordance with some narrower embodiments.

Claims

PCT/GB2022/052587

1. An aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol, the aerosol provision system comprising:
a feedback portion for providing feedback to a user of the aerosol provision system, wherein the feedback portion is configured to provide the feedback after the aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in a mode of operation, and is further configured to not provide the feedback whilst the aerosol provision system is generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.

2. An aerosol provision system according to claim 1, wherein the feedback portion is configured to provide the feedback no later than 5 seconds after the aerosol provision system has finished generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.

3. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the feedback portion is configured to provide the feedback no earlier than 1 second after the aerosol provision system has finished generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.

4. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the feedback portion is configured to provide the feedback for a duration of at least 5 seconds.

5. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the feedback portion is configured to provide the feedback for a duration of no more than 10 seconds.

6. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the aerosol provision system comprises a display, and the feedback portion comprises the display.

7. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the feedback comprises visual feedback.

8. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the feedback comprises haptic feedback.

9. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the feedback comprises acoustic feedback.

10. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the feedback is configured to provide an indication of a predetermined property of the aerosol provision system.

11. An aerosol provision system according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined property comprises a rate of aerosol generation from the aerosol provision system whilst it was generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.

12. An aerosol provision system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the aerosol provision system comprises an aerosol generator for generating the aerosol, wherein the predetermined property comprises an amount of power delivered to the aerosol generator whilst it was generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.

13. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the feedback comprises an indication that the aerosol provision system has experienced a fault.

14. An aerosol provision system according to claim 13, wherein the fault comprises the aerosol provision system being determined as having overheated.

15. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the aerosol provision system comprises a power supply, wherein the feedback comprises an indication that the power supply comprises less than a predetermined amount of remaining power.

16. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, further comprising a sensor for generating sensor data, and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive the sensor data from the sensor;
determine, using the sensor data, an indication for the feedback; and generate an output signal, for the feedback portion to provide the feedback comprising the indication after the aerosol provision system has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation.

17. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the aerosol provision system comprises an aerosol provision device for generating the aerosol, wherein the aerosol provision device comprises the feedback portion..

18. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the aerosol provision system comprises an aerosol provision device for generating the aerosol, and further comprises an electrical device which is operable to communicate with the aerosol provision device, wherein the electrical device comprises the feedback portion.

19. An aerosol provision system according to claim 18, wherein the electrical device comprises a portable device.

20. An aerosol provision system according to any preceding claim, wherein the aerosol provision system further comprises a cartridge and an aerosol provision device configured to receive the cartridge.

21. An aerosol provision system according to claim 20, wherein the aerosol provision device comprises the feedback portion.

22. An aerosol provision system according to claim 20 or 21, when further dependent on claim 16, wherein the sensor data is indicative of an amount of aerosol-generating material in at least a portion of the cartridge; and wherein the controller is configured to:
determine, using the sensor data, whether the amount of aerosol-generating material comprises less than a predetermined amount; and in response to determining that the amount of aerosol-generating material comprises less than the predetermined amount, generate the output signal, for the feedback portion to provide the feedback comprising the indication after the aerosol provision system has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation.

23. An aerosol provision system according to claim 22, wherein the indication comprises a suggestion to replace or refill the cartridge.

24. A method of providing feedback to a user of an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol, the method comprising:
providing feedback to a user of the aerosol provision system, using a feedback portion, after the aerosol provision system has generated an aerosol in a mode of operation, and not whilst the aerosol provision system is generating the aerosol in the mode of operation.

25. A method according to claim 24, further comprising a controller, wherein the method further comprises the controller:
receiving sensor data, from a sensor of the aerosol provision system;
determining, using the sensor data, an indication for the feedback; and generating an output signal, for the feedback portion to provide the feedback comprising the indication after the aerosol provision system has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation.

26. A method according to claim 24 or 25, wherein the method further comprises:
removing, after the aerosol provision system has generated the aerosol in the mode of operation, a portion of the aerosol provision system from a mouth of the user; and providing the feedback to the user after the portion of the aerosol provision system has been removed from the mouth of the user.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the portion comprises an aerosol provision device from the aerosol provision system.

28. A method according to any of claims 24-27, wherein the feedback is provided as visual feedback to the user on a display from an aerosol provision device from the aerosol provision system.