CN113710111A

CN113710111A - Electronic aerosol supply device

Info

Publication number: CN113710111A
Application number: CN202080029322.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 罗里·弗雷泽; 奥里奥尔·斯特罗菲尔; 秦汉廷
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Priority date: 2019-04-17
Filing date: 2020-04-14
Publication date: 2021-11-26
Also published as: AU2020257580A1; CL2021002717A1; JP2022530854A; US20220211114A1; CA3136900A1; EP3955758A1; MX2021012475A; KR20210139383A; GB201905425D0; WO2020212691A1; AU2020257580B2; IL286972A; JP7359512B2; CO2021013819A2

Abstract

An electronic aerosol provision system comprising an air passageway between an air inlet and an air outlet; and an evaporator for generating vapor into the air passage; wherein the air passageway is configured to support laminar airflow between the air inlet and the evaporator.

Description

Electronic aerosol supply device

Technical Field

The invention relates to an electronic aerosol supply device.

Background

A common electronic aerosol provision device comprises an internal air path providing a passage between one or more inlets and one or more outlets. A user of the electronic aerosol provision device draws on the one or more air outlets to generate an airflow through the device from the one or more air inlets along the passageway to the one or more air outlets.

The electronic aerosol provision device typically also comprises a source (precursor) material for forming a vapour or aerosol. For example, some devices include a reservoir of liquid and a heater for evaporating the liquid from the reservoir. In other devices, a heater may be used to generate volatile substances from a solid material, which in turn form a vapor or liquid. In some cases, a liquid or solid material may be provided in the replaceable cartridge. The vapour or aerosol is typically generated or migrates into channels from one or more air inlets to one or more air outlets, and is conveyed along the channels by the airflow and exits through the one or more air outlets for suction by the user.

The user experience of such an electronic aerosol provision device depends on the vapour or aerosol leaving the device for inhalation.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention is defined in the appended claims.

The method described herein provides an electronic aerosol provision system comprising an air passage between an air inlet and an air outlet and a vaporizer for generating a vapor into the air passage. The air passageway is configured between the air inlet and the evaporator to support laminar air flow.

The method described herein provides an electronic aerosol provision system comprising an air passage between an air inlet and an air outlet, an evaporator for generating vapour into the air passage, and a facility for conditioning the air passage to control turbulence within the air passage.

It will be appreciated that the features and aspects of the invention described above in relation to the first and other 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 required, not merely in the specific combinations described above.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

In the figure:

fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary electronic aerosol provision system.

Fig. 2 illustrates an electronic aerosol provision system having a linear gas flow channel configured to support laminar gas flow according to the methods described herein.

Fig. 3 shows a distribution of aerosol particle sizes generated by an electronic aerosol provision system such as that shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a distribution of aerosol particle sizes generated by an electronic aerosol provision system such as that shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 5 illustrates an electronic aerosol provision system having a smoothly curved gas flow channel configured to support laminar gas flow according to the methods described herein.

FIG. 6 shows an electronic aerosol provision system with provisions for conditioning air passages to control turbulence according to the methods described herein.

Fig. 7 shows another electronic aerosol provision system with facilities for conditioning air passages to control turbulence according to the methods described herein.

Detailed Description

Aspects and features of various examples are described herein. Some of these aspects and features may be implemented conventionally, and for the sake of brevity, may not be described in detail. It will be understood that such aspects and features not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with appropriate conventional techniques.

The present disclosure relates to an electronic aerosol provision system, which may also be referred to as an electronic vapour provision system, an electronic cigarette, or the like. In the following description, the terms "electronic cigarette," "electronic aerosol provision system," and "electronic vapour provision system" may be used interchangeably unless the context requires otherwise. Likewise, the terms "device" and "system" may be used interchangeably, e.g., "electronic aerosol provision system" may be considered the same as "electronic aerosol provision device" unless the context requires otherwise. Furthermore, as is common in the art, the terms "vapor" and "aerosol" and related terms such as "evaporation", "aerosolization" and "volatilization" may also be used interchangeably, unless the context requires otherwise.

Such an electronic aerosol provision system/device is typically provided in the form of a module, e.g. comprising a control unit and a cartomizer (a cartomizer is a combination of a cartridge and a vaporizer). The term electronic aerosol provision system/device is used herein to denote one or more modules (e.g. control units) used to generate (including components) an aerosol or vapour. Such systems/devices may be configured to receive one or more additional modules, for example, modules containing a liquid or other precursor to be vaporized (cartridges), or may be provided in combination with one or more additional modules.

One common configuration of an electronic aerosol provision system/device with modular components is to include a reusable part (main control unit) and a replaceable (disposable) cartridge section, also called a consumable. The replaceable cartridge section typically includes a vapor (aerosol) precursor material, and may also include (in some embodiments) a vaporizer (atomizer) to form an atomized cartridge. The reusable part typically includes a power source (e.g., a rechargeable battery) and control circuitry for the device/system. These parts may include additional components depending on the function. For example, the reusable portion may include a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operating status characteristics, while the replaceable cartridge section may include a temperature sensor for assisting in controlling the temperature of the vaporizer.

The cartridge section is typically electrically and mechanically coupled with the control unit for use. When the vapor precursor material in the cartridge is depleted (completely consumed), or the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge having, for example, a different vapor precursor material, the cartridge can be removed from the control unit and a replacement cartridge set in place on the cartridge. Devices of the type that conform to this two-part modular configuration are sometimes referred to as two-part devices.

Some of the example devices/systems described herein are based on elongated two-part devices/systems that utilize disposable cartridges. However, it is to be understood that the methods described herein may also be used for different configurations of electronic aerosol provision systems/devices, e.g. single-part devices or modular devices comprising more than two parts, refillable devices and single-use disposable devices. In addition, the methods described herein may be applied to devices/systems having other geometries (not necessarily elongated), for example, high performance devices based on so-called box patterns that generally have a more box-like shape.

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first electronic aerosol provision device 20. The e-cigarette 20 includes two main sections, a control section 22 and a cartridge section 24. In some embodiments, the cartridge section and the control section are separate parts that can be separated from each other. In normal use, the control section 22 and the cartridge section 24 are releasably coupled together at an interface 26. The cartridge 24 may be separated from the control section 22 when the cartridge section 24 is depleted (after the aerosol precursor material therein is depleted), or when the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge. The separated cartridge can then be discarded (in the event of complete depletion) and a replacement cartridge coupled to the control section. Another possibility is that the same cartridge section 24 may be refilled and reattached to the control section 22. In other embodiments, the cartridge section 24 may be refilled in situ (i.e., while still attached to the control section 22) (in which case the cartridge section 24 may be permanently attached to the control section 22).

The interface 26 generally provides structural (mechanical), electrical, and airflow path connections between the control section 22 and the cartridge section 24. For example, the interface 26 may provide appropriately arranged electrical contacts to establish various electrical connections between the two sections. Also, the interface may support (define) an airflow channel (path) between the two sections, as desired.

It should be understood that other embodiments of the electronic aerosol provision system 20 may have different configurations; furthermore, the different features of the different embodiments as described herein may be combined together as appropriate. For example, in some embodiments, the control section 22 and the cartridge section 24 may be fixed together (rather than detachable); as mentioned above, this may be the case when the cartridge section 24 can be refilled in situ. In some embodiments, the vaporizer may be disposed in the control section 22 rather than in the cartridge section 24, in which case the interface 26 may be configured to support the transfer of vapor precursor (e.g., liquid) from the cartridge section 24 to the control section 22, but need not necessarily support the transfer of power from the control section 22 to the cartridge section 24. In some embodiments, the interface 26 may support wireless transfer of power from the control section to the cartridge section, for example based on electromagnetic induction. In this case, no direct physical (electrical) connection may be provided between the control section 22 and the cartridge section 24. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the airflow path through the electronic aerosol provision device 20 may not pass through the control section 22, and so the interface 26 may not include an airflow channel connection between the control section 22 and the cartridge section 24. The skilled person will recognise various other possible modifications.

In the example of fig. 1, the cartridge section 24 includes a cartridge housing 62, which may be made of plastic or any other suitable material. The cartridge housing 62 supports the other components of the cartridge section 24 and provides a mechanical interface with the control section 22 as part of the interface 26. The cartridge section includes an airflow channel (or passageway) 72 and a mouthpiece 70 defining an air outlet 71 from the airflow channel 72.

Within the cartridge housing 62 is a reservoir 64 containing a liquid, commonly referred to as e-liquid, to provide a vapor precursor material. The liquid reservoir 64 in the device of fig. 1 has an annular shape surrounding (encompassing) the airflow passage 72. The shape of the reservoir 64 is defined by an outer wall disposed through the cartridge housing 62 and an inner wall forming the exterior or boundary of the airflow channel 72 through the cartridge section 24. The reservoir 64 is closed at each end to hold e-liquid, closed at the downstream end of the cartridge segment 24 by the mouthpiece 70, and closed at the upstream end by the housing 62 forming the mouthpiece 26.

The cartridge section 24 also includes an wick (liquid transport element) 66 and a heater (evaporator) 68. In the device shown in fig. 1, the core 66 extends transversely across the cartridge airflow passage 72, i.e., perpendicular to the direction of airflow along the passage 72. Each end of the wick is configured to draw liquid from the liquid reservoir 64 through one or more openings in the inner wall of the liquid reservoir 64. The e-liquid permeates the core 66 and is drawn along the core 66 by capillary action (i.e., wicking). The heater 68 may comprise a resistive wire, such as a nickel chromium (Cr20Ni80) wire, wound around the core 66, and the core 66 may comprise a glass or cotton fiber bundle. Many other options will be apparent to those skilled in the art; for example, the core may be made of ceramic, the core and heating coil may be arranged longitudinally rather than transversely, there may be multiple heating coils 68, there may be multiple cores 66, the heater 68 may have a planar configuration, and so forth.

During use, power may be supplied to the heater 68 to vaporize an amount of e-liquid (vapor precursor material) drawn by the wick 66 into proximity with the heater 68. The vaporized e-liquid then becomes entrained in the air drawn along the cartridge airflow channel 72 toward the mouthpiece outlet 70 for the user to draw. The rate at which the vaping liquid is evaporated by the evaporator (heater) 68 generally depends on the amount of power supplied to the heater 68 and the wicking or liquid transport capacity of the wick 66. In some devices, the rate of vapor generation (evaporation rate) may be adjusted by varying the amount of power supplied to the heater 68 (e.g., by using pulse width and/or frequency modulation techniques). Typically, the e-liquid vapor formed by the heater 68 cools and at least partially condenses into particles (small droplets) in the airflow channel 72, forming an aerosol. The user then draws this aerosol through the mouthpiece outlet 71.

The control section 22 shown in fig. 1 includes: an outer housing 32 having an opening defining an air inlet 48 for the e-cigarette 20; a battery 46 for providing power to operate the e-cigarette 20; a control circuit 38 for controlling and monitoring operation of the e-cigarette 20; user input buttons 34 and a visual display indicator 44. The outer housing 32 is configured to receive the cartridge section 24, thereby providing a smooth integration (union) of the two sections or portions at the interface 26. For example, the outer housing 32 may include clips and/or slots and/or any other suitable engagement features for receiving corresponding features of the cartridge section 24.

The battery 46 is typically chargeable, such as through a charging connector in the control section housing 32, such as a USB connector (not shown in fig. 1). The user input buttons 34 may be used to perform a variety of control functions. The display 44 may, for example, include one or more LEDs for displaying information about the state of charge of the battery 46 or any other suitable information or indication. In some embodiments, the user input buttons 34 and the display 44 may be integrated into a single component. The control circuit 38 is suitably configured (programmed) to control operation of the electronic cigarette, such as regulating the supply of power from the battery 46 to the heater 68 for generating the vapor.

The air inlet 48 is connected to the airflow path 50 through the control section 22. When the control section 22 and the cartridge section 24 are connected together, the control section path 50 is in turn connected to the cartridge airflow channel 72 via the interface 26. Thus, when a user draws on the mouthpiece 70, air drawn through the air inlet 48 exits for the user to draw along the control segment air path 50, through the interface 26, along the cartridge airflow channel 72, and through the opening of the mouthpiece 70. In the example of fig. 1, the airflow path 50 is configured such that the airflow through the air inlet 48 is perpendicular to the airflow through the air outlet 71 during user inhalation. In particular, the air inlet 48 is disposed on one side of the outer housing 32 (rather than on the base). Such air inlets may be referred to as side holes. The airflow path 50 has a corner or angle whereby during suction, the first airflow direction of the airflow from the air inlet 48 to the corner transitions sharply to the second airflow direction from the corner to the mouthpiece 26. As can be seen in fig. 1, the second direction of travel is perpendicular to the first direction of travel.

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second electronic aerosol provision device 200. The components of the e-cigarette 200 of figure 2 are generally the same as or similar to those described with respect to figure 1 (and are labeled with the same reference numbers), and thus these components will not be discussed again. However, in contrast to the first e-cigarette 20 of figure 1 which includes the side-port air inlet 48, the second e-cigarette 200 of figure 2 includes an air inlet 248 in the base (or bottom) of the e-cigarette (where the orientation of the e-cigarette is defined in a conventional manner such that the mouthpiece 71 is at the top). With this position of the air inlet 248, the control section airflow passage 250 and the cartridge section airflow passage 72 are coaxially aligned such that there is a straight air path along the length of the airflow channel. Thus, as shown in fig. 2, the

airflow channels

250, 72 of the electronic vapour provision device 200 are aligned such that the airflow from the air inlet 248 through the device to the vaporiser 68 and then out through the mouthpiece 70 follows a substantially straight (linear) path, i.e. proceeds in a substantially single direction, without changing direction, bending, bowing or the like.

Although fig. 2 shows one such example in which the airflow passages in the control section 22 and in the cartridge section 24 have a coaxial (co-aligned) configuration, it will be appreciated that this configuration may be achieved in other ways in other embodiments. Further, while the e-cigarette 200 is shown with two modules (the cartridge section 24 and the control section 22), other embodiments having a coaxial configuration for the airflow passages 52 and 72 may be implemented as a one-piece device or as a system including more than two modules.

The straight (linear) configuration of the airflow channel 250 through the control section 22 in figure 2 helps to support laminar airflow within the channel 250, as compared to the angled (cornered) configuration in the airflow channel 50 of the e-cigarette 20 in figure 1. In laminar air flow (also referred to herein as linear air flow), the air flows generally all in parallel in the same direction. For example, for a laminar air flow along a cylindrical duct, all air flows parallel in the axial direction along the duct. The gas flow velocity along the duct has a radial profile according to the distance from the centre of the duct. The air flowing along the central axis of the duct flows fastest and then gradually decreases in velocity to zero velocity as the radial distance from the center increases, the edge or wall of the duct adjacent to zero velocity in the region being referred to as the boundary layer.

In contrast to laminar flow, the presence of features such as corners, bends, obstructions, etc. along the airflow path typically introduces turbulent flow into the airflow. Such turbulent air flow (also referred to herein as non-linear air flow) results from, and reflects, local variations in air pressure and other instabilities. For example, the pressure of air flowing around (and near) an obstacle may be higher than other air flowing away from the obstacle; this may then be balanced by a region of relatively low pressure behind the obstacle. The local movement of the air actually attempts to rebalance the air pressure variations and thereby introduce turbulence into the airflow.

It should be noted that turbulence may occur even in the axially aligned channels shown in fig. 2, for example, if air is pushed through the duct too quickly (i.e., with too much pressure differential), large radial shear forces generated by different axial velocities at different radial distances from the center of the channel disturb the airflow, resulting in instability and other forms of turbulence.

A dimensionless parameter known as reynolds number (R) is commonly used to represent laminar and turbulent flow conditions. The reynolds number is defined as R ═ uL/v, where u is the flow velocity, v is the viscosity, and L is the linear scale size of the flow (which may be the diameter of a pipe, for example). A low reynolds number will generally produce laminar flow, while a high reynolds number will generally produce turbulent flow. For R in the 2000-3000 range, a transition between laminar and turbulent flow may typically occur (although this transition point is typically sensitive to a number of factors and may in some cases be outside of the above range). It should be noted that increasing the flow rate increases the reynolds number and may therefore cause a transition to turbulent flow as described above. Conversely, increasing the viscosity will decrease the reynolds number, which can be thought of as higher viscosity will attenuate turbulent motion.

Figures 3 and 4 are graphs showing the frequency distribution of particle size produced by the first and second example e-cigarettes, respectively (i.e. the side hole device 20 of figure 1 and the linear flow device 200 of figure 2). Particle size refers to the size of particles or droplets in the vapor or aerosol exiting the device through the air outlet 71. Each graph shows the results of ten repeated measurements of particle size distribution. A statistical summary of the frequency distribution of the particle size for each measurement is provided in tables 1 and 2 below.

Volume [ N ] ═ number

Table 1: "side hole formula" electron cigarette.

Volume [ N ] ═ number

Table 2: a "direct linear flow" e-cigarette.

The last three columns of each table define the parameters of the measured particle size distribution. Thus, in the first row of table 1, Dx (10) ═ 0.39 means that 10% of the particles have a size less than 0.39 micrometers (μm), Dx (50) ═ 1.12 means that 50% of the particles have a size less than 1.12 micrometers (μm) (i.e., this is the median size), and Dx (00) ═ 2.56 means that 90% of the particles have a size less than 2.56 micrometers (μm). A comparison of figures 3 and 4 (and the associated tables) clearly shows that the particle size of a direct linear flow e-cigarette (such as shown in figure 2) is generally smaller than the particle size of a side hole e-cigarette (such as shown in figure 1). The comparison also indicates that the direct linear flow measurement of fig. 4 produces a distribution that is slightly tighter (more compact) than the side hole measurement of fig. 3.

Without being bound by theory, it is believed that a laminar (non-turbulent) airflow may form an aerosol with a smaller particle size than a non-laminar (turbulent) airflow, because turbulent flow causes more collisions between aerosol particles, and such collisions may cause agglomeration between particles, and thus an increase in particle size. Conversely, when the gas flow is laminar, agglomeration between particles may be reduced because the gas flows are all substantially parallel and aligned with the axial direction. Therefore, there is less mixing in the gas stream and therefore less likelihood of agglomeration. Turbulent flow may also bring more vapor into contact with the particles and thus cause the vapor to condense onto the particles faster (as compared to laminar flow), thereby producing larger particles. In addition to, or instead of, faster agglomeration of particles, faster agglomeration of such vapors on existing particles may also occur.

It has been found that an enhanced user experience can be achieved by an electronic vapour provision system which typically provides aerosols having smaller particle sizes for user inhalation. Without being bound by theory, a user's preference for smaller particle sizes may result from one or more factors, such as such particles being more easily absorbed by tissue, increased brightness and/or diffusivity of the particles, better uniformity (consistency) of the particles, increased travel distance of the particles, etc.

In view of this user preference, the airflow configuration of the e-cigarette 200 of figure 2 is advantageous over the airflow configuration of the e-cigarette 20 of figure 1 because the straight airflow channels 250 of figure 2 help provide laminar airflow and, therefore, smaller particle sizes, as compared to the angled airflow channels 50 of figure 1. Indeed, in many practical devices, the gas stream may have both laminar and turbulent flow components. Increasing the proportion of laminar flow components with a reduction in turbulent flow components still helps to facilitate a reduction in particle size and hence an improvement in user experience. Thus, the benefits of providing laminar flow are not necessarily that of (binary) (either total or none), but can be achieved by incrementally increasing the proportion of laminar flow in a given device.

Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a third electronic aerosol provision device 500. The components of the e-cigarette 500 of figure 5 are generally the same as or similar to those described with respect to figure 1 (and are labeled with the same reference numerals), and thus these components will not be discussed again. In contrast to the example e-cigarette 20 of figure 1 that includes the side-hole air inlet 48 with the angled air flow channel 50, and also in contrast to the example e-cigarette 200 of figure 2 that includes the air inlet 248 in the base (or bottom) of the e-cigarette 200 to provide the straight (linear) air flow channel 250, the e-cigarette 500 of figure 5 includes an air flow passage 550 in the control section 22 that has a side opening 548 (similar to the e-cigarette 20 of figure 1), but with a smooth and continuous bend between the air inlet 548 (side hole) and the mouthpiece 26 for the air flow channel 550.

Configuring the airflow channel 550 to have such a continuous bend, rather than having sharp corners or angles, helps to support laminar airflow. Thus, the use of air passages 550 that impart a gradual change in air flow direction allows the device to include side holes but with less turbulence (if any) than the configuration of FIG. 1. The exemplary e-cigarette 500 may thus have an airflow channel 550 with a radius of curvature greater than 5mm, greater than 10mm, or preferably greater than 15mm to reduce (or eliminate) turbulence (as compared to the configuration of figure 1), and thus help reduce particle size in the aerosol provided by the device.

In some embodiments, the continuous bend of the airflow channel 550 may only partially extend between the air inlet 548 and the interface 26. For example, the airflow channel 550 may have a smoothly curved portion near the air inlet 548 followed by a linear portion near the interface 26 (or conversely, the airflow channel 550 may have a smoothly curved portion near the interface 26 followed by a linear portion near the air inlet 548). More generally, there may be more than one continuous bend and/or more than one linear section in the airflow passageway 550. Another possibility is that one continuous bend (or a plurality of such bends) may be formed approximately by a series of short linear sections, whereby the change in orientation between any two consecutive linear sections is small, for example in the range of 1-5 degrees, thereby limiting or avoiding the introduction of turbulence.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fourth electronic aerosol provision device 600. The components of the e-cigarette 600 of figure 6 are generally the same as or similar to those described with respect to figure 1 (and are labeled with the same reference numbers), and thus these components will not be discussed again. Compared to the e-cigarettes of figures 1, 2 and 5 having a fixed airflow channel configuration, the e-cigarette 600 of figure 6 has an airflow path 650 that can be modified to vary the degree of turbulence in the air drawn through the device. In other words, the e-cigarette 600 of figure 6 includes provisions for conditioning the air passage to control the degree of turbulence within the air passage and thereby change the particle size distribution in the aerosol generated by the e-cigarette 600.

The airflow channel 650 of the e-cigarette 600 comprises two sections, a first movable channel section 610 and a second fixed section 610. The two sections are joined by a suitable coupling or connector 615. Thus, the first movable airflow channel section 610 extends from the air inlet 648 to the coupler 615, while the second airflow channel section 611 extends from the coupler 615 to the interface 26. Indeed, the movable airflow channel section 610 can be rotated about the coupling 615 to reposition the air inlet 648. In particular, the position of the air inlet 648 may be rotated between position a and position a' as indicated by the arrow. At position a', the e-cigarette 600 approximates the side-hole configuration shown in figure 1, while at position a, the e-cigarette 600 approximates the direct linear flow (bottom hole) configuration shown in figure 2.

The e-cigarette 600 includes a switch or button 625 for a user to rotate the movable section 610 between positions a and a'. This switch 625 may be provided with a suitable mechanical coupling (not shown) to enable this rotation of the movable segment 610. Another possibility is to use power from the battery 46 to perform the rotation of the portion 610 (also under the control of the switch or button 625). Other actuation mechanisms may be implemented, including direct movement of the movable section 610 by the user, in which case the button/switch 625 may be omitted.

While the e-cigarette 600 has been described as having two operating positions for the movable section 610 corresponding to a and a 'as described above (the position shown in figure 6 is a transitional position between the two operating positions), other embodiments may have one or more additional operating positions intermediate a and a'. Some embodiments may allow for continuous adjustment, i.e., the movable section 610 may be located at any desired position intermediate a and a'. It should be understood that the portion 621 of the control section housing 32 where the air inlet 648 is formed would be arranged to accommodate the desired range of positions for the air inlet 648.

By moving the position of the air inlet 648 from position a to position a' (via any secondary intermediate positions), the degree of turbulence in the airflow may be increased, which, as described above, will generally result in an aerosol having a larger particle size. This provides the user with control over the parameters (particle size) that have a direct physical impact on the user's experience with the e-cigarette 600. In particular, different particle sizes (large or small) may be preferred for different users, or for different cartridges, different e-liquid, or just different user environments. The use of button 625 to control the position of air inlet 648 by moving section 610 to regulate turbulence provides the user with control over aerosol particle size according to their particular preference and environment.

For example, in a first orientation, as shown in position a, the movable channel section 610 is co-aligned with the rest of the airflow channel 650 (particularly the stationary portion 611), thus minimizing turbulence. In the second orientation, as shown in position a', the movable channel section 610 is now perpendicular to the rest of the airflow channel 650, thus introducing (or increasing) turbulence. It should be noted that this mechanism allows varying the degree of turbulence without or with little change to the total flow rate. In particular, the size of the air inlet 648, and thus the amount of air drawn during smoking, remains substantially unchanged and independent of the orientation of the movable channel section 610, however, the particle size distribution for smoking depends on (and is controlled by) the positional setting of the movable channel section 610.

As described above, the orientation of the movable airflow section 610 may be selected by a user interacting with the device through a mechanical switch 625 or similar device (e.g., a wheel or lever) to allow the user to customize the particle size according to his/her particular preferences. In some embodiments, such adjustment of the movable airflow section 610 may be performed using the user input buttons 34 and/or the visual display indicator 44 (alternatively or additionally using the switch 625). The change of orientation can be performed very quickly, for example during or between one puff (activation of the heater 68), allowing the user to quickly adjust the particle size to the desired setting. Another possibility is that the orientation of the movable channel section 610 may be automatically performed by the control circuitry 38, at least in some cases, for example, after identifying that a particular cartridge 24 containing a particular e-liquid has been attached to the control unit 22.

Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fifth electronic aerosol provision device 700. The components of the electronic cigarette 700 of figure 7 are generally the same as or similar to those described with respect to figure 1 (and are labeled with the same reference numerals), and thus these components will not be discussed again. More specifically, the e-cigarette 700 of figure 7 has a very similar construction to the e-cigarette 200 of figure 2, but, like the e-cigarette 600 of figure 6, also includes provisions for adjusting the particle size distribution in the aerosol generated by the e-cigarette 700.

Thus, as shown in figure 7, the e-cigarette 700 includes a fixed airflow pathway 750 that extends to the air inlet 748 using a direct linear flow configuration, as with the e-cigarette 200 shown in figure 2, however, the e-cigarette 700 also includes a mechanism 715 (shown in schematic form in figure 7) for changing the configuration of the air pathway 750, so as to change the relative proportions of laminar and turbulent airflow within the air pathway 750, thereby providing some control over the particle size distribution in the aerosol generated by the e-cigarette 700. The mechanism 715 may be operated by a user via a button or switch 725 in a similar manner as the button 625 is used in the e-cigarette 600 to move the airflow channel segment 610. Likewise, operation of the mechanism 715 may be performed using the user input buttons 34 and/or the visual display indicator 44 (alternatively or additionally using the switch 725) and/or automatically at least in part by the control circuit 38.

One embodiment of the mechanism 715 is a shaped diaphragm or orifice that may vary, for example, between a simple circular shape for the opening and a star shape (or any other more complex shape) for the opening. The circular shape introduces relatively little turbulence and therefore supports a higher proportion of laminar flow, whereas the more complex (detailed) star-shaped apertures tend to introduce more turbulence and therefore a smaller proportion of laminar flow by producing more local pressure variations. For example, a button or switch 725 may be used to actuate switching between different aperture shapes.

In other embodiments, wall features such as baffles, fins, or other obstructions (or a plurality of such items) may be moved into and/or out of the airflow passageway 750. The insertion of such features may again further cause local pressure variations, thereby promoting the formation of turbulence. Thus, the degree of turbulence (and thus particle size) may be controlled by adjusting the degree to which such obstructions are inserted into the airflow channel 750 or withdrawn from the airflow channel (e.g., by using a button or switch 725). A similar effect may be achieved, for example, by forming or flattening a surface texture or other topography on the inner walls of the airflow channel 750.

Another possible embodiment of the mechanism 715 includes a grill, grating, or other similar structure that may be moved into the airflow passageway 750 to increase turbulence of the airflow. Typically, the grid is formed of filaments or the like, such that the grid acts to disturb the airflow and impart turbulence to the airflow, but does not inhibit the airflow rate. In some embodiments, the grating 715 may be permanently located in the airflow passage 750, however, the configuration or other property or properties of the grating (e.g., the size of individual openings within the grating) may be varied to vary the amount of turbulence generated in the airflow. Another example of a mechanism 715 is an airflow splitter that may be located in the airflow path 750 to divide the airflow channel into two or more sub-channels. Separating the air flow into multiple air channels and then subsequently recombining the air flow into a single channel, both of which can cause turbulence in the air flow. The degree of turbulence can be controlled by varying the proportion of air in each component.

In some embodiments, the mechanism 715 may affect not only the relative proportions of laminar and turbulent flow, but also the rate of airflow through the e-cigarette for a given pressure drop or puff strength, in effect, increasing Resistance To Draw (RTD). For example, in addition to increasing the amount of turbulence, introducing fins or other obstructions into the airflow will generally act as additional RTD resistance to the airflow. However, it may be desirable to allow the user to control the amount of turbulence (and thus particle size) while leaving the RTD (and thus the overall flow rate) little or no change. One way to achieve this is for the e-cigarette to include a restrictor somewhere along the entire airflow path, which is the primary restriction to airflow through the e-cigarette. In such a configuration, any change in the RTD caused by the different settings of mechanism 715 will have a relatively low impact on the overall RTD experienced by the user. Another approach is to design a different arrangement of the mechanism 715 to vary the amount of turbulence, rather than the total airflow resistance. For example, for the above-described embodiments using circular orifices to reduce turbulence and star orifices to increase turbulence, the circular orifices and star orifices may be sized such that the same resistance to airflow (RTD contribution) is provided for both orifices.

Although the mechanism 715 is shown in fig. 7 as being implemented in the middle of the airflow channel 750, the mechanism may alternatively be implemented at the air inlet 748 or the interface 26, or at any suitable location between the air inlet 748 and the interface 26. In some embodiments, the mechanism 715 may include multiple components located at multiple locations along the air passage 750. Alternatively, the mechanism 715 may extend along a substantial portion (e.g., most or all) of the airflow channel 750 between the air inlet 748 and the interface 26. Further, while the air passage 750 shown in figure 7 is substantially linear (straight), other embodiments may have a curved air passage, e.g., similar to the shape shown in figure 5 for the e-cigarette 500.

As mentioned above, the present method provides an electronic aerosol provision system or apparatus comprising: an air passage between the air inlet and the air outlet; and an evaporator for generating vapor into the air passage. The air passageway between the air inlet and the evaporator is configured to support laminar airflow.

It has been found that such laminar airflow may result in smaller aerosol particles exiting the electronic aerosol provision system, which in turn may result in a more advantageous user experience. It is believed, but not limited thereto, that the laminar gas flow may produce smaller particle sizes by reducing particle agglomeration and/or by reducing vapor deposition on the particles. Although these physical effects typically occur downstream of the evaporator, it is difficult to stop the already turbulent gas flow within the electronic aerosol supply system. Thus, the methods described herein attempt to prevent or reduce the formation of turbulence upstream of the evaporator, which then helps to prevent or reduce turbulence at the evaporator (and downstream of the evaporator).

A desirable device may have laminar (non-turbulent) air flow along the entire air flow path within the device from the air inlet to the air outlet. However, in practice it may be difficult to achieve a completely laminar airflow within the device, but rather the air passage between the air inlet and the evaporator may be configured to substantially (primarily) support a laminar airflow, e.g. such that at least 60%, 75%, 85%, 90% or 95% of the airflow through the electronic aerosol provision device is laminar.

There are a number of ways in which at least the air passage between the air inlet and the evaporator can be configured to (primarily) support laminar airflow. For example, the air passageway may comprise a linear (straight) channel between the air inlet and the evaporator; there are no sharp bends or angles to facilitate laminar flow. In some cases, the air passageway between the air inlet and the evaporator may include one or more curved portions; each of the one or more curved portions may have a radius of curvature greater than 5mm and preferably greater than 15 mm. Furthermore, gentle bends are provided rather than sharp bends or angles to facilitate laminar flow (and also provide greater flexibility in the overall geometry of the device as compared to having a straight gas flow). Laminar flow along the air passageway between the air inlet and the evaporator may be further promoted by ensuring that this passageway is substantially free of (i) obstructions, such as bumps, grilles, narrow apertures, etc., and/or (ii) the topology of the walls of the air passageway, such as surface textures or other features that introduce turbulence into the airflow along the air passageway. It will be appreciated that a similar approach may be employed for the portion of the air passageway downstream of the evaporator to reduce or prevent turbulence in this downstream portion.

The method also provides an electronic aerosol provision system (e.g. such as described above) comprising means for controlling turbulence within the air passageway. In some embodiments, the facility provides at least a first setting and a second setting, the first setting providing an airflow having a higher ratio of laminar flow to turbulent flow than the second setting. Thus, as described above, the first setting will generally produce an aerosol having a smaller particle size than the second setting. For example, the median particle size of the aerosol produced by the first setting may be at least 10% smaller, preferably at least 20% smaller (e.g., based on diameter) than the median particle size of the aerosol produced by the second setting, and/or the first setting produces an aerosol having a median particle size of less than 1 micron and the second setting produces an aerosol having a median particle size of greater than 1 micron. (it will be understood that these ratios/dimensions are given by way of example only, as they are affected only by other factors such as the nature of the evaporator).

It should be understood that while some devices may have only two settings of a facility, other devices may have more settings; further, some devices may support a continuously set range between an upper limit and a lower limit. Typically, the facility may be operated by a user, for example by actuating a button or slider and/or touching a touch-sensitive input device, to control turbulence by selecting appropriate settings. In this way, the user may select the settings that provide them with the most satisfying user experience. In other cases, the facility may alternatively (or additionally) operate on an automated basis. For example, the device may detect that a particular cartridge or cartomiser has been installed and the facility is set up to provide the most appropriate degree of turbulence for that cartridge.

There are various ways in which this facility can be implemented. For example, in some cases, the facility may support movement of the airflow path in order to introduce or remove a linear channel between the air inlet and the evaporator. Other ways of varying the degree of turbulence may be to use the following: a movable (removable) airflow splitter to divide a portion of the air passageway into two or more channels; one or more variable orifices along the passageway; and/or one or more structures that may be introduced into or modified within the air passageway. It should be noted that the facility may utilize a number of different methods to vary the degree of turbulence.

In some embodiments, the facility is arranged to maintain a substantially constant airflow through the air passageway when the facility provides varying degrees of turbulence. For example, the facility may use smooth (circular) orifices to reduce turbulence, or more angled orifices (e.g., star-shaped) to increase turbulence. The overall size of each orifice may then be configured such that different shaped orifices provide the same inhalation resistance (and thus the same total airflow). In this way, the user is able to adjust the particle size of the aerosol without changing other parameters of the device (e.g. inhalation resistance), which supports easier device management by the user.

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To solve various problems and to advance technology, the present disclosure shows by way of illustration a number of embodiments in which the claimed invention may be practiced. The advantages and features of the present disclosure are merely representative of these embodiments and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. These examples are presented only to aid in understanding and teaching the claimed invention. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the present disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the present disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, that other embodiments may be utilized and that 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., in addition to those specifically described herein, and it is understood that features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly set forth herein. The present disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. An electronic aerosol provision system comprising:

an air passageway between the air inlet and the air outlet; and

an evaporator for generating vapor into the air passage;

wherein the air passageway is configured to support laminar airflow between the air inlet and the evaporator.

2. An electronic aerosol provision system according to claim 1, wherein the air passageway comprises a linear channel between the air inlet and the vaporiser.

3. An electronic aerosol provision system according to claim 1, wherein the air passageway comprises one or more curved portions between the air inlet and the evaporator, wherein each curved portion of the one or more curved portions has a radius of curvature of greater than 5mm, and preferably greater than 15 mm.

4. An electronic aerosol provision system according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air passageway is substantially free of obstructions between the air inlet and the evaporator which introduce turbulence into the airflow along the air passageway.

5. An electronic aerosol provision system according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the air passageway is defined between the air inlet and the evaporator by one or more walls of a topology that introduces substantially no turbulence into the airflow along the air passageway.

6. An electronic aerosol provision system according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the air passageway is configured to support laminar air flow between the vaporiser and the air outlet.

7. An electronic aerosol provision system according to any of claims 1 to 6, further comprising means for controlling turbulence within the air passageway.

8. An electronic aerosol provision system according to claim 7, wherein the facility has at least a first and a second setting, the first setting providing a higher proportion of laminar flow to turbulent flow than the second setting.

9. An electronic aerosol provision system according to claim 8, wherein the aerosol produced by the first arrangement has a smaller particle size than the aerosol produced by the second arrangement.

10. An electronic aerosol provision system according to claim 9, wherein the median particle size of the aerosols produced by the first setting is at least 10% smaller, preferably at least 20% smaller, than the median particle size of the aerosols produced by the second setting.

11. An electronic aerosol provision system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the first setting produces an aerosol having a median particle size of less than 1 micron and the second setting produces an aerosol having a median particle size of greater than 1 micron.

12. The aerosol provision system of any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the first arrangement reduces particle agglomeration compared to the second arrangement.

13. The aerosol provision system of any of claims 8 to 12, wherein the first arrangement reduces vapour deposition on particles compared to the second arrangement.

14. An electronic aerosol provision system according to any of claims 7 to 13, wherein the facility supports movement of the gas flow passage.

15. An electronic aerosol provision system according to claim 14, wherein the movement of the airflow pathway is configured to introduce or remove a linear channel between the air inlet and the vaporiser.

16. An electronic aerosol provision system according to any of claims 7 to 13, wherein the facility comprises an airflow splitter for splitting a portion of the air passageway into two or more channels.

17. An electronic aerosol provision system according to any of claims 7 to 13, wherein the facility comprises an aperture having a plurality of shapes.

18. An electronic aerosol provision system according to any of claims 7 to 13, wherein the facility comprises one or more structures introduced into or changing within the air passage.

19. The electronic aerosol provision system of any of claims 7 to 18, wherein the electronic aerosol provision system is configured to maintain a substantially constant airflow through the air passage while the facility provides varying degrees of turbulence.

20. An electronic aerosol provision system according to any of claims 7 to 19, wherein the facilities are settable by a user to control turbulence.

21. An electronic aerosol provision system comprising:

an air passageway between the air inlet and the air outlet;

an evaporator for generating vapor into the air passage; and

means for conditioning the air passageway to control turbulence within the air passageway.

22. A method of operating an electronic aerosol provision system, comprising:

providing an air passageway between an air inlet and an air outlet and an evaporator for generating a vapor into the air passageway; and

the air passage is regulated to control turbulence within the air passage.