FIELD
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The present disclosure relates to an aerosol-generating system and particularly, although not exclusively, to an aerosol-generating system having a fibrous mouthpiece, wherein the mouthpiece is moveable between an active position and a retracted position.
BACKGROUND
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An electronic vapour product (EVP), also known as a vaping apparatus or a vape, is a type of aerosol-generating system in which an aerosol precursor (e.g. a liquid or gel) is aerosolised by an aerosol-generating unit, such as a heating element or ultrasonic element.
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EVP systems typically have a rigid plastic mouthpiece for delivering aerosol to the user, integral with the device body or an article. These mouthpieces are robust and hard-wearing, can be easily wiped clean and are thus reusable over the lifetime of a device or article.
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Conventional cigarettes are disposable and typically have a filter element wrapped in tipping paper that acts as the mouthpiece.
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It is against this background that the present invention has been developed.
SUMMARY
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At its most general, the present disclosure provides an aerosol-generating system that comprises a mouthpiece having a lip-engaging portion, wherein the lip-engaging portion is formed of a lip-engaging material to provide desired sensorial experience to the user. The sensorial experience or feeling on the user's lip provided by the lip-engaging material may be similar to or analogous to the experience of placing the lips on a conventional cigarette. That is, the lip-engaging material may emulate a conventional cigarette filter.
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The system may be a smoking substitute system. Smoking substitute systems are intended to provide a substitute for the rituals of smoking, and may provide the user with a similar experience and satisfaction to those experienced with traditional smoking and with combustible tobacco products.
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In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an aerosol-generating system that comprises a mouthpiece having a lip-engaging portion, wherein the lip-engaging portion is formed of fibrous material. Optionally, the mouthpiece is moveable between an active position wherein the lip-engaging portion extends from an outer housing of a device body and a retracted position wherein the lip-engaging portion is housed within the body (that is, located within the outer housing). Optionally, the system comprises an article comprising aerosol-forming material.
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Optionally, the lip-engaging portion of the mouthpiece is formed of fibrous material. In this way, the mouthpiece may emulate the mouthpiece of a conventional cigarette and provide the user with a similar sensorial experience on the lips. A fibrous mouthpiece may be more absorbent of liquids such as water than, for example, a conventional EVP mouthpiece. A fibrous mouthpiece may feel less cold to the user than, for example, a conventional EVP mouthpiece. A fibrous mouthpiece may be less rigid and more deformable than, for example, a conventional EVP mouthpiece. A fibrous mouthpiece may have a higher porosity than, for example, a conventional EVP mouthpiece. Without being bound by any theory it is thought that one or more of the appearance, texture, absorbency, deformability, porosity, and softness may each contribute to the user's perception that the mouthpiece is similar to that of a conventional cigarette.
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Optionally, the mouthpiece is formed of fibrous material.
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In the active position the mouthpiece extends from the body to provide a lip-engaging portion for the user to interact with and inhale aerosol. In this way the user's lips can interact with a component of the system which emulates a conventional cigarette to provide a similar `lip-feel' and experience, but the mouthpiece may be reusable despite its potentially delicate nature by virtue of it being movable to a retracted position. Additionally, the aerosol produced may be customisable in the manner of known EVP devices. Thus, a range of different aerosols may be produced during use with different aerosol-forming materials and the system may be considered more sustainable than conventional cigarettes.
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In the retracted position, the lip-engaging portion of the mouthpiece is located within the body. The mouthpiece may be entirely enclosed by the body or housed within the footprint of the outer housing of the body. In some examples the mouthpiece may be housed within the body with a surface of the mouthpiece remaining exposed (that is, the mouthpiece may not be surrounded on all sides). The mouthpiece does not protrude or extend from the outer housing of the body in the retracted position. The mouthpiece may retract into a chamber within the body. With the mouthpiece housed in this way it may be conveniently protected when not in use to avoid bending, crushing, scratches and/or other deformation and the device may retain a desirable form factor. In this way, the mouthpiece may be reusable over multiple sessions and the user may take breaks during a session, for example, put the device in a pocket, and still be able to use the same mouthpiece on resuming the session despite the potentially easily deformable nature of fibrous material. Thus, more delicate mouthpieces such as those formed of fibrous material can be used repeatedly and/or kept attached when the system is not in use, such as for storage or travel. The retracted position may also prevent the fibrous mouthpiece collecting dirt and debris when not in use and may help give the mouthpiece a clean appearance and feel, similar to a fresh cigarette.
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In this way, a system is provided which provides the user with both a similar sensorial experience on the lips to a conventional cigarette and a mouthpiece which can be enjoyed over an extended period. That is, the system may be used over multiple sessions and/or breaks may be taken during sessions without requiring replacement of the mouthpiece.
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Optionally, the mouthpiece is associated with an article. The article may be associated with the device body. That is, the mouthpiece may be moveably attached to the body via an article comprising aerosol-forming material. The mouthpiece may be directly attached to an article, and the article may then be attached to the device body. The article may be releasably attachable to the body.
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The mouthpiece may be moveable relative to the article in order to provide the movement with respect to the outer housing of the device body. That is, the article may be fixed in position within the body when connected to the body and the mouthpiece may move relative to the article. For example, the mouthpiece may retract into the article (for example, into a chamber within the article) to become housed within the body. In some examples, the outer housing of the article may be considered to form part of the outer housing of the device, when the article is connected to the device.
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The mouthpiece may be fixed relative to the article and the article may be moveably attached to the body to provide the movement of the mouthpiece relative to the body. For example, the whole article may retract into the body so that the attached mouthpiece becomes housed within the body. In some examples, the article may be attached to the body via the engagement of complementary screw threading on the article and the body.
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Optionally, the mouthpiece is associated with the device body. That is, the mouthpiece may be moveably attached to the body directly. For example, the mouthpiece may be attached to a slider of the body, or a pivot element of the body.
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In some examples, the outer housing of the body may comprise sheath. That is, the mouthpiece may be fixed to a central portion of the body and the mouthpiece may retract into the body by movement of a sheath part of the body around the central portion of the body to cover the mouthpiece.
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Optionally, the system may further comprise an article comprising aerosol-forming material. The article may also be associated with the body. The article may be releasably attachable to the body. The article may be separate from the mouthpiece.
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Alternatively or additionally, the device body may comprise a tank for aerosol-forming material. The tank may be referred to as a reservoir.
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The device body may be operable by the user to move the mouthpiece relative to the body between the positions defined herein.
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The body may comprise an external sliding element, scroll wheel, or twistable element. The movement of the mouthpiece may be actuated by the user by interacting with such an element.
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The movement may operate with a rack and pinion mechanism. The movement may operate with an Archimedes screw mechanism. The movement may operate with a bayonet mechanism.
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Optionally, the lip-engaging portion of the mouthpiece is a hollow bore filter element. Optionally, the mouthpiece is a hollow bore filter element. A "filter element" is defined as a porous element configured to remove one or more components of the fluid passing therethrough, e.g. solid particles from a liquid or gas passed through the filter. The filter elements may be formed of materials including cellulose acetate, polypropylene tow, activated charcoal, paper, extruded plant material, and like materials. Hollow bore filter elements comprise one or more bores extending longitudinally through the filter element. In this way, the experience of inhaling through a filter is provided to emulate a conventional cigarette. In some examples, the airflow may be primarily through the bore or bore(s) so that material from the airflow does not build up in the filter and the filter does not impact on the amount of aerosol received by the user.
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In some examples, the mouthpiece is formed of a natural material such as plant or plant derived material. In some examples, the material is cellulosic. In some examples, the mouthpiece is formed of a synthetic material. In some examples, the material is not rigid. In some examples, the material is not metal. In some examples, the material is not plastic.
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Optionally, the mouthpiece is formed of cellulose acetate, polypropylene tow, paper, extruded plant material, and/or derivatives thereof. These materials are used as filters for conventional cigarettes, so may provide the user with a similar sensorial experience or `mouthfeel'. Optionally, the mouthpiece is formed of cellulose acetate.
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Optionally, the mouthpiece is hollow. In this way the mouthpiece may not substantially act as a filter, that is, the majority of airflow through the mouthpiece is through a channel and the mouthpiece does not substantially remove components from the airflow. In this way, the mouthpiece may avoid discolouration or build-up of moisture and aerosol particles. Thus, the mouthpiece may remain pleasant to use over one or more sessions. The channel may be centrally located in a longitudinal direction through the mouthpiece.
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In some examples, the lip-engaging portion of the mouthpiece may have a wrapping or outer layer. That is, the lip-engaging portion of the mouthpiece may be circumscribed with a plug wrap. This may be paper or a paper derivative. For example, tipping paper may form the outer layer of the fibrous mouthpiece. In this way, the mouthpiece further emulates that of a conventional cigarette. The plug wrapping may help maintain the form of the mouthpiece. The wrap may give the mouthpiece a matte appearance. The wrap may be printed with a pattern to help emulate the appearance of a conventional cigarette, for example, the wrap may be printed with an imitation cork pattern or may be white. Imitation cork patterns are commonly used on cigarettes and therefore may provide the user with a similar experience. White wrapping may give the user the impression of cleanliness and freshness.
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Optionally, the mouthpiece is substantially cylindrical to emulate the mouthpiece end of a cylindrical cigarette. The mouthpiece may be substantially elliptical. The mouthpiece may have a substantially cylindrical or elliptical central channel.
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Optionally, the mouthpiece has a diameter of 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less. The mouthpiece may have a diameter of 5 mm or more, 6 mm or more, or 7 mm or more. The mouthpiece may have a diameter of 8 mm less, 9 mm or less, or 10 mm or less. The mouthpiece may have a diameter of 7 mm or more and 8 mm or less. This may emulate the dimensions of a conventional cigarette to provide a familiar experience to a user seeking an alternative to conventional smoking.
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Optionally, the mouthpiece has an axial length of 8 mm or more and 30 mm or less. The mouthpiece may have an axial length of 8 mm or more, 10 mm or more, or 15 mm or more. The mouthpiece may have an axial length of 20 mm or less, 25 mm or less, 30 mm or less, 35 mm or less, or 40 mm or less. This may ensure that, in the active position, the mouthpiece extends out a suitable distance for the user to interact with, but not so far that the mouthpiece structure is undesirably weak, or it becomes impractical for the user.
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Optionally, the mouthpiece is removable. In this way, the mouthpiece can be used over one or multiple sessions before replacement according to the user's preference.
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In some examples, the mouthpiece may be secured to the body with an interference fit. The fibrous nature of the mouthpiece enables slight deformation to hold this fit whilst also ensuring easy removal and replacement of the mouthpiece.
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Optionally, the mouthpiece is moveable between the active position and the retracted position by rotation about a pivot. In this way, the user may be able to `flip' the mouthpiece up and down in a satisfying way. For example, the mouthpiece may be able to rotate approximately 90 degrees to move from extending outwards from the body to lying along a chamber within the body. In the retracted position the mouthpiece may lie substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device.
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Optionally, the mouthpiece is movable along a longitudinal axis of the body. The mouthpiece may be slidable between the active position and the retracted position. The mouthpiece may be fitted to a mechanical slider. This may make the system simple to use and manufacture.
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Optionally, the body comprises a cover. The cover may be moveable so that it encloses the mouthpiece within the body in the retracted position. In this way, the mouthpiece is further protected when not in use. The cover may be integral to the body or the article. That is, the cover may part of the body or the article. In this way, the cover may be less likely to become separated from the rest of the system and lost.
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Optionally, the system is an electronic vapour product system. The system may be configured to aerosolise an aerosol-forming material with an aerosol-generating unit, such as a heating element or ultrasonic element, wherein the aerosol-forming material is a liquid or gel. This may produce an aerosol which provides the user with a sensory experience more closely resembling the smoke from a conventional cigarette than other types of system.
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Optionally, the system is a heat-not-burn or heated tobacco product system. The system may be configured to produce an aerosol by heating an aerosol-forming material that is a solid, such as tobacco, with a heating system.
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A heating system is provided to generate aerosol from the aerosol-forming material. The heating system may generate heat via one or more of several modes. Heat may be generated by resistive heating in which a current is passed through the resistive material of the heating element (e.g. the material of a wire, coil, mesh or track). Heat may be generated by microwave heating in which microwaves are directed towards a material to be heated. Heat may be generated by inductive heating in which an electromagnetic field is generated by an inductor. The electromagnetic field generates electrical currents in a conductive material (susceptor) that induce eddy currents to heat up the conductive material. The susceptor may be positioned about the consumable (an outside-in heating arrangement) or positioned in the consumable (an inside-out heating arrangement). Heat may be generated by infrared heating in which infrared radiated in directed towards a material to be heated.
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A heating element may comprise a cylindrical or rod-shaped heating element configured for insertion into the aerosol precursor. The heating element may comprise a blade-shaped heating element defining a generally planar heating element configured for insertion into an end of the consumable. The heating element may comprise a helically wound heating element (coil heating element), a mesh heater element comprising a plurality of interconnected cells that together define a heating area, e.g. formed by a perforated sheet or network of interleaved wires, or a heater track in the form of a conductive channel formed on a substrate.
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A resistive heating element may be formed from a variety of suitable materials that include, but not limited to metals, metal alloys, ceramics, ceramic metals, carbon-based materials, and composites thereof.
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Examples of suitable metals and metal alloys include: silver, copper, nickel, titanium, tungsten, zirconium, tantalum, platinium group metals, stainless steel, nickel-, cobalt-, chromium-, aluminium-titanium- zirconium-, hafnium-, niobium-, molybdenum-, tantalum-, tungsten-, tin-, gallium-, manganese- and iron-containing alloys, and super-alloys based on nickel, iron, cobalt, stainless steel, and iron-manganese-aluminium based alloys.
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The resistive heating element may comprise one or more electrically conductive tracks formed of the abovementioned metal and metal alloys.
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Examples of suitable ceramics include silicon carbide, molybdenum disilicide, aluminium oxide, silicon nitride, titanium carbide. The ceramic may be doped or undoped.
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In some embodiments, the heating element may be formed on or comprise an electrically insulating substrate. The electrically insulating substrate may be a ceramic (e.g. aluminum oxide or zirconia), polymer (e.g. polyimide), fibrous material (e.g. paper or cardboard), or other like material suitable for providing electrical insulation and mechanical support to the heating element.
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The electrically insulating substrate may have a thermal conductivity of less than 40 W/mK, a thermal conductivity of less than 30 W/mK a thermal conductivity of less than 20 W/mK a thermal conductivity of less than 10 W/mK.
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The heating system may comprise a susceptor configured to generate heat in the presence of an electromagnetic field. The susceptor may be formed in the shape of a rod, sheet, band, or like shape. Suitable materials include metals, ceramics, and carbon-based materials such as graphite. The metal may be a ferromagnetic metal, such as iron, stainless steel, nickel, or cobalt. The metal may be a non-ferromagnetic metal, such as aluminium, copper or gold. Suitable ceramic materials include zirconia, aluminium oxide, and silicon carbide. The susceptor may be formed of at least 50% ferro- or paramagnetic material, or at least 70% ferro- or para- magnetic material. The heating element may comprise an annulus (e.g. tube) into which aerosol-forming material is insertable.
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It will be appreciated that many of these terms overlap. For example, a rod heater element may comprise heater tracks or a coil that generate the heat radiated by the rod heater element, or a tube heater may be heated by a heater track formed thereon.
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A power supply is provided to operate the aerosol-generating system. The power supply may include a battery. Suitable batteries may include lithium-based batteries (e.g. lithium-ion and lithium polymer batteries) and nickel-base batteries (e.g. nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries). The battery may be rechargeable via a wired or wireless connection. The power supply may, alternatively or in addition, include an external power outlet configured to charge the battery, bypass the battery, or to replace the battery altogether. The power supply may be or include another form of charge storage device such as a capacitor.
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Optionally, the body of the system houses the power supply. Optionally, the body houses the heating system. Optionally, the article houses the heating system.
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In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an aerosol-generating device comprising a body and a mouthpiece, the mouthpiece having a lip-engaging portion formed of fibrous material, wherein the mouthpiece is moveable relative to an outer housing of the body so as to provide an active position wherein the lip-engaging portion extends from the body and a retracted position wherein the lip-engaging portion is housed within the body.
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Optionally, the device is for use in the system of the first aspect.
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Optionally, the device comprises a tank for aerosol-forming material and no additional article comprising aerosol-forming material is required for use of the device.
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The discussion of the aerosol-generating system of the first aspect may equally apply to the device of the second aspect, except where clearly impermissible.
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In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides an article for use in an aerosol-generating system, the article comprising a body and a mouthpiece, the mouthpiece having a lip-engaging portion formed of fibrous material, wherein the mouthpiece is moveable relative to an outer housing of the body so as to provide an active position wherein the lip-engaging portion extends from the body and a retracted position wherein the lip-engaging portion is housed within the body.
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The article may be for use in an aerosol-generating system according to the first aspect.
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The article may be configured to releasably attach to a device body as described with reference to the first aspect.
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The discussion of the article with reference to the first aspect may equally apply to the third aspect, except where clearly impermissible.
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In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides an aerosol-generating system that comprises a mouthpiece having a lip-engaging portion, wherein the lip-engaging portion is a hollow bore filter element. Optionally, the mouthpiece is a hollow bore filter element. Optionally, the mouthpiece is moveable between an active position wherein the lip-engaging portion extends from an outer housing of a device body and a retracted position wherein the lip-engaging portion is housed within the outer housing of the body. Optionally, the system comprises an article comprising aerosol-forming material.
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As defined with reference to the first aspect, a "filter element" is a porous element configured to remove one or more components of the fluid passing therethrough, e.g. solid particles from a liquid or gas passed through the filter. Filter elements may be formed of materials including cellulose acetate, polypropylene tow, activated charcoal, paper, extruded plant material, and like materials. Hollow bore filter elements comprise one or more bores extending longitudinally through the filter element.
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In this way, the experience of inhaling through a filter is provided to emulate a conventional cigarette. The sensorial experience when placed on the user's lip or `lip-feel' of a hollow bore filter may be similar or analogous to that of a conventional cigarette. Without being bound by any theory it is thought that one or more of the appearance, texture, absorbency, deformability, porosity, and softness may each contribute to the user's perception that the mouthpiece is similar to that of a conventional cigarette.
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In some examples, the airflow may be primarily through the bore or bore(s) so that material from the airflow does not build up in the filter and the filter does not impact on the amount of aerosol received by the user.
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The discussion and features of the aerosol-generating system of the first aspect may equally apply to the system of the fourth aspect, except where clearly impermissible. For example, the mouthpiece positions, device components and structure and/or article components and structure may otherwise be as described with reference to the first aspect.
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In a fifth aspect, the present disclosure provides an aerosol-generating system that comprises a mouthpiece having a lip-engaging portion, wherein the lip-engaging portion is formed of cellulose acetate, polypropylene tow, activated charcoal, paper, extruded plant material, or a combination thereof. Optionally, the mouthpiece is moveable between an active position wherein the lip-engaging portion extends from an outer housing of a device body and a retracted position wherein the lip-engaging portion is housed within the outer housing of the body. Optionally, the system comprises an article comprising aerosol-forming material.
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These materials are used as filters for conventional cigarettes, so may provide the user with a similar sensorial experience or `mouthfeel' when used for the lip-engaging portion.
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The discussion and features of the aerosol-generating system of the first aspect may equally apply to the system of the fourth aspect, except where clearly impermissible. For example, the mouthpiece positions, device components and structure and/or article components and structure may otherwise be as described with reference to the first aspect.
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The preceding summary is provided for purposes of summarizing some examples to provide a basic understanding of aspects of the subject matter described herein. Accordingly, the above-described features should not be construed to narrow the scope of the subject matter described herein in any way. Moreover, the above and/or following examples may be combined in any suitable combination to provide further examples, except where such a combination is clearly impermissible or expressly avoided. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following text and the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
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Aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of examples in reference to the appended figures in which like numerals denote like elements.
- Figure 1 shows an example of an aerosol-generating system;
- Figure 2 shows internal components of the aerosol-generating system;
- Figure 3 shows an example of an aerosol-generating system;
- Figure 4 shows an example of a mouthpiece;
- Figure 5 shows an example of a mouthpiece attached to a device body.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
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It is to be understood that the present disclosure, which includes the specification and claim(s), is not limited by specific construction details or process steps. Rather, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the systems, apparatuses, and methods described herein can be embodied and practiced in various alternative ways without departing from the scope of the invention.
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Unless defined otherwise, scientific and technical terms used herein have their meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art and that known techniques and procedures may be performed according to conventional methods.
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In the present disclosure, the terms "a" and "an" may mean "one", "one or more", "at least one", and "one or more than one" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Likewise, plural terms shall include the singular unless otherwise required by context.
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In the present disclosure, the term "or" means an inclusive "and/or" unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or unless the alternatives are mutually exclusive.
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In the present disclosure, the terms "comprising, "having," "including," or "containing" (and any forms thereof, such as "comprise" and "comprises," "have" and "has," "includes" and "include," or "contains" and "contain," respectively) are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.
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Unless stated otherwise, the features of examples disclosed herein, and of the claims, may be integrated together in any suitable arrangement such that combinations of features are not limited by the described forms, particularly the form (e.g. numbering) of example(s), embodiment(s), or dependency of claim(s). This also applies to the phrase "in one example", "according to an example" and the like, which are merely a stylistic form of wording not to be construed as limiting the features to a separate embodiment. This is to say, a reference to 'an,' 'one,' or 'some' examples(s) may be a reference to any one or more, and/or all examples, or combination(s) thereof, disclosed. Also, similarly, reference to "the" example may not be limited to the immediately preceding embodiment. Further, all references to one or more embodiments or examples are to be construed as non-limiting to the claims.
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The present disclosure may be better understood in view of the following explanations, wherein the terms used that are separated by "or" may be used interchangeably.
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Figure 1 shows an example of an aerosol-generating system 1. In this example, the aerosol-generating system 1 is an electronic vapour product (EVP) configured to produce an aerosol from an aerosol-forming material 10 (e.g. a liquid or gel precursor), although it will be appreciated that the invention may be similarly applicable to a heat-not-burn product (HNB) configured to produce an aerosol from heating an aerosol-forming material (e.g. a solid precursor such as tobacco) to a temperature below its combustion temperature.
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The term "aerosol-forming material" refers to a substrate or formulation capable of releasing volatile components that can form an aerosol, e.g. by releasing volatile compounds in the aerosol-forming material. An "aerosol" is a dispersion of solid particles and/or liquid droplets dispersed in a gas. The aerosol may be visible or invisible.
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Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of the internal components of the aerosol-generating system 1. The aerosol-generating system 1 comprises an aerosol-generating unit 2 configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-forming material 10 held in a storage portion 3 of the aerosol-generating system 1 (implemented here as a "tank"). In this example, the aerosol-generating unit 2 is a heating system including a heating element 2a although it will be appreciated that an aerosol-generating unit comprising an ultrasonic element, atomiser or similar component may be provided.
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The aerosol-forming material 10 may be referred to as "e-liquid". Typically, the aerosol-forming material 10 includes a base liquid and optionally nicotine and/or flavourings such that the resulting aerosol contains nicotine and/or flavourings.
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The aerosol-generating system 1 includes a power source 4. In this example, the power source 4 includes a battery 4a configured to supply electrical energy to operate the aerosol-generating unit 2 and other components. The aerosol-generating system 1 may be powered, alternatively or in addition to the battery 4a, by an external power source. In an alternative example, the power source 4 may be omitted, e.g. an aerosol aerosol-generating unit implemented as an atomiser with flow expansion may not require a power supply.
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The aerosol-generating system 1 includes an aerosol-delivery system 5 for delivery of the aerosol to a user. In this example, the aerosol-delivery system 5 comprises an air inlet 6, a mouthpiece 8, and an air passageway 7 extending therebetween via a region in proximity to the aerosol-generating unit 2.
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The mouthpiece 8 is formed of fibrous material.
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The aerosol-generating unit 2 includes a wick 2b having at least one end that extends into the storage portion 3 and is configured to draw aerosol-forming material 10 out from the storage portion 3. In this example, the heating element 2a is in the form of a heating filament wrapped around a portion of the wick 2b. In this manner, the heating element 2a can heat up the aerosol-forming material 10 drawn out of the storage portion 3 by the wick 2b to produce the aerosol, which is then drawn through the air passageway 7 to the mouthpiece 8. In other examples, the heating element 2a may be a mesh heater, ceramic heater, or other means of generating heat. The heating element 2a may be part of an induction heater having a susceptor configured to produce heat when penetrated by an alternating magnetic field.
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The aerosol-generating system 1 may be a two-part construction comprising a device body 20 and an article 30 (alternatively referred to as a "pod" or "cartomizer") configured to be releasably connected/disconnected by an end user. The device body 20 and article 30 are each configured to house respective components of the aerosol-generating system 1.
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In some examples, the article 30 may be configured to be disposed of upon depletion of aerosol-forming material 10 from the storage portion, in which case the article 30 may referred to as a "consumable". Alternatively, the article 30 may be configured for reuse, such that it is configured to be refillable upon depletion of the aerosol-forming material 10 from the storage portion.
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In this example, the mouthpiece 8 is attached to the article 30. In an alternative example, the mouthpiece 8 may be attached directly to the device body 20.
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In this example, the device body 20 comprises the power source 4, and the article 30 comprises the aerosol-generating unit 2 and storage portion 3, although it will be appreciated that the device body 20 and article 30 may house any respective set of components. The device body 20 and article 30 are configured to physically interlock to secure the article 30 relative to the device body 20.
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Upon connection, electrical connectors 40 of the device body 20 and article 30 may establish an electrical connection between the device body 20 and the article 30. In this way, electrical power can be supplied from the power source 4 to the aerosol-generating unit 2 (or other components of the article 30) without the article 30 needing to have its own power supply.
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The device body 20 may include any one or more of electrical circuitry, a memory, a wireless interface, and one or more other components. The device body 20 may include a printed circuit board (PCB) on which components of the electrical circuitry, memory, wireless interface, and other components may be mounted.
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The electrical circuitry may include a processing resource for controlling one or more operations of the body 20 and article 30, e.g. based on instructions stored in the memory. The wireless interface may be configured to communicate wirelessly with an external (e.g. mobile) device, e.g. via Bluetooth. The other component(s) may include one or more user interface devices configured to convey information to a user, a pressure sensor 15, and/or a charging port 18 (see e.g. figure 2).
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The aerosol-generating system 1 may comprise one or more input and/or output elements. In this example, the aerosol-generating system 1 includes an input element in the form of a pressure sensor 15 arranged to detect a "puff' of the user, and particularly the resultant change in air pressure, i.e. a vacuum pressure generated by the user. Alternatively, or in addition, the aerosol-generating system 1 may include other means of detecting airflow, such as a flowmeter or microphone. The user can thereby activate the aerosol-generating unit 2 when inhaling through the mouthpiece 8. The aerosol-generating unit 2 creates an aerosol which is carried by the flow through the air passageway 7 and out of the mouthpiece 8.
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The input and/or output elements may form part of a user interface (Ul) of the aerosol-generating system 1. For instance, figure 2 shows an output element in the form of a light (e.g. an LED) 17. The light 17 is configured to convey information to the user regarding the state of the system 1. It will be appreciated that the input element(s) may be provided in various forms, such as touch screens, switches, and sensors, and the output element(s) may be provided in various forms, such as display screens, speakers, or a haptic output generated by a vibration generator.
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Figure 3 shows another example of an aerosol-generating system 1 with the mouthpiece in the active position (left) and the retracted position (right).
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In this example, the fibrous mouthpiece 8 is attached to the device body 20. The device body 20 has an actuator element 21 for the user to control movement of the mouthpiece 8. In this example, the device body 20 comprises a slider 21a located on a sidewall which the user can operate with a thumb to slide the mouthpiece 8 in and out of the device body 20. In alternative examples, the device body might comprise a scroll-wheel or button for controlling the movement of the mouthpiece 8.
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The device body 20 also houses an article 30. In this example, the article 30 is insertable into the body 20 and is separate to the mouthpiece 8. In alternative examples, the device body may have a tank for aerosol-forming material so that a separate article is not required.
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On the left, the aerosol-generating system 1 is shown with the mouthpiece 8 in the active position. The slider 21a is raised towards the mouthpiece 8. The mouthpiece 8 extends out from the outer housing of the device body 20 so that the user is able to interact with it to inhale aerosol.
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On the right, the aerosol-generating system 1 is shown with the mouthpiece 8 in the retracted position. The slider 21a is lowered away from the mouthpiece 8. The mouthpiece 8 is located within the device body 20 so that it is protected by the outer housing of the device body 20.
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In this example, the mouthpiece 8 slides longitudinally between the two positions. In alternative examples, the actuator element 21 may be a twistable element and the mouthpiece 8 may move between positions by rotation along a screw thread.
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Figure 4 shows an example of a mouthpiece 8. The mouthpiece is formed of fibrous material. In this example the mouthpiece 8 is a hollow bore filter with a central channel 81 or bore through which air may flow.
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In this example, the mouthpiece 8 is fitted to an attachment piece 22 for attachment to a device body 20 or an article 30. The attachment piece 22 is a collar which secures the mouthpiece 8 with an interference fit around the circumference. In this example the attachment piece 22 has two protrusions which can interact with the device body 20 or article 30 to form a pivot element and allow rotation of the mouthpiece 8 about the protrusions.
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Figure 3 shows an example of a mouthpiece 8 attached to a device body 20 in the active position (left) and the retracted position (right), from a side view (top) and a top view (bottom).
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In this example, the fibrous mouthpiece 8 is attached to the device body 20 with an attachment piece 22. In this example, the mouthpiece 8 may pivot about the attachment piece 22 to move between positions.
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On the left, the mouthpiece 8 is in the active position. The mouthpiece 8 extends out from the outer housing of the device body 20 so that the user is able to interact with it to inhale aerosol.
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On the right, the mouthpiece 8 is in the retracted position. The mouthpiece 8 is rotated through approximately 90 degrees relative to its location in the active position and is located within the device body 20. The mouthpiece 8 does not protrude from the outer housing of the device body 20 so that it is protected.