JP6704889B2 - Electronic smoking article with one or more micro-heaters - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to aerosol delivery articles and their use to obtain tobacco components or other substances in inhalable form. The article may be made of tobacco, of tobacco origin, or otherwise incorporated with tobacco for human consumption.

Many smoking articles have been advocated for many years as an improvement in burning tobacco or as an alternative to smoking products based on tobacco burning. Exemplary alternatives include devices that burn solid or liquid fuels to transfer heat to tobacco, or use chemical reactions to obtain such heat sources. Many references propose certain diverse smoking articles that produce flavored vapors, visible aerosols, or a mixture of flavored vapors and visible aerosols. These proposed types of smoking articles include tubular sections or longitudinally extending air passages.

The improvement or alternative form of smoking articles has typically been to obtain the sensation associated with smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes without delivering non-negligible amounts of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products. To this end, a number of smoking products, flavor generators and medicinal inhalers have been proposed, which utilize electrical energy to vaporize or heat volatile substances, or cigarettes, cigars. Or try to provide the sensation of smoking a pipe without burning the cigarette.

Other common examples of smoking articles are U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,015 to Ellis et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,356,094 to Ellis et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,417 to Moses; Lanzellotti. U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,855 to Bolt et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,072 to Bolt et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,285 to Burnett et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,121 to Riehl et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,886 to Litzinger; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,676 to Hearn et al.; Many of these types of smoking articles have used a flammable fuel source that is combusted to provide an aerosol and/or heat an aerosol-forming substance. See, for example, the background art cited in US Pat. No. 4,714,082 to Banerjee et al. and US Pat. No. 4,771,795 to White et al., which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. thing. Also, for example, US Pat. No. 4,756,318 to Clearman et al.; US Pat. No. 4,714,082 to Banerjee et al.; US Pat. No. 4,771,795 to White et al.; US Pat. No. 4 to Sensabaugh et al. No. 4,793,365; U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,128 to Clearman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,438 to Korte; U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,171 to Serrano et al.; U.S. Pat. 4,969,476; U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,606 to Serrano et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,548 to Farrier et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,483 to Clearman et al.; U.S.A. to Schlatter et al. US Pat. No. 5,040,551; US Pat. No. 5,050,621 to Creighton et al.; US Pat. No. 5,065,776 to Lawson; US Pat. No. 5,076,296 to Nystrom et al.; Farrier et al. US Pat. No. 5,076,297; US Pat. No. 5,099,861 to Clearman et al.; US Pat. No. 5,105,835 to Drewett et al.; US Pat. No. 5,105,837 to Barnes et al.; Hauser. No. 5,115,820 to Best et al.; US Pat. No. 5,148,821 to Best et al.; US Pat. No. 5,159,940 to Hayward et al.; US Pat. No. 5,178,167 to Riggs et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,062 to Clearman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,684 to Shannon et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,014 to Deevi et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,240 to Nichols et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,955 to Clearman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,451 to Riggs et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,577 to Bensalem et al.; U.S. Pat. 819,751; US Pat. No. 6,089,857 to Matsuura et al.; US Pat. No. 6,095,152 to Beven; US Pat. No. 6,578,584 to Beven; and US Pat. 730,832, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. See also smoking article types. In addition, special cigarettes that use carbonaceous fuel elements are sold under the trade names "Premier" and "Eclipse" under the name of R.P. J. Commercially available from Reynolds Tobacco Company. For example, Chemical and Biological Studies on New Cigarette Prototypes that Heat Instaded of Burn Tobacco, R.S., on a new cigarette prototype that heats rather than burns tobacco. J. See cigarettes of the type described in Reynolds Tobacco Company Monograph (1988) and Inhalation Toxicology, 12:5, 1-58 (2000). Also, US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0274390 to Banerjee et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0215167 to Crooks et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0065075 to Banerjee et al., and US Patent Application Publication No. to Stone et al. See also 2012/0042885, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Proposed specific cigarette-shaped tobacco products are said to use tobacco in a form that is not expected to be completely burned. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,225 to Sudh; U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,855 to Kuriyama et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,883 to Edwards, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Incorporated by reference). Still other types of smoking articles, such as the type of smoking article that produces flavored vapors by subjecting a cigarette or processed tobacco to heat generated from a chemical or electrical heat source, to Chard et al. US Pat. No. 4,848,374; US Pat. Nos. 4,947,874 and 4,947,875 to Brooks et al.; US Pat. No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al.; US Patent to Deevi et al. US Pat. No. 5,224,498; US Pat. No. 5,285,798 to Banerjee et al.; US Pat. No. 5,357,984 to Farrier et al.; US to Farrier et al. No. 5,593,792; US Pat. No. 5,369,723 to Counts; US Pat. No. 5,692,525 to Counts et al.; US Pat. No. 5,865,185 to Collins et al.; Adams et al. US Pat. No. 5,878,752; US Pat. No. 5,880,439 to Deevi et al.; US Pat. No. 5,915,387 to Baggett et al.; US Pat. No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al.; Deevi. No. 6,033,623 to Adams et al., US Pat. No. 6,053,176 to Adams et al.; US Pat. No. 6,164,287 to White; US Pat. No. 6,289,898 to Fournier et al.; US Patent No. 6,615,840 to Fournier et al.; US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0131859 to Li et al.; US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0016549 to Banerjee et al.; and US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0016 to Hearn et al. No. 0185687, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Certain attempts have been made to deliver vapors, sprays or aerosols, such as those that carry or incorporate flavor and/or nicotine. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,046 to Virag; 4,284,089 to Ray; 4,635,651 to Jacobs; 4,735,217 to Gerth et al.; Ray et al. No. 4,800,903; to Ingebrethsen et al., No. 5,388,574; to Gross et al., No. 5,799,663; Abhulimen et al., No. 6,532,965; and to Adiga et al. No. 6,598,607; European Patent No. 1,618,803 to Hon; United States Patent No. 7,117,867 to Cox et al.; and the website www. e-cig. See the devices designated by ".com", all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Even more representative cigarettes or smoking articles described and optionally commercially available include US Pat. No. 4,922,901 to Brooks et al.; US Pat. No. 5,249,586 to Morgan et al. US Pat. No. 5,388,594 to Counts et al.; US Pat. No. 5,666,977 to Higgins et al.; US Pat. No. 6,196,218 to Voges; US Pat. No. 6,810,883 to Felter et al. US Pat. No. 6,854,461 to Nichols; US Pat. No. 7,832,410 to Hon; US Pat. No. 7,513,253 to Kobayashi; US Pat. No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al. U.S. Patent No. 7,896,006 to Hamano; U.S. Patent No. 6,772,756 to Shayan; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0095311 to Hon; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0196518 to Hon; 2009/0126745, and 2009/0188490; US Patent Publication No. 2009/0272379 to Thorens et al.; US Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0260641 and 2009/0260642 to Monsees et al.; Oglesby et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0149118 and 2010/0024834; US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0307518 to Wang; and WO 2010/091593 to Hon. See also U.S. Patent No. D657,047 to Minskoff et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2011/0277757, 2011/0277760, and 2011/0277764 to Terry et al. As a further example, ACCORD(R); HEATBAR(TM); HYBRID CIGARETTE(R), VEGAS(TM); E-GAR(TM); C-GAR(TM); E-MYSTICK(TM); IOLITE (registered trademark) Vaporizer, GREEN SMOKE (registered trademark), BLU (trademark) Cigs, WHITE CLOUD (registered trademark) Cirrus, V2CIGS (trademark), SOUTH BEACH SMOKE (trademark), SMOKETIP (registered trademark), SMOKE Trademark), NJOY (registered trademark), LUCI (registered trademark), Royal Blues, SMART SMOKER (registered trademark), SMOK ASSIST (registered trademark), Knight Sticks, GAMUCCI (registered trademark), InnoVapor, SMOKING REVER (registered trademark). Crown7, CHOICE (trademark) NO. 7(TM), VAPORKING(R), EPUFER(R), LOGIC(TM) ecig, VAPOR4LIFE(R), NICOTEK(R), METRO(R), VUSE(R), and PREMIUM(R). The electronic cigarette products marketed under the trademark (trademark) are mentioned.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,015 U.S. Pat. No. 3,356,094 U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,417 U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,855 U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,072 U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,285 U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,121 U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,886 US Pat. No. 5,060,676 U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,082 U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,795 U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,318 U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,365 U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,128 U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,438 U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,171 U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,476 U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,606 US Pat. No. 5,020,548 US Pat. No. 5,033,483 US Pat. No. 5,040,551 US Pat. No. 5,050,621 US Pat. No. 5,065,776 US Pat. No. 5,076,296 U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,297 US Pat. No. 5,099,861 US Pat. No. 5,105,835 US Pat. No. 5,105,837 US Pat. No. 5,115,820 US Pat. No. 5,148,821 US Pat. No. 5,159,940 US Pat. No. 5,178,167 US Pat. No. 5,183,062 US Pat. No. 5,211,684 US Pat. No. 5,240,014 US Pat. No. 5,240,016 US Pat. No. 5,345,955 US Pat. No. 5,551,451 US Pat. No. 5,595,577 US Pat. No. 5,819,751 US Pat. No. 6,089,857 US Pat. No. 6,095,152 US Pat. No. 6,578,584 US Pat. No. 6,730,832 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0274390 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0215167 US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0065075 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0042885 U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,225 U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,855 US Pat. No. 5,293,883 U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,374 U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,874 U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,875 US Pat. No. 5,060,671 US Pat. No. 5,146,934 US Pat. No. 5,224,498 US Pat. No. 5,285,798 US Pat. No. 5,357,984 US Pat. No. 5,593,792 US Pat. No. 5,369,723 US Pat. No. 5,692,525 US Pat. No. 5,865,185 US Pat. No. 5,878,752 US Pat. No. 5,880,439 US Pat. No. 5,915,387 US Pat. No. 5,934,289 US Pat. No. 6,033,623 US Pat. No. 6,053,176 US Pat. No. 6,164,287 US Pat. No. 6,289,898 US Pat. No. 6,615,840 US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0131859 US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0016549 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0185687 U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,046 U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,089 U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,651 U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,217 U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,903 US Pat. No. 5,388,574 US Pat. No. 5,799,663 US Pat. No. 6,532,965 US Pat. No. 6,598,607 European Patent No. 1,618,803 U.S. Pat. No. 7,117,867 U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,901 US Pat. No. 5,249,586 US Pat. No. 5,388,594 US Pat. No. 5,666,977 US Pat. No. 6,196,218 US Pat. No. 6,810,883 US Pat. No. 6,854,461 US Pat. No. 7,832,410 US Pat. No. 7,513,253 US Pat. No. 7,726,320 US Pat. No. 7,896,006 US Pat. No. 6,772,756 US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0095311 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0196518 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0126745 US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0188490 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0272379 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0260641 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0260642 US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0149118 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0024834 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0307518 International Publication No. 2010/091593 U.S. Pat. No. D657,047 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0277757 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0277760 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0277764

Chemical and Biological Studies on New Cigarette Prototypes that Heat Heated Installed of Burn Tobacco, R.C. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Monograph (1988) Inhalation Toxicology, 12:5, p. 1-58 (2000)

Smoking articles that use tobacco substitutes and smoking articles that use heat sources other than burning tobacco cut filters (because they produce tobacco-flavored vapors or tobacco-flavored visible aerosols) have not met with great commercial success. Articles that produce the flavor and sensation of smoking by electrically heating a cigarette have specifically undergone an inconsistent release of flavor or other inhalable material. Electrically heated smoking devices have also been often inconvenient and limited to the requirements of external heating devices that have been compromised from smoking experience. Thus, you get the sensation of smoking a cigarette, cigar or pipe without significantly burning the tobacco, without the need for a combustion heat source, and without having to deliver a significant amount of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products. It may be desirable to have a smoking article that can.

The present invention provides smoking articles and their use for controllably delivering aerosol precursor components. Compositions herein to provide a desired result to a consumer of this article, such as achieving an experience substantially similar to smoking a conventional cigarette, or achieving delivery of a flavor or the like. Disclosed are articles incorporating one or more microheaters for use in vaporizing or aerosolizing an article.

In various embodiments, smoking articles according to the present disclosure may include a power source and a microheater electrically connected to the power source. The microheater can be characterized as a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based heater. Alternatively, the microheater may be characterized as a thin film heater.

The properties of useful microheaters according to the present disclosure can vary. In various embodiments, the microheater may include a patterned conductive material. For example, the electrically conductive material can be selected from the group consisting of elemental metals, metal alloys, silicon, ceramics, carbon, carbides, nitrides, and combinations thereof. The microheater may include a support layer on which a conductive material is patterned. For example, the electrically conductive material may be a printed layer laminated to the support layer. Alternatively, the conductive material may be an etched layer laminated to the support layer. Preferably, the support layer is temperature stable over a defined temperature range, such as a temperature range of about 125°C to about 750°C. In certain embodiments, the support layer may include a silicon base, such as silicon nitride. The microheater may include a protective layer laminated to the patterned conductive material. Preferably, the protective layer is temperature stable over a defined temperature range, such as a temperature range of about 125°C to about 750°C. In certain embodiments, this protective layer may include a silicon-based material, such as silicon dioxide. As will be appreciated from the foregoing, microheaters useful in the articles of the present disclosure may comprise more than one layer. For example, the microheater can be characterized as comprising a conductive material sandwiched between two layers or two membranes. The microheaters disclosed herein may also have defined dimensions. For example, the microheater may have a length of about 3 mm or less and a width of about 3 mm or less. More specifically, the microheater may have a length of about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm and a width of about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm.

Microheaters for use in the articles disclosed herein can be utilized independently of the additional components. In other embodiments, the microheater can be attached to the substrate. Such a substrate may be a permanent fixation of the article or the substrate may be removable from the smoking article. Preferably, this substrate may be formed of an electrically insulating material.

In certain embodiments, smoking articles according to the present disclosure may include multiple microheaters. If desired, the plurality of microheaters may be sequentially arranged within the smoking article. Thus, the sequentially arranged micro-heaters may have a predetermined order (eg, sequentially) or a defined pattern (eg, two or more micro-heaters that are heated separately, or two that are sequentially heated). It may be adapted to be heated by one or more micro-heaters).

The smoking articles disclosed herein may further comprise an aerosol precursor composition. In certain embodiments, the microheater may be operably positioned within the smoking article such that it is in substantial contact with the aerosol precursor composition. Further, the aerosol precursor composition may be present in various forms, such as being in liquid or gel form at ambient conditions. If desired, the aerosol precursor composition may alternatively be in solid form at ambient conditions. In certain embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may be in the form of a gel coated on a microheater.

In other embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may be provided in a reservoir such that the aerosol precursor composition is separated from the microheater. Thus, the article may be provided with a control device adapted to deliver a defined amount of the aerosol precursor composition to the microheater. In certain embodiments, the microheater may be thermally coupled to a chamber formed of a wall, the chamber receiving a predetermined amount of aerosol precursor composition through an opening in the chamber. Has been adapted to. The chamber may be provided with an opening adapted to the outlet of steam from the chamber and/or may be provided with an opening suitable for filtering air. In certain embodiments, the chamber may have a volume of about 0.2 ml to about 1 ml. Such embodiments may be adapted to individually heat another composition or components thereof. For example, the aerosol precursor composition may comprise a plurality of individual components and the smoking article may separately comprise a plurality of reservoirs containing the individual components of the aerosol precursor composition. The article may comprise a plurality of chambers adapted to receive predetermined amounts of the individual components of the aerosol precursor composition from this reservoir.

In yet a further embodiment, the aerosol precursor composition may be coated on the carrier material, adsorbed on the carrier material or absorbed in the carrier material. Further, the carrier material may be placed in the article such that it is in substantial contact with the microheater. If desired, the article may include a plurality of microheaters in substantial contact with the carrier material.

The aerosol precursor composition may include various components. For example, the composition may include one or more of polyhydric alcohols, drugs, tobacco-derived substances and fragrances.

The power source may be selected from the group consisting of batteries, capacitors and combinations thereof. In addition, the article may include control components that activate electrical current from the power source to the microheater. For example, the control component may comprise a puff-actuated sensor or a capacitive sensor.

In a further embodiment, the smoking article may be characterized with respect to the atomizer used therein. For example, the smoking article may include a micro-heater that is integral with the atomizer. More specifically, the atomizer may include a chamber defined by a wall, a cover, and a protective layer overlying the microheater. Further, one or both of the wall and cover may include a plurality of openings sized to allow vapors but not liquids.

Accordingly, the present disclosure may also include a nebulizer suitable for use in an electric smoking article. For example, the atomizer may include a chamber formed of a chamber wall, a cover and a microheater. The chamber wall and cover may be integral and attached to a microheater support or protective layer as discussed herein. One or both of the chamber wall and cover may include a plurality of openings sized to allow vapors but not liquids.

In a further embodiment, the present disclosure may relate to a method of forming an aerosol in a smoking article. For example, the method involves initiating an electrical current from a power source within the smoking article to a microheater within the smoking article, thereby heating the microheater and the aerosol precursor composition in contact with the microheater. May be included.

In certain embodiments, smoking articles utilized in this method may comprise a plurality of microheaters, two or more of which may be heated simultaneously. Further, the aerosol precursor composition may include two or more individual components, and the individual components of the aerosol precursor composition may be separately heated by a microheater. In addition, the microheater may receive current from a power source under different conditions such that the microheater is heated to different temperatures or heated for different times. In some embodiments, two or more microheaters may be heated in succession.

If desired, the aerosol precursor composition may be coated on the carrier material, adsorbed on the carrier material or absorbed in the carrier material. Further, prior to the step of activating the electrical current, the method may further include inserting a carrier material into the smoking article. In a further embodiment, the microheater may be attached to the substrate. Similarly, prior to the step of activating the current, the method may further include inserting the substrate into the smoking article. Advantageously, the aerosol precursor composition may be coated on a micro-heater mounted on a substrate. In a further embodiment, the method initiates flow of the aerosol precursor composition from a reservoir to a chamber that is thermally coupled to a microheater, thereby removing the aerosol precursor composition in the chamber. It may further include heating.

The present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following embodiments.

Embodiment 1: A smoking article comprising a power source and a micro-heater electrically connected to the power source.

Embodiment 2: The smoking article of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the microheater is a Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) based heater.

Embodiment 3: The smoking article according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the micro-heater is a thin film heater.

Embodiment 4: The smoking article of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the microheater comprises a patterned conductive material.

Embodiment 5: The conductive material according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, selected from the group consisting of elemental metals, metal alloys, silicon, ceramics, carbon, carbides, nitrides, and combinations thereof. Smoking articles.

Embodiment 6: The smoking article of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the microheater comprises a support layer on which a conductive material is patterned.

Embodiment 7: The conductive material is a printed layer laminated to a support layer, or the conductive material is an etched layer laminated to a support layer, preceding or subsequent A smoking article according to any of the embodiments.

Embodiment 8: The smoking article of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the microheater comprises a protective layer laminated to a patterned conductive material.

Embodiment 9: The smoking article of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the support or protective layer is temperature stable in the temperature range of about 125°C to about 750°C.

Embodiment 10: A smoking article according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the support layer or protective layer comprises a silicon-based material.

Embodiment 11: The smoking article of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the microheater comprises two or more layers.

Embodiment 12: The smoking article of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the microheater comprises a conductive material sandwiched between two membranes.

Embodiment 13: The smoking article of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the microheater has a length of about 3 mm or less and a width of about 3 mm or less.

Embodiment 14: The smoking article of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the microheater has a length of about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm and a width of about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm.

Embodiment 15: The smoking article of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the microheater is attached to a substrate.

Embodiment 16: The smoking article of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the substrate is formed of an electrically insulating material.

Embodiment 17: A smoking article according to either the preceding or subsequent embodiments, comprising a plurality of microheaters.

Embodiment 18: A smoking article according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, further comprising an aerosol precursor composition.

Embodiment 19: A smoking article according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the aerosol precursor composition is in liquid or gel form at ambient conditions.

Embodiment 20: A smoking article according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the aerosol precursor composition is in a reservoir so that the aerosol precursor composition is spaced from the microheater.

Embodiment 21: A smoking article according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the article comprises a controller adapted to cause the microheater to deliver a defined amount of the aerosol precursor composition.

Embodiment 22: The preceding or subsequent implementation, wherein the microheater is thermally coupled to a chamber, the chamber being adapted to receive a predetermined amount of aerosol precursor composition through an opening in the chamber. A smoking article according to any of the forms.

Embodiment 23: A smoking article according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the chamber comprises an opening adapted for the exit of vapor from the chamber.

Embodiment 24: A smoking article according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the chamber has a volume of about 0.2 ml to about 1 ml.

Embodiment 25: The aerosol precursor composition may be coated on a carrier material, adsorbed on a carrier material or absorbed in a carrier material, the carrier material being substantially a microheater and Smoking article according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments disposed in an article that contacts a.

Embodiment 26: A smoking article according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the microheater is integral with a sprayer.

Embodiment 27: The smoking article of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the sprayer comprises a chamber defined by a wall, a cover, and a protective layer overlying the microheater.

Embodiment 28: A smoking article according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein one or both of the wall and cover comprises a plurality of openings sized to allow vapors but not liquids. ..

Embodiment 29: A method of forming an aerosol in a smoking article, the method comprising causing an electric current from a power source in the smoking article to flow through a microheater in the smoking article, thereby contacting the microheater and the microheater. A method comprising heating an aerosol precursor composition comprising:

Embodiment 30: The method of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein the smoking article comprises a plurality of microheaters.

Embodiment 31: The method wherein the aerosol precursor composition is coated on a carrier material, adsorbed on a carrier material or absorbed in a carrier material, prior to the step of activating the electric current. The method of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, further comprising: inserting a carrier material into the smoking article.

Embodiment 32: Initiating a flow of the aerosol precursor composition from a reservoir to a chamber that is thermally coupled to the microheater, thereby heating the aerosol precursor composition in the chamber. The method of any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, further comprising:

Embodiment 33: An atomizer suitable for use in an electronic smoking article, comprising a chamber formed from a chamber wall, a cover and a microheater.

Embodiment 34: An atomizer according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein one or both of the chamber wall and cover comprises a plurality of openings.

Embodiment 35: An atomizer according to any of the preceding or subsequent embodiments, wherein one or more of the plurality of openings are sized to allow vapors but not liquids.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. This disclosure contemplates any combination of two, three, four or more of the above embodiments, and any combination of two, three, four or more features or elements shown in this disclosure. Features and elements are included whether or not explicitly combined in the description of particular embodiments herein. This disclosure is to be read in its entirety, and as a result, any separable features or elements of the disclosed subject matter, in any of its various aspects and embodiments, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. , Should be considered combinable.

Having thus described the invention in general terms above, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a microheater according to the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a smoking article according to the present disclosure, with a portion of the outer shell of the article cut away to reveal its internal components. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a smoking article according to the present disclosure, the article including a control body and a cartridge removable therefrom. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a substrate with a plurality of microheaters thereon, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the substrate shown in FIG. 4 taken along the line AA showing a microheater housed in a well in the substrate and covered with an aerosol precursor composition. 1 is a perspective view of a substrate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, where the substrate comprises two layers with a plurality of microheaters therebetween. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a smoking article according to the present disclosure, wherein the article receives a substrate containing an aerosol precursor composition and is lined with a plurality of microheaters, the cavities therein. A single body with a hinged door that provides access to. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sprayer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a further atomizer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

The invention will now be described in more detail below with reference to its exemplary embodiments. These exemplary embodiments are described so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Indeed, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are presented so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular form "a", "an", "this," or "a" includes the plural unless the context clearly contradictions.

The present invention provides an article that uses electrical energy to heat a material (preferably without burning the material to any extent) to form an inhalable substance, which is "handheld". It is small enough to be considered a "hand-held" device. In certain embodiments, the article may be specifically characterized as a smoking article. As used herein, this term refers to the taste and/or sensation (eg, hand or mouth sensation) of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe without substantial burning of any of the components of the article. It shall mean the article obtained. The term smoking article need not necessarily indicate that, in operation, the article produces smoke in the sense of a by-product of combustion or pyrolysis. Rather, smoking refers to the physical activity of an individual in using the article, such as holding the article, inhaling against one end of the article, and inhaling from the article. In a further embodiment, the articles of the present invention may be characterized as being a vapor generating article, an aerosolized article, or a drug delivery article. Thus, the article may be arranged to provide one or more substances inhalable. In other embodiments, the inhalable substance may be in substantially vapor form (ie, a substance that is in the gas phase at a temperature below its critical point). In other embodiments, the inhalable substance may be in the form of an aerosol (ie, a suspension of solid particles or droplets in a gas). The physical form of the inhalable substance need not be limited to the nature of the article of the invention, but to the nature of the medium and the inhalable substance itself whether it is present in the vapor state or in the aerosol state. Depending on. In some embodiments, this term may be interchangeable. Thus, for the sake of simplicity, it is understood that the terms used to describe the present invention are interchangeable unless stated otherwise.

In one aspect, the invention provides smoking articles. The smoking article may generally include a number of components provided within an elongated body, which may be a single, single shell or two or more separable pieces. It may be in the form. For example, smoking articles according to one embodiment may include a shell (ie, an elongated body) that may be substantially tubular in shape, such as mimicking the shape of a conventional cigarette or cigar. .. Within this shell all components of the smoking article may be present (one or more of which may be replaceable). In other embodiments, smoking articles may comprise two shells that are connected and separable. For example, the control body may include one or more reusable components and may include a shell having an end that releasably couples to the cartridge. The cartridge includes one or more disposable components and may include a shell having a distal end that releasably couples to the control body. A more specific arrangement of components within a single shell or within a separable control body and cartridge will be apparent in view of the additional disclosure provided herein.

The smoking article according to the invention is for controlling/activating/regulating the flow of power from a power source (ie a power source), one or more control components (eg a power source to one or more further components of the article). ), heater components, and some of the aerosol precursor components. The smoking article may further comprise a defined air flow path therethrough such that aerosol produced by the article may be drawn therefrom by a user inhaling the article. The arrangement of components within the article may vary. In certain embodiments, the aerosol precursor component may be located near the end of the article near the user's mouth, thereby maximizing aerosol delivery to the user. However, other configurations are not excluded. In general, the heater component may be placed sufficiently close to the aerosol precursor component so that heat from the heater component is transferred to the aerosol precursor (also one or more perfumes, agents or users). The like that may be provided for delivery) may be volatilized to form an aerosol for delivery to the user. When the heating member heats the aerosol precursor component, the aerosol (alone or in addition to the inhalable substance) is formed, released or produced by the consumer in a physical form suitable for inhalation. It should be noted that the above terms mean interchangeable. Thus, the terms "release," "produce," and "form" may be interchangeable, and the terms "release," "produce," and "form" may be interchangeable, The terms "release," "produce," and "form" may be interchangeable, and the terms "release," "produced," and "formed" are interchangeable. You can Specifically, inhalable substances are emitted as vapors or aerosols or mixtures thereof.

A smoking article according to the present invention comprises a heating member for heating an aerosol precursor component to produce an aerosol for inhalation by a user. Smoking articles such as those described herein may be characterized by including a micro-heater as a heating member, among others. In particular, the microheater may be electrically connected to a power source, as further described herein. The smoking article may include only a single microheater. However, in other embodiments, the smoking article may include multiple microheaters. Accordingly, it is understood that the present disclosure may describe smoking articles in the terms "a, one (a: indefinite article)" microheater or "this, the (definite article)" microheater. This disclosure is meant to encompass embodiments in which the smoking article comprises a plurality of microheaters.

In some embodiments, the microheaters used in the smoking articles described herein can be characterized as microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based heaters. MEMS-based heaters are currently used in microminiature microsensors such as wind, humidity and gas sensors. Such a MEMS-based micro-heater may radiate heat by applying a current to a resistor and may offer advantages such as low power input requirements and extremely short response times. MEMS-based microheaters, as described herein, are extremely advantageous in smoking articles. This is because the microheater can provide low voltage and/or low power device functionality.

The microheaters used in the smoking articles described herein can also be characterized as thin film heaters or hot film heaters. This may be characteristic of the physical properties of the microheater, which may comprise electrically conductive material, which may especially be provided in the form of a film (ie electrically conductive layer). In certain embodiments, this electrically conductive material may be patterned. In other words, the electrically conductive material may be present in the microheater in a particular pattern and thus refers to the physical properties of the finished microheater and is not limited to the method of making the microheater. The thickness of the conductive layer may take various values, for example, about 5 μm or less, about 4 μm or less, about 3 μm or less, about 2 μm or less, about 1 μm or less, about 0.75 μm or less, about 0.5 μm or less, about 0.5 μm or less. It may be 0.25 μm or less, about 0.1 μm or less, about 0.075 μm or less. In other embodiments, the conductive layer is from about 0.01 μm to about 5 μm, about 0.05 μm to about 3 μm, about 0.1 μm to about 2.5 μm, about 0.2 μm to about 2 μm, or about 0. It can have a thickness of 5 μm to about 1 μm.

The conductive material used in the microheater can include virtually any material that is conductive in the size range discussed above and suitable for thin film formation. For example, the conductive material may be selected from the group consisting of elemental metals, metal alloys, silicon (including single crystal silicon and polycrystalline silicon), ceramics, carbon, carbide, nitrides, and combinations thereof. In a more specific embodiment, the conductive material is formed from platinum, gold, silver, copper, aluminum, tungsten, zinc, nickel, titanium, nichrome, silicon carbide, polycrystalline silicon, single crystal silicon, titanium nitride, etc. obtain. In certain embodiments, elemental metals, such as platinum, may be particularly beneficial due to their excellent oxidation resistance and long-term stability. The thin film microheater according to the present disclosure may exhibit a high level of durability and stability, which may be preferable to the breakable and less stable hot wire.

In addition to the conductive layer, the microheater according to the present disclosure may include a support layer. In particular, the conductive material may be patterned on such a support layer. This support layer is preferably formed from a material that is temperature stable at the heater operating temperature. For example, the support layer may be temperature stable at temperatures of about 150°C or higher, about 200°C or higher, about 300°C or higher, about 400°C or higher, or about 500°C or higher. In other embodiments, the support layer may be temperature stable in the temperature range of about 125°C to about 750°C, about 150°C to about 650°C, or about 175°C to about 500°C. In some embodiments, this support layer may be formed from a ceramic material, especially a silicon-based material. One particular example of a support layer material is a silicon nitride material. However, other materials may be used, for example glass or quartz. Certain thermoplastic materials such as cyclic olefin copolymers (COC) may also be used. The support layer may be formed of an insulating material or may include an insulating layer.

The microheater according to the present disclosure may further include a protective layer laminated on the conductive layer. The protective layer is preferably formed from a material such that the protective layer is temperature stable under the operating temperature for the microheater and is heat radiating and/or heat conducting. For example, the protective layer may be temperature stable at temperatures of about 150°C or higher, about 200°C or higher, about 300°C or higher, about 400°C or higher, or about 500°C or higher. In other embodiments, the protective layer may be temperature stable in the temperature range of about 125°C to about 750°C, about 150°C to about 650°C, or about 175°C to about 500°C. In some embodiments, this protective layer may be in direct contact with the aerosol precursor composition or components thereof. Therefore, it is preferred for the protective layer to be substantially chemically non-reactive with the various compounds that may be included in the aerosol precursor material. Substantially chemically non-reactive means that any chemical reaction between the protective layer and the components of the aerosol precursor material is sufficiently limited so that the protective layer is not breached. , Thereby allowing the aerosol precursor composition to make indirect contact with the conductive layer of the microheater. Alternatively, the phrase states that any chemical reaction between the protective layer and the components of the aerosol precursor material is sufficiently limited so that the compounds present in the protective layer are released (or novel). Compound is formed), whereby it is not combined with the formed aerosol for inhalation by the consumer. In some embodiments, this support layer may be formed from a ceramic material, especially a silicon-based material. One particular example of a support layer material is a silicon dioxide material. However, other materials may be used, for example glass or quartz.

The micro-heater can be characterized in particular as a multi-layer article. Specifically, this microheater may have two or more layers. In other embodiments, the microheater can be characterized as comprising a conductive material sandwiched between two layers or two membranes. The thickness of further layers such as support layers and protective layers may vary depending on the application. In some embodiments, the additional layer may be similar in size to the conductive layer. In other embodiments, the additional layer may be thicker than the conductive layer, eg, each independently, about 0.5 mm or less, about 0.75 mm or less, about 1 mm or less, about 1.5 mm or less. , About 2 mm or less, or about 5 mm or less.

The microheater, in its working form, can likewise be characterized in terms of its further dimensions. Specifically, the microheaters can each independently have a length and width of about 5 mm or less, about 4 mm or less, about 3 mm or less, or about 2 mm or less. In other embodiments, the length and width of the microheater are each independently about 0.25 mm to about 5 mm, about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm, about 0.6 mm to about 2.5 mm, about 0.7 mm. Can be from about 2 mm, or from about 0.75 mm to about 1.5 mm.

An exemplary embodiment of a microheater that can be used in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in FIG. As can be seen, the microheater 50 is formed of a support layer 510, a protective layer 540, and a patterned conductive layer 520 sandwiched between the support layer and the protective layer. Each layer may be formed from a material as described herein and have dimensions as described herein. The microheater also extends from the electrically conductive layer to electrically connect the microheater (especially electrically conductive material) to additional electrical components of the articles described herein, including various controller components and power supplies. A terminal 530 for contact is also provided. Preferably, the microheater is placed in an article as described herein so that its terminals are not in contact with the aerosol precursor composition. In addition, the microheater may further comprise components designed to separate the terminals from the portion of the protective layer that is contacted with the aerosol precursor composition for aerosol formation. As illustrated, the protective layer is partially transparent, but the microheaters useful as described herein need not necessarily be transparent; such features are It may change accordingly. Similarly, the support and protective layers may have the same dimensions or different dimensions, and the patterning of the conductive layers may vary.

Microheaters useful in smoking articles as described herein can be prepared by a variety of suitable processes. For example, low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) may be used to perform layered growth of the microheater. More specifically, a support layer can be deposited by LPCVD on a build substrate (eg, silicon wafer, ceramic, eg, metal nitride, quartz or glass). The conductive material may then be deposited on the support layer, again by LPCVD. This conductive layer may be patterned as needed to provide the desired performance characteristics for the microheater. For example, reactive ion etching (REI) may be used. The electrical contact may be formed, for example, using a sputtering process to provide a means for electrical contact of the conductive material. The protective layer may be formed on the conductive layer by, for example, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The completed microheater may be removed from the build substrate if desired. For example, anisotropic etching with a deep REI process may be used to remove some or all of the silicon build substrate. In addition, the stacked microheaters may be packaged, for example, to provide easy access to electrical contacts while at the same time providing additional protection for the functional components of the microheater. For example, packaging may be used to hermetically seal the micro-heaters within the material for thermal stability and thermal conductivity.

Other means for preparing microheaters useful in the articles of the present invention may include metal evaporation processes for laminating a conductive layer on a support layer. If desired, an adhesive layer may be placed before the metal evaporation step. Patterning of the conductive material may be performed with a photoresist by standard photolithographic techniques (eg, Shipley-1818), which involves spin-coating the photoresist onto the conductive layer. Soft baking (eg at a temperature of about 65° C.) to remove the photoresist solvent, aligning the applied photoresist in a mask aligner, using a UV lamp, etc. Exposing the conductive layer under pressure with a mask, and developing to dissolve the patterned photoresist using a suitable developer (eg, commercially available from Shipley); Baking (eg, at a temperature of about 90° C.) to cure the photoresist. Photoresist may be applied and etched in a suitable solvent to remove the previously exposed conductive material. The photoresist may then be removed using a suitable solvent. Such treatments may be characterized as subtractive shaping, the formed microheater generally, or the conductive layer specifically, may be described as a subtractively shaped article or layer. .

A variety of printing techniques may be used to prepare the microheater. Specifically, an inkjet printing technique may be used to systematically arrange the conductive material in a desired pattern. This may be particularly useful for forming a conductive layer on a support layer, which itself may be relatively thin, without the need for a build substrate. Such a technique, in which the electrically conductive material is a printed layer laminated to a support layer, may be characterized as additive manufacturing, in which the formed micro-heater is generally, or the electrically conductive layer is especially additive shaped articles or layers. Can be described as

The foregoing process is the only example of the type of process that can be used to prepare a microheater for use in accordance with the present disclosure and is considered to limit the microheater that can be used in the articles described herein. Should not be. In addition, stable microheaters for use as described herein are commercially available from, for example, Kebaili Corporation (Irvine, CA, www.kebali.com).

In a further embodiment, microheaters for use in the devices of the present disclosure may be chemical in nature. More specifically, the microheater may provide chemical reaction based heating rather than electrical resistance heating.

The microheaters used in the articles described herein may offer several advantages over the use of known heating elements. Such microheaters may provide highly energy efficient electrical heating, especially when controlling and delivering a defined amount of the material to be heated (eg, aerosol precursor composition) to the microheater. This microheater can also easily achieve highly accurate aerosol chemistry in a controlled manner.

Smoking articles as described herein may generally be equipped with a power supply that provides sufficient current to provide various functions to the article, such as microheater output, indicator output, etc. . This power supply may take various embodiments. Preferably, the power source is capable of rapidly heating the microheater to generate an aerosol and deliver sufficient power to power the article through use for a desired period of time. The power supply is preferably sized to fit conveniently within the article. Examples of useful power sources include preferably rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (eg, rechargeable lithium-manganese dioxide batteries). Specifically, a lithium polymer battery may be used. Other types of batteries, such as N50-AAA CADNICA nickel-cadmium cells, may also be used. Still further examples of batteries that may be used in accordance with the present invention are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0028766, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Thin film batteries may be used in certain embodiments of the invention. Either of these batteries or a combination thereof can be used for the power source, but rechargeable batteries are preferred due to cost and disposable considerations associated with disposable batteries. In embodiments where a disposable battery is provided, the smoking article may include access means for removal and replacement of the battery. Alternatively, in embodiments that use rechargeable batteries, the smoking article is from a standard 120 volt AC wall outlet or other power source, such as a vehicle electrical system or another portable power source, such as a USB connection. Charging contacts may be provided for interaction with corresponding contacts in a conventional recharging unit that extracts power. The means for recharging the battery may be provided in a portable charging case, which is, for example, a relatively large battery that may provide multiple charging for the relatively small batteries present in the smoking article. A battery unit may be provided. The article may further comprise components to provide a contactless inductive recharging system so that the article can be charged without being physically connected to an external power source. Thus, the article may include components that facilitate the transfer of energy from the electromagnetic field to the rechargeable battery within the article.

In a further embodiment, the power supply may also include a capacitor. Capacitors can be recharged more quickly than batteries, can be charged during puffs, and discharge to the capacitors at a slower rate than if the batteries were used to directly power the heating element. To enable. For example, a supercapacitor, or electric double layer capacitor (EDLC), may be used separately from the battery or in combination with the battery. When used alone, the supercapacitor may be recharged before each use of the article. Accordingly, the present invention may also include a charging component that may be attached to the smoking article during use to replenish the supercapacitor.

The smoking article may further include various power management software, hardware, and/or other electrical control components. For example, such software, hardware, and/or electronic control devices may detect battery charging, battery charging and discharging conditions, perform power saving operations, and unintentional or excessive charging of batteries. To prevent puffing, counting puffs, separating puffs, puffing periods, identifying cartridge status, temperature control, etc.

A “control device” or “control component” according to this disclosure may include various elements useful in the smoking articles of the present invention. Further, smoking articles according to the present invention may comprise one, two or more control components, which may be combined into a single element or may be present at another location within the smoking article, Individual control components may be utilized to perform different control aspects. For example, the smoking article may be integrated with or otherwise associated with the battery and may include control components to control discharge from the battery. The smoking article may separately include control components that control other aspects of the article. The smoking article may also include control components in the cartridge to provide specific functions, including data storage (eg, microchip with memory). Alternatively, a single controller may be provided that provides multiple or all control aspects of the article. Similarly, the sensor (eg, puff sensor) used in the article may include control components that control the action of discharging the power source in response to a stimulus. The article may separately include control components that control other aspects of the article. Alternatively, a single controller may be provided or otherwise associated with the sensor for performing multiple or all control aspects of the article. Thus, various combinations of controls may be combined in the smoking articles of the present invention to provide the desired level of control of all aspects of this device.

The smoking article may also include one or more controller components useful for controlling the flow of electrical energy from a power source to additional components of the article, for example, resistive heating elements. The article may include control components that actuate electrical current from a power source to a microheater or the like. In some embodiments, the article may include a push button that may be coupled to control circuitry for manual control of power flow. The one or more push buttons can be substantially flushed with the outer surface of the smoking article.

Instead of (or in addition to) a push button, the articles of the present invention may include one or more control components responsive to consumer inhalation (ie, puff actuated heating) with the article. For example, the article may include a switch that is sensitive to either pressure changes or changes in air flow when inhaled by the article with the article (ie, a puff-actuated switch). ). Other current activation/deactivation mechanisms include temperature activated on/off switches or lip pressure activated switches. An exemplary mechanism that can provide such puff actuation capability is the Model 163PC01D36 silicon sensor (manufactured by MicroSwitch division of Honeywell, Inc., Freeport, Ill). Further examples of demand-operated electrical switches that may be used in the heating circuit of the present invention are described in US Pat. No. 4,735,217 (Gerth), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Et al.). Other suitable different switches, analog pressure sensors, flow rate sensors, etc. will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the present disclosure. A pressure-sensing tube or other passage providing a fluid connection between the puff actuated switch and the air flow path in the smoking article is provided, thereby changing the pressure during inhalation. However, it may be specified by the switch. A further description of other control components, including current regulation circuits and microcontrollers, that may be useful in the smoking articles of the present invention, US Pat. No. 4,922, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. ,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,875 (all to Brooks et al.), US Pat. No. 5,372,148 (to McCafferty et al.), US Pat. , 040,560 (to Fleischauer et al.) and US Pat. No. 7,040,314 (to Nguyen et al.).

The capacitance sensing component, specifically, the device in various ways that allows for various types of "power-up" and/or "power-down" for one or more components of the apparatus. May be incorporated into. Capacitive sensing can include the use of any sensor that incorporates technology based on capacitive coupling, including, but not limited to, proximity, position or movement, humidity, Included are sensors that detect and/or measure liquid level, pressure, temperature or acceleration. Capacitive sensing can result from electrical components providing surface capacitance, projected capacitance, mutual capacitance, or self-capacitance. Capacitive sensors are generally capable of detecting anything that is electrically conductive or has a dielectric other than air. For example, a capacitive sensor may replace a mechanical button (ie, the push button mentioned above) with a capacitance alternative. Therefore, one particular application of the capacitive sensor according to the present invention is a touch capacitive sensor. For example, a touchpad may be present on the smoking article, which allows the user to enter various commands. Most basically, this touchpad can power the heating element in the same manner as a push button, as already mentioned above. In other embodiments, capacitive sensing may be provided near the mouth end of the smoking article so that lip pressure on the smoking article for inhaling with the article causes power to the heating element. Can be signaled to a device that provides In addition to touch capacitive sensors, motion capacitive sensors, liquid capacitive sensors, and acceleration sensors may be utilized in accordance with the present invention to elicit various responses from smoking articles. Additionally, optoelectronic sensors may also be incorporated into the smoking articles of the present invention.

The sensors utilized in the articles of the present invention can clearly signal for the flow of electrical power to the heating element, thereby heating the aerosol precursor composition to vapor or aerosol for inhalation by the user. To form. The sensor may also provide additional functionality. For example, a "wake-up" sensor may be provided. Other sensing methods that provide similar functionality may be utilized as well.

When a consumer inhales at the mouth end of a smoking article, the current actuating means may allow an unlimited or uninterrupted flow of current through the resistive heating member to rapidly generate heat. It may be useful to include a current regulation component for regulating the flow of current through the microheater to control the heating rate and/or the heating period.

The current regulation circuit may in particular be time-based. Specifically, such a circuit provides a means for allowing uninterrupted current flow through the heating element over the first period during inhalation, and continuing the current flow until inhalation is complete. And timer means for adjusting. In addition, conditioning can include simply allowing uninterrupted current flow until the desired temperature is reached and then the current is completely shut off. The heating element activates another puff for the article (or manually activates a push button, depending on the particular switch embodiment used to activate the heater). Can be restarted by a person. Alternatively, subsequent adjustment may include adjustment of current flow through the heating element to maintain the heating element within a desired temperature range (including pulse width adjustment). In some embodiments, the heating member has a heating element for about 0.2 seconds to about 5.0 seconds, about 0.3 seconds to about 4.5 seconds, about 0 to release the desired dose of inhalable material. Energy may be delivered over a period of 0.5 seconds to about 4.0 seconds, about 0.5 seconds to about 3.5 seconds, or about 0.6 seconds to about 3.0 seconds. Further description of such time-based current regulation circuits and other control components that may be useful in the smoking articles of the present invention is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety in all Brooks. To U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,875.

The control component may be specifically configured to closely control the amount of heat provided to the microheater. In some embodiments, the current regulation component may function to turn off the current to the microheater once the predetermined temperature is reached. Such a defined temperature may be in a range substantially high enough to volatilize the aerosol precursor composition and any additional inhalable material to provide a quantity of aerosol at a desired concentration. Although the heat required to volatilize the aerosol precursor composition can vary, heating to a temperature of about 120° C. or higher, about 130° C. or higher, about 140° C. or higher, or about 160° C. or higher is not necessary for a microheater. It may be particularly useful. In some embodiments, the heating temperature is about 180° C. or higher, about 200° C. or higher, about 300° C. or higher, or about 350° C. or higher to volatilize the desired amount of the aerosol precursor composition. Good. In a further embodiment, the defined temperature for aerosol formation may be about 120°C to about 350°C, about 140°C to about 300°C, or about 150°C to about 250°C. The heating temperature and time may be controlled by one or more components provided in the controller housing. The current regulation component may also cycle the current to the microheater off and on once the predetermined temperature is achieved to maintain the specified temperature for the specified time.

In addition, the current regulation component cycles the current to the microheater off and on to maintain an initial temperature below the aerosol formation temperature and then respond to the current actuation control component to increase the current. It is possible to achieve a second temperature that is greater than the initial temperature and that is the aerosol formation temperature. Such control improves the response time of the article for aerosol formation so that aerosol formation begins almost immediately upon the beginning of puffing by the consumer. In some embodiments, the initial temperature (which may be characterized as the standby temperature) may be only slightly lower than the aerosol forming the temperature defined above. Specifically, the standby temperature may be about 50°C to about 150°C, about 70°C to about 140°C, about 80°C to about 120°C, or about 90°C to about 110°C.

In addition to the above elements, smoking articles may also include one or more indicators. Such indicators may be light (eg light emitting diodes), which may provide an indication of many aspects of the use of the articles of the present invention. In addition, an LED indicator may be placed on the tip of the smoking article to simulate the color change that a conventional cigarette would see when it glows and is inhaled by the user. Indices of other manipulations are also included. For example, a visual indicator may also include a change in light color or intensity to indicate the progress of the smoking experience. Tactile and auditory indicators are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, such indicator combinations may also be used in a single article.

In certain embodiments, smoking articles according to the invention are tobacco, tobacco components, or substances derived from tobacco (ie, substances found naturally in tobacco that are either directly isolated from the tobacco or are synthetic). May be prepared). Tobacco used includes hot air dried tobacco, burley tobacco, Oriental tobacco, Maryland tobacco, dark tobacco, dark-fired tobacco, and Rustica tobacco. Tobacco, such as Rustica) tobacco, as well as other rare or specialty tobaccos, or blends thereof, may be included or derived from. Various representative tobacco types, tobacco processed types, and tobacco blend types are described in US Pat. No. 4,836,224 to Lawson et al.; US Pat. No. 4,924,888 to Perfetti et al.; to Brown et al. US Pat. No. 5,056,537; US Pat. No. 5,159,942 to Brinkley et al.; US Pat. No. 5,220,930 to Gentry; US Pat. No. 5,360,023 to Blakley et al.; Shafer et al. US Pat. No. 6,701,936 to Dominguez et al., US Pat. No. 6,730,832 to Li et al. US Pat. No. 7,011,096; US Pat. No. 7,017,585 to Li et al. U.S. Patent No. 7,025,066 to Lawson et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0255965 to Perfetti et al.; WO 02/37990 to Bereman; and Bombick et al., Fund. Appl. Toxicol. 39, p. 11-17 (1997), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Tobacco incorporated into smoking articles may be used in various forms. Combinations of different forms of tobacco may be used, or different forms of tobacco may be used at different locations within a smoking article. For example, tobacco may be used in the form of a tobacco extract. See, for example, US Pat. No. 7,647,932 to Cantrell et al. and US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0215167 to Crooks et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. thing.

The smoking article may incorporate tobacco additives of the type traditionally used in the manufacture of tobacco products. These additives may include materials of the type used to enhance the flavor and aroma of tobacco used for the production of cigars, cigarettes, pipes and the like. For example, the additives may include various cigarette skins and/or top layer components. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,015 to Wochnowski; U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,145 to Berndt et al.; Burcam, Jr. US Pat. No. 4,887,619 to Watson; US Pat. No. 5,022,416 to Watson; US Pat. No. 5,103,842 to Strang et al.; and US Pat. No. 5,711,320 to Martin ( The disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety). Preferred hull materials include water, sugar and syrups (eg sucrose, glucose and high fructose corn syrup), humectants (eg glycerin or propylene glycol), and flavoring agents (eg cocoa and licorice). The added ingredients also include top layer materials such as flavorings such as menthol. See, eg, US Pat. No. 4,449,541 to Mays et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Additional materials that may be added include US Pat. No. 4,830,028 to Lawson et al. and US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0245377 to Marshall et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The materials disclosed in (1) are included.

Various schemes and methods for incorporating tobacco into smoking articles, and specifically smoking articles designed to intentionally not burn substantially all tobacco within those smoking articles, are described in US Pat. No. 4,947,874; US Pat. No. 7,647,932 to Cantrell et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0016549 to Banerjee et al.; and US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0215167 to Crooks et al. Disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety).

Additional tobacco materials such as tobacco fragrance oils, tobacco essences, spray-dried tobacco extracts, freeze-dried tobacco extracts, tobacco dust and the like may be included in the vapor precursor or aerosol precursor composition. As used herein, the term "tobacco extract" means a component that has been separated from, removed from, or derived from tobacco using the processing conditions and techniques of tobacco extraction. To do. Specifically, purified extracts of tobacco or other plants may be used. Tobacco extracts are typically obtained using solvents such as solvents having aqueous properties (eg water) or organic solvents (eg alcohols such as ethanol or alkanes such as hexane). Thus, the extracted tobacco component is removed from the tobacco and separated from the unextracted tobacco component; and for the extracted tobacco component present in the solvent, (i) the solvent is extracted from the extracted tobacco component. Even removed, the mixture of (ii) extracted tobacco components and solvent may be used as such. Exemplary types of tobacco extracts, tobacco extracts, solvents, tobacco extraction processing conditions and techniques, and tobacco extract collection and isolation procedures are described in Australian Patent No. 276,250 to Schachner; US Pat. No. 2, Meriro. 805,669; US Pat. No. 3,316,919 to Green et al.; US Pat. No. 3,398,754 to Tuguhan; US Pat. No. 3,424,171 to Rooker; US Pat. No. 3,476 to Lutich. , 118; U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,677 to Osborne; U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,117 to Kite; U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,682 to Muller; U.S. Pat. No. 4,986 to Roberts et al. 286; US Pat. No. 5,005,593 to Fagg; US Pat. No. 5,065,775 to Fagg; US Pat. No. 5,060,669 to White et al.; US Pat. No. 5,074 to White et al. 319; White et al., US Pat. No. 5,099,862; White et al., US Pat. No. 5,121,757; Munoz et al., US Pat. No. 5,131,415; Smith et al., US Pat. 230,354; US Pat. No. 5,235,992 to Sensabaugh; US Pat. No. 5,243,999 to Smith; US Pat. No. 5,301,694 to Raymond; US Pat. No. 5 to Gonzalez-Parra et al. No. 5,318,050; US Pat. No. 5,435,325 to Clapp et al.; and US Pat. No. 5,445,169 to Brinkley et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. ).

The aerosol precursor or vapor precursor composition may include one or more different components. For example, the aerosol precursor may include a polyhydric alcohol (eg, glycerin, propylene glycol or mixtures thereof). Representative types of additional aerosol precursor compositions are described in Sensabaugh, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,365 to Jakob et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,839 to Jakob et al., PCT WO 98/57556 to Biggs et al.; And Biological Studies (Chemical and Biological Studies on New Cigarette Prototypes that Heat Heated Institute of Burn Tobacco), R.S. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Monograph (1988), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition produces a visible aerosol upon application of sufficient heat thereto (and optionally cooling with air), the aerosol precursor composition comprising: An aerosol can be produced, which can be considered as "smoke-like". In other embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may produce an aerosol that is substantially invisible but may be perceived to be present by other characteristics such as flavor or texture. Thus, the properties of the aerosol produced may depend on the particular components of the aerosol precursor composition. The aerosol precursor composition may be chemically simpler than the smoke chemistry produced by burning tobacco.

The aerosol precursor composition may include additional liquid substances such as water. For example, the aerosol precursor composition may incorporate a mixture of glycerin and water, or a mixture of propylene glycol and water, or a mixture of propylene glycol and glycerin, or a mixture of propylene glycol, glycerin and water. An exemplary aerosol precursor composition may also be used with the associated smoking cartridge types C1a, C2a, C3a, C4a, C1b, C2b, C3b and C4b, an electronic cigarette under the trade name E-CIG, Atlanta Imports Inc. , Acworth, Ga. , USA. From the Ruyan SBT Technology and Development Co. as Ruyan Atomizing Electronic Pipe and Ruyan Atomizing Electronic Cigarette. , Ltd., Ltd. , Beijing, China. The types of materials incorporated into devices available from

The aerosol precursor composition used in the disclosed articles may further comprise one or more flavoring agents, drugs or other inhalable substances. For example, liquid nicotine may be used. Such additional materials may include one or more components of the aerosol precursor or vapor precursor composition. Accordingly, the aerosol precursor or vapor precursor composition may be described as comprising an inhalable substance. Such inhalable substances may include flavors, agents, and other substances described herein. Specifically, inhalable substances delivered using the smoking articles of the present invention may include tobacco components or tobacco-derived substances. Alternatively, the flavoring agent, drug, or other inhalable substance may be provided separately from the other aerosol precursor components, eg, in a reservoir. Thus, a defined amount of flavoring agent, drug, or other inhalable substance, in a stream of air inhaled by a user with additional components of an aerosol precursor or vapor precursor composition, is added to the flavoring agent, drug, or It may be delivered separately or simultaneously to a resistive heating element for releasing other inhalable substances. Alternatively, the flavoring agent, drug, or other inhalable substance may be provided in another part of the smoking article or component thereof. In certain embodiments, the flavoring agent, drug, or other inhalable substance may be deposited on a substrate (eg, paper or other porous substance) located proximate to the microheater. Preferably, it is close enough so that the heating of the micro-heater provides sufficient heat to volatilize and release the flavoring agent, drug, or other inhalable substance from the substrate.

A wide variety of flavoring agents or agents that alter the sensory or organoleptic characteristics or properties of the mainstream aerosols of smoking articles may be used. Such flavoring agents may be obtained from sources other than tobacco, may be natural or artificial in nature, and may be used as a concentrate or flavor package. Of particular interest are flavoring agents that have been added to or incorporated into the area of the smoking article where the aerosol is produced. Again, such agents may be provided directly to the resistive heating element, as already described above, or may be provided to the substrate. Exemplary flavoring agents include vanillin, ethyl vanillin, cream, tea, coffee, fruits (e.g. apple, cherry, strawberry, peach, and citrus flavors including lime and lemon), maple, menthol, mint, peppermint, Traditionally used to spice tobacco, cigars and pipes, as well as spearmint, wintergreen, nutmeg, cloves, lavender, cardamom, ginger, honey, anise, sage, cinnamon, sandalwood, jasmine, cascalilla, cocoa, and licorice. Types and characteristics of flavors and flavor packages. Syrups, such as high fructose corn syrup, may also be used. Flavoring agents may also include acidic or basic characteristics such as organic acids such as levulinic acid, succinic acid, lactic acid and pyruvic acid. This flavoring agent may optionally be combined with the aerosol product. Exemplary plant-derived compositions that can be used are disclosed in US patent application Ser. No. 12/971,746 to Dube et al. and US patent application Ser. No. 13/015,744 to Dube et al. , Which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Organic acids may be specifically incorporated into the aerosol precursor to affect the flavor, sensory or organoleptic properties of agents such as nicotine that may be combined with the aerosol precursor. For example, organic acids such as levulinic acid, succinic acid, lactic acid and pyruvic acid may be included with the nicotine in the aerosol precursor in an amount up to equimolar to nicotine (based on total organic acid content). Any combination of organic acids may be used. For example, the aerosol precursor may be about 0.1 to about 0.5 moles levulinic acid per mole nicotine, about 0.1 to about 0.5 moles pyruvic acid per mole nicotine, and about 0.1 moles per mole nicotine. 1 to about 0.5 mole of lactic acid, or a combination thereof, may be included at a concentration such that the total amount of organic acids present is at most equimolar to the total amount of nicotine present in the aerosol precursor.

Aerosol precursor compositions may take various forms based on the various amounts of materials utilized herein. For example, useful aerosol precursor compositions may include about 98 wt% or less, about 95 wt% or less, or about 90 wt% or less polyol. This total amount may be divided up in any combination between two or more different polyols. For example, one polyol may comprise about 50% to about 90%, about 60% to about 90%, or about 75% to about 90% by weight aerosol precursor, and the second polyol comprises about 2%. % To about 45% by weight, about 2% to about 25% by weight, or about 2% to about 10% by weight aerosol precursor may be included. Useful aerosol precursors also include about 25%, about 20% or about 15% by weight water, especially about 2% to about 25%, about 5% to about 20%, or about 7% to about 15%. % Water may be included. Flavorings and the like (which may include agents such as nicotine) may include up to about 10% by weight, up to about 8% by weight, or up to about 5% by weight aerosol precursor.

As a non-limiting example, an aerosol precursor according to the present invention may include glycerol, propylene glycol, water, nicotine and one or more flavoring agents. Specifically, the glycerol may be present in an amount of about 70% to about 90% by weight, about 70% to about 85% by weight, or about 75% to about 85% by weight, and propylene glycol is about It may be present in an amount of 1% to about 10% by weight, about 1% to about 8% by weight, or about 2% to about 6% by weight, and the water is about 10% to about 20% by weight, about 10%. May be present in an amount of from about 18% by weight, or from about 12% to about 16% by weight, and the nicotine is from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight, about 0.5% to about 4% by weight, or The flavoring agent may be present in an amount of about 1% to about 3% by weight, the flavoring agent may be present in an amount of about 5% by weight or less, about 3% by weight or less, or about 1% by weight or less, The amount is based on the total weight of the aerosol precursor. One non-limiting specific example of an aerosol precursor is about 75% to about 80% by weight glycerol, about 13% to about 15% by weight water, about 4% to about 6% by weight propylene glycol, about 2% to about 3% by weight nicotine, and about 0.1% to about 0.5% by weight flavoring agent. The nicotine may be, for example, a high nicotine content tobacco extract.

The amount of aerosol precursor composition used in a smoking article is such that the article exhibits acceptable sensory and organoleptic properties, as well as desirable performance characteristics. For example, sufficient aerosol precursor composition components, such as glycerin and/or propylene glycol, may be used to produce a mainstream aerosol that is visually more similar to the appearance of cigarette smoke. Typically, the amount of aerosol-generating material incorporated into smoking articles ranges from about 1.5 g or less, about 1 g or less, or about 0.5 g or less. The amount of aerosol precursor composition may depend on such factors as the desired number of puffs per cartridge used with the smoking article. Aerosol-producing compositions are significantly different from those of the traditional type of cigarettes that produce mainstream smoke by burning an unacceptable dysgeusia, mouth sensation such as a thin film, or tobacco cut filters. It is desirable not to induce sensory experience to a significant extent. In particular, the choice of aerosol-generating and reservoir materials, the amounts of ingredients used, and the type of tobacco material used may be varied to control the overall chemical composition of the mainstream aerosol produced by the smoking article.

Beneficially, the microheater may be placed in close proximity to or near the aerosol precursor composition. In other embodiments, the microheater may be at a location within the article such that the aerosol precursor composition can be delivered to the microheater for aerosolization. For example, the aerosol precursor composition (or components thereof) may be via capillarity through a wick or other porous material, or by active or passive flow (which may include valve control). It may be provided in liquid form to allow the composition to flow from one or more reservoirs to the microheater. Thus, although the aerosol precursor composition may be provided in liquid form in one or more reservoirs located well away from the microheater to prevent premature aerosolization, the aerosol precursor composition may be delivered in a liquid form. It may be placed close enough to the microheater for ease and in any desired amount relative to the microheater for aerosolization. Alternatively, the aerosol precursor composition may be at least partially saturated within the substrate, which may be in direct contact with the microheater, such that upon heating, the aerosol precursor composition is released from the substrate. It Still further, the aerosol precursor composition may be in foam, gel or solid form. The physical state of the aerosol precursor composition may be the state of the material at ambient conditions (eg temperature and pressure). Such an embodiment, among other things, allows for precise aliquoting of the aerosol precursor material provided in contact with the microheater, thereby providing a defined puff count. Such embodiments are discussed in further detail elsewhere herein.

The amount of aerosol emitted by the articles of the invention can vary. Preferably, the article is sufficient amount of the aerosol precursor composition and sufficient amount to function at a sufficient temperature for a sufficient time to release the desired amount of aerosolized material over the course of use. Of any additional inhalable substance. This content is provided from the article over a relatively short period of time (eg, less than 30 minutes, less than 20 minutes, less than 15 minutes, less than 10 minutes, or less than 5 minutes), even if provided in a single inhalation from the article. It may be divided to be provided through multiple puffs. For example, the article may comprise nicotine in an amount of about 0.01 mg to about 0.5 mg, about 0.05 mg to about 0.3 mg, or about 0.1 mg to about 0.2 mg per puff of the article. Can be provided. For calculation purposes, a puff volume of about 5 ml to about 100 ml, about 15 ml to about 70 ml, about 20 ml to about 60 ml, or about 25 ml to about 50 ml can be delivered with an average puff time of about 2 seconds. Such total puffed volume may, in certain embodiments, provide the WTPM content previously described. Smoking articles according to the present invention may be configured to provide any number of puffs that can be calculated by dividing the total amount of aerosol or other inhalable substance delivered by the amount delivered per puff. .. One or more reservoirs may be filled with an appropriate amount of aerosol precursor or other inhalable substance to achieve the desired number of puffs and/or the desired total amount of substance to be delivered.

In a further embodiment, the heating can be characterized in terms of the amount of aerosol to be produced. Specifically, the article is provided with a defined amount of aerosol (eg, from about 5 ml to about 100 ml, or any other volume deemed useful in smoking articles, such as those described elsewhere herein). Can be configured to obtain the amount of heat required to produce In certain embodiments, the amount of heat generated can be measured for 2-4 seconds of puffing, providing about 35 ml of aerosol at a heater temperature of about 290°C. In some embodiments, the article is preferably about 1 to about 50 Joules per second (J/s), about 2 J/s to about 40 J/s, about 3 J/s to about 35 J/s, or about. Heat of 5 J/s to about 30 J/s can be provided.

The micro-heater is preferably electrically connected to a power source of the smoking article such that electrical energy is provided to the micro-heater to generate heat and subsequently the aerosol precursor composition and its various components are aerosolized. You may. Such electrical connections may be permanent (eg, hard-wired) or removable (eg, where the microheater is in a cartridge that is removable from the control body with the power supply). Be provided to).

While various materials have been described above for use in smoking articles according to the present invention (eg, heaters, batteries, capacitors, switching components, reservoirs, dispensers, aerosol precursors, etc.), the present invention is exemplified. It should not be construed as limited to only the described embodiments. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize based on the present disclosure similar components in the fields that may be interchangeable with any particular components of the present invention. For example, Sprinkel, Jr. US Pat. No. 5,261,424 to U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,424 discloses a piezoelectric sensor that detects movement of the user's lips associated with inhaling and then may be associated with the mouth end of the device inducing heating. U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al. discloses a puff sensor for controlling energy flow to a heating load array in response to pressure drop across a mouthpiece; U.S. Pat. 967, 148 discloses a container in a smoking device that includes an identifier that detects non-uniformities in the infrared transmittance of the inserted component and the control device that perform a detection operation as the component is inserted into the container. U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,560 to Fleischauer et al. describes a defined viable power cycle with a number of different stages; U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al. Discloses a phononic-opttronic component; US Pat. No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al. discloses means for altering inhalation resistance by a smoking device; US to Blake et al. US Pat. No. 6,803,545 discloses specific battery configurations for use in smoking devices; US Pat. No. 7,293,565 to Griffen et al. for use in smoking devices. Various charging systems are disclosed; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0320863 to Fernando et al. discloses computer interface means for smoking devices that facilitate charging and allow computer control of the device; Fernando. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0163063 by et al. discloses a particular system for smoking devices; and WO2010/003480 by Flick discloses a flow sensing system that is an indicator of puffing in an aerosol generating system. All of the foregoing disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Further examples of components for electronic aerosol delivery articles, and disclosed materials or components that may be used in the articles of the present invention, include US Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al.; US Pat. 5,249,586; U.S. Patent No. 5,666,977 to Higgins et al.; U.S. Patent No. 6,053,176 to Adams et al.; U.S. Patent No. 6,164,287 to White; U.S. Patent No. to Voges. 6,196,218; US Pat. No. 6,810,883 to Felter et al.; US Pat. No. 6,854,461 to Nichols; US Pat. No. 7,832,410 to Hon; US Pat. No. 7 to Kobayashi. No. 7,513,253; U.S. Pat. No. 7,896,006 to Hamano; U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,756 to Shayan; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0095311 and 2006/0196518 to Hon; 2009/0126745, and 2009/0188490; US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0272379 to Thorens et al.; US Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0260641 and 2009/0260642 to Monsees et al.; to Oglesby et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0149118 and 2010/0024834; US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0307518 to Wang; and WO 2010/091593 to Hon. The various materials disclosed in the foregoing documents may be incorporated into the devices of the present invention in various embodiments, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The article according to the invention may take various embodiments, as discussed in detail below, but the use of the article by consumers is similar within the scope. Specifically, the article may be provided as a single unit or as multiple components that are combined by a consumer for use and then disassembled by the consumer. In general, smoking articles according to the present invention may comprise a first unit that is engageable and disengageable with a second unit, the first unit comprising a resistive heating element, the second unit Unit has a power supply. In some embodiments, the second unit may further comprise one or more control components that activate or regulate the current from the power source. The first unit may include a distal end that mates with the second unit and an opposing proximal end that includes a mouthpiece (or simply mouth end) that is open at the proximal end. The first unit may comprise an air flow passage opening to the mouthpiece of the first unit, the air flow passage comprising passage of an aerosol formed from a resistive heating element to the mouthpiece. Can be provided. In a preferred embodiment, this first unit may be disposable. Similarly, the second unit may be reusable.

A smoking article according to the present invention may have a reusable control body that is substantially cylindrical in shape with a connecting end and an opposing closed end. The closed end of the control housing may be equipped with one or more indicators of active use of the article. The article may include a cartridge that includes a connecting end that engages a connecting end of the control body and that has an opposed mouth end. In use, the consumer may connect the connecting end of the cartridge to the connecting end of the control body, or otherwise combine the cartridge with the control body, whereby the article is discussed herein. It is ready to operate. In some embodiments, the control body and the connecting end of the cartridge may be attached with a threaded engagement. In other embodiments, the connecting end may have a press fit engagement.

During use, the consumer initiates heating of the resistive heating element, and the heat generated by the resistive heating element aerosolizes the aerosol precursor composition, and optionally further inhalable material. To do. Such heating releases at least a portion of the aerosol precursor composition in the form of an aerosol, which may include any additional inhalable substance contained therein, such aerosol being It is provided in a space inside the cartridge which is in liquid communication with the mouth end of the cartridge. When the consumer inhales at the mouth end of the cartridge, air is inhaled through the cartridge, and the combination of the inhaled air and the aerosol is such that the inhaled substance is the mouth end of the cartridge (any mouthpiece present A) and toward the consumer's mouth, inhaled by the consumer. To initiate heating, the consumer may actuate a push button, capacitive sensor, or similar component whereby the resistive heating element causes a battery or other energy source (e.g., a capacitor). ) Receives electrical energy from. This electrical energy may be delivered for a predetermined length of time or may be manually controlled. Preferably, the flow of electrical energy does not proceed substantially during puffing with the article (the flow of energy progresses to bring the baseline temperature to ambient temperature--e.g., to the active heating temperature). Temperature that facilitates proper heating-may be maintained above). In a further embodiment, heating may be initiated by the puffing behavior of the consumer through the use of various sensors, as described elsewhere herein. Once puffing is interrupted, heating is stopped or reduced. If the consumer has performed a sufficient number of puffs, thereby releasing a sufficient amount (eg, sufficient to equal a typical smoking experience) of an inhalable substance, the cartridge will be removed from the control housing. It may be removed and discarded. An indication can be provided that the cartridge has been consumed (ie, the aerosol precursor composition has been substantially consumed by the consumer). In some embodiments, a single cartridge may provide more than one smoking experience, thereby providing a sufficient content of the aerosol precursor composition to provide the same level as conventional cigarettes or full packs. It can be simulated to a degree.

The foregoing description of the use of this article can be applied to the various embodiments described, with minor modifications, which may be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the further disclosure provided herein. However, the above description of use is not intended to limit the use of the articles of the present invention and is presented to comply with all essential requirements of the present disclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a smoking article 10 according to the present invention may generally include a shell 15 and a plurality of components provided within the shell. The article may be characterized as having a mouth end 11 (ie, at which end a consumer can inhale aerosol from the article) and a tip 12. The illustrated article is provided as a single unit device (although the line of A is an arbitrary boundary, which allows the device to be divided into two separate components, which are , Bound together removably or permanently, by gluing, etc.). As will be apparent from further disclosure herein, for further embodiments of the article, it is preferred that the article be formed from two or more matable units, each housing another component of the article. There are cases. The various components shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2 may be present in other embodiments, including embodiments formed from multiple units.

Article 10 may have a general shape that may be defined as being substantially rod-shaped, or substantially tubularly shaped, or substantially cylindrically shaped. As shown in FIG. 2, the article has a substantially round cross section; however, other cross sectional shapes (eg, oval, square, triangular, etc.) are also encompassed by the present disclosure. This phrase, which is an indication of the physical shape of the article, may also apply to individual units of the article in embodiments that include multiple units such as a control body and a cartridge.

The shell 15 of the smoking article 10 may be formed of any material suitable for forming and maintaining a suitable conformation, such as a tubular shape, and for holding the appropriate components of the article therein. Good. The shell may be formed from a single wall as shown in FIG. In some embodiments, the shell is heat resistant, thereby retaining its structural integrity (eg, at least the heating temperature provided by the resistive heating element, as discussed further below). May be formed from materials (natural or synthetic) that do not decompose at In some embodiments, this refractory polymer or metal (eg, stainless steel) may be used. In other embodiments, the shell may be formed from paper, for example, substantially straw-shaped paper. A shell, such as a paper tube, may have one or more layers associated with it that function to substantially impede the movement of steam therethrough. In one embodiment, a layer of aluminum foil may be laminated to one side of this shell. Ceramic materials may also be used.

In further embodiments, smoking articles according to the present invention may include various materials that may provide a particular function. For example, the shell 15 may include an overlap over at least a portion thereof, such as at the mouth end of the article, such overlap may also be formed from multiple layers. .. This overlap may be, for example, a typical cigarette wrap. This overlap may include, among other things, materials typically used in conventional cigarette filter elements, such as cellulose acetate, which may serve to provide the consumer's mouth with the feel of a conventional cigarette. Exemplary types of packaging materials, packaging components, and treated packaging materials that may be used in the overlap of the present invention are described in US Pat. No. 5,105,838 to White et al.; US Pat. 5,271,419; US Pat. No. 5,220,930 to Gentry; US Pat. No. 6,908,874 to Woodhead et al.; US Pat. No. 6,929,013 to Ashcraft et al.; US Patent to Hancock et al. No. 7,195,019; US Pat. No. 7,276,120 to Holmes; US Pat. No. 7,275,548 to Hancock et al.; PCT WO 01/08514 to Fournier et al.; and PCT WO 03 to Hajaligol et al. /043450, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Typical packaging materials are available from Schweitzer-Maudit International under R.M. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company grades 119, 170, 419, 453, 454, 456, 465, 466, 490, 525, 535, 557, 652, 664, 672, 676 and 680 are commercially available.

One or more layers of non-porous cigarette paper can be used to wrap the article (with or without overlap). Examples of suitable non-porous cigarette papers are described in Kimberly-Clark Corp. From KC-63-5, P878-5, P878-16-2 and 780-63-5. The overlap (or shell if no overlap is present) may include elastic paperboard materials, foil-lined paperboard, metals, polymeric materials, foams, nanofiber webs, and the like. The material may be constrained by cigarette paper wrap. The article may include a tipping paper that binds the article and may be used to bond filter material to the article if desired.

As can be seen from the embodiment of FIG. 2, the smoking article 10 comprises an electronic control component 20, a flow sensor 30, and a battery 40, the components being arranged in various orders within the article. Good. Although not explicitly shown, the article 10 provides for the wiring necessary to provide the power from the battery 40 to additional components and the proper operation of the required functions provided by the article. It is understood that the wiring necessary to interconnect the components may be provided. The article 10 may further include a microheater 50 as described herein. The microheater can be electrically connected to the battery 40 through suitable wiring that facilitates the formation of a closed electrical circuit by the current flowing through the microheater. Additional wiring (not shown) may be included to make the necessary electrical connections within the article. In certain embodiments, the article 10 includes a battery 40 from the control component 20 for energizing the micro-heater 50 according to one or more defined algorithms, including pulse width regulation, as previously described. It may be wired with electrical circuitry to deliver, control, or otherwise regulate power. Such an electrical circuit may in particular incorporate a flow sensor 30 such that the article 10 is active only at the time of use by a consumer. For example, when a consumer swallows an article 10, a flow sensor detects the puff, and then the control component 20 is activated to power directly through the article, resulting in the microheater 50 producing heat. This provides an aerosol for inhalation by the consumer. This control algorithm requires the micro-heater 50 to power the circuit so that a defined temperature can be maintained. Thus, the control algorithm may be programmed to automatically shut down the article 10 to shut off the flow of power through the article 10 after a predetermined time delay without any nuisance by the consumer. Further, the article may include a temperature sensor to provide feedback to the control component. Such a sensor may be in direct contact with the micro-heater 50, for example. Other temperature sensing means may be used as well, such as increasing resistance through a resistive heating element and relying on logical control components to associate such resistance with the temperature of this element. In other embodiments, the flow sensor 30 is replaced by suitable components to provide alternative sensing means, such as capacitance sensing, as described elsewhere herein. Good. Any of a variety of sensors and combinations thereof may be incorporated as previously described herein. Still further, it allows manual actuation by the consumer to cause various functions, such as turning the article 10 on and off, turning on the micro-heater 50 to produce vapor or aerosol for inhalation. One or more control buttons 16 may be provided.

Additionally, the article may include one or more status indicators 19 located on the shell 15. Such an indicator may indicate the number of puffs or remaining puffs performed on the article, as described above, may be an indicator of activity or rest, and may be illuminated in response to a puff. And so on. Although six indicators are shown, more or less indicators may be present, the indicators may have different shapes and orientations, or may simply be openings in the shell (eg, this If such an indicator is present, due to the emission of sound).

As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, a reservoir 205, shown as a container, is shown proximate to the microheater 50 and a transfer element 300 is provided to enable the aerosol precursor composition to be delivered to the microheater for aerosolization. First, it extends from the reservoir 205 and close enough to the micro-heater. The formed aerosol is then inhaled by the user through the mouth end 11 of the smoking article 10. The aerosol precursor composition that is aerosolized by heating the microheater may be continuously replenished (e.g., through a wick or other stream of aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir to the microheater via a transfer element). ), or specific aliquots of the aerosol precursor composition may be delivered to the microheater on demand. This cycle continues until substantially all of the aerosol precursor composition is aerosolized.

As can be seen from the embodiment of FIG. 2, the mouth end 11 of the article 10 is a substantially open cavity in which the microheater 50 and the reservoir 205 are located. Such open cavities provide a volume for the release of the aerosol formed by the microheater. The article also includes a mouth opening 18 in the mouth end 11 to allow aerosol withdrawal from the cavity. Although not explicitly shown in the view of FIG. 2, the article increases its structural integrity and/or provides filtration capacity as needed and/or creates resistance to inhalation. For that purpose, a filter material (for example, cellulose acetate or polypropylene) may be provided at the mouth end thereof. For example, an article according to the present invention may exhibit a water pressure drop of about 50-250 mm at 17.5 cc of air flow per second. In further embodiments, the pressure drop may be between about 60 mm and about 180 mm, or between about 70 mm and about 150 mm. The value of the pressure drop may be a Filtrona Filter Test Station (CTS Series) available from Filtrona Instruments and Automation Ltd or a Qualification Quality™ Test available from Cerulean Division of Molins, PLC. To facilitate the flow of air through the article, an air intake 17 may be provided, which essentially comprises an opening in the shell 15 that allows the flow of air inward of the article. Good. Multiple air entrapments may be provided, wherein the air from the air entrapment interacts with the formed aerosol to remove it from the cavity of the article and through the mouth end opening. May be placed at any position upstream from the mouth end of the article to facilitate.

In other embodiments, the reservoir may be a substrate adapted to hold the aerosol precursor composition, eg, a layer of material that is at least partially saturated with the aerosol precursor composition. It may be. Such layers may be absorbable, adsorbable or otherwise porous, which provides the ability to retain the aerosol precursor composition. Thus, the aerosol precursor composition may be characterized as coated on, adsorbed on, or adsorbed into a carrier material (or substrate), which comprises one or more microheaters. May also form all or part of the substrate material that can carry. The carrier material may be placed in the article in substantial contact with one or more microheaters (ie, a plurality of microheaters).

As shown in FIG. 2, the reservoir 205 may be a container formed from one or more walls defining an internal volume, in which the aerosol precursor composition or one or more components thereof are stored. . The container may be formed of a substantially rigid wall from which the transfer of aerosol precursor material may proceed via active or passive transfer methods as discussed herein. Alternatively, the container may be formed of a substantially plastic material so that the container can be compressed (ie, the airbag reservoir) to facilitate the transfer of the aerosol precursor material.

In a preferred embodiment, the article may be sized to match the shape of a cigarette or cigar. Thus, the article may have a diameter of about 5 mm to about 25 mm, about 5 mm to about 20 mm, about 6 mm to about 15 mm, or about 6 mm to about 10 mm. Such dimensions may particularly correspond to the outer diameter of the shell.

The smoking article 10 of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 may be characterized as a disposable article. Therefore, for reservoirs containing the aerosol precursor composition in such embodiments, it may be desirable to include a sufficient amount of the aerosol precursor composition so that the consumer can use the article more than once. For example, the number of puffs (duration of about 2 to 4 seconds) and substantially the number of puffs the article is capable of from a plurality of conventional cigarettes (eg, 2 or more, 5 or more, 10 or more, or 20 or more conventional cigarettes). The article may include sufficient aerosolizable and/or inhalable material to provide an equivalent number of puffs. More specifically, the disposable single unit article according to the embodiment of FIG. 2 may provide about 20 or more, about 50 or more, or about 100 or more puffs (one puff is defined herein). Measured as previously described in the book).

In some embodiments, the articles described herein may comprise two units that are removable from each other. For example, FIG. 3 shows a smoking article 10 according to one embodiment formed from a control body 80 and a cartridge 90. In a particular embodiment, the control body may be said to be reusable and the cartridge may be said to be disposable. In some embodiments, the article as a whole is characterized as disposable in that the control body has a limited number of cartridges and can be configured for a limited number of uses. Once obtained (eg, until the power components of the battery no longer provide sufficient power to the article), the entire article 10, including the control body, may then be discarded. In other words, the control body may have replaceable batteries so that the control body may be reused by multiple battery replacements and by many cartridges. The article 10 may be rechargeable, and thus may be of any kind of recharging technique, such as connecting to a regular electrical outlet, to a car charger (ie, cigarette lighter outlet). The connection may also be combined with a connection to a computer, such as via a USB cable.

Control body 80 and cartridge 90 are specially configured to engage one another to form an interconnected functional device. As shown in FIG. 3, the control body 80 comprises a proximal coupling end 13, which comprises a projection 82 which has a reduced diameter relative to the control body. The cartridge includes a tip mating end 14 which engages a proximal engaging end of the control body 80 to render the smoking article 10 functionally usable. In FIG. 3, the control body projections 82 are threaded to thereby screw the cartridge 90 onto the control body 80 via corresponding threads (not visible in FIG. 3) on the tip mating end of the cartridge. It will be possible. Accordingly, the tip mating end of the cartridge 90 may comprise an open cavity for receiving the control body protrusion 82. Although threaded engagement is illustrated in FIG. 3, it is understood that additional means of engagement are included such as press fit engagement, magnetic engagement and the like.

The placement of the microheaters within the article may vary. In certain embodiments, one or more microheaters may be coupled to a substrate, which may be permanently incorporated into or removed from the smoking article. An example of such an embodiment is shown in FIGS. Referring first to FIG. 4, a substrate 600 is shown having a plurality of microheaters 50 mounted thereon. The microheater may be characterized as mounted on the surface of the substrate, embedded within the substrate, or housed within the substrate (eg, wells, as described elsewhere below). Or among other depressions formed in the substrate). The substrate may be formed of any material suitable for use in smoking articles, and may preferably include an electrically insulating material. The substrate material includes, but is not limited to, polymeric materials, particularly heat resistant polymers, paper, cardboard, ceramics, and the like. Although five microheaters are shown in the illustrated embodiment, greater or lesser numbers of microheaters may be utilized on a single substrate, given the relatively small size of microheaters. Be understood. Further, multiple substrates may be used, with each substrate having one or more microheaters thereon. Although not explicitly shown, it is understood that the substrate may comprise any electrical wiring useful to make the electrical connections required by the microheater to be powered by the power source. It Similarly, the substrate may be provided with electrical contacts useful for making electrical connections with the plugs or other electrical components of the article. For example, each individual micro-heater may be wired to a common electrical contact on its substrate.

The aerosol precursor composition (or one or more components thereof) may be stored in a reservoir residing in or on the substrate 600. For example, the perimeter of the substrate may include one or more containers, porous materials, etc. (useful for storing one or more components of the aerosol precursor therein), and one The above transport elements may be present to transport the aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir to the microheater. The microheater, reservoir) and transport element can be characterized as self-contained on a single substrate or on the same substrate. In other embodiments, the transport element may be absent.

More specifically, FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a closed device when viewed as a cross-sectional view of the substrate of line AA of FIG. In this embodiment, the microheater 50 is recessed at a distance within the substrate 600. Therefore, the substrate may be described as comprising one or more heater wells 610. The individual micro-heaters may then be placed in the heater wells and all or part of the remaining well volume filled with the aerosol precursor composition 700 (or components thereof). The depth of the well may vary depending on the volume of aerosol precursor material used. In such embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may beneficially be provided in a form such that the aerosol precursor composition does not significantly disengage from the heater well 610, such as a gel or foam. , Or other solid or semi-solid form. This gel or (another form of aerosol precursor) may be coated on the microheater. Thus, the microheater can be characterized as being operably disposed within a smoking article that is substantially in contact with the aerosol precursor composition. Such statements are applicable to further arrangements of aerosol precursor compositions and microheaters, as described elsewhere herein.

As shown in FIG. 5, the well of the heater, which is equipped with a micro-heater and in which the aerosol precursor substance is arranged, exists only on one side of the substrate. In other embodiments, the wells may be on both sides of the substrate. In addition, other substrate configurations, such as three-sided (eg, having a triangular cross-section), four-sided (eg, having a square, rectangular, trapezoidal, or other similar cross-section), or multi-arm cross-section (eg, three arms). 4 arms, more) are included. Such an arrangement may provide sufficient surface area to provide a relatively large number of microheaters on a single substrate. For example, in a substrate with a four-arm cross section (eg, a cross shape), up to eight surfaces are available for microheater placement. In other embodiments, the substrate may be in the form of a cylinder and the microheaters may be circumferentially distributed on one or both of the inner and outer surfaces of the cylindrically shaped substrate. Good.

Providing a relatively large number of microheaters may be particularly beneficial where it is desirable to separately heat two or more components of the aerosol precursor composition. Specifically, with reference to FIG. 5, one heater well 610 may include one component of the precursor composition (eg, a polyol) and another heater well may include a different component, such as a fragrance or a drug. May be included. Thus, the device may comprise a controller adapted to activate the micro-heaters corresponding to different components of the aerosol precursor composition according to different algorithms. For example, different microheaters may be heated to different temperatures, for different lengths of time, or in a particular order. Further, certain microheaters may be automatically activated by the control component in response to activation of the device (eg, upon activation of a pressure sensor indicating inhalation in the device). The microheater may be controlled manually (eg by push button). For example, one or more microheaters may be adapted to heat a particular perfume (eg, menthol) and the user of the device may manually control to deliver only the perfume as needed. May be used. As will be appreciated from the foregoing, the use of multiple micro-heaters allows for large variations in the heating profile of the device and in the individual puffed aerosol composition delivered to the device.

Still further configurations of microheaters in or on the substrate can be covered by the present disclosure. For example, multiple microheaters may be combined with a substrate to provide a bank of heaters. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 6, banks of microheaters 50 may be provided in the substrate. In this embodiment, the substrate 600 comprises a first layer 603 and a second layer 605, which microheater may be sandwiched between the two layers. One of the first layer and the second layer may comprise a porous material that may function as a reservoir for the aerosol precursor composition (or components thereof), the precursor composition (or one of the The above components) may be stored over substantially the entire area of the layer or may be deposited only in one or more specific areas corresponding to one or more microheaters. Thus, an individual microheater can be activated to aerosolize the overall aerosol precursor composition in the area near the microheater. Alternatively, an individual microheater may be activated to aerosolize a particular component of the aerosol precursor composition in the area near the microheater.

In a further embodiment, a substrate comprising an aerosol precursor composition (or one or more components thereof) may be provided, and one or more microheaters may be provided integral with the devices described herein. May be. More specifically, the microheater may be placed inside a smoking article as discussed herein, and the substrate comprising the aerosol precursor composition may be placed within that article. Well, as a result, the substrate is substantially contacted with a bank of microheaters or a single microheater. The substrate can be swapped, if desired, so that the article containing the bank of microheaters simply discards the depleted substrate and a fresh substrate with the aerosol precursor composition thereon. It can be reused by inserting it into an article. One such embodiment is illustrated in Figure 7.

As can be seen in FIG. 7, an embodiment of an electronic smoking article 10 is illustrated, which is essentially a single continuous body 150 having an open door 101. In the open position, the door shows an aerosolized cavity lined with a series of micro-heaters 50. In the illustrated embodiment, the microheater is provided on the inside surface of the hinged door 101 and on the inside surface of the article. For use in this article, the substrate 600 containing the aerosol precursor composition is placed within the aerosolization cavity of the article. Then, a substantially flat substrate is placed in the cavity such that the top and bottom surfaces of substrate 600 are each in substantial contact with a series of micro-heaters and the door 101 is closed. After the use of the article substantially depletes the substrate of the aerosol precursor composition, the door may be opened and the substrate may be removed and replaced with a new substrate containing the aerosol precursor composition. .. In other embodiments, the microheater may be located only inside the hinged door or only on the inner surface of the aerosolization cavity. The series of microheaters may be configured to heat the substrate according to any desired algorithm, as previously described herein.

In some embodiments, the microheaters can be characterized as being arranged in series. Alternatively, the microheater may be provided in one or more different spatial arrangements. The particular array of micro-heaters may be pre-defined to heat particular locations on the substrate in a particular order, and/or to heat two or more different portions of the substrate simultaneously at the same time. May be defined in advance. Thus, the combination of multiple microheaters in the disclosed device can be characterized as an array of heaters.

The substrate 600 of FIG. 7 is illustrated as a generally flat rectangle, but other shapes, such as a cylinder, are possible. In other embodiments, the substrate may be a substantially elongate member having a defined cross-section, such as squares, circles, triangles, etc., the dimensions of the substrate being the aerosolization within the article. It may vary as needed so that its substrate is in substantial contact with one or more microheaters, as long as it is sized to fit within the cavity. Further, the number of microheaters lined with aerosolized cavities may vary. Similarly, since the shape and dimensions of the substrate are varied, the shape and dimensions of the aerosolizing cavity within this article can be varied accordingly, with the aerosolizing cavity being substantially the same shape and dimensions as the substrate. Good. In yet another embodiment, a hinged door 101 may be placed along any of the articles 10 to facilitate access to the aerosolizing cavity. For example, the mouth end 11 of the article may be hinged over all of the mouth end of the article to allow access to the aerosolization cavity for placement and removal of the substrate 600. It may be a hinged door. For example, such a structure may limit direct access by the user to the microheater.

In certain embodiments, the reservoir used to store the aerosol precursor composition may be a container (e.g., an airbag), from which the article stores a defined amount of the aerosol precursor composition. Can be adapted to measure. Mechanical components (e.g., plunger and drive mechanism, e.g., spring) may be provided and may be electrically controlled by the micro-heater or similar components of the article. Micropump devices may be used in particular. Related components may also provide an indication of the liquid fill of the reservoir. Similarly, a passive microfluidic device may be used for transfer of the aerosol precursor composition or one or more components thereof to a microheater. Such a device is particularly useful. The reason for this is that they do not necessarily require a separate power supply and the control provided by this device is based at least in part on the energy extracted from the liquid being transferred, or surface tension, selective hydrophobicity/ This is because it can be based on surface effects such as hydrophilicity control. Examples of passive microfluidic devices are, for example, Springer Handbook of Nanotechnology, edited by Bharat Bhushan, Section 19.3, Smart Passive Microfluidic Devices. ), Nov. 29, 2006, pp. 532-540, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The reservoir containing the aerosol precursor composition may be in liquid communication with a micro-heater as discussed herein via one or more additional components. For example, the container may be contacted with a dispenser that facilitates the transfer of the liquid aerosol precursor composition outside the container and onto the microheater. The dispenser may be connected to the container via a suitable passageway, such as appropriately sized tubing or other transport element. Optionally, one or more valves are provided whose openings in the valve are external (eg, via electronic control by a microcontroller or similar component of the article), through a passageway, or in a dispenser. It may be provided in that it may allow passage of the liquid aerosol precursor composition over and over the microheater. The mechanism of such a valve may be in addition to or in place of other mechanical components that actively replace the aerosol precursor composition from the container.

The dispenser can dispense the aerosol precursor composition onto a microheater (which may be on a separate substrate). In some embodiments, the dispenser may be integral with the microheater substrate or otherwise attached to the microheater substrate, the dispenser being for its aerosolization and for forming the formed aerosol. Various components may be provided to maintain the aerosol precursor composition near the microheater for release of

The microheater may also be provided as part of a laminated substrate that can be effectively characterized as a spray device. For example, FIG. 8 illustrates an atomizer 800, which is a laminated structure that forms an open cavity that is laminated to the microheater discussed herein. Thus, the microheater can be characterized as integral with the atomizer. Specifically, the atomizer 800 comprises a support layer 510, on top of which is a conductive layer 520. The protective layer 540 is shown laminated to the conductive layer. Above the protective layer is the spray chamber 810, which is an open space defined by the spray chamber wall 820, the chamber cover 830, and the microheater (particularly the protective layer of the microheater). The chamber cover and protective layer are shown partially transparent for ease of illustration, although opaque or translucent materials may be used as well. A plurality of openings 840 are provided in the spray chamber wall to allow vaporized aerosol precursor material to pass out of the sprayer. Preferably, the opening is sized so that vapor passes through it but liquid aerosol precursor composition does not pass through it. A liquid passage 850 connects the nebulizer to a reservoir, which liquid passage opens into the nebulization chamber, allowing the liquid precursor material to enter the chamber for evaporation. The liquid passage may be tubing having a diameter of about 250 μm to about 1,000 μm, about 300 μm to about 750 μm, or about 400 μm to about 600 μm. As discussed herein, the passage of liquid may be via active or passive means. If passive means are used, the liquid is free to pass through the chamber where it awaits vapor, but does not exit through opening 840. When the heater is activated, the liquid evaporates and exits the chamber through the opening, which is backfilled by the ingress of additional liquid precursor material. The atomization chamber is preferably sized so that substantially all of the liquid present in the chamber is then completely evaporated in a single removal for removal. If desired, means may be provided to prevent the passage of the vapor formed from the atomization chamber into the liquid passage. For example, a ball valve (not shown) may be provided at the opening of the liquid passage to the spray chamber. The layers of the atomizer may be attached together like a eutectic metal bond.

Terminals 530 extending from the conductive layer 520 electrically connect the further electrical components of the article with the microheater (particularly the conductive material). The chamber wall and chamber cover may be formed of any suitable material that is heat resistant and chemically non-reactive with the aerosol precursor composition. For example, the chamber walls may be formed of silicon and the chamber cover may be formed of glass, but other chambers, such as those discussed herein, for use as support and/or protective layers. The material may be used to form the chamber wall and chamber cover independently.

The structure discussed above may be particularly beneficial, but it is not necessary, rather the above components may be combined in various ways. For example, the atomizer may be configured such that the microheater is thermally coupled to the atomization chamber formed from one or more walls. The chamber may be adapted to receive a predetermined amount of aerosol precursor composition, such as through an opening in the chamber wall. The wall defining the chamber (including the cover, as defined) preferably has one or more openings adapted for the exit of vapor or aerosol from the chamber and for the entry of air into the chamber. Prepare In certain embodiments, an opening adapted to the vapor or aerosol outlet may also be used for entry of air into the chamber.

The exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9 shows a sprayer 800, which comprises a support layer 510, a spray chamber wall 820, and a sprayer chamber cover 830. The spray chamber, conductive layer, and protective layer are not visible in this field of view. In this embodiment, the cover 830 comprises a plurality of cover openings 845, the chamber walls of which are continuous along the perimeter of the atomizer. A liquid passage 850 connects the nebulizer to a reservoir, which opens to the nebulization chamber and allows the liquid precursor material to pass into the chamber for evaporation. In this embodiment, the cover may be formed from a metal mesh and the cover openings allow vaporized aerosol precursor composition to pass through it, but liquid aerosol precursor composition does not. The size is set as follows. Alternatively, the cover may be formed from other suitable materials, such as ceramics, high temperature polymers, silicon, glass and the like. The atomizer cover and atomizer chamber wall may be beneficially formed as a unitary structure, such as by use of suitable photolithographic techniques. Specifically, the cover may be bonded to a blank of material used for the spray chamber walls, and etching may be used to remove the material needed to form the walls, leaving a chamber of the desired dimensions. .. This chamber wall may then be layer bonded to a cover that is laminated to the support layer or a conductive layer on the support layer.

Due to the size of the microheater itself, the atomizer may likewise be relatively small. For example, the atomizer may have a total length of about 2 mm to about 12 mm, about 3 mm to about 10 mm, or about 4 mm to about 8 mm, and a total width of about 1 mm to about 7 mm, about 1.5 mm to about 6 mm, or about 2 mm to about 5 mm. Can have. The spray chamber may have a volume of about 0.2 ml to about 1 ml, about 0.3 ml to about 0.9 ml, or about 0.4 ml to about 0.8 ml. One or more atomizers may be provided in the article, which may include one or more reservoirs (which may include the entire aerosol precursor composition or certain components of the aerosol precursor composition). May be in liquid contact with. The article includes an aerosol precursor composition that includes a plurality of individual components, a plurality of reservoirs that separately include individual components of the aerosol precursor composition, and a predetermined amount of the aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir. And a plurality of atomizers or chambers adapted to receive the components of.

In particular, the nebulizer described above may be incorporated into a cartridge of a smoking article as described herein. For example, the nebulizer may be connected to a reservoir, such as a walled container, via a liquid passage (eg, stainless steel tubing). The reservoir can maintain a positive pressure therein against the aerosol precursor composition such that the liquid aerosol precursor composition continuously fills the chamber of the nebulizer after evaporation during use. In one embodiment, the reservoir may include a plunger biased by a spring or the like to maintain a positive pressure on the liquid aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir. Optionally attached to the plunger may be an indicator that moves with the plunger. Accordingly, the smoking article may include a window in the body through which the indicator is visible. As the liquid aerosol precursor composition is depleted, the plunger moves in a defined direction. Therefore, the indicators move in the same direction as well. The window may be arranged such that the indicator moves through the window and may provide an indication of the loading state of the liquid aerosol precursor composition. For example, a color code may be utilized to indicate the fill with one or more different colors that appear in the window as the liquid depletes. Similarly, a taper indicator may be used to indicate fill as the liquid depletes, moving from no taper to a complete taper. In other embodiments, a digital screen may be provided rather than a window, and the mechanical movement of the plunger may be electronically converted into an appropriate signal to indicate the fill condition on the digital screen. Similarly, a series of LEDs may be used to indicate the fill condition.

It should be noted that in addition to the above, various reservoirs may be utilized for the various embodiments described above. For example, the reservoir may be a container such as a bottle, in which the aerosol precursor composition is stored. The container may be substantially impermeable to the aerosol precursor so that the material cannot escape through the wall of the container. In such an embodiment, an opening may be provided for passage of the aerosol precursor composition therefrom. The term "bottle" is meant to generally include any container having a wall and at least one opening. A tube or other conduit may be used for passage of the aerosol precursor composition outside the bottle and through the tube or other conduit. Such passage can also occur through capillarity. Alternatively, the passive flow of liquid from the bottle allows the flow of the aerosol precursor composition when the smoking article is in use and when the smoking article is not in use. It may be controlled by a suitable valve mechanism that may be opened to prevent flow. Active flow mechanisms incorporating micro-pump devices are also envisioned for use in accordance with the present invention. Such containers are formed from any suitable material that is substantially non-reactive with any of the components of the aerosol precursor composition, such as glass, metal, low or non-porous ceramics, plastics, and the like. Good.

In some embodiments, the reservoir holds the aerosol precursor composition (eg, through absorption, adsorption, etc.) and allows the precursor composition to escape for transport to the microheater. It may be a suitable woven or non-woven fabric or another mass of fibers. Such reservoir layers may be formed from natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or a combination thereof. Non-limiting examples of useful materials include cotton, cellulose, polyesters, polyamides, polylactic acids, combinations thereof and the like. Similarly, the reservoir may be formed of ceramic, other porous materials, sintered materials, or the like. Smoking articles according to the present invention may include one reservoir or multiple reservoirs (eg, two reservoirs, three reservoirs, four reservoirs, or more). As discussed herein, the reservoir may in fact be a substrate with one or more microheaters. Such substrates may be formed from porous materials such as those mentioned above.

In certain embodiments, the wick may be used to transport one or more aerosol precursor compositions from the reservoir of the smoking article to the microheater. Thus, the wick for use in accordance with the present invention may be any material that provides sufficient wicking action to deliver one or more components of the aerosol precursor composition to the microheater. Non-limiting examples include natural or synthetic fibers such as cotton, cellulose, polyesters, polyamides, polylactic acids, glass fibers, combinations thereof and the like. Other exemplary materials that can be used for the wick include metallic ceramics, and carbonized filaments (eg, materials formed from carbonaceous materials that have been fired to drive off the non-carbon components of the material). The wick may further be coated with a substance that modifies the capillarity of the fiber, and the fiber used to form the wick may have a particular cross-sectional shape and may be grooved to modify the capillarity of the fiber. May be attached. The fibers used to form the wick may be provided one at a time, bundled, provided as a woven fabric (including mesh and braid), or as a non-woven fabric. The porosity of the wick's material may also be controlled to alter the capillarity of the wick, including control of average pore size and total porosity, wick geometry (or fiber geometry). Control, and control of surface features. Other wicks may also have different lengths. The term "wick" is also intended to include capillaries, and any combination of elements that provide the desired capillarity may be used.

Aerosol precursor compositions utilized in smoking articles may be formed from a first component and at least a second individual component. Thus, the aerosol precursor composition may be formed from multiple components, such as two individual components, three individual components, four individual components, five individual components, and the like. In some embodiments, the individual components of the aerosol precursor composition may be separately shipped to another microheater. Separate delivery may be applied in this regard to each individual component of the aerosol precursor composition, or to any combination of the individual components. In some embodiments, two or more components of the aerosol precursor composition may be stored in the same reservoir, shipped separately to another microheater, or to the same microheater. May be shipped. Aerosol precursors using different combinations of one or more reservoirs, one or more transport elements, and one or more micro-heaters, all having different designs and formed of different materials. Controlled rate delivery and heating of the components of the composition may be achieved.

Advantageously, by utilizing the separate transport of the individual components of the aerosol precursor composition to separate the heating elements, the individual components are heated to different temperatures and more consistent for the user to inhale. It may be possible to obtain some aerosols. The aerosolization temperature of the other heater is substantially the same, but in some embodiments, the aerosolization temperature of the other heater is 2°C or higher, 5°C or higher, 10°C or higher, 20°C or higher, 30°C. Or may differ by 50° C. or more.

In addition to the foregoing, the control body and cartridge may be characterized in terms of overall length. For example, the control body may have a length of about 50 mm to about 110 mm, about 60 mm to about 100 mm, or about 65 mm to about 95 mm. The cartridge may have a length of about 20 mm to about 60 mm, about 25 mm to about 55 mm, or about 30 mm to about 50 mm. The overall length of the combined cartridge and control body (or the total length of a smoking article according to the present invention formed from a single, single shell) is approximately equal to or equal to that of a typical cigarette. Can be less than (eg, about 70 mm to about 130 mm, about 80 mm to about 125 mm, or about 90 mm to about 120 mm).

The cartridge and control body may be provided together as a complete smoking article, or drug delivery article generally, although the components may also be provided separately. For example, the present invention may also include a disposable unit for use with a reusable smoking article or a reusable drug delivery article.

In certain embodiments, the disposable unit or cartridge according to the present invention may be substantially the same as the cartridge as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. Thus, the disposable cartridge includes a tip end configured to engage a reusable smoking article, or drug delivery article, and vapor and any additional inhalable substance formed to the consumer. A substantially annular shaped cartridge shell having opposed mouth ends configured to allow passage of the cartridge. The cartridge shell may define an internal cartridge space with additional cartridge components, especially one or more microheaters.

Although the various figures described herein show the control body and cartridge in a working relationship, it is understood that the control body and cartridge may exist as separate devices. Therefore, it should be understood that any discussion elsewhere in this specification regarding combined components applies to the control body and the cartridge as individual and separate components.

In another aspect, the invention can relate to a kit that provides various components as described herein. For example, the kit may include a control body that includes one or more cartridges. The kit may further include a control body that includes one or more charging components. The kit may further include a control body that includes one or more batteries. The kit may further comprise a control body that comprises one or more cartridges, one or more charging components, and/or one or more batteries. In a further embodiment, the kit may comprise multiple cartridges. The kit may further comprise a plurality of cartridges, and one or more batteries and/or one or more charging components. The kits of the invention may further comprise a case (or other packaging, carry, or storage component) compatible with one or more of the additional kit components. The case may be a reusable hard or soft container. Further, the case may simply be a box or other packaging structure.

In a further embodiment, the present disclosure further includes a method of forming an aerosol in a smoking article. Specifically, the method may include activating an electric current from a power source within the smoking article to a micro-heater of the smoking article, thereby heating the micro-heater that heats the aerosol precursor composition.

In some embodiments, smoking articles utilized in this method may comprise multiple microheaters. Two or more micro heaters may be heated at the same time. Still further, the aerosol precursor composition may include two or more individual components, and the individual components of the aerosol precursor composition may be separately heated by simultaneously heated micro-heaters. .. More specifically, this simultaneously heated micro-heater may accept current from a power source under different conditions so that the micro-heater is heated to different temperatures or heated for different times. To be done. If desired, two or more microheaters may be heated in succession (ie, in a defined array or pattern).

In a further embodiment of the method, the aerosol precursor composition may be coated on, adsorbed on, or absorbed in a carrier material (ie substrate), and the electrical current is activated. Prior to the step of performing, the method may include inserting a carrier material into the smoking article. Similarly, the micro-heater may be attached to the substrate, and prior to the step of activating the current, the method may include inserting the substrate into the smoking article. In certain embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may be coated on a micro-heater attached to the substrate. In another embodiment, the method initiates a flow of aerosol precursor composition from a reservoir to a chamber that is thermally coupled to the reservoir, thereby heating the aerosol precursor composition within the chamber. Can be included.

Variations and other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art who have the benefit of the techniques shown in the foregoing description and related drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed herein, and that variations and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Should be. Certain terms used herein are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims (20)

A smoking article,
Housing,
A spray chamber within the housing, the spray chamber including at least one outlet defined by a plurality of walls and adapted to pass vapor formed in the spray chamber from the spray chamber; In addition,
Comprising a micro heaters which forms at least part of one wall of the plurality of walls defining a spray chamber, the micro-heater comprises a conductive material that overlaps the support layer, and aerosol spray chamber Configured to vaporize the precursor composition to form vapor in the spray chamber,
The smoking article , wherein vapor formed in the spray chamber passes from the spray chamber into the housing through the at least one outlet . The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising an airflow passageway through the housing, the airflow passageway passing at least partially around a spray chamber. The smoking article of claim 2, wherein at least one outlet of the spray chamber is in fluid communication with the air flow passage such that vapor passing from the spray chamber within the housing passes through the air flow passage. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising a reservoir within a housing that contains the aerosol precursor composition. The smoking article of claim 4, further comprising a liquid transport element configured to pass the aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir to the spray chamber. The smoking article of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material is selected from the group consisting of elemental metals, metal alloys, silicon, ceramics, carbons, carbides, nitrides, and combinations thereof. The conductive material, Ru printed layer der overlaps the supporting layer, smoking article according to claim 1. The smoking article of claim 1 , wherein the support layer comprises a silicon-based material. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the microheater comprises a protective layer overlying a conductive material. The smoking article of claim 1, comprising a plurality of microheaters. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising a power supply and control device. 12. The smoking article of claim 11, wherein the power source and the controller are within a shell, the shell being separate from the housing and connectable to the housing. The spray chamber has a volume of about 0.2ml~ about 1 ml, smoking article according to claim 1. An atomizer for an aerosol-forming article, comprising:
The nebulizer comprises a nebulizing chamber defined by a plurality of walls,
At least a portion of one of the walls defining the spray chamber comprises a micro-heater, the micro-heater including a conductive material overlying the support layer and vaporizing the aerosol precursor composition. Is configured to
At least one wall of the plurality of walls comprises an opening adapted for passage of the aerosol precursor composition into the nebulization chamber and passage of the aerosol precursor composition into a heating device having a microheater,
An atomizer, wherein the atomizer is configured to form vapor within the atomizer and includes at least one opening adapted for passage of vapor formed within the atomizer from the atomizer. 15. The atomizer of claim 14, wherein the electrically conductive material is selected from the group consisting of elemental metals, metal alloys, silicon, ceramics, carbon, carbides, nitrides, and combinations thereof. 15. The atomizer of claim 14, wherein the electrically conductive material is a printed layer overlying the support layer. 15. The atomizer of claim 14, wherein the support layer comprises a silicon-based material. 15. The atomizer of claim 14, wherein the microheater comprises a protective layer overlying a conductive material. The at least one opening adapted to pass formed vapor from the atomization chamber is sized so that vapor passes through the at least one opening but liquid does not pass through the at least one opening. The nebulizer according to claim 14. 15. The atomizer of claim 14, comprising a plurality of microheaters.

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