KR20210139383A - Electronic aerosol delivery device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic aerosol providing system comprising: an air path between an air inlet and an air outlet; and an evaporator for generating vapor into the air path; An air path between the air inlet and the evaporator is configured to support laminar air flow.

Description

Electronic aerosol delivery device

The present invention relates to an electronic aerosol providing device.

A typical electronic aerosol providing device includes an internal air path that provides a channel between one or more inlets and one or more outlets. A user of the electronic aerosol providing device inhales onto the air outlet(s) to create an air flow through the device, along a channel from the air inlet(s) to the air outlet(s).

Electronic aerosol providing devices generally also include a source (precursor) material used to form a vapor or aerosol. For example, some devices include a reservoir of liquid, and a heater used to vaporize the liquid from the reservoir. In other devices, a heater may be used to generate volatiles from a solid material, which in turn form a vapor or liquid. In some cases, a liquid or solid material may be provided in a replaceable cartridge. Vapors or aerosols are generally generated within or traveling into a channel from an air inlet(s) to an air outlet(s), and air out through the air outlet(s) and along the channel for inhalation by a user. transmitted by flow.

The user experience of such electronic aerosol providing devices depends on the vapor or aerosol exiting the device for inhalation.

The invention is defined in the appended claims.

The approach described herein provides an electronic aerosol delivery system comprising an air pathway between an air inlet and an air outlet, and an evaporator for generating vapor into the air pathway. An air path between the air inlet and the evaporator is configured to support laminar air flow.

The approach described herein is an electronic aerosol delivery system comprising an air path between an air inlet and an air outlet, an evaporator to produce vapor into the air path, and a facility for adjusting the air path to control turbulence in the air path. provides

The features and aspects of the invention described above in connection with the first and other aspects of the invention are equivalent not only to the specific combinations described above, but also to embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the invention, as appropriate. It will be understood that these are widely applicable and may be combined with them.

Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, by way of example only.
1 depicts an exemplary electronic aerosol delivery system.
2 depicts an electronic aerosol delivery system having a linear airflow channel configured to support laminar air flow in accordance with the approaches described herein.
3 shows distributions of aerosol particle sizes generated by an electronic aerosol providing system as shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 4 shows distributions of aerosol particle sizes generated by an electronic aerosol providing system as shown in FIG. 2 .
5 depicts an electronic aerosol delivery system having a smoothly curved airflow channel configured to support laminar airflow in accordance with the approaches described herein.
6 depicts an electronic aerosol delivery system with provision for adjusting the air path to control turbulence in accordance with the approaches described herein.
7 depicts another electronic aerosol delivery system having provisions for adjusting the air path to control turbulence in accordance with the approaches described herein.

Aspects and features of various examples are described herein. Some of these aspects and features may be implemented in the prior art, and they may not be described in detail for purposes of brevity. It will be appreciated that such aspects and features not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with suitable conventional techniques.

The present disclosure relates to electronic aerosol delivery systems, which may also be referred to as electronic vapor delivery systems, e-cigarettes, and the like. In the following description, the terms "e-cigarette", "electronic cigarette", "electronic aerosol delivery system" and "electronic vapor delivery system" may be used interchangeably unless the context requires otherwise. Likewise, the terms "device" and "system" may be used interchangeably, eg, "electronic aerosol providing system" is considered equivalent to "electronic aerosol providing device" unless the context requires otherwise. should be Moreover, as common in the art, the terms "vapor" and "aerosol", and related terms such as "vapor", "aerosolizes", and "volatizes" likewise require otherwise Unless otherwise stated, they may be used interchangeably.

Such electronic aerosol delivery systems/devices are often provided in modular form, including, for example, a control unit and a cartomizer (a cartomizer is a combination of a cartridge and an evaporator). The term electronic aerosol providing system/device is used herein to denote one or more modules (eg, control unit) (including components) that act to generate an aerosol or vapor. Such a system/device may be configured to receive one or more additional modules, such as a module (cartridge) containing a liquid or other precursor to be evaporated, or may be provided in combination with one or more additional modules.

One common configuration for electronic aerosol delivery systems/devices with modular assemblies is to include reusable parts (main control unit) and replaceable (disposable) cartridge parts (also referred to as consumables). A replaceable cartridge part often holds a vapor (aerosol) precursor material, and (in some implementations) may also hold an evaporator (aerosolizer) to form a cartomizer. Reusable components often hold control circuitry for the device/system and a power supply, such as a rechargeable battery. These parts may have additional components depending on their functionality. For example, a reusable part may have a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operating state characteristics, while a replaceable cartridge part may have a temperature sensor to help control the temperature of the evaporator. have.

The cartridge part is generally electrically and mechanically coupled to the control unit for use. When the vapor precursor material of the cartridge is exhausted (completely consumed), or the user desires to switch to a different cartridge (eg) having a different vapor precursor material, the cartridge is removed from the control unit and a replacement cartridge is provided in its place. can Devices conforming to this type of two-part modular construction are sometimes referred to as two-part devices.

Some of the example devices/systems described herein are based on an elongate two-part device/system that utilizes disposable cartridges. However, the approach described herein is also applicable to electronic aerosol delivery systems/devices, such as single-component devices, including more than two parts, refillable devices and single-use disposable devices. Or it will be appreciated that it may be adapted for different configurations of modular devices. Additionally, the approach described herein can be applied to devices/systems having other geometries (but not necessarily elongate), for example, based on so-called box-mode high performance devices that typically have more of a box-like shape. have.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first electronic aerosol providing device 20 . The e-cigarette 20 comprises two main sections: a control section 22 and a cartridge section 24 . In some implementations, the cartridge section and the control section are separate parts that can be separated from each other. In normal use, the control component 22 and the cartridge component 24 are releasably coupled together at the interface 26 . The cartridge 24 can be disconnected from the control component 22 when the cartridge component 24 is exhausted (after the aerosol precursor material therein has been depleted) or when the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge. The detached cartridge can then be discarded (when fully depleted) and a replacement cartridge can be coupled to the control component. Another possibility is that the same cartridge part 24 can be refilled and reattached to the control part 22 . In other implementations, the cartridge part 24 may be refillable in situ, ie, while still attached to the control part 22 (in this case, the cartridge section 24 is potentially 22) can be permanently attached to).

Interface 26 generally provides structural (mechanical), electrical and air flow path connections between control section 22 and cartridge section 24 . For example, interface 26 may provide appropriately arranged electrical contacts for establishing various electrical connections between the two sections. Likewise, the interface may suitably support (define) an air flow channel (pass) between the two sections.

Other implementations of the electronic aerosol delivery system 20 may have different configurations; It will also be appreciated that different features from different implementations as described herein may be mixed together as appropriate. For example, in some implementations, the control section 22 and the cartridge section 24 may be secured together (not separable); As noted above, this may be the case where the cartridge section 24 is refillable in situ. In some implementations, an evaporator may be provided in the control section 22 rather than the cartridge section 24 , in which case the interface 26 provides a vapor precursor from the cartridge section 24 to the control section 22 ( For example, liquid) may be configured to support the transfer - however, it does not necessarily support the transfer of power from the control section 22 to the cartridge section 24 . In some implementations, interface 26 may support wireless transfer of power from the control section to the cartridge section, such as based on electromagnetic induction. In this case, a direct physical (electrical) connection between the control section 22 and the cartridge section 24 may not be provided. Moreover, in some implementations, the air flow pass through the electronic aerosol providing device 20 may not pass through the control section 22 , such that the interface 26 is between the control section 22 and the cartridge section 24 . may not include an air flow channel connection of Those skilled in the art will recognize various other potential modifications.

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

Within the cartridge housing 62 is a reservoir 64 for holding liquid to provide vapor precursor material; This liquid is often referred to as an e-liquid. The liquid reservoir 64 in the device of FIG. 1 has an annular shape about (around) the air flow channel 72 . The shape of the reservoir 64 is defined by an outer wall provided by the cartridge housing 62 and an inner wall defining the outer side or boundary of the air flow channel 72 through the cartridge section 24 . Reservoirs 64 are closed at each end to retain the e-liquid by a mouthpiece 70 at the downstream end of the cartridge section 24 and a housing 62 defining an interface 26 at the upstream end. do.

The cartridge section 24 further includes a wick (liquid carrying element) 66 and a heater (evaporator) 68 . In the device shown in FIG. 1 , the wick 66 extends transversely across the cartridge air flow channel 72 , ie perpendicular to the air flow direction along the channel 72 . Each end of the wick is configured to draw liquid from the reservoir 64 through one or more openings in the interior wall of the liquid reservoir 64 . The e-liquid penetrates the wick 66 and is drawn along the wick 66 by capillary action (ie, wicking). The heater 68 may include an electrically resistive wire, such as a nickel chromium alloy (Cr20Ni80) wire, coiled around a wick 66, and the wick 66 may include a glass fiber bundle or a cotton fiber bundle. Many other options will be apparent to those skilled in the art; For example, the wick may be made of ceramic, the wick and heater coil may be arranged longitudinally rather than transversely, and there may be multiple heater coils 68 and multiple wicks 66 present. may, and heater 68 may have a planar configuration, and the like.

During use, power may be supplied to the heater 68 to vaporize an amount of e-liquid (vapor precursor material) drawn into the vicinity of the heater 68 by the wick 66 . The evaporated e-liquid is then entrained in air drawn along the cartridge air flow channel 72 towards the mouthpiece outlet 70 for user inhalation. The rate at which the e-liquid is evaporated by the evaporator (heater) 68 generally depends on the amount of power supplied to the heater 68 as well as the wicking or liquid transport capacity of the wick 66 . In some devices, the vapor generation rate (evaporation rate) may be adjusted by varying the amount of power supplied to the heater 68 , such as through the use of pulse width and/or frequency modulation techniques. Generally, the e-liquid vapor formed by the heater 68 is cooled in the air flow channel 72 and at least partially condensed into particles (small droplets of liquid), thereby forming an aerosol. It is then this aerosol that is inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece outlets 71 .

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

The battery 46 is generally rechargeable, such as via a charging connector in the control section housing 32 , such as a USB connector (not shown in FIG. 1 ). The user input button 34 may be used to perform various control functions. Display 44 may include one or more LEDs for displaying (eg) information or any other suitable information or indication regarding the state of charge of battery 46 . In some implementations, user input button 34 and display 44 may be integrated as a single component. The control circuitry 38 is suitably configured (programmed) to control the operation of the electronic cigarette, for example, to regulate the supply of power from the battery 46 to the heater 68 to produce steam.

The air inlet 48 is connected to the air flow path 50 through a control section 22 . The control component section pass 50 is then connected to the cartridge air flow channel 72 via the interface 26 when in turn the control component 22 and cartridge component 24 are connected together. Thus, when the user inhales on the mouthpiece 70 , air passes through the air inlet 48 , along the control section air path 50 , through the interface 26 , and through the cartridge air flow channel 72 . Then, it is drawn out through the opening of the mouthpiece 70 for user inhalation. In the example of FIG. 1 , the air flow path 50 is configured such that, during user inhalation, the air flow through the air inlet 48 is perpendicular to the air flow through the air outlet 71 . In particular, the air inlet 48 is arranged on the side of the outer housing 32 (rather than the base). Such an air inlet may be referred to as a side hole. The air flow path 50 includes a corner or angle whereby the air flow during inhalation is the first direction of air flow from the air inlet 48 to the corner and the second direction of the air flow from the corner to the interface 26 . abruptly switched in two directions. As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the second direction of movement is perpendicular to the first direction of movement.

2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second electronic aerosol providing device 200 . The components of the e-cigarette 200 of FIG. 2 are generally the same or similar (and labeled with the same reference numbers) as the components described with respect to FIG. 1 , and these components will not be discussed again. will be. However, in contrast to the first e-cigarette 20 of FIG. 1 , which includes a side hole air inlet 48 , the second e-cigarette 200 of FIG. 2 contains air at the base (or bottom) of the e-cigarette. an inlet 248 (where the orientation of the e-cigarette is defined in a conventional manner such that the mouthpiece 71 is on top). With this position relative to air inlet 248, control section air flow path 250 and cartridge section air flow path 72 are coaxially aligned such that there is a straight air path along the length of the air flow channel. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 2 , the air flow channels 250 , 72 of the electronic vapor providing device 200 , from the air inlet 248 to the evaporator 68 and then through the mouthpiece 70 . The air flow out through the device is arranged to follow a substantially straight (linear) path, ie to face a substantially single direction, without changing direction, bending, bending, etc.

While FIG. 2 shows an example in which the air flow paths in the control section 22 and the cartridge section 24 have a coaxial (co-aligned) configuration, it is noted that such a configuration may be achieved differently in other implementations. will be recognized Moreover, while e-cigarette 200 is shown as having two modules (cartridge part 24 and control part 22 ), other implementations have a coaxial configuration for air flow paths 52 and 72 . They may be implemented as a single-piece device or otherwise as a system comprising more than two modules.

A straight line (linear) of the air flow channel 250 through the control section 22 of FIG. 2 as compared to an angled (corner) configuration of the air flow channel 50 of the e-cigarette 20 of FIG. 1 . ) configuration supports laminar airflow in channel 250 . In laminar airflow (also referred to herein as linear airflow), the air generally flows in parallel all in the same direction. For example, in the case of laminar air flow along a cylindrical pipe, all the air flows axially parallel along the pipe. The air flow velocity along the pipe has a radial profile depending on the distance from the center of the pipe. Air flowing along the central axis of the pipe flows most rapidly, while the air flow velocity is then gradually increased over a radial distance to zero velocity adjacent the edge or wall of the pipe away from the center in an area referred to as the boundary layer. falls

In contrast to laminar flow, the presence of features such as corners, bends, obstructions, etc. along the air flow path generally introduces turbulence into the air flow. This turbulent air flow (also referred to herein as non-linear air flow) is created and reflects localized fluctuations in atmospheric pressure and other instabilities. For example, air flowing around an obstruction (close to the obstruction) may have a higher pressure than air flowing further away from the obstruction; It can then be balanced by a zone of relatively low pressure immediately after the obstruction. In effect, localized air movements attempt to rebalance air pressure fluctuations, thereby introducing turbulence into the air flow.

It is also noted that turbulence can also occur in the axially aligned channels shown in FIG. 2 . For example, if air is pushed through the pipe too quickly (ie with too large a pressure differential), a high level of radial shear due to different axial velocities at different radial distances out of the center of the channel. ) impedes air flow, causing instabilities and other forms of turbulence.

A dimensionless parameter known as the Reynolds number (R) is often used to characterize laminar and turbulent flow regimes. The Reynolds number is defined as R = uL/v, where u is the flow rate, v is the viscosity, and L is the linear scale magnitude of the flow (which may be, for example, the diameter of the pipe). A low Reynolds number will generally result in laminar flow, while a high Reynolds number will generally result in turbulent flow. The transition between laminar and turbulent flow can typically occur for R in the range of 2000 to 3000 (however, this transition point is typically sensitive to a variety of factors, and in some circumstances will be outside the above range). can). Note that increasing the flow rate increases the Reynolds number and thus may lead to a transition to turbulent flow, as noted above. In contrast, increasing the viscosity will decrease the Reynolds number; This can be considered as a higher viscosity that dampens turbulent motion.

3 and 4 show, respectively, the frequency distribution of particle sizes generated by the first and second exemplary e-cigarettes, namely the side-hole device 20 of FIG. 1 and the linear flow device 200 of FIG. 2 , respectively. are graphs showing the Particle size refers to the size of particles or droplets in the vapor or aerosol exiting the device through the air outlets 71 . Each graph shows 10 repeated measurements of the particle size distribution. Statistical summaries of the frequency distribution of particle sizes for each measurement are provided in Tables 1 and 2 below.

The last three columns of each table define the parameters of the particle size distribution for that measurement. Thus, in the first line of Table 1, Dx(10) = 0.39 implies that 10% of the particles have a size less than 0.39 microns (μm), and Dx(50) = 1.12 means that 50% of the particles are 1.12 implying that it has a size less than microns (μm) (ie it is the median size), Dx(90) = 2.56 indicates that 90% of the particles have a size less than 2.56 microns (μm) imply A comparison of FIGS. 3 and 4 (and associated tables) shows that particle sizes are generally more direct linear flow e-cigarettes (eg, as shown in FIG. 2) than side-hole e-cigarettes (eg, as shown in FIG. 1). It clearly shows that this is smaller. It is also proposed that the direct linear flow measurements of FIG. 4 result in a slightly denser (more compact) distribution than the side-hole measurements of FIG. 3 .

Without being bound by theory, it is contemplated that a laminar (non-turbulent) air flow may form an aerosol having a smaller particle size than a non-laminar (turbulent) air flow, which means that the turbulence between the aerosol particles This is because it causes more collisions, and such collisions result in coagulation between the particles and thus the growth of the particle size. In contrast, when the air flow is laminar, agglomeration between the particles can be reduced because the air flow is substantially all parallel and aligned with the axial direction. As a result, there is less mixing in the air flow and, therefore, less potential for agglomeration. It is also possible that the turbulence causes more vapor to contact the particles and thus a faster condensation of the vapor on the particles (compared to laminar flow), resulting in larger particles. This faster condensation of vapor onto the existing particles may occur in addition to or instead of faster agglomeration of the particles.

In general, it has been found that an improved user experience can be achieved by an electronic vapor delivery system that provides an aerosol having a smaller particle size for inhalation by a user. Without wishing to be bound by theory, this user preference for a smaller particle size may depend on one or more factors, such as easier absorption of the particles by texture, increased lightness and/or diffusivity of the particles, a larger size of the particles. It can arise from uniformity (coherence), increased travel distance of particles, etc.

In view of these user preferences, the airflow configuration of the e-cigarette 200 of FIG. 2 is advantageous with respect to the airflow configuration of the e-cigarette 20 of FIG. 1 , which is the straight airflow channel 250 of FIG. 2 . ) helps to provide laminar air flow, and thus has a smaller particle size compared to the angled air flow channel 50 of FIG. 1 . Indeed, in many practical devices the air flow can have both laminar and turbulent components. Increasing the proportion of laminar flow components at the expense of turbulent flow components will still help promote a reduced particle size and thus an improved user experience. Thus, the benefits of providing laminar flow are not binary (all or nothing), but rather can be realized by gradually increasing the proportion of laminar flow in a given device.

5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a third electronic aerosol providing device 500 . The components of the e-cigarette 500 of FIG. 5 are generally the same or similar (and labeled with the same reference numbers) as the components described with respect to FIG. 1 , and these components will not be discussed again. will be. In contrast to the exemplary e-cigarette 20 of FIG. 1 which includes a side hole air inlet 48 having an angled air flow channel 50 , and also to provide a straight (linear) air flow channel 250 . In contrast to the exemplary e-cigarette 200 of FIG. 2 which includes an air inlet 248 at the base (or bottom) of the e-cigarette 200 , the e-cigarette 500 of FIG. 5 includes a control section 22 ) with an air flow channel 550 at the side opening 548 (similar to the e-cigarette 20 in FIG. 1 ) but with an air inlet 548 (side-hole) It has a smooth and continuous curve for the air flow channel 550 between the interfaces 26 .

Constructing the air flow path 550 to have such a continuous curve rather than a sharp corner or angle helps to support laminar air flow. Thus, implementing an air path 550 that imparts a gradual change in the direction of air flow allows the device to include side-holes, but at a lower level (if present) compared to the configuration of FIG. 1 . to have turbulence Thus, the exemplary e-cigarette 500 has a radius of curvature of greater than 5 mm, greater than 10 mm, or preferably greater than 15 mm to reduce (or eliminate) turbulence (compared to the configuration of FIG. 1 ). may have an air flow channel 550 with

In some implementations, the continuous curve of the air flow channel 550 may extend only in a partial manner between the air inlet 548 and the interface 26 . For example, the air flow channel 550 may have a smooth curved portion near the air inlet 548 and then a linear portion near the interface 26 (or conversely, the air flow channel 550 ) may have a smooth curved portion near interface 26 , continuing from a linear portion near air inlet 548 ). More generally, the air flow channel 550 may have more than one continuous curved and/or more than one linear section. A further possibility is that a continuous curve (or multiple such curves) can be approximated by a sequence of short linear sections, whereby the change in orientation between any two consecutive linear sections will be small, such as It ranges from 1 to 5 degrees, thus limiting or avoiding the introduction of turbulence.

6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fourth electronic aerosol providing device 600 . The components of the e-cigarette 600 of FIG. 6 are generally the same or similar (and labeled with the same reference numbers) as the components described with respect to FIG. 1 , and these components will not be discussed again. will be. In contrast to the e-cigarettes shown in FIGS. 1 , 2 and 5 having fixed air flow channel configurations, the e-cigarette 600 of FIG. 6 is designed to change the level of turbulence of air drawn through the device. It has an air flow path 650 that can be modified. In other words, the e-cigarette 600 of FIG. 6 adjusts the air path to control the amount of turbulence in the air path and, accordingly, for changing the particle size distribution in the aerosol generated by the electronic cigarette 600 . includes equipment.

The air flow channel 650 of the e-cigarette 600 includes two sections, a first movable channel section 610 and a second stationary section 610 . These two sections are joined by a suitable coupling or connector 615 . Accordingly, the first movable air flow channel section 610 extends from the air inlet 648 to the coupling 615 , while the second air flow channel section 611 extends from the coupling 615 to the interface 26 . is extended to The movable air flow channel section 610 can in fact rotate about the coupling 615 to reposition the air inlet 648 . In particular, the position of the air inlet 648 can be rotated between position A and position A' as indicated by the arrows. In position A', e-cigarette 600 is similar to the side-hole configuration shown in FIG. 1 , while in position A, e-cigarette 600 is in direct linear flow (bottom) shown in FIG. Hall) configuration is similar.

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

Although the e-cigarette 600 has two operating positions for the movable section 610 corresponding to A and A' (thus the position shown in FIG. 6 is switched between these two operating positions) ), other implementations may have one or more additional operational positions intermediate (A and A'). Some implementations may allow for continuous adjustment, ie, the movable section 610 may be positioned at any desired position midway A and A'. It will be appreciated that the portion 621 of the control section housing 32 in which the air inlet 648 is formed will be arranged to receive a desired range of positions relative to the air inlet 648 .

By moving the position of the air inlet 648 (via any supported intermediate positions) from position A to position A', an increasing level of turbulence can be imparted to the air flow - as described above. as will generally result in an aerosol having a larger particle size. This gives users control over a parameter (particle size) that has a direct physical impact on their experience of using the e-cigarette 600 . In particular, different particle sizes (larger or smaller) may be desirable by different users, or for different cartridges, different e-liquids, or just different user environments. Use of button 625 to control the position of air inlet 648 by moving section 610 to adjust for turbulence gives users control over aerosol particle size according to their specific preferences and circumstances. provides

For example, in the first orientation, as indicated by position A, the movable channel section 610 is co-aligned with the rest of the air flow channel 650 , in particular the stationary section 611 , thus minimizing turbulence. do. In the second orientation, as indicated by position A', the movable channel section 610 is now perpendicular to the remainder of the air flow channel 650, so that turbulence is introduced (or increased). Note that this mechanism allows the level of turbulence to be varied with little or no change in the overall flow rate. In particular, while the size of the air inlet 648 and thus the amount of air drawn during the puff remains substantially independent of the orientation of the movable channel section 610 , the particle size distribution over the puff is ) is dependent on (and controlled by) positioning.

As described above, the orientation of the movable air flow section 610 is a mechanical switch, such as a wheel or lever, to allow the user to adjust the particle size to his or her particular preference. may be selected by a user interacting with the device via 625 or similar device. In some implementations, this adjustment of the movable airflow section 610 is performed using user input button 34 and/or visual display indicator 44 (instead of using switch 625 or switch 625 ). 625) can be performed. Changes to orientation can be performed very quickly, for example during or between puffs (activations of heater 68 ), thereby allowing the user to quickly adjust particle size to a desired setting. can do. A further possibility is that, in some circumstances, at least, the orientation of the movable channel section 610 has, for example, been recognized that a particular cartridge 24 holding a particular e-liquid is attached to the control unit 22 . , that can be performed automatically by the control circuit unit 38 .

7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fifth electronic aerosol providing device 700 . The components of the e-cigarette 700 of FIG. 7 are generally the same or similar (and labeled with the same reference numbers) as the components described with respect to FIG. 1 , and these components will not be discussed again will be. More specifically, the e-cigarette 700 of FIG. 7 has a configuration very similar to the e-cigarette 200 of FIG. 2 , but like the e-cigarette 600 of FIG. 6 , It further comprises a facility for adjusting the particle size distribution in the generated aerosol.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 7 , the e-cigarette 700 uses the same direct linear flow configuration as the e-cigarette 200 as shown in FIG. 2 , with fixed air extending into the air inlet 748 . flow path 750 . However, the e-cigarette 700 has a mechanism 715 (shown in schematic form in FIG. ), thereby providing some control over the resulting particle size distribution of the aerosol generated by the e-cigarette 700 . Instrument 715 may be operated by a user via button or switch 725 in a manner similar to using button 625 in e-cigarette 600 to move air flow channel section 610 . Likewise, operation of instrument 715 may be performed using user input button 34 and/or visual display indicator 44 (instead of or in addition to using switch 725 ) and/or control circuitry 38 . ) at least partially automatically.

One implementation of the instrument 715 is a shaped diaphragm or aperture, which is between a simple circular shape for the opening and a star shape (or any other more complex shape) for the opening. may be changed in A circular shape introduces relatively little turbulence and thus supports a higher rate of laminar flow, whereas a more complex (detailed) star-shaped aperture tends to introduce more turbulence by creating more localized pressure fluctuations. and hence the lower rate of laminar flow is lower. Switching between different aperture shapes may be driven using, for example, a button or switch 725 .

In other implementations, a wall feature, such as a baffle, pin, or other obstruction (or a number of such items) may be moved into and/or out of the air flow path 750 . Inserting such a feature can in turn result in more localized pressure fluctuations that promote the formation of turbulence. Accordingly, the level of turbulence (and thus the resulting particle size) can be controlled by adjusting the degree of insertion or extraction of such obstructions into the air flow channel 750 (eg, using a button or switch 725 ). have. A similar effect may be achieved, for example, by forming or planarizing a surface texture or other topology on the inner walls of the air flow channel 750 .

Other potential implementations of the mechanism 715 include a grill, grating, or other similar structure, which may be moved into the air flow path 750 to increase turbulence of the air flow. Typically, the grating is formed of fine wire or the like, such that the grating acts to perturb the air flow and impart turbulence to the air flow, but does not inhibit the air flow rate. In some implementations, the grill 715 may be permanently located in the air flow path 750 , although the configuration or some other characteristic (or characteristics) of the grill, such as the size of individual openings in the grill, may depend on the airflow. It can be altered to vary the amount of turbulence generated. A further example of an instrument 715 is an air flow divider, which may be positioned in the air flow path 750 to divide the air flow channel into two or more sub-channels. Both the separation of the air flow into multiple air channels and the subsequent recombination of the air flow into a single channel can result in the formation of turbulence in the air flow. By varying the proportion of air in each component, the level of turbulence can be controlled.

In some implementations, the device 715 not only affects the relative ratio of laminar to turbulent flow, but also e-cigarettes for a given pressure drop or suction strength—and thus resistance to draw (RTD) increase. can affect the rate of air flow through For example, introducing fins or other obstructions into the air flow will generally act as additional RTD resistance to the air flow, in addition to increasing the amount of turbulence. However, it may be desirable to allow the user to control the amount of turbulence (and thus the particle size) with little or no change in the RTD (and thus overall flow rate). One way to achieve this is for the e-cigarette to include a restrictor somewhere along the entire air flow path, which is a major limitation on air flow through the e-cigarette. In such a configuration, any changes in the RTD caused by different settings of the instrument 715 will have a relatively low impact on the overall RTD experienced by the user. Another approach is to design that different settings of the instrument 715 change the amount of turbulence, but not the overall air flow resistance. For example, for the implementation discussed above using a circle aperture to reduce turbulence and a star-shaped aperture to increase turbulence, the sizes of the circle and star-shaped apertures are the same for both apertures. may be arranged to provide air flow resistance (RTD contribution).

Although the instrument 715 is shown in FIG. 7 as being implemented in the middle of the air flow channel 750 , the instrument 715 is instead, at the air inlet 748 or interface 26 , or at the air inlet 748 . ) and the interface 26 may be implemented at any suitable location. In some implementations, instrument 715 may include multiple components at various locations along air path 750 . Alternatively, the instrument 715 may be stretched along a substantial portion (eg, most or all) of the air flow channel 750 between the air inlet 748 and the interface 26 . Moreover, while the air path 750 shown in FIG. 7 is substantially linear (straight line), other implementations may have a curved air path similar to the shape shown in FIG. 5 for, for example, the e-cigarette 500 . can

As described above, the present approach provides an electronic aerosol providing system or device, the electronic aerosol providing system or device comprising: an air path between an air inlet and an air outlet; and an evaporator for generating vapor into the air path. An air path between the air inlet and the evaporator is configured to support laminar air flow.

It has been found that such laminar air flow can result in smaller aerosol particles exiting the electronic aerosol providing system, which in turn can lead to a more beneficial user experience. It is believed (without limitation) that laminar air flow can result in smaller particle sizes by reducing particle agglomeration and/or reducing vapor deposition onto the particles. Although these physical effects generally occur downstream of the evaporator, it is difficult to quiesce the air flow in an already turbulent electronic aerosol delivery system. Accordingly, the approaches described herein seek to prevent or reduce the formation of turbulence upstream of the evaporator, which helps to prevent or reduce turbulence in the evaporator (and downstream of the evaporator).

An ideal device would have laminar (non-turbulent) air flow along the entire air flow path within the device, from the air inlet to the air outlet. However, while achieving fully laminar airflow within a device can be difficult in practice, the air path between the air inlet and the evaporator is, for example, laminar, at least 60%, 75% 85% of the air flow through the electronic aerosol providing device. , 90% or 95% may be configured to support a substantially (mostly) laminar air flow.

There are various ways in which at least the air path between the air inlet and the evaporator can be configured to support (mostly) laminar air flow. For example, the air path may include a linear (straight) channel between the air inlet and the evaporator; The absence of sharp bends or angles facilitates laminar flow. In some cases, the air path between the air inlet and the evaporator may include one or more curved portions; Each of the one or more curved portions may have a radius of curvature of greater than 5 mm, preferably greater than 15 mm. Also, providing smooth curves rather than sharp bends or angles facilitates laminar flow (and also provides more flexibility in the overall geometry of the device compared to having straight air flow). Laminar flow along the air path between the air inlet and the evaporator is such that this path is topology for (i) obstructions such as protrusions, grills, narrow apertures, etc., and/or (ii) walls of the air path; This can be further facilitated, for example, by ensuring that there is substantially no surface texturing or other features, which will introduce turbulence into the air flow along the air path. It will be appreciated that a similar approach may be employed for the portion of the air path downstream of the evaporator to reduce or prevent turbulence in this downstream portion.

The present approach also provides an electronic aerosol delivery system (eg, as described above) comprising a facility for controlling turbulence in the air path. In some implementations, the facility provides at least first and second settings, the first setting providing an air flow having a higher rate of laminar flow as compared to turbulent flow than the second setting. As noted above, therefore, the first setting will generally generate an aerosol having a smaller particle size than the second setting. For example, the first setting is an aerosol having an average particle size (eg, based on diameter) that is at least 10%, preferably at least 20% smaller (eg, based on diameter) than the median particle size of the aerosol generated by the second setting. and/or the first setting generates an aerosol having an average particle size less than 1 micron and the second setting generates an aerosol having an average particle size greater than 1 micron. (It will be appreciated that these ratios/sizing are provided as examples only as they are influenced by additional factors such as the nature of the evaporator).

Some devices may have only two settings of a facility, while other devices may have more settings; Moreover, it will be appreciated that some devices may support a continuous setting range between an upper and a lower limit. In general, the facility may be operated by a user to control turbulence by selecting an appropriate setting, such as actuating a button or slider, and/or by touching a touch-sensitive input device. In this way, the user can choose the setting that provides him with the most satisfactory user experience. In other cases, the facility may alternatively (or additionally) be operated automatically. For example, the device can detect that a particular cartridge or cartomizer is installed and set the facility to provide the most appropriate level of turbulence for that cartridge.

There are various ways in which the facility may be implemented. For example, in some cases, a facility may support movement of an air flow path to introduce or remove a linear channel between an air inlet and an evaporator. Other ways of varying the level of turbulence include: two or more channels; variable aperture (or apertures) along the path; and/or use a (re)movable air flow divider to divide into one or more structures that may be introduced into the air path or that may be changed within the air path. Note that a facility may utilize a number of different approaches to varying the level of turbulence.

In some implementations, because the facility provides different levels of turbulence, the facility is arranged to maintain a substantially constant air flow through the air path. For example, a facility may use a smooth (circular) aperture to reduce turbulence, or a more angular aperture, such as a star, to increase turbulence. The overall size of each aperture can then be configured such that apertures of different shapes provide the same resistance to suction (and thus overall air flow). In this way, the user can also adjust the particle size of the aerosol without changing other parameters of the device, such as resistance to suction, which supports easier device management for the user.

In order to solve various problems and advance the art, this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced. The advantages and features of the disclosure are merely representative samples of embodiments, are not exhaustive, and/or are not exclusive. They are presented merely to aid understanding, and to teach the claimed invention(s). Advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures and/or other aspects of the present disclosure are subject to limitations to the disclosure as defined by the claims or to their equivalents to the claims. It is not to be considered as limitations, it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. Various embodiments suitably include, consist of, or contain various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein; or constituting essentially of, it will be understood that the features of the dependent claims may be combined with the features of the independent claims in combinations other than those expressly recited in the claims. This disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed, but may be claimed in the future.

Claims (22)

An electronic aerosol delivery system comprising:
an air pathway between the air inlet and the air outlet; and
a vaporiser for generating vapor into the air path;
wherein the air path between the air inlet and the evaporator is configured to support laminar airflow.
Electronic aerosol delivery system. According to claim 1,
wherein the air path comprises a linear channel between the air inlet and the evaporator.
Electronic aerosol delivery system. According to claim 1,
the air path between the air inlet and the evaporator comprises one or more curved portions,
each of said one or more curved portions has a radius of curvature of greater than 5 mm, preferably greater than 15 mm,
Electronic aerosol delivery system. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
wherein the air path between the air inlet and the evaporator is substantially free of obstructions that would introduce turbulence into the air flow along the air path.
Electronic aerosol delivery system. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
wherein the air path between the air inlet and the evaporator is defined by one or more walls that are substantially free of topology to introduce turbulence into the air flow along the air path.
Electronic aerosol delivery system. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
wherein the air path between the evaporator and the air outlet is configured to support laminar air flow.
Electronic aerosol delivery system. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
further comprising a facility for controlling turbulence in the air path;
Electronic aerosol delivery system. 8. The method of claim 7,
wherein the facility has at least a first setting and a second setting, wherein the first setting provides a higher rate of laminar flow to turbulence than the second setting.
Electric aerosol delivery system. 9. The method of claim 8,
wherein the first setting generates an aerosol having a smaller particle size than the second setting;
Electric aerosol delivery system. 10. The method of claim 9,
wherein the first setting generates an aerosol having an average particle size at least 10%, preferably at least 20% smaller than an average particle size of the aerosol generated by the second setting;
Electric aerosol delivery system. 11. The method of claim 9 or 10,
wherein the first setting generates an aerosol having a median particle size less than 1 micron, and the second setting generates an aerosol having an average particle size greater than 1 micron;
Electric aerosol delivery system. 12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11,
wherein the first setting reduces particle coagulation compared to the second setting;
Aerosol delivery system. 13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12,
wherein the first setting reduces vapor deposition on particles as compared to the second setting;
Aerosol delivery system. 14. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 13,
wherein the facility supports movement of the air flow path;
Electronic aerosol delivery system. 15. The method of claim 14,
wherein the movement of the air flow path is configured to introduce or remove a linear channel between the air inlet and the evaporator.
Electronic aerosol delivery system. 14. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 13,
the installation comprising an air flow divider for dividing a portion of the air path into two or more channels;
Electronic aerosol delivery system. 14. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 13,
wherein the fixture comprises an aperture having a plurality of shapes;
Electronic aerosol delivery system. 14. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 13,
wherein the facility comprises one or more structures introduced into or modified within the air path.
Electronic aerosol delivery system. 19. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 18,
wherein the electronic aerosol providing system is configured to maintain a substantially constant air flow through the air path as the facility provides different levels of turbulence.
Electronic aerosol delivery system. 20. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 19,
the facility can be set by a user to control turbulence;
Electronic aerosol delivery system. An electronic aerosol delivery system comprising:
air path between air inlet and air outlet;
an evaporator for generating vapor into the air path; and
a facility for adjusting the air path to control turbulence in the air path;
Electronic aerosol delivery system. A method of operating an electronic aerosol delivery system comprising:
providing an air path between the air inlet and the air outlet and an evaporator for generating vapor into the air path; and
adjusting the air path to control turbulence in the air path;
A method of operating an electronic aerosol delivery system.

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