RU2806092C2 - Inductively heated susceptor and aerosol delivery device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: tobacco industry.

SUBSTANCE: present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices, such as smoking products including electronic cigarettes, and, more specifically, to aerosol delivery devices, which are capable of using electrically generated heat for aerosol formation. The aerosol delivery device contains an aerosol precursor enclosed inside a reservoir, and an atomizer made with the possibility of heat generation due to induction. The atomizer contains an induction transmitter and an induction receiver. The induction receiver is in a functional contact with the aerosol precursor inside the reservoir and is made with the possibility of capillary transfer of the aerosol precursor to an area of the induction transmitter for heating and evaporation. The induction receiver contains porous electrically conducting or semiconducting material selected from metals, ferromagnetic ceramics, or graphite. The induction receiver contains a circular ring, a bisector core, and a set of legs passing radially from the circular ring. An option of the aerosol delivery device contains a power supply source, an induction transmitter, and a susceptor. The susceptor is capable of absorbing the aerosol precursor and is made with the possibility of absorption of the aerosol precursor. The induction transmitter is made with the possibility of generation of an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor is made with the possibility of heat generation under the action of the alternating magnetic field for evaporation of at least part of the aerosol precursor absorbed by the susceptor to form aerosol. The susceptor contains porous conducting material, a circular ring, a bisector core, and a set of legs passing radially from the circular ring.

EFFECT: provision of uniform heating of a wick, and increase in a speed of aerosol formation.

8 cl, 9 dwg

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention is covered by the following pending US patent applications, each of which is incorporated herein: SN 14/934,763, filed November 6, 2015, by Davis et al.; SN 15/002,056 filed January 20, 2016 by Sur; SN 15/352,153 filed November 15, 2016 by Sur; and SN 15/799,365 filed October 31, 2017 by Sebastian.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices, such as smoking articles including electronic cigarettes, and more particularly to aerosol delivery devices that are capable of using electrically generated heat to generate an aerosol. In particular, electrically generated heat may be the result of an induction heating system. Smoking articles may be configured to heat an aerosol precursor, which may include materials that may be made from or derived from tobacco, or otherwise include tobacco, and the precursor is capable of forming inhalables for human consumption.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

Over the years, many devices have been proposed that are improvements or alternatives to smoking products that require combustion of tobacco. Many of these devices have been designed to provide the sensations associated with smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes, but without delivering the significant amounts of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products that result from burning tobacco. To this end, a number of alternative smoking products, flavor generators, and medicinal inhalers have been proposed that use electrical energy to vaporize or heat volatile material, and attempts have been made to provide the experience associated with smoking cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, largely without combustion. tobacco See, for example, various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices and heat sources known in the art and described in US Pat. No. 8,881,737 to Collett et al., US Patent Application Published No. 2013/0255702 to Griffith Jr. and etc.; US Patent Application Published No. 2014/0000638 by Sebastian et al.; US Patent Application Published No. 2014/0096781 by Sears et al.; US Patent Application Published No. 2014/0096782 by Ampolini et al.; US Patent Application Published No. 2015/0059780 by Davis et al.; and US Patent Application Ser. No. 15/222,615 by Watson et al., filed July 28, 2016, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. See also, for example, the various embodiments of products and heating configurations described in the “Prior Art” sections of US Pat. No. 5,388,594 to Counts et al. and US Pat. No. 8,079,371 to Robinson et al., which are incorporated by reference.

Various embodiments of aerosol delivery devices use an atomizer to generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor composition. These atomizers often use direct resistive heating to generate heat. To this end, atomizers may contain a heating element containing a coil or other element that generates heat due to electrical resistance created by the material through which electric current is passed. Electrical current is usually passed through the heating element using direct electrical connections such as wires or connectors. Traditional conductive heating elements can experience significant heat loss and require a relatively high degree of energy consumption due to resistive heating. Additionally, conductive heating elements can complicate the manufacturing process as tight tolerances are required to ensure close thermal contact between the heating elements and the e-liquid. Additionally, in some cases, conductive heating does not evenly heat the wick of existing aerosol delivery devices, reducing the rate of aerosol generation. Thus, improvements in aerosol delivery devices may be desirable.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices configured to generate an aerosol, and these aerosol delivery devices in some embodiments may be referred to as e-cigarettes or heatless cigarettes. The present invention includes, without limitation, the following exemplary embodiments.

Embodiment Example 1: An aerosol delivery device comprising an aerosol precursor contained within a reservoir and an atomizer configured to generate heat by induction and comprising an induction transmitter and an induction receiver in operative contact with the aerosol precursor within said reservoir and configured to capillary transfer of the aerosol precursor to the area of the induction transmitter for heating and evaporation.

Embodiment Example 2: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, also comprising a control housing which may include a power source removably attached to a cartridge, the cartridge at least partially defining said reservoir .

Embodiment Example 3: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the inductive transmitter is at least partially enclosed within the cartridge in a separable manner from the control housing.

Embodiment Example 4: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the induction transmitter is equipped with a control body for wirelessly transmitting power from the control body to the cartridge.

Embodiment Example 5: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the induction transmitter includes a conductive coil.

Embodiment Example 6: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the conductive coil surrounds at least a portion of the induction receiver.

Embodiment Example 7 An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the conductive coil is disposed adjacent to at least a portion of the induction receiver.

Embodiment Example 8 An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the induction receiver comprises a conductive mesh sheet material coiled to form a cylinder.

Embodiment Example 9: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the induction receiver comprises a porous electrically conductive or semiconductive material selected from metals, ferromagnetic ceramics or graphite.

Embodiment Example 10: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the induction receiver comprises a porous iron foam.

Embodiment Example 11: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the induction receiver includes a circular ring, a bisector core, and a plurality of legs extending radially from the circular ring.

Embodiment Example 12: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the induction receiver includes a wick core and a conductive or semiconductive coating.

Embodiment Example 13: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the coating is substantially integrally bonded to the wick core by sintering.

Embodiment Example 14: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the wick core comprises a porous ceramic.

Embodiment Example 15: An aerosol delivery device comprising a power source, an induction transmitter, and a susceptor capable of absorbing and configured to absorb an aerosol precursor, wherein the induction transmitter is configured to generate an alternating magnetic field, and the susceptor is configured to generate heat under the influence of a magnetic field. fields for evaporation of at least part of the aerosol precursor absorbed by the susceptor to form an aerosol.

Embodiment Example 16: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the susceptor comprises a conductive mesh sheet material coiled to form a cylinder.

Embodiment Example 17: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the susceptor comprises a porous conductive material.

Embodiment Example 18: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the susceptor includes a circular ring, a bisector core, and a plurality of legs extending radially from the circular ring.

Embodiment Example 19: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the susceptor comprises a wick core and a conductive or semi-conductive coating.

Embodiment Example 20: An aerosol delivery device according to any previous example embodiment or any combination of any previous example embodiments, wherein the coating may be substantially integrally bonded to the wick core by sintering.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described the present invention in general terms above, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale and in which:

in FIG. 1 is a side view of an aerosol delivery device including a cartridge and a control body, the cartridge and the control body being connected to each other, according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

in FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

in FIG. 3 is a detailed end view of a portion of an exemplary atomizer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

in FIG. 4 shows an induction receiver according to one embodiment of the present invention;

in FIG. 5 shows an induction receiver according to another embodiment of the present invention;

in FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view of a connecting end of a control body according to another embodiment of the present invention;

and in FIG. shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to another embodiment of the present invention;

in FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view of the control housing of FIG. 6 attached to the cartridge of FIG. 7; And

in FIG. 9 shows an induction receiver according to an embodiment useful when used with the cartridge of FIG. 6.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to examples of embodiments thereof. These exemplary embodiments are described so that the present description is exhaustive and complete and fully conveys the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. In fact, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; these embodiments are provided only to ensure that this description satisfies the requirements of applicable law. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, although references to quantities, values, geometric relationships, and the like may be made herein. , any one or more, if not all, of the above may be exact or approximate to account for acceptable variations that may occur, such as those variations due to manufacturing tolerances, etc. , unless otherwise specified.

As described below, example embodiments of the present invention relate to aerosol delivery devices. The aerosol delivery devices of the present invention use electrical energy to heat a material (preferably without burning the material to any significant extent) to produce an inhalable agent, and the components of such systems are in the form of articles, most preferably compact enough to be considered as devices held in hand. In other words, the use of the components of the preferred aerosol delivery devices does not result in the generation of smoke, as is the case when the aerosol is generated primarily from by-products of combustion or pyrolysis of tobacco; instead, the use of preferred systems results in the formation of steam as a result of volatilization or evaporation of certain components included in the system. In some example embodiments, components of aerosol delivery devices may be identified as electronic cigarettes; these electronic cigarettes most preferably contain tobacco and/or tobacco derivatives and, therefore, they deliver tobacco derivatives in aerosol form.

The aerosol generating portions of some preferred aerosol delivery devices are capable of providing many of the sensations (e.g., inhalation and exhalation rituals, types of tastes and aromas, organoleptic effects, physical sensations, usage rituals, visual cues such as those generated by a visible aerosol, etc. ) created by smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes used by igniting and burning tobacco (and therefore inhaling tobacco smoke) without any significant combustion of any of their components. For example, a user of the aerosol generating portion of the present invention may hold and use the portion in a manner similar to a smoker using a conventional type smoking article, puff at one end of the portion to inhale the aerosol generated by the portion, puff at selected intervals, etc. P.

Although these systems are generally described herein with respect to embodiments associated with aerosol delivery devices, such as the so-called. "electronic cigarettes", it is understood that the mechanisms, components, features and methods can be implemented in many different forms and associated with a variety of products. For example, the disclosure herein may be used in combination with embodiments of conventional smoking products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.), heat-not-burn cigarettes, and related packaging for any of the products disclosed herein . Accordingly, it should be understood that the descriptions of the mechanisms, components, features and methods disclosed herein are provided with respect to embodiments related to aerosol delivery devices by way of example only and may be embodied and used in various other products and methods. .

The aerosol delivery devices of the present invention can also be defined as vapor-generating products or medicinal delivery products. Accordingly, such articles or devices may be configured to provide one or more substances (eg, flavoring agents and/or pharmaceutically active ingredients) in an inhalable form or state. For example, inhalable substances may be substantially in vapor form (ie, a substance that is in the gas phase at a temperature below its critical point). Alternatively, the inhalable substance may be in aerosol form (ie, a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas). For simplicity, the term ''aerosol'' is used herein to include vapors, gases and aerosols of a form or type suitable for human inhalation, whether visible or not, and therefore may whether their shape is considered smoke-like or not.

The aerosol delivery devices of the present invention, when used, may be subject to many of the same physical actions that a user undergoes when using traditional smoking products (eg, cigarettes, cigars, or pipes that are used by lighting tobacco and inhaling tobacco smoke). For example, a user of the aerosol delivery device of the present invention may hold the article in a manner similar to a conventional smoking article, puff at one end of the article to inhale the aerosol generated by the article, puff at selected intervals, etc.

The aerosol delivery devices of the present invention typically comprise a number of components housed within an outer housing or shell, which may be referred to as a housing. The overall design of the outer housing or shell may vary, and the format or configuration of the outer housing, which may determine the overall size and shape of the aerosol delivery device, may also vary. Typically, the elongated body, similar in shape to a cigarette or cigar, may be formed as one monolithic housing, or the elongated housing may be formed from two or more separable pieces. For example, an aerosol delivery device may comprise an elongated shell or body, which may be substantially tubular in shape, and thus may be similar in shape to a conventional cigarette or cigar. In one example, all of the components of the aerosol delivery device are contained within a single housing. Alternatively, the aerosol delivery device may comprise two or more housings that are selectively connected and separable. For example, the aerosol delivery device may have at one end a control housing containing a housing housing one or more reusable components (e.g., a battery such as a rechargeable battery and/or a rechargeable high capacity capacitor, various electronic components for controlling the operation of the product), and at the other end is removably attached to an outer housing or shell enclosing a disposable portion (for example, a disposable cartridge enclosing a flavor). More specific formats, configurations and arrangements of components within a monolithic type housing module or within a composite separable type housing module will become apparent in light of the additional description provided herein. In addition, various designs and arrangements of components of aerosol delivery devices may become apparent when considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices.

The aerosol delivery devices of the present invention most preferably comprise some combination of the following: a power source (i.e., a source of electrical power), at least one control component (e.g., means for activating, controlling, regulating, and interrupting power to generate the aerosol, for example, by controlling the flow of electrical current from a power source to other components of the product - for example, a microprocessor, whether configured separately or as part of a microcontroller), a heater, or a heat generating element (which, alone or in combination with one or more additional elements, can generally referred to as an "atomizer", an aerosol precursor composition (e.g., generally, a liquid capable of forming an aerosol when sufficient heat is applied to it, such as substances generally referred to as "smoking juice", "e-liquid" '' and ''e-juice'') and a mouthpiece end region or end portion to allow drawing on the aerosol delivery device for the purpose of inhaling the aerosol (for example, with an air flow path extending through the product so as to allow drawing aerosol from it when puffed).

The arrangement of components within the aerosol delivery device of the present invention may vary. In specific embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may be positioned near that end of the aerosol delivery device that may be configured to be positioned proximate the user's mouth so as to maximize delivery of the aerosol to the user. However, other configurations are not excluded. In general, the heating element may be positioned sufficiently close to the aerosol precursor composition such that heat from the heating element allows the aerosol precursor composition (as well as one or more of the following: flavorings, medicinal products, etc.) to vaporize. which may likewise be provided for delivery to the user) and generate an aerosol for delivery to the user. When the aerosol precursor composition is heated by a heating element, an aerosol is formed, released, or generated in a physical form suitable for inhalation by a consumer. It should be noted that the above terms are intended to be used interchangeably, so that the terms ''stand out'', ''stand out'', ''stand out'' or ''dischargeable'' include the terms ''formed'' or '' generate'', ''generating'' or ''generating'', ''forming'' or ''generating'' or ''generating'' or ''generating''. In particular, the inhaled substance is released in the form of a vapor or aerosol or a mixture thereof, such terms also being used interchangeably herein unless otherwise indicated.

As noted above, the aerosol delivery device may include a battery or other electrical power source to supply sufficient current to provide various functionality to the aerosol delivery device, such as to power a heating element, to power control systems, to power indicators, and the like. . Various embodiments of the power source are possible. Preferably, the power source is capable of providing sufficient power to quickly heat the heating element to produce an aerosol and power the aerosol delivery device throughout its use for the required period of time. The power source is preferably sized to be conveniently inserted into the aerosol delivery device so that the aerosol delivery device can be easily manipulated. In addition, the preferred power source is light enough not to impair the desired smoking experience.

More specific formats, configurations, and arrangements of components within the aerosol delivery device of the present invention will become apparent in light of the following description provided herein. In addition, the selection of various components of the aerosol delivery device may become clear when considering commercially available aerosol delivery devices. In addition, the arrangement of components within the aerosol delivery device can also be understood by considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices.

As described below, the present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices and components thereof. Aerosol delivery devices may be configured to heat the aerosol precursor composition to form an aerosol. In yet another embodiment, the aerosol delivery devices may be configured to heat and generate an aerosol from a fluid aerosol precursor composition (eg, a liquid aerosol precursor composition). Such aerosol delivery devices may include so-called e-Sigs.

Regardless of the type of aerosol precursor composition to be heated, aerosol delivery devices may include a heating element configured to heat the aerosol precursor composition. In some embodiments, the heating element may be a resistive heating element. Resistive heating elements may be configured to generate heat when electrical current is passed through them. Such heating elements often contain metallic material and are configured to generate heat through electrical resistance created when electric current flows through them. Such resistive heating elements may be placed adjacent to the aerosol precursor composition. For example, in some embodiments, resistive heating elements may comprise one or more coils of wire wound around a fluid transfer element (e.g., a wick, which may comprise porous ceramic, carbon, cellulose acetate, polyethylene terephthalate, fiberglass, or porous sintered glass) configured to drawing in the aerosol precursor composition through it. Alternatively, the heating element may be placed in contact with the solid or semi-solid aerosol precursor composition. Such configurations are capable of heating the aerosol precursor composition to form an aerosol.

Aerosol delivery devices with resistive heating elements in direct electrical connection to a power source can be used to heat the aerosol precursor composition to form an aerosol, however, such configurations may have one or more disadvantages. In this regard, resistive heating elements may comprise wires forming one or more coils adjacent or in contact with the aerosol precursor composition. For example, as noted above, said coils may be wound around a liquid transfer element (eg, a wick) to heat and aerosolize the aerosol precursor composition directed to the heating element through said liquid transfer element. However, due to the relatively small surface area of these coils, some of the aerosol precursor composition may become excessively heated during aerosolization, resulting in energy loss. Alternatively or additionally, some portion of the aerosol precursor composition that is not in contact with said heating element coils may become insufficiently heated to cause aerosolization. Accordingly, insufficient aerosolization may occur, or aerosolization may occur with energy losses. Aerosol production performance may be reduced if the heating element does not uniformly heat the portion of the wick intended to release aerosols from the precursor.

Additionally, as noted above, resistive heating elements produce heat when electrical current is passed through them. Accordingly, by placing the heating element in contact with the aerosol precursor composition, charring of the aerosol precursor composition may occur. Such charring may occur by heat generated by the heating element and/or by electrical current flowing through the aerosol precursor composition on the heating element. Charring can cause material to accumulate on the heating element. This accumulation of material may adversely affect the taste and aroma of the aerosol released from the aerosol precursor composition. Induction heating designs can provide greater control of heat distribution uniformity and overall temperature to reduce the charring effects that can be created by resistive heating elements.

In addition, aerosol delivery devices may include a control housing containing a power source and a cartridge containing a resistive heating element and an aerosol precursor composition. For the purpose of supplying electric current to the resistive heating element, the control housing and the cartridge may contain electrical connectors configured to be connected to each other when the cartridge interacts with the control housing. However, the use of these electrical connectors may add further complexity and cost to such aerosol delivery devices. In addition, in embodiments of aerosol delivery devices containing a fluid aerosol precursor composition, leakage may occur at connectors or other connectors within the cartridge. Therefore, some embodiments of the present invention may eliminate the use of electrical contacts between the control housing portion and the cartridge portion.

Thus, embodiments of the present invention are directed to providing aerosol delivery devices that provide the ability to overcome some or all of the problems noted above.

In FIG. 1 is a side view of an aerosol delivery device 100 including a control housing 102 and a cartridge 104, in accordance with various example embodiments of the present invention. In particular, in FIG. 1 shows the control housing 102 and the cartridge 104 connected to each other. The control housing 102 and the cartridge 104 can be removably connected to form a functional connection. Various mechanisms may be used to connect the cartridge to the control housing, providing a threaded connection, a press connection, an interference fit, a magnetic connection, or the like. The aerosol delivery device 100 in some exemplary embodiments may have a substantially rod-shaped, substantially tubular, or substantially cylindrical shape when the cartridge and control body are in an assembled configuration. The aerosol delivery device may also be substantially rectangular or diamond-shaped in cross section, which may itself facilitate greater compatibility with a substantially planar or thin film power source, such as a power supply comprising a coin cell battery. The cartridge and control housing may include respective separate housings or outer housings, which may be made of any number of different materials. The casing may be made of any suitable structurally sound material. In some examples, the housing may be made of a metal or alloy such as stainless steel, aluminum, or the like. Other suitable materials include various plastics (eg, polycarbonate), electroplated plastics, ceramics, and the like.

In specific embodiments, the cartridge 102 and/or the control body 104 may be referred to as disposable or reusable. For example, the control housing may have a replaceable battery or a rechargeable battery and thus may be combined with any type of recharging technology, including connection to a wall charger, connection to a car charger (eg, a cigarette lighter socket), and connection to a computer, such as via a cable. or a universal serial bus (USB) connector (for example, USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, USB Type-C), connection to a photovoltaic cell (sometimes called a solar photovoltaic cell) or a solar photovoltaic panel, or to a charger, such as a charger using inductive wireless charging (including, for example, wireless charging in accordance with the QJ wireless charging standard from the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC)), or with a radio frequency-based wireless charger. An example of an inductive wireless charging system is described in US Patent Application Published No. 2017/0112196 to Sur et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Additionally, in some embodiments, the cartridge may comprise a disposable cartridge, as disclosed in US Pat. No. 8,910,639 to Chang et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In FIG. 2 more specifically shows an aerosol delivery device 100 according to one example embodiment. As can be seen in the sectional view shown in this figure, as in the previous example, the aerosol delivery device may include a control housing 102 and a cartridge 104, each of which contains several respective components. The components shown in FIG. 2 are representative of components that may be present in the control housing and cartridge, and are not intended to limit the scope of the components that are covered by the present invention. As shown in the figure, the control housing may be formed by a control housing shell 206, which may include a control component 208 (e.g., a microprocessor, alone or as part of a microcontroller), a flow sensor 210, a power supply 212, and one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) 214 , and such components can be aligned in a variable manner. The power source may comprise, for example, a battery (disposable or rechargeable), a solid-state battery, a thin-film solid-state battery, a supercapacitor, or the like. , or some combination of the above. Some examples of suitable power supplies are given in US Patent Application Ser. No. 14/918,926 by Sur et al., filed Oct. 21, 2015, which is incorporated by reference. LEDs may be one example of a suitable visual indicator that the aerosol delivery device 100 may be equipped with. Other indicators such as audio indicators (eg speakers), tactile indicators (eg vibration motors) or the like. , may be included in addition to or as an alternative to visual indicators such as LEDs.

Although the control component 208 and the flow sensor 210 are depicted separately, it should be understood that the control component and the flow sensor may be combined as an electronic circuit board with the air flow sensor directly mounted thereon. Moreover, the electronic circuit board may be positioned horizontally relative to the illustration in FIG. 1, so that the longitudinal direction of the electronic circuit board can be parallel to the central axis of the control body. In some examples, the air flow sensor may include its own circuit board or other support element to which the sensor may be attached. In some examples, a flexible circuit board may be used. The flexible circuit board can be configured into a variety of shapes, including substantially tubular shapes. In some examples, the flexible circuit board may be combined with, overlaid on, or formed partly or entirely of the heater substrate, as further described below.

The cartridge 104 may be formed by a cartridge shell 216 surrounding an aerosol precursor storage reservoir 218 . The atomizer 220 is configured to use electrically generated heat to generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor. An air passage formed by the tube 222 and in fluid communication with the air inlets may lead to an opening 224 located in the cartridge shell 216 (for example, at the mouth end) to allow the generated aerosol to be removed from the cartridge 104. The tube 222 may be configured to reduce or eliminate leakage of excess aerosol precursor from opening 224.

The cartridge 104 may also include one or more electronic components 226, which may include an integrated circuit, a memory component, a sensor, or the like. The electronic components may be configured to communicate with the control component 208 and/or an external device via wired or wireless means. Electronic components may be located anywhere within the cartridge or base 228 thereof.

The control housing 102 and cartridge 104 may include components configured to facilitate fluid connection between the housing and the cartridge. As shown in FIG. 2, the control body may include a connector 230 having a cavity 232 within. The cartridge base 228 may be configured to engage the connector and may include a projection 234 configured to be accommodated within the cavity. This interaction makes it possible to facilitate a stable connection between the control body and the cartridge, as well as the ability to create an electrical connection between the power supply 212 and the control component 208 in the control body on the one hand and the atomizer 220 in the cartridge on the other. In addition, the control housing shell 206 may include an air inlet 236, which may be a slot at the location of the shell where it connects to the connector 230, allowing ambient air around the connector to flow into the shell and then through the connector cavity 232 into the interior. cartridge through protrusion 234.

A connector and base useful in the present invention are described in US Patent Application Pub. No. 2014/0261495 to Novak et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For example, connector 230, as seen in FIG. 2 may define an outer periphery 238 configured to mate with an inner periphery 240 of the base 228. In one example, the inner periphery of the base may define a radius that is substantially equal to or slightly greater than the radius of the outer periphery of the connector. In addition, the connector may define one or more projections 242 on the outer periphery configured to engage with one or more recesses 244 provided on the inner periphery of the base. However, various other examples of designs, shapes and components may be used to connect the base to the connector. In some examples, the connection between the cartridge base 104 and the control housing connector 102 may be substantially permanent, while in other examples the connection between them may be removable so that, for example, the control housing can be reused with one or more additional cartridges, which can be disposable and/or refillable.

Reservoir 218 shown in FIG. 2 may be a container or a fiber reservoir. For example, the reservoir may include one or more layers of nonwoven fibers substantially formed into a tube surrounding the interior region of the cartridge shell 216 in this example. Said reservoir may hold the aerosol precursor composition. Liquid components can be retained by said reservoir by absorption. The reservoir may be in fluid communication with the atomizer 220.

In use, when the user takes a puff on the aerosol delivery device 100, air flow is detected by the flow sensor 210 and the atomizer 220 is activated to vaporize the components of the aerosol precursor composition. As a result of the tightening at the mouth end of the aerosol delivery device, ambient air enters the air inlet 236 and passes through the cavity 232 in the connector 230 and the central hole in the projection 234 of the base 228. In the cartridge 104, the drawn air mixes with the generated vapor to form an aerosol. This aerosol is transferred, aspirated, or otherwise drawn from the atomizer 220 and exits through an opening 224 in the mouth end of the aerosol delivery device.

In some examples, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include several additional software-controlled functions. For example, the aerosol delivery device may include power supply protection circuitry configured to detect the power supply input signal, the loads at the power supply terminals, and the charging input signal. The power supply protection circuit may have the function of short-circuit protection, under-voltage shutdown protection, and/or over-voltage charging protection. The aerosol delivery device may also include components for sensing ambient temperature, and its control component 208 may be configured to control at least one functional element to block charging of a power source, in particular any battery, if the ambient temperature is below a certain temperature (e.g. 0°C) or above a certain temperature (for example, 45°C) before charging or during charging.

The power delivery from the power supply 212 may be varied during each puff at the device 100 using a power control mechanism. The device may include a safety timer to protect against "over-tightening" such that in the event that continuous tightening is attempted due to user action or component failure (eg, sensor 210), control component 208 can control at least one functional element so as to automatically end the puff after a certain period of time (e.g. four seconds). Additionally, the time between puffs on the device may be limited to less than a certain period of time (eg, 100 seconds). The watchdog timer provides the ability to automatically reset the aerosol delivery device if its control component or the software running on it becomes unstable and does not service the timer within the appropriate time interval (eg, eight seconds). An additional safety feature may be provided in the event of failure of the flow sensor 210 due to a defect or other reason, such as by permanently shutting down the aerosol delivery device to prevent unwanted heating. The puff limit switch provides the ability to deactivate the device in the event of a pressure sensor failure resulting in continuous activation of the device without stopping after a maximum of four seconds of puff time has elapsed.

The aerosol delivery device 100 may include a puff tracking algorithm configured to turn off the heater immediately after reaching a certain number of puffs for the attached cartridge (based on the number of available puffs calculated from the e-liquid supply in the cartridge). The aerosol delivery device may have a sleep, standby, or low power function that allows it to automatically turn off power after a specified period of non-use. Another safety feature may be provided by allowing the charge/discharge cycles of the power supply 212 to be monitored by the control component 208 over the life of the power supply. Once the power supply has reached the equivalent of a predetermined number (eg, 200) complete charge/discharge cycles, it may be considered exhausted and the control component may control the at least one functional element to prevent further charging of the power supply.

These various components of the aerosol delivery device of the present invention may be selected from components described in the prior art and commercially available. Examples of batteries that can be used in accordance with the present invention are described in US Patent Application Published No. 2010/0028766 to Peckerar et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The aerosol delivery device 100 may include a sensor 210 or other sensor or detector for controlling the supply of electrical power to the at least one atomizer 220 if aerosol generation is required (eg, when taking a puff during use). Thus, for example, a means or method is provided to turn off power to the atomizer when the aerosol delivery device is not taking puffs during use, and to turn on power to activate or trigger heat generation by the atomizer during a puff. Additional representative types of detection or sensing mechanisms, as well as their designs and configurations, their components and basic methods of controlling them, are described in US Patent No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, Jr., US Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., and published patent application PCT No. WO 2010/003480 by Flick, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The aerosol delivery device 100 most preferably includes a control component 208 or other control mechanism for controlling the amount of electrical power supplied to the atomizer 220 during a puff. Representative types of electronic components, their designs, configurations, features and general methods of controlling them are described in US Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., US Patent No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al., US Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al. , US Patent No. 6,040,560, by Fleischhauer et al., US Patent No. 7,040,314, by Nguyen et al., US Patent No. 8,205,622, by Pan, US Patent Application Published No. 2009/0230117, by Fernando et al., US Patent Application Published No. 2014/0060554 by Collet et al., US Patent Application Published No. 2014/0270727 by Ampolini et al., and US Patent Application Ser. No. 14/209,191, by Henry et al., filed March 13, 2014, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the control component 208 may be configured to supply current to the atomizer 220 according to a zero-voltage switching (ZVS) inverter topology, which allows the amount of heat generated in the aerosol delivery device 100 to be reduced. Additional embodiments of the ZVS feature are described in US Patent Application Pub. No. 2017/0202266 to Sur, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Representative types of reservoirs 218 or other components for containing an aerosol precursor are described in US Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton, US Patent Application Published No. 2014/0261487 to Chapman et al., US Patent Application ser. No. 14/011,992 by Davis et al., filed Aug. 29, 2013, and U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 14/170,838, by Bless et al., filed February 3, 2014, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, various wick materials, configurations, and operation of these wick materials within certain types of electronic cigarettes are described in US Patent Application Pub. No. 2014/0209105 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The aerosol precursor composition, also referred to as a vapor precursor composition, may contain various components, including, for example, polyhydric alcohol (eg, glycerin, propylene glycol, or a mixture thereof), nicotine, tobacco, tobacco extract, and/or flavorings. Representative types of aerosol precursor components and compositions are also described and characterized in US Patent No. 7,217,320 to Robinson et al., and US Patent Publications No. 2013/0008457 to Zheng et al.; 2013/0213417 by Chong et al; 2014/0060554 by Collett et al; 2015/0020823 by Lipowicz et al.; and 2015/0020830 to Koller, and WO 2014/182736 to Bowen et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Other aerosol precursors that may be used include the aerosol precursors that have been included in the VUSE® product from R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company, the BLU™ product from Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, the MISTIC MENTHOL product from Mistic Ecigs, and the VYPE product from Mistic Ecigs. CN Creative Ltd. Also desirable are the so-called. ''smoking juices'' for electronic cigarettes supplied by Johnson Creek Enterprises LLC.

The aerosol delivery device 100 may employ additional representative types of components that provide visual information or indicators 214, such as visual indicators and related components, audible indicators, tactile indicators, and the like. Examples of suitable LED components, configurations, and uses thereof are described in US Patent No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al., US Patent No. 8,499,766 to Newton, US Patent No. 8,539,959 to Scatterday, and US Patent Application Ser. No. 14/173,266, by Sears et al., filed February 5, 2014, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Additional features, controls, or components that may be included in the aerosol delivery devices of the present invention are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al., US Patent No. 6,040,560, by Fleischhauer et al., US Patent No. 8,365,742, by Hon, US Patent No. 8,402,976, by Fernando et al., US Patent Application Published No. 2005/0016550, by Katase, Patent Application Published US Patent Application No. 2010/0163063 by Fernando et al., US Patent Application Published No. 2013/0192623 by Tucker et al., US Patent Application Published No. 2013/0298905 by Leven et al., US Patent Application Published No. 2013/0180553 , by Kim et al., US Patent Application Published No. 2014/0000638 by Sebastian et al., US Patent Application Published No. 2014/0261495 by Novak et al., and US Patent Application Published No. 2014/0261408 by DePiano et al. etc., all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The control component 208 contains several electronic components, and in some examples, it may be implemented on a printed circuit board (PCB) that supports and electrically connects the electronic components. Said electronic components may comprise a microprocessor or processor core and memory. In some examples, the control component may comprise a microcontroller with an embedded processor core and memory, and it may also include one or more embedded input/output peripherals. In some examples, the control component may be coupled to communication interface 246 to enable wireless communication with one or more networks, computing devices, or other devices as suitably accessible. Examples of suitable communication interfaces are disclosed in US Patent Application Ser. No. 14/638,562, filed March 4, 2015, by Marion et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Examples of suitable methods in which an aerosol delivery device can be configured to communicate wirelessly are disclosed in US Patent Application Ser. No. 14/327,776, filed July 10, 2014, by Ampolini et al., and US Patent Application Ser. No. 14/609,032, filed Jan. 29, 2015, by Henry, Jr. and others, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In FIG. 3 shows a more detailed view of the atomizer 220. According to some example embodiments, the atomizer 220 may include an induction transmitter 250 in conductive electrical communication with a power source 212, for example, through at least a control component 208 (see, for example, FIG. 2). Induction transmitter 250 may be in the form of a coil 252. Current from power supply 212 may be selectively directed to induction transmitter 250 under control from control component 208. For example, control component 208 may direct current from power source 212 to induction transmitter 250 upon detection of a puff on device 100 aerosol delivery using flow sensor 206 (FIG. 2).

The induction transmitter 250 may be configured to form part of an electrical transformer. In some embodiments, control component 208 may include an inverter or inverter circuit configured to convert direct current provided by power supply 212 into alternating current that is supplied to inductive transmitter 250. The change in current in inductive transmitter 250 when current from power source 212 via control component 208 provides the ability to create an alternating (e.g., AC) electromagnetic field that can be used to induce eddy currents in induction receiver 260.

The induction receiver 260 according to aspects of the present invention is configured to provide dual functionality as a susceptor and a wick. In some cases, induction receiver 260 may be referred to herein as a susceptor. Thus, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the induction receiver includes a material in which eddy currents can be induced, resulting in the generation of heat due to the internal resistance of the material of the induction receiver 260. Suitable materials may include metals (iron, cast iron, steel, stainless steel, aluminum , bronze), carbon-based conductive materials, ferromagnetic/piezoelectric ceramics, ceramic matrix composites (ceramics with metal/ceramic/carbon reinforcement), polymer matrix composites (polymers with metal/ceramic/carbon reinforcement) or combinations of the above.

Eddy currents tending to flow within the material forming the induction receiver 260 may heat the induction receiver through the Joule effect, the amount of heat generated being proportional to the square of the electrical current multiplied by the electrical resistance of the induction receiver material. In embodiments of induction receiver 260 that contain magnetic materials, heat may also be generated through magnetic hysteresis losses. A number of factors influence the temperature rise of induction receiver 260, including, but not limited to, proximity to induction transmitter 250, magnetic field distribution, surface effects or depth, hysteresis losses, magnetic susceptibility, magnetic permeability and dipole moment of the material.

In this regard, both of the induction receiver 260 and the induction transmitter 250 may contain electrically conductive material. For example, induction transmitter 250 and/or induction receiver 260 may contain various conductive materials, including metals such as copper and aluminum, alloys of conductive materials (e.g., diamagnetic, paramagnetic, or ferromagnetic materials), or other materials such as ceramics or glass, with having one or more conductive materials embedded therein. In yet another embodiment, induction receiver 260 may contain conductive particles or objects of any of a variety of sizes and shapes housed in a reservoir filled with an aerosol precursor composition. In some embodiments, the induction receiver may be coated with or otherwise include a thermally conductive passivation layer (eg, a thin layer of glass) to prevent direct contact with the aerosol precursor composition.

The induction receiver 260 can be made of a variety of materials. For example, the susceptor region 262 of the induction receiver 260 may be configured to generate heat and, therefore, may require thermally conductive materials. The wick region 264 of the induction receiver 260 may not require as much heat. Therefore, the wick region may be made of a material having low thermal conductivity, or it may be coated with a material having low thermal conductivity.

By either placing the induction transmitter 250 adjacent to or wrapping around a portion of the induction receiver 260, it is possible to use alternating current in the induction transmitter to heat at least a portion (eg, susceptor region 262) of the induction receiver. The heat generated by the induction receiver 260 may heat the aerosol precursor composition, thereby generating an aerosol or vapor.

As described above, induction receiver 260 may be in direct contact with an aerosol precursor contained within reservoir 218, and it acts as a wick to transfer the aerosol precursor from the reservoir to susceptor region 262 of induction receiver 260. In other embodiments, induction receiver 260 receives the precursor aerosol from reservoir 218 through additional wick material, thereby being in indirect contact with the aerosol precursor contained within reservoir 218. As used herein, the term "functional contact" means the ability to receive an aerosol precursor as a result of direct or indirect contact with the aerosol precursor , enclosed inside the tank.

The induction receiver 260 can absorb and carry out capillary transport of the aerosol precursor due to capillary action provided in the material and design of the induction receiver. For example, induction receiver 260 may be a porous material, such as open cell foam, derived from a thermally conductive material, such as iron foam. The randomly distributed open pores are capable of absorbing the aerosol precursor through capillary action. The pores may be nanopores, mesopores, micropores, macropores, or a combination thereof. The pores may be randomly distributed or uniformly distributed pores. The porosity of this material can range from 1 to 99 percent.

In other embodiments, the induction receiver 260 may have pre-formed grooves, as well as variously shaped channels or slits, holes, honeycombs, or a combination thereof, arranged to allow aerosol precursor to be transferred from the reservoir 218 to the induction receiver susceptor region 262 260.

In FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an induction receiver 260 according to the first embodiment. The induction receiver 260 is made of iron foam having about 50 to 200 pores per inch, preferably about 100 pores per inch. The induction receiver 260 is made of a circular ring 266, a bisector core 268, and a plurality of radially extending legs 270. In the illustrated embodiment, the legs 270 may be configured to extend to a contact point with the aerosol precursor within the reservoir 218 (FIG. 2). The illustrated example contains four legs 270, however the number of legs may vary, such as two, four, six, eight, or even more. The number of legs 270 is also not limited to an even number. In one example, a disc-shaped shape without protruding legs may be used. The legs 270 may be spaced at regular intervals in the radial direction to provide reception of the aerosol precursor regardless of the orientation of the aerosol delivery device 100 . The illustrated example may provide advantages in terms of manufacturability and assembly. The coil 252 of the induction transmitter 250 may be positioned adjacent to the core 268, or it may be configured to wrap around the core.

In FIG. 4 shows one example, however, induction receiver 260 is not necessarily limited in shape and may also include alternative shapes such as disk, circle, tube, rectangle, spiral, rod, cube, sphere, or a combination thereof.

In FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of an alternative induction receiver 260''. The induction receiver 260' has a rod shape formed by rolling up a sheet of mesh material to form a helically wound cylinder. The mesh can be made with a pore density of from about 100 to about 500 pores per inch, preferably 220 pores per inch. The mesh may be made of stainless steel or other conductive material capable of generating heat in the presence of an alternating magnetic field. The induction receiver 260' may be positioned substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol delivery device 100 shown in FIG. 2. The induction receiver 260' may also be suitable for mounting substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol delivery device 100 according to additional embodiments of the cartridge 104, as described in more detail below.

In FIG. 6 is a schematic partial cutaway view of the interacting end of an alternative control housing 602 of an aerosol delivery device 100 according to yet another embodiment. The illustrated embodiment may have additional advantages in that the control housing 602 is capable of wirelessly transmitting power to the cartridge without physical electrical contact through a connector 230 used between the control housing 102 and the cartridge 104 of FIG. 2. The control housing 602 may have many of the same components as the components of the control housing 102 described above. The control housing 602 may also include an induction transmitter 250 located within the outer housing 606. The outer housing 606 may extend from the interacting end to the outer end. The induction transmitter 250 may form a tubular configuration. As shown in FIG. 6, induction transmitter 250 may include a coil 252 and a coil holder 254. The coil holder 254, which may form a tubular configuration, may be configured to support the coil 252 such that the coil does not move into contact position with the induction receiver 260' (see, for example, FIG. 5) and thus form a short circuit. with it or other structures. The coil holder 254 may include a non-conductive material that may be substantially permeable to the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil 252. The coil holder may be optional. The spool holder 254 may be made of a thermally insulating material to limit heat transfer to the outer housing 606. The spool 252 may be incorporated into or otherwise associated with the spool holder 254. In the illustrated embodiment, coil 252 is brought into contact with the inner surface of coil holder 254 so that any losses associated with transmitting an alternating magnetic field to the induction receiver are reduced. However, in other embodiments, the coil may be placed on the outer surface of the coil holder or be completely integrated into the coil holder. Additionally, in some embodiments, the coil may include an electrical connection printed on or otherwise associated with the coil holder or wire. In any embodiment, the coil may form a helical configuration.

In some embodiments, the induction transmitter 250 may be coupled to the support member 670. The support member 670 may be configured to interact with the induction transmitter 250 and support the induction transmitter within the outer housing 606. For example, the induction transmitter 250 may be incorporated into the support member 670 or otherwise coupled thereto such that the induction transmitter is stationarily housed within the outer housing 606. In yet another example, the induction transmitter 250 may be housed within the support member 670 by injection molding.

The support member 670 may cooperate with the interior surface of the outer housing 606 to ensure alignment of the support member with respect to the outer housing. Thus, as a result of the rigid connection between the support member 670 and the induction transmitter 250, it is possible to extend the longitudinal axis of the induction transmitter substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the outer housing 606. As a result, it is possible to place the induction transmitter 250 without contact with the outer housing 606 so as to avoid transmitting current from the induction transmitter to the external housing.

The induction transmitter 250 may be configured to receive electrical current from the power source 212 (FIG. 2) in the form of alternating current in a manner similar to that described above to create an alternating magnetic field.

In FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a cartridge 704 according to an embodiment of the present invention that contains an induction receiver in accordance with aspects of the present invention, such as an induction receiver 260'' illustrated and described in more detail below, or an induction receiver 260' shown in FIG. 5.

As shown in the figure, the cartridge 704 may include an induction receiver 260'' extending from the outer housing 706. The outer housing 706 may define a mouthpiece end 708, which may be integral with the outer housing. The outer housing 706 may at least partially surround the reservoir 718. The sealing element 720 may be used to substantially close the reservoir 3 while allowing aerosol precursor to pass through the sealing element and the induction receiver 260''. The sealing element 720 may comprise an elastic material such as rubber or silicone material. To further improve the seal, an adhesive may be applied between the sealing element 720 and the outer housing 206. In yet another embodiment, the sealing element 720 may comprise a non-elastic material, such as a plastic material or a metal material. In these embodiments, the sealing element 720 may be glued or welded (e.g., by ultrasonic welding) to the outer housing 706.

The induction receiver 260'' may be engaged with and extend through the sealing element 720 to place the receiver area 264'' in fluid communication with the reservoir 718 and the suction area 262'' extending from the outer housing 706, for example, along longitudinal axis of the aerosol delivery device. The induction receiver 260', made of a rolled mesh material (FIG. 5), has an elongated cylindrical outer configuration similar to the induction receiver 260''. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the induction receiver 260' may form a portion of the cartridge 704 in much the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 7.

In one embodiment, the induction receiver 260'' may be partially integrated into the sealing element 720. For example, the induction receiver 260'' may be injection molded within the sealing element such that an airtight seal and connection is formed between them. Accordingly, the sealing element 720 can hold the induction receiver in a desired position. For example, the induction receiver 260'' may be positioned such that the longitudinal axis of the induction receiver is substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the outer housing 706.

In other embodiments not shown, the induction receiver 260'' may extend into the fluid contact region of the reservoir 718 through the outer housing 706, and a sealing member 720 may be positioned at the opposite end of the cartridge 704. The sealing member 720 may be removable to allow reservoir 720 to be refilled with aerosol precursor.

As noted above, each of the cartridges 104, 704 according to the present invention is configured to operate in cooperation with the control housing 102, 602 to generate an aerosol. For example, in FIG. 8 shows the cartridge 704 interacting with the control housing 602. As shown in the figure, when the control housing 602 is brought into interaction with the cartridge 704, the inductive transmitter 250 may at least partially surround, and in some such embodiments, it may substantially surround or completely surround at least the susceptor region 262'' of the induction receiver 260'' (eg, by passing around its circumferential surface). In addition, induction transmitter 250 may extend along at least a portion of the longitudinal length of induction receiver 262''. In some embodiments, induction transmitter 250 may extend along most of the longitudinal length of induction receiver 262''. In other embodiments, induction transmitter 250 may extend along substantially the entire longitudinal length of induction receiver 262'' that is external to reservoir 718.

Accordingly, when a user draws on the mouthpiece 708 of the cartridge 704, the control component 208 (FIG. 2) can direct current from the power supply 212 to the induction transmitter 250. Due to this, the induction transmitter 250 is capable of generating an alternating magnetic field. As a result of the induction receiver 260'' being positioned adjacent to the induction transmitter 250, such as in embodiments in which the induction receiver 260'' is at least partially surrounded by the induction transmitter 250, the induction receiver may be exposed to an alternating magnetic field generated by the induction transmitter . As a result, eddy currents flowing in the material forming the induction receiver 260'' can heat the induction receiver due to the Joule effect. Accordingly, the heat generated by the induction receiver 260'' can heat the aerosol precursor that has been transferred from the reservoir 718 via the wick region 265'' to the susceptor region 262'' outside the outer housing 706.

The aerosol 802 may be mixed with air 804 supplied through inlets 810, which may be provided in the control housing 602. Accordingly, the mixed air and aerosol may be directed toward the user. For example, mixed air and aerosol may be directed to the user through one or more through holes 826 formed in the outer housing 706 of the cartridge 704. However, as will be understood, the flow pattern through the aerosol delivery device 100 may vary depending on the specific configuration described. above, by any of a variety of methods without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In FIG. 9 schematically shows an induction receiver 260'' according to the embodiment of FIG. 8. The induction receiver 260'' may also be suitable for use in the cartridge 104, as shown and described in relation to FIG. 2 and 3. Similar to the induction receivers 260 and 260' described above, the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 9 provides both the heating properties of the susceptor and the fluid transfer properties of the wick in one design. Unlike some of the induction receiver embodiments described above, this embodiment uses a single structure made from more than one material. The induction receiver 260'' includes a wick core 280 made of a suitable material, such as a porous ceramic cylinder. The suction characteristics of the induction receiver 260'' are added to the wick core 280 by applying a conductive or semiconductive coating 282, such as an outer coating containing suitable ferromagnetic materials such as aluminum oxide, iron oxide, or combinations thereof. The cover 282 may be permanently bonded to the wick core through an appropriate process such as sintering. Cover 282 and wick core 280 can then be used in place of either induction receiver 260 or induction receiver 260'.

In one example, a method was used to coat a ceramic surface layer by layer with iron oxide particles ranging in size from micro to nano. The coating procedure included the following steps: 1) heating the wick core to 400-500°C for 30 minutes. 2) immerse the wick core in 1.5-2% (by weight) polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA) solution for 2 minutes and dry at 70°C for 1 hour using an oven, 3) immerse the wick core in 1.5- 2% (by weight) carboxymethylcellulose solution for 2 minutes and drying at 70°C for 1 hour, and 4) immersion of the induction receiver in a colloidal solution of iron oxide containing 5-10 mmol sodium perchlorate as a destabilizer for 5 minutes and drying at 70°C. Finally, the coated wick was sintered at 400-500°C for 30 minutes in an oven to stabilize the coating with iron oxide particles on the ceramic surface of the wick.

In the exemplary process described above, other inorganic compounds may be used in place of PPPA to activate the surface of the wick core to create a stronger bond. In the illustrative process described above, the concentration of materials, temperatures, and duration of each step may vary. In other embodiments, precursors other than iron oxide may be used, such as FeCl ₃ or Fe(NO ₃ ) ₃ , instead of using iron oxide particles and a sodium perchlorate electrolyte. Steps 3 and 4 may be repeated, for example repeated from about 2 to about 100 times, depending on the thickness of the iron oxide film required to absorb the electromagnetic waves of the maximum eddy current circulation. Other commonly known coating and deposition technologies may also be used.

With the description of suitable induction receivers 260, 260' and 260'' according to aspects of the present invention, configured as susceptors that are capable of carrying an aerosol precursor, those skilled in the art will be able to understand the method of generating an aerosol. For example, the induction receivers of the present invention are capable of facilitating an aerosol generation method that includes the step of absorbing an aerosol precursor into a susceptor, such as the induction receivers described herein. The method may also include the step of turning on the susceptor to generate sufficient heat to vaporize at least a portion of the aerosol precursor absorbed within the susceptor by generating an alternating magnetic field in the vicinity of the susceptor.

Taking advantage of the ideas set forth in the above description and accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates will be able to find many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and that modifications and other embodiments are also intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are contained herein, they are used in a general and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims (21)

1. An aerosol delivery device containing: an aerosol precursor contained within a reservoir; And an atomizer configured to generate heat by induction, wherein the atomizer includes an induction transmitter and an induction receiver, and the induction receiver is in functional contact with the aerosol precursor inside the reservoir and is configured to capillary transfer the aerosol precursor to the area of the induction transmitter for heating and evaporation, wherein the induction receiver comprises a porous electrically conductive or semiconductive material selected from metals, ferromagnetic ceramics or graphite, and wherein the induction receiver contains a circular ring, a bisector core and a plurality of legs extending radially from the circular ring. 2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, further comprising a control housing including a power source removably attached to the cartridge, the cartridge at least partially forming said reservoir. 3. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 2, in which the induction transmitter is at least partially enclosed within the cartridge and can be separated from the control housing. 4. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 2, in which the induction transmitter is equipped with a control housing for wirelessly transmitting energy from the control housing to the cartridge. 5. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the induction transmitter comprises a conductive coil. 6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 5, wherein the conductive coil surrounds at least a portion of the induction receiver. 7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 5, wherein the conductive coil is positioned adjacent to at least a portion of the induction receiver. 8. An aerosol delivery device containing: power supply; induction transmitter and a susceptor, wherein the susceptor is capable of absorbing the aerosol precursor and is configured to absorb the aerosol precursor, the induction transmitter is configured to generate an alternating magnetic field, and the susceptor is configured to generate heat under the action of an alternating magnetic field to evaporate at least part of the aerosol precursor absorbed by the susceptor to form an aerosol, wherein the susceptor comprises a porous conductive material, and the susceptor contains a circular ring, a bisector core and a plurality of legs extending radially from the circular ring.