RU2812399C2 - Aerosol delivery device with built-in heat conductor - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: tobacco industry.

SUBSTANCE: in the present document, aerosol delivery devices and elements in the form of an aerosol source are disclosed. According to one aspect, the aerosol delivery device may contain a control case having a closed far end and an open end for interaction, a heating element, a control component located inside the control case and made with the possibility of control of the heating element, a power supply source located inside the control case and made with the possibility of supply of power to the control component; and a removable element in the form of an aerosol source, which contains a part in the form of substrate. The part in the form of substrate may contain a continuous heat-conducting frame built in aerosol forming material, while the continuous heat-conducting frame is made with the possibility of improvement of heat transfer from the heating element to aerosol forming material.

EFFECT: obtainment of an aerosol delivery device.

16 cl, 10 dwg

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to aerosol delivery products and their use for producing tobacco components or other materials in an inhalable form. More particularly, the present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices and systems, such as smoking articles, that use electrically generated heat to heat a material to provide a respirable substance in aerosol form for human consumption.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

[0002] Over the years, many smoking products have been proposed as an improvement or alternative to smoking products based on combustion of tobacco. Typical alternatives include devices that burn solid or liquid fuel to transfer heat to the tobacco, or that use a chemical reaction to provide such a heat source. Examples include smoking articles described in US Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0003] The rationale for improvements or alternatives to smoking articles has generally been to provide the experience associated with smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes, but without delivering significant amounts of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products. To this end, a variety of smoking products, flavor generators and medicinal inhalers have been proposed that use electrical energy to vaporize or heat volatile material or attempt to provide the sensation of smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes without substantially burning the tobacco. See, for example, the various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and heat generating sources disclosed in the prior art as described in US Pat. No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al. and US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0255702 to Griffith Jr. et al. and No. 2014/0096781 by Sears et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Also see, for example, the various types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electrically powered heat generating sources referenced by trademark and commercial information in US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0220232 to Bless et al. , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Additional types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electrically powered heat generating sources are referenced by trademark and commercial reference in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0245659 by DePiano et al., which is also incorporated in its entirety. this document by reference. Other representative cigarettes or smoking articles that have been described and, in some cases, made commercially available include those described in US Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al.; US Pat. Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,875 by Brooks et al.; US Patent No. 5,060,671 by Counts et al.; US Patent No. 5,249,586 by Morgan et al.; US Patent No. 5,388,594 by Counts et al.; US Patent No. 5,666,977 by Higgins et al.; US Patent No. 6,053,176 by Adams et al.; US Patent No. 6,164,287 by White; US Patent No. 6,196,218 by Voges; US Patent No. 6,810,883 by Felter et al.; US Patent No. 6,854,461 by Nickols; US Patent No. 7,832,410 by Hon. US Patent No. 7,513,253 by Kobayashi; US Patent No. 7,726,320 by Robinson et al.; US Patent No. 7,896,006 by Hamano; US Patent No. 6,772,756 by Shayan; US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0095311 by Hon; publications of US patent applications No. 2006/0196518, 2009/0126745 and 2009/0188490 by Hon; in US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0272379 by Thorens et al.; in US Patent Application Publications No. 2009/0260641 and 2009/0260642 by Monsees et al.; in US Patent Application Publications No. 2008/0149118 and 2010/0024834 by Oglesby et al.; in US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0307518 by Wang; in PCT publication of patent application WO 2010/091593 by Hon, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0004] Representative products that are similar in many attributes to traditional types of cigarettes, cigars or smoking pipes are commercially available as ACCORD® manufactured by Philip Morris Incorporated; ALPHA™, JOYE 510™ and M4™ manufactured by InnoVapor LLC; CIRRUS™ and FLING™, manufactured by White Cloud Cigarettes; BLU™, manufactured by Fontem Ventures B.V.; COHITA™, COLIBRI™, ELITE CLASSIC™, MAGNUM™, PHANTOM™ and SENSE™ manufactured by EPUFFER® International Inc.; DUOPRO™, STORM™ and VAPORKING® manufactured by Electronic Cigarettes, Inc.; EGAR™, manufactured by Egar Australia; eGo-C™ and eGo-T™ manufactured by Joyetech; ELUSION™, manufactured by Elusion UK Ltd; EONSMOKE®, manufactured by Eonsmoke LLC; FIN™TM, manufactured by FIN Branding Group, LLC; SMOKE® manufactured by Green Smoke Inc. USA; GREENARETTE™, manufactured by Greenarette LLC; HALLIGAN™, HENDU™, JET™, MAXXQ™, PINK™ and PITBULL™ manufactured by Smoke Stik®; HEATBAR™ manufactured by Philip Morris International, Inc.; HYDRO IMPERIAL™ and LXE™, manufactured by Crown7; LOGIC™ and THE CUBAN™, manufactured by LOGIC Technology; LUCI®, manufactured by Luciano Smokes Inc.; METRO®, manufactured by Nicotek, LLC; NJOY® and ONEJOY™ manufactured by Sottera, Inc.; NO. 7™ manufactured by SS Choice LLC; PREMIUM ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE™ manufactured by PremiumEstore LLC; RAPP E-MYSTICK™ manufactured by Ruyan America, Inc.; RED DRAGON™, manufactured by Red Dragon Products, LLC; RUYAN®, manufactured by Ruyan Group (Holdings) Ltd.; SF® manufactured by Smoker Friendly International, LLC; GREEN SMART SMOKER®, manufactured by The Smart Smoking Electronic Cigarette Company Ltd.; SMOKE ASSIST®, manufactured by Coastline Products LLC; SMOKING EVERYWHERE®, manufactured by Smoking Everywhere, Inc.; V2CIGS™ manufactured by VMR Products LLC; VAPOR NINE™, manufactured by VaporNine LLC; VAPOR4LIFE®, manufactured by Vapor 4 Life, Inc.; VEPPO™, manufactured by E-CigaretteDirect, LLC; VUSE®, manufactured by R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company; Mistic Menthol products manufactured by Mistic Ecigs; and the Vype product, manufactured by CN Creative Ltd.; IQOS™, manufactured by Philip Morris International and GLO™, manufactured by British American Tobacco. Still other electrical aerosol delivery devices, and in particular devices that have been characterized as so-called electronic cigarettes, have been marketed under the brand names COOLER VISIONS™; DIRECT E-CIG™; DRAGONFLY™; EMIST™; EVERSMAKE™; GAMUCCI®; HYBRID FLAME™; KNIGHT STICKS™; ROYAL BLUES™; SMOKETIP® and SOUTH BEACH SMOKE™.

[0005] Products that create the taste and sensation of smoking by electrically heating tobacco or tobacco-derived materials have inadequate performance characteristics. Electrically heated smoking products may also be limited in many cases by the need for high battery power. Accordingly, it is preferred to provide a smoking article that can provide the sensation of smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes without significant combustion due to advantageous performance characteristics.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0006] In various embodiments, the present invention provides an aerosol delivery device configured to generate a respirable substance and an aerosol source element. The present invention includes, without limitation, the following example implementations.

[0007] Implementation Example 1: An aerosol delivery device configured to form a respirable substance, comprising: a control housing having a closed distal end and an open engagement end, a heating element, a control component located within the control housing and configured to be controlled a heating element, a power source located within the control housing and configured to supply power to the control component, and a removable aerosol source element that includes a substrate portion, the aerosol source element being insertable into an end for control interaction housing and forms a heated end and a mouthpiece end, wherein the heated end is configured, when inserted into the control body, to be positioned adjacent to the heating element, and the mouthpiece end is configured to extend beyond the engagement end of the control body, wherein the substrate portion contains a continuous thermally conductive a frame embedded in the aerosol-forming material, wherein the continuous thermally conductive frame is configured to improve heat transfer from the heating element to the aerosol-forming material.

[0008] Implementation Example 2: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame comprises a winding embedded in a substantially cylindrical aerosol-forming material.

[0009] Implementation Example 3: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the winding is disposed around the outer surface of the aerosol-forming material.

[00010] Implementation Example 4: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the winding is located within the aerosol-forming material.

[00011] Example Implementation 5: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the winding is located around the outer surface of the aerosol-forming material and within the aerosol-forming material.

[00012] Implementation Example 6: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame comprises an interlocking braid.

[00013] Implementation Example 7: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment, or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein an interlocking braid is disposed around the outer surface of the aerosol-forming material.

[00014] Implementation Example 8: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the braided braid is disposed within the aerosol-forming material.

[00015] Implementation Example 9: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame includes a central elongate component having a plurality of sharp projections extending radially therefrom.

[00016] Implementation Example 10: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame comprises at least one of a metal material, a coated metal material, a ceramic material, a carbon material, polymer composite or any combination thereof.

[00017] Implementation Example 11: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the support portion comprises an extruded hollow structure.

[00018] Implementation Example 12: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the substrate portion comprises one centrally located longitudinal opening and/or a plurality of longitudinal openings.

[00019] Implementation Example 13: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the support portion comprises a substantially solid structure.

[00020] Implementation Example 14: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the support portion comprises tobacco or tobacco-derived material.

[00021] Implementation Example 15: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the substrate portion comprises a non-tobacco material.

[00022] Implementation Example 16: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the heating element comprises a conduction-type heating source.

[00023] Implementation Example 17: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the heating element comprises an induction heating source.

[00024] Implementation Example 18: An aerosol source element configured to removably engage with an engagement end of a control housing that includes a heating element, the aerosol source element comprising a heated end and a mouthpiece end, the heated end when inserted into the control body, configured to be positioned adjacent the heating element, and the mouthpiece end is configured to extend beyond the engagement end of the control body, and a substrate portion that contains a continuous thermal conductive frame embedded in the aerosol generating material, the continuous thermal conductive frame configured to improve heat transfer from the heating element to the aerosol-forming material.

[00025] Implementation Example 19: The aerosol source element of any prior embodiment or any combination of any prior embodiments, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame comprises a winding embedded in a substantially cylindrical aerosol generating material.

[00026] Implementation Example 20: An aerosol source element according to any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein a winding is disposed around an outer surface of an aerosol-generating material.

[00027] Implementation Example 21: An aerosol source element according to any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the winding is located within an aerosol-generating material.

[00028] Implementation Example 22: An aerosol source element according to any prior embodiment or any combination of any prior embodiments, wherein a winding is located around the outer surface of the aerosol-generating material and within the aerosol-generating material.

[00029] Implementation Example 23: The aerosol source element of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame comprises an interlocking or overlapping braid.

[00030] Implementation Example 24: An aerosol source element according to any prior embodiment or any combination of any prior embodiments, wherein an interlocking braid is disposed around the outer surface of the aerosol generating material.

[00031] Implementation Example 25: The aerosol source element of any prior embodiment or any combination of any prior embodiments, wherein the braided braid is disposed within the aerosol generating material.

[00032] Implementation Example 26: The aerosol source element of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame comprises a central elongate component having a plurality of sharp projections extending radially therefrom.

[00033] Implementation Example 27: The aerosol source element of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame comprises at least one of a metal material, a coated metal material, a ceramic material, a carbon material material, polymer composite or any combination thereof.

[00034] Implementation Example 28: The aerosol source element of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the substrate portion comprises an extruded hollow structure.

[00035] Implementation Example 29: The aerosol source element of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the substrate portion comprises one centrally located longitudinal opening and/or a plurality of longitudinal openings.

[00036] Implementation Example 30: The aerosol source element of any prior embodiment or any combination of any prior embodiments, wherein the substrate portion comprises a substantially solid structure.

[00037] Implementation Example 31: The aerosol source element of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the substrate portion contains tobacco or tobacco-derived material.

[00038] Implementation Example 32: The aerosol source element of any preceding embodiment or any combination of any preceding embodiments, wherein the substrate portion comprises a non-tobacco material.

[00039] 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

[00040] Having therefore described the present invention in the foregoing general terms, reference is made below to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, in which:

[00041] in FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device including a control body and an aerosol source member, the aerosol source member and the control body being connected to each other according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00042] in FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 1, wherein the aerosol source element and the control body are disconnected from each other according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00043] in FIG. 3 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

[00044] in FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion that includes a continuous thermal conductive frame according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[00045] in FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion that includes a continuous thermal conductive frame according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[00046] in FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion that includes a continuous thermal conductive frame according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[00047] in FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion that includes a continuous thermal conductive frame according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[00048] in FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion that includes a continuous thermal conductive frame according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[00049] in FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device in which the aerosol source member and the control body are disconnected from each other according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00050] in FIG. 10 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 9 according to an example implementation of the present invention;

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[00051] The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to examples of its implementations. These exemplary implementations are described in such a way that this disclosure will thoroughly, completely and completely convey the scope of the present invention to one skilled in the art. In fact, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments given herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to ensure that the present invention complies with applicable legal requirements. In this specification and in the accompanying claims, grammatical construction indicating that an element is in the singular also implies the plural unless the context of the invention clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, while reference may be made herein to quantities, values, geometric relationships or the like, unless otherwise indicated, any one or more, if not all of them, may be absolute or approximate to account for acceptable variations that may occur, for example, due to technical tolerances or the like.

[00052] As described below, example implementations of the disclosure of the present invention relate to aerosol delivery devices. Aerosol delivery devices according to the disclosure of the present invention use electrical energy to heat a material (preferably without burning the material to any significant extent) to produce an inhalable substance; and the components of such systems are in the form of articles, most preferably compact enough to be considered portable devices. In other words, the use of the components of the preferred aerosol delivery devices does not produce smoke in the sense that the aerosol arises primarily from by-products of combustion or pyrolysis of tobacco, but rather, the use of the preferred systems results in the formation of vapors generated by the evaporation or evaporation process of certain components included in them. In some exemplary embodiments, components of aerosol delivery devices may be characterized as electronic cigarettes, and said electronic cigarettes most preferably include tobacco and/or tobacco-derived components and thereby deliver tobacco-derived components in an aerosol form.

[00053] The aerosol-generating means of certain preferred aerosol delivery devices can provide a variety of sensations (e.g., inhalation and exhalation rituals, types of tastes and aromas, sensory effects, physical sensation, usage rituals, visual cues such as those provided by a visible aerosol, and the like) smoking a cigarette, cigar or pipe that involves lighting and burning tobacco (and then inhaling tobacco smoke) without any significant combustion of any of its components. For example, a user of an aerosol-generating device according to the disclosure of the present invention may hold and use the device in the same manner as a smoker uses a traditional type of smoking article by puffing through one end of said means to inhale the aerosol generated by the means, taking or taking puffs at selected intervals. etc.

[00054] While systems are generally described herein in terms of embodiments associated with aerosol delivery devices such as so-called “electronic cigarettes” or “heating tobacco products,” it should be understood that the mechanisms, components, features, and methods may be implemented in many different forms and associated with various products. For example, the disclosure herein may be used in conjunction with embodiments of traditional smoking products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.), heated but non-burning cigarettes, and associated with packaging for any of the products disclosed herein. this document. Accordingly, it should be understood that the descriptions of the mechanisms, components, features and methods disclosed herein are given in terms of embodiments related to aerosol delivery devices by way of example only and may be implemented and used in various other products and methods.

[00055] The proposed aerosol delivery devices can also be characterized as vapor-generating products or drug delivery products. Thus, such articles or devices may be adapted to deliver one or more substances (eg, flavoring agents and/or pharmaceutical active ingredients) in an inhalable form or state. For example, the inhaled substances may be essentially in the form of a vapor (eg, a substance that is in the gaseous phase at a temperature below its critical point). Alternatively, the inhaled substances may be in aerosol form (ie, a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas). For the sake of simplicity, as used herein, the term “aerosol” is intended to refer to vapors, gases and aerosols of a form or type suitable for human inhalation, whether or not visible and whether or not in a form that may be considered "smoke-like". The physical form of the respirable substance is not necessarily limited by the nature of the devices of the invention, but rather may depend on the nature of the substance and the respirable substance itself as to whether the substance is in a vapor state or an aerosol state. In some implementations, the terms may be used interchangeably. Thus, for the sake of simplicity, the terms used to describe the present invention should be understood as interchangeable unless otherwise noted.

[00056] Aerosol delivery devices according to the disclosure of the present invention generally comprise a number of components located 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 configuration and format of the outer housing, which may define the overall size and shape of the aerosol delivery device, may also vary. Typically, an elongated body resembling the shape of a cigarette or cigar may be formed from one single housing, or the elongated housing may be formed from two or more separable housings. For example, an aerosol delivery device may comprise an oblong casing or body that may be substantially tubular in shape and thus resemble the shape of a conventional cigarette or cigar. Although in other embodiments, various other shapes and configurations (eg, rectangular or "keychain shaped") may be used. In one example, all components of the aerosol delivery device are located in a single housing. Alternatively, the aerosol delivery device may comprise two or more housings that are connected and removable. For example, an aerosol delivery device may have at one end a control housing comprising a housing containing one or more reusable components (e.g., a battery such as a rechargeable battery and/or a rechargeable supercapacitor, and various electronic equipment for controlling the operation of the product), and at at the other end, a removably attached outer housing or shell containing a disposable portion (for example, a disposable cartridge containing a flavor). More specific formats, configurations and arrangements of components located within single housing type units or within a releasably multi-part housing type unit will be apparent in light of the further disclosure of the invention presented below. In addition, the configuration of various aerosol delivery devices and the arrangement of components can be understood by considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices.

[00057] As will be described in more detail below, aerosol delivery devices according to the disclosure of the present invention include some combination of a power source (e.g., an electrical power supply), at least one control component (e.g., means for actuating, controlling, regulating, and stopping power to generate heat, for example, by controlling the flow of electrical current from the power source to other components of the product - for example, processing circuitry), a heater or heat generating element (for example, an electric resistance heating element, and/or an inductive coil or other suitable components and/or one or more radiant heating elements) and an aerosol source element that includes a support portion capable of generating an aerosol when sufficient heat is applied. In various embodiments, the aerosol source element may include a mouthpiece end or tip configured to allow puffing through the aerosol delivery device to inhale the aerosol (e.g., providing a predetermined path for air flow through the article so that the generated aerosol can be discharged from it after tightening).

[00058] In various embodiments of the proposed aerosol delivery device, the alignment of the components may be different. In some embodiments, the backing portion may be positioned adjacent to the heating element so as to enhance delivery of the aerosol to the user. However, other configurations are not excluded. In general, the heating element may be located sufficiently close to the substrate portion such that heat from the heating element may vaporize the substrate portion (and in some embodiments, one or more flavorings, medications, and the like that may also be provided to delivery to the user) and form an aerosol for delivery to the user. When the heating element heats the substrate portion, an aerosol is formed, released or generated in a physical form suitable for inhalation by the consumer. It should be noted that the above terms should be considered interchangeable, so that forms of the above term such as "release", "release", "releases" or "released" include forms such as "form" or "generate", "forming" or "generating", "forming" or "generating" and "formed" or "generated". In particular, the respirable substance is released as a vapor or aerosol or a mixture thereof, which conditions are also used interchangeably herein unless otherwise indicated.

[00059] As discussed above, the aerosol delivery device of various embodiments may include a battery or other electrical power source to supply sufficient electrical current to provide various functions of the aerosol delivery device, such as powering a heating element, powering control systems, powering indicators, and the like. As will be described in more detail below, the power supply may have various embodiments. Preferably, the power supply is configured to supply sufficient energy to quickly activate the heating source to enable formation of the aerosol and power the aerosol delivery device for use for the required period of time. The power source is preferably sized to fit comfortably into the aerosol delivery device so that the aerosol delivery device can be conveniently used. In addition, the preferred power source is lightweight enough to not interfere with the desired smoking process.

[00060] As stated above, the aerosol delivery device may include at least one control component. A suitable control component may comprise a plurality of electronic components and, in some examples, may be formed on a printed circuit board (PCB). In some examples, the electronic components include processing circuitry configured to perform data processing, application execution, or other processing, monitoring, or control services according to one or more example implementations. The processing circuitry may include a processor implemented in various forms, such as at least one processor core, microprocessor, coprocessor, controller, microcontroller, or various other computing or processing devices including one or more integrated circuits, such as, for example, an ASIC (Application Application Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), some combinations thereof, and the like. In some examples, the processing circuitry may comprise a memory coupled to or incorporated into the processor, which may store data, instructions for a computer program executable by the processor, some combination thereof, or the like. Additionally or alternatively, the control component may include one or more external input/output devices that may be coupled to or integrated into the processing circuitry, such as a communications interface to provide wireless connectivity to one or more networks, computing devices, or other devices on a suitable basis.

[00061] More specific formats, configurations and arrangements of components in an aerosol delivery device in accordance with the present invention will be apparent in light of the further disclosure of the invention presented below. In addition, the selection of various components of aerosol delivery devices can be understood by considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices. Further, the arrangement of components within the aerosol delivery device can also be assessed by considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices.

[00062] In this regard, FIG. 1 shows an aerosol delivery device 100 according to an example implementation of the disclosure of the present invention. The aerosol delivery device 100 may include a control housing 102 and an aerosol source element 104. In various embodiments, the aerosol source element 104 and the control housing 102 may be aligned for permanent or detachable operation. In this regard, FIG. 1 shows the aerosol delivery device 100 in a connected configuration, and FIG. 2 shows the aerosol delivery device 100 in a disconnected configuration. Various mechanisms may connect the aerosol source element 104 and the control housing 102, for example, in the form of a threaded engagement, a press-fit engagement, an interference fit, a sliding fit, a magnetic engagement, and the like.

[00063] In various embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 100 according to the disclosure of the present invention may take various general shapes, including, without limitation, a general shape that may be defined as a substantially rod-shaped or substantially tubular shape or a substantially cylindrical shape. In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, device 100 has a substantially circular cross-section, however, other cross-sectional shapes (eg, oval, square, triangle, etc.) are also covered by the disclosure of the present invention. Such language, which describes the physical form of the product, can also be applied to its individual components, including the control housing 102 and the aerosol source element 104. In other embodiments, the control housing may take another portable shape, such as a small box shape.

[00064] In specific embodiments, the control housing 102 and/or the aerosol source element 104 may be referred to as disposable or reusable. For example, control housing 102 may have a replaceable battery or rechargeable battery, solid state battery, thin film solid state battery, rechargeable supercapacitor, or the like, and thus may be combined with any type of recharging technology, including connection to a conventional wall charger, connection to car charger (e.g. cigarette lighter socket), connection to a computer, e.g. via a cable or universal serial bus (USB) connector (e.g. USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, USB Type C), connection to a photovoltaic cell (sometimes listed as solar photovoltaic cell) or to a solar photovoltaic cell panel, to a wireless charger, such as a charger that uses inductive wireless charging (including, for example, wireless charging in accordance with the Qi wireless charging standard developed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC)), or to wireless radio frequency (RF) charger and connection to a computer, such as a universal serial bus (USB) cable. Examples of inductive wireless charging systems are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0112196 by Sur et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[00065] In the illustrated embodiment, aerosol source element 104 includes a heated end 106 that is insertable into control housing 102 and a mouthpiece end 108 upon which a user draws to create an aerosol. At least a portion of the heated end 106 may include a substrate portion 110. In some embodiments, the substrate portion 110 may contain tobacco-containing pellets, tobacco pieces, tobacco strips, cast tobacco leaf, reconstituted tobacco material, or combinations thereof, and/or a mixture of finely ground tobacco, tobacco extract, spray-dried tobacco extract, or other form of tobacco mixed with optional inorganic materials (such as calcium carbonate), optional flavoring agents, and aerosol-forming materials to form a substantially solid, semi-solid, or moldable (eg, extruded) support. Representative types and compositions of solid and semi-solid support parts are disclosed in US Patent No. 8,424,538 to Thomas et al., US Patent No. 8,464,726 to Sebastian et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0083150 to Conner and al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0157052 by Ademe et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017-0000188 by Nordskog et al., filed June 30, 2015, all of which are incorporated in their entirety. this document by reference.

[00066] In addition to the embodiments described above, in other embodiments, the substrate portion may be configured as a liquid capable of producing an aerosol when subjected to sufficient heat, having ingredients commonly referred to as "smoking juice", "liquid" for electronic cigarettes" and "juice for electronic cigarettes". Examples of aerosol-forming liquid compositions are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0008457 to Zheng et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In yet other embodiments, the support portion may comprise a gel and/or suspension. Some typical types of designs and compositions of solid and semi-solid support parts are disclosed in US Patent No. 8,424,538 to Thomas et al., US Patent No. 8,464,726 to Sebastian et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0083150 to Conner et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0157052 to Ademe et al., and US Patent Application Publication No. 2017-0000188 to Nordskog et al., filed June 30, 2015, all of which are in full are incorporated herein by reference.

[00067] In various embodiments, the aerosol source element 104, or a portion thereof, may be wrapped in an outer wrapping material 112 (see FIG. 2), which may be formed from any material suitable to provide additional structure and/or support to the element 104 as an aerosol source. In various embodiments, the mouthpiece end 108 of the aerosol source element 104 may include a filter 114, which may be made of cellulose acetate or polypropylene material. The filter 114 may increase the structural integrity of the mouth end of the aerosol source element, and/or provide filtration capacity, if desired, and/or provide draw resistance. The outer wrapping material may comprise a material that resists heat transfer, which may comprise paper or other fibrous material such as cellulose material. The outer wrap material may also include at least one filler material embedded in or dispersed within the fibrous material. In various embodiments, the filler material may be in the form of water-insoluble particles. Additionally, the filler material may include inorganic components. In various embodiments, the outer wrapper material may be formed from a plurality of layers, such as an underlying layer, a bulk layer, and an overlying layer, such as a typical wrapping paper in a cigarette. Such materials may include, for example, lightweight recycled fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice stalks and/or esparto. The outer wrapper material may also contain a material commonly used in a conventional cigarette filter element, such as cellulose acetate. In addition, the excess length of the outer wrap material on the mouthpiece end 108 of the aerosol source element may serve simply to separate the substrate portion 110 from the consumer's mouth or to provide space for housing filter material, as described below, or to affect the puff being taken. on the product, or the characteristics of the flow of vapor or aerosol leaving the device during a puff. Further discussion regarding outer wrap material configurations that may be used with the present invention can be found in US Pat. No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[00068] In various embodiments, other components may exist between the substrate portion 110 and the mouthpiece end 108 of the aerosol source element 104, and the mouthpiece 108 may include a filter 114. For example, in some embodiments, between the substrate portion 110 and one or any combination of the following may be located at the mouth end 108 of the aerosol source element 104: an air gap; phase change materials for air cooling; aroma release agent; ion exchange fibers capable of selective chemical adsorption; airgel particles as a filter medium; and other suitable materials.

[00069] As will be described in more detail below, the present invention is intended for use with a conduction-type heating source and/or an induction heating source to heat an aerosol-forming material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, a conduction-type heating source may utilize and may comprise a heating chamber that includes a resistive heating element. Resistive heating elements may be configured to generate heat when electrical current is passed through them. Electrically conductive materials used as resistive heating elements may have low mass, low density and moderate resistivity and are thermally stable at temperatures encountered during use. Suitable heating elements heat up and cool down quickly and thus ensure efficient use of energy. Rapid heating of the element may be beneficial to ensure almost immediate vaporization of aerosol precursor material in its immediate vicinity. Rapid cooling prevents significant evaporation (and therefore consumption) of aerosol precursor material during periods when aerosol formation is not desired. Such heating elements can also provide relatively precise control of the temperature range over which the aerosol precursor material is located, especially when using time-dependent current control. Suitable electrically conductive materials are preferably inactive with respect to the materials being heated (eg, aerosol precursor materials and other respirable materials) so as not to adversely affect the aroma or content of the resulting aerosol or vapor. Non-limiting examples of materials that can be used as an electrically conductive material include carbon, graphite, carbon/graphite composites, metals, ceramics such as metal and non-metal carbides, nitrides, oxides, silicides, intermetallic compounds, cermets, metal alloys and metal foil. In particular, fire-resistant materials may be suitable. Different materials can be mixed to achieve the desired properties of resistivity, mass and thermal conductivity. In specific embodiments, metals that may be used include, for example, nickel, chromium, nickel-chromium alloys (eg, nichrome), and steel. Materials that may be suitable for providing resistance heating are described in US Pat. No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al.; No. 5,093,894 by Deevi et al.; No. 5,224,498 by Deevi et al.; No. 5,228,460 by Sprinkel Jr. and etc.; No. 5,322,075 by Deevi et al.; No. 5,353,813 by Deevi et al.; No. 5,468,936 by Deevi et al.; No. 5,498,850 by Das; No. 5,659,656 by Das; No. 5,498,855 by Deevi et al.; No. 5,530,225 by Hajaligol; No. 5,665,262 by Hajaligol; No. 5,573,692 by Das et al.; and No. 5,591,368 by Fleischhauer et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[00070] In various embodiments, the heating element can be made in various forms, for example, in the form of foil, foam, disks, coils, fibers, wires, films, threads, strips, tapes or cylinders. Such heating elements often contain metallic material and are configured to generate heat as a result of electrical resistance associated with the passage of electric current through them. Such resistive heating elements may be located adjacent to the substrate portion. Alternatively, the heating element may be positioned in contact with a solid or semi-solid portion in the form of a support. Such configurations can heat the support portion to produce an aerosol. A variety of conductive substrates that can be used with the present invention are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0255702 to Griffith et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Some non-limiting examples of various heating element configurations include configurations in which the heating element or element is located proximate to the aerosol source element. For example, in some examples, at least a portion of the heating element may surround at least a portion of the element as an aerosol source. In other examples, one or more heating elements may be located adjacent the exterior of the element to provide an aerosol source when inserted into the control housing. In other examples, at least a portion of the heating element may be located within the hollow portion of the aerosol source element when the aerosol source element is inserted into the control housing.

[00071] In FIG. 3 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawings, the aerosol delivery device 100 of this embodiment includes a heating chamber 116 that includes a resistive heating element 132 that is in direct contact or substantially direct contact with the substrate portion 110 of the aerosol source element 104. In particular, the control housing 102 of the illustrated embodiment includes a housing 118 that includes an opening 119 formed at its end for interaction. The control housing 102 also includes a flow sensor 120 (e.g., a puff sensor or a pressure switch), a control component 123 (e.g., a processing circuit that is itself or is part of a microcontroller, a printed circuit board (PCB) that contains a microprocessor and/or a microcontroller, the like), a power source 124 (e.g., a battery, which may be rechargeable, and/or a rechargeable supercapacitor), and an end cap, which in some embodiments may include an indicator 126 (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED)). In one embodiment, indicator 126 may include one or more light-emitting diodes, quantum dot light-emitting diodes, or the like. The indicator 126 may be communicatively coupled to the control component 123 and may illuminate, for example, when a user puffs through the aerosol source element 104 in connection with the control housing 102, as detected by the flow sensor 120.

[00072] As described above, control component 123 may include a plurality of electronic components, such as processing circuitry. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the control component includes voltage regulator circuitry configured to reduce voltage and increase current from power source 124 to resistive heating element 132 to thereby provide power to the resistive heating element. This voltage regulator circuit can enable the resistive heating element to receive DC current from a power source. In some examples, the voltage regulator circuit is a buck regulator circuit comprising a buck regulator controller and one or more switching elements. One example of a suitable buck regulator circuit is the Model LM2743 synchronous buck regulator controller from Texas Instruments, and one example of a suitable buck regulator circuit incorporating the Model LM2743 buck regulator and MOSFET gate generators is available from Texas Instruments. , “LM2743 Low Voltage N-Channel MOSFET Synchronous Buck Regulator Controller,” SNVS276H Data Sheet, April 2004 [revised October 2015].

[00073] Other operating indications are also covered by the disclosure of the present invention. For example, visual performance indicators may also include changes in light color or intensity to indicate smoking progression. Tactile operation indicators and audible operation indicators may similarly be covered by the present disclosure. Moreover, combinations of such performance indicators are also suitable for use in a single smoking article. According to another aspect, the device may include one or more indicators or features, such as, for example, a display, configured to provide information relevant to the operation of the smoking article, such as, for example, the amount of power remaining in the power source, the progression of the smoking process, an indication, corresponding to activation of a heating source, and/or the like.

[00074] Examples of possible power supplies are described in US Patent No. 9,484,155 to Peckerar et al. and US Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0112191 to Sur et al., filed Oct. 21, 2015, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. via link. With respect to the flow sensor, specific electrical current control components and other electrical current control components, including various microcontrollers, sensors and switches for aerosol delivery devices, are described in US Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al.; US Pat. Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,875, all by Brooks et al.; in US patent No. 5,372,148 by McCafferty et al.; in US Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al.; in US Patent No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen et al.; and US Pat. No. 8,205,622 to Pan, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Reference is also made to various control schemes described in US Patent No. 9,423,152 to Ampolini et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[00075] Other additional components may be used in the proposed aerosol delivery device. For example, US Pat. No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al. discloses indicators for smoking articles; US Patent No. 5,261,424 by Sprinkel Jr. discloses piezoelectric sensors that can be provided on the oral end of the device to detect the user's lip activity associated with the execution of a puff, followed by heating; US Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al. discloses a tightening sensor for controlling the flow of energy in a thermal load array in response to the tightening resistance of a mouthpiece; US Pat. No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al. discloses receptacles in a smoking device that include an identifier that detects a discontinuity in the infrared transmittance value of an inserted component and a controller that executes a detection program when the component is inserted into the receptacle; US Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al. describes a specific executable power cycle with multiple differential phases; US Pat. No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al discloses photonic-optocoupler components; U.S. Patent No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al. discloses means for varying draw resistance through a smoking device; US Patent No. 6,803,545 to Blake et al discloses certain battery configurations for use in smoking devices; US Pat. No. 7,293,565 to Griffen et al. discloses various charging systems for use with smoking devices; U.S. Patent No. 8,402,976 to Fernando et al. discloses computer communications for smoking devices designed to facilitate charging and allow automated control of the device; U.S. Patent No. 8,689,804 to Fernando et al. discloses identification systems for smoking devices; and PCT patent application publication WO 2010/003480 by Flick discloses a fluid flow detection system indicating the presence of a puff in an aerosol generation system; and the contents of all of the above inventions are fully incorporated into this application by reference.

[00076] Further examples of components associated with electronic aerosol delivery products and disclosing materials or components that may be used in the present article are described in US Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al.; No. 5,249,586 by Morgan et al.; No. 5,666,977 by Higgins et al.; No. 6,053,176 by Adams et al.; No. 6,164,287 by White; No. 6,196,218 by Voges; No. 6,810,883 by Felter et al.; No. 6,854,461 by Nickols; No. 7,832,410 by Hon; No. 7,513,253 by Kobayashi; No. 7,896,006 by Hamano; No. 6,772,756 by Shayan; No. 8,156,944 and No. 8,375,957 by Hon; No. 8,794,231 by Thorens et al.; No. 8,851,083 by Oglesby et al.; Nos. 8,915,254 and 8,925,555 by Monsees et al.; No. 9,220,302 by DePiano et al.; publications of US patent applications No. 2006/0196518 and No. 2009/0188490 by Hon; publication of US patent application No. 2010/0024834 by Oglesby et al.; US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0307518 by Wang; publication of patent application PCT WO 2010/091593 by Hon and PCT WO 2013/089551 by Foo, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Additionally, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017-0099877 by Worm et al., filed Oct. 13, 2015, discloses capsules that can be included in aerosol delivery devices and configurations for aerosol delivery devices in the form of a key fob, and is fully included incorporated into this document by reference. The various materials disclosed in the foregoing documents may be incorporated into the present devices in various embodiments, and all of the foregoing disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[00077] Again with reference to FIG. 3, as discussed above, the control housing 102 of the embodiment shown includes a heating chamber 116 configured to heat the substrate portion 110 of the element 104 as an aerosol source. Although the heating chamber of various embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention can take many forms, in the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 3, heating chamber 116 includes an outer cylinder 130 and a heating element 132, which in this embodiment includes a cord or wire heater integrated into or attached to the inner wall of the outer cylinder 130. In various embodiments, heating element 132 may be made of one or more conductive materials, including, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, or any combination thereof.

[00078] As shown in the drawing, the heating chamber 116 may extend proximate the engagement end of the housing 118 and may be configured to substantially surround a portion of the heated end 106 of the aerosol source element 104, which includes a substrate portion 110. Thus, the heating chamber 116 of the illustrated embodiment may form an overall tubular configuration, however, in other embodiments, the heating chamber may have other configurations. In various embodiments, the outer cylinder 130 may comprise a non-conductive insulating material and/or structure, including, but not limited to, an insulating polymer (e.g., plastic or cellulose), glass, rubber, ceramic, porcelain, double-wall vacuum structure, or any combination thereof.

[00079] As discussed above, in the illustrated embodiment, the outer cylinder 130 may also help facilitate proper positioning of the aerosol source element 104 when the aerosol source element 104 is inserted into the housing 118. In various embodiments, the outer cylinder 130 of the heating chamber 116 may interact with the inner surface of the casing 118 to ensure alignment of the heating chamber 116 relative to the casing 118. Thus, as a result of the tight connection between the heating chamber 116, the longitudinal axis of the heating chamber 116 can extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the casing 118. In particular, the support cylinder 130 can extend from the opening 119 of the housing 118 to the blocking element 134. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner diameter of the outer cylinder 130 may be slightly larger than or approximately equal to the outer diameter of the corresponding aerosol source element 104 (for example, to create a sliding fit) such that The outer cylinder 130 is configured to direct the aerosol source element 104 to an appropriate position (e.g., a lateral position) relative to the control housing 102.

[00080] During use, the user initiates heating of the heating chamber 116 and, in particular, the heating element 132, which is located adjacent to the substrate portion 110 (or a particular layer thereof). Heating the substrate portion 110 causes the respirable substance within the element 104 to be released as an aerosol source to form a respirable substance. When a consumer inhales at the mouthpiece end 108 of the aerosol source element 104, air is drawn into the aerosol source element 104 through openings or passages 122 in the control housing 102. The combination of the air drawn in and the respirable material released is inhaled by the consumer as the drawn materials are released. from the mouthpiece end 108 of element 104 in the form of an aerosol source. In some embodiments, to initiate heating, the consumer may manually operate a button or similar component that causes the heating chamber heating element to receive electrical energy from a battery or other energy source. Electrical energy can be supplied for a predetermined period of time or it can be manually controlled. In some embodiments, the flow of electrical energy does not substantially continue between puffs on the device (although the flow of energy may continue to maintain a base temperature higher than the ambient temperature - for example, a temperature that promotes rapid heating to the active heating temperature). However, in the illustrated embodiment, heating is initiated by the user's puffing action through the use of one or more sensors, such as flow sensor 120. As soon as the puff is stopped, the heating will stop or decrease. When the user has taken a sufficient number of puffs to release a sufficient amount of inhalable substance (eg, an amount sufficient to equate to a typical smoking experience), the aerosol source element 104 may be removed from the control housing 102 and discarded. In some embodiments, additional sensing elements may be used, such as capacitive sensing elements and other sensors, as described in US patent application No. 15/707,461 to Phillips et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[00081] In various embodiments, the aerosol source element 104 may be formed from any material suitable for forming and maintaining a suitable shape, such as a tubular shape, and for holding the substrate portion 110 therein. In some embodiments, the aerosol source element 104 may be formed by a single wall, or in other embodiments by multiple walls, and may be formed from a material (natural or synthetic) that is resistant to high temperatures to maintain its structural integrity - e.g. not be destroyed - at least at a temperature that is the heating temperature provided by the electrical heating element, as further described herein. Although in some embodiments a high temperature resistant polymer may be used, in other embodiments the aerosol source element 104 may be formed from paper that is substantially straw shaped. As further described herein, the aerosol source element 104 may have one or more layers associated therewith that serve to substantially prevent the movement of vapor between them. In one embodiment, an aluminum foil layer may be applied as a layer to one surface of an aerosol source element. Ceramic materials can also be used. In additional embodiments, an insulating material may be used to avoid unnecessary heat transfer from the substrate portion. The aerosol source element 104, when formed from a single layer, may have a thickness that is preferably from about 0.2 mm to about 7.5 mm, from about 0.5 mm to about 4.0 mm, from about 0. 5 mm to about 3.0 mm or from about 1.0 mm to about 3.0 mm. Additional examples of the types of components and materials that may be used to provide the functions described above, or used as alternatives to the materials and components described above, may be of the types set forth in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/00186757 by Crooks and etc.; No. 2010/00186757 by Crooks et al.; and No. 2011/0041861 by Sebastian et al., the entire disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.

[00082] As described above, the aerosol source element 104 includes a substrate portion 110 proximate the heated end 106 of the element 104. In various embodiments, the substrate portion 110 may include any material that when heated releases a suitable inhalation of a substance, such as a substance containing a fragrance. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the support portion 110 includes a solid support that contains an aerosol-forming material that includes a respirable substance. In various embodiments, the support portion may specifically include a tobacco component or a tobacco-derived material (ie, a material that is naturally present in tobacco and that may be directly isolated from tobacco or produced synthetically). For example, the support portion may contain tobacco extracts or fractions thereof combined with an inert support. The support portion may also contain unburned tobacco or a composition containing unburned tobacco which, when heated to a temperature below its combustion temperature, releases an inhalable substance. In some embodiments, the support portion may contain tobacco condensates or fractions thereof (ie, condensed components of smoke produced by combustion of tobacco, releasing flavorings and possibly nicotine).

[00083] The tobacco materials used in the present invention may vary and may contain, for example, fire-cured tobacco, burley tobacco, Eastern or Maryland tobacco, dark tobacco, dark fire-cured tobacco and shag, as well as other rare or specialty tobaccos or mixtures thereof. Tobacco materials may also include so-called "mixed" forms and processed forms, such as processed tobacco stems (e.g., cut rolled or cut puffed stems), expanded tobacco (e.g., puffed tobacco such as dry ice expanded tobacco, DIET), preferably in the form of cut filler), reconstituted tobaccos (for example, reconstituted tobaccos produced using paper or cast sheet manufacturing processes). Various representative types of tobacco, processed types of tobacco and types of tobacco mixtures are shown in US Patent No. 4,836,224 by Lawson et al.; in US Patent No. 4,924,888 by Perfetti et al.; in US patent No. 5,056,537 by Brown et al.; in US patent No. 5,159,942 by Brinkley et al.; in US Patent No. 5,220,930 by Gentry; in US patent No. 5,360,023 by Blakley et al.; in US patent No. 6,701,936 by Shafer et al.; in US patent No. 7,011,096 by Li et al.; in US patent No. 7,017,585 by Li et al.; in US Patent No. 7,025,066 by Lawson et al.; in US Patent Application Publication No. 2004-0255965 by Perfetti et al.; in PCT patent application publication WO 02/37990 by Bereman and Bombick et al., Fund. Appl. Toxicol., 39, pp. 11-17, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Additional examples of tobacco compositions that can be used in a smoking device, including those in accordance with the present invention, are disclosed in US Pat. No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[00084] In addition, the support portion may comprise an inert support having the respirable substance or precursor thereof embedded or otherwise applied thereto. For example, a liquid containing a respirable substance may be applied to, absorbed or adsorbed into an inert support such that, when heated, the respirable substance is released in a form that can be recovered from the article of the invention by applying positive or negative pressure. In some aspects, the support portion may contain a mixture of flavored and aromatic tobaccos in the form of cut filler. In another aspect, the support portion may comprise reconstituted tobacco material such as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,807,809 to Pryor et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,889,143 to Pryor et al., and U.S. Patent No. 5,025,814 to Raker, Disclosure which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[00085] In some embodiments, the support portion may contain tobacco, a tobacco component, and/or a tobacco-derived material that may be purified, processed, extracted, and/or processed to include an aerosol precursor composition (e.g., humectants such as, for example, propylene glycol, glycerin and/or the like) and/or at least one flavoring agent, as well as a combustion retardant (for example, diammonium phosphate and/or other salt) configured to prevent ignition, pyrolysis, combustion and/or burning of the component aerosol delivery by a heating source. Various methods of incorporating tobacco into smoking articles and, in particular, smoking articles that are designed so as not to specifically burn substantially all of the tobacco in the smoking articles are described in US Pat. No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al.; US Patent No. 7,647,932 by Cantrell et al.; US Patent No. 8,079,371 by Robinson et al.; US Patent No. 7,290,549 by Banerjee et al.; and US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0215167 to Crooks et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[00086] In some embodiments, non-flammable/fire-resistant materials and additives may be included in the support portion and may include organophosphates, borax, aluminum hydroxide, graphite, potassium tripolyphosphate, dipentaerythritol, pentaerythritol, and polyols. Other substances may also be used, such as phosphonic acid nitrogen salts, monophosphate, ammonium polyphosphate, ammonium bromide, ammonium borate, ethanolammonium borate, ammonium sulfamate, halogenated organic compounds, thiourea and antimony oxides. In each aspect of the non-flammable, fire-resistant and/or burn-resistant materials used in the support portion and/or other components (whether individually or in combination with each other and/or with other materials), the desired properties are preferably provided without undesirable gas evolution or melting. Additional flavoring agents, flavoring agents, additives and other possible enhancers are described in US Patent Application No. 15/707,461 to Phillips et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[00087] In addition to the respirable material (e.g., flavorings, nicotine, or pharmaceuticals in general), the support portion may contain one or more aerosol or vapor-forming materials, such as a polyhydric alcohol (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol, or their mixture) and/or water. Representative types of aerosol-forming materials are listed in US Pat. No. 4,793,365 to Sensabaugh, Jr. et al. and No. 5,101,839 by Jakob et al., in PCT patent application WO 98/57556 by Biggs et al., and in Chemical and Biological Studies on New Cigarette Prototypes that Heat Instead of Burn Tobacco. and biological studies of new prototype cigarettes that heat tobacco instead of burning it) by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (1988), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In some aspects, the support portion may produce a visible aerosol when sufficiently heated (and, if necessary, cooled by air), and the support portion may produce an aerosol that is considered "smoke-like." In other aspects, the aerosol delivery component may produce an aerosol that is substantially invisible but can be recognized as present by other characteristics such as aroma or texture. Thus, the nature of the resulting aerosol may vary depending on the specific components of the aerosol delivery component. In some aspects, the aerosol delivery component may be chemically simple compared to the chemical nature of the smoke produced by burning tobacco.

[00088] Other tobacco materials, such as tobacco flavor oil, tobacco essence, spray-dried tobacco extract, lyophilized tobacco extract, tobacco dust and the like, can be combined with the vapor or aerosol forming material. It is also understood that the respirable substance itself may be in a form whereby, when heated, the respirable substance is released as a vapor, an aerosol, or a combination thereof. In other embodiments, the respirable substance may not necessarily be released in the form of a vapor or aerosol, but the vapor or aerosol-forming material that may be combined with it may form a vapor or aerosol when heated and function essentially as a carrier for the respirable substance itself. substances. Thus, the respirable substance may be characterized as being applied to the support, absorbed into the support, adsorbed into the support, or as a natural component of the support (ie, a material forming the support, such as tobacco or tobacco-derived material). Likewise, an aerosol or vapor producing material may be characterized in a similar manner. In some embodiments, the support portion may specifically comprise a support with a respirable substance and a separate aerosol-forming material included therein. Thus, during use, the substrate may heat up and the aerosol-forming material may evaporate into a vapor form, carrying with it the respirable material. In a specific example, the support portion may include a solid support with a tobacco slurry and an aerosol-forming material and/or a vapor-forming material deposited thereon or absorbed or adsorbed thereon. The support component may be any material that does not burn or otherwise decompose at the temperatures described herein that the heating element reaches to promote release of respirable material. For example, paper material may be used, including tobacco packaging paper (eg, paper-like material containing tobacco fibers and/or reconstituted tobacco). Thus, in various embodiments, the support portion may be characterized as containing a respirable substance, alternatively as containing a respirable substance and a separate aerosol former or vapor former, alternatively as containing a respirable substance and a support, or alternatively as comprising part in the form of a substrate, a separate aerosol former or vapor former and a substrate. Thus, the support may contain a respirable substance and/or an aerosol former or a vapor former.

[00089] In some aspects of the present invention, the substrate portion may be formed as an extruded material, as described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0042885 to Stone et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In yet other aspects, the support portion may be an extruded structure and/or support that contains or is substantially composed of tobacco, tobacco-related material, glycerin, water, and/or a binder material, although some formulations may not contain binding material. In various embodiments, the binder material can be any binder material typically used for tobacco formulations, including, for example, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), gum (eg, guar gum), xanthan, pullulan, and/or alginate. In some aspects, the binder material included in the aerosol delivery component may be configured to substantially maintain the structural shape and/or integrity of the aerosol delivery component. Various representative binders, binder properties, binder methods, and binder amounts are set forth in US Pat. No. 4,924,887 to Raker et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[00090] In some embodiments, the substrate portion may also be configured to substantially maintain its structure throughout the aerosol generation process. Thus, the support portion may be configured to substantially maintain its shape (ie, the aerosol delivery component is not continuously deformed by the applied shear stress) throughout the aerosol generation process. Although in some embodiments the support portion component may contain liquids and/or have some moisture content, in some embodiments the support portion is configured to remain substantially solid throughout the aerosol generation process and to substantially maintain structural integrity throughout the entire aerosol generation process. Exemplary tobacco and/or tobacco-related materials suitable as a substantially solid aerosol delivery component are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0157052 by Ademe et al.; publication of US patent application No. 2015/0335070 by Sears et al.; US Patent No. 6,204,287 by White; and US Patent No. 5,060,676 to Hearn et al., which are accordingly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[00091] In yet another aspect, the support portion may comprise an extruded structure and/or support formed from marumarized and/or unmarumarized tobacco. Marumarized tobacco is known, for example, from US Pat. No. 5,105,831 to Banerjee et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Marumarized tobacco comprises from about 20 to about 50 percent (by weight) of a tobacco blend in powder form with glycerin (from about 20 to about 30 weight percent), calcium carbonate (typically from about 10 to about 60 weight percent, often from about 40 to about 60 wt.%) together with the binders and/or flavoring agents described herein.

[00092] In another aspect, the support portion may contain a plurality of microcapsules, beads, granules and/or the like containing tobacco-related material. For example, a representative microcapsule may have a generally spherical shape and may have an outer coating or shell that contains a central region containing tobacco extract liquid and/or the like. In some aspects, the aerosol delivery component may comprise a plurality of microcapsules having a substantially hollow cylindrical shape. In one aspect, the aerosol delivery component may comprise a binder material configured to maintain the structural shape and/or integrity of a plurality of microcapsules having a substantially hollow cylindrical shape. Various other configurations and components that may be included in the substrate portion of the present invention are described in US Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In another aspect, the substrate portion may include one or more thermally conductive materials. Examples of substrate portions that include thermally conductive materials are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 15/905,320 to Sebastian, entitled Heat Conducting Substrate For Electrically Heated Aerosol Delivery Device, filed Feb. 26 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference. Many other configurations for the substrate portion of the aerosol source element can be found in the discussion of similar configurations found in US Pat. No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[00093] In addition to the embodiments described above, in some embodiments, the substrate portion may be configured as a liquid capable of producing an aerosol when exposed to sufficient heat, having ingredients commonly referred to as "smoking juice", "liquid" for electronic cigarettes" and "juice for electronic cigarettes". Examples of aerosol-forming liquid compositions are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0008457 to Zheng et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may comprise a gel and/or suspension. Some typical types of designs and compositions of solid and semi-solid support parts are disclosed in US Patent No. 8,424,538 to Thomas et al., US Patent No. 8,464,726 to Sebastian et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0083150 to Conner et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0157052 to Ademe et al., and US Patent Application Publication No. 2017-0000188 to Nordskog et al., filed June 30, 2015, all of which are in full are incorporated herein by reference.

[00094] Again with reference to FIG. 3, the size and shape of the heated end 106 of the aerosol source element 104 allows for insertion into the control housing 102. In various embodiments, the outer cylinder 130 of the control housing 102 may be characterized as being formed by a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining an inner volume. outer cylinder 130. Thus, the largest outer diameter (or other size depending on the particular cross-sectional shape of the embodiments) of the aerosol source element 104 may be smaller than the inner diameter (or other size) on the inner wall surface of the open end of the outer cylinder 130 in the control housing 102. In some embodiments, the difference in the respective diameters may be small enough such that the aerosol source element fits tightly into the outer cylinder 130 and frictional forces prevent the aerosol source element 104 from moving without applying force. Alternatively, the difference may be sufficient to allow the aerosol source element 104 to slide into or out of the outer cylinder 130 without the need for excessive force.

[00095] In some embodiments, the overall size of the aerosol delivery device 100 may be comparable to the shape of a cigarette or cigar. Thus, the device may have a diameter of from about 5 mm to about 25 mm, from about 5 mm to about 20 mm, from about 6 mm to about 15 mm, or from about 6 mm to about 10 mm. In various embodiments, this size may specifically correspond to the outer diameter of the control housing 102. In some embodiments, the aerosol source element 104 may have a diameter of from about 4 mm to about 6 mm. In addition, the control housing 102 and the aerosol source element can be similarly characterized with respect to overall length. For example, in some embodiments, the control housing may have a length of from about 40 mm to about 140 mm, from about 45 mm to about 110 mm, or from about 50 mm to about 100 mm. The aerosol source element may have a length of from about 20 mm to about 60 mm, from about 25 mm to about 55 mm, or from about 30 mm to about 50 mm.

[00096] In the illustrated embodiment, the control housing 102 includes a control component 123 that controls various functions of the aerosol delivery device 100, including powering the electrical heating element 132. For example, the control component 123 may include control circuitry (e.g. , processing circuitry) that may be connected to additional components as further described herein and that is connected by electrically conductive wires (not shown) to power supply 124. In various embodiments, control circuitry may control when and how heating chamber 116, and in particular heating element 132, receives electrical energy to heat substrate portion 110 to cause release of inhalable substance for inhalation by a consumer. In some embodiments, such control may be activated by a flow sensor and/or actuated by pressure sensitive switches or the like, which are described in more detail below.

[00097] As discussed above, the control components may be configured to precisely control the amount of heat supplied to the substrate portion 110. Although the heat required to vaporize the aerosol-forming agent in sufficient volume to provide the desired dosage of inhalable agent in one puff may vary for each particular agent used, in some embodiments the heating element may be heated to a temperature of at least 120°C , at least 130°C or at least 140°C. In some embodiments, the heating temperature may be at least 150°C, at least 200°C, at least 220°C to vaporize a suitable amount of aerosol-forming agent and thereby provide the desired dosage of respirable agent. , at least 300°C or at least 350°C. However, it may be particularly preferable to avoid heating to temperatures substantially greater than about 550°C to avoid destruction and/or excessive premature evaporation of the aerosol-forming material. In particular, heating must occur at a sufficiently low temperature and for a sufficiently short time to avoid significant combustion (preferably any combustion) of the support portion. The present disclosure may, in particular, provide the components of the device according to the invention in combinations and modes of use that will form an inhalable substance in desired quantities at relatively low temperatures. Thus, generation may relate to the generation of an aerosol within the device and/or delivery from the device to the consumer. In specific embodiments, the heating temperature may be from about 130°C to about 310°C, from about 140°C to about 300°C, from about 150°C to about 290°C, from about 170°C to about 270°C C or from about 180°C to about 260°C. In other embodiments, the heating temperature may be from about 210°C to about 390°C, from about 220°C to about 380°C, from about 230°C to about 370°C, from about 250°C to about 350°C C or from about 280°C to about 320°C.

[00098] The duration of heating can be controlled by a number of factors, as described in more detail below. The heating temperature and duration may depend on the desired aerosol volume and the ambient air desired to be drawn through the aerosol delivery device, as further described herein. However, the duration may vary depending on the heating rate of the heating element, since the device may be configured such that the heating element is provided with power only until the desired temperature is reached. Alternatively, the duration of heating may be related to the duration of the user's puff on the product. Typically, the temperature and heating time will be controlled by one or more components contained in the control housing, as described above.

[00099] In various embodiments, the electrical heating element may include any device suitable to provide sufficient heat to promote the release of an inhalable substance for inhalation by a consumer. In some embodiments, the electrical heating element may include a conduction type resistive heating element. In other embodiments, the electric heating element may be an induction heating element. Suitable heating elements may be those that have low mass, low density and moderate resistivity and are thermally stable at temperatures encountered during use. Suitable heating elements can heat up and cool down quickly and thus provide efficient use of energy. The element's rapid heating also ensures almost immediate evaporation of the aerosol-forming substance. Rapid cooling prevents significant evaporation (and therefore consumption) of the aerosol-forming material during periods when aerosol formation is not desired. Such heating elements can also provide relatively precise control of the temperature range over which the aerosol-forming material is located, especially when using time-dependent current control. Suitable heating elements may also be chemically inactive with respect to the materials containing the substrate portion to be heated so as not to adversely affect the aroma or content of the resulting aerosol or vapor. Non-limiting examples of materials that may comprise a heating element include carbon, graphite, carbon/graphite composites, metals, metal and non-metal carbides, nitrides, silicides, intermetallic compounds, cermets, metal alloys and metal foils. In particular, fire-resistant materials may be suitable. Different materials can be mixed to achieve the desired resistivity, mass and thermal conductivity and surface properties. In some embodiments, fire-resistant materials may be suitable. Different materials can be mixed to achieve the desired properties of resistivity, mass and thermal conductivity. In particular aspects, metals that may be used include, for example, nickel, chromium, nickel-chromium alloys (eg, nichrome), and steel. Materials that may be suitable for providing resistance heating or resistance heating are described in US Pat. No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al.; in US patent No. 5,093,894 by Deevi et al.; in US patent No. 5,224,498 by Deevi et al.; in US Patent No. 5,228,460 by Sprinkel Jr. and etc.; in US patent No. 5,322,075 by Deevi et al.; in US patent No. 5,353,813 by Deevi et al.; in US patent No. 5,468,936 by Deevi et al.; in US Patent No. 5,498,850 by Das; in US Patent No. 5,659,656 by Das; in US patent No. 5,498,855 by Deevi et al.; in US Patent No. 5,530,225 by Hajaligol; in US Patent No. 5,665,262 by Hajaligol; in US Patent No. 5,573,692 by Das et al.; and US Pat. No. 5,591,368 to Fleischhauer et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[000100] The amount of respirable material released by the aerosol delivery device 100 may vary depending on the nature of the respirable material. Preferably, the device 100 is configured with a sufficient amount of aerosol former to operate at a sufficient temperature for a sufficient time to release the desired amount during use. This amount may be provided in one puff from the device 100 or may be divided so that it is delivered in multiple puffs from the device over a relatively short period of time (e.g., less than 30 minutes, less than 20 minutes, less than 15 minutes, less than 10 minutes, or less than 5 minutes). Examples of nicotine levels and total wet solids that can be delivered are described in US Pat. No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[000101] As indicated, in various embodiments, the control housing 102 may include one or more openings or passages 122 therein to allow ambient air to enter the interior of the outer cylinder 130. Thus, in some embodiments, the blocking element 134 may also contain passages. Thus, in some embodiments, when a consumer takes a puff on the mouth end of the aerosol source element 104, air may be drawn through the passages of the control housing 102 and the blocking element 134 into the outer cylinder 130, pass into the aerosol source element 104, and be drawn through a portion 110 in the form of a substrate element 104 in the form of a source of aerosol for inhalation by the consumer. In some embodiments, the drawn air carries respirable material through the optional filter 114 and out of the opening in the mouthpiece end 108 of the element 104 as an aerosol source.

[000102] In some embodiments, it may be useful to provide some indication when the aerosol source element 104 has reached the proper distance for insertion into the outer cylinder 130 such that the heating element 132 is positioned proximate the substrate portion 110. For example, the aerosol source element 104 may include one or more marks on its outer portion (eg, on the outer surface of the aerosol source element 104). In other embodiments, the single mark may indicate the insertion depth required to achieve that position. Alternatively, the correct insertion distance may be indicated by the aerosol source element 104 "touching the bottom" of the blocking element 134 or any other similar means that may enable the user to recognize and understand that the source element 104 of aerosol is sufficiently inserted into the outer cylinder 130 to position the heating element 132 in the proper location relative to the substrate portion 110.

[000103] In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include a button that may be coupled to a control component for manually operating the heating element. For example, in some embodiments, a user may use a button to provide power to heating element 132. Similar functionality associated with a button may be achieved by other mechanical means or non-mechanical means (eg, magnetic or electromagnetic). Thus, activation of the heating element 132 can be controlled with a single button. Alternatively, a plurality of buttons may be provided to control different actions separately. One or more buttons provided may be formed substantially flush with the shell of the control housing 102.

[000104] Instead of (or in addition to) any buttons, the aerosol delivery device 100 of the present invention may include components that provide power to the heating element 132 in response to a user taking a puff on the product (i.e., puff-activated heating ). For example, the device may include a flow switch or sensor 120 in the control housing 102 that is sensitive to either changes in pressure or changes in air flow when a user draws a puff through the product (eg, a puff actuated switch). Other suitable current on/off mechanisms may include a temperature actuated on/off switch or a lip pressure actuated switch. An example of a mechanism that can provide such pinch actuation capability includes the Model 163PC01D36 silicon sensor manufactured by the MicroSwitch Division of Honeywell, Inc., Freeport, Illinois. With such a sensor, the heating element can be quickly activated by a change in pressure when the user takes a puff through the device. In addition, flow sensing devices, such as those that use hot-wire principles, can be used to cause heating element 132 to energize sufficiently quickly upon detecting a change in air flow. Another pull-actuated switch that can be used is a differential pressure switch such as Model No. MPL-502-V, Range A, from Micro Pneumatic Logic, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Another suitable puff-actuated mechanism is a pressure sensitive sensor (eg, equipped with an amplifier or amplification stage), which in turn is coupled to a comparator to determine a predetermined threshold pressure. Another suitable puff-actuated mechanism is a paddle that is deflected by the air flow, the movement of which is detected by the movement detection means. Another suitable actuation mechanism is a piezoelectric switch. You can also use a suitable Honeywell MicroSwitch Microbridge Air Flow Sensor, part number AWM 2100V from the MicroSwitch Division of Honeywell, Inc., Freeport, IL. Additional examples of demand-controlled electrical switches that can be used in a heating circuit in accordance with the present invention are described in US Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other suitable differential switches, analog pressure sensors, flow sensors, and the like will be apparent to one skilled in the art familiar with the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a pressure sensing tube or other conduit providing a fluid connection between the puff actuated switch and the outer cylinder 130 may be included in the control housing 102 such that changes in pressure during puff are readily sensed by the switch. Other examples of tightening actuated devices that can be used in accordance with the present invention are disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,922,901, No. 4,947,874 and No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al.; in US patent No. 5,372,148 by McCafferty et al.; in US Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al.; No. 7,040,314 by Nguyen et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[000105] When a user takes a puff on the mouth end of the device 100, the current actuating means may allow unrestricted or continuous flow of current through the heating element 132 to quickly generate heat. Because of the rapid heating, it may be useful to include current control components to (i) regulate the flow of current through the heating element to control the heating of the resistive element and the temperature it experiences, and (ii) prevent overheating and deterioration of the substrate portion 110. In some embodiments, the current control circuit may be time controlled. In particular, such a circuit may include means for causing current to flow continuously through the heating element for an initial period of time while the puff is being taken, and a timer for subsequently adjusting the flow of current until the puff is completed. For example, subsequent control may include rapid on-off current flow (eg, approximately every 1 to 50 milliseconds) to maintain the heating element within the desired temperature range. Alternatively, control may simply involve allowing current to flow continuously until the desired temperature is reached, and then cutting off the current flow completely. The heating element can be reactivated by the consumer initiating another puff through the product (or by manually pressing a button, depending on the specific switch implementation used to activate the heater). Alternatively, subsequent control may include modulating the current flowing through the heating element to maintain the heating element within a desired temperature range. In some embodiments, to release the desired dose of inhalable substance, the heating element may be turned on for a period of from about 0.2 seconds to about 5.0 seconds, from about 0.3 seconds to about 4.0 seconds, from about 0 .4 seconds to about 3.0 seconds, from about 0.5 seconds to about 2.0 seconds, or about 0.6 seconds to about 1.5 seconds. One exemplary timing current control circuit may include a transistor, a timer, a comparator, and a capacitor. Suitable transistors, timers, comparators and capacitors are commercially available and will be apparent to one skilled in the art. Examples of timers are those available from NEC Electronics, such as the C-1555C, and from General Electric Intersil, Inc., such as the ICM7555, as well as various other sizes and configurations of so-called "555 Timers". An example comparator is available from National Semiconductor, such as the LM311. Additional description of such time-controlled current control circuits is presented in US Pat. No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[000106] In light of the above, it can be seen that a variety of mechanisms can be used to facilitate turning on/off the flow of current to the heating element. For example, the device may include a timer to regulate the flow of current in the product (for example, while a consumer is taking a puff). The device may further include a timer sensitive switch that turns on and off the flow of current to the heating element. Controlling the flow of current may also involve using the capacitor and components to charge and discharge the capacitor at a specific rate (eg, a rate that approximates the rate at which the heating element heats and cools). The current flow may be controlled such that a continuous current flows through the heating element for an initial period of time during the puffing process, but the current flow may be switched off or cycled on and off after the initial period of time until the puffing is completed. Such cycling may be controlled by a timer, as discussed above, which may generate a preset switching cycle. In specific embodiments, the timer may generate a periodic digital waveform. The flow during the initial period of time can be further adjusted by using a comparator that compares the first voltage at the first input with a threshold voltage at the threshold input and generates an output signal when the first voltage is equal to the threshold voltage, which turns on the timer. Such embodiments may further include components for generating a threshold voltage at the threshold input and components for generating a threshold voltage at the first input after the end of the initial period of time.

As noted above, the power supply 124 used to provide power to various electrical components of the device 100 may have various embodiments. Preferably, the power supply is configured to supply sufficient energy to quickly heat the heating element in the manner described above and power the device through use with the plurality of aerosol source elements 104, while still fitting comfortably within the device 100. One example of a power source is lithium-ion ion battery TKI-1550, manufactured by the German company Tadiran Batteries GmbH. In another embodiment, a suitable power source may be a N50-AAA CADNICA nickel-cadmium cell manufactured by Sanyo Electric Company, Ltd., Japan. In other embodiments, multiple such batteries, for example each providing 1.2 volts, may be connected in series. Other power sources such as rechargeable lithium manganese batteries can also be used. Any of these batteries or combinations thereof can be used in a power supply, but rechargeable batteries are preferred due to cost and disposal considerations associated with disposable batteries. In embodiments that use rechargeable batteries, power supply 124 may further include charging contacts for interfacing with corresponding contacts in a conventional charger (not shown) drawing power from a standard 120-volt AC outlet or other sources such as vehicle electrical system or separate portable power supply. In additional embodiments, the power supply may also include a capacitor. Capacitors can discharge faster than batteries and can be charged between puffs, allowing the battery to discharge into the capacitor at a lower rate than if it were used to directly power the heating element. For example, a supercapacitor - that is, an electrical double-layer capacitor (EDLC) - can be used alone or in combination with a battery. When used alone, the supercapacitor can be charged before each use of the device 100. Thus, the present invention may also include a charger component that can be attached to the device between uses to replenish the supercapacitor. In particular embodiments of the present invention, thin film batteries may be used.

[000107] As discussed above, in various embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include one or more indicators 126. Although in the illustrated embodiment, the indicator 126 is shown located at the end of the control housing 102, in various embodiments, the indicator 126 may be located on a different portion or other parts of the control housing 102. In some embodiments, the indicators may be lights (eg, light-emitting diodes) that may provide an indication of multiple aspects of use of the device. For example, the sequence of lights may correspond to the number of puffs for a given aerosol source element. More specifically, the lights may be illuminated sequentially with each puff such that when all lights are illuminated, the consumer is informed that the aerosol source element has been consumed. Alternatively, all of the lights may illuminate upon insertion of the aerosol source element into the housing, and the lights may be turned off with each puff such that when all lights are turned off, the consumer is informed that the aerosol source element has been consumed. In other embodiments, only one indicator may be present, and its illumination may indicate that current is flowing to the heating element and the device is actively heating. This can ensure that the consumer does not leave the device unattended in active heating mode. In alternative embodiments, one or more indicators may be a component of an aerosol source element. Although the indicators are described above with respect to visual indicators in the on/off method, other performance indicators are also covered. For example, visual indicators may also include changes in color or light intensity to show the progression of smoking. Tactile indicators and audible indicators are similarly covered by the present invention. Moreover, combinations of such indicators can also be used in one device.

[000108] As described herein, the present invention provides an aerosol source element and an aerosol delivery device for use with an aerosol source element that includes a substrate portion, wherein the substrate portion comprises a continuous thermal conductive frame embedded in an aerosol-forming material, wherein the continuous heat-conducting frame is configured to improve heat transfer from the heating element to the aerosol-forming material. For example, in FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion that contains a continuous thermal conductive frame according to an example embodiment of the present invention. In particular, in FIG. 4 shows a substrate portion 110 that includes a continuous thermal conductive frame in the form of a thermal conductive winding 111 that is wrapped around an outer surface 115 of aerosol generating material 113. The thermal conductive winding 111 of the illustrated embodiment may be made of a metallic material such as, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, or any combination thereof. In other embodiments, the thermally conductive winding 111 may be made of a coated metal, such as, for example, aluminum-coated copper, or other combinations of coatings and base materials selected from the list above. In yet other embodiments, the thermal conductive winding 111 may be made of a ceramic material such as, but not limited to, aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, or any combination thereof. In yet other embodiments, the thermally conductive winding 111 may be made of a carbon material such as, but not limited to, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanoribbons, diamond-like carbon materials, or combinations thereof. And in yet other embodiments, the thermally conductive winding 111 may be made of polymer composites, such as polymer materials with metal, ceramic, or carbon fibers, including, but not limited to, polyimide, epoxy, or silicone polymers with boron nitride, zinc oxide, or oxide fibers aluminum In further embodiments, the present invention contemplates that the thermal conductive frame of various embodiments may be made of any one or any combination of the above materials or composites that contain two or more of the above materials.

[000109] In various embodiments, the aerosol-forming material 113 may include any of the configurations and compositions of the support materials described above, and thus reference is made to those descriptions. In various embodiments, the size and configuration of the thermal conductive coil 111 and/or the aerosol-forming material 113 may vary. For example, in various embodiments, one or more of wire length, outside diameter, inside diameter, pitch, and wire diameter, among other characteristics, may be selected to meet specific design requirements. In addition, the size of the aerosol-forming material 113 may vary. For example, in various embodiments, one or more of length, outer diameter, inner diameter (if applicable), among other characteristics, may be selected to meet specific design requirements.

[000110] In the illustrated embodiment, the thermally conductive winding 111 covers substantially the entire length of the aerosol-forming material 113, however, in other embodiments, the thermally conductive winding 111 may cover only a portion of the length of the aerosol-forming material 113. The aerosol-forming material 113 of the illustrated embodiment comprises an extruded cylindrical structure containing tobacco or a tobacco-derived material as described above. In addition, the aerosol-forming material 113 of the illustrated embodiment may also contain various additives and other components, as similarly described above. As noted above, in other embodiments, the aerosol-forming material 113 may have a different shape and/or a different composition.

[000111] In FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source element showing a substrate portion that contains a continuous thermal conductive frame, according to another embodiment of the present invention. In particular, in FIG. 5 shows a substrate portion 110 that includes a continuous thermal conductive frame in the form of a thermal conductive braid 211 that is wrapped around an outer surface 215 of aerosol generating material 213. In various embodiments, the thermally conductive braid may comprise an interlocking braid or an overlapping braid. In the illustrated embodiment, the thermally conductive braid 211 comprises an interlaced braid. The thermal conductive braid 211 of the illustrated embodiment may be made of a metallic material such as, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, or any combination thereof. In other embodiments, the thermal conductive braid 211 may be made of a coated metal, such as, for example, aluminum-coated copper, or other combinations of coatings and base materials selected from the list above. In yet other embodiments, the thermal conductive braid 211 may be made of a ceramic material such as, but not limited to, aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, or any combination thereof. In yet other embodiments, the thermally conductive braid 211 may be made of a carbon material such as, but not limited to, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanoribbons, diamond-like carbon materials, or combinations thereof. And in yet other embodiments, the thermally conductive braid 211 may be made of polymer composites, such as polymer materials with metal, ceramic, or carbon fibers, including, but not limited to, polyimide, epoxy, or silicone polymers with boron nitride, zinc oxide, or oxide fibers. aluminum In further embodiments, the present invention contemplates that the thermal conductive frame of various embodiments may be made of any one or any combination of the above materials or composites that contain two or more of the above materials.

[000112] In various embodiments, the aerosol-forming material 213 may include any of the configurations and compositions of the support materials described above, and thus reference is made to those descriptions. In various embodiments, the size and configuration of the thermally conductive braid 211 and/or aerosol forming material 213 may vary. For example, in various embodiments, one or more of wire length, outside diameter, inside diameter, pitch, and wire diameter, among other characteristics, may be selected to meet specific design requirements. In addition, the size of the aerosol-forming material 213 may vary. For example, in various embodiments, one or more of length, outer diameter, inner diameter, among other characteristics, may be selected to meet specific design requirements.

[000113] In the illustrated embodiment, the thermally conductive braid 211 covers substantially the entire length of the aerosol-forming material 213, however, in other embodiments, the thermally conductive braid 211 may cover only a portion of the length of the aerosol-forming material 213. The aerosol-forming material 213 of the illustrated embodiment comprises an extruded cylindrical structure containing tobacco or tobacco-derived material as described above. In addition, the aerosol-forming material 213 of the illustrated embodiment may also contain various additives and other components, as similarly described above. As noted above, in other embodiments, the aerosol-forming material 213 may have a different shape and/or a different composition.

[000114] In FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source element showing a substrate portion that contains a continuous thermal conductive frame, according to another embodiment of the present invention. In particular, in FIG. 6 shows a substrate portion 310 that includes a continuous thermal conductive frame in the form of a thermal conductive winding 311 that is located within the aerosol generating material 313. The thermal conductive winding 311 of the illustrated embodiment is made of a metallic material such as, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, or any combination thereof. In other embodiments, the thermally conductive winding 311 may be made of a coated metal, such as, for example, aluminum-coated copper, or other combinations of coatings and base materials selected from the list above. In yet other embodiments, the thermal conductive winding 311 may be made of a ceramic material such as, but not limited to, aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, or any combination thereof. In yet other embodiments, the thermally conductive winding 311 may be made of a carbon material such as, but not limited to, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanoribbons, diamond-like carbon materials, or combinations thereof. And in yet other embodiments, the thermally conductive winding 311 may be made of polymer composites, such as polymer materials with metal, ceramic, or carbon fibers, including, but not limited to, polyimide, epoxy, or silicone polymers with boron nitride, zinc oxide, or oxide fibers aluminum In further embodiments, the present invention contemplates that the thermal conductive frame of various embodiments may be made of any one or any combination of the above materials or composites that contain two or more of the above materials.

[000115] In various embodiments, aerosol-forming material 313 may include any of the configurations and compositions of the support materials described above, and thus reference is made to those descriptions. In various embodiments, the size and configuration of the thermal conductive coil 311 and/or the aerosol-forming material 313 may vary. For example, in various embodiments, one or more of wire length, outside diameter, inside diameter, pitch, and wire diameter, among other characteristics, may be selected to meet specific design requirements. In addition, the size of the aerosol-forming material 313 may vary. For example, in various embodiments, one or more of length, outer diameter, inner diameter, among other characteristics, may be selected to meet specific design requirements.

[000116] In the illustrated embodiment, the thermally conductive winding 311 covers substantially the entire length of the aerosol-forming material 313, however, in other embodiments, the thermally conductive winding 311 may cover only a portion of the length of the aerosol-forming material 313. The aerosol-forming material 313 of the illustrated embodiment comprises an extruded cylindrical structure containing tobacco or a tobacco-derived material as described above. In addition, the aerosol-forming material 313 of the illustrated embodiment may also contain various additives and other components, as similarly described above. As noted above, in other embodiments, the aerosol-forming material 313 may have a different shape and/or a different composition.

[000117] In FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source member showing a substrate portion that contains a continuous thermal conductive frame, according to another embodiment of the present invention. In particular, in FIG. 7 shows a substrate portion 410 that includes a continuous thermal conductive frame in the form of a thermal conductive braid 411 that is located within the aerosol generating material 413. In various embodiments, the thermally conductive braid may comprise an interlocking braid or an overlapping braid. In the illustrated embodiment, the thermally conductive braid 411 comprises an interlocking braid. The thermal conductive braid 411 of the illustrated embodiment is made of a metallic material such as, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, or any combination thereof. In other embodiments, the thermal conductive braid 411 may be made of a coated metal, such as, for example, aluminum-coated copper, or other combinations of coatings and base materials selected from the list above. In yet other embodiments, the thermal conductive braid 411 may be made of a ceramic material such as, but not limited to, aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, or any combination thereof. In yet other embodiments, the thermally conductive braid 411 may be made of a carbon material such as, but not limited to, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanoribbons, diamond-like carbon materials, or combinations thereof. And in yet other embodiments, the thermally conductive braid 411 may be made of polymer composites, such as polymer materials with metal, ceramic, or carbon fibers, including, but not limited to, polyimide, epoxy, or silicone polymers with boron nitride, zinc oxide, or oxide fibers. aluminum In additional embodiments, the present invention contemplates that the thermal conductive frame of various embodiments may be made of any one or any combination of the above materials or composites that contain two or more of the above materials.

[000118] In various embodiments, the aerosol-forming material 413 may include any of the configurations and compositions of the support materials described above, and thus reference is made to those descriptions. In various embodiments, the size and configuration of the thermally conductive braid 411 and/or aerosol forming material 413 may vary. For example, in various embodiments, one or more of wire length, outside diameter, inside diameter, pitch, and wire diameter, among other characteristics, may be selected to meet specific design requirements. In addition, the size of the aerosol-forming material 413 may vary. For example, in various embodiments, one or more of length, outer diameter, inner diameter, among other characteristics, may be selected to meet specific design requirements.

[000119] In the illustrated embodiment, the thermally conductive braid 411 covers substantially the entire length of the aerosol-forming material 413, however, in other embodiments, the thermally conductive braid 411 may cover only a portion of the length of the aerosol-forming material 413. The aerosol-forming material 413 of the illustrated embodiment comprises an extruded cylindrical structure containing tobacco or a tobacco-derived material as described above. In addition, the aerosol-forming material 413 of the illustrated embodiment may also contain various additives and other components, as similarly described above. However, as noted above, in other embodiments, the aerosol-forming material 413 may have a different shape and/or a different composition.

[000120] In FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of an aerosol source element showing a substrate portion that contains a continuous thermal conductive frame, according to another embodiment of the present invention. In particular, in FIG. 8 shows a substrate portion 510 that includes a continuous thermal conductive frame in the form of a thermally conductive elongate component 517 that includes a plurality of thermally conductive bristle-like projections 519 extending radially therefrom. In the illustrated embodiment, one or both of the thermally conductive elongate component 517 and the thermally conductive plurality of sharp protrusions 519 are made of a metallic material such as, without limitation, copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, or any of these. combinations. In other embodiments, one or both of the thermally conductive elongate component 517 and the thermally conductive plurality of sharp protrusions 519 may be or may be made of a coated metal, such as, for example, aluminum-coated copper, or other combinations of coatings and base materials selected from the list above. In yet other embodiments, one or both of the thermally conductive elongate component 517 and the thermally conductive plurality of sharp protrusions 519 may be or may be made of a ceramic material such as, but not limited to, aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, nitride silicon, aluminum nitride, or any combination thereof. In yet other embodiments, one or both of the thermally conductive elongate component 517 and the thermally conductive plurality of sharp protrusions 519 may be or may be made of a carbon material such as, but not limited to, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanoribbons, diamond-like carbon materials structure, or combinations thereof. And in yet other embodiments, one or both of the thermally conductive elongate component 517 and the thermally conductive plurality of sharp projections 519 may be or may be made of polymer composites, such as polymeric materials with metal, ceramic, or carbon fibers, including, but not limited to, polyimide , epoxy or silicone polymers with boron nitride, zinc oxide or aluminum oxide fibers. In further embodiments, the present invention contemplates that the thermal conductive frame of various embodiments may be made of any one or any combination of the above materials or composites that contain two or more of the above materials. For example, in some embodiments, the central thermally conductive central elongate component may be made of one material, and the plurality of thermally conductive sharp projections may be made of a different material.

[000121] In various embodiments, the aerosol-forming material 513 may include any of the configurations and compositions of the support materials described above, and thus reference is made to those descriptions. In various embodiments, the size and configuration of the thermally conductive elongate component 517, the thermally conductive plurality of sharp projections 519, and/or the aerosol-forming material 513 may vary. For example, in various embodiments, one or more of the length and diameter of the elongated thermal conductive component 517, and the number, frequency, and length of the plurality of sharp projections 519, among other characteristics of these components, may be selected to meet specific design requirements. In addition, the size of the aerosol-forming material 513 may vary. For example, in various embodiments, one or more of length, outer diameter, inner diameter, among other characteristics, may be selected to meet specific design requirements.

[000122] In various embodiments, both the thermally conductive elongate component 517 and the thermally conductive plurality of sharp projections 519 cover substantially the entire length of the aerosol-forming material 513. However, in other embodiments, one or both of the thermally conductive elongate component 517 and the thermally conductive plurality of sharp projections 519 may cover only a portion of the length of the aerosol-forming material 513. The aerosol-forming material 513 of the illustrated embodiment comprises a tubular structure containing tobacco or a tobacco-derived material as described above. In addition, the aerosol-forming material 513 of the illustrated embodiment may also contain various additives and other components, as similarly described above. However, as noted above, in other embodiments, the aerosol-forming material 513 may have a different shape and/or a different composition.

[000123] In various embodiments, including, for example, the embodiment of FIG. 8, the heating element may be configured to heat the outside of the substrate portion in an inward direction and/or the interior of the substrate portion in an outward direction. Thus, in some embodiments, the heating element may include a blocking element and/or other element configured to generate heat from the approximate center of the substrate portion in an outward direction. With reference to FIG. 8, for example, in addition to, or alternatively to, a heating element that may generate heat from the outer surface of the substrate portion 510 in an inward direction, heat may be generated from the approximate center of the substrate portion 510 in an outward direction, for example, behind by heating the thermally conductive elongated component 517.

[000124] In addition to being intended for use with conduction-type heating sources, the present invention may also be intended for use with an induction heating source to heat a substrate portion to form an aerosol. In various embodiments, the induction heating source may include a resonant transformer, which may include a resonant transmitter and a resonant receiver (eg, a current collector). In some embodiments, the resonant transmitter and the resonant receiver may be located in the control housing. As will be described in more detail below, in some embodiments, the resonant transmitter may comprise a helical coil configured to define a cavity in which the aerosol source element and, in particular, a substrate portion of the aerosol source element is located. In some embodiments, the helical coil may be located between the outer wall of the device and the receiving cavity. In one embodiment, the winding wire may have a circular cross-sectional shape, however, in other embodiments, the winding wire may have a variety of other cross-sectional shapes, including, but not limited to, oval, rectangular, L-shaped, T-shaped, and triangular. cross-sectional shape, as well as their combinations. Some examples of possible resonant transformer components, including resonant transmitters and resonant receivers, are described in US Patent Application No. 15/799,365, filed October 31, 2017, entitled nduction Heated Aerosol Delivery Device, which is included in its entirety in this document by reference. Other examples of various induction control components and associated circuitry are described in US Patent Application No. 15/352,153, filed November 15, 2016, entitled Induction-Based Aerosol Delivery Device, and US Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0202266 under by Sur et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[000125] In FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device of another embodiment of FIG. 1, in which the element in the form of an aerosol source and the control housing are disconnected from each other, and in FIG. 10 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 9. In particular, the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 and 10 includes an aerosol delivery device 600 including a control housing 602 that is configured to receive an aerosol source element 604. As discussed above, the aerosol source element 604 may include a heated end 606 that is insertable into the control housing 602 and a mouthpiece end 608 that a user draws on to create an aerosol. At least a portion of the heated end 606 may include a support portion 610 that may contain tobacco-containing pellets, tobacco pieces, tobacco strips, reconstituted tobacco material, or combinations thereof, and/or a mixture of finely ground tobacco, tobacco extract, spray-dried extract, or other form of tobacco. , mixed with optional inorganic materials (such as calcium carbonate), optional flavoring agents and aerosol-forming materials to form a substantially solid or moldable (eg, extruded) support. In various embodiments, aerosol source element 604, or a portion thereof, may be wrapped or may be wrapped in an outer wrapping material 612, which may be formed from any material suitable to provide additional structure and/or support to aerosol source element 604. In various embodiments, the outer wrap material may comprise a material that resists heat transfer, which may include paper or other fibrous material such as cellulose material. Various configurations of outer wrap materials are described with respect to the example implementation of FIG. 3 above.

[000126] In various embodiments, the mouth end of the aerosol source element 604 may include a filter 614, which may be made of cellulose acetate or propylene material. In various embodiments, the filter 614 may increase the structural integrity of the mouth end of the aerosol source element and/or provide filtration capacity, if desired, and/or provide draw resistance. In some embodiments, the filter may be separated from the outer wrapping material and may be held in place near the cartridge by the outer wrapping material. Various configurations of possible filter characteristics are described with respect to the example implementation of FIG. 3 above.

[000127] The control housing 602 may include a housing 618 that includes an opening 619 defined therein, a flow sensor 620 (e.g., a puff sensor or a pressure switch), a control component 623 (e.g., a processing circuit, a printed circuit board (PCB) that contains a processing circuit, the like), a power source 624 (eg, a battery, which may be rechargeable, and/or a rechargeable supercapacitor), and an end cap that includes an indicator 626 (eg, a light-emitting diode (LED)). As discussed above, in one embodiment, indicator 626 may include one or more light-emitting diodes, quantum dot light-emitting diodes, or the like. The indicator may be communicatively coupled to control component 623 and may illuminate, for example, when a user puffs through aerosol source element 604 in connection with control housing 602, as detected by flow sensor 620. Examples of power supplies, sensors, and various other possible electrical components are described above with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 3 above.

[000128] The control housing 602 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 and 10, contains a resonant transmitter and a resonant receiver, which together form a resonant transformer. It should be noted that the resonant transformer of various embodiments of the present invention can take various forms, including embodiments in which the resonant transmitter and/or resonant receiver are located in the control housing. In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 9 and 10, the resonant transmitter of the illustrated embodiment includes a helical coil 628 that surrounds a support cylinder 630. In various embodiments, the resonant transmitter and resonant receiver may be made of one or more conductive materials, and in additional embodiments, the resonant receiver may be made of ferromagnetic material, including, without limitation, cobalt, iron, nickel and combinations thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the helical coil 628 is made of a conductive material. In additional embodiments, the helical coil may include a non-conductive insulating coating/wrapping material.

[000129] The resonant receiver of the illustrated embodiment includes a single receiver contact 632 that extends from the receiver main element 634. In various embodiments, a receiver contact, whether a single receiver contact or part of multiple receiver contacts, may have a variety of different geometric configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the receiver contact may have a cylindrical cross-section, which in some embodiments may comprise a solid structure and in other embodiments may comprise a hollow structure. In other embodiments, the receiver contact may have a square or rectangular cross-section, which in some embodiments may comprise a solid structure and in other embodiments may comprise a hollow structure. In various embodiments, the receiver contacts may be made of conductive material. In the illustrated embodiment, receiver contact 632 is made of a ferromagnetic material including, but not limited to, cobalt, iron, nickel, and combinations thereof. In various embodiments, the receiver main element 634 may be made of a non-conductive and/or insulating material.

[000130] As shown in the drawing, the resonant transmitter 628 may extend proximate the engagement end of the housing 618 and may be configured to substantially surround a portion of the heated end 606 of the aerosol source element 604 that includes respirable agent 610, and may surround the support cylinder 630. The support cylinder 630, which may form a tubular configuration, may be configured to provide support for the helical coil 628 such that the coil does not come into contact with or short circuit to the resonant receiver contact 632 . Thus, in some embodiments, the carrier cylinder 630 may comprise a non-conductive material that may be substantially transparent to the oscillatory magnetic field generated by the helical coil. In various embodiments, the helical coil 628 may be incorporated into or otherwise coupled to the carrier cylinder 630. In the illustrated embodiment, the helical coil 628 interacts with the outer surface of the support cylinder 630; however, in other embodiments, the helical coil may be located on the inner surface of the support cylinder or be completely integrated into the support cylinder.

[000131] In the illustrated embodiment, the support cylinder 630 may also help facilitate the proper positioning of the aerosol source element 604 when the aerosol source element 604 is inserted into the housing. In particular, the support cylinder 630 may extend from the opening 619 of the housing 618 to the main element 634 of the receiver. In the embodiment shown, the inner diameter of the transmitter cylinder source 630 may be slightly larger than or approximately equal to the outer diameter of the corresponding aerosol source element 604 (for example, to create a sliding fit) such that the carrier cylinder 630 guides the aerosol source element 604 as aerosol source into an appropriate position (e.g., a lateral position) relative to the control housing 602. In the illustrated embodiment, the control housing 602 is configured such that when the aerosol source element 604 is inserted into the control housing 602, the receiver contact 632 is located approximately radially the center of the heated end 606 of the element 604 in the form of an aerosol source. Thus, when used in conjunction with an extruded backing portion that forms a hollow structure, the receiver contact is located within a cavity formed by the inner surface of the extruded hollow structure and thus does not contact the inner surface of the extruded hollow structure.

[000132] The embodiment described with reference to FIG. 9 and 10 may be used with any parts of the aerosol source element described or discussed herein, including those described in relation to FIG. 4-8. In particular, induction heating units of various embodiments of the present invention may be used to heat a substrate portion that contains a continuous thermal conductive frame embedded in the aerosol-forming material as described above.

[000133] In various embodiments, the support cylinder may interact with the inner surface of the housing to ensure that the support cylinder is aligned with the housing. Thus, as a result of the tight connection between the support element and the resonant transmitter, the longitudinal axis of the resonant transmitter can extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing. In various embodiments, the resonant transmitter may be positioned without contact with the housing to avoid current transfer from the transmitter coupling device to the outer housing. In some embodiments, insulation may be located between the resonant transmitter and the housing to prevent contact between them. As can be appreciated, the insulation and support member may comprise non-conductive material such as an insulating polymer (eg, plastic or cellulose), glass, rubber, ceramic and porcelain. Alternatively, the resonant transmitter may be in contact with the housing in embodiments in which the housing is formed from a non-conductive material such as plastic, glass, rubber, ceramic, or porcelain.

[000134] The present invention provides devices and methods for using devices that use electrical energy to heat a heating source, which in turn heats tobacco or tobacco-derived material (preferably without burning the tobacco or tobacco-derived material to any significant extent) producing an inhalable substance such as an aerosol; Moreover, such products are compact enough to be considered portable devices. In some embodiments, the device may be specifically characterized as a smoking article. As used herein, the term is intended to refer to a device or article that provides the taste and/or feel (eg, hand feel or mouth feel) of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe without actually burning any component of the device. The term “smoking device” or “article” does not necessarily mean that during operation the device emits smoke in the sense of a by-product of combustion or pyrolysis. Rather, smoking refers to the physical actions of a person while using a device—for example, holding the device in the hand, taking a puff on one end of the device, and inhaling through the device. In additional embodiments, devices of the invention may be characterized as vapor generating devices, aerosolization devices, or pharmaceutical delivery devices. Thus, such devices may be configured to deliver one or more substances in an inhalable state.

[000135] It should be noted that although the aerosol source element and the control body may be provided together as a finished smoking article or pharmaceutical delivery article, typically the components may be provided separately. For example, the present invention also includes a disposable unit for use with a reusable smoking article or a reusable pharmaceutical delivery article. In specific embodiments, such a disposable unit (which may be an aerosol source element, as shown in the accompanying drawings) may comprise a generally tubular-shaped body having a heated end configured to engage a reusable smoking or pharmaceutical delivery article, an opposite mouthpiece end configured to allow inhalable substance to pass to the consumer, and a wall with an outer surface and an inner surface that define an internal space. Various embodiments of an aerosol source (or cartridge) element are described in US Patent No. 9,078,473 to Worm et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[000136] In addition to the disposable device, the present disclosure may further be characterized as providing a separate control housing for use in a reusable smoking article or a reusable pharmaceutical delivery article. In particular embodiments, the control housing may generally be a housing having a receiving end (which may include an open end receiving chamber) for receiving the heated end of a separately provided aerosol source element. The control housing may also include an electrical source that provides power to an electrical heating element, which may be a component of the control housing or may be included in an aerosol source element to be used with the control unit. For example, in some embodiments, a power source may power a single heating assembly, which in some embodiments may include one or more pins that form a heating element, and the heating assembly may be coupled by electrical contacts that connect the heating element to the electrical source. In other embodiments, the heating assembly may include a flexible heating element that substantially surrounds the heating cylinder. In other embodiments, instead of including an integral heating element, the heating assembly may comprise separate heating element components, with one component being part of the control housing and the other component being part of the aerosol source element.

[000137] In various embodiments, the control housing may also include additional components, including a source of electrical power (e.g., a battery), components for causing current to flow into the heating element, and components for controlling such current flow to maintain a desired temperature for a desired time and/or cycle current flow, or stop current flow when the desired temperature is reached or the heating element is heated for the desired period of time. In some embodiments, the control unit may also include one or more buttons associated with one or both of components for causing current to flow into the heating element and components for controlling such current flow. The control housing may also include one or more indicators, such as lights, indicating that the heater is heating up and/or indicating the number of puffs remaining for the aerosol source element that is used with the control housing.

[000138] Although the various figures described herein illustrate the control housing and the aerosol source element in an operative state, it is understood that the control housing and the aerosol source element can exist as individual devices. Accordingly, any discussion herein with respect to components in combination should also be understood to refer to the control housing and aerosol source element as individual and separate components.

[000139] In another aspect, the present invention may be directed to kits that provide a variety of components, as described herein. For example, the kit may include a control housing with one or more aerosol source elements. The kit may also include a control housing with one or more charging components. The kit may also include a control housing with one or more batteries. The kit may also include a control housing with one or more aerosol source elements and one or more charging components and/or one or more batteries. In additional embodiments, the kit may contain a plurality of elements in the form of an aerosol source. The kit may also contain a plurality of aerosol source elements and one or more batteries and/or charging components. In the above embodiments, the aerosol source elements or control housings may be provided with a heating element included therein. The kits of the invention may also include a case (or other packaging, carrying or storage component) that houses one or more additional kit components. The case can be a reusable hard or soft container. Additionally, the case may simply be a box or other packaging structure.

[000140] Many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which this invention relates, taking advantage of the disclosures presented in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims (27)

1. An aerosol delivery device configured to produce an inhalable substance containing a control body having a closed distal end and an open interaction end; a heating element; a control component located within the control housing and configured to control the heating element; a power supply located within the control housing and configured to supply power to the control component; And a removable aerosol source element that includes a support portion, wherein the aerosol source element is insertable into an engagement end of the control body and defines a heated end and a mouthpiece end, wherein the heated end when inserted into the control body is configured with the possibility of being placed near the heating element, and the mouthpiece end is configured to pass beyond the end for interaction of the control housing, wherein the substrate portion comprises a continuous thermal conductive frame embedded in the aerosol-forming material, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame is configured to improve heat transfer from the heating element to the aerosol-forming material, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame comprises a central elongate component having a plurality of sharp projections extending radially therefrom, wherein the central elongate component is made of a material different from the material of the plurality of sharp projections. 2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame comprises at least one of a metal material, a coated metal material, a ceramic material, a carbon material, a polymer composite, or any combination thereof. 3. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the support portion comprises an extruded hollow structure. 4. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate portion contains one centrally located longitudinal hole and/or a plurality of longitudinal holes. 5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the support portion comprises a substantially solid structure. 6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the support portion comprises tobacco or tobacco-derived material. 7. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the support portion contains a non-tobacco material. 8. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a conductive type heating source. 9. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element contains an induction heating source. 10. An aerosol source element configured to removably engage with an interaction end of a control housing that contains a heating element, wherein the aerosol source element comprises a heated end and a mouthpiece end, wherein the heated end is configured, when inserted into the control housing, to be positioned adjacent to the heating element, and the mouthpiece end is configured to extend beyond the control housing engagement end, and a substrate-like portion which contains a continuous thermal conductive frame embedded in the aerosol-forming material, wherein the continuous heat-conducting frame is configured to improve heat transfer from the heating element to the aerosol-forming material, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame comprises a central elongate component having a plurality of sharp projections extending radially therefrom, wherein the central elongate component is made of a material different from the material of the plurality of sharp projections. 11. The aerosol source element of claim 10, wherein the continuous thermal conductive frame comprises at least one of a metal material, a coated metal material, a ceramic material, a carbon material, a polymer composite, or any combination thereof. 12. The aerosol source element of claim 10, wherein the support portion comprises an extruded hollow structure. 13. The aerosol source element according to claim 10, wherein the substrate portion comprises one centrally located longitudinal opening and/or a plurality of longitudinal openings. 14. The aerosol source element of claim 10, wherein the support portion comprises a substantially solid structure. 15. The aerosol source element of claim 10, wherein the support portion comprises tobacco or tobacco-derived material. 16. The aerosol source element of claim 10, wherein the support portion comprises a non-tobacco material.

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