US20230284693A1

US20230284693A1 - Aerosol provision system

Info

Publication number: US20230284693A1
Application number: US17/691,803
Authority: US
Inventors: Sean A. Daugherty
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Priority date: 2022-03-10
Filing date: 2022-03-10
Publication date: 2023-09-14
Also published as: WO2023170379A1

Abstract

There is provided an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from a liquid aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision system including a reservoir of liquid aerosol generating material, an aerosol generator configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir, a wicking element configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir to the aerosol generator, and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an aerosol provision system, a cartomizer for an aerosol provision system and methods of controlling an aerosol provision system.

BACKGROUND

Electronic aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) generally contain an aerosol-generating material, such as a reservoir of a source liquid containing a formulation, typically including nicotine, or a solid material such as a tobacco-based product, from which an aerosol is generated for inhalation by a user, for example through heat vaporisation. Thus, an aerosol provision system will typically comprise an aerosol generator, e.g. a heating element, arranged to aerosolize a portion of aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol in an aerosol generation region of an air channel through the aerosol provision system. As a user inhales on the system and electrical power is supplied to the aerosol generator, air is drawn into the system through one or more inlet holes and along the air channel to the aerosol generation region, where the air mixes with the vaporized aerosol generator and forms a condensation aerosol. The air drawn through the aerosol generation region continues along the air channel to a mouthpiece, carrying some of the aerosol with it, and out through the mouthpiece for inhalation by the user.
The characteristics of the air inhaled by a user are dependent on the components of the aerosol provision system and how they are operated. A user inhaling an aerosol produced from a same type of aerosol generating material or formulation may have different experiences (e.g. inhale an aerosol with a weaker or stronger flavor) when using different aerosol provision systems, because the characteristics of the air inhaled from each device depend on the configuration for each particular device. A user may therefore have different devices dependent on the type of experience they want. However, it will be appreciated that carrying multiple devices (as well as consumables for them) is cumbersome for a user, and can be associated with a significant cost for each device.
Various approaches are described herein which seek to help address or mitigate some of the issues discussed above.

SUMMARY

The disclosure is defined in the appended claims.
According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from a liquid aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision system comprising: a reservoir of liquid aerosol generating material; an aerosol generator configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir; a wicking element configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir to the aerosol generator; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use.
According to second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cartomizer for use in an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from a liquid aerosol-generating material, the cartomizer comprising: a reservoir of liquid aerosol generating material; an aerosol generator configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir; a wicking element configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir to the aerosol generator; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use.
According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of controlling an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from a liquid aerosol-generating material; the method comprising: providing an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a dimension of a wicking element configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from a reservoir to an aerosol generator configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir; and adjusting the dimension of a wicking element during use to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use.
According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs a method of the third aspect.
According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol provision device for use with an aerosol generating article comprising liquid aerosol generating material, which together form an aerosol provision system, wherein the aerosol provision system comprises: a reservoir of liquid aerosol generating material, an aerosol generator configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir, a wicking element configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir to the aerosol generator; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use, wherein the aerosol provision device comprises: circuitry configured to control the adjustment mechanism to adjust a dimension of the wicking element to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use.
According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided aerosol provision means for generating an aerosol from a liquid aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision means comprising: reservoir means containing liquid aerosol generating material; aerosol generator means configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir means; wicking means configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir means to the aerosol generator means; and adjustment means configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking means to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking means to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator means during use.
These aspects and other aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description. In this regard, particular sections of the description are not to be read in isolation from other sections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example aerosol provision system;

FIG. 2A is a graph depicting the relationship between saturation level of a wick and total activation time of an aerosol generator for an example aerosol provision system;

FIG. 2B is a graph depicting the relationship between the cumulative volume of aerosol generated and total activation time of an aerosol generator for an example aerosol provision system;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a further example aerosol provision system;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of certain electrical (including electronic) components of a control unit for use in an aerosol provision system.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method of controlling an aerosol provision system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed/described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and these are not discussed/described in detail in the interests of brevity. It will thus be appreciated that aspects and features of articles and systems discussed herein which are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.
As will be explained below, the present disclosure relates to an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from a liquid aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision system comprising: a reservoir of liquid aerosol generating material; an aerosol generator configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir; a wicking element configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir to the aerosol generator; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use. The characteristics of the aerosol inhaled by a user, and in particular the volume of the entrained aerosol particles in the air inhaled by the user, are dependent on the amount of liquid aerosol generating material present at the aerosol generator during the period in which the aerosol generator is activated (i.e. defined by the ability of the wicking element to transport liquid to the aerosol generator). In addition to a volume of aerosol, other characteristics of the aerosol inhaled by the user include, for example, an average particle size of the aerosol, a temperature of an aerosol (when leaving the mouthpiece of the system, a particle density of the aerosol, and a ratio of liquid aerosol droplets to air (i.e. ambient air) of the inhaled air. A user inhaling an aerosol produced from a same type of aerosol generating material (e.g. formulation) may have different experiences (e.g. weaker or stronger flavor experiences) dependent on how much liquid is available at the aerosol generator. In examples in accordance with the present disclosure, rather than having to carry around multiple devices, or being restricted to only one experience when the user has only a single device, a user having the present aerosol provision system is able to have multiple different sensory experiences whilst using a single aerosol provision system because the device allows for multiple different rates of supply of liquid to the aerosol generator. As such, in some examples, a user may be able to cause the adjustment mechanism to adjust the wicking element to provide a desired rate of supply of liquid, and the user can adjust cause the adjustment mechanism to further adjust the wicking element in use (i.e. during a puff or between puffs) if they change their mind on the type of experience they want. systems in accordance with the present disclosure therefore offer an improved degree of flexibility in their operation.
The present disclosure relates to non-combustible aerosol provision systems, which may also be referred to as aerosol provision systems. According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the liquid aerosol-generating material is not a requirement. Throughout the following description the term “e-cigarette” or “electronic cigarette” may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used Interchangeably with aerosol provision system and electronic aerosol provision system.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. At least one of the aerosol generating materials is in the form of a liquid and may or may not contain nicotine. The remaining aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid aerosol-generating material and a solid or gel aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.
Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device.
In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosol-generating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a non-combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energized so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.
An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.
Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material is in the form of a liquid which may comprise one or more active substances and/or flavors, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional materials.
The active substance as used herein may be a legally permissible physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.
As used herein, the terms “flavor” and “flavorant” refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavor materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof, flavor enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes, and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.
In some embodiments, the flavor comprises menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted from cannabis.
In some embodiments, the flavor may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.
The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.
The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, coloring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.
The aerosol-former material may be present on or in a support, to form a substrate. The support may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. In some embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the susceptor is on one or either side of the material.
A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.
An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the aerosol generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavor, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosol-modifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent
The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a flavorant, a colorant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view through an example aerosol provision system 1 in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure. The aerosol provision system 1 comprises two main components, namely a reusable part 2 (e.g. a control part or device part) and a replaceable/disposable cartridge part 4 (e.g. a cartomizer). In normal use the reusable part 2 and the cartridge part 4 are releasably coupled together at an interface 6. When the cartridge part is exhausted or the user simply wishes to switch to a different cartridge part, the cartridge part may be removed from the reusable part and a replacement cartridge part attached to the reusable part in its place. The interface 6 provides a structural, electrical and airflow path connection between the two parts and may be established in accordance with conventional techniques, for example based around a screw thread, magnetic or bayonet fixing with appropriately arranged electrical contacts and openings for establishing the electrical connection and airflow path between the two parts as appropriate. The specific manner by which the cartridge part 4 mechanically mounts to the reusable part 2 is not significant to the principles described herein, but for the sake of a concrete example is assumed here to comprise a magnetic coupling (not represented in FIG. 1 ). It will also be appreciated the interface 6 in some implementations may not support an electrical and/or airflow path connection between the respective parts. For example, in some implementations an aerosol generator may be provided in the device part 2 rather than in the cartridge part 4, or the transfer of electrical power from the device part 2 to the cartridge part 4 may be wireless (e.g. based on electromagnetic induction), so that an electrical connection between the device part and the cartridge part is not needed. Furthermore, in some implementations the airflow through the electronic cigarette might not go through the device part so that an airflow path connection between the device part and the cartridge part is not needed. In some instances, a portion of the airflow path may be defined at the interface between portions of device part 2 and cartridge part 4 when these are coupled together for use.
The cartridge part 4 may in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure be broadly conventional. In FIG. 1 , the cartridge part 4 comprises a cartridge housing 42 formed of a plastics material. The cartridge housing 42 supports other components of the cartridge part and provides the mechanical interface 6 with the device part 2. The cartridge housing is generally circularly symmetric about a longitudinal axis along which the cartridge part couples to the device part 2. In this example the cartridge part has a length of around 4 cm and a diameter of around 1.5 cm. However, it will be appreciated the specific geometry, and more generally the overall shapes and materials used, may be different in different implementations.
Within the cartridge housing 42 is a reservoir 44 that contains aerosol generating material. Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. In the example shown schematically in FIG. 1 , a reservoir 44 is provided configured to store a supply of liquid aerosol generating material. In this example, the liquid reservoir 44 has an outer wall defined by the cartridge housing 42 and an inner wall that defined at least in part by an airflow path 52 through the cartridge part 4 (the airflow path 52 connects with airflow path 30 of the device part 2 to provide a single airflow pathway from the inlet 28 to the outlet 50, as discussed below). The reservoir 42 may further be defined by one or more walls connecting the outer wall of the cartridge housing 42 to the inner wall The reservoir 44 is closed at each end with end walls to contain the aerosol generating material. The reservoir 44 may be formed in accordance with conventional techniques, for example it may comprise a plastics material and be integrally moulded with the cartridge housing 42. The cartridge part further comprises an aerosol generator 48 located towards an end of the reservoir 44 opposite to the mouthpiece outlet 50 (i.e. the cartridge part 4 is a cartomizer in that it comprises a cartridge and an atomizer). In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.
It will be appreciated that in a two-part device such as shown in FIG. 1 , the aerosol generator may be in either of the device part 2 or the cartridge part 4. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol generator 48 (e.g. a heater) may be comprised in the device part 2, and is brought into proximity with a portion of aerosol generating material in the cartridge 4 when the cartridge is engaged with the device part 2. In such embodiments, the cartridge may comprise a portion of aerosol generating material, and an aerosol generator 48 comprising a heater is at least partially inserted into or at least partially surrounds the portion of aerosol generating material as the cartridge 4 is engaged with the device part 2.
In the example of FIG. 1 , a wick 46 in contact with a heater 48 extends transversely across the cartridge airflow path 52 with its ends extending into the reservoir 44 of a liquid aerosol generating material through openings in the inner wall of the reservoir 44. By a wick it is meant an element or component which is configured (e.g. during manufacture) to allow the liquid to infiltrate and be drawn along the wick by surface tension/capillary action (in other words the wick can be considered a liquid transport element).
The wick 46 and heater 48 are arranged in the cartridge airflow path 52 such that a region of the cartridge airflow path 52 around the wick 46 and heater 48 in effect defines a vaporisation region for the cartridge part 4. Aerosol generating material in the reservoir 44 infiltrates the wick 46 through the ends of the wick extending into the reservoir 44 and is drawn along the wick by surface tension/capillary action (i.e. wicking). The heater 48 in this example comprises an electrically resistive wire coiled around the wick 46. In the example of FIG. 1 , the heater 48 comprises a nickel chrome alloy (Cr20Ni80) wire and the wick 46 comprises a glass fibre bundle, but it will be appreciated the specific aerosol generator configuration is not significant to the principles described herein. In use electrical power may be supplied to the heater 48 to vaporize an amount of aerosol generating material (aerosol generating material) drawn to the vicinity of the heater 48 by the wick 46. Vaporized aerosol generating material may then become entrained in air drawn along the cartridge airflow path from the vaporisation region towards the mouthpiece outlet 50 for user inhalation.
The device part 2 comprises an outer housing 12 having with an opening that defines an air inlet 28 for the e-cigarette, a power source 26 (for example a battery) for providing operating power for the electronic cigarette, control circuitry 18 for controlling and monitoring the operation of the electronic cigarette, a first user input button 14, a second user input button 16, and a visual display 24. As discussed below, the airflow path through the system comprises a first portion 30 in the device part 2 that begins at the inlet 28 and ends at the connection interface 6 and is defined by one or more components, such as internal walls or tubes; and a second portion 52 in the cartridge part 4 that begins at the connection interface 6 and ends at the mouthpiece outlet 50.
The outer housing 12 may be formed, for example, from a plastics or metallic material and in this example has a circular cross section generally conforming to the shape and size of the cartridge part 4 so as to provide a smooth transition between the two parts at the interface 6. In this example the device part has a length of around 8 cm so the overall length of the e-cigarette when the cartridge part and device part are coupled together is around 12 cm. However, and as already noted, it will be appreciated that the overall shape and scale of an electronic cigarette implementing an embodiment of the disclosure is not significant to the principles described herein.
The power source 26 in this example is rechargeable and may be of a conventional type, for example of the kind normally used in electronic cigarettes and other applications requiring provision of relatively high currents over relatively short periods. The power source 26 may be recharged through a charging connector in the device part housing 12, for example a USB connector.
First and second user input buttons 14, 16 may be provided, which in this example are conventional mechanical buttons, for example comprising a spring mounted component which may be pressed by a user to establish an electrical contact. In this regard, the input buttons may be considered input devices for detecting user input and the specific manner in which the buttons are implemented is not significant. The buttons may be assigned to functions such as switching the aerosol provision system 1 on and off, and adjusting user settings such as a power to be supplied from the power source 26 to an aerosol generator 48. Furthermore, in some examples and as will be discussed in more details below the buttons 14,16 (or a different electronic input mechanism) may be used by a user to control an adjustment mechanism 60, with a controller 22 sending control signals to the adjustment mechanism 60 based on a user interaction with the input buttons 14,16. However, the inclusion of user input buttons 14,16 is optional, and in some embodiments buttons may not be included (e.g. a manual input mechanism may be used to control the adjustment mechanism 60 instead).
A display 24 may be provided to give a user with a visual indication of various characteristics associated with the aerosol provision system, for example current power setting information, remaining power source power, and so forth. The display may be implemented in various ways. In this example the display 24 comprises a conventional pixilated LCD screen that may be driven to display the desired information in accordance with conventional techniques. In other implementations the display may comprise one or more discrete indicators, for example LEDs, that are arranged to display the desired information, for example through particular colors and/or flash sequences. More generally, the manner in which the display is provided and information is displayed to a user using the display is not significant to the principles described herein. For example some embodiments may not include a visual display and may include other means for providing a user with information relating to operating characteristics of the aerosol provision system, for example using audio signalling, or may not include any means for providing a user with information relating to operating characteristics of the aerosol provision system.
A controller 22 is suitably configured/programmed to control the operation of the aerosol provision system to provide functionality in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure as described further herein, as well as for providing conventional operating functions of the aerosol provision system in line with the established techniques for controlling such devices. The controller (processor circuitry) 22 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units/circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the operation of the aerosol provision system 1. In this example the controller 22 comprises power supply control circuitry for controlling the supply of power from the power source 26 to the aerosol generator 48 in response to user input, user programming circuitry 20 for establishing configuration settings (e.g. user-defined power settings) in response to user input, as well as other functional units/circuitry associated functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and conventional operating aspects of electronic cigarettes, such as display driving circuitry and user input detection circuitry. It will be appreciated the functionality of the controller 22 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality. The functionality of the controller 22 is described further herein. For example, the controller 26 may comprise an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or microcontroller, for controlling the aerosol delivery device. The microcontroller or ASIC may include a CPU or micro-processor. The operations of a CPU and other electronic components are generally controlled at least in part by software programs running on the CPU (or other component). Such software programs may be stored in non-volatile memory, such as ROM, which can be integrated into the microcontroller itself, or provided as a separate component. The CPU may access the ROM to load and execute individual software programs as and when required.
In some examples, the device part 2 comprises an airflow sensor (not shown) which is electrically connected to the controller 22. The airflow sensor is positioned adjacent or within an airflow pathway such as the device part 2 airflow pathway 30 or the cartridge part 4 airflow pathway 52. In most embodiments, the airflow sensor comprises a so-called “puff sensor”, in that the airflow sensor is used to detect when a user is puffing on the device and/or to detect a strength of a user inhalation. In some embodiments, the airflow sensor is connected to the controller 22, and the controller distributes electrical power from the power source 26 to the aerosol generator 48 when the strength of the inhalation is above a threshold, and optionally provides a level of power in dependence of the signal received from the airflow sensor by the controller 22. The specific manner in which the signal output from the airflow sensor (which may comprise a measure of capacitance, resistance or other characteristic of the airflow sensor, made by the controller 22) is used by the controller 22 to control the supply of power from the power source 26 to the aerosol generator 48 can be carried out in accordance with any approach known to the skilled person.
The e-cigarette 10 is provided with one or more holes for use as an air inlet 28. These holes connect to air passages (e.g. airflow paths 30, 52) running through the e-cigarette 10 from the air inlet 28 to the mouthpiece which may have an additional one or more holes for use as an air outlet 50. Typically the air paths through such devices are relatively convoluted in that they have to pass various components and/or take multiple turns following entry into the e-cigarette.
As discussed above, there is an air passage 52 which passes through an aerosol generation chamber 60, containing or adjacent to the aerosol generator 48. The air passage 52 includes a section comprising an air channel connecting one or more holes of an air inlet 28 to the aerosol generation chamber 60, the aerosol generation chamber 60 and a section comprising an air channel connecting from the aerosol generation chamber 60 to the outlet 50 of the mouthpiece.
When a user inhales through the mouthpiece outlet 50, air is drawn into the air passage 30 through the one or more air inlet holes 28, which are suitably located on the outside of the e-cigarette (in this example of FIG. 1 they are provided on the outside of the re-usable part 2). The airflow passes through the first air passage 30 (i.e. airflow path) through the device part 2 and into the second air passage 52 of the cartridge part 4, before combining/mixing with the vapor in the aerosol generation chamber to generate the aerosol. The resulting combination of airflow and aerosol continues along the airflow path 52 to the mouthpiece outlet 50 for inhalation by a user. The user inhalation may be detected by an airflow sensor, in this case a pressure sensor, for detecting airflow in electronic cigarette 10. The airflow sensor can output signals (e.g. send them, or store them in an output memory or location) corresponding to the detected airflow. The airflow sensor may operate in accordance with conventional techniques in terms of how it is arranged within the electronic cigarette to generate airflow detection signals indicating when there is a flow of air through the electronic cigarette (e.g. when a user inhales or blows on the mouthpiece).
As shown in FIG. 1 , provided in each opening of the inner wall, or adjacent to each opening of the inner wall, is an (wicking element) adjustment mechanism 60 configured to modify a dimension of the wicking element 46 (e.g. at least the portion adjacent to a part of adjustment mechanism 60 or between parts of the adjustment mechanism 60). By modifying a dimension of the wicking element 46, the ability of the liquid aerosol generating material to infiltrate and be drawn along the wicking element 46 is changed. As such, by modifying a dimension of the wicking element 46, the rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material (e.g. flow rate) from the reservoir 44 through the wicking element 46 and to the heater 48 is adjusted. The characteristics of the aerosol generated by the aerosol generator can be controlled by adjusting the rate of liquid supply. For example, a greater amount of aerosol may be produced over time when the rate of supply of liquid is high in comparison to when the rate of supply of liquid is low. Additionally, the average size of the particles of aerosol generated from the aerosol generating material may change dependent on the rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material.
FIG. 2A depicts a graph comparing the saturation level of the wick adjacent to an aerosol generator (e.g. heater of FIG. 1 ) against the activation time for the aerosol generator (i.e. the length of time that a constant power has been supplied to the aerosol generator) for a first conceptual system in which an adjustment mechanism is in a configuration in which a wick element provides a relatively high rate of liquid supply (solid line) and a second conceptual system in which an adjustment mechanism is in a configuration in which a wick element provides a relatively low rate of liquid supply (dotted line). FIG. 2B depicts a graph comparing the cumulative volume (or amount) of aerosol generated by an aerosol generator (e.g. heater of FIG. 1 ) against the activation time for the aerosol generator (i.e. the length of time that a constant power has been supplied to the aerosol generator) for the two conceptual systems of FIG. 2A (solid and dotted lines corresponding to the first and second systems respectively).
As stated above a greater amount of aerosol may be produced over time when the rate of supply of liquid is high in comparison to when the rate of supply of liquid is low (for a given amount/flow of air through the device). A reason for this is that the rate of supply of liquid controls how quickly the liquid aerosol generating material is replenished in the wick adjacent to the heater 48. For example as shown by FIG. 2A, the first system (solid line) which has a higher rate of supply of liquid maintains a higher respective saturation level over time in comparison to the second system which has a lower rate of supply of liquid. It will be appreciated that a wick 46 may replenish liquid to substantially the same extent irrespective of the rate of supply of liquid, as long as a suitable period of time has passed between uses (e.g. more than a time period between 30 seconds and 5 minutes); and hence the saturation level for both systems starts at the same initial level.
An approximation of the saturation level over time can be estimated by the following formula: Current Saturation Level=Initial Saturation level−(Aerosol Generation Rate x Activation Time)+(Rate of Liquid Supply x Activation Time). It will be appreciated that the above formula is a simplification of the factors determining the saturation level and that in real-life systems the aerosol generation rate changes with time dependent at least in part on the level of aerosol generating material present adjacent to the aerosol generator. Hence as can be seen in FIG. 2A the saturation levels do not change linearly with time but instead may approach horizontal asymptotes representing an equilibrium between the aerosol generation rate and the rate of liquid supply. As can be seen in FIG. 2A the second system approaches a lower asymptote that the first system (i.e. because the rate of supply of liquid is lower in the second system).
In some examples, an equilibrium may never be reached because the rate of aerosol generation is much greater that the rate of liquid supply, and hence substantially all of the aerosol generating material will be aerosolized (i.e. the saturation level goes to zero) before an equilibrium can be reached. In some of these examples (particularly where the aerosol generator is a heater 48 as per FIG. 1 ) the wick material and other components (e.g. the aerosol generator itself) may over heat leading to the components burning or melting if the supply of power is not stopped, which can cause the user to experience a charred taste. In these examples, a timer may be used to stop the supply of power after a set time (e.g. 8 seconds), and/or a different mechanism for preventing overheating may be implemented (such as monitoring a temperature of the aerosol generator).
The effect of the higher saturation level over time in the first conceptual system in comparison the second conceptual system is that a larger amount (or volume) of aerosol is produced by the first system than is produced by the second system in an equivalent time period (assuming the level of power applied is the same), as shown in FIG. 2B. As a result the total amount of aerosol produced, and potentially inhaled by a user, is dependent on the rate of liquid supply of the wick element. In this way, in some examples a user inhaling on the device, or preparing to inhale on the device can cause the adjustment mechanism to adjust the rate of liquid supply to control the amount of aerosol inhaled during the inhalation. As such a user to change or select their experience using with the aerosol provision system.
For example, where the liquid aerosol generating material comprises an active substance (e.g. nicotine) and/or a flavoring (e.g. menthol), a user wanting to inhale a smaller amount of active substance and/or flavoring may cause the adjustment mechanism 60 to constrict the wicking element to lower the rate of liquid supply and therefore the amount of aerosol generated during an activation, thereby limiting the amount of active substance and/or flavoring that can be inhaled. Furthermore, varying the rate of supply of liquid may have an effect on other characteristics of the aerosol such as controlling an average particle size of the aerosol (e.g. when the amount of aerosol produced is high, more particles may condense together leading to a larger average particle size), or controlling an uptake of other constituents of the aerosol generating material.
Furthermore, as noted above, the rate at which aerosol generating material is aerosolized by the aerosol generator (heater) 48 will depend on the amount (level) of power supplied to the heater 48. Thus by controlling the amount of electrical power that is applied to the heater 48 (for example through pulse width and/or frequency modulation techniques) in combination with controlling the rate of supply of liquid by the wicking element 46, improved control of the characteristics of the aerosol is obtained.
As noted above, if the rate of liquid supply is too small in comparison to the rate of aerosol generation then the wick 46 can become substantially free of liquid (i.e. depleted), and continued supply of power to an aerosol generator such as a heater 48 may lead to overheating of the wick 46 which may burn (i.e. because the upper temperature of a saturated wick in normal use is controlled to some extent by the boiling point of components of the liquid aerosol generating material). As such in some examples, the adjustment mechanism 60 is configured to not stop the transport of liquid by the wick 46 to the heater 48 (i.e. to not reduce the rate of supply of liquid to zero). For example, the adjustment mechanism 60 may be configured to reduce the amount or volume of air gaps between fibres of the wicking element 46 (i.e. which is a bundle of fibres with gaps between the fibres in this example) to restrict the space available for liquid to move through the wicking element 46, thereby reducing the rate of liquid flow. As such in some examples, the wicking element comprises a bundle of fibres, and the adjustment mechanism is configured to modify (increase or decrease) the volume of free space between fibres of the bundle of fibres. By free space it is meant the voids or gaps separating adjacent fibres (e.g. air gaps or liquid filled gaps if liquid is present). In some examples, the adjustment mechanism is configured to modify the volume of free space between fibres of the bundle of fibres by up to 10%. Allowing adjustment of the free space by up to 10% is advantageous in that control of the rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material is provided without unduly restricting the volume of free space such that liquid may not flow within the wicking element.
In some examples, the volume of free space may be modified by adjusting a dimension (i.e. the separation between two points defining the dimension) of the wicking element, thereby changing the size of the gaps dependent on the dimension by a certain amount corresponding to the change in the dimension (e.g. if the wick is compressed, the size of the gaps between the two points of the dimension will be compressed also). Assuming that the fibres of the example wicking element are substantially uncompressed when the adjustment mechanism reduces the dimension by less than a threshold, the reduction in the dimension will instead be a result of a compression of the free space between the fibres. The threshold may a limit after which the volume of free space is substantially zero.
For example the adjustment mechanism may be configured to vary the dimension between a maximum distance (e.g. a value of the dimension corresponding to the state in which the separation is the maximum allowed by the configuration) and a minimum distance (e.g. a value of the dimension corresponding to the state in which the separation is the minimum allowed by the configuration), wherein the minimum distance (value) is at least 90% of the maximum distance (value). In some examples the maximum distance may be provided when the wicking element 46 is in an uncompressed state (e.g. no force being applied to the wicking element) and the minimum distance may be provided when the wicking element 46 is in a compressed state. In some examples, where the maximum is provided by an uncompressed state of the wicking element 46, the adjustment mechanism 60 is configured to compress the dimension of the wicking element 46 to any state (i.e. separation/distance, as above) in the range that is more than or equal to the minimum compressed state and less than the uncompressed state.
As stated above, the adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element. By a dimension it is meant a line between two points on a surface of the wicking element 46 that defines at least a part of the shape of the wicking element 46 (e.g. the part of the wick 46 in the opening of the reservoir wall). Therefore by adjusting a dimension, the adjustment mechanism is configured to increase or decrease (i.e. shorten or lengthen) the distance between the two points. It will be appreciated that by changing the distance between the two points, the topology of the surface surrounding at least one of the points is modified and as such the overall shape of the wick 46 is modified.
In some examples, modifying a dimension of the wicking element means shortening or lengthening the shape of the wicking element along an axis of the wicking element. For example, where the wicking material 46 is formed in an elongated shape, such as a cylinder, the dimension may be an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shape (e.g. an abstract line defining an aspect of the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shape and running through a centre of the shape in the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis). It will be appreciated that modifying a dimension corresponding to an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shape causes the cross-section (i.e. its shape and/or area) of the elongated shape to change. Therefore in these examples, by modifying the dimension of the wicking element 46, the cross-sectional profile (e.g. shape/area of the elongated shape) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is changed (i.e. narrowed or widened).
In other examples, the adjustment mechanism 60 may be configured to modify a dimension corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the elongate shape (i.e. lengthening or shortening the elongate shape along its longitudinal axis). In some examples, the adjustment mechanism 60 comprises a piston. Such a piston may be electronically or manually controlled (e.g. moved). In other examples the adjustment mechanism comprises an electronically controlled piezo electric motor.
In some examples, the adjustment mechanism 60 is configured to modify more than one dimension of the wicking element 46. For example, the adjustment mechanism 60 may be configured to modify two dimensions of the wicking element 46. In some examples, the two dimensions may be perpendicular (e.g. two dimensions perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of a wick 46 formed by an elongate shape). For example, the adjustment mechanism 60 may comprise a plurality of pistons or piezo electric motors, each of which is configured to modify a dimension of the wicking element 46.
In some examples, the adjustment mechanism 60 is an element or component configured to compress or expand (e.g. by ceasing to compress) at least a portion of the wicking material 46 along at least one dimension by applying a force to the wicking material 46. By compressing, or otherwise decreasing, a dimension of the wicking element 46, the volume of free space (e.g. amount of open pores) within the wicking element 46 is reduced which may inhibit the movement of liquid (i.e. the rate of supply of liquid) along the wicking material 46. In contrast by expanding, or otherwise increasing, a dimension of the wicking element 46, the volume of free space within the wicking element is increased which may promote the movement of liquid (i.e. rate of liquid supply) along the wicking material 46. It will be appreciated that the effect on the rate of liquid supply associated with modifying the at least one dimension can be determined for a particular wick material (e.g. characterized by composition and structural configuration) and particular liquid (e.g. characterized by a viscosity) experimentally.
In some examples, the wick 46 is elastically deformed by the adjustment mechanism 60, such that when force is removed (or decreased), or ceases to be applied, the wick 46 reverts to a non-deformed (or lesser deformed state). In some other examples, the adjustment mechanism 60 is configured to modify a dimension of the wick 46 without elastically deforming the wick. In other words, the wick 46 does not revert to a prior position after the force is removed. Instead the adjustment mechanism 60 applies a new (opposing) force to reverse the modification to the dimension of the wick 46.
In some examples, the adjustment mechanism 60 is configured to apply a force to the wick 46 equally (i.e. symmetrically from all directions) around a boundary of a cross-section of the wick 46 (e.g. the force is applied equally around a circumference of a circular cross-section of a cylindrical wick, the circular cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wick). For example, the adjustment mechanism 60 may comprise a rotating iris or an expanding collar which is electronically or manually controlled by a user.
In some examples, the openings in the inner wall of the reservoir 44 are sized to accommodate a portion of the adjustment mechanism 60 having an opening co-aligned with the opening of the inner wall of the reservoir 44. The adjustment mechanism 60 in some of these examples is able to compress (e.g. constrict) the wick 46 radially inwards towards a centre of the opening (e.g. by changing an inner diameter of a collar or rotating iris). In some of these examples the openings in the adjustment mechanism is sized to broadly match the dimensions of the wick 46 in an uncompressed state such that when no force is applied to the wick by the adjustment mechanism, the opening of the adjustment mechanism provides a reasonable seal against leakage from the liquid reservoir into the cartridge airflow path without unduly compressing the wick. In some of these examples, the adjustment mechanism 60 is configured to elastically deform the wick 46 from this uncompressed state by reducing the diameter/circumference of the wick in the opening. When the adjustment mechanism 60 ceases to apply a force to the wick 46, the wick 46 reverts to its original uncompressed state.
In some examples, the adjustment mechanism 60 is provided at a different location along the wicking element 46 between the reservoir 44 (i.e. source of liquid aerosol generating material) and the aerosol generator (i.e. heater 48). For example the adjustment mechanism 60 may be provided adjacent to the opening in the inner wall of the reservoir 44 (e.g. it may be attached to the inner wall for support, but not be provided in the opening itself. In some examples, the adjustment mechanism 60 is provided in the air flow channel 52, which can minimizing the amount of surface of the adjustment mechanism 60 in contact with liquid. In some examples, the adjustment mechanism 60 is provided in the reservoir 44 (i.e. directly adjacent the opening in the reservoir such that it can control the amount of liquid entering the opening), thereby not obstructing the air flow passage.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through a further example aerosol provision system 1 in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure. The aerosol provision system of FIG. 3 differs from the aerosol provision system of FIG. 1 in that further to the components described in relation to FIG. 1 , FIG. 3 includes a user input mechanism in the form of a manual actuation mechanism 65. In examples in accordance with FIG. 3 , the manual actuation mechanism 65 is configured to allow a user to mechanically control the adjustment mechanism 60 to adjust a dimension of the wicking element 46. As such a user is able to interact with the aerosol provision system 1 by operating the manual actuation device 65 to vary a rate of supply of liquid to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator 48 during use.
The manual actuation mechanism 65 is configured to vary the at least one dimension (e.g. alter the shape) of the wicking element via a mechanical adjustment of the adjustment mechanism 65 (as such the adjustment mechanism 60 may be considered to comprise a manual actuation mechanism 65). By manual it is meant the shape of the wick (e.g. compression, and/or extension) is adjusted mechanically by a user, rather than electronically via a controller (e.g. controller 22). By actuation it is meant that the mechanism 65 causes a corresponding adjustment mechanism 60 to operate (to vary the at least one dimension). In some examples, manual actuation mechanisms 65 comprise manual actuation mechanism selected from the group comprising a slider, a pressable button, a rotating dial and a lever.
In some examples where the manual actuation mechanism 65 is in the form of a pressable button, the pressing of the button results in the adjustment mechanism changing the dimension from a first state to a second state (e.g. by disengaging a clip holding a part of the adjustment mechanism 60 in place adjacent to the wicking element 60). In some of these examples, the wick 46 may be formed of a material which is biased into a particular state (e.g. minimising deformation if the wick 46 is elastically deformed by the adjustment mechanism 60). As such the user may press the button once to move the wick 46 into a first state, and then press the button a second time to disengage a clip, or other locking mechanism of the adjustment mechanism 60, and wick 46 may move to the second position because of the bias inherent in the material (e.g. which may comprise a elastically deformable material). In other words, in some examples where the manual actuation mechanism 65 is in the form of a button, the adjustment mechanism 60 is configured to adjust the dimension of the wicking element 46 between at least two states based on the interaction of a user with the manual actuation mechanism 65 of the aerosol provision system.
In some examples where the manual actuation mechanism 65 is in the form of a rotating dial, the user may rotate the dial to cause the adjustment mechanism 60 to vary the dimension between a minimum volume position (of the wick) and a maximum volume position with the adjustment mechanism 60 configured to turn the rotational motion into translation motion. In other words, in some examples where the manual actuation mechanism 65 is in the form of a dial, the adjustment mechanism 65 is configured to adjust the dimension of the wicking element 46 in a continuous range based on the interaction of a user with the manual actuation mechanism 65 of the aerosol provision system. It will be appreciated that in some other examples, the dial may be configured to allow stepped motion between a number of discontinuous states of the dimension.
In some examples, the manual actuation mechanism 65 is in the form a slider. In some examples where the manual actuation mechanism 65 is in the form of a slider, the sliding of the slider causes the adjustment mechanism 60 to vary the dimension of the wick element 46. For example the adjustment mechanism 65 may comprise a bar connecting a surface adjacent the wick element 46 to the slider on the housing 42 of the cartridge part 4. Moving the slider, moves the surface towards or away from (the centre of) the wick element 46. In some of these examples, the slider provides the user with a continuous control of the size of the dimension (i.e. the user can select between a continuous range of positions, with the extent of the range dependent on the physical arrangement of the slider). In some other examples, the user may slide the slider to select between different states defined by the position of notches to select the dimension of the wicking element 46. In some examples where the manual actuation mechanism 65 is in the form of a lever, the application of a force by the user on the lever can lead to a corresponding force being applied to the wick element via the adjustment mechanism 60.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of certain electrical (including electronic) components of the aerosol provision device 1 of FIG. 1 . Note that at least some of these components are shown by way of example only and may be omitted (and/or supplemented or replaced by other components) according to the circumstances of any given implementation. Furthermore, although the components shown in FIG. 4 (with the exception of the adjustment mechanism 60 and aerosol generator 48) are assumed to be located in the device part 2 rather than in the cartridge part 4 (since a given device part may be re-used with many different cartridge parts), other configurations may be adopted as desired. In addition, the components shown in FIG. 4 may be located on one circuit board such as that of control circuitry 18, but other configurations may be adopted as desired, e.g. components may be distributed across multiple circuit boards, or may not (all) be mounted on circuit boards. Furthermore, for clarity FIG. 4 omits various elements which are commonly present in this type of device, such as most power lines, memory (RAM) and/or (non-volatile) storage (ROM) and so on.
FIG. 4 includes a connector 6 for coupling to a cartomizer (cartridge) 4, as discussed above, and a (re-chargeable) battery 26 and a (micro)controller 22, as discussed below. The battery 26 is further linked to a USB connector 235, e.g. a micro or mini or type C connector, which can be used to re-charge the battery 26 from an external power supply (typically via some re-charging circuit, not shown in FIG. 4 ). Note that other forms of re-charging may be supported for battery 26—for example, by charging through some other form of connector, by wireless charging (e.g. induction), by charging through connector 6, and/or by removing the battery 26 from the e-cigarette 10. The connector 6 include electrical connections for facilitating the provision of power to the aerosol generator 48 and/or the adjustment mechanism 60 (e.g. a control signal comprising a pulse of power to cause the adjustment mechanism to adjust a dimension of the wicking element).
FIG. 4 further includes a communications interface 230 which can be used for wired and/or wireless communications with one or more external systems (not shown in FIG. 4 ), such as a smartphone, laptop and/or other form of computer and/or other appliance. The wireless communications may be performed using (for example) Bluetooth and/or any other suitable wireless communications standard. It will be appreciated that USB interface 235 may also be used to provide a wired communications link instead of (or in addition to) the communications interface 230; for example, the USB interface 235 might be used to provide the system with wired communications while the communications interface 230 might be used to provide the system with wireless communications.
Communications to and/or from the electronic aerosol provision system 10 may be used for a wide variety of purposes, such as to collect and report (upload) operational data from the system 10, e.g. regarding usage levels, settings, any error conditions, and/or to download updated control programs, configuration data, and so on. Such communications may also be used to support interaction between the electronic aerosol provision system 10 and an external system such as a smartphone belonging to the user of the electronic aerosol provision system 10. This interaction may support a wide variety of applications (apps), including collaborative or social media based apps.
The system of FIG. 4 may further include user I/O functionality 250 to support direct user input into the system 10 (this user input/output may be provided instead of, or more commonly in addition to, the communications functionality discussed above). The user output may be provided as one or more of visual, audio, and/or haptic output (feedback), for example by first and second user input buttons 14, 16 and display 24. For example, visual output may be implemented by one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) or any other form of lighting, and/or by a screen or other display—such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), which can provide more complex forms of output. The user input may be provided by any suitable facility, for example, by providing one or more buttons or switches on the system 10 and/or a touch screen (which supports both user input and output). Alternatively or additionally, user input may also be performed by movement of the device 20 (or of the whole system 10), such movement being detected using a motion sensor which can be considered as part of the user input/output facility 250.
The microcontroller 22 may be located on a PCB, which may also be used for mounting other components as appropriate, e.g. the communications interface 230. Some components may be separately mounted, such as the airflow sensor, which may be located adjacent the airflow path through the system 10, and a user input facility (e.g. buttons) which may be located on the external housing of the system 10. The microcontroller 22 generally includes a processor (or other processing facility) and memory (ROM and/or RAM). The operations of the microcontroller 22 (and some other electronic components), are typically controlled at least in part by software programs running on the processor in the controller (or other electronic components as appropriate). Such software programs may be stored in a non-volatile memory which can be integrated into the microcontroller 22 itself, or provided as a separate component (e.g. on a PCB). The processor may access ROM or any other appropriate store to load individual software programs for execution as and when required. The microcontroller 22 also contains suitable interfaces (and control software) for interacting with the other components of system 10 (such as shown in FIG. 4 ). For example, the microcontroller 22 may be responsible for controlling the supply of power from the battery 26 to an aerosol generator 48, via the connector 6.
Furthermore as discussed above, in some examples, the adjustment mechanism(s) 60 is electronically controlled by the (micro)controller 22. In other words, the aerosol provision device comprises a controller 22 configured to control the adjustment mechanism based on the user interaction with an electronic input mechanism (i.e. a form of user input mechanism). The electronic input mechanism can be provided by the user I/O functionality 250 (and further provided by, for example, buttons 14,16 of FIGS. 1 and 3 ).
In some examples, the controller 22 is configured to send one or more signals (e.g. pulses of power) to the adjustment mechanism 60 via the connection 6, which provides a wired or electrical connection between the controller 22 and adjustment mechanism 60. It will be appreciated that in other examples, the one or more signals may be sent wirelessly between the controller 22 and adjustment mechanism 60 via a suitable wireless communication mechanism. In examples where there are multiple adjustment mechanisms (e.g. one for each opening into the reservoir), the controller 22 can be configured to control each of the adjustment mechanisms by sending (control) signals to individually to each of the adjustment mechanisms. As such, where the following teaches refer to only a single adjustment mechanism, it will be appreciated that they can equally apply to the (individual or simultaneous) control of multiple adjustment mechanisms.
In some examples, the controller 22 may receive an input via user I/O functionality 250, (e.g. a user input mechanism such as user input button 14, 16 that a user of the aerosol provision system interacts with) and may send one or more signals to the adjustment mechanism 60 for controlling the adjustment mechanism 60 based on the interaction of the user with the user input button. In some examples, an electronic actuation mechanism other than a button may be used in place of the user input button 14,16 (e.g. a rotating dial or a slider configured to change a resistance or voltage value across a circuit dependent on the position of the dial or slider). The one or more signals can cause the adjustment mechanism 60 to vary the dimension of the wicking element 46 to change a rate of supply of liquid. In some examples, the controller receives the user input and sends one or more control signals to the adjustment mechanism 60 which is configured to adjust the dimension of the wicking element.
In some examples, the dimension can be varied, and held for use, by the adjustment mechanism 60 in a continuous range between a maximum distance for the dimension (i.e. separation of two points on the surface of the wicking element corresponding the dimension) and a minimum distance for the dimension, based on the interaction of a user with the aerosol provision system. In other examples the adjustment mechanism 60 is configured to vary the dimension between at least two discontinuous states (i.e. separation distances for the dimension) based on the interaction of a user with the aerosol provision system. In these examples at least two states may be pre-defined during manufacture or during a software update, or by a user who is able to define the at least two states using the user I/O functionality 250, or a similar mechanism (.g provided in a separate device such as a smartphone that is in communication with the controller 22 via the communications interface 230).
FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method 400 for controlling an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material in an aerosol-generating region. The method begins at step 410 with providing an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a dimension of a wicking element. The wicking element is configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from a reservoir to an aerosol generator. The aerosol generator is configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir.
The second step 420 continues with adjusting the dimension of a wicking element during use to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element. As stated above this allows for the modification of a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use. As discussed above, in some examples, the adjustment mechanism is controlled based on an interaction of the user with the aerosol provision system which may be the user interacting with a manual actuation mechanism (e.g. as discussed in relation to FIG. 3 ), or the user interacting with a user input ( e.g. user buttons 14,16 or user I/O functionality 250) to cause a controller to control the adjustment mechanism (e.g. as discussed in relation to FIG. 4 ). The method then ends.
The method 400 illustrated in FIG. 5 may be stored as instructions on a computer readable storage medium, such that when the instructions are executed by a processor, the method 400 described above are performed. The computer readable storage medium may be non-transitory.
Thus it has been described that examples of the present disclosure comprise an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from a liquid aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision system comprising: a reservoir of liquid aerosol generating material; an aerosol generator configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir; a wicking element configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir to the aerosol generator; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use.
Furthermore, it has also been described that examples of the present disclosure may comprise an aerosol provision device for use with an aerosol generating article comprising liquid aerosol generating material, which together form an aerosol provision system, wherein the aerosol provision system comprises: a reservoir of liquid aerosol generating material, an aerosol generator configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir, a wicking element configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir to the aerosol generator; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use, wherein the aerosol provision device comprises: circuitry configured to control the adjustment mechanism to adjust a dimension of the wicking element to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use. In some of these examples, the aerosol provision device comprises the adjustment mechanism or a part thereof.
The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

Claims

1. An aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from a liquid aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision system comprising:

a reservoir of liquid aerosol generating material;

an aerosol generator configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir;

a wicking element configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir to the aerosol generator; and

an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use.

2. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust the dimension of the wicking element between a maximum value and a minimum value, wherein the minimum value is at least 90% of the maximum value.

3. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the wicking element comprises a bundle of fibres, and wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to modify the volume of free space between fibres of the bundle of fibres by up to 10%.

4. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the wicking element is formed in an elongate shape, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust at least a dimension of the wicking element which is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the wicking element.

5. The aerosol provision system of claim 4, wherein the wicking element is formed in a cylindrical shape, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust at least a dimension of a circular cross-section through the wicking element.

6. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element by compressing the wicking element.

7. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element within or adjacent to an opening in a wall of the reservoir of liquid aerosol generating material through which the wicking element extends.

8. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the aerosol provision system comprises a user input mechanism, and wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element based on a user interaction with the user input mechanism.

9. The aerosol provision system of claim 8, wherein the user input mechanism comprises a manual actuation mechanism, and the user interaction comprises a user operating the manual actuation mechanism.

10. The aerosol provision system of claim 8, wherein the user input mechanism comprises an electronic input mechanism, and wherein the aerosol provision system comprises a controller configured to control the adjustment mechanism based on the user interaction with the electronic input mechanism.

11. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator to be modified is the volume of aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during an activation.

12. A cartomizer for use in an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from a liquid aerosol-generating material, the cartomizer comprising:

a reservoir of liquid aerosol generating material;

13. A method of controlling an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from a liquid aerosol-generating material; the method comprising:

providing an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a dimension of a wicking element configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from a reservoir to an aerosol generator configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir; and

adjusting the dimension of a wicking element during use to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use.

14. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs the method of claim 13.

15. An aerosol provision device for use with an aerosol generating article comprising liquid aerosol generating material, which together form an aerosol provision system, wherein the aerosol provision system comprises: a reservoir of liquid aerosol generating material, an aerosol generator configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir, a wicking element configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir to the aerosol generator; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking element to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use, wherein the aerosol provision device comprises:

circuitry configured to control the adjustment mechanism to adjust a dimension of the wicking element to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking element to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator during use.

16. The aerosol provision device of claim 15, wherein the aerosol provision device comprises the adjustment mechanism or a part thereof.

17. Aerosol provision means for generating an aerosol from a liquid aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision means comprising:

reservoir means containing liquid aerosol generating material;

aerosol generator means configured to aerosolize liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir means;

wicking means configured to supply liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir means to the aerosol generator means; and

adjustment means configured to adjust a dimension of the wicking means to modify a rate of supply of liquid aerosol generating material through the wicking means to modify a characteristic of an aerosol generated by the aerosol generator means during use.