WO2022175406A1

WO2022175406A1 - Quality control of an aerosol-generating article

Info

Publication number: WO2022175406A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/053995
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pier Paolo MONTICONE
Original assignee: Jt International Sa
Priority date: 2021-02-19
Filing date: 2022-02-17
Publication date: 2022-08-25

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling quality and/or origin of an aerosol-generating article used in a vaporizer device. The method comprises inserting the aerosol-generating article into the vaporizer de-vice, starting a vaping session by heating a heating element of the vaporizer device to a target temperature pursuant a predetermined dynamical heating pro-file, determining a temperature profile of the aerosol-generating article as a thermal response of the heating and or cooling, comparing the determined temperature profile of the aerosol-generating article with a characteristic temperature profile associated to an aerosol-generating article with defined quality and origin and triggering a signal indicating a deviation of the determined temperature profile from the characteristic temperature profile. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to a system for controlling the quality and/or origin of an aerosol-generating article according to the method is provided.

Description

Quality Control of an Aerosol-Generating Article

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of aerosol-generating de vices, it relates in particular to a method and a system for controlling quality and/or origin of an aerosol-generating article used in a vaporizer device.

Background of the invention

A vaporizer or an aerosol-generating device such as an e-cigarette, also referred as e-cigars, vapes, vape pens, mods and tanks or as tobacco va por products are devices that operate to vaporize vaporizable material or for heating heat-not-burn material to generate vapor for inhalation by a consumer or other end-user. The vaporizable material or the heat-not-burn material re ferred as an aerosol-generating article may be comprised of multiple compo nents and is heated to a high enough temperature so that it produces an aero sol that is inhaled by a user until it is depleted. After depleting of the aerosol-generating article it is removed so that a new article can be inserted. A high-quality vaping experience for the user and even avoidance of an unintentionally impact of the user’s health are directly re lated to a trustworthy source of the aerosol-generating article. The characteris tics of the aerosol-generating article are guaranteed by the manufacturers but are affected by temperature or by the storage conditions or the age thereof.

Conventional vaporizer are typically multi-use devices that are in general adapted to vaporize different material compositions from a variety of manufacturers and/or suppliers of those substances. The aerosol-generating article shows individual characteristics in the vaporization process depending on the material composition such that is known to adjust the vaporization condi tions, in particular to select a suitable vaporizable temperature to achieve opti mal performance and maximal consumer satisfaction. Manufacturers of con sumable vaporizable materials or of heat-not-burn materials have generally knowledge of the composition, the characteristic features of their respective compositions and of a typical thermal response of the aerosol-generating mate rial which may be used to recognize originally aerosol-generating article with a quality according to its specification.

Aerosol-generating devices produce highly varied consummation re- suits depending inter alia on the quality and/or origin of the vaporizable material or the heat-not-burn material. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method and a system to recognize and control the quality and/or origin of the aerosol-gener ating article, in particular, the possibility to distinguish the original from counter feit products and/or to detect quality alterations of original articles. Summary of the invention

The present invention provides a method for controlling a quality and/or origin of aerosol-generating articles incorporated in a vaporizer device.

To distinguish the original article from a counterfeit product and/or to detect quality alterations the aerosol-generating article received in a heating chamber of the vaporizer device is submitted to a specific thermal stimulus and a thermal response of the aerosol-generating article to such thermal stimulus is monitored preferably over time by determining thermal parameter values such as the tem perature and/or radiation of the incorporated and heated aerosol-generating ar ticle and/or the power consumption of the heating element. Therefore, the method according to the invention provides recognition and/or control of quality by detecting characteristic parameters specifying the quality and/or the origin of the consumable article. The characteristic parameters should be repeatable and specific to distinguish the original from the counterfeit and/or a high stand ard quality of aerosol-generating articles guaranteed from the manufacturers or suppliers from counterfeiting or from products with quality alterations due to ex piration and/or loss of flavor because of wrong storage, sealing leakage and the like. The invention relates to determine a thermal profile characteristic for a par ticular vaporizable material or of a particular heat-not-burn material which may be communicated to a control unit and analyzed whether the material is of known origin and/or within quality range. Furthermore, aerosol-generating articles with an unexpected re sponse to this thermal stimulation can be flagged as counterfeiting or as out of predetermined quality specifications. By triggering a signal or a warning, the consumer can decide whether to proceed or to stop consuming of such flagged aerosol-generating article or substrate.

The method for controlling a quality and/or origin of an aerosol-gen erating article used in a vaporizer device comprises the following steps:

- Inserting the aerosol-generating article into a heating chamber of the vaporizer device; - Starting a vaping session by heating a heating element of the heat ing chamber of the vaporizer device to a target temperature pursuant a prede termined dynamical heating profile, including at least one heating step and at least one cooling step;

- Determining a temperature profile of the aerosol-generating article as a thermal response to the heating and/or cooling;

- Comparing the determined temperature profile with a characteristic temperature profile associated to an aerosol-generating article with defined quality and/or origin; and

- Triggering a signal indicating a deviation of the determined temper- ature profile from the characteristic temperature profile.

After inserting the aerosol-generating article into the heating chamber of the vaporizer device the heating element thereof is activated. Preferably, the aerosol-generating article is a tobacco stick, but other articles are absolutely possible. The heating chamber may be configured such that the aerosol-gener- ating article is heated to be at least partly converted into a gas or vapor phase. The heating chamber can be seen as an area or a volume in the vaporizer de vice within which a heating source or heating element conductively, convec- tively and/or radiatively causes heating of the vaporizable material or the heat- not-burn material to produce a mixture of air and vaporizable components to form a vapor to be inhaled. The setting of a vaporizable temperature of the va porizable material or the heat-not-burn material comprising a plurality of ingredi ents may be difficult for the user such that vaporizer devices are known, to con- trol heating in accordance with a thermal setting associated with the particular vaporizable material or the particular heat-not-burn material. Controlling heat ing may include regulating an electrical power supplied to the heating element and the temperature of the heating element.

Activation of the heating element by supplying power or energy from a power source to the heating element can be controlled by a control unit which can be as well provided to control other operations of the vaporizer device. The power source can be configured as any suitable power source including re placeable or rechargeable batteries or power from an external source.

According to an initial power or temperature setting the temperature of the heating element can be raised from an ambient temperature to a high temperature, in particular to the target temperature which is necessarily higher than the vaporizable temperature ideally required to vaporize the aerosol-gener ating article. This vaporizable temperature can be referred as a saturation tem perature that may be equal or lower than the target temperature. Rising the temperature of the heating element may be performed in accordance with a pre determined dynamical heating profile, including at least one heating step and at least one cooling step and/or a thermal profile associated with a particular aero- sol-generating article. In general, the heating profile but as well the cooling pro file of the heating element may be affected by the rate of power being supplied and inherent thermodynamic properties thereof. Furthermore, heating profiles and/or cooling profiles can be designed and/or programmed to perform intended or desired heating and/or cooling of the heating element. In particular, the pre determined dynamical heating profile used in vaporizing operations including verifying the quality and/or the origin of the aerosol-generating article may be implemented in hardware and/or software of the vaporizer device. Varied pre determined dynamical heating profiles may be implemented based on the num ber of aerosol-generating articles used with the vaporizer device or may be adaptable via feed-back or adaptive control data and/or interface inputs. According to one embodiment of the invention the predetermined dy namical heating profile comprises a steep increase. In particular, the predeter mined dynamical heating profile shows a heating pulse shape, referred as a thermal stimulus, according to temperature versus time, to get up the tempera- ture of the aerosol-generating article. Due to the heating of the heating element according to the predetermined dynamical heating profile the aerosol-generat ing article shows the thermal response. The thermal response of the aerosol generating article may be determined and/or monitored as a temperature pro file, in particular depicting a change in temperature over time. The thermal re- sponse may be determined by monitoring thermal parameter values of the heated aerosol-generating article. In particular, the determined temperature profile of the aerosol-generating article includes a typical step response associ ated to the thermal stimulus of the heating element during an initial phase of heating. Therefore, the thermal response may include a step stimulus of the aerosol-generating article.

In reality, due to implementation limits and to time delay the aerosol generating article shows either a more or less steep ramp than an ideal step stimulus response to the thermal stimulus. However, the ramp should be ideally enough such that the aerosol-generating article is stimulated as steep as possi- ble.

According to the invention, the method uses a dynamical heating pro file for heating the heating element including at least one heating step and at least one cooling step. Therefore, the heating profile is defined by both heating and cooling, whereby cooling occurs from one first state indicated by a first set point of the temperature to a second state indicated by a second set point of the temperature. The detectable thermal response of the aerosol-generating article shows a dynamical curve progression in accordance to the dynamical heating profile including heating and cooling phases. Applying the dynamical heating profile and detecting the dynamical curve progression of the temperature profile of the aerosol-generating article provide a more reliable method to verify the quality and/or origin of the aerosol-generating article and/or the vaporize device under test. The dynamical curve progression of the temperature profile offers the possibility to compare not only the thermal response during a heating step but as well the thermal response of the aerosol-generating article during the cooling step. Therefore, according to the invention multiple thermal characteris tics of the vaporizable material or the heat-not-burn material may be detected to verify the quality and/or origin thereof wherein the thermal characteristics de- pend on the composition of ingredients, ratios, manufacturing methods and the like and are suitable for quality control and origin determination.

To avoid further delay starting consuming, the initial phase for verify ing the quality and origin of the inserted aerosol-generating article may be short. For example, by applying the dynamical heating profile the at least one cooling step may be limiting in amplitude compared to the at least one heating step. In particular, the cooling step of the dynamical heating profile includes a decrease of the temperature to a predeterm inable temperature, selected such that the time for a re-heating to reach the target temperature and the vaporizable tem perature of the aerosol-generating article is as short as possible. Therefore, the time to start consummation of the aerosol-generating article should be accepta ble for the consumer and therefore as short as possible.

According to one embodiment of the invention sensor means are pro vided to determine thermal parameter values. Preferably, the sensor means are configured to determine the thermal parameter values continuously such that thermal profiles can be monitored, and the temperature profile can be de termined. At least one sensor means may include a temperature sensor to de termine temperature values of the heating element and/or of the aerosol-gener ating article as the thermal response to the heating profile of the heating ele ment. The determined temperature profile of the aerosol-generating article is basically a thermal fingerprint for the quality and/or origin of the article.

In one embodiment of the invention the determinable thermal param eter values is be selected from the group consisting of thermal resistance, ca pacity and inductance of the aerosol-generating article or can be a combination thereof. Further parameter characteristics of a good aerosol-generating article can be determined additionally. In general, thermal resistance, capacity and in ductance may indicate thermal properties of an object or a material. Depending on the measurable thermal parameters the sensor means may be arranged with distance to the heating element.

To determine multiple thermal parameters as well as other parame ters, the vaporizer device may include a plurality of sensor means. For exam- pie, one type of sensor means may be configured as temperature sensors to determine ambient temperature, temperature of the heating element and/or temperature of the aerosol-generating article. The data can be used by the control unit to properly regulate application of power to the heating element in accordance with the heating profile and/or to use data collected, stored, com- municated, processed and/or presented for recognition of quality and origin.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the determined tem perature profile of the aerosol-generating article during heating and/or collong thereof is based on determining radiated emission of the aerosol-generating ar ticle by suitable sensor means. Therefore, sensor means may include at least one sensor configured to additionally or alternatively determine optical parame ters such as emissivity, in particular infrared emission radiated of the heated aerosol-generating article. Therefore, the sensor means capturing infrared emission of preferably 1 to 14 pm wavelength can comprise one or more photo detectors to measure the radiated emission of the heated aerosol-generating ar- tide such as a tobacco stick. The opto-thermal sensor can include at least one photodetector with a p-n or a p-i-n-junction with or without an optical filter to nar row the bandwidth of measured emission. The determined radiated emission values of the heated aerosol-generating article over time are characteristic ther mal parameter values of the aerosol-generating article heated in the vaporize device and thus can be used to verify quality and/or original of it.

Alternatively, or additionally, determining the temperature profile of the aerosol-generating article during heating for quality testing can be based on measuring a power consumption of the heating element of the vaporizer device during heating and can be considered as the determined temperature profile. The power consumption can be detected either via voltage or current measure ment. For example, in the case where the heating element is configured as a positive temperature coefficient of resistive heating element, a PTCR heating element, characterized by an electrical resistivity that varies based on the tem perature, the determinable power consumption of the heating element is related directly to the temperature of the heating element and indirectly related to the temperature of the aerosol-generating article. If the determined temperature profile or thermal parameter values of the heated aerosol-generating article compared to the temperature profile or thermal parameter values associated to the original vaporizable material or the heat-not-burn material of proofed quality as for example stored in the control unit lies outside specification ranges the consumer can be warned that either the origin of the aerosol-generating article is doubtfully, or the quality is ques tionably. In this case, a signal may be triggered indicating deviation in quality and/or unknown origin of the aerosol-generating article. The signal can be at least one output signal to the consumer of the aerosol-generating article and/or to a server. Therefore, the vaporizer device can comprise one or more outputs such as optical, tactile or sonic means or the like or some combination thereof that can alert or otherwise communicate certain settings or conditions. The consumer is warned and can decide to proceed with the consummation of the article of unknown pedigree or to stop it.

The invention relates further to a system for controlling the quality and/or origin of the aerosol-generating article. The system comprises a control unit for sending and receiving signals and for processing the received signals, a vaporizer device provided with a heating chamber to incorporate the aerosol generating article and with a heating element controlled by the control unit for heating the incorporated aerosol-generating article, sensor means for determ in- ing a temperature profile of the heated aerosol-generating article and output means for signals indicating a warning and/or error related to the aerosol-gener ating article.

The control unit may be configured to activate the heating element such that the temperature of the heating element raises pursuant to a dynamical heating profile, in particular including a thermal stimulus such as a steep in crease and at least one cooling step. Heating of the heating element causes a thermal response of the incorporated aerosol-generating article such as a tobacco stick. The thermal response may include a thermal step response as sociated to the thermal stimulus and is detectable via the sensor means. The sensor means may be configured to determine thermal parameter values over time indicating the determined temperature profile of the heated aerosol-gener- ating article. Thermal parameters can be thermal resistance, capacity and/or in ductance. Furthermore, the sensor means can comprise at least one photode tector for detecting radiated emission of the heated aerosol-generating article.

In one preferred embodiment, the at least one photodetector may comprise a p- n junction or a p-i-n junction with or without optical filter means. The optical fil- ter means can be provided to narrow the bandwidth.

The system according to one embodiment is configured to be imple mented in the vaporizer device by a firmware update.

Brief description of drawing

Figure 1 shows schematically a first embodiment of a system of the present invention,

Figure 2 shows schematically a heating profile of a heating element of a vaporizer device and a determined temperature profile of an aerosol-gener ating article heated by the heating element.

Detailed description of the invention Figure 1 shows schematically a first embodiment of a system 1 of the present invention. The system 1 comprises a vaporizer device 100 with a heat ing chamber 10 in which an aerosol-generating article 20 can be incorporated. The aerosol-generating article 20 such as a heat-not-burn aerosol-generating article may contain tobacco-containing material such as a tobacco stick. The aerosol-generating article 20 appears to look like a conventional cigarette, alt hough it might be slightly shorter than the conventional cigarette.

In use, the aerosol-generating article 20 is incorporated into the va porizer device 100 comprising a heating chamber 10 with a heating element 50 such that at least one portion of the aerosol-generating article 20 cooperates with the heating element 50. The heating element 50 can be of different type, for example is configured as a heating blade or rod element, which pierces through a distal end of the aerosol-generated article and the aerosol-generating article may slit onto the heating element 50 such that a tobacco-containing sub strate contained therein can be heated. The heating chamber 10 may be ther mally isolated from the external environment.

The vaporizer device 100 may comprise a control unit 40 for control ling of the operations. Furthermore, a power source or a battery (not shown) may be comprised and arranged such as to be electrically connected to the control unit 40. The power source (not shown) will typically cooperate with the control unit 40 in order to provide electric power or current to the heating ele ment 50. The heating element 50 can be configured as an inductive heating ar rangement or a heating coil or the like and is controlled by the control unit 40. The control unit 40 may be arranged to control the operation of the heating ele ment 50 based on a characteristic to provide a desired dynamical heating profile 200 (shown in Figure 2). The dynamical heating profile 200 can be set auto matically upon recognition of the aerosol-generating article 20 so that a vaporiz able material or the heat-not-burn material as an aerosol released medium is heated pursuant to the dynamical heating profile 200. The dynamical heating profile 200 may include in an initial phase a steep increase of the temperature to a target temperature which can be referred as a thermal step stimulus.

As schematically shown in Figure 1 , the system includes sensor means 60 arranged and configured to determine thermal parameter values of the heating element 50 and/or the aerosol-generating article 20. The sensor means 60 shown in Figure 1 may be configured such that thermal parameter values of the heated aerosol-generating article 20 are measured, preferably over time. The thermal parameter values may represent the temperature of the heated aerosol-generating article 20 over time and can be referred as a thermal response to the dynamical heating profile 200 of the heating element 50. The thermal response can be indicated as a determined temperature profile 300.

The determined temperature profile 300 can be based on measurements of thermal resistance, thermal capacity or inductance of the heated aerosol- generating article 20. Alternatively, or additionally, the temperature profile 300 can be based on measurement of radiated emission of the heated aerosol-gen erating article 20 by means of opto-thermal sensor means comprising photode tectors.

The determined temperature profile 300 of the heated aerosol-gener ating article 20 may be transferred to the control unit 40 and processed such that being compared to the heating profile 200 performed during heating of the heating element 50.

Figure 2 shows schematically the dynamical heating profile 200 in cluding at least one heating phase 202 pursuant to which the heating element 50 is heated and at least one cooling phase 204. The dynamical heating profile 200, depicting temperature overtime, shows during the initial heating phase 202 a steep increase from an ambient or low temperature 201 to a high temper ature, a target temperature 203. The shape of the initial heating phase 202 of the dynamical heating profile 200 can be referred as a thermal step stimulus. According to Figure 2 the dynamical heating profile 200 including the cooling phase 204 followed by a re-heating phase 206. The cooling phase 204 starts from the target temperature 203 or can be started from another temperature such that the temperature is decreased to a predeterm inable temperature 205. After the cooling phase 204 the re-heating phase 206 starts. The shown dy namical heating profile 200 of the heating element 50 is performed such that the delaying time before starting the vaping process is short enough to not disturb the consumer. Therefore, the amplitude of the cooling phase 204 may be lower than the amplitude of the heating phase 202.

Furthermore, a temperature profile 300 of the heated aerosol-gener ating article 20 is shown. The temperature profile 300 can be referred as a ther mal response to the dynamical heating profile 200. The thermal response to the initial heating phase 202 is a thermal step response which is less steep as the initial heating phase 202. Furthermore, the shown dynamical heating profile 200 as well as the determined temperature profile 300 show a dynamical course. According to the dynamic stimulation of the system more variables of the system under test including the aerosol-generating article 20 can be evaluated. The accuracy of the quality and origin control will be improved. The determined temperature profile 300 of the aerosol-generating article 20 shows a characteristic shape which is known for an aerosol-generating article of proofed origin and quality. If the determined temperature profile 300 lies outside of a tol- erable range or shows an atypical characteristic shape a warning and/or error can be triggered and/or signaled for example to the manufacturer.

To shorten the time the user can start vaping the delay of the recog nition phase due to thermal stimulus should be short as possible. Therefore, the cooling phase 204 could be of limited amplitude compared to a full range heating step 202.

Claims

1. Method for controlling quality and/or origin of an aerosol-generat ing article used in a vaporizer device, the method comprising the following steps:

- Inserting the aerosol-generating article into the vaporizer device;

- Starting a vaping session by heating a heating element of the va porizer device to a target temperature pursuant a predetermined dynamical heating profile, including at least one heating step and at least one cooling step;

- Determining a temperature profile of the aerosol-generating article as a thermal response of the heating;

- Comparing the determined temperature profile of the aerosol-gener ating article with a characteristic temperature profile associated to an aerosol generating article with defined quality and origin; and

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined dynam ical heating profile comprises a steep increase of the temperature.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one cooling step is limited in amplitude compared to the at least one heating step.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein deter mining the temperature profile is based on detecting thermal parameters of the heated aerosol-generating article.

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the thermal parameters to be measured selected from the group consisting of thermal resistance, capacity and inductance.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein deter mining the temperature profile of the heated aerosol-generating article is based on measuring radiated emission of the heated aerosol-generating article.

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein deter- mining the temperature profile of the heated aerosol-generating article is based on measuring a power consumption of the heating element of the vaporizer de vice.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sig nal triggered if the determined temperature profile lies outside a tolerable limit of the characteristic temperature profile indicates deviation quality and/or unknown origin of the aerosol-generating article.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sig nal is an output signal to a consumer of the aerosol-generating article and/or a server.

10. System for controlling the quality and/or origin of an aerosol-gen erating article by a method according to one of the preceding claims, compris ing:

- A control unit for sending and receiving signals and for processing the received signals; - A vaporizer device provided with a heating chamber to incorporate the aerosol-generating article and with a heating element controlled by the con trol unit for heating and/or cooling the incorporated aerosol-generating article;

- Sensor means for determining a temperature profile of the heated aerosol-generating article; and - Output means for signals indicating a warning and/or error related to aerosol-generating article.

11. System according to claim 12, wherein the sensor means for de termining the temperature profile are configured to measure thermal parameter values of the heated aerosol-generating article such as thermal resistance, ca pacity and/or inductance.

12. System according to claim 10 or 11 , wherein the sensor means comprise at least one photodetector for detecting radiated emission of the heated aerosol-generating article.

13. System according to claim 12, wherein the at least one photode tector comprises a p-n or a p-i-n junction with or without optical filter means.

14. System according to one of the preceding claims 10 to 13, wherein the system is configured to be implemented by a firmware update.