WO2024110755A1

WO2024110755A1 - Device for holding and refilling articles for aerosol provision systems

Info

Publication number: WO2024110755A1
Application number: PCT/GB2023/053054
Authority: WO
Inventors: Howard ROTHWELL
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Limited
Priority date: 2022-11-24
Filing date: 2023-11-22
Publication date: 2024-05-30
Also published as: GB202217553D0

Abstract

A refilling system comprises an article of an aerosol provision system, the article comprising a storage area for fluid, one or more orifices for ingress of fluid into the storage area and egress of air out of the storage area, and boundary walls defining the storage area, the boundary walls including a boundary wall which is straight along at least one dimension; and a refilling device for filling the article from a reservoir in the refilling device, the refilling device comprising an article interface for receiving the article and holding the article during filling, wherein the article interface is configured to hold the article in a filling orientation during filling in which the said boundary wall is uppermost and the straight dimension is at a non-zero angle less than 90 degrees to the horizontal, such that a surface of fluid in the storage area is non-parallel to the straight dimension.

Description

DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND REFILLING ARTICLES FOR AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEMS Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a device for holding and refilling articles for aerosol provision systems.

Background

Electronic aerosol provision systems, which are often configured as so-called electronic cigarettes, can have a unitary format with all elements of the system in a common housing, or a multi-component format in which elements are distributed between two or more housings which can be coupled together to form the system. A common example of the latter format is a two-component system comprising a device and an article. The device typically contains an electrical power source for the system, such as a battery, and control electronics for operating elements in order to generate aerosol. The article, also referred to by terms including cartridge, cartomiser, consumable and clearomiser, typically contains a storage volume or area for holding a supply of aerosolisable material from which the aerosol is generated, plus an aerosol generator such as a heater operable to vaporise the aerosolisable material. A similar three-component system may include a separate mouthpiece that attaches to the article. In many designs, the article is designed to be disposable, in that it is intended to be detached from the device and thrown away when the aerosolisable material has been consumed. The user obtains a new article which has been prefilled with aerosolisable material by a manufacturer and attaches it to the device for use. The device, in contrast, is intended to be used with multiple consecutive articles, with a capability to recharge the battery to allow prolonged operation.

While disposable articles, which may be called consumables, are convenient for the user, they may be considered wasteful of natural resources and hence detrimental to the environment. An alternative design of article is therefore known, which is configured to be refilled with aerosolisable material by the user. This reduces waste, and can reduce the cost of electronic cigarette usage for the user. The aerosolisable material may be provided in a bottle, for example, from which the user squeezes or drips a quantity of material into the article via a refilling orifice on the article. However, the act of refilling can be awkward and inconvenient, since the items are small and the volume of material involved is typically low. Alignment of the juncture between bottle and article can be difficult, with inaccuracies leading to spillage of the material. This is not only wasteful, but may also be dangerous. Aerosolisable material frequently contains liquid nicotine, which can be poisonous if it makes contact with the skin.

Therefore, refilling units or devices have been proposed, which are configured to receive a bottle or other reservoir of aerosolisable material plus a refillable cartridge, and to automate the transfer of the material from the former to the latter. Alternative, improved or enhanced features and designs for such refilling devices are therefore of interest.

Summary

According to a first aspect of some embodiments described herein, there is provided a refilling system comprising: an article of an aerosol provision system, the article comprising a storage area for fluid, one or more orifices for ingress of fluid into the storage area and egress of air out of the storage area, and boundary walls defining the storage area, the boundary walls including a boundary wall which is straight along at least one dimension; and a refilling device for filling the article from a reservoir in the refilling device, the refilling device comprising an article interface for receiving the article and holding the article during filling, wherein the article interface is configured to hold the article in a filling orientation during filling in which the said boundary wall is uppermost and the straight dimension is at a non-zero angle less than 90 degrees to the horizontal, such that a surface of fluid in the storage area is nonparallel to the straight dimension.

According to a second aspect of some embodiments described herein, there is provided a refilling system comprising: an article of an aerosol provision system, the article comprising a storage area for fluid, one or more orifices for egress of air out of the storage area and ingress of fluid into the storage area, and boundary walls defining the storage area, the boundary walls including a pair of boundary walls that meet at a juncture; and a refilling device for filling the article from a reservoir in the refilling device, the refilling device comprising an article interface for receiving the article and holding the article during filling, wherein the article interface is configured to hold the article in a filling orientation during filling in which the juncture between the pair of boundary walls is positioned as an uppermost part of the storage area.

These and further aspects of the certain embodiments are set out in the appended independent and dependent claims. It will be appreciated that features of the dependent claims may be combined with each other and features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the claims. Furthermore, the approach described herein is not restricted to specific embodiments such as set out below, but includes and contemplates any appropriate combinations of features presented herein. For example, apparatus for holding and refilling articles for electronic aerosol provision systems may be provided in accordance with approaches described herein which includes any one or more of the various features described below as appropriate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail by way of example only with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a simplified schematic cross-section through an example electronic aerosol provision system in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented;

Figure 2 shows a simplified schematic representation of a refilling device to which embodiments of the present disclosure area applicable;

Figure 3 shows a simplified schematic cross-sectional side view representation of an article in an article interface of a refilling device;

Figure 4 shows a simplified schematic cross-sectional side view representation of an article held in a filling orientation in an article interface of a refilling device according to example;

Figure 5 shows a simplified side view representation of an article interface with an associated reorientation mechanism according to an example;

Figure 6 shows a simplified side view representation of an article interface with an associated reorientation mechanism according to another example; and

Figure 7 shows a simplified side view representation of an article interface with an associated reorientation mechanism according to a further example.

Detailed Description

Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed I described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and these are not discussed I described in detail in the interests of brevity. It will thus be appreciated that aspects and features of apparatus discussed herein which are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

As described above, the present disclosure relates to (but is not limited to) electronic aerosol or vapour provision systems, such as e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description the terms “e-cigarette” and “electronic cigarette” may sometimes be used; however, it will be appreciated these terms may be used interchangeably with aerosol (vapour) provision system or device. The systems are intended to generate an inhalable aerosol by vaporisation of a substrate (aerosol-generating material) in the form of a liquid or gel which may or may not contain nicotine. Additionally, hybrid systems may comprise a liquid or gel substrate plus a solid substrate which is also heated. The solid substrate may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. The terms “aerosol-generating material” and “aerosolisable material” as used herein are intended to refer to materials which can form an aerosol, either through the application of heat or some other means. The term “aerosol” may be used interchangeably with “vapour”.

As used herein, the terms “system” and “delivery system” are intended to encompass systems that deliver a substance to a user, and include non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosolisable material without combusting the aerosolisable material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosolisable materials, and articles comprising aerosolisable material and configured to be used within one of these noncombustible aerosol provision systems. According to the present disclosure, a “noncombustible” 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 to a user. In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery (END) system, although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol generating material is not a requirement. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosolisable materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosolisable 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 or gel aerosol generating material and a solid 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 an article (consumable) for use with the non- combustible aerosol provision device. However, it is envisaged that articles which themselves comprise a means for powering an aerosol generator or aerosol generating component may themselves form the non-combustible aerosol provision system. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source. In some embodiments, the article for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise an aerosol generating material, an aerosol generating component (aerosol generator), an aerosol generating area, a mouthpiece, and/or an area for receiving and holding aerosol generating material.

In some systems the aerosol generating component or aerosol generator comprises a heater capable of interacting with the aerosolisable material so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosolisable material to form an aerosol. However, the disclosure is not limited in this regard, and applies also to systems that use other approaches to form aerosol, such as a vibrating mesh.

In some embodiments, the article for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosolisable material or an area for receiving aerosolisable material. In some embodiments, the article for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise a mouthpiece. The area for receiving aerosolisable material may be a storage area for storing aerosolisable material. For example, the storage area may be a reservoir. In some embodiments, the area for receiving aerosolisable material may be separate from, or combined with, an aerosol generating area.

As used herein, the term “component” may be used to refer to a part, section, unit, module, assembly or similar of an electronic cigarette or similar device that incorporates several smaller parts or elements, possibly within an exterior housing or wall. An aerosol provision system such as an electronic cigarette may be formed or built from one or more such components, such as an article and a device, and the components may be removably or separably connectable to one another, or may be permanently joined together during manufacture to define the whole system. The present disclosure is applicable to (but not limited to) systems comprising two components separably connectable to one another and configured, for example, as an article in the form of an aerosolisable material carrying component holding liquid or another aerosolisable material (alternatively referred to as a cartridge, cartomiser, pod or consumable), and a device having a battery or other power source for providing electrical power to operate an aerosol generating component or aerosol generator for creating vapour/aerosol from the aerosolisable material. A component may include more or fewer parts than those included in the examples.

The present disclosure relates to aerosol provision systems and components thereof that utilise aerosolisable material in the form of a liquid or a gel which is held in a storage area such as a reservoir, tank, container or other receptacle comprised in the system, or absorbed onto a carrier substrate. An arrangement for delivering the material from the reservoir for the purpose of providing it to an aerosol generator for vapour / aerosol generation is included. The terms “liquid”, “gel”, “fluid”, “source liquid”, “source gel”, “source fluid” and the like may be used interchangeably with terms such as “aerosol-generating material”, “aerosolisable substrate material” and “substrate material” to refer to material that has a form capable of being stored and delivered in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

Figure 1 is a highly schematic diagram (not to scale) of a generic example electronic aerosol/vapour provision system such as an e-cigarette 10, presented for the purpose of showing the relationship between the various parts of a typical system and explaining the general principles of operation. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to a system configured in this way, and features may be modified in accordance with the various alternatives and definitions described above and/or apparent to the skilled person. The e- cigarette 10 has a generally elongate shape in this example, extending along a longitudinal axis indicated by a dashed line, and comprises two main components, namely a device 20 (control or power component, section or unit), and an article or consumable 30 (cartridge assembly or section, sometimes referred to as a cartomiser, clearomiser or pod) carrying aerosol-generating material and operating to generate vapour/aerosol.

The article 30 includes a storage area such as a reservoir 3 for containing a source liquid or other aerosol-generating material comprising a formulation such as liquid or gel from which an aerosol is to be generated, for example containing nicotine. As an example, the source liquid may comprise around 1 % to 3% nicotine and 50% glycerol, with the remainder comprising roughly equal measures of water and propylene glycol, and possibly also comprising other components, such as flavourings. Nicotine-free source liquid may also be used, such as to deliver flavouring. A solid substrate (not illustrated), such as a portion of tobacco or other flavour element through which vapour generated from the liquid is passed, may also be included. The reservoir 3 may have the form of a storage tank, being a container or receptacle in which source liquid can be stored such that the liquid is free to move and flow within the confines of the tank. In other examples, the storage area may comprise absorbent material (either inside a tank or similar, or positioned within the outer housing of the article) that holds the aerosol generating material. For a consumable article, the reservoir 3 may be sealed after filling during manufacture so as to be disposable after the source liquid is consumed. However, the present disclosure is relevant to refillable articles that have an inlet port, orifice or other opening (not shown in Figure 1) through which new source liquid can be added to enable reuse of the article 30. The article 30 also comprises an aerosol generator 5, comprising in this example an aerosol generating component, which may have the form of an electrically powered heating element or heater 4 and an aerosol-generating material transfer component 6. The heater 4 is located externally of the reservoir 3 and is operable to generate the aerosol by vaporisation of the source liquid by heating. The aerosol-generating material transfer component 6 is a transfer or delivery arrangement configured to deliver aerosolgenerating material from the reservoir 3 to the heater 4. In some examples, it may have the form of a wick or other porous element. A wick 6 may have one or more parts located inside the reservoir 3, or otherwise be in fluid communication with liquid in the reservoir 3, so as to be able to absorb source liquid and transfer it by wicking or capillary action to other parts of the wick 6 that are adjacent or in contact with the heater 4. This liquid is thereby heated and vaporised, and replacement liquid drawn, via continuous capillary action, from the reservoir 3 for transfer to the heater 4 by the wick 6. The wick may be thought of as a conduit between the reservoir s and the heater 4 that delivers or transfers liquid from the reservoir to the heater. In some designs, the heater 4 and the aerosol-generating material transfer component 6 are unitary or monolithic, and formed from a same material that is able to be used for both liquid transfer and heating, such as a material which is both porous and conductive. In still other cases, the aerosol-generating material transfer component may operate other than by capillary action, such as by comprising an arrangement of one or more valves by which liquid may exit the reservoir 3 and be passed onto the heater 4.

A heater and wick (or similar) combination, referred to herein as an aerosol generator 5, may sometimes be termed an atomiser or atomiser assembly, and the reservoir with its source liquid plus the atomiser may be collectively referred to as an aerosol source. Various designs are possible, in which the parts may be differently arranged compared with the highly schematic representation of Figure 1. For example, and as mentioned above, the wick 6 may be an entirely separate element from the heater 4, or the heater 4 may be configured to be porous and able to perform at least part of the wicking function directly (a metallic mesh, for example). In the present example, the system is an electronic system, and the heater 4 may comprise one or more electrical heating elements that operate by ohmic/resistive (Joule) heating, although inductive heating may also be used, in which case the heater comprises a susceptor in an induction heating arrangement. A heater of this type could be configured in line with the examples and embodiments described in more detail below. In general, therefore, an atomiser or aerosol generator, in the present context, can be considered as one or more elements that implement the functionality of a vapour-generating element able to generate vapour by heating source liquid (or other aerosol-generating material) delivered to it, and a liquid transport or delivery element able to deliver or transport liquid from a reservoir or similar liquid store to the vapour-generating element by a wicking action I capillary force or otherwise. An aerosol generator is typically housed in an article 30 of an aerosol generating system, as in Figure 1 , but in some examples, at least the heater part may be housed in the device 20. Embodiments of the disclosure are applicable to all and any such configurations which are consistent with the examples and description herein.

Returning to Figure 1 , the article 30 also includes a mouthpiece or mouthpiece portion 30a having an opening or air outlet through which a user may inhale the aerosol generated by the heater 4.

The device 20 includes a power source such as cell or battery 7 (referred to hereinafter as a battery, and which may or may not be re-chargeable) to provide electrical power for electrical components of the e-cigarette 10, in particular to operate the heater 4. Additionally, there is a controller 8 such as a printed circuit board and/or other electronics or circuitry for generally controlling the e-cigarette. The controller may include a processor programmed with software, which may be modifiable by a user of the system. The control electronics/circuitry 8 operates the heater 4 using power from the battery 7 when vapour is required. At this time, the user inhales on the system 10 via the mouthpiece 30a, and air A enters through one or more air inlets 9 in the wall of the device 20 (air inlets may alternatively or additionally be located in the article 30). When the heater 4 is operated, it vaporises source liquid delivered from the reservoir 3 by the aerosol-generating material transfer component 6 to generate the aerosol by entrainment of the vapour into the air flowing through the system, and this is then inhaled by the user through the opening in the mouthpiece 30a. The aerosol is carried from the aerosol generator 5 to the mouthpiece 30a along one or more air channels (not shown) that connect the air inlets 9 to the aerosol generator 5 to the air outlet when a user inhales on the mouthpiece 30a.

More generally, the controller 8 is suitably configured I programmed to control the operation of the aerosol provision system to provide functionality in accordance with embodiments and examples of the disclosure as described further herein, as well as for providing conventional operating functions of the aerosol provision system in line with established techniques for controlling such devices. The controller 8 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units I circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the aerosol provision system’s operation in accordance with the principles described herein and other conventional operating aspects of aerosol provision systems, such as display driving circuitry for systems that may include a user display (such as an screen or indicator) and user input detections via one or more user actuable controls 12. It will be appreciated that the functionality of the controller 8 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computers and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuits I circuitry I chips I chipsets configured to provide the desired functionality.

The device 20 and the article 30 are separate connectable parts detachable from one another by separation in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, as indicated by the doubleheaded arrows in Figure 1. The components 20, 30 are joined together when the system 10 is in use by cooperating engagement elements 21 , 31 (for example, a screw or bayonet fitting) which provide mechanical and in some cases electrical connectivity between the device 20 and the article 30. Electrical connectivity is required if the heater 4 operates by ohmic heating, so that current can be passed through the heater 4 when it is connected to the battery 5. In systems that use inductive heating, electrical connectivity can be omitted if no parts requiring electrical power are located in the article 30. An inductive work coil can be housed in the device 20 and supplied with power from the battery 5, and the article 30 and the device 20 shaped so that when they are connected, there is an appropriate exposure of the heater 4 to flux generated by the coil for the purpose of generating current flow in the material of the heater. The Figure 1 design is merely an example arrangement, and the various parts and features may be differently distributed between the device 20 and the article 30, and other components and elements may be included. The two sections may connect together end-to- end in a longitudinal configuration as in Figure 1 , or in a different configuration such as a parallel, side-by-side arrangement. The system may or may not be generally cylindrical and/or have a generally longitudinal shape. Either or both sections or components may be intended to be disposed of and replaced when exhausted, or be intended for multiple uses enabled by actions such as refilling the reservoir and recharging the battery. In other examples, the system 10 may be unitary, in that the parts of the device 20 and the article 30 are comprised in a single housing and cannot be separated. Embodiments and examples of the present disclosure are applicable to any of these configurations and other configurations of which the skilled person will be aware, but are most generally concerned with configurations comprising an article with a refillable storage area

The present disclosure relates to the refilling of a storage area for aerosol generating material in an aerosol provision system, whereby a user is enabled to conveniently provide a system with fresh aerosol generating material when a previous stored quantity has been used up. It is proposed that this be done automatically, by provision of apparatus which is termed herein a refilling device, refilling unit, refilling station, or simply dock. The refilling device is configured to receive an aerosol provision system, or more conveniently, the article from an aerosol provision system, having a storage area which is empty or only partly full, plus a larger reservoir holding aerosol generating material. A fluid communication flow path is established between the reservoir and the storage area, and a controller in the refilling device controls a transfer mechanism or arrangement operable to move aerosol generating material along the flow path from the reservoir to the storage area. The transfer mechanism can be activated in response to user input of a refill request to the refilling device, or activation may be automatic in response to a particular state or condition of the refilling device detected by the controller. For example, if both an article and a reservoir are correctly positioned inside the refilling unit, refilling may be carried out. Once the storage area is replenished with a desired quantity of aerosol generating material (the storage area is filled or a user specified quantity of material has been transferred to the article, for example), the transfer mechanism is deactivated, and transfer ceases. Alternatively, the transfer mechanism may be configured to automatically dispense a fixed quantity of aerosol generating material in response to activation by the controller, such as a fixed quantity matching the capacity of the storage area.

Figure 2 shows a highly schematic representation of an example refilling device. The refilling device is shown in a simplified form only, to illustrate various elements and their relationship to one another. More particular features of one or more of the elements with which the present disclosure is concerned will be described in more detail below.

The refilling device 50 may be referred to hereinafter for convenience as a “dock”. This term is applicable since a reservoir and an article are received or “docked” in the refilling device during use. The dock 50 comprises an outer housing 52. The dock 50 is expected to be useful for refilling of articles in the home or workplace (rather than being a portable device or a commercial device, although these options are not excluded). Therefore, the outer housing, made for example from metal, plastics or glass, may be designed to have an pleasing outward appearance such as to make it suitable for permanent and convenient access, such as on a shelf, desk, table or counter. It may be any size suitable for accommodating the various elements described herein, such as having dimensions between about 10 cm and 20 cm, although smaller or larger sizes may be preferred. Inside the housing 50 are defined two cavities or ports 54, 56. A first port 54 is shaped and dimensioned to receive and interface with a reservoir 40. The first or reservoir port 54 is configured to enable an interface between the reservoir 40 and the dock 50, so might alternatively be termed a reservoir interface. Primarily, the reservoir interface is for moving aerosol generating material out of the reservoir 40, but in some cases the interface may enable additional functions, such as electrical contacts and sensing capabilities for communication between the reservoir 40 and the dock 50 and determining characteristics and features of the reservoir 40.

The reservoir 40 comprises a wall or housing 41 that defines a storage space for holding aerosol generating material 42. The volume of the storage space is large enough to accommodate many or several times the storage area of an article intended to be refilled in the dock 50. A user can therefore purchase a filled reservoir of their preferred aerosol generating material (flavour, strength, brand, etc.), and use it to refill an article multiple times. A user could acquire several reservoirs 40 of different aerosol generating materials, so as to have a convenient choice available when refilling an article. The reservoir 40 includes an outlet orifice or opening 44 by which the aerosol generating material 42 can pass out of the reservoir 40. In the current context, the aerosol generating material 42 has a liquid form or a gel form, so may be considered as aerosol generating fluid. The term “fluid” may be used herein for convenience to refer to either a liquid or a gel material; where the term “liquid” is used herein, it should be similarly understood as referring to a liquid or a gel material, unless the context makes it clear that only liquid is intended.

A second port 56 defined inside the housing is shaped and dimensioned to receive and interface with an article 30. The second or article port 54 is configured to enable an interface between the article 30 and the dock 50, so might alternatively be termed an article interface. The article interface 56 is for receiving aerosol generating material into the article 30, and according to the present examples, the article interface enables additional functions, such as electrical contacts and sensing capabilities for communication between the article 30 and the dock 50 and determining characteristics and features of the article 30. In particular, the article interface 56 may have associated with it a sensing or detecting system 59 (indicated highly schematically only in Figure 2) which may be interrogated by a controller 55 in the refilling dock 50 in order to obtain information about the article 30 and/or about fluid in a storage area of the article 30 when the article 30 is received in the article interface 56.

The article 30 itself comprises a wall or housing 31 that has within it (but possibly not occupying all the space within the wall 31) a storage area 3 for holding aerosol generating material. The volume of the storage area 3 is many or several times smaller than the volume of the reservoir 40, so that the article 30 can be refilled multiple times from a single reservoir 40. The article also includes an inlet orifice or opening 32 by which aerosol generating material can enter the storage area 3. Various other elements may be included in the article, as discussed above with regard to Figure 1. For convenience, the article 30 may be referred to hereinafter as a pod 30.

The housing 52 of the dock also accommodates a fluid conduit 58, being a passage or flow path by which the reservoir 40 and the storage area 3 of the article 30 are placed in fluid communication, so that aerosol generating material can move from the reservoir 40 to the article 30 when both the reservoir 40 and the article 30 are correctly positioned in the dock 50. Placement of the reservoir 40 and the article 30 into the dock 50 locates and engages them such that the fluid conduit 58 is connected between the outlet orifice 44 of the reservoir 40 and the inlet orifice 32 of the article 30. For example, there may be an engagement mechanism (not shown) within the dock 50 that provides relative movement between the article interface and the fluid conduit (which may comprise a nozzle for fluid delivery for example) to engage the fluid conduit with the inlet orifice 32. Note that in some examples, all or part of the fluid conduit 58 may be formed by parts of the reservoir 40 and the article 30, so that the fluid conduit is created and defined only when the reservoir 40 and/or the article 30 are placed in the dock 30. In other cases, the fluid conduit 58 may be a flow path defined within a body of the dock 52, to each end of which the respective orifices are engaged.

Access to the reservoir port 54 and the article port 56 can be by any convenient means. Apertures may be provided in the housing 52 of the dock 50, through which the reservoir 40 and the article 30 can be placed or pushed. Doors or the like may be included to cover the apertures, which might be required to be placed in a closed state to allow refilling to take place. Doors, hatches and other hinged coverings, or sliding access elements such as drawers or trays might include shaped tracks, slots or recesses to receive and hold the reservoir 40 or the article 30, which bring the reservoir 40 or the article 30 into proper alignment inside the housing when the door etc. is closed. These and other alternatives will be apparent to the skilled person, and do not affect the scope of the present disclosure.

The dock 50 also includes an aerosol generating material (“liquid” or “fluid”) transfer mechanism, arrangement, apparatus or means 53, operable to move or cause the movement of fluid out of the reservoir 40, along the conduit 58 and into the article 30. Various options are contemplated for the transfer mechanism 53.

As already noted, a controller 55 is also included in the dock 50. This is operable to control components of the dock 50, in particular to generate and send control signals to operate the transfer mechanism 53. As noted, this may be in response to a user input, such as actuation of a button or switch (not shown) on the housing 52, or automatically in response to both the reservoir 40 and the article 30 being detected as present inside their respective ports 54, 56. The controller 55 may therefore be in communication with contacts and/or sensors (such as the sensing system 59, but otherwise not shown) at the ports 54, 56 in order to obtain data from the ports and/or the reservoir 40 and article 30 that can be used in the generation of control signals for operating the transfer mechanism 53. The controller 55 may comprise a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or any configuration of circuitry, hardware, firmware or software as preferred; various options will be apparent to the skilled person.

Finally, the dock 50 includes a power source 57 to provide electrical power for the controller 53, and any other electrical components that may be included in the dock, such as sensors, user inputs such as switches, buttons or touch panels, and display elements such as light emitting diodes and display screens to convey information about the dock’s operation and status to the user. Also, the transfer mechanism may be electrically powered. Since the dock may be for permanent location in a house or office, the power source 57 may comprise a socket for connection of an electrical mains cable to the dock 50, so that the dock 50 may be “plugged in”. Alternatively, the power source may comprise one or more batteries, which might be replaceable or rechargeable, in which case a socket connection for a charging cable can be included.

Further details relating to article and the article interface will now be described.

To allow refilling of the storage area in articles designed for re-use, the storage area is provided with a fluid inlet orifice accessible from the exterior of the article through which fluid can be introduced into the storage area, for example using a refilling device such as the dock 50 of Figure 2. In order to enable effective refilling of the storage area, it is desirable (but not always essential) for the storage area to also be provided with a venting orifice leading to the exterior of the article through which air can flow out from the storage area as fluid flows in. The incoming fluid displaces the air and forces the air out of the venting orifice. Venting can minimise unwanted pressure build-up in the storage area which can reduce the risk of fluid leakage during refilling. The fluid inlet orifice can be configured for engagement by a fluid delivery nozzle or needle forming part of the fluid conduit 58 in the dock 50. The venting orifice may similarly be configured for engagement with a venting nozzle or needle that carries exiting air away from the article, for dispersal inside or outside the dock. The dock may comprise an engagement mechanism that is operable to cause relative movement between the article and the nozzles in order to engage nozzles with the orifices when the article is in an orientation for filling. The fluid inlet orifice and the venting orifice may be separate and distinct, either located adjacently or on remotely spaced locations on the walls of the storage area. Where separate orifices are included, the orifices may be on a same wall of the storage area, or may be on different walls, including opposite walls. For example, when the article is positioned for refilling, the venting orifice may be on an upwardly facing wall and the fluid inlet orifice may be on a downwardly facing wall to enable fluid to flow in from below during refilling. In other designs, a single orifice may allow for both fluid delivery and air venting, for example if the orifice is large enough that an engaged fluid delivery nozzle or needle does not occupy the whole bore of the venting orifice, leaving space around or adjacent to the nozzle or needle for the outward flow of air. Hence, the article, and the boundary wall(s) defining the storage area within the article, have one or more orifices for the ingress of fluid into the storage area and the egress of air out of the storage area. Note the one or more boundary walls of the storage area may also be outer walls of the article, depending on the location of the storage area within the article.

The volume of a storage area for fluid in an article is usually small, owing to the overall typically compact format of electronic aerosol provision systems. Individual dimensions of the storage area may be small, while the surface area of the storage area boundary walls can be relatively large compared to the small volume. Combined with the sometimes viscous nature of fluid aerosol generating material and related surface tension of the fluid, these factors can lead to the formation of bubbles or pockets of air within a partially filled storage volume that may become trapped in lower parts of the article and/or away from the venting orifice, so that the air cannot escape from the storage area during filling. The presence of air within the storage area can lead to pressurisation within the storage area and related leakage of fluid, underfilling of the storage area, interference with the operation of sensors provided to monitor the fluid level in the storage tank (which may be based on capacitance measurement for example), so that inaccurate fluid level assessment may be used in the control of fluid delivery to the article, leading to underfilling or overfilling, and other issues. Trapped air can cause leakage after refilling if the article is exposed to changes in ambient temperature or pressure (such as during aircraft travel). For example, an increase in temperature can cause the air to expand by a greater amount than would occur for the fluid in a properly fully filled article, increasing pressure in the storage area so that fluid may forced out.

While air pockets may form under various conditions, the issue may be exacerbated by the orientation of the storage area during refilling. Many designs of article have a generally elongate format, so that the storage area within has a similarly elongate format, with one dimension significantly longer than other dimensions. Within a refilling dock it is generally convenient to arrange the movement of fluid from the reservoir to the article to be in a generally downward direction, so as to be gravity-assisted. Hence, the reservoir will be in an upper part of the dock, with the article interface below. In order to reduce the overall height of the dock (to improve stability, for example), an elongate article may therefore be more conveniently received in the article interface in a generally horizontal orientation, with the fluid inlet orifice in the upwardly facing surface of the article. This leads to a larger surface of the storage area also located upwards, so that the air-filled headspace above the fluid occupies a wide and shallow volume, of decreasing depth as refilling progresses. In this geometry, the distance between the upper surface of the fluid and the upper boundary wall of the storage area is small. While the overall amount of air remaining in the storage area may be a relatively large proportion of the total volume of the storage area so that the storage area is not full, surface tension of the fluid can cause air pockets to form as the moving fluid “sticks” to the inside surface of the upper boundary wall of the storage area. If the air pockets are located away from the venting orifice, this air is trapped in the storage area, and the successful completion of refilling is disrupted. Of course, disruptive air pockets may also form during refilling in other locations in the storage area, and under other circumstances, and also for other geometries of article and storage area; the invention is not limited in this respect.

Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of a partially filled article in the article interface of a refilling dock. For simplicity, the remainder of the refilling dock is not shown. The article 30 has a generally elongate format and is received in the article interface 56 in a generally horizontal orientation, so that its longest dimension is horizontal. The article 30 is inserted into and extracted from the article interface 56 along a generally horizontal direction, via an opening 60 in the side of the article interface 56 as indicated by the I/O (in/out) arrow. As noted above, however, the article 30 may have other shapes, may locate in the article interface 56 in other orientations and may be placed in and out of the article interface 56 via other access arrangements.

The article 30 has an internal storage area 3 for receiving and storing fluid 34. In this example, the storage area 3 shares a boundary wall, being an upper boundary wall 37 in the depicted orientation, with an outer wall of the article 30. The upper boundary wall 37 is straight along the horizontal dimension, and is therefore itself horizontal, owing to the horizontal orientation of the article 30. An fluid inlet orifice 32 (inlet) for the ingress of fluid F and a venting orifice 33 (outlet) for the egress of air A are provided in this boundary wall 37. An upper wall 56a of the article interface 56 has an aperture 56b through which the orifices 32, 33 can be accessed during refilling; in other designs, separate apertures 56a might be defined for each orifice, or the article interface 56 may substantially lack an upper wall 56a. The storage area 3 is shown as being partially full of fluid 34. The remaining volume of the storage area 3 is occupied by air. However, rather than occupying a simple headspace between an upper surface of the fluid 34 and the upper boundary wall 37, the air has been broken into disparate air pockets 35, separated by regions of fluid 34 which adhere to the upper boundary by surface tension. The air pockets 35 are not in communication with the venting orifice 33. Accordingly, the supply of further fluid 34 into the storage area 3 will cause compression of the air pockets, an increase in pressure within the storage area 3, and eventual leakage of fluid out of the venting orifice, or the inability for incoming fluid to overcome the internal pressure in the storage area 3 so that fluid inflow ceases. Meanwhile, any monitoring of the fluid amount in the storage area 3 may cause malfunction of automated control of the fluid supply. If a fluid sensor looks only at a part of the storage area 3 containing an air pocket 35, a lower-than- correct fluid level may be determined, indicating that the storage area 3 is not yet full and causing fluid supply to continue, resulting in pressurisation and leakage. If the fluid sensor looks at the part of the storage area 3 near the orifices 32, 33, away from the air pockets 35, the storage area may be determined as being completely full so that fluid supply is terminated before a correct amount of fluid is delivered, and the user obtains an only partially refilled article.

To address these issues, the present disclosure proposes that the article interface in a refilling dock is configured to hold the article in a filling orientation during filling in which the storage area is at an angle, or tilted. This enables the reducing volume of air within the storage to more readily maintain itself as a single volume in a headspace above the fluid, where it can be more effectively vented. By managing the air in this way, refilling can be accomplished more quickly and smoothly, and pressurisation and leakage can be avoided or reduced. The ability to remove more air during refilling has various benefits. The storage area contains a larger proportion of fluid so the refilled article offers more aerosol puffs to the user before the next refill is required. Also, it can obviate potential problems with the heater that can arise in the presence of trapped air. For example, if the orientation of the article is changed after refilling, the bubble of trapped air moves around inside the storage area. If the bubble comes into contact with the wick and/or the heater, air may become trapped in the wick or the heater and potentially interfere with liquid supply to the heater during subsequent puffs. Further, if a trapped air bubble displaces liquid from the wick and heater in this way, there is the risk of opening up an airflow pathway for more air to enter the storage area. This in turn may increase the risk of fluid leaks along other pathways, such as through other parts of the wick.

Holding the storage area at an angle during refilling can be may be considered to be implemented via various definitions, having regard to the relative positions and orientations of parts of the article and the article interface. For example, we may define that the storage area has at least one boundary wall which is straight along at least one dimension, and the article interface is configured to hold the article in a filling orientation during filling (refilling) by the refilling dock in which the boundary wall is placed uppermost with its straight dimension at a non-zero angle to the horizontal, where the non-zero angle is less than 90 degrees. This orientation means that the surface of the fluid in the storage area is non-parallel to the straight dimension of the uppermost boundary wall. Hence, a larger separation of the fluid surface from at least part of the boundary wall is maintained for longer during filling, and surface tension effects causing fracturing of the headspace into separate air pockets can be reduced. In another example, we may define that the storage area has boundary walls including a pair of boundary walls that meet at a juncture (in other words, forming a corner or edge of the storage area), and the article interface is configured to hold the article in a filling orientation during filling (refilling) in which the juncture between the pair of boundary walls is positioned at an uppermost part of the storage area. Again, this has the effect of arranging the fluid surface non-parallel with the wall(s) above it, maintaining a larger separation for longer so that surface tension effects between the fluid and the wall can be reduced.

Holding the article at even a very small angle to the horizontal during refilling can be effective at reducing unwanted effects from air bubbles and air pockets. For example, some benefit can be obtained if the boundary wall with the straight dimension is positioned in the filling orientation to make an angle of just 1 degree with the horizontal. Larger angles will increase the benefit, however, so that an angle in the range of 1 degree to 10 degrees to the horizontal might be chosen. This small angle of tilt does not greatly increase the vertical space required to accommodate the article within the dock, so the overall height of the dock need not be affected much, if at all, by implementing an angled filling orientation. In cases where a larger height increase can be accommodated, or in designs that do not rely on a largely vertical fluid flow path, a larger filling orientation angle might be more appropriate, to increase the benefits provided. For example, angles up to 30 degrees might be enabled. As examples, therefore, in the filling orientation, the straight dimension of the boundary wall may be arranged at an angle in the range of 1 degree to 30 degrees to the horizontal, or may be arranged at an angle in the range of 1 degree to 10 degrees to the horizontal, or may be arranged at an angle in the range of 10 degrees to 30 degrees to the horizontal, or may be arranged at an angle in the range of 20 degrees to 30 degrees to the horizontal, or may be arranged at an angle in the range of 10 degrees to 20 degrees to the horizontal, or may be arranged at an angle in the range of 1 degree to 20 degrees to the horizontal. Larger angles may also be employed, although in articles where adjacent straight boundary walls are at right angles, an angle greater than 45 degrees places the adjacent wall as uppermost and at an angle less than 45 degrees, so the tilt effect balances out between the two sides. Hence, for larger angles, the straight dimension of the boundary wall may be arranged at an angle in the range of 1 degree to 45 degrees to the horizontal, such as 10 degrees to 45 degrees, 20 degrees to 45 degrees, or 30 degrees to 45 degrees.

Figure 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of a partially filled article in the article interface of a refilling dock, shown in a tilted or angled refilling orientation. The elements of the article 30 and the article interface 56 are largely as depicted in and described with respect to Figure 3. The article interface 56 is itself at angle to the horizontal, and the article 30, which fits relatively snugly within the article interface 56, is therefore held at an angle. In particular, the upper boundary wall 37 of the storage area 3 is positioned so that its straight dimension is at a non-zero angle 0 of less than 90 degrees relative to the horizontal direction. As noted above, the angle 0 can take a range of values. This has the effect of placing the surface 34a of the fluid 34 in the storage area non-parallel to the straight dimension of the upper boundary wall 37. Accordingly, the surface 34a is separated from the boundary wall(s) above it for a longer time during filling so that the air 35 between the fluid 34 and the boundary walls can more readily occupy a single headspace volume above the fluid 34, from which it can be vented via the venting orifice 33. Note that the venting orifice 33 is located in a part of the upper boundary wall 37 which is uppermost or near to the highest part of the storage area 3 so that it can remain in airflow communication with the headspace for as long as possible during refilling in order to maximise the venting opportunity and minimise pressure increases. For example, the venting orifice 33 may be located so as to be within an upper 20% of the vertical extent to the storage area 3 when the article in is in filling orientation, although other positions are not excluded.

The upper boundary wall 37 of the storage area 3 has an adjacent boundary wall 37a forming a side of the storage area 3, the two boundary walls meeting at a juncture 38 and defining a corner or edge of the storage area. In the depicted example, the pair of boundary walls 37, 37a meet at a right angle, but in other designs may be arranged at a smaller or large angle relative to one another, depending on the shape of the storage area 3. The juncture 38 may be an angle, where the boundary walls are both planar, or may be smooth if the boundary walls are curved at or near the juncture. The placement of the article 30 at a tilted orientation for filling positions the juncture 38 as an uppermost part of the storage area 3, again allowing a larger separation of fluid surface and boundary wall for longer during refilling so that surface tension effects and the formation of air pockets are reduced. Usefully, therefore, the venting orifice can be located at or proximate to the juncture for optimum access to air that requires venting during filling of the storage area.

In this example, the venting orifice 33 is separate from the fluid inlet orifice 32, and spaced apart therefrom by a relatively large distance along the straight dimension of the upper boundary wall 37 (with two separate corresponding access apertures 56b in the upper wall of the article interface 56, although a single aperture 56b may be provided). This places the venting orifice 33 above or higher than the fluid inlet orifice 32 when the article 30 is in the filling orientation, allowing fluid ingress to be substantially below the fluid surface 34a during at least the latter part of a filling action so that air disruption around the fluid inlet is decreased. Filling from below the surface also reduces disturbance of the fluid surface so that fluid movement and interaction of the fluid with the boundary walls are reduced. This can also be achieved by locating the fluid inlet orifice 32 on a different wall of the storage area 3 such as the bottom wall in the depicted orientation of the article 30. Conversely, other configurations may be adopted, with the two orifices adjacent to one another, or being a common orifice for both filling and venting, as discussed above. A benefit to having the fluid inlet orifice 32 close to the venting orifice 33 and therefore also close to the region in which trapped air is expected to collect (i.e. near the juncture 38) is that incoming fluid is fed directly into the pocket of air 35. This may help to more effectively displace any remaining air, such as by creating turbulence to aid breaking up the volume of air into smaller bubbles which can more easily migrate to the top of the storage area and exit through the venting orifice 33.

In other arrangements, the fluid inlet orifice 32 may be located other than in the upper boundary wall 37, as indeed may be the venting orifice 33. However, for ease of access and communication with nozzles or similar for fluid delivery and air egress, orifices in the upper boundary wall may be preferred.

The article interface 56 may be configured to hold the article 30 in the angled filling orientation such that the article 30 is tiled in one dimension or two dimensions. For example, if the upper boundary wall 37 has the straight dimension described above, which is arranged at the angle 0 to the horizontal, the upper boundary wall 37 may be tilted relative to a horizontal orientation in one dimension only (defined by the angle 0). If the upper boundary wall 37 is planar, or near-planar, with the described straight dimension and a second straight or nearstraight orthogonal dimension, the upper boundary wall 37 may tilted relative to a horizontal orientation along the described straight dimension only, or along both the straight dimensions so that the storage area is tilted or angled in two dimensions. Although potentially more complex as regards accommodating the article within the article interface and the article interface within the refilling dock, this additional tilt direction can further increase the separation between the fluid surface and the inner surface of the boundary walls of the storage area and provide an additional decrease in surface tension effects and increased protection from air pocket formation during filling.

As noted above, the article may have a generally elongate format, with one dimension longer or substantially longer than the orthogonal dimensions. For example, the article may be elongate such that it has a shortest dimension which is about 25% or less of the article’s longest dimension. With such a shape for the article, the storage area within it may also have a generally elongate format, with one longer dimension. Accommodation of the article within the refilling dock may be facilitated by orientating the article within the article interface so that it is generally at least somewhat horizontal, in other words, the longer dimension is at least somewhat horizontal (for example to reduce the overall height of the dock). If the longest dimension of the storage area is along a similar direction to the longest dimension of the article, and the straight dimension of the boundary wall of the storage area is also along this same direction or at least similar to it, the effect of tilting for filling can be exploited in an article configuration that may otherwise suffer from air pocket obstruction during filling in a horizontal orientation. The invention is not limited in this way, however, and the straight dimension of the storage area boundary wall may not be the longest dimension of the storage, and may not be parallel or substantially parallel with any longest dimension of the article. In order to place the article into the filling orientation, with an appropriate tilt or angle, the article interface may be oriented relative to the refilling dock so as to receive the article directly into the filling orientation. In other words, the user placing the article into the article interface also positions the article into the filling orientation; the article interface holds the article such that the article is always in the filling orientation. For example, in the Figure 4 configuration, the article interface 56 may be fixed relative to the refilling dock in the depicted sloped orientation, so that the user inserts the article 30 through the opening 60 via a corresponding opening in the housing of the refilling dock along a downwardly sloping direction so that the article 30 slides into article interface 56 along the slanted direction of the filling orientation. This and similar configurations provide a very simple arrangement with no movement of the article interface or the article relative to the refilling dock being required to properly orient the article.

Alternatively, however, an article reorientation mechanism may be provided in the refilling dock which operates to move the article into the filling orientation after it has been placed into the article interface. The article interface is configured to receive the article into an orientation which differs from the filling orientation, for example the article is held vertically or horizontally or at some angle different from the angle of the filling orientation. Then, the reorientation mechanism operates to move the article into the required tilted orientation for filling. The reorientation mechanism may operate directly on the article and move it within the article interface, or the article may be held fixedly within the article interface with the reorientation mechanism operating on the whole article interface to move the article interface and carrying the article into the filling orientation. After filling is complete, the reorientation mechanism may operate in reverse to return the article interface and/or the article to the original position, ready for removal of the filled article from the article interface by the user. The reorientation mechanism may operate in conjunction with, simultaneously with, or be part of, any engagement mechanism of the refilling dock that operates to provide relative movement between the article and/or the article interface and a nozzle or nozzles for fluid deliver and air venting in order to engage the nozzle(s) with an orifice or orifices of the article’s storage area. Alternatively, the reorientation mechanism may operate independently of any engagement mechanism to orient the article from its received position into the filling orientation before the engagement mechanism operates to engage nozzles and orifices.

The reorientation mechanism may be configured to operate automatically on insertion of the article into the article interface. For example, the article may engage a latch or switch, or make an electrical connection, as it moves into the article interface orwhen it is fully inserted into the article interface, which in turn causes the reorientation mechanism to operate. The same latch, switch, connection or similar may also cause the refilling dock to implement a filling action once the article has been placed into the filling orientation. Alternatively, the refilling dock may comprise a user-operable control such as a switch mounted on the exterior of the refilling dock or a remote signal sendable from a controller device (which may be dedicated or enabled in a personal electronic device such as a mobile phone) which when operated or activated causes the reorientation mechanism to operate, possibly followed by a filling action. In another alternative, the reorientation mechanism may be activated by some intermediate means, such as the closing by the user of a door, hatch or other closure over the opening of the article interface once the article has been inserted into the article interface. The reorientation mechanism may principally provide a tilting, rotating or twisting movement of the article, but some linear motion may also be involved, for example to move an article from a location proximate a slot or other opening in the refilling dock housing through which the user inserts the article to a location deeper within the refilling dock where refilling takes place.

The inclusion of a reorientation mechanism, while making the refilling dock more complex by the need for more moving parts, may be preferred it if enhances the overall design, functionality or operability of the refilling dock. For example, user placement of the article into the article interface may be simpler if a largely horizontal or vertical insertion of the article into the article interface is used, rather than requiring the user to angle the article before insertion.

The reorientation mechanism may be configured or enabled in any practical manner, many examples of which will be apparent to the skilled person. Some examples are now discussed, but these are in no way limiting, and the invention is intended to include other approaches and variations that produce the required movement.

Figure 5 shows a highly simplified and schematic representation of a side view of an example of an article interface with an associated reorientation mechanism. The article and any unrelated features of the article interface are omitted for clarity. The reorientation mechanism operates on the article interface, and comprises a rotatable axle 70, seen in end view, onto which the article interface 56 is fixedly mounted via a side wall 56c of the article interface; in other words the axle 70 does not extend through the article interface 56 since this would prevent insertion of an article into the article interface 56. Movement of the axle 70 causes rotation R of the article interface 56 about the axis of rotation of the axle 70, the rotation R lying in a plane orthogonal to the required tilt angle for moving the article. Accordingly, operation of the axle 70 provides rotational movement of the article interface 56 and any article held in the article interface 56 between a first position shown by the dotted lines in which an article can be inserted into the article interface 56, and a second position shown by the solid lines which places an article held in the article interface into the filling orientation in which an upper boundary wall of the storage area of the article is at an angle to the horizontal as in Figure 4. The axle 70 can be rotated by any convenient means, such as direct driving by an electrical motor, indirect coupling to an electrical motor via one or more cogs or a drive belt, or by manual rotation via a user-operated dial, lever or similar accessible from the exterior of the refilling dock.

Figure 6 shows a highly simplified and schematic representation of a side view of a further example of an article interface with an associated reorientation mechanism. Again, the article and any unrelated features of the article interface are omitted for clarity. Also again, the reorientation mechanism operates on the article interface. In this example, the article interface is again rotatably mounted, in this case to the interior of the refilling dock via a hinge or other rotatable mount 71 at a lower end corner of the article interface 56. Movement of the article interface 56 about the hinge 71 in a rotating direction R allows the article interface to be moved between a first position (dotted lines) in which an article can be inserted into the article interface 56, and a second position (solid lines) in which the article interface 56 is tilted or tipped with respect to the horizontal so that an article held in the article interface 56 is placed in the filling orientation with the upper boundary wall of its storage area at an angle to the horizontal as in Figure 4. Movement of the article interface 56 about the hinge 71 is achieved by a ram, piston or similar lifting device 72 (which may be motor-driven or hydraulically driven for example, or operable manually via a lever accessible from the exterior of the refilling dock) engaged with the underside of a lower wall of 56d of the article interface 56 at a point spaced from the axis of rotation of the hinge 71 . The ram 72 is linearly movable between a retracted position (dotted lines) in which the article interface occupies its first, generally horizontal, position (either supported by the upper end of the retracted ram 72 or otherwise held by part of the refilling dock, and an extended position (solid lines) to which the ram 72 is moved in an upward direction in which it engages with and pushes upwardly on the lower wall 56d of the article 56 until rotation of the article interface 56 places the article interface into the second position. The ram 72 might be omitted, and the movement achieved by direct rotational driving of the hinge 71 , similar to operation of the axle 70 on the Figure 5 example.

Figure 7 shows a highly simplified and schematic representation of a side view of a still further example of an article interface with an associated reorientation mechanism. Unrelated features of the article interface are again omitted for clarity, but the article 30 is shown within the article interface 56, since in this example the reorientation mechanism operates on the article 30 while the article interface 56 remains fixed. The reorientation mechanism comprises a linearly movable ram or similar lifting device 72 as in the Figure 6 example, but in this example, the ram 72 is extendable through an aperture in the lower wall 56d of the article interface so as to push upwards directly on the underside of the article 30 and tip it from a first position (dotted lines) in which it is first received into the article interface 56 into a second position (solid lines) in which the article is in the filling orientation. The article interface 56 is sized and shaped to both accommodate movement of the article between these two positions, and also to constrain the article so that the action of the ram 72 does not shift it to other positions within the article interface 56.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are merely simple examples of reorientation mechanisms, and as mentioned above other such mechanisms can be readily envisaged and are not excluded from the scope of protection.

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 utilised 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. A refilling system comprising: an article of an aerosol provision system, the article comprising a storage area for fluid, one or more orifices for ingress of fluid into the storage area and egress of air out of the storage area, and boundary walls defining the storage area, the boundary walls including a boundary wall which is straight along at least one dimension; and a refilling device for filling the article from a reservoir in the refilling device, the refilling device comprising an article interface for receiving the article and holding the article during filling, wherein the article interface is configured to hold the article in a filling orientation during filling in which the said boundary wall is uppermost and the straight dimension is at a non-zero angle less than 90 degrees to the horizontal, such that a surface of fluid in the storage area is non-parallel to the straight dimension.

2. A refilling system according to claim 1 , wherein the article interface is configured to receive the article directly into the filling orientation.

3. A refilling system according to claim 1, and further comprising an article reorientation mechanism configured to move the article into the refilling orientation after the article interface has received the article.

4. A refilling system according to any preceding claim, wherein in the filling orientation the straight dimension is at an angle in the range of 1 degree to 30 degrees to the horizontal.

5. A refilling system according to claim 4, wherein in the filling orientation the straight dimension is at an angle in the range of 1 degree to 10 degrees to the horizontal.

6. A refilling system according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one boundary wall is planar.

7. A refilling article according to claim 6, wherein in the refilling orientation, the planar boundary wall is tilted relative to a horizontal orientation in one dimension only.

8. A refilling article according to claim 6, wherein in the refilling orientation, the planar boundary wall is tilted relative to a horizontal orientation in two dimensions.

9. A refilling article according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the one or more orifices comprise an inlet for ingress of fluid into the storage area and an outlet for egress of air out of the storage area.

10. A refilling system according to claim 9, wherein in the filling orientation of the article, the outlet is located higher than the inlet.

11. A refilling system according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein in the filling orientation of the article, the outlet is located within an upper 20% of a vertical extent of the storage area.

12. A refilling system according to any one of claims 9 to 11 claim, wherein the outlet is located in the at least one boundary wall.

13 A refilling system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the inlet is located in the at least one boundary wall.

14. A refilling system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the inlet is not located in the at least one boundary wall.

15. A refilling system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the one or more orifices comprise a single orifice for both the ingress of fluid into the storage area and the egress of air out of the storage area.

16. A refilling system according to any preceding claim, wherein the article has a longest dimension which is along a same or similar direction as the straight dimension of the at least one boundary wall.

17. A refilling system according to claim 16, wherein the article has a shortest dimension which is 25% or less of the longest dimension.

18. A refilling system according to any preceding claim, wherein the refilling device further comprises a venting nozzle, and a fluid delivery nozzle in fluid communication with the reservoir, for engagement with the one or more orifices when the article is in the filling orientation.

19. A refilling system according to claim 18, wherein the refilling device further comprises an engagement mechanism operable to provide relative movement between the article interface and the venting nozzle and the fluid delivery nozzle to bring the venting nozzle and the fluid delivery nozzle into engagement with the one or more orifices when the article is in the filling orientation.

20. A refilling system comprising: an article of an aerosol provision system, the article comprising a storage area for fluid, one or more orifices for egress of air out of the storage area and ingress of fluid into the storage area, and boundary walls defining the storage area, the boundary walls including a pair of boundary walls that meet at a juncture; and a refilling device for filling the article from a reservoir in the refilling device, the refilling device comprising an article interface for receiving the article and holding the article during filling, wherein the article interface is configured to hold the article in a filling orientation during filling in which the juncture between the pair of boundary walls is positioned as an uppermost part of the storage area.

21. A refilling system according to claim 20, wherein the article interface is configured to receive the article directly into the filling orientation.

22. A refilling system according to claim 20, and further comprising an article reorientation mechanism configured to move the article into the refilling orientation after the article interface has received the article.

23. A refilling article according to any one of claims 20 to 22, wherein the one or more orifices comprise an inlet for ingress of fluid into the storage area and an outlet for egress of air out of the storage area.

24. A refilling system according to claim 23, wherein in the filling orientation of the article, the outlet is located higher than the inlet.

25. A refilling system according to claim 23 or claim 24, wherein the outlet is located at or proximate to the juncture between the pair of boundary walls.