WO2024132903A1 - Cap assembly for aerosol generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a cap assembly (100) for an aerosol generating device, the cap assembly comprising an outer casing (120), the outer casing including polyphenylene oxide. The present disclosure also provides an aerosol generating device comprising the cap assembly.

Description

TITLE

CAP ASSEMBLY FOR AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE

This application claims priority from EP22214682.1 filed 19 December 2022, the contents and elements of which are herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a cap assembly for an aerosol generating device.

BACKGROUND

A typical aerosol generating device may comprise a power supply, an aerosol generating unit that is driven by the power supply, an aerosol precursor, which in use is aerosolised by the aerosol generating unit to generate an aerosol, and a delivery system for delivery of the aerosol to a user.

A drawback with known aerosol generating devices is that materials from which aerosol generating devices are made may not have the necessary material properties to allow for optimum performance of the aerosol generative devices.

Hence, in spite of the effort already invested in the development of aerosol generating devices, further improvements are desirable.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a cap assembly for an aerosol generating device, the cap assembly comprising an outer casing. In some examples, the outer casing includes polyphenylene oxide. In this way, the outer casing may benefit from the advantageous material properties of polyphenylene oxide. For example, high heat resistance, high heat stability, high impact strength, high shatter resistance, high chemical resistance, high fire resistance, high dimensional stability, low water absorption and low density. The use of polyphenylene oxide may provide a favourable cost to benefit ratio at the desired material operating point compared to alternative materials offering similar material properties. For example, the choice of polyphenylene oxide may provide a suitably high heat resistance at a suitably low material volume at a suitably low cost.

The present inventors have observed that making the outer casing from an alternative material, such as polycarbonate, may lead to cracking of the outer casing, for example, when the outer casing is exposed to repeated thermal cycles, for example, by repeated heating from a heat source located within the outer casing. The present inventors have observed that an outer casing at least partly made from polyphenylene oxide may not suffer the same cracking problem as was observed to occur with a polycarbonate outer casing. The present inventors have also observed that the outer casing may be most susceptible to cracking where it is exposed along a clear line of sight to a heat source. It may therefore be advantageous to include polyphenylene oxide in locations of the outer casing that are exposed along a clear line of sight to a heat source. The combination of high dimensional stability and high heat resistance may allow a smaller volume of material to be used to manufacture the outer casing whilst achieving the same functionality. A clear line of sight may be understood to be an uninterrupted view between two points. In the above context, a clear line of sight may be understood to be an uninterrupted view between a point of the outer casing and a heat source when a consumable is not inserted into the outer casing.

The material polyphenylene oxide may be written as Poly(p-phenylene oxide) and may be abbreviated to PPO. The material polyphenylene may also be known as polyphenylene ether which may be written as poly(p-phenylene ether) and may be abbreviated to PPE. The material polyphenylene oxide may be referred to as a high-temperature thermoplastic.

In some examples, the outer casing includes a blend of polyphenylene oxide and polystyrene. In this way, the material performance of the outer casing may be improved. In some examples, the type of polystyrene used is high impact polystyrene which may be abbreviated to HIPS. In some examples, the outer casing includes NORYL™ resin. In some examples, the blend of polyphenylene oxide and polystyrene is glass reinforced. In some examples, the blend of polyphenylene oxide and polystyrene is at least 10% glass reinforced. In some examples, the blend of polyphenylene oxide and polystyrene is at least 20% glass reinforced. Glass reinforcement may improve the mechanical strength of the material and consequently the outer casing.

In some examples, the outer casing includes one or more heat dissipation elements. In this way, the efficiency of the cap assembly may be improved since less heat may be dissipated to the surrounding environment. Further, the one or more heat dissipation elements may protect the outer casing from heat exposure that may allow the thickness of the outer casing to be reduced. Including polyphenylene oxide in the outer casing may combine synergistically with these features to allow the cost of the cap assembly to be reduced because reducing the heat exposure of the outer casing may allow polyphenylene oxide to be included without suffering degradation due to high heat exposure. In other words, the choice of polyphenylene oxide for the cap assembly may represent an optimum choice that balances a suitable level of heat resistance with a suitable material volume at a suitable cost. The choice of materials used for any product is inherently a trade-off between material performance and material cost and in this way the present inventors believe they have identified an optimum selection and use of the material polyphenylene oxide within a cap assembly for an aerosol generating device. In some examples, at least one of the heat dissipation elements is a metallic plate. In some examples, the one or more heat dissipation elements are positioned parallel to an external surface of the outer casing. In some examples, the one or more heat dissipation elements are positioned adjacent to an internal surface of the outer casing. In some examples, the one or more heat dissipation elements are held within the outer casing via friction. In some examples, the one or more heat dissipation elements are held within the outer casing via one or more clips.

In some examples, the aerosol generating device is configured to deliver an aerosol to a user for inhalation by the user. In this way, chemical substances, for example nicotine, may be delivered to a user for inhalation.

In some examples, the aerosol generating device is configured to generate an aerosol via the heating of an aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol forming substrate may be a solid precursor. The solid precursor may include tobacco. An item for use with the aerosol generating device where the item includes an aerosol-forming substrate may be referred to as a consumable. In this way, chemical substances, for example nicotine, present in the aerosol-forming substrate may be aerosolised to form an aerosol. This aerosol may be delivered to a user for inhalation.

In some examples, the cap assembly further comprises an inner chassis. In some examples, the inner chassis includes polyetheretherketone. In some examples, the inner chassis is located within the outer casing. In this way, the inner chassis may benefit from the advantageous material properties of polyetheretherketone. For example, high heat resistance, high heat stability, high impact strength, high shatter resistance, high chemical resistance, high fire resistance, high biodegradation resistance, low water absorption and low density. The use of polyetheretherketone may provide a favourable cost to benefit ratio at the desired material operating point compared to alternative materials offering similar material properties.

The present inventors have observed that polyetheretherketone is highly suitable for use in a component in close proximity to a heat source because it is less susceptible to degradation upon heating or upon repeated exposure to heating cycles. The present inventors have also observed that other materials such as polyphenylene oxide also exhibit a high degree of heat resistance but are notably more affordable than polyetheretherketone. The present inventors have therefore observed that using a combination of materials in different locations, for example, depending on their proximity to a heat source, may result in a cap assembly that has both high heat resilience as well as affordability.

The material polyetheretherketone may be written as polyether ether ketone and may be abbreviated to PEEK. The material polyetheretherketone may be referred to as a high-temperature thermoplastic.

In some examples, the inner chassis may contain two or more sections separated by thermal insulation. In this way, the outer casing may be better thermally insulated such that the likelihood of the outer casing degrading due to heat exposure may be reduced. In some examples, the thermal insulation is an air gap. In some examples, the one or more heat dissipation elements are positioned between the inner chassis and the outer casing. In this way, the outer casing may be better insulated from the inner chassis which may prevent the outer casing from degrading from heat exposure. The use of one or more heat dissipation elements may improve the lifespan of the outer casing by reducing the magnitude of the thermal loading the outer casing experiences.

In some examples, the inner chassis includes: an inner wall defining a consumable-receiving cavity and an outer wall located between the inner wall and the outer casing, the outer wall defining an insulating cavity, the insulating cavity located between the consumable-receiving cavity and the outer casing to provide thermal insulation between the consumable-receiving cavity and the outer casing. In some examples, the consumable-receiving cavity is configured to receive a heater and engage with a consumable, the consumable including an aerosol generating substrate for heating by the heater. In some examples, the inner wall and the outer wall are integrally formed from the same material.

In this way, heat exposure to the outer casing may be reduced which may allow the outer casing to include polyphenylene oxide which may not be as heat resistant as other materials such as polyetheretherketone but may be more affordable than other materials such as polyetheretherketone so the use of polyphenylene oxide where possible may reduce the overall cost of the cap assembly. In this way, user experience may be enhanced, as the outer casing may reside at a lower temperature, which may, for example, improve a user experience and safety. Further, the efficiency of the cap assembly may be improved since less heat may be dissipated to the surrounding environment. Further, the manufacture of the aerosol generating device may be simplified. Further, the consumable-receiving cavity may allow for simple entry of a consumable into the inner chassis.

Defining a cavity may mean delimiting a cavity. The inner wall may delimit the consumable-receiving cavity. The inner surface of the inner wall may delimit the consumable-receiving cavity. The outer wall may delimit the insulating cavity. The inner surface of the outer wall and the outer surface of the inner wall may together delimit the insulating cavity.

In some examples, the inner chassis further comprises an insulation opening into the insulating cavity, the insulation opening connecting the insulating cavity to ambient atmosphere. In other words, in some examples the insulating cavity is not fully enclosed. In this way, the manufacture of the cap assembly may be simplified. In particular, moulding of the inner chassis may be facilitated. For example, the mould from which the inner chassis may be formed may comprise a protruding element which creates the insulating cavity. The protruding element may be connected to another portion of the mould, creating the insulation opening.

In some examples, the insulating cavity and the consumable-receiving cavity open towards opposite directions. In this way, the manufacture of the aerosol generating device may be simplified. In particular, moulding of the inner chassis may be facilitated. For example, the ease of ejection of injection moulded components may be improved.

In some examples, the inner wall is tapered. In other words, in some examples the inner wall is thicker at a first end of the inner wall than at a second end of the inner wall. The first end of the inner wall may be adjacent to a consumable-receiving aperture. The second end of the inner wall may be adjacent to a base of the inner wall which is configured to engage with a heater. In this way, the manufacture of the cap assembly may be simplified. For example, the moulding of the inner chassis may be facilitated. For example, the ease of ejection of injection moulded components may be improved.

In some examples, the outer wall is tapered. In other words, in some examples the outer wall is thicker at a first end of the inner wall than at a second end of the outer wall. The first end of the outer wall may be the end closest to a consumable-receiving aperture. The second end of the outer wall may be adjacent to a base of the outer wall which is configured to engage with a heater. In this way, the manufacture of the cap assembly may be simplified. For example, the moulding of the inner chassis may be facilitated. For example, the ease of ejection of injection moulded components may be improved.

In some examples, the insulating cavity is tapered. In other words, in some examples the insulating cavity is wider at a second end of the insulating cavity than at a first end of the insulating cavity. The first end of the insulating cavity may be the end closest to a consumable-receiving aperture. The second end of the insulating cavity may be adjacent to a base of the outer wall which is configured to engage with a heater. In this way, the manufacture of the cap assembly may be simplified. For example, the moulding of the inner chassis may be facilitated. For example, the ease of ejection of injection moulded components may be improved.

In some examples, the tapering of the insulating cavity is a result of the inner wall being tapered. In some examples, the tapering of the insulating cavity is a result of the outer wall being tapered. In some examples, the tapering of the insulating cavity is a result of both the inner wall and the outer wall being tapered.

In some examples, the consumable-receiving cavity is tapered. In other words, in some examples the consumable-receiving cavity is wider at a first end of the consumable-receiving cavity than at a second end of the consumable-receiving cavity. The first end of the consumable-receiving cavity may be adjacent to a consumable-receiving aperture. The second end of the consumable-receiving cavity may be adjacent to a base of the inner wall which is configured to engage with a heater. In this way, the manufacture of the cap assembly may be simplified. For example, the moulding of the consumable engagement component may be facilitated. For example, the ease of ejection of injection moulded components may be improved. In some examples, the tapering of the consumable-receiving cavity is a result of the inner wall being tapered. In some examples, the direction along which the insulating cavity is tapered is opposite to the direction along which the outer wall is tapered. In some examples, the direction along which the insulating cavity is tapered is opposite to the direction along which the inner wall is tapered.

In some examples, the consumable-receiving cavity and the insulating cavity are longitudinally elongate in the same direction. The respective longitudinal axes of the consumable-receiving cavity and the insulating cavity may be aligned. In this way, the manufacture of the cap assembly may be simplified. For example, the moulding of the inner chassis may be facilitated. For example, the ease of ejection of injection moulded components may be improved.

In some examples, the aerosol generating device further comprises a heater, wherein the inner chassis is configured to receive at least a portion of the heater. In this way, the heater may be used to heat a consumable located within the inner chassis in order to generate an aerosol. The consumable may include an aerosol-forming substrate that may form an aerosol upon heating.

In some examples, the inner chassis includes a heater-receiving aperture. In this way, a portion of the heater may be located within the inner chassis whilst a different portion of the heater may be located outside of the inner chassis.

In some examples, the inner chassis is integrally formed from polyetheretherketone. In this way, ease of manufacture may be improved by forming the inner chassis from a single piece of material and thus potentially reducing the number of separate parts to be assembled. Integrally forming the inner chassis may lead to the inner chassis structure having improved mechanical strength thus potentially reducing the volume of material required thus potentially reducing the cost of material required.

In some examples, the outer casing is integrally formed from polyphenylene oxide. In this way, ease of manufacture may be improved by forming the outer casing from a single piece of material and thus potentially reducing the number of separate parts to be assembled. Integrally forming the outer casing may lead to the outer casing structure having improved mechanical strength thus potentially reducing the volume of material required thus potentially reducing the cost of material required.

In some examples, the outer casing includes a consumable-receiving aperture. In this way, at least a part of a consumable may be inserted into the inner chassis through the consumable-receiving aperture.

In some examples, the consumable-receiving aperture may generally conform to an external surface of a consumable. In this way, the consumable-receiving aperture may support the consumable when the consumable is inserted through the consumable-receiving aperture. There may be a friction fit between the consumable and the consumable-receiving aperture. The friction fit may prevent the consumable from falling out of the consumable-receiving aperture.

In some examples, the cap assembly further comprises a closure wherein the consumable-receiving aperture is selectably occluded by the closure. In this way, debris may be prevented from entering the inner chassis at the discretion of a user.

In some examples, the closure includes polyphenylene oxide. In this way, the closure may benefit from the aforementioned material properties of polyphenylene oxide.

In some examples, the closure includes a blend of polyphenylene oxide and polystyrene. In this way, the material performance of the outer casing may be improved. In some examples, the type of polystyrene used is high impact polystyrene which may be abbreviated to HIPS.

In some examples, the closure is integrally formed from polyphenylene oxide. In this way, ease of manufacture may be improved by forming the closure from a single piece of material and thus potentially reducing the number of separate parts to be assembled. Integrally forming the closure may lead to the closure structure having improved mechanical strength thus potentially reducing the volume of material required thus potentially reducing the cost of material required.

In some examples, an external surface of the closure is flush with an external surface of the outer casing. In this way, the likelihood of accidental transitioning of the closure between an open position where the consumable-receiving aperture is exposed and a closed position where the consumablereceiving aperture is occluded may be reduced.

In some examples, the closure includes a mounting mechanism. In this way, the closure may be mounted to either the outer casing or the inner chassis. In some examples, the closure includes one or more mounting pegs. In some examples, the inner chassis includes one or more peg-receiving slots. In some examples, each mounting peg is located within a respective peg-receiving slot such that the closure is mounted to the inner chassis. In some examples, the outer casing includes one or more peg-receiving slots. In some examples, each mounting peg is located within a respective pegreceiving slot such that the closure is mounted to the outer casing.

In some examples, the inner chassis includes a consumable-receiving cavity, wherein the consumable-receiving aperture is an entrance to the consumable-receiving cavity. In this way, a consumable may be inserted into the consumable-receiving cavity via the consumable-receiving aperture.

In some examples, the closure is pivotably mounted adjacent to the consumable-receiving aperture and selectably pivotable relative to the outer casing about a pivot axis to adopt an open position where the consumable-receiving aperture is exposed and a closed position where the consumablereceiving aperture is occluded. In this way, debris may be prevented from entering the inner chassis.

In some examples, the cap assembly further comprises a closure control mechanism configured to control the position of the closure to be bistable such that: the open position is a stable equilibrium position; the closed position is a stable equilibrium position; and the intermediate position is an unstable equilibrium position. In this way, ease of operation of the closure may be improved.

In some examples, the closure control mechanism urges the closure into the open position. In this way, the functionality of the cap assembly may be improved. For example, the closure may automatically move into and be held in the open position. This may be useful, for example, when cleaning the consumable-receiving cavity.

In some examples, the closure control mechanism urges the closure into the closed position. In this way, the functionality of the cap assembly may be improved. For example, the closure may automatically move into and be held in the closed position. This may be useful, for example, in preventing unwanted debris from entering the consumable-receiving cavity.

The term adopt may be understood to mean reside stably in the referenced position. The term adopt may be understood to mean to move into and then reside stably in the referenced position. For example, if the closure was moved by a user from the intermediate position between the open position and the closed position towards the open position, then there may be a point where the closure would experience a force and/or a torque encouraging it to move towards and then stably reside in the open position. For example, if the closure was moved by a user from the intermediate position between the open position and the closed position towards the closed position, then there may be a point where the closure would experience a force and/or a torque encouraging it to move towards and then stably reside in the closed position. It should be clear that the two examples described above are not mutually exclusive and a single cap assembly according to the present disclosure could urge the closure into both the open position and the closed position.

In some examples, the closure control mechanism includes a lower sub-mechanism positioned to urge the closure into the open position. In this way, the functionality of the cap assembly may be improved, for example, by preventing accidental transitioning between the open position and the closed position. This may be useful when cleaning the consumable-receiving cavity. The term lower in this context is used for identification purposes only and should not be interpreted to convey any functional purpose.

In some examples, the closure control mechanism includes an upper sub-mechanism positioned to urge the closure into the closed position. In this way, the functionality of the cap assembly may be improved, for example, by preventing accidental transitioning between the closed position and the open position. This may be useful in order to prevent unwanted debris from entering the consumablereceiving cavity. The term upper in this context is used for identification purposes only and should not be interpreted to convey any functional purpose.

In some examples, each sub-mechanism includes a first magnetic element and a second magnetic element wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are either respectively: a first magnet and a second magnet; or a magnet and a ferromagnetic element; or a ferromagnetic element and a magnet. In this way, each sub-mechanism may urge the closure via magnetic attraction between the first magnetic element in a first location and the second magnetic element in a second location. The use of magnetic elements may result in improved durability of the cap assembly.

In some examples, the first portion of the closure contains the first magnetic element of the lower submechanism and the outer casing contains the second magnetic element of the lower sub-mechanism such that the closure is urged into the open position. In this way, when the closure is moved past the intermediate position towards the open position, a magnetic attraction between the first magnetic element of the lower sub-mechanism and the second magnetic element of the lower sub-mechanism may be the dominant force/torque acting on the closure such that the closure is urged into the open position. The location of the second magnetic element of the lower sub-mechanism in the outer casing may be chosen such that, when the closure is in the open position, the first magnetic element of the lower sub-mechanism and the second magnetic element of the lower sub-mechanism are in close proximity to one another such that the magnetic attraction between these two magnetic elements dominates any other forces/torques acting on the closure originating from the closure control mechanism. In some examples, the second magnetic element is positioned adjacent to the consumable-receiving cavity.

In some examples, the closure includes a first magnetic element receiving cavity housing a first magnetic element and a second magnetic element receiving cavity housing a second magnetic element. In this way, the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element may be retained within the closure. In some examples, each magnetic element is retained within the respective magnetic element receiving cavity by a friction push fit. In some examples, each magnetic element receiving cavity includes at least one deformable element. In this way, internal stress within the closure may be reduced thus potentially reducing the likelihood of crack propagation. A crush rib is an example of a deformable element.

The present inventors have observed that including at least one deformable element within each magnetic element receiving cavity in combination with manufacturing the closure from polyphenylene oxide may reduce the likelihood of crack propagation in the closure. The present inventors have observed that a closure made of polycarbonate without the inclusion of deformable elements may suffer from crack propagation due to internal stress, for example, caused by the insertion and retention of the magnetic elements within the magnetic element receiving cavities of the closure. The present inventors have observed that thermal cycling of the closure due to repeated exposure to a heat source may further exacerbate crack propagation in a polycarbonate closure. For at least this reason, there may be benefit in forming the closure from polyphenylene oxide and including at least one deformable element within each respective magnetic element receiving cavity.

In some examples, the at least one deformable element is formed in a surface of the closure delimiting the magnetic element receiving cavity. In this way, ease of closure manufacture may be improved. In some examples, each magnetic element receiving cavity includes a plurality of deformable elements. In this way, retention of the magnetic element within the magnetic element receiving cavity may be improved. Also in this way, induced stress in a surface of the closure delimiting the magnetic element receiving cavity may be reduced. In some examples, the plurality of deformable elements are evenly distributed with respect to a perimeter of the magnetic element receiving cavity. In some examples, the at least one deformable element is aligned with an insertion direction of the magnetic element into the magnetic element receiving cavity. In this way, the magnetic element may be better retained by the at least one deformable element.

In some examples, a surface of the inner chassis that defines the consumable-receiving cavity includes polyetheretherketone. In this way, the part of the inner chassis that defines the consumablereceiving cavity may benefit from the aforementioned material properties of polyetheretherketone. Also in this way, the outer casing may be better thermally insulated from the consumable-receiving cavity which may prevent degradation of the outer casing. In some examples, the heater has a nonuniform rotational heating profile about a longitudinal axis of the heater. In this way, ease of heater manufacturing may be improved. In some examples, the part of the inner chassis that defines the consumable-receiving cavity includes polyetheretherketone at locations where the nonuniform rotational heating profile exceeds a predetermined threshold.

In some examples, the cap assembly further comprises one or more engagement mechanisms such that the inner chassis is retained within the outer casing by the one or more engagement mechanisms. The one or more engagement mechanisms may comprise one or more projections. The one or more engagement mechanisms may comprise one or more respective projection-receiving cavities. The projections may be located on the inner chassis, the outer casing or both. The projection-receiving cavities may be located within the inner chassis, the outer casing or both.

In some examples, the inner chassis and the outer casing both comprise respective complementary interlocking elements. In this way, the inner chassis may be retained within the outer casing. An example of a complementary interlocking element would be a threaded hole and a screw or bolt.

In some examples, the inner chassis is retained within the outer casing via one or more screws. In this way, ease of assembly may be improved by allowing the inner chassis and outer casing to be attached together in a faster and more efficient manner. In some examples, the inner chassis is retained within the outer casing by one screw. In some examples, the one screw may be configured to facilitate partial movement of the inner chassis within the outer casing.

In some examples, at least one of the one or more screws is located through the inner chassis. In this way, the inner chassis may be better retained within the outer casing because the likelihood of the screw becoming separated from the inner chassis may be reduced.

In some examples, the inner chassis is retained within the outer casing via one or more clips. In this way, ease of assembly may be improved by allowing the inner chassis and outer casing to be attached together in a faster and more efficient manner. In some examples, the one or more clips are located adjacent to the consumable-receiving cavity.

In some examples, the inner chassis is retained within the outer casing by two clips. In some examples, the inner chassis is retained within the outer casing by two clips and a screw. In some examples, the two clips and screw are located on opposing sides of the consumable-receiving cavity. In this way, the inner chassis may be assembled with the outer casing by first engaging the inner chassis with the outer casing via the two clips and then pivoting the inner chassis about the two clips such that the screw at least partially fixes the inner chassis to the outer casing.

In some examples, one or more layers of thermal insulation is included between the inner chassis and outer casing. In this way, the heat transfer coefficient between the inner chassis and outer casing may be reduced thereby potentially preventing a user from being burnt. The one or more layers of thermal insulation may include an air gap.

The present disclosure also provides an aerosol generating device comprising a cap assembly according to the present disclosure. In this way, the aforementioned advantageous material properties of polyphenylene oxide may, for example, prevent a user of the aerosol generating device from being burnt. The use of polyphenylene oxide may, also for example, prevent cracking of the outer casing and thereby extend the usable life of the aerosol generating device. Example beneficial material properties of polyphenylene oxide include, high heat resistance, high heat stability, high impact strength, high shatter resistance, high chemical resistance, high fire resistance, high dimensional stability, low water absorption and low density.

In some examples, the aerosol generating device further comprises an outer shell. In some examples, the outer shell is metallic. In some examples, the outer shell extends to at least partially surround the outer casing. In some examples, the outer shell makes contact with the outer casing such that heat may be transferred from the outer casing to the outer shell. In this way, the outer shell may act as a heat sink and dissipate heat away from the outer casing. This may increase the lifespan of the outer casing by reducing the magnitude of the thermal loading the outer casing experiences. In this way, the aerosol generating device may be more appealing to customers.

In some examples, the one or more heat dissipation elements may each make contact with the outer shell. In this way, heat absorbed by the one or more heat dissipation elements may be conducted away from the outer casing and dissipated via the outer shell. Also in this way, the lifespan of the outer casing may be improved by reducing the thermal loading.

In some examples, the aerosol generating device further comprises a heater wherein at least a portion of the heater is positioned within the inner chassis of the cap assembly. In this way, a consumable at least partially located in the inner chassis may be heated by the heater such that an aerosol may be produced.

In some examples, the heater has an elongate shape. For example, the heater may have a rod shape or a blade shape. In this way, the heater may better heat a consumable by providing more uniform heating of the consumable. This may lead to improved aerosol generation by the aerosol generating device.

In some examples, the cap assembly is moveable relative to the aerosol generating device. In this way, the heater may move relative to the cap assembly such that the degree to which the heater is inserted into the inner chassis may be adjusted. This may be useful, for example, when cleaning the inner chassis of the cap assembly.

In some examples, the one or more heat dissipation elements maintain contact with the outer shell when the cap assemble is moved relative to the aerosol generating device. In this way, heat may be conducted away from the outer casing irrespective of the position of the cap assembly relative to the aerosol generating device.

In some examples, the cap assembly is slidably mounted to the aerosol generating device. In some examples, the cap assembly can move relative to the body between a lowered position and a raised position. In this way, the cap assembly may facilitate the disengagement of a consumable with the heater. In this way, debris may be removed from the heater as it moves relative to the heaterreceiving aperture.

In some examples, at least a portion of the heater is located within the consumable-receiving cavity. In this way, a consumable located in the consumable-receiving cavity may be heated by at least a portion of the heater to produce an aerosol that may be inhaled by a user.

In some examples, the cap assembly is slidably movable between a first position relative to the aerosol generating device and a second position relative to the aerosol generating device, wherein, when in the first position, at least a portion of the heater is located within the consumable-receiving cavity.

In some examples, when in the first position, at least a portion of the heater is located within the consumable-receiving cavity and when in the second position, the heater is at least partially located outside the consumable-receiving cavity. In this way, the heater may be made more accessible for cleaning.

In some examples, the heater is rigidly attached to a body of the aerosol generating device such that when the cap assembly is moved relative to the body, the cap assembly also moves relative to the heater. In this way, the heater may be exposed to allow for cleaning.

The preceding summary is provided for purposes of summarizing some examples to provide a basic understanding of aspects of the subject matter described herein. Accordingly, the above-described features should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way. Moreover, the above and/or proceeding examples may be combined in any suitable combination to provide further examples, except where such a combination is clearly impermissible or expressly avoided. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following text and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of examples in reference to the appended drawings in which like numerals denote like elements.

Fig. 1 is a block system diagram showing an example aerosol generating apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a block system diagram showing an example implementation of the apparatus of Fig. 1 , where the aerosol generating apparatus is configured to generate aerosol from a solid precursor;

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example implementation of the apparatus of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4A is a rendering of an example implementation of a cap assembly according to the present disclosure;

Fig. 4B is an exploded view showing the cap assembly of Fig. 4A;

Fig. 5A is a rendering of a bottom view of the closure of the cap assembly of Fig. 4A;

Fig. 5B is a rendering of a top view of the outer casing of the cap assembly of Fig. 4A;

Fig. 6 is a rendering of the outer casing of the cap assembly of Fig. 4A;

Fig. 7 is a partial view of a rendering of the outer casing of the cap assembly of Fig. 4A;

Fig. 8A is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of the inner chassis of the cap assembly of Fig. 4A;

Fig. 8B is a rendering of the inner chassis of the cap assembly of Fig. 4A;

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of the cap assembly of Fig. 4A with the closure in an open position; and

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of the cap assembly of Fig. 4A with the closure in a closed position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Before describing several examples implementing the present disclosure, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited by specific construction details or process steps set forth in the following description and accompanying drawings. Rather, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure that the systems, apparatuses and/or methods described herein could be embodied differently and/or be practiced or carried out in various alternative ways.

Unless otherwise defined herein, scientific and technical terms used in connection with the presently disclosed inventive concept(s) shall have the meanings that are commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, and known techniques and procedures may be performed according to conventional methods well known in the art and as described in various general and more specific references that may be cited and discussed in the present specification.

Any patents, published patent applications, and non-patent publications mentioned in the specification are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

All examples implementing the present disclosure can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While particular examples have been described, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the systems, apparatus, and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the methods described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the inventive concept(s). All such similar substitutions and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the inventive concept(s) as defined by the appended claims.

The use of the term “a” or “an” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” as well as “one or more,” “at least one,” and “one or more than one.” As such, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the,” as well as all singular terms, include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Likewise, plural terms shall include the singular unless otherwise required by context.

The use of the term “or” in the present disclosure (including the claims) is used to mean an inclusive “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or unless the alternatives are mutually exclusive. For example, a condition “A or B” is satisfied by any of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising, “having,” “including,” or “containing” (and any forms thereof, such as “comprise” and “comprises,” “have” and “has,” “includes” and “include,” or “contains” and “contain,” respectively) are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. Unless otherwise explicitly stated as incompatible, or the physics or otherwise of the embodiments, examples, or claims prevent such a combination, the features of examples disclosed herein, and of the claims, may be integrated together in any suitable arrangement, especially ones where there is a beneficial effect in doing so. This is not limited to only any specified benefit, and instead may arise from an “ex post facto” benefit. This is to say that the combination of features is not limited by the described forms, particularly the form (e.g. numbering) of example(s), embodiment(s), or dependency of claim(s). Moreover, this also applies to the phrase “in one embodiment,” “according to an embodiment,” and the like, which are merely a stylistic form of wording and are not to be construed as limiting the following features to a separate embodiment to all other instances of the same or similar wording. This is to say, a reference to ‘an,’ ‘one,’ or ‘some’ embodiment(s) may be a reference to any one or more, and/or all embodiments, or combination(s) thereof, disclosed. Also, similarly, the reference to “the” embodiment may not be limited to the immediately preceding embodiment. Further, all references to one or more embodiments or examples are to be construed as non-limiting to the claims.

The present disclosure may be better understood in view of the following explanations, wherein the terms used that are separated by “or” may be used interchangeably:

As used herein, an "aerosol generating apparatus" (or “electronic(e)-cigarette’) may be an apparatus configured to deliver an aerosol to a user for inhalation by the user. The apparatus may additionally/alternatively be referred to as a “smoking substitute apparatus”, if it is intended to be used instead of a conventional combustible smoking article. As used herein a combustible “smoking article” may refer to a cigarette, cigar, pipe or other article, that produces smoke (an aerosol comprising solid particulates and gas) via heating above the thermal decomposition temperature (typically by combustion and/or pyrolysis). An aerosol generated by the apparatus may comprise an aerosol with particle sizes of 0.2 - 7 microns, or less than 10 microns, or less than 7 microns. This particle size may be achieved by control of one or more of: heater temperature; cooling rate as the vapour condenses to an aerosol; flow properties including turbulence and velocity. The generation of aerosol by the aerosol generating apparatus may be controlled by an input device. The input device may be configured to be user-activated, and may for example include or take the form of an actuator (e.g. actuation button) and/or an airflow sensor.

Each occurrence of the aerosol generating apparatus being caused to generate aerosol for a period of time (which may be variable) may be referred to as an “activation” of the aerosol generating apparatus. The aerosol generating apparatus may be arranged to allow an amount of aerosol delivered to a user to be varied per activation (as opposed to delivering a fixed dose of aerosol), e.g. by activating an aerosol generating unit of the apparatus for a variable amount of time, e.g. based on the strength/duration of a draw of a user through a flow path of the apparatus (to replicate an effect of smoking a conventional combustible smoking article). The aerosol generating apparatus may be portable. As used herein, the term "portable" may refer to the apparatus being for use when held by a user.

As used herein, an "aerosol generating system" may be a system that includes an aerosol generating apparatus and optionally other circuitry /components associated with the function of the apparatus, e.g. one or more external devices and/or one or more external components (here “external” is intended to mean external to the aerosol generating apparatus). As used herein, an “external device” and “external component” may include one or more of a: a charging device, a mobile device (which may be connected to the aerosol generating apparatus, e.g. via a wireless or wired connection); a networked-based computer (e.g. a remote server); a cloud-based computer; any other server system.

An example aerosol generating system may be a system for managing an aerosol generating apparatus. Such a system may include, for example, a mobile device, a network server, as well as the aerosol generating apparatus.

As used herein, an "aerosol" may include a suspension of precursor, including as one or more of: solid particles; liquid droplets; gas. Said suspension may be in a gas including air. An aerosol herein may generally refer to/include a vapour. An aerosol may include one or more components of the precursor.

As used herein, a “precursor” may include one or more of a: liquid; solid; gel; loose leaf material; other substance. The precursor may be processed by an aerosol generating unit of an aerosol generating apparatus to generate an aerosol. The precursor may include one or more of: an active component; a carrier; a flavouring. The active component may include one or more of nicotine; caffeine; a cannabidiol oil; a non-pharmaceutical formulation, e.g. a formulation which is not for treatment of a disease or physiological malfunction of the human body. The active component may be carried by the carrier, which may be a liquid, including propylene glycol and/or glycerine. The term “flavouring” may refer to a component that provides a taste and/or a smell to the user. The flavouring may include one or more of: Ethylvanillin (vanilla); menthol, Isoamyl acetate (banana oil); or other. The precursor may include a substrate, e.g. reconstituted tobacco to carry one or more of the active component; a carrier; a flavouring.

As used herein, a "storage portion" may be a portion of the apparatus adapted to store the precursor. It may be implemented as fluid-holding reservoir or carrier for solid material depending on the implementation of the precursor as defined above.

As used herein, a "flow path" may refer to a path or enclosed passageway through an aerosol generating apparatus, e.g. for delivery of an aerosol to a user. The flow path may be arranged to receive aerosol from an aerosol generating unit. When referring to the flow path, upstream and downstream may be defined in respect of a direction of flow in the flow path, e.g. with an outlet being downstream of an inlet.

As used herein, a "delivery system" may be a system operative to deliver an aerosol to a user. The delivery system may include a mouthpiece and a flow path.

As used herein, a "flow" may refer to a flow in a flow path. A flow may include aerosol generated from the precursor. The flow may include air, which may be induced into the flow path via a puff by a user.

As used herein, a “puff” (or "inhale" or “draw”) by a user may refer to expansion of lungs and/or oral cavity of a user to create a pressure reduction that induces flow through the flow path.

As used herein, an "aerosol generating unit" may refer to a device configured to generate an aerosol from a precursor. The aerosol generating unit may include a unit to generate a vapour directly from the precursor (e.g. a heating system or other system) or an aerosol directly from the precursor (e.g. an atomiser including an ultrasonic system, a flow expansion system operative to carry droplets of the precursor in the flow without using electrical energy or other system). A plurality of aerosol generating units to generate a plurality of aerosols (for example, from a plurality of different aerosol precursors) may be present in an aerosol generating apparatus.

As used herein, a “heating system” may refer to an arrangement of at least one heating element, which is operable to aerosolise a precursor once heated. The at least one heating element may be electrically resistive to produce heat from the flow of electrical current therethrough. The at least one heating element may be arranged as a susceptor to produce heat when penetrated by an alternating magnetic field. The heating system may be configured to heat a precursor to below 300 or 350 degrees C, including without combustion.

As used herein, a "consumable" may refer to a unit that includes a precursor. The consumable may include an aerosol generating unit, e.g. it may be arranged as a cartomizer. The consumable may include a mouthpiece. The consumable may include an information carrying medium. With liquid or gel implementations of the precursor, e.g. an e-liquid, the consumable may be referred to as a “capsule” or a “pod” or an “e-liquid consumable”. The capsule/pod may include a storage portion, e.g. a reservoir or tank, for storage of the precursor. With solid material implementations of the precursor, e.g. tobacco or reconstituted tobacco formulation, the consumable may be referred to as a “stick” or “package” or “heat-not-burn consumable”. In a heat-not-burn consumable, the mouthpiece may be implemented as a filter and the consumable may be arranged to carry the precursor. The consumable may be implemented as a dosage or pre-portioned amount of material, including a loose-leaf product. As used herein, an "information carrying medium" may include one or more arrangements for storage of information on any suitable medium. Examples include: a computer readable medium; a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) transponder; codes encoding information, such as optical (e.g. a bar code or QR code) or mechanically read codes (e.g. a configuration of the absence or presents of cut-outs to encode a bit, through which pins or a reader may be inserted).

As used herein “heat-not-burn” (or “HNB” or “heated precursor”) may refer to the heating of a precursor, typically tobacco, without combustion, or without substantial combustion (i.e. localised combustion may be experienced of limited portions of the precursor, including of less than 5% of the total volume).

Referring to Fig. 1 , an example aerosol generating apparatus 1 includes a power supply 2, for supply of electrical energy. The apparatus 1 includes an aerosol generating unit 4 that is driven by the power supply 2. The power supply 2 may include an electric power supply in the form of a battery and/or an electrical connection to an external power source. The apparatus 1 includes a precursor 6, which in use is aerosolised by the aerosol generating unit 4 to generate an aerosol. The apparatus 2 includes a delivery system 8 for delivery of the aerosol to a user.

Electrical circuitry (not shown in figure 1) may be implemented to control the interoperability of the power supply 4 and aerosol generating unit 6.

In variant examples, which are not illustrated, the power supply 2 may be omitted since, e.g. an aerosol generating unit implemented as an atomiser with flow expansion may not require a power supply.

Fig. 2 shows an implementation of the apparatus 1 of Fig. 1 , where the aerosol generating apparatus 1 is configured to generate aerosol by a-heat not-burn process.

In this example, the apparatus 1 includes a device body 50 and a consumable 70.

In this example, the body 50 includes the power supply 4 and a heating system 52. The heating system 54 includes at least one heating element 54. The body may additionally include any one or more of electrical circuitry 56, a memory 58, a wireless interface 60, one or more other components 62.

The electrical circuitry 56 may include a processing resource for controlling one or more operations of the body 50, e.g. based on instructions stored in the memory 58.

The wireless interface 60 may be configured to communicate wirelessly with an external (e.g. mobile) device, e.g. via Bluetooth. The other component(s) 62 may include an actuator, one or more user interface devices configured to convey information to a user and/or a charging port, for example (see e.g. Fig. 3).

The body 50 is configured to engage with the consumable 70 such that the at least one heating element 54 of the heating system 52 penetrates into the solid precursor 6 of the consumable. In use, a user may activate the aerosol generating apparatus 1 to cause the heating system 52 of the body 50 to cause the at least one heating element 54 to heat the solid precursor 6 of the consumable (without combusting it) by conductive heat transfer, to generate an aerosol which is inhaled by the user.

Fig. 3 shows an example implementation of the aerosol generating device 1 of Fig. 2.

As depicted in Fig. 3, the consumable 70 is implemented as a stick, which is engaged with the body 50 by inserting the stick into an aperture at a top end 53 of the body 50, which causes the at least one heating element 54 of the heating system 52 to penetrate into the solid precursor 6.

The consumable 70 includes the solid precursor 6 proximal to the body 50, and a filter distal to the body 50. The filter serves as the mouthpiece of the consumable 70 and thus the apparatus 1 as a whole. The solid precursor 6 may be a reconstituted tobacco formulation.

In this example, the at least one heating element 54 is a rod-shaped element with a circular transverse profile. Other heating element shapes are possible, e.g. the at least one heating element may be blade-shaped (with a rectangular transverse profile) or tube-shaped (e.g. with a hollow transverse profile).

In this example, the body 50 includes a cap 51 . In use the cap 51 is engaged at a top end 53 of the body 50. Although not apparent from Fig. 3, the cap 51 is moveable relative to the body 50. In particular, the cap 51 is slidable and can slide along a longitudinal axis of the body 50. In some examples, the cap 51 may be referred to as a cap assembly.

The body 50 also includes an actuator 55 on an outer surface of the body 50. In this example, the actuator 55 has the form of a button.

The body 50 also includes a user interface device configured to convey information to a user. Here, the user interface device is implemented as a plurality of lights 57, which may e.g. be configured to illuminate when the apparatus 1 is activated and/or to indicate a charging state of the power supply 4. Other user interface devices are possible, e.g. to convey information haptically or audibly to a user. The body may also include an airflow sensor which detects airflow in the aerosol generating apparatus 1 (e.g. caused by a user inhaling through the consumable 70). This may be used to count puffs, for example.

In this example, the consumable 70 includes a flow path which transmits aerosol generated by the at least one heating element 54 to the mouthpiece of the consumable.

In this example, the aerosol generating unit 4 is provided by the above-described heating system 52 and the delivery system 8 is provided by the above-described flow path and mouthpiece of the consumable 70.

Referring to Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B, a cap assembly 100 for an aerosol generating device, which may be implemented in any of the preceding examples, comprises an outer casing 120, the outer casing 120 including polyphenylene oxide. The aerosol generating device (not shown) is configured to deliver an aerosol to a user for inhalation by the user and generate an aerosol via the heating of an aerosol forming substrate.

The outer casing 120 includes a blend of polyphenylene oxide and polystyrene. The type of polystyrene used in the outer casing 120 is high impact polystyrene which may be abbreviated to HIPS. The outer casing 120 includes NORYL™ resin which is a blend of polyphenylene oxide and polystyrene.

The cap assembly 100 further comprises an inner chassis 110, the inner chassis 110 including polyetheretherketone, wherein the inner chassis 1 10 is located within the outer casing 120. The aerosol generating device (not shown) further comprises a heater, wherein the inner chassis 110 is configured to receive at least a portion of the heater. The inner chassis 110 includes a heaterreceiving aperture 116.

The inner chassis 110 is integrally formed from polyetheretherketone. The outer casing 120 is integrally formed from polyphenylene oxide. The outer casing 120 includes a consumable-receiving aperture 122 which is not visible in Fig. 4A nor Fig. 4B. The cap assembly 100 further comprises a closure 124 wherein the consumable-receiving aperture 122 is selectably occluded by the closure 124. The closure 124 includes polyphenylene oxide. The closure 124 includes a blend of polyphenylene oxide and polystyrene. The type of polystyrene used in the closure 124 is high impact polystyrene. The closure 124 includes NORYL™ resin. The closure 124 is integrally formed from polyphenylene oxide.

The inner chassis 110 includes a consumable-receiving cavity 112, wherein the consumable-receiving aperture 122 (which is not visible in Fig. 4A nor Fig. 4B) is an entrance to the consumable-receiving cavity 1 12. The consumable-receiving cavity 112 is not visible in Fig. 4A nor Fig. 4B. The part of the inner chassis 110 that defines the consumable-receiving cavity 112 includes polyetheretherketone. The inner chassis is retained within the outer casing via a series of clips 126 and a screw 130 which are all examples of engagement mechanisms. The series of clips 126 are not visible in Fig. 4A nor Fig. 4B.

Referring to Fig. 5A, the closure 124 of the cap assembly 100 of Fig. 4A and 4B is shown isolated from other components to aid understanding. The closure includes two mounting pegs 1242 which are each positioned within a respective peg-receiving slot 111 (shown in Fig. 8A) within the inner chassis 110. Hence, the inner chassis 110 includes two peg-receiving slots 111.

Referring to Fig. 5B, the cap assembly 100 of Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B is shown in an alternative view such that the location of the closure 124 relative to the outer casing 120 may be understood. An external surface of the closure 124 is flush with an external surface of the outer casing 120. In Fig. 5B the closure 124 is shown in a closed position relative to the outer casing 120. When the closure 124 is transitioned to an open position relative to the outer casing 120, part of the closure 124 moves through the consumable-receiving cavity 112 (shown in Fig. 6).

Referring to Fig. 6, the outer casing 120 of the cap assembly 100 of Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B is shown isolated from other components to aid understanding. The consumable-receiving aperture 122 is visible in the external surface of the outer casing 120.

Referring to Fig. 7, the outer casing 120 of the cap assembly 100 of Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B is shown in an alternative view to aid understanding. The series of clips 126 are located adjacent to the consumable-receiving cavity 112. The series of clips 126 includes a first clip and a second clip.

Referring to Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B, the inner chassis 110 of the cap assembly 100 of Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B is shown isolated from other components to aid understanding. The inner chassis includes a consumable-receiving cavity 112, a screw-receiving aperture 118, a heater-receiving aperture 116 and a clip-receiving portion 114. When combined with the outer casing 120, closure 124 and screw 130 to form the cap assembly 100 of Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B, the series of clips 126 of the outer casing 120 engage with the clip-receiving portion 114 of the inner chassis 110 and the screw 130 is located through the screw-receiving aperture 118 such that the series of clips 126 and screw 130 combine to retain the inner chassis 110 within the outer casing 120.

The inner chassis 110 includes an inner wall 113 defining the consumable-receiving cavity 112 and an outer wall 115 located between the inner wall 113 and the outer casing 120 (shown in Fig. 4A), the outer wall 115 defining an insulating cavity 117, the insulating cavity 117 located between the consumable-receiving cavity 112 and the outer casing 120 to provide thermal insulation between the consumable-receiving cavity 112 and the outer casing 120. The consumable-receiving cavity 112 is configured to receive the heater and engage with a consumable, the consumable including an aerosol generating substrate for heating by the heater. The inner wall 113 and the outer wall 115 are integrally formed from polyetheretherketone. The inner chassis 110 further comprises an insulation opening 119 into the insulating cavity 117, the insulation opening 119 connecting the insulating cavity 117 to ambient atmosphere. The consumable-receiving cavity 112 and the insulating cavity 117 are longitudinally elongate along the same direction. The respective longitudinal axes of the consumablereceiving cavity 112 and the insulating cavity 117 are aligned. The insulating cavity 117 and the consumable-receiving cavity 112 open towards opposite directions. The outer wall 115 is tapered to the extent that the thickness of the outer wall decreases in a direction from the consumable-receiving aperture 122 (shown in Fig. 6) towards the heater-receiving aperture 116.

Referring to Fig. 9, the cap assembly 100 is shown with the closure 124 in the open position relative to the outer casing 120. Referring to Fig. 10, the cap assembly 100 is shown with the closure 124 in the closed position relative to the outer casing 120. The closure 124 is pivotably mounted adjacent to the consumable-receiving aperture 122 and selectably pivotable relative to the outer casing 120 about a pivot axis 1032 to adopt an open position where the consumable-receiving aperture 122 is exposed and a closed position where the consumable-receiving aperture 122 is occluded. The closure 124 moves through an intermediate position when transitioning between the open position and the closed position and, when at the intermediate position, at least a part of the closure 124 is located within the consumable-receiving cavity 112.

In Fig. 9, the closure 124 is in the open position and the pivot axis 1032 is into the page. In Fig. 10, the closure 124 is in the closed position and the pivot axis 1032 is into the page. The orientation of the closure 124 in the open position is perpendicular to the orientation of the closure 124 in the closed position. The pivot axis 1032 is perpendicular to an insertion direction 1022 of a consumable into the consumable-receiving cavity 112.

The cap assembly 100 includes a closure control mechanism configured to control the position of the closure 124 to be bistable such that: the open position is a stable equilibrium position; the closed position is a stable equilibrium position; and the intermediate position is an unstable equilibrium position. The closure 124 includes a first portion and a second portion located on opposing sides of the pivot axis 1032. The first portion of the closure 124 moves through the consumable-receiving cavity 112 when the closure 124 transitions between the open position and the closed position.

The first portion of the closure 124 contains a first magnetic element 1042 of the lower submechanism housed within a first magnetic element receiving cavity 1244 (shown in Fig. 5A) and the inner chassis 110 contains a second magnetic element 1044 of the lower sub-mechanism such that the closure 124 is urged into the open position. The second portion of the closure 124 contains a first magnetic element 1052 of the upper sub-mechanism housed within a second magnetic element receiving cavity 1245 (shown in Fig. 5A) and the inner chassis 110 contains a second magnetic element 1054 of the upper sub-mechanism such that the closure 124 is urged into the closed position. Each magnetic element receiving cavity includes a plurality of deformable elements 1246 (shown in Fig. 5A). With respect to each magnetic element receiving cavity, the plurality of deformable elements 1246 (shown in Fig. 5A) are formed in a surface of the closure 124 delimiting the respective magnetic element receiving cavity. Each deformable element 1246 (shown in Fig. 5A) is aligned with an insertion direction of the magnetic element into each respective magnetic element receiving cavity.

The first magnetic element 1042 of the lower sub-mechanism is a magnet and the second magnetic element 1044 of the lower sub-mechanism is a ferromagnetic plate. The first magnetic element 1052 of the upper sub-mechanism is a second magnet and the second magnetic element 1054 of the upper sub-mechanism is a third magnet. The poles of the second magnet and the third magnet are aligned in such a way that the closure 124 is urged into the closed position. In the closed position, the closure 124 is flush with an external surface of the outer casing 120. When in the open position, the closure 124 is offset from a path a consumable takes when the consumable is inserted into the consumablereceiving cavity 112.

In Fig. 9, the first magnetic element 1042 of the lower sub-mechanism and the second magnetic element 1044 of the lower sub-mechanism are in close proximity to one another such that the magnetic attraction between these two magnetic elements dominates any other forces/torques acting on the closure 124 originating from the closure control mechanism such that the closure 124 is held in the open position. In Fig. 10, the first magnetic element 1052 of the upper sub-mechanism and the second magnetic element 1054 of the upper sub-mechanism are in close proximity to one another such that the magnetic attraction between these two magnetic elements dominates any other forces/torques acting on the closure 124 originating from the closure control mechanism such that the closure 124 is held in the closed position.

The cap assembly 10 may be installed in an aerosol generating device such that a heater of the aerosol generating device is located within the heater-receiving aperture 116 such that a portion of the heater is located within the consumable-receiving cavity 112. When a consumable is inserted into the consumable-receiving cavity 112, the heater may heat the consumable in order to generate an aerosol. The cap assembly 100 may be installed in the aerosol generating device such that the cap assembly 100 can move relative to the heater such that the heater can move relative to the consumable-receiving cavity 112.

Claims

1 . A cap assembly for an aerosol generating device, the cap assembly comprising an outer casing, the outer casing including polyphenylene oxide.

2. The cap assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the aerosol generating device is configured to deliver an aerosol to a user for inhalation by the user.

3. The cap assembly according to either claim 1 or 2, wherein the aerosol generating device is configured to generate an aerosol via the heating of an aerosol forming substrate.

4. The cap assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an inner chassis, the inner chassis including polyetheretherketone, wherein the inner chassis is located within the outer casing.

5. The cap assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the aerosol generating device further comprises a heater, wherein the inner chassis is configured to receive at least a portion of the heater.

6. The cap assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the inner chassis is integrally formed from polyetheretherketone.

7. The cap assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the outer casing is integrally formed from polyphenylene oxide.

8. The cap assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the outer casing includes a consumable-receiving aperture.

9. The cap assembly according to claim 8, further comprising a closure wherein the consumablereceiving aperture is selectably occluded by the closure.

10. The cap assembly according to either claim 8 or 9, wherein the inner chassis includes a consumable-receiving cavity, wherein the consumable-receiving aperture is an entrance to the consumable-receiving cavity.

11. The cap assembly according to claim 10, wherein a surface of the inner chassis that defines the consumable-receiving cavity includes polyetheretherketone.

12. The cap assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , further comprising one or more engagement mechanisms such that the inner chassis is retained within the outer casing by the one or more engagement mechanisms.

13. The cap assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein one or more layers of thermal insulation is included between the inner chassis and outer casing.

14. An aerosol generating device comprising the cap assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The aerosol generating device according to claim 14 when comprising the cap assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 13, further comprising a heater wherein at least a portion of the heater is positioned within the inner chassis of the cap assembly.