EP4178377A1

EP4178377A1 - Package for aerosol generating cartridges

Info

Publication number: EP4178377A1
Application number: EP21740086.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Akira Yamaguchi
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2020-07-13
Filing date: 2021-07-09
Publication date: 2023-05-17
Also published as: WO2022013086A1; JP2023533699A

Abstract

There is provided a package (102) for housing a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges (103) comprising: a near field communication device (106), located on a surface (104) of the package (102), comprising encoded information; wherein when the near field communication device (106) is in proximity to a contactless reader (216) of an aerosol generation device (210), the near field communication device (106) transfers the information to the contactless reader (216) in order to control the temperature of operation of the aerosol generation device (210).

Description

PACKAGE FOR AEROSOL GENERATING CARTRIDGES FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to packages for aerosol generating substrate cartridges. In particular, the invention relates to a package for aerosol generating substrate cartridge with a near field communications device.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Aerosol generating substrates can be used with aerosol generating devices to generate aerosols for inhalation by a user. Substrates may be produced with a range of difference characteristics. One example of a characteristic is flavour. A substrate is typically designed to produce a particular flavour for the aerosol inhaled by a user, and the requirements for producing this flavour are known to vary from substrate to substrate. It has been found that the flavour profile produced by different substrates can vary, which can be undesirable. An object of the present invention is to address this issue.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a package for housing a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges, the package comprising: a near field communication device, located on a surface of the package, comprising encoded information; wherein when the near field communication device is in proximity to a contactless reader of an aerosol generation device, the near field communication chip transfers the information to the contactless reader in order to control the temperature of operation of the aerosol generation device.

Advantageously, each flavour of aerosol generating substrate can be heated to its optimal heating temperature by bringing the package housing the aerosol generating substrate cartridges into proximity with an aerosol generating device. Each package has a near field communications device with encoded information including the optimal heating temperature of the cartridges of substrate held in the package. When the near field communication device is within range of the contactless reader in the aerosol generating device, the near field device transfers the information to the aerosol generating device, and the aerosol generating device controls its temperature of operation accordingly. This improves the sensation of flavour experienced by the user, thereby improving user experience.

Optionally, the encoded information on the near field communication device includes information related to the number of cartridges which the package can hold. In this example, the aerosol generation device is provided with a storage medium suitable for storing the information related to the number of cartridges which the package can hold.

In this way, when the data relating to the number of cartridges in the package is transferred to the aerosol generation device, the aerosol generation device can store information regarding the number of cartridges in a data storage unit provided in the aerosol generation device. Advantageously, when the cartridge is replaced, the temperature of operation of the aerosol generation device can continue to be controlled without the aerosol generation device needing further information, at least until the aerosol generation device determines that the package has been depleted of cartridges.

Optionally, the near field communication device comprises a near field communication chip. In this scenario, use of bespoke components can be avoided in favour of widely available components, thereby reducing manufacturing costs of the package.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling the temperature of a heater in an aerosol generation device, the method comprising: moving a package for housing a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges, the package comprising a near field communication device into proximity with a contactless reader of the aerosol generation device; and transferring data from the near field communication device to the contactless reader; and operating control electronics of the aerosol generation device to control the temperature of the heater based on the transferred data.

This method allows for a single aerosol generating device to be operated at a range of temperatures, according to the optimal temperature of an aerosol generating substrate.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an aerosol generation device comprising: a heater; control electronics for controlling the temperature of the heater; and a contactless reader operably connected to the control electronics; wherein when a package, comprising a near field communication device, for housing a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges is in proximity to the contactless reader, the contactless reader receives information from the near field communication device, and operates the control electronics to control the temperature of the heater based on the received information.

By providing an aerosol generation device with a contactless reader, a heater, and control electronics to control the heater, it becomes possible to operate an aerosol generating device at a range of temperatures, which may be controlled as needed to provide the optimal heat for a range of different aerosol generating substrates.

Optionally, the aerosol generation device comprises a temperature sensor operably connected to the control electronics and in proximity to the heater.

In this configuration, the temperature of the heater can be accurately monitored, adding to the responsiveness of the heater. This can prevent a substrate from being overheated.

Optionally, the aerosol generation device comprises a temperature sensor operably connected to the control electronics located at a surface of the aerosol generation device. In this arrangement, the temperature of the ambient surroundings of the aerosol generation device can be monitored, which allows for the power supplied to the heater to be precisely controlled to supply the substrate with the required amount of heat so that the substrate reaches the optimal temperature.

Optionally, the temperature sensor comprises a thermistor. In this example, widely available and robust components can be used to implement a temperature sensor, thereby reducing manufacturing costs of the aerosol generation device.

Optionally, the aerosol generation device further comprises: a data storage unit; and a processing unit. In this configuration, when a package is first scanned, information relating to the number of cartridges which can be housed in the package is stored in the data storage unit. The temperature of operation of the aerosol generation device may continue to be controlled without transferring information to the aerosol generation device each time the cartridge is replaced. Using the processing unit, the aerosol generation device is able to determine when no cartridges remain in the package, and accordingly requests further information only when required.

In an example, the contactless reader receives information from a package comprising a near field communications device with encoded information including optimal heating temperature for an aerosol generating substrate. The contactless reader of the aerosol generating device receives the information and operates the control electronics according to the information, so as to control the temperature of the heater of the aerosol generating device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention are now described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagram of a package comprising a near field communications chip in proximity with an aerosol generating device in an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device in an embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 3 is a flow diagram of a method for controlling a heater of an aerosol generating device in an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a package in proximity to an aerosol generating device in an embodiment of the invention.

A package 102 is provided according to an embodiment of the invention. On a surface 104 of the package 102, a near field communications (NFC) chip 106 is disposed. It is to be understood that an NFC chip is an example of an NFC device. For the purposes of this discussion, an NFC chip is referred to throughout, but other implementations of an NFC device may also be used. Fig. 1 also includes an enlarged view 108 of the NFC chip. The NFC chip 106 may be provided as integral to the package, or an NFC chip 106 may be added to a pre-made package. The package may be made from a range of suitable materials, including: cardboard, plastic or metal. The package 102 is suitable for holding a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges 103, for example, the package may be able to hold two, ten, or twenty substrate generating cartridges. Other quantities of cartridge are possible.

An aerosol generating substrate can take different forms. For example, an aerosol generating substrate may take the form of a liquid which can be heated to a vaporisation temperature to produce an aerosol. Alternatively, the aerosol generating substrate may take the form of a solid or semi-solid substrate which is designed to generate an aerosol when heated. Different substrates may have different vaporisation temperatures. An aerosol generating substrate of any type can be heated in a variety of ways, for example, using a resistive heating coil, using a laser or an inductive heater, or any other means capable of delivering heat to a substrate. The NFC chip 106 is encoded with data. In an example, the encoded data includes a temperature-flavour profile corresponding to the aerosol generating substrate held in the aerosol generating substrate cartridges 103 housed in the package 102. The NFC chip 106 may also include additional information, such as the number of cartridges 103 which are intended to be held in the package 102.

Also shown in Fig. 1 is an aerosol generating device 110 such as an electronic cigarette.

By including information related to the number of cartridges stored in a package

102 on the NFC chip 106, and including a data storage unit in the aerosol generating device 110, when information is transferred to the aerosol generating device 110 the aerosol generating device 110 can also store the information related to the number of cartridges 103 housed by a package 102. Each time the cartridge 103 is replaced, a processing unit in the aerosol generating device 110 can determine the number of cartridges 103 remaining in the package 102. As such, the control electronics 214 can continue to control the temperature of operation of the aerosol generating device 210 without the need to receive further information. Once the processing unit 220 determines that no cartridges

103 remain in the package 102, the aerosol generating device 210 may request the user to transfer further information to the aerosol generation device 210. Of course, the user could choose to use a different package 102 with different cartridges 103 at any time, in which case the temperature of operation of the aerosol generation device 210 may be controlled to match the requirements of the new substrate, by scanning the package of the new substrate.

The aerosol generation device 110 is used with an aerosol generating substrate 103 to produce an aerosol. An aerosol generating substrate cartridge 103 can be in fluidic connection with a reservoir (not shown) of the aerosol generation device 110, and used to generate an aerosol until the cartridge is depleted. The aerosol may be produced by drawing air through the aerosol generation device, and the resulting aerosol may be inhaled by the user to achieve a nicotine related effect. Once a cartridge 103 has been depleted, a user may remove the depleted cartridge and replace it with a new cartridge 103 from the package 102.

Turning to Fig. 2, a block diagram detailing internal components and connections of the aerosol generating device 210 is shown.

Note that not all internal structure of the aerosol generating device is shown, but rather, only the components relevant to the present invention. Aerosol generating device 210 comprises a contactless reader 216, which may be positioned proximal to a surface of the aerosol generation device such as within an outer surface 222. Alternatively, the contactless reader 216 may be disposed on the outer surface 222 of the aerosol generating device. In one example the contactless reader 216 may be affixed to the outer surface 222 using an adhesive. The contactless reader device is configured to receive data from an NFC chip, such as the NFC chip 106 shown in Fig. 1.

The contactless reader 216 is operably connected to control electronics 214 of the aerosol generating device. In some embodiments, the contactless reader 216 is also configured to write to a data storage unit 218. When the contactless reader receives information from an NFC chip, such as the NFC chip 106 on package 102 of Fig. 1 , information relating to the optimal temperature of the aerosol generating substrate is used to operate the control electronics to control the temperature of the heater 212. Controlling the temperature of the heater may refer to maintaining, increasing or decreasing a current temperature of the heater 213 according to the received information.

The control electronics 214 may control the heater in a variety of ways, which depend on the type of heater 213 being used in the aerosol generating device 210. For example, the heater may be a resistive heating element, and may be controlled by maintaining or adjusting a voltage across the element. Alternatively, the heater may be a laser, which may be controlled by maintaining or adjusting a duration of emission of the laser. Other types of heaters, such as inductive heaters, may be possible. The aerosol generating device may contain one or a plurality of heaters. In some embodiments, the aerosol generation device 210 may include a data storage unit 218 and a processing unit 220 operably connected to each other. The data storage unit 218 is additionally connected to the contactless reader, so that the contactless reader 216 can write to the data storage unit 218. The processing unit 220 is also operably connected to the control electronics 214. In Fig. 2, connections between components are represented by a solid line spanning between components. A line ending with an arrow indicates the data typically flows in the direction of the arrow. A line without an arrow indicates that data may travel in either direction. When the NFC chip 106 of a package 102 is in proximity to the contactless reader 216 of the aerosol generation device 210, information relating to the number of aerosol generating substrate cartridges 103 which can be housed by the package 102 is transferred to the contactless reader 216 and stored in the data storage unit 218. Now, when each cartridge 103 is removed and replaced, the processing unit 220 can operate the control electronics 214 so that the temperature of operation of the aerosol generation device can be maintained without any further information being received by the contactless reader 216.

The processing unit 220 can also be used to keep track of the number of cartridges 103 in the package 102, assuming that consecutive cartridges come from the same package. Once the processing unit determines that the package 102 does not contain any further cartridges 103, the aerosol generation device 210 may indicate to a user that further information is required to control the temperature of operation of the aerosol generation device 210. The processing unit may be implemented as a CPU.

The indication may be done in a variety of ways, such as using an audio emitting device, or a visual interface on the aerosol generation device (not shown).

Figure 3 is a method for controlling the temperature of the heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the method, a package comprising an NFC chip, such as package 102 of Fig. 1 is moved at step 318 into proximity of an aerosol generating device, such as aerosol generating device 210. Once the NFC chip 106 of the package is in reading range of the contactless reader 216 of the aerosol generating device 210, data is transferred at step 322 from the NFC chip 106 to the contactless reader 216. The transferred data typically includes a temperature-flavour profile for the substrate held in the cartridge 103. In some embodiments, this data includes information relating to the number of cartridges 103 which can be housed by the package 102. Based on the transferred data, the control electronics are then operated to control the temperature of the heater 213. In embodiments where information relating to the number of cartridges is also transferred, this information is stored in a data storage unit 218. As used herein, “controlling]” the temperature of the heater can mean that temperature of the heater is lowered, maintained, or increased according to the optimal heating temperature of the substrate. The temperature of the heater is controlled until the optimal temperature is reached.

To practically control the temperature of the heater 213, the aerosol generation device 210 is provided with additional components such as an internal temperature sensor (not shown) arranged in proximity to the heater 213. The internal temperature sensor is arranged to monitor the temperature of the heater 213, and is also connected to the control electronics 214. In this way, a sensing circuit can be arranged in the aerosol generating device 210 to monitor the temperature of the heater 213 so that heat is supplied to the substrate while the substrate is below the optimal temperature, and once the substrate reaches the optimal temperature, heating is stopped. Heating can be resumed if the temperature of the substrate subsequently falls below the optimal temperature. Details of sensing circuits, such as temperature sensing circuits, and how to assemble them are not described in detail as they would be known to a skilled person.

As an alternative, or in addition to using an internal temperature sensor, the relationship between the power supplied to the heater 213 and the temperature of the heater 213 can be determined. When the relationship between the power supplied to the heater 213 and the temperature of the heater 213 is known, the temperature of the heater 213 is controllable by varying the supplied power so that the heater 213 reaches the optimal temperature of the substrate. In this scenario, an external temperature sensor (not shown) can also be used to monitor the ambient temperature. In this scenario, an internal temperature sensor can be used to provide redundancy in case the heater 213 behaves in an unexpected way. For example, as the heater 213 becomes worn, the relationship between the power supplied to the heater 213, and the temperature of the heater can change.

The external temperature sensor could be arranged on an outer surface 222 of the aerosol generating device 210. Alternatively, the temperature sensor could be arranged within an outer surface 222 of the aerosol generation device 210. The external temperature sensor is also connected to the control electronics 214. For the avoidance of doubt, it is worth noting that the external temperature sensor could be located internally, or externally to the aerosol generation device 210, but is arranged in a way that the external temperature sensor monitors the temperature external to the aerosol generation device 210, i.e. the ambient temperature.

In the above embodiment, the temperature of the surroundings of the aerosol generation device 210 will offset the amount of power required by the heater 213 to reach a certain temperature. For example, in a setting where the ambient temperature is 3°C, the heater 213 may be at a relatively low initial temperature compared to a setting where the ambient temperature is 30°C. An initial temperature may refer to the temperature of the heater 213 when the aerosol generation device 210 is first activated. Accordingly, the amount of power required by the heater 213 to reach the optimal temperature will vary based on the temperature of the surroundings of the aerosol generation device 210. As such, the external temperature sensor can be used in combination with the control electronics 214 to ensure the heater 214 reaches the optimal temperature.

An example implementation of an internal or external temperature sensor is a thermistor. A thermistor is a material with temperature dependent electrical resistance. The resistance of a thermistor varies in a well-known way when the temperature of the thermistor changes, thereby acting as a temperature sensor. An example of a material that can be used as a thermistor is nickel oxide. Of course, many other materials are possible

The foregoing examples are possible implementations of how the temperature of the heater may be controlled. Other implementations are possible.

In some embodiments, information relating to the number of aerosol generating cartridges that can be housed in the package 102 is stored on the NFC chip 106 and transferred to the aerosol generating device together with a flavour- temperature profile at step 322. At step 324 the information relating to the number of aerosol generating cartridges can be stored in the data storage means 218. Accordingly, when the cartridge is replaced, the temperature of operation of the aerosol generation device can be maintained without requiring any further information from the contactless reader. The processing unit 220 of the aerosol generation device keeps track of the number of cartridges expected to be in the cartridge, and can indicate to a user when further information is required to control the temperature of operation of the aerosol generation device.

By controlling the heater as described in the above method, it has become possible to offer a user an enhanced experience. The heater of a single aerosol generating device may be controlled to provide an aerosol generating substrate with the optimal heating temperature. The optimal heating temperature may relate to a temperature at which the flavour transmitted from the substrate to the user is optimised. Alternatively, the optimal heating temperature may relate to a temperature to optimise another characteristic of the aerosol generating substrate.

In embodiments where information relating to the number of cartridges that can be housed by the container is stored in the NFC chip and subsequently stored in a data storage unit, when the user removes and replaces a cartridge, the processing unit 220 can operate the control electronics to maintain a temperature of the heater. The processing unit 220 also interacts with the data storage unit 218 to monitor the number of cartridges remaining in the package 102. When the processing unit determines that the package 102 has been depleted, the processing unit 220 can indicate to a user that further information is expected.

Claims

1. A package (102) for housing a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges (103), the package comprising: a near field communication device (106), located at a surface (104) of the package, comprising encoded information; wherein, when the near field communication device (106) is in proximity to a contactless reader (216) of an aerosol generation device (110, 210), the near field communication device (106) transfers the information to the contactless reader (216) in order to control the temperature of operation of the aerosol generation device (110, 210).

2. The package of claim 1, wherein the encoded information includes information relating to the number of aerosol generating cartridges (103) which can be housed in the package.

3. The package of claim 1 or 2, wherein the near field communication device comprises a near field communication chip.

4. A method of controlling the temperature of a heater in an aerosol generation device, the method comprising: moving (318) a package for housing a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges, the package comprising a near field communication device, into proximity with a contactless reader of the aerosol generation device; and transferring (322) data from the near field communication device to the contactless reader; and operating (326) control electronics of the aerosol generation device to control the temperature of the heater based on the transferred data.

5. An aerosol generation device (210) comprising: a heater (213); control electronics (214) configured to control the temperature of the heater (213); and a contactless reader (216) operably connected to the control electronics wherein, in use, when a package (102), comprising a near field communication device (106), for housing a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges (103), is in proximity to the contactless reader (216), the contactless reader (216) receives information from the near field communication device (106), and operates the control electronics (214) to control the temperature of the heater based on the received information.

6. The aerosol generation device (210) of claim 5, further comprising an temperature sensor operably connected to the control electronics (214) and in proximity to the heater (213).

7. The aerosol generation device (210) of claims 5 or 6, further comprising an ambient environment temperature sensor operably connected to the control electronics (214) located at a surface of the aerosol generation device (210).

8. The aerosol generation device (210) of claims 6 or 7, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a thermistor.

9. The aerosol generation device (210) of any one of claims 5 to 8, further comprising: a data storage unit (218); and a processing unit (220).