JP2023541437A - Aerosol delivery system - Google Patents

Abstract

an aerosol supply comprising a first part (4) comprising a reservoir (44) for storing aerosolizable material and a sensor (70) for detecting the level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir (44); System (1). The sensor is configured to output sensor information related to the level of aerosolizable material within the reservoir (44). The aerosol delivery system (1) includes a vaporizer (48) for vaporizing the aerosolizable material and a second vaporizer (48) disposed downstream of the vaporizer (48) for holding the flavoring material (84). It further includes a consumable part (8). The aerosol delivery system (1) processes the sensor information to determine the amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir (44) and determines whether the amount of aerosolizable material has reached or exceeded a predetermined amount. The second consumable part (8) is configured to generate a signal for replacing the second consumable part (8) when it is determined that the second consumable part (8) has fallen below. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

field

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems, such as nicotine delivery systems (e.g., electronic cigarettes, etc.).

background

Aerosol delivery systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) typically include a reservoir of feedstock fluid or liquid containing a formulation (typically containing nicotine) or an aerosol precursor material, such as a solid material such as a tobacco-based product. /aerosolizable material from which an aerosol/vapour is produced, for example by thermal vaporization. Accordingly, an aerosol source for an aerosol delivery system may include a vaporizer, such as a heating element, arranged to vaporize a portion of the aerosolizable material. When a user inhales the device and power is supplied to the vaporizer, air is drawn into the device through the inlet hole and into the vapor generation chamber, where it absorbs the vaporized aerosolizable material. to form a condensed aerosol. Such devices typically include one or more air inlet holes located remote from the mouth end of the system. When a user inhales through a mouthpiece connected to the mouth end of the system, air is drawn through the inlet hole and past the aerosol source. There is a flow path connecting between the aerosol source and the mouthpiece opening so that the air drawn through the aerosol source subsequently flows through the aerosol source while carrying a portion of the aerosol from the aerosol source. along the path to the mouth opening. Air carrying the aerosol exits the aerosol delivery system through a mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.

Some aerosol delivery systems may also include perfume elements in the flow path through the system to provide additional flavor or to modify the aerosol. Such systems are sometimes referred to as hybrid systems, in which the flavoring element may include, for example, a portion of tobacco placed in the air passageway between the vapor-generating chamber and the mouthpiece, so that the device The vapor/condensed aerosol drawn through passes through the tobacco portion before exiting the tip for inhalation by the user. In such hybrid devices, typically two components are consumed during use, such as the aerosol precursor/aerosolizable material and the perfume element. These components typically may be consumed at different rates, which increases the complexity for the user of maintaining the aerosol delivery system in a state that delivers the expected aerosol to the user. There are cases.

Within such aerosol delivery systems there is already a mechanism for estimating the consumption of aerosolizable material/aerosol precursor material, which monitors the energy and/or time of operating the heating elements of the aerosol delivery system. depends on what you do. In that regard, the longer the heating element is operated, the more aerosolizable material is used/vaporized. However, the above mechanism inherently involves some kind of estimation, which conceptually introduces an element of inaccuracy in knowing the amount of aerosolizable material actually consumed in the system during its use. can be introduced.

Steps that help address some of these challenges and more accurately establish the amount of aerosolizable material remaining by detecting the amount of aerosolizable material remaining unconsumed within the aerosol delivery system Describe various techniques including:

overview

According to a first aspect of a particular embodiment:
a first portion comprising a reservoir for storing an aerosolizable material;
a sensor for detecting a level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir of the first portion, the sensor configured to output sensor information related to the level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir;
a vaporizer disposed downstream of the reservoir for vaporizing the aerosolizable material;
a second consumable portion disposed downstream of the vaporizer for retaining the flavoring material;
configured to process sensor information from the sensor to determine an amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir, the amount of aerosolizable material reaching or falling below a predetermined amount; a control circuit configured to generate a signal when the
An aerosol delivery system is provided in which this signal is an indication to replace the second consumable part.

According to a second aspect of certain embodiments, a method of generating a signal for use with an aerosol delivery system configured to generate vapor from an aerosolizable material using a vaporizer, the method comprising: ,
detecting a level of aerosolizable material in a reservoir of the first portion of the aerosol delivery system using a sensor;
outputting sensor information from the sensor to a control circuit of the aerosol delivery system, the sensor information relating to a level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir;
processing the sensor information in a control circuit to determine an amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir;
generating a signal in the control circuit when it is determined that the amount of aerosolizable material has reached or fallen below a predetermined amount;
the signal is an instruction to replace a second consumable portion for holding the perfuming material from the aerosol delivery system, the second consumable portion being disposed downstream of the vaporizer and displacing the vapor produced by the vaporizer; A method is provided, configured to accept.

The features and aspects of the invention described above with respect to the first and other aspects of the invention are equally applicable to embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the invention and are not limited to the specific combinations mentioned above. It will be understood that these may be combined as appropriate.

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

1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol delivery system including a reusable portion, a first portion comprising an aerosolizable material, a second portion for holding a flavoring material, and a sensor, according to aspects of the present disclosure; FIG. . A schematic of an aerosol delivery system including a reusable portion, a first portion comprising an aerosolizable material, a second portion for holding a flavored material, and a plurality of sensors, according to further aspects of the present disclosure. It is a diagram. FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an aerosol delivery system including a reusable portion, a first portion comprising an aerosolizable material, a second portion for holding a flavoring material, and a sensor, according to further aspects of the present disclosure. be. 3 is a method for implementing the aerosol delivery system of FIGS. 1-3 according to aspects of the present disclosure. FIG.

detailed description

Aspects and features of specific examples and embodiments are discussed/described herein. Some aspects and features of particular examples and embodiments may be conventionally implemented and, for the sake of brevity, will not be discussed/explained in detail. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that aspects and features of the apparatus and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail may be implemented according to any conventional technique for implementing such aspects and features. .

As mentioned above, the present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems, such as e-cigarettes, that include hybrid devices. Throughout the following description, the term "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may be used, but this term can be used interchangeably with vapor delivery system/device and electronic vapor delivery system/device. I want to be recognized. Additionally, as is common in the art, the terms "vapor" and "aerosol" and related terms such as "vaporize," "volatize," and "aerosolize" are generally interchangeable. It can be used for.

Steam supply systems often, but not always, include modular assemblies that include both reusable and replaceable (disposable) consumable parts. Often, the replaceable part includes an aerosol precursor material (also called an aerosolizable material) and a vaporizer, while the reusable part includes a power source (e.g., a rechargeable battery), an activation mechanism (e.g., a button or puff sensor) and a control circuit. However, it will be understood that these various parts can also be provided with further elements depending on their functionality. For example, in a hybrid device, the cartridge portion may also include an additional aerosol modifying element/aerosol flavoring material provided as a second portion or “pod”, such as a portion of tobacco. In such a case, the element insert or the flavoring material is itself removable from the first disposable cartridge part, so that the element insert or the flavoring material can be removed, for example, to change the perfume or the use of the element insert. Because the possible lifetime is shorter than the usable lifetime of the vapor generating components of the first cartridge part, it can be replaced separately from the first cartridge part. Reusable device portions also often include additional components, such as a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operating status characteristics.

In modular devices, consumable parts and control units are mechanically (and sometimes electrically) fixed for use, e.g. using screws, latches, or bayonet fastenings to properly engage electrical contacts. ) to join together. When the aerosolizable material in the cartridge is used up, or when the user wishes to change to a different cartridge with a different aerosolizable material, the cartridge can be removed from the control unit and a replacement cartridge installed in its place. Devices that follow this type of two-part modular configuration are sometimes commonly referred to as two-part devices or multi-part devices.

Having a generally elongated shape is relatively common for electronic cigarettes including multi-part devices, and by way of illustration, certain embodiments of the present disclosure described herein provide a tobacco pod insert with a generally elongated shape. a generally elongated multi-part device using a disposable cartridge with a disposable cartridge; However, the basic principles described herein apply to different electronic cigarette configurations, such as single-part devices or modular devices with three or more parts, refillable devices and one-time disposable devices. , as well as non-hybrid devices without additional fragrance elements, as well as devices that conform to other overall shapes, such as devices based on typically more box-like, so-called box-mod high-performance devices. It will be understood that it can be incorporated into More generally, certain embodiments of the present disclosure are based on electronic cigarettes configured to provide actuation features in accordance with the principles described herein; It will be understood that the particular structural aspects of the electronic cigarette are not of primary importance.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary aerosol delivery system 1 according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. The aerosol delivery system 1 comprises two main components: a reusable part 2 (also called device part or aerosol delivery device) and a replaceable/disposable consumable part.

The reusable part 2 comprises components intended to have a longer lifespan than the consumable part. In other words, the reusable part 2 is intended to be used in succession with multiple consumable parts. The consumable part comprises components that are consumed when forming the aerosol for delivery to the user during use of the aerosol delivery system 1.

In the example of FIG. 1, the replaceable/disposable consumable parts include a cartridge 4, more generally forming a first part, and a removable pod 8, more generally forming a second part 8. formed from. As explained in more detail below, the first part/cartridge 4 comprises a reservoir for storing an aerosol precursor/aerosolizable material, which is vaporized and converted into an aerosol. The second part/removable pod 8, while the Part 4 of Part 1 of Part 1 includes a portion of tobacco or a tobacco-based product (hereinafter referred to as tobacco material 84) arranged to modify the aerosol generated from the e-liquid (part 4 of FIG. In this configuration, an aerosol generated from the e-liquid is drawn through the removable pod 8 and the aerosol is provided with flavoring and/or nicotine). In other words, the aerosol to be delivered to the user is obtained by first vaporizing the aerosolizable material to generate the aerosol and then passing the generated aerosol through the tobacco pod 8 to modify the aerosol. Thus, it is a modified aerosol that is produced via the consumable part and in this case delivered to the user. As a specific example, although removable pod 8 is described as including tobacco material 84, removable pod 8 may include other materials (herein referred to as aerosol) that modify the properties or composition of the aerosol. It should be recognized that the modified material or aerosol flavoring material (also referred to as a modified material or aerosol flavoring material) may include, for example, other plant-based materials or liquid-soaked matrices. However, as a specific example, the removable pod 8 described herein includes tobacco material 84 and may also be referred to as a tobacco pod 8.

In normal use, the reusable part 2 and the cartridge/first part 4 are removably coupled to each other at the first interface 6. When the e-liquid in the cartridge 4 is used up, or when the user simply wants to change to a different cartridge 4, the cartridge 4 can be removed from the reusable part 2 and a replacement cartridge 4 can be installed in the reusable part 2 in its place. I can do it. The interface 6 connects the structural, electrical and pneumatic passages between the reusable part 2 and the cartridge 4, according to conventional techniques, for example based on screws, latching mechanisms or bayonet fixation. Suitably positioned electrical contacts and apertures may be used as appropriate to establish electrical and air passages between the two parts. The particular manner in which cartridge 4 is mechanically attached to reusable portion 2 is not critical to the principles described herein. It will also be appreciated that the interface 6 of some embodiments may not correspond to an electrical connection between the cartridge 4 and the reusable part 2. For example, in some embodiments, the vaporizer may be provided in the reusable part 2 rather than the cartridge 4, or the transfer of power from the reusable part 2 to the cartridge 4 may be (based on induction), so that no electrical connection between the reusable part 2 and the cartridge 4 is required.

Similarly, in normal use, the cartridge/first part 4 and the tobacco pod/second part 8 are removably coupled to each other at the second interface 7. The second interface 7 is at the generally opposite end of the cartridge 4 to the first interface 6 . Like the cartridge/first part 4, the tobacco pod/second part 8 can be replaced, for example, when the tobacco material no longer imparts flavor or nicotine to the aerosol produced from the cartridge 4. By providing the tobacco pod 8 removably coupled to the cartridge 4, the tobacco pod 8 can be replaced independently of the cartridge 4. In this example, the interface 7 connects the structural and air passages between the cartridge 4 and the tobacco pod 8. Tobacco pod 8 may be coupled to cartridge 4 using any suitable coupling mechanism, such as any of those described above.

In FIG. 1, the first cartridge part 4 comprises a cartridge housing 42 made of plastic material. Cartridge housing 42 supports other components of the cartridge and provides a mechanical interface 6 with reusable part 2. The cartridge housing 42 is generally circularly symmetrical about a longitudinal axis along which the cartridge 4 is coupled to the reusable part 2 . In this example, cartridge 4 is approximately 4 cm long and approximately 1.5 cm in diameter. However, it will be appreciated that the particular shape, and more generally the overall shape and materials used, may vary in different implementations.

In the illustrated example, within cartridge housing 42 is a reservoir 44 containing liquid aerosol precursor material. Liquid aerosol precursor materials may be conventional and are sometimes referred to as e-liquids. The raw liquid may include nicotine and/or other active ingredients, and/or one or more flavors. As used herein, the terms "flavoring" and "flavoring" are used (where permitted by local regulations) to produce a desired taste or aroma in products intended for adult consumers. Refers to materials that can be used. In some embodiments, the source liquid may be nicotine-free. Although the cartridge 4 described above comprises a liquid aerosol precursor material, it should also be recognized that in other embodiments the aerosol precursor material may be a solid or a gel.

Liquid reservoir 44 in this example has an annular shape with an outer wall defined by cartridge housing 42 and an inner wall defining an air passageway 52 through cartridge 4 . Reservoir 44 is closed at each end with end walls 44A, 44B to contain source liquid. Reservoir 44 may be formed according to conventional techniques, and may include, for example, a plastic material and be integrally molded with cartridge housing 42.

Cartridge 4 further comprises a vaporizer 48 arranged downstream of reservoir 44 and configured to vaporize the raw material liquid. The example vaporizer of FIG. 1 includes a heater 48 provided in combination with a wick 46 located towards the end of the reservoir 44 . In this example, the wick 46 extends across the cartridge air passageway 52 and its end extends into the e-liquid reservoir 44 through an opening in the inner wall thereof. The opening in the inner wall of the reservoir is sized to approximately match the dimensions of the wick 46 to provide a reasonable size to prevent leakage from the liquid reservoir into the cartridge air passageway without excessive compression of the wick, which can be detrimental to fluid transfer performance. Provide stickers.

Wick 46 and heater 48 are located in cartridge air passage 52 such that the area of cartridge air passage 52 around wick 46 and heater 48 effectively defines the vaporization area of cartridge 4 . The e-liquid in the reservoir 44 soaks into the wick 46 through the end of the wick that extends into the reservoir 44 and is drawn along the wick by surface tension/capillary action (ie, wicking). Heater 48 in this example includes an electrical resistance wire wrapped around wick 46 . In use, power can be supplied to the heater 48 to vaporize a quantity of e-liquid (vapor precursor material) drawn into the vicinity of the heater 48 by the wick 46. In this example, heater 48 comprises nickel chromium alloy (Cr20Ni80) wire and wick 46 includes a fiberglass bundle, although it will be appreciated that the particular vaporizer configuration is not critical to the principles described herein. Indeed, in other embodiments, alternative vaporizers (eg, vibrating mesh, LED heaters, etc.) may be used within the first part/cartridge 4. The particular type of vaporizer is selected based on several criteria, including the type of aerosol precursor material being vaporized. Cartridges containing vaporizers are sometimes referred to as "cartomizers."

The rate at which e-liquid is vaporized by vaporizer (heater) 48 depends on the amount of power (level) provided to heater 48 during use. Accordingly, power may be supplied to the heater 48 to selectively generate vapor from the e-liquid of the first portion/cartridge 4, and the vapor generation rate may be, for example, pulse width and/or frequency modulated. This can be varied by varying the amount of power supplied to heater 48 depending on the technology.

The tobacco pad/second part 8 in this example is coupled to the end of the first part/cartridge 4 opposite the interface 6 and is effectively positioned downstream of the vaporizer 48 . Tobacco pod 8 includes a pod housing 82 and tobacco material 84 contained within pod housing 82. Tobacco pod housing 82 is formed from a plastic material. Although not shown, the cartridge 4 may include a recessed feature of the interface 7 into which a portion of the tobacco pod 8 is inserted and held by a friction fit, or alternatively the tobacco pod housing 82 , may include an engagement feature for coupling to the cartridge 4 via the interface 7 (similarly, the cartridge 4 comprises a corresponding engagement feature for coupling to the tobacco pod housing 82). It should be appreciated that the tobacco pod 8 is directly coupled to the cartridge 4, but indirectly via the cartridge 4 to the reusable part 2.

Housing 82 is formed to define an interior volume in which tobacco material 84 can be housed. The housing 82 has an inlet 86 in the wall of the housing 82 that is in fluid communication with the air passageway 52 of the cartridge 4 when the tobacco pod 8 is coupled to the cartridge 4 via the interface 7, and an outlet located on the opposite side of the inlet 86. 50. Air flowing along air passageway 52 (entrained with vaporized raw material liquid) enters the interior volume of tobacco pod 8 and interacts with tobacco material 84 . As mentioned above, tobacco material 84 may impart some flavoring and/or nicotine to the aerosol entering via inlet 86, which subsequently modifies the composition of the aerosol. The modified aerosol is delivered to the user via outlet 50. In use, a user can place their lips around or adjacent outlet 86 and draw air through outlet 50, and thus outlet 50 may be referred to as mouthpiece outlet 50. The shape and dimensions of the tobacco pod 8 are such that the housing 82 is substantially flush with the housing 42 when the tobacco pod 8 and cartridge 4 are engaged. In some embodiments, the housing 82 of the tobacco pod 8 is shaped to ergonomically fit the mouth of a typical user, while in other embodiments the housing 82 of the tobacco pod 8 is shaped to fit ergonomically in the mouth of a typical user, while in other embodiments it is A separate mouthpiece element may be provided.

The reusable part 2 includes an outer housing 12 having an opening defining an air inlet 28 of the aerosol delivery system 1 and a battery 26 for supplying operating power to the aerosol delivery system 1 and controlling the operation of the aerosol delivery system 1. and a controller (also referred to as a control circuit) 20 for monitoring and monitoring, a first user input button 14, and a second user input button 24. The reusable part 2 further comprises a suction sensor (puff detector) 16, which in this example comprises a pressure sensor arranged in a pressure sensor chamber 18. However, in other embodiments, a pressure sensor may be present, but pressure sensor chamber 18 may not be present.

The outer housing 12 may be formed from a plastic or metal material, for example, and in this example has a circular shape that generally matches the shape and size of the cartridge 4 so as to provide a smooth transition between the two parts at the interface 6. It has a cross section. In this example, the reusable portion has a length of approximately 8 cm, so that the overall length of the e-cigarette when the cartridge portion and reusable portion are combined together is approximately 12 cm. However, as previously discussed, it will be appreciated that the overall shape and size of an electronic cigarette embodying embodiments of the present disclosure is not critical to the principles described herein.

Air inlet 28 connects to an air passage 30 through reusable part 2 . When the reusable part 2 and the cartridge 4 are connected together, the air passage 30 of the reusable part connects to the air passage 52 of the cartridge across the interface 6. The pressure sensor chamber 18 containing the pressure sensor 16 is in fluid communication with the air passage 30 of the reusable part 2 (i.e., the pressure sensor chamber 18 diverges from the air passage 30 of the reusable part 2). . Therefore, when the user draws on the mouthpiece opening 50, the pressure in the pressure sensor chamber 18 drops, which can be detected by the pressure sensor 16, and air is drawn through the air inlet 28 and can be reused. along the air passageway 30 of the cartridge, across the interface 6, and through the vapor generation area in the vicinity of the heater 48 (where the vaporized e-liquid is entrained in the air stream when the heater is activated). The air travels along the air passageway 52 and exits through the mouthpiece opening 50 to be inhaled by the user.

The battery 26 in this example is rechargeable and is of a conventional type, for example, of the type commonly used in aerosol delivery systems and other applications where it is necessary to supply relatively high currents for relatively short periods of time. There may be. The battery 26 can be recharged through a charging connector, for example a USB connector, on the housing 12 of the reusable part. Battery 26 may be, for example, a lithium ion battery.

User input button 14 in this example is a mechanical button, eg, with a spring-mounted component that can be depressed by the user to establish electrical contact. In this regard, input button 14 can be considered to provide a manual input mechanism for reusable portion 2, although the particular manner in which the button is implemented is not important. For example, different forms of mechanical or touch-sensitive buttons (eg, based on capacitive or optical sensing technology) may be used in other implementations. The particular manner in which the button is implemented can be selected based on, for example, the desired aesthetic appearance.

User input button 14 in the example of FIG. 1 provides the ability to turn the device on and off. When in the on state, power from the battery 26 is supplied to the control circuit 20 and any other components of the reusable part 2 as needed, but no aerosol generation occurs. Rather, the device is on standby with respect to aerosol generation. More particularly, the pressure sensor 16 and control circuit 20 are supplied with sufficient power to enable detection of a change in pressure (meaning user suction). When user inhalation is detected, control circuit 20 is configured to provide power to heater 48 to vaporize the source liquid. Additionally, once user inhalation is no longer detected (e.g., when the pressure falls below a certain threshold), the control circuit 20 is configured to stop supplying power to the heater/vaporizer 48 so that the aerosol Generation is also stopped. Such aerosol generation actuation mechanisms are known, and devices using such mechanisms are commonly referred to as "puff actuation" devices. In an alternative configuration that does not use pressure sensor 16 (or other inhalation detector), aerosol generation may be initiated by a user input button. For example, user input button 14 may provide dual functionality of turning the device on and off and enabling aerosol generation. For example, user input button 14 may be pressed for a first period of time (e.g., 1 second) to turn the device on or off, and when the device is in the on state, user input button 14 may be pressed for a second period of time that is longer than the first period. Power may be supplied to the heater 48 by continuing to press it for a period of time. When the button is in the depressed state, the user can inhale with the mouthpiece opening 50 to aspirate the generated aerosol. Such aerosol generation actuation mechanisms are known, and devices using such mechanisms are commonly referred to as "button actuated" devices.

Control circuit 20 controls the operation of aerosol delivery system 1 to provide functionality in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure as further described herein, and in accordance with established techniques for controlling such systems. Suitably configured/programmed to provide conventional operating functions of an aerosol delivery system. The control circuit 20 can be thought of as logically comprising various subunits/circuit elements related to various aspects of the operation of the aerosol delivery system and may include a (micro)controller, processor, ASIC, or similar form of control. This can be realized by providing a chip. Control circuit 20 may be configured to control any functionality associated with system 1. By way of non-limiting example only, this function may include charging the battery 26, in addition to other functions such as controlling visual indicators (e.g., LEDs)/displays, communication functions for communicating with external devices. or may include recharging and discharging the battery 26 (ie, to power the heater 48). Control circuit 20 can be attached to a printed circuit board (PCB). The functionality provided by the control circuit 20 can be divided between multiple circuit boards and/or components that are not attached to the PCB, and these additional components and/or the PCB can be installed within the aerosol delivery device. It should also be noted that it can be placed appropriately. For example, the functionality of the control circuit 20 for controlling the (re)charging function of the battery 26 may be provided separately (eg, on a different PCB) from the functionality for controlling the discharging of the battery 26.

The aerosol delivery system 1 also comprises a sensor 70 for detecting the level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 44 of the cartridge/first part 4. As described, sensor 70 is configured to output sensor information related to the level of aerosolizable material, such as feedstock liquid, within reservoir 44 .

Sensor 70 may include one or more sensors operable to detect the level of aerosolizable material within reservoir 44. Thus, in that regard, according to some embodiments, the sensor may include an optical sensor. In certain embodiments thereof, the optical sensor includes a light emitter configured to output a light source (e.g., visible light, infrared light, and/or ultraviolet light) directed toward the surface of the aerosolizable material within reservoir 44. , which is then detected by a corresponding receiver of optical sensor 70 . In such embodiments, by comparing the light source output from the light emitter to the light detected by the receiver (which is affected by the level of aerosolizable material within reservoir 44), sensor 70 Sensor information can be output that is effectively related to the current level of aerosolizable material, such as feed liquid, in the feed liquid.

Sensor 70 according to some embodiments may also include an acoustic sensor. In certain embodiments thereof, the acoustic sensor may include an audio emitter or speaker configured to output an audio source directed to the surface of the aerosolizable material within the reservoir 44, which in turn It is detected by a corresponding audio receiver or microphone of the acoustic sensor 70. In such embodiments, by comparing the sound source output from the sound emitter to the sound detected by the sound receiver (which is affected by the level of aerosolizable material in reservoir 44), sensor 70: Sensor information may be output that is substantially related to the level of aerosolizable material, such as feedstock liquid, in the reservoir 44 at that time.

In some embodiments, the sensor 70 may alternatively/in addition be a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, or a resistive sensor for outputting capacitive/resistance/impedance values, respectively, related to the level of aerosolizable material within the reservoir 44. The sensor may include at least one of a sensor and/or an inductive sensor. In that regard, any such capacitance/resistance/impedance values will be affected by the relative amount of aerosolizable material to air present within the reservoir 44.

If such sensor(s) 70 are present, the level of liquid in the reservoir can be accurately determined and sensor information effectively related to the remaining level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 44. It will be appreciated that any number of sensor(s) may be provided such that outputs from the sensors may be provided. Similarly, the exact location of each sensor(s) 70 will depend on the type of sensor 70 used to detect the level of aerosolizable material within reservoir 44. According to some embodiments, each sensor is mounted within or on the wall of reservoir 44, such as in the embodiment of FIG. may be placed.

According to some embodiments, sensor 70 may at least partially cover an opening in the wall of reservoir 44 for delivering aerosolizable material from reservoir 44 to vaporizer 48. This wall may, according to some very special embodiments, be the inner wall of the reservoir 44. By positioning the sensor 70 to at least partially cover the opening through which aerosolizable material can be delivered from the reservoir 44 to the vaporizer 48, the aerosol delivery system 1 is configured to In some embodiments, a small amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 44 may indicate that there is no/insufficient operable aerosolizable material such that the aerosolizable material is delivered from the reservoir 44 to the vaporizer 48 via the opening. of aerosolizable materials can be detected more effectively.

In a very particular embodiment, a plurality of sensors 70a, 70b arranged on the walls of the reservoir 44, e.g. distributed along the length of the reservoir 44 extending between the two end walls 44A, 44B. ,...70n may be provided. Such an embodiment is shown in FIG. Providing more sensors 70 can serve to further increase the effectiveness of the sensors to output accurate sensor information related to the level of aerosolizable material within reservoir 44.

According to the embodiments described above, any of the provided sensor(s) 70, 70a, 70b, ... 70n may be, for example, an optical sensor, an acoustic sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, and or any other sensor(s) described herein, such as an inductive sensor and/or any other sensor(s) capable of outputting sensor information related to the level of aerosolizable material within the reservoir 44. It may be either.

As mentioned above, each sensor 70 is configured to output sensor information related to the remaining level of aerosolizable material within the reservoir 44. The output sensor information is configured to be output to the control circuit 20 of the aerosol supply system 1. This can be accomplished using either a wired or wireless connection between the control circuit 20 and the sensor(s) 70, as desired. In the particular embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a wired connection is provided between the sensor(s) 70 and the control circuit 20 to interface between the first part 4 and the reusable part 2. 6.

According to some of the embodiments described above, the sensor 70 is shown to be located in the first part 4. However, according to other embodiments, the reusable part 2 may be provided with sensor(s) 70, for example as shown in the embodiment of FIG. In such embodiments, sensor(s) 70 are located on reusable portion 2 but still operable to detect the level of aerosolizable material within reservoir 44. To achieve this, each sensor 70 according to these embodiments may be placed, for example, at the interface 6 between the first part 4 and the reusable part 2. In this manner, each sensor 70 is still sufficiently proximal to the first portion 4 to detect the level of aerosolizable material within the reservoir 44. For example, in a very special embodiment where the sensor 70 is an optical sensor, the first part 4 may be provided with a window 72 to allow light from the sensor 70 to enter and leave the fluid reservoir 44. , in this case the window 72 faces the reusable part 2 and the window is placed next to the sensor 70 . Such an embodiment is shown in FIG. By arranging the sensor(s) 70 in the reusable part 2, it is no longer necessary to provide a sensor 70 in each first part 4, which can be a consumable first part 4. I want to draw your attention to what is possible.

Regardless of how the sensor(s) 70 are arranged/located within the aerosol delivery system 1, each sensor 70 is a sensor related to the level of aerosolizable material within the reservoir 44, as described above. Configured to output information. The control circuit 20 is configured to process sensor information from the sensor(s) 70 to determine the amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 44, such that the amount of aerosolizable material is a predetermined amount. is configured to generate a signal when it is determined that the amount has reached or fallen below.

According to some embodiments, the signal generated may be an instruction to replace the second consumable part 8. In that regard, the amount of aerosolizable material supplied to the first part 4 is carefully selected, primarily with a view to reducing the cost of goods as much as reasonably possible taking into account the particular regulations. . Similarly, the amount of perfuming material 84 in second portion 8 is selected based on similar considerations. In that regard, it has also been found that the second part 8 generally needs to be replaced more frequently than the first part 4 in order to provide a satisfactory aerosol to the user. In other words, the predetermined number of second portions 8 will be completely consumed before the first portion 4 with the reservoir 44 full of aerosolizable material is completely consumed. Sometimes. According to some embodiments, this predetermined number may be 2, 3, 4, or 5.

Regarding the above point, it is always difficult for the user to know when is the best time to switch the second part 8 to a replacement second part 8. In fact, from the user's point of view, this is only known when the user reacts to receiving an unsatisfactory/poor flavored aerosol (i.e. if the contents of the second portion 8 have been completely consumed). I can do it. Depending on the user's level of perception, the user may not be aware of this until some time after the ideal time to switch the second portion 8.

With the above in mind, a signal is generated when the second consumable portion 8 determines that the amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 44 has reached or fallen below a predetermined amount. It may also be an instruction to replace the

According to some embodiments, this predetermined amount is 3/4, 2/3, 1/2, 1/3 when the reservoir 44 of the first portion 4 is full of aerosolizable material. , or 1/4. These fractions may depend on the predetermined number of second portions 8 that can be consumed before the first portion 4 with the reservoir 44 full of aerosolizable material is completely consumed (e.g. It is clear that the fraction of 3/4 full corresponds to four second portions 8 being consumed for a single total consumption of the first portion 4).

Regarding the signal generated in the above example, according to some embodiments, the signal may be at least one of an optical signal, an acoustic signal, and a tactile signal, and the signal may be a second It can be used to indicate to the user that part 8 needs to be changed.

To carry out the above, according to some embodiments, the aerosol delivery system 1 optionally includes optical elements (such as LEDs), acoustic elements (such as speakers), and haptic feedback elements (such as vibrators). ) or a combination thereof. It is clear that in some specific embodiments to those described above, any such optical/acoustic/haptic feedback element(s) may be most conveniently placed in the reusable part 2.

According to some embodiments, the predetermined amount may be a first predetermined amount and the signal may be a first signal. In such embodiments, control circuit 20 is configured to generate a second signal when it is determined that the amount of aerosolizable material has reached or fallen below a second predetermined amount. may be further configured to, in which case the second predetermined amount is less than the first predetermined amount.

In the embodiment described above, the second signal facilitates the aerosol delivery system 1 to react to the nominal consumption of another second portion 8 after the previous second portion 8 has been consumed. and/or can readily react to the aerosolizable material in the reservoir 44 reaching or falling low/empty.

As mentioned above, according to some particular embodiments thereof, the second signal may be a second instruction to replace the second consumable part (again). In that regard, in some embodiments, for example, the second predetermined amount is at least one of 1/2 or 1/3 of the amount when reservoir 44 is full of aerosolizable material. (this may be in the respective embodiments where four or three second parts 8 are consumed for a single total consumption of the first part 4).

Any such second signal for replacing the second consumable part 8 may be at least one of an optical signal, an acoustic signal and a tactile signal, if necessary, which signal It can be used to indicate to the user that part 8 of 2 needs to be changed.

In some embodiments, the second signal may be a command to disable operation of the aerosol delivery system 1 and/or vaporizer 48, for example when the reservoir 44 is empty or nearly empty. In some particular embodiments thereof, operation of aerosol delivery system 1 and/or vaporizer 48 is such that the amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir (from sensor information from sensor 70) is determined in advance. may be disabled until control circuitry 20 determines that a minimum amount of aerosolizable material has been reached or exceeded and/or until control circuitry 20 determines that reservoir 44 is full of aerosolizable material.

In an even narrower embodiment, in addition to generating the second signal when it is determined that the amount of aerosolizable material has reached or fallen below a second predetermined amount, the control The circuit 20 may be further configured to generate a third signal when it is determined that the amount of aerosolizable material has reached or fallen below a third predetermined amount; In this case, the third predetermined amount is less than the second predetermined amount.

In such a third signal, according to some particular embodiments thereof, the third signal may cause the second consumable part 8 to be replaced (yet again, or a third time, etc.) and/or to vaporize the second consumable part 8. may include commands to disable the operation of the device.

For illustration of an embodiment method for using/operating the aerosol delivery system 1 described herein, reference is made to FIG. In the method 400 of FIG. 4, the method first uses the sensor(s) 70, 70a, 70b, ... 70n to generate an aerosol in the reservoir 44 of the first portion 4 of the aerosol delivery system 1. Detecting the level of possible material (step 402).

Sensor information is then output from the sensor(s) 70 to the control circuit 20 of the aerosol delivery system 1, where the sensor information relates to the level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 44 (step 404).

The sensor information is then processed by control circuit 20 to determine the amount of aerosolizable material within reservoir 44 (step 406). Such processing of sensor information may further utilize additional information related to the physical dimensions of the reservoir 44 and/or the location of each sensor 70 within the reservoir 70 to aerosolize the reservoir 44. It will be appreciated that the amount of material can be determined. According to some embodiments, such additional information relating to the physical dimensions of the reservoir 44 and/or the position of each sensor 70 of the reservoir 70 may be pre-stored in the memory of the control circuit 20; It will be appreciated that, or in some embodiments, additional information may be output from the sensor 70 together with the sensor information.

Based on this determined amount of aerosolizable material remaining in reservoir 44, control circuit 20 then determines that the amount of aerosolizable material has reached or fallen below a predetermined amount. If determined, it is arranged to generate a signal to replace the second consumable part 8 (step 408).

As mentioned above, according to some embodiments, the predetermined amount is 3/4, 2/3, 1/2, 1/2 of the time when the first portion reservoir 44 is full of aerosolizable material. It may correspond to at least one amount of 1/3 or 1/4. These fractions may depend on the predetermined number of second portions 8 that can be consumed before the first portion 4 with the reservoir 44 full of aerosolizable material is completely consumed (e.g. It is clear that the fraction of 3/4 full corresponds to four second portions 8 being consumed for a single total consumption of the first portion 4).

Accordingly, in accordance with the above method, the aerosol delivery system uses sensor(s) 70 to detect the level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 44 that ultimately remains in the reservoir 44. Accurately indicates the amount of aerosolizable material. This is in contrast to other systems that use techniques to estimate the amount of aerosolizable material consumed by monitoring the energy and/or time that heating elements are operated. Such estimation techniques therefore provide an indication of the amount of aerosolizable material actually consumed (which may be important in the context of an aerosol delivery system), noting that these are only estimates. may not be very accurate.

therefore,
a first portion comprising a reservoir for storing an aerosolizable material;
a sensor for detecting a level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir of the first portion, the sensor configured to output sensor information related to the level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir;
a vaporizer disposed downstream of the reservoir for vaporizing the aerosolizable material;
a second consumable portion disposed downstream of the vaporizer for retaining the flavoring material;
and configured to process sensor information from the sensor to determine an amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir, the amount of aerosolizable material being determined to have reached or fallen below a predetermined amount. a control circuit configured to generate a signal when the
This signal is described in the aerosol delivery system as an indication to replace the second consumable part.

A method of generating a signal for use with an aerosol delivery system configured to generate vapor from an aerosolizable material using a vaporizer is also described, the method comprising:
detecting a level of aerosolizable material in a reservoir of the first portion of the aerosol delivery system using a sensor;
outputting sensor information from the sensor to a control circuit of the aerosol delivery system, the sensor information relating to a level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir;
processing the sensor information in a control circuit to determine an amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir;
generating a signal in the control circuit when it is determined that the amount of aerosolizable material has reached or fallen below a predetermined amount;
This signal is an instruction from the aerosol delivery system to replace a second consumable part for holding the perfuming material, the second consumable part being located downstream of the vaporizer and containing the aromatic material produced by the vaporizer. Configured to accept steam.

An aerosol delivery system 1 is further described comprising a first part 4 comprising a reservoir 44 for storing an aerosolizable material and a sensor 70 for detecting the level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 44. . Sensor 70 is configured to output sensor information related to the level of aerosolizable material within reservoir 44 . The aerosol delivery system further comprises a vaporizer 48 for vaporizing the aerosolizable material and a second consumable portion 8 disposed downstream of the vaporizer 48 for holding the flavoring material. The aerosol delivery system 1 processes the sensor information to determine the amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 44 and determines that the amount of aerosolizable material has reached or fallen below a predetermined amount. The second consumable part 8 is configured to generate a signal for replacing the second consumable part 8 when the second consumable part 8 is replaced.

Although the above embodiments have focused in some respects on some specific exemplary aerosol delivery systems, it is understood that the same principles can be applied to aerosol delivery systems using other technologies. It will be. That is, the particular manner in which various aspects of the aerosol delivery system function are not directly related to the underlying principles of the examples described herein.

For example, although the first portion 4 has been described as being removably coupled to the reusable portion 2, in some implementations the first portion 4 may be integral with the reusable portion 2. good. For example, the cartridge housing 42 of the first part 4 may be integrally formed with, or the same as, the outer housing 12 of the reusable part 2 in some embodiments. In such embodiments, reservoir 44 can be refilled with aerosolizable material when reservoir 44 is depleted, such as through a closable opening to reservoir 44. In such embodiments, a signal from control circuit 20 may indicate to a user that reservoir 44 is depleted or nearly depleted and requires refilling.

In some embodiments, also, although not explicitly required, to further improve the accuracy of the aerosol delivery system 1 in detecting the amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 44, the first portion thereof 4 and/or the reusable part 2 further comprises an attitude sensor 74 for determining the orientation of the first part 4 and thus the level of aerosolizable material in the reservoir 44. It's okay. Such attitude sensor 74 may include, for example, one or more accelerometers, according to certain embodiments. Referring to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-3, the attitude sensor 74 is shown disposed on the reusable portion 2, but as discussed above, any such attitude sensor 74 may be attached to the aerosol supply. It may be located anywhere suitable within the system 1.

If such an attitude sensor 74 is present, the attitude sensor 74 would be configured to output attitude sensor information related to the orientation of the aerosolizable material within the reservoir 44 to the control circuit 20. As such, control circuit 20 is then configured to process sensor information from each sensor 70 and attitude sensor information from attitude sensor 74 to determine the amount of aerosolizable material in the reservoir. Will.

Note again that for the sake of completeness, the presence of any such orientation sensor 74 is not explicitly required, and the orientation of the liquid within the reservoir 44 may additionally/alternatively be It is noted that the orientation of the liquid in the reservoir 44 can be determined by placing an appropriate number of sensors 70 in the reservoir 44 that can detect the orientation of the liquid in the reservoir 44 at any required angle/orientation, if desired. .

In order to address various challenges and advance the art, this disclosure illustratively depicts various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced. The advantages and features of this disclosure are only representative examples of embodiments and are not intended to be exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented merely to aid in understanding and teaching the claimed invention(s). The advantages, embodiments, examples, features, features, structures, and/or other aspects of this disclosure are intended to limit this disclosure as defined by the claims or equivalents of the claims. It should not be considered limiting, and it should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. The various embodiments may suitably comprise various combinations of disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. other than those described in detail herein, and may consist solely of those described in detail. The features of the dependent claims may thus be combined with the features of the independent claims in combinations other than those expressly recited in the claims. It will be understood that this may be done. This disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims (31)

a first portion comprising a reservoir for storing an aerosolizable material;
a sensor for detecting a level of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir of the first portion, the sensor configured to output sensor information related to the level of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir; sensor and
a vaporizer disposed downstream of the reservoir for vaporizing the aerosolizable material;
a second consumable portion for holding a flavoring material, located downstream of the vaporizer;
configured to process the sensor information from the sensor to determine the amount of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir, the amount of the aerosolizable material reaches a predetermined amount, or and a control circuit configured to generate a signal when it is determined that the
The aerosol delivery system, wherein the signal is an indication to replace the second consumable part. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor. The aerosol delivery system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensor comprises an acoustic sensor. Aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor and/or an inductive sensor. Aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sensor is located in the reservoir or on the wall of the reservoir. the aerosol delivery system comprises a reusable part;
the first part is connectable to the reusable part;
Aerosol delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second consumable part is connectable to the first part. 7. The aerosol delivery system of claim 6, wherein the reusable part comprises the sensor. Aerosol delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first part comprises the sensor. An aerosol delivery system according to any preceding claim, wherein the first part is removable from the aerosol delivery system independently of the second consumable part. Aerosol delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the signal is at least one of an optical signal, an acoustic signal and a tactile signal. The predetermined amount is at least 3/4, 2/3, 1/2, 1/3, or 1/4 of when the reservoir of the first portion is full of aerosolizable material. Aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, corresponding to one quantity. further comprising an attitude sensor configured to output attitude sensor information related to an orientation of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir to the control circuit;
the control circuit is further configured to process the attitude sensor information from the attitude sensor together with the sensor information from the sensor to determine the amount of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir; The aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 11. 13. The aerosol delivery system of claim 12 when further dependent on claim 6, wherein the reusable part comprises the attitude sensor. the predetermined amount is a first predetermined amount, the signal is a first signal,
The control circuit system is further configured to generate a second signal when the amount of the aerosolizable material is determined to have reached or fallen below a second predetermined amount. , wherein the second predetermined amount is less than the first predetermined amount. 15. The aerosol delivery system of claim 14, wherein the second predetermined amount corresponds to at least one of 1/2 or 1/3 when the reservoir is full of aerosolizable material. . 16. The aerosol delivery system of claim 14 or 15, wherein the second signal is a second instruction to replace the second consumable part. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the second signal includes a command to disable operation of the aerosol delivery system. the control circuit is further configured to generate a third signal when it is determined that the amount of the aerosolizable material has reached or fallen below a third predetermined amount; Aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the third predetermined amount is less than the second predetermined amount. 19. The aerosol delivery system of claim 18, wherein the third signal includes a command to replace the second consumable part and/or a command to disable operation of the vaporizer. 20. Any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the reservoir wall comprises an opening for delivering the aerosolizable material from the reservoir to the vaporizer, and wherein the sensor at least partially covers the opening. Aerosol delivery system as described. An aerosol delivery system according to any preceding claim, wherein the first part is a first consumable part. Aerosol delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vaporizer comprises a heater. Aerosol delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flavoring material comprises or consists solely of tobacco. An aerosol delivery system according to any preceding claim, wherein the aerosolizable material comprises a fluid. An aerosol delivery system according to any preceding claim, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of sensors. A method of generating a signal for use with an aerosol delivery system configured to generate vapor from an aerosolizable material using a vaporizer, the method comprising:
using a sensor to detect the level of aerosolizable material in a reservoir of the first portion of the aerosol delivery system;
outputting sensor information from the sensor to a control circuit of the aerosol delivery system, the sensor information relating to the level of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir;
processing the sensor information with the control circuit to determine the amount of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir;
generating a signal in the control circuit when it is determined that the amount of the aerosolizable material has reached or fallen below a predetermined amount;
the signal is an instruction to replace a second consumable portion for retaining flavoring material from the aerosol delivery system, the second consumable portion being disposed downstream of the vaporizer, and wherein the second consumable portion is disposed downstream of the vaporizer; A method configured to receive said generated steam. detecting the orientation of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir using an orientation sensor;
outputting attitude sensor information from the attitude sensor to the control circuit, the attitude sensor information relating to the orientation of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir;
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the sensor information is processed and the control circuit further processes the attitude sensor information to determine the amount of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir. the predetermined amount is a first predetermined amount, the signal is a first signal,
After generating the first signal, the method includes:
replacing the second consumable part with another second consumable part;
generating a second signal in the control circuit when it is determined that the amount of the aerosolizable material has reached or fallen below a second predetermined amount; a second predetermined amount is less than the first predetermined amount;
28. A method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the second signal is an instruction to replace the further second consumable part. After generating the second signal,
replacing the further second consumable part with a further second consumable part;
generating a third signal in the control circuit when it is determined that the amount of the aerosolizable material has reached or fallen below a third predetermined amount; 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of: a third predetermined amount being less than the second predetermined amount. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the third signal is an instruction to replace the further second consumable part. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the third signal is an instruction to disable operation of the vaporizer.

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