FIELD

The present invention relates to an aerosol provision device, an aerosol generating article, an aerosol provision system and a method of generating aerosol.

BACKGROUND

Electronic aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) generally contain a reservoir of a source liquid containing a formulation, typically including nicotine, from which an aerosol is generated, e.g. through heat vaporisation. An aerosol source for an aerosol provision system may thus comprise a heater having a heating element arranged to receive source liquid from the reservoir, for example through wicking/capillary action. While a user inhales on the aerosol provision device, electrical power is supplied to the heating element to vaporise source liquid in the vicinity of the heating element to generate an aerosol for inhalation by the user. Such aerosol provision devices are usually provided with one or more air inlet holes located away from a mouthpiece end of the system. When a user sucks on a mouthpiece connected to the mouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn in through the inlet holes and past the aerosol source. There is a flow path connecting between the aerosol source and an opening in the mouthpiece so that air drawn past the aerosol source continues along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying some of the aerosol from the aerosol source with it.

The aerosol-carrying air exits the aerosol provision system through the mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.

Other aerosol provision devices generate aerosol from a solid material, such as tobacco or a tobacco derivative. Such devices operate in a broadly similar manner to the liquid-based systems described above, in that the solid tobacco material is heated to a vaporisation temperature to generate an aerosol which is subsequently inhaled by a user. In most aerosol provision devices, users seek consistent delivery on a puff-by-puff basis such that each puff tastes the same and/or provides the same desired effect. However, the aerosol provision devices described above are not always capable of providing consistent delivery.

Various approaches are described which seek to help address some of these issues.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect there is provided an aerosol provision device comprising: a mouthpiece; one or more first aerosol generating regions located a first distance d1 from the mouthpiece; one or more second aerosol generating regions located a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece, wherein d2 > d1; one or more first aerosol transmission channels arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more first aerosol generating regions to the mouthpiece, wherein the one or more first aerosol transmission channels have a first cross-sectional or other profile; and one or more second aerosol transmission channels arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more second aerosol generating regions to the mouthpiece, wherein the one or more second aerosol transmission channels have a second cross-sectional or other profile, and wherein the second cross-sectional or other profile is different from the first cross-sectional or other profile.

According to various embodiments the cross-sectional area of transmission channels from aerosol generating regions located closer to the mouthpiece may be arranged to be larger than those located further from the mouthpiece, such that the effective air-path volume of each transmission channel is more similar, and therefore a more consistent aerosol delivery may be provided.

Alternatively, it has been recognised that the volume in which the aerosol is able to form may control the speed at which the aerosol forms. In particular, providing a larger volume for aerosol formation may allow for a desired aerosol to be produced more quickly.

Delivery of aerosol from aerosol generating regions located further from the mouthpiece may typically take longer than from aerosol generating regions located closer to mouthpiece. The Applicant has identified that providing an increased volume for aerosol formation may allow aerosol to be formed more quickly. Accordingly, the cross- sectional area of transmission channels from aerosol generating regions located closer to the mouthpiece may be larger than those located further from the mouthpiece, such that the increased time for aerosol delivery due to the greater distance from mouthpiece is offset by the decreased time required for aerosol formation. Such a system may allow for a more consistent delivery time of aerosol from aerosol generating regions located different distances from the mouthpiece, thereby providing an improved user experience.

Optionally, the first cross-sectional or other profile is larger than the second cross-sectional or other profile.

Optionally, the effective airpath volume of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels is approximately equal to the effective airpath volume of the one or more second aerosol transmission channels. Optionally, the cross sectional or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels and the one or more second aerosol transmission channels is configured such that the amount of aerosol provided from the one or more first aerosol generating regions and the one or more second aerosol generating regions are substantially equal.

Optionally, the second cross-sectional or other profile is larger than the first cross-sectional or other profile.

Optionally, the cross sectional or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels and the one or more second aerosol transmission channels is configured such that the speed of delivery of aerosol from the first aerosol generating regions and the second aerosol generating regions to the mouthpiece are substantially equal.

Optionally, the aerosol provision device comprises a central aerosol transmission channel, wherein the one or more first aerosol transmission channels and the one or more second aerosol transmission channels are formed within the central aerosol transmission channel.

Optionally, the central aerosol transmission channel has a cross-sectional or other profile which tapers.

Optionally, the one or more first aerosol transmission channels are separate from the one or more second aerosol transmission channels.

Optionally, the aerosol provision device further comprises one or more heating elements for heating the one or more aerosol generating regions.

Optionally, the one or more heating elements comprise one or more resistive or inductive heating elements.

According to another aspect there is provided an aerosol provision system comprising: an aerosol provision device as described above; and an aerosol generating article comprising portions of aerosol generating material.

According to another aspect there is provided an aerosol generating article comprising: an outlet; one or more first portions of aerosol generating material located a first distance d1 from the outlet; one or more second portions of aerosol generating material located a second distance d2 from the outlet, wherein d2 > d1; one or more first aerosol transmission channels arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more first portions of aerosol generating material to the outlet, wherein the one or more first aerosol transmission channels have a first cross-sectional or other profile; and one or more second aerosol transmission channels arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more second portions of aerosol generating material to the outlet, wherein the one or more second aerosol transmission channels have a second cross-sectional or other profile, and wherein the second cross-sectional or other profile is different from the first cross-sectional or other profile.

Optionally, the one or more first aerosol transmission channels have a larger cross-sectional or other profile than the one or more second aerosol transmission channels.

Optionally, the effective airpath volume of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels is approximately equal to the effective airpath volume of the one or more second aerosol transmission channels.

Optionally, the cross sectional or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels and the one or more second aerosol transmission channels are configured such that the amount of aerosol provided from the one or more first aerosol generating regions and the one or more second aerosol generating regions are substantially equal.

Optionally, the one or more second aerosol transmission channels have a larger cross-sectional or other profile than the one or more first aerosol transmission channels.

Optionally, the cross sectional or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels and the one or more second aerosol transmission channels are configured such that the speed of delivery of aerosol from the one or more first aerosol generating regions and the one or more second aerosol generating regions to the outlet are substantially equal.

Optionally, the aerosol generating article comprises a central aerosol transmission channel, wherein the one or more first aerosol transmission channels and the one or more second aerosol transmission channels are formed within the central aerosol transmission channel. Optionally, the cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel is tapered.

Optionally, the one or more first aerosol transmission channels are separate from the one or more second aerosol transmission channels.

According to another aspect there is provided an aerosol provision system comprising: an aerosol generating article as described above; and an aerosol provision device configured to receive the aerosol generating article, wherein the aerosol provision device is configured to generate aerosol from the portions of aerosol generating material.

According to another aspect there is provided a method of generating aerosol comprising: providing an aerosol provision device comprising a mouthpiece, one or more first aerosol generating regions located a first distance d1 from the mouthpiece, one or more second aerosol generating regions located a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece, wherein d2 > d1, communicating aerosol generated from the one or more first aerosol generating regions to the mouthpiece via one or more first aerosol transmission channels having a first cross-sectional or other profile; and communicating aerosol generated from the one or more second aerosol generating regions to the mouthpiece via one or more second aerosol transmission channels having a second cross-sectional or other profile, wherein the second cross- sectional or other profile is different from the first cross-sectional or other profile.

According to another aspect there is provided a method of generating aerosol comprising: providing an aerosol generating article comprising an outlet, one or more first portions of aerosol generating material located a first distance d1 from the outlet and one or more second portions of aerosol generating material located a second distance d2 from the outlet, wherein d2 > d1; communicating aerosol generated from the one or more first portions of aerosol generating material to the outlet via one or more first aerosol transmission channels having a first cross-sectional or other profile; and communicating aerosol generated from the one or more second portions of aerosol generating material to the outlet via one or more second aerosol transmission channels having a second cross-sectional or other profile, wherein the second cross- sectional or other profile is different from the first cross-sectional or other profile. It will be appreciated that features and aspects of the invention described above in relation to the first and other aspects of the invention are equally applicable to, and may be combined with, embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the invention as appropriate, and not just in the specific combinations described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section of a schematic representation of an aerosol provision system comprising an aerosol provision device and an aerosol generating article;

Fig. 2A is a top-down view of the aerosol generating article of Fig. 1, Fig. 2B is an end-on view along the longitudinal (length) axis of the aerosol generating article and Fig. 2C is a side-on view along the width axis of the aerosol generating article;

Fig. 3 is cross-sectional, top-down view of the heating elements of the aerosol provision device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top-down view of an exemplary touch sensitive panel for operating various functions of the aerosol provision system;

Fig. 5 is an example of a cross-section of a schematic representation of an aerosol provision system comprising an aerosol provision device and an aerosol generating article;

Fig. 6A is a top-down view of the aerosol generating article of Fig. 5, Fig. 6B is an end-on view along the longitudinal (length) axis of the aerosol generating article and Fig. 6C is a side-on view along the width axis of the aerosol generating article;

Fig. 7 is a cross-section of a schematic representation of an aerosol provision system comprising an aerosol provision device and an aerosol generating article, Fig. 7A is a cross section of the aerosol provision device of Fig. 7 along line S according to an embodiment and Fig. 7B is a cross section of the aerosol provision device of Fig. 7 along line S according to another embodiment;

Fig. 8 is a cross-section of a schematic representation of an aerosol provision system comprising an aerosol provision device and an aerosol generating article;

Fig. 9 is a cross-section of a schematic representation of an aerosol generating article, Fig. 9A is a cross section of the aerosol generating article of Fig. 9 along line S’ according to an embodiment and Fig. 9B is a cross section of the aerosol generating article of Fig. 9 along line S’ according to another embodiment; and

Fig. 10 is a cross-section of a schematic representation of an aerosol generating article.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

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

The present disclosure relates to a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system. A “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of an aerosol to a user. Furthermore, and as is common in the technical field, the terms "vapour" and "aerosol", and related terms such as "vaporise", "volatilise" and "aerosolise", may generally be used interchangeably.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise a plant-based material, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise an article (sometimes referred to as a consumable) for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device. However, it is envisaged that articles which themselves comprise a means for powering an aerosol generating component may themselves form the non combustible aerosol provision system.

The aerosol generating article, part or all of which, is intended to be consumed during use by a user. The aerosol generating article may comprise or consist of aerosol generating material. A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor The aerosol generating article may comprise one or more other elements, such as a filter or an aerosol modifying substance (e.g. a component to add a flavour to, or otherwise alter the properties of, an aerosol that passes through or over the aerosol modifying substance).

Non-combustible aerosol provision devices often, though not always, comprise a modular assembly including both a reusable aerosol provision device and a replaceable article. In some implementations, the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise a power source and a controller (or control circuitry). The power source may, for example, be an electric power source, such as a battery or rechargeable battery. In some implementations, the non-combustible aerosol provision device may also comprise an aerosol generating component. However, in other implementations the aerosol generating article may comprise partially, or entirely, the aerosol generating component.

An aerosol generating component (aerosol generator) is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some implementations, the aerosol generating component is a heater capable of interacting with the aerosol generating material so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating component is capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosol generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generating component may be capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosol generating material without applying heat thereto, for example via one or more of vibrational, mechanical, pressurisation or electrostatic means.

In some implementations, the heater may comprise one or more electrically resistive heaters, including for example one or more nichrome resistive heater(s) and/or one or more ceramic heater(s). The heater may comprise one or more induction heaters which includes an arrangement comprising one or more susceptors which may form a chamber into which an article comprising aerosol generating material is inserted or otherwise located in use. Alternatively or in addition, one or more susceptors may be provided in the aerosol generating material. Other heating arrangements may also be used.

The aerosol generating article for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device comprises an aerosol generating material. Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or semi-solid (such as a gel) which may or may not contain an active substance and/or flavourants.

As appropriate, the aerosol generating material may comprise any one or more of: an active constituent, a carrier constituent, a flavour, and one or more other functional constituents.

The aerosol generating material may be present on or in a carrier support (or carrier component) to form a substrate. The carrier support may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted aerosol generating material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy.

In some implementations, the aerosol generating article for use with the non combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol generating material or an area for receiving aerosol generating material. In some implementations, the aerosol generating article for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise a mouthpiece, or alternatively the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise a mouthpiece which communicates with the aerosol generating article. The area for receiving aerosol generating material may be a storage area for storing aerosol generating material. For example, the storage area may be a reservoir.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation of an aerosol provision system 1. The aerosol provision system 1 comprises two main components, namely an aerosol provision device 2 and an aerosol generating article 4.

The aerosol provision device 2 comprises an outer housing 21, a power source 22, control circuitry 23, a plurality of aerosol generating components 24, a receptacle 25, a mouthpiece end 26, an air inlet 27, an air outlet 28, a touch-sensitive panel 29, an inhalation sensor 30, and an end of use indicator 31.

The outer housing 21 may be formed from any suitable material, for example a plastics material. The outer housing 21 is arranged such that the power source 22, control circuitry 23, aerosol generating components 24, receptacle 25 and inhalation sensor 30 are located within the outer housing 21. The outer housing 21 also defines the air inlet 27 and air outlet 28, described in more detail below. The touch sensitive panel 29 and end of use indicator are located on the exterior of the outer housing 21.

The outer housing 21 further includes a mouthpiece end 26. The outer housing 21 and mouthpiece end 26 are formed as a single component (that is, the mouthpiece end 26 forms a part of the outer housing 21). The mouthpiece end 26 is defined as a region of the outer housing 21 which includes the air outlet 28 and is shaped in such a way that a user may comfortably place their lips around the mouthpiece end 26 to engage with air outlet 28. In Fig. 1, the thickness of the outer housing 21 decreases towards the air outlet 28 to provide a relatively thinner portion of the aerosol provision device 2 which may be more easily accommodated by the lips of a user. In other implementations, however, the mouthpiece end 26 may be a removable component that is separate from but able to be coupled to the outer housing 21, and may be removed for cleaning and/or replacement with another mouthpiece end 26.

The power source 22 is configured to provide operating power to the aerosol provision device 2. The power source 22 may be any suitable power source, such as a battery. For example, the power source 22 may comprise a rechargeable battery, such as a Lithium Ion battery. The power source 22 may be removable or form an integrated part of the aerosol provision device 2. In some implementations, the power source 22 may be recharged through connection of the aerosol provision device 2 to an external power supply (such as mains power) through an associated connection port, such as a USB port (not shown) or via a suitable wireless receiver (not shown).

The control circuitry 23 is suitably configured or programmed to control the operation of the aerosol provision device to provide certain operating functions of aerosol provision device 2. The control circuitry 23 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units/circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the aerosol provision devices’ operation. For example, the control circuitry 23 may comprise a logical sub-unit for controlling the recharging of the power source 22. Additionally, the control circuitry 23 may comprise a logical sub-unit for communication, e.g. to facilitate data transfer from or to the device 2. However, a primary function of the control circuitry 23 is to control the aerosolisation of aerosol generating material, as described in more detail below. It will be appreciated the functionality of the control circuitry 23 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality. The control circuitry 23 is connected to the power supply 23 and receives power from the power source 22 and may be configured to distribute or control the power supply to other components of the aerosol provision device 2.

In the described implementation, the aerosol provision device 2 further comprises a receptacle 25 which is arranged to receive an aerosol generating article 4.

The aerosol generating article 4 may comprise a carrier component 42 and aerosol generating material 44. The aerosol generating article 4 is shown in more detail in Figs. 2A to 2C. Fig. 2A is a top-down view of the aerosol generating article 4, Fig. 2B is an end-on view along the longitudinal (length) axis of the aerosol generating article 4, and Fig. 2C is a side-on view along the width axis of the aerosol generating article 4.

The aerosol generating article 4 may comprise a carrier component 42 which in this implementation is formed of card. The carrier component 42 forms the majority of the aerosol generating article 4, and acts as a base for the aerosol generating material 44 to be deposited on.

The carrier component 42 is broadly cuboidal in shape has a length I, a width w and a thickness t _c as shown in Figs. 2A to 2C. By way of a concrete example, the length of the carrier component 42 may be 30 to 80 mm, the width may be 7 to 25 mm, and the thickness may be between 0.2 to 1 mm. However, it should be appreciated that the above are exemplary dimensions of the carrier component 42, and in other implementations the carrier component 42 may have different dimensions as appropriate. In some implementations, the carrier component 42 may comprise one or more protrusions extending in the length and/or width directions of the carrier component 42 to help facilitate handling of the aerosol generating article 4 by the user.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2A-C, the aerosol generating article 4 comprises a plurality of discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44 disposed on a surface of the carrier component 42. More specifically, the aerosol generating article 4 comprises six discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44, labelled 44a to 44f, disposed in a two by three array. However, it should be appreciated that in other implementations a greater or lesser number of discrete portions may be provided, and/or the portions may be disposed in a different array (e.g. a one by six array). In the example shown, the aerosol generating material 44 is disposed at discrete, separate locations on a single surface of the component carrier 42. The discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44 are shown as having a circular footprint, although it should be appreciated that the discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44 may take any other footprint, such as square or rectangular, as appropriate. The discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44 have a diameter d and a thickness t _a as shown in Figs. 2A to 2C. The thickness t _a may take any suitable value, for example the thickness ta may be in the range of 50pm to 1.5 mm. In some embodiment, the thickness ta is from about 50 pm to about 200 pm, or about 50 pm to about 100 pm, or about 60 pm to about 90 pm, suitably about 77 pm. In other embodiments, the thickness ta may be greater than 200 pm, e.g. from about 50 pm to about 400 pm, or to about 1 mm, or to about 1.5 mm.

The discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44 are separate from one another such that each of the discrete portions may be energised (e.g. heated) individually or selectively to produce an aerosol. In some implementations, the portions of aerosol generating material 44 may have a mass no greater than 20 mg, such that the amount of material to be aerosolised by a given aerosol generating component 24 at any one time is relatively low. For example, the mass per portion may be equal to or lower than 20 mg, or equal to or lower than 10 mg, or equal to or lower than 5 mg. Of course, it should be appreciated that the total mass of the aerosol generating article 4 may be greater than 20 mg.

The aerosol generating article 4 may comprise a plurality of portions of aerosol generating material all formed form the same aerosol generating material. Alternatively, the aerosol generating article 4 may comprise a plurality of portions of aerosol generating material 44 where at least two portions are formed from different aerosol generating material.

The receptacle 25 is suitable sized to removably receive the aerosol generating article 4 therein. Although not shown, the aerosol provision device 2 may comprise a hinged door or removable part of the outer housing 21 to permit access to the receptacle 25 such that a user may insert and/or remove the aerosol generating article 4 from the receptacle 25. The hinged door or removable part of the outer housing 21 may also act to retain the aerosol generating article 4 within the receptacle 25 when closed. When the aerosol generating article 4 is exhausted or the user simply wishes to switch to a different aerosol generating article 4, the aerosol generating article 4 may be removed from the aerosol provision device 2 and a replacement aerosol generating article 4 positioned in the receptacle 25 in its place. Alternatively, the aerosol provision device 2 may include a permanent opening that communicates with the receptacle 25 and through which the aerosol generating article 4 can be inserted into the receptacle 25. In such implementations, a retaining mechanism for retaining the aerosol generating article 4 within the receptacle 25 of the aerosol provision device 2 may be provided.

As seen in Fig. 1, the aerosol provision device 2 comprises a number of aerosol generating components 24. In the described implementation, the aerosol generating components 24 are heating elements 24, and more specifically resistive heating elements 24. Resistive heating elements 24 receive an electrical current and convert the electrical energy into heat. The resistive heating elements 24 may be formed from, or comprise, any suitable resistive heating material, such as NiChrome (Ni20Cr80), which generates heat upon receiving an electrical current. In one implementation, the heating elements 24 may comprise an electrically insulating substrate on which resistive tracks are disposed. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional, top-down view of the aerosol provision device 2 showing the arrangement of the heating elements 24 in more detail. In Figs. 1 and 3, the heating elements 24 are positioned such that a surface of the heating element 24 forms a part of the surface of the receptacle 25. That is, an outer surface of the heating elements 24 is flush with the inner surface of the receptacle. More specifically, the outer surface of the heating element 24 that is flush with the inner surface of the receptacle 25 is a surface of the heating element 24 that is heated (i.e. , its temperature increases) when an electrical current is passed through the heating element 24. The heating elements 24 are arranged such that, when the aerosol generating article 4 is received in the receptacle 25, each heating element 24 aligns with a corresponding discrete portion of aerosol generating material 44. Hence, in this example, six heating elements 24 are arranged in a two by three array broadly corresponding to the arrangement of the two by three array of the six discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44 shown in Figs. 2A to 2C. However, as discussed above, the number of heating elements 24 may be different in different implementations, for example there may be 8, 10, 12, 14, etc. heating elements 24. In some implementations, the number of heating elements 24 is greater than or equal to six but no greater than 20.

More specifically, the heating elements 24 are labelled 24a to 24f in Fig. 3, and it should be appreciated that each heating element 24 is arranged to align with a corresponding portion of aerosol generating material 44 as denoted by the corresponding letter following the references 24/44. Accordingly, each of the heating elements 24 can be individually activated to heat a corresponding portion of aerosol generating material 44. While the heating elements 24 are shown flush with the inner surface of the receptacle 25, in other implementations the heating elements 24 may protrude into the receptacle 25. In either case, the aerosol generating article 4 contacts the surfaces of the heating elements 24 when present in the receptacle 25 such that heat generated by the heating elements 24 is conducted to the aerosol generating material 44 through the carrier component 42.

In some implementations, to improve the heat-transfer efficiency, the receptacle may comprise components which apply a force to the surface of the carrier component 42 so as to press the carrier component 42 onto the heater elements 24, thereby increasing the efficiency of heat transfer via conduction to the aerosol generating material 44. Additionally or alternatively, the heater elements 24 may be configured to move in the direction towards/away from the aerosol generating article 4, and may be pressed into the surface of carrier component 42 that does not comprise the aerosol generating material 44.

In use, the aerosol provision device 2 (and more specifically the control circuitry 23) is configured to deliver power to the heating elements 24 in response to a user input. Broadly speaking, the control circuitry 23 is configured to selectively apply power to the heating elements 24 to subsequently heat the corresponding portions of aerosol generating material 44 to generate aerosol. When a user inhales on the aerosol provision device 2 (i.e. , inhales at mouthpiece end 26), air is drawn into the aerosol provision device 2 through air inlet 27, into the receptacle 25 where it mixes with the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol generating material 44, and then to the user’s mouth via air outlet 28. That is, the aerosol is delivered to the user through mouthpiece end 26 and air outlet 28. The aerosol provision device 2 of Fig. 1 includes a touch-sensitive panel 29 and an inhalation sensor 30. Collectively, the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30 act as mechanisms for a receiving a user input to cause the generation of aerosol, and thus may more broadly be referred to as user input mechanisms. The received user input may be said to be indicative of a user’s desire to generate aerosol.

The touch-sensitive panel 29 may be a capacitive touch sensor and can be operated by a user of the aerosol provision device 2 placing their finger or another suitably conductive object (for example a stylus) on the touch-sensitive panel. In the described implementation, the touch-sensitive panel includes a region which can be pressed by a user to start aerosol generation. The control circuitry 23 may be configured to receive signalling from the touch-sensitive panel 29 and to use this signalling to determine if a user is pressing (i.e. activating) the region of the touch-sensitive panel 29.

If the control circuitry 23 receives this signalling, then the control circuitry 23 is configured to supply power from the power source 22 to one or more of the heating elements 24. Power may be supplied for a predetermined time period (for example, three seconds) from the moment a touch is detected, or in response to the length of time the touch is detected for. In other implementations, the touch sensitive panel 29 may be replaced by a user actuatable button or the like.

The inhalation sensor 30 may be a pressure sensor or microphone or the like configured to detect a drop in pressure or a flow of air caused by the user inhaling on the aerosol provision device 2. The inhalation sensor 30 is located in fluid communication with the air flow pathway (that is, in fluid communication with the air flow path between inlet 27 and outlet 28). In a similar manner as described above, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to receive signalling from the inhalation sensor and to use this signalling to determine if a user is inhaling on the aerosol provision system 1. If the control circuitry 23 receives this signalling, then the control circuitry 23 is configured to supply power from the power source 22 to one or more of the heating elements 24.

Power may be supplied for a predetermined time period (for example, three seconds) from the moment inhalation is detected, or in response to the length of time the inhalation is detected for.

In the described example, both the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30 detect the user’s desire to begin generating aerosol for inhalation. The control circuitry 23 may be configured to only supply power to the heating element 24 when signalling from both the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30 are detected. This may help prevent inadvertent activation of the heating elements 24 from accidental activation of one of the user input mechanisms. However, in other implementations, the aerosol provision system 1 may have only one of a touch sensitive panel 29 and an inhalation sensor 30. These aspects of the operation of the aerosol provision system 1 (i.e. puff detection and touch detection) may in themselves be performed in accordance with established techniques (for example using conventional inhalation sensor and inhalation sensor signal processing techniques and using conventional touch sensor and touch sensor signal processing techniques).

In some implementations, in response to detecting the signalling from either one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30, the control circuitry 23 is configured to sequentially supply power to each of the individual heating elements 24. More specifically, the control circuitry 23 is configured to sequentially supply power to each of the individual heating elements 23 in response to a sequence of detections of the signalling received from either one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30. For example, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to supply power to a first heating element 24 of the plurality of heating elements 24 when the signalling is first detected (e.g. from when the aerosol provision device 2 is first switched on). When the signalling stops, or in response to the predetermined time from the signalling being detected elapsing, the control circuitry 23 registers that the first heating element 24 has been activated (and thus the corresponding discrete portion of aerosol generating material 44 has been heated). The control circuitry 23 determines that in response to receiving subsequent signalling from either one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30 that a second heating element 24 is to be activated.

Accordingly, when the signalling from either one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30 is received by the control circuitry 23, the control circuitry 23 activates the second heating element 24. This process is repeated for remaining heating elements 24, such that all heating elements 24 are sequentially activated.

Effectively, this operation means that for each inhalation a different one of the discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44 is heated and an aerosol generated therefrom. In other words, a single discrete portion of aerosol generating material is heated per user inhalation.

In other implementations, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to activate the first heating element 24 a plurality of times (e.g. two) before determining that the second heating element 24 should be activated in response to subsequent signalling from either one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30, or activates each of the plurality of heating elements 24 once and when all heating elements 24 have be activated once, detection of subsequent signalling causes the heating elements to be sequentially activated a second time.

Such sequential activations may be dubbed “a sequential activation mode”, which is primarily designed to deliver a consistent aerosol per inhalation (which may be measured in terms of total aerosol generated, or a total constituent delivered, for example). Hence, this mode may be most effective when each portion of the aerosol generating material 44 of the aerosol generating article 4 is substantially identical; that is, portions 44a to 44f are formed of the same material.

In some other implementations, in response to detecting the signalling from either one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30, the control circuitry 23 is configured to supply power to one or more of the heating elements 24 simultaneously.

In some implementations two or more discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44 may be heated per inhalation.

In such implementations, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to supply power to selected ones of the heating elements 24 in response to a predetermined configuration. The predetermined configuration may be a configuration selected or determined by a user. For example, the touch-sensitive panel 29 may comprise a region that permits the user to individually select which of the heating elements 24 to activate when signalling from either one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30 is received by the control circuitry 23. In some implementations, the user may also be able to set the power level for each heating element 24 to be supplied to heating element 24 in response to receiving the signalling.

Fig. 4 is a top-down view of the touch-sensitive panel 29 in accordance with such implementations. Fig. 4 schematically shows outer housing 21 and touch-sensitive panel 29 as described previously. The touch-sensitive panel 29 comprises six regions 29a to 29f which correspond to each of the six heating elements 24, and a region 29g which corresponds to the region for indicating that a user wishes to start inhalation or generating aerosol as described previously. The six regions 29a to 29f each correspond to touch-sensitive regions which can be touched by a user to control the power delivery to each of the six corresponding heating elements 24. In the described implementation, each heating element 24 can have multiple states, e.g. an off state in which no power is supplied to the heating element 24, a low power state in which a first level of power is supplied to the heating element 24, and a high power state in which a second level of power is supplied to the heating element 24 where the second level of power is greater than the first level of power. However, in other implementations, fewer or greater states may be available to the heating elements 24. For example, each heating element 24 may have an off state in which no power is supplied to the heating element 24 and an on state in which power is supplied to the heating element 24.

Accordingly, a user can set which heating elements 24 (and subsequently which portions of aerosol generating material 44) are to be heated (and optionally to what extent they are to be heated) by interacting with the touch-sensitive panel 29 in advance of generating aerosol. For example, the user may repeatedly tap the regions 29a to 29f to cycle through the different states (e.g. off, low power, high power, off, etc.). Alternatively, the user may press and hold the region 29a to 29f to cycle through the different states, where the duration of the press determines the state.

The touch-sensitive panel 29 may be provided with one or more indicators for each of the respective regions 29a to 29f to indicate which state the heating element 24 is currently in. For example, the touch-sensitive panel may comprise one or more LEDs or similar illuminating elements, and the intensity of the LEDs signifies the current state of the heating element 24. Alternatively, a coloured LED or similar illuminating element may be provided and the colour indicates the current state. Alternatively, the touch-sensitive panel 29 may comprise a display element (e.g. which may underlie a transparent touch- sensitive panel 29 or be provided adjacent to the regions 29a to 29f of the touch-sensitive panel 29) which displays the current state of the heating element 24.

When the user has set the configuration for the heating elements 24, in response to detecting the signalling from either one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 (and more particularly region 29g of touch-sensitive panel 29) and inhalation sensor 30, the control circuitry 23 is configured to supply power to the selected heating elements 24 in accordance with the pre-set configuration.

Accordingly, such simultaneous heating element 24 activations may be dubbed “a simultaneous activation mode”, which is primarily designed to deliver a customisable aerosol from a given article 4, with the intention of allowing a user to customise their experience on a session-by-session or even puff-by-puff basis. Hence, this mode may be most effective when portions of the aerosol generating material 44 of the aerosol generating article 4 are different from one another. For example, portions 44a and 44b are formed of one material, portions 44c and 44d are formed of a different material, etc.

Accordingly, with this mode of operation, the user may select which portions to aerosolise at any given moment and thus which combinations of aerosols to be provided with.

In both of the simultaneous and sequential activation modes, the control circuitry

23 may be configured to generate an alert signal which signifies the end of use of the aerosol generating article 4, for example when each of the heating elements 24 has been sequentially activated a predetermined number of times, or when a given heating element

24 has been activated a predetermined number of times and/or for a given cumulative activation time and/or with a given cumulative activation power. In Fig. 1, the aerosol provision device 2 includes an end of use indicator 31 which in this implementation is an LED. However, in other implementations, the end of use indicator 31 may comprise any mechanism which is capable of supplying an alert signal to a user; that is, the end of use indicator 31 may be an optical element to deliver an optical signal, a sound generator to deliver an aural signal, and/or a vibrator to deliver a haptic signal. In some implementations, the indicator 31 may be combined or otherwise provided by the touch- sensitive panel (e.g. if the touch-sensitive panel includes a display element). The aerosol provision device 2 may prevent subsequent activation of the aerosol provision device 2 when the alert signal is being output. The alert signal may be switched off, and the control circuitry 23 reset, when the user replaces the aerosol generating article 4 and/or switches off the alert signal via a manual means such as a button (not shown).

In more detail, in implementations where the sequential mode of activation is employed, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to count the number of times signalling from either one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30 is received during a period of usage, and once the count reaches a predetermined number, the aerosol generating article 4 is determined to reach the end of its life. For example, for an article 4 comprising six discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44, the predetermined number may be six, twelve, eighteen, etc. depending on the exact implementation at hand.

In implementations where the simultaneous mode of activation is employed, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to count the number of times one or each of the discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44 is heated. For example, the control circuitry 23 may count how many times a nicotine containing portion is heated, and when that reaches a predetermined number, determine an end of life of the aerosol generating article 4.

Alternatively, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to separately count for each discrete portion of aerosol generating material 44 when that portion has been heated. Each portion may be attributed with the same or a different predetermined number and when any one of the counts for each of the portions of aerosol generating material reaches the predetermined number, the control circuitry 23 determines an end of life of the aerosol generating article 4.

In either of the implementations, the control circuity 23 may also factor in the length of time the portion of aerosol generating material has been heated for and/or the temperature to which the portion of the aerosol generating material has been heated. In this regard, rather than counting discrete activations, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to calculate a cumulative parameter indicative of the heating conditions experienced by each of the portions of aerosol generating material 44. The parameter may be a cumulative time, for example, whereby the temperature to which the material is used to adjust the length of time added to the cumulative time. For example, a portion heated at 200°C for three seconds may contribute three seconds to the cumulative time, whereas a portion heated at 250°C for three seconds may contribute four and a half seconds to the cumulative time.

The above techniques for determining the end of life of the aerosol generating article 4 should not be understood as an exhaustive list of ways of determining the end of life of the aerosol generating article 4, and in fact any other suitable way may be employed in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.

In the implementation of the aerosol provision system 1 described above, a plurality of (discrete) portions of aerosol generating material 44 are provided which can be selectively aerosolised using the aerosol generating components 24. Such aerosol provision systems 1 offer advantages over other systems which are designed to heat a larger bulk quantity of material. In particular, for a given inhalation, only the selected portion (or portions) of aerosol generating material are aerosolised leading to a more energy efficient system overall.

In heated systems, several parameters affect the overall effectiveness of this system at delivering a sufficient amount of aerosol to a user on a per puff basis. On the one hand, the thickness of the aerosol generating material is important as this influences how quickly the aerosol generating material reaches an operational temperature (and subsequently generates aerosol). This may be important for several reasons, but may lead to more efficient use of energy from the power source 22 as the heating element may not need to be active for as long compared with heating a thicker portion of material. On the other hand, the total mass of the aerosol generating material that is heated affects the total amount of aerosol that can be generated, and subsequently delivered to the user. In addition, the temperature that the aerosol generating material is heated to may affect both how quickly the aerosol generating material reaches operational temperature and the amount of aerosol that is generated.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation of an aerosol provision system 200 in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure. The aerosol provision system 200 includes components that are broadly similar to those described in relation to Fig. 1. However, the reference numbers have been increased by 200. For efficiency, the components having similar reference numbers should be understood to be broadly the same as their counterparts in Figs. 1 and 2A to 2C unless otherwise stated.

The aerosol provision device 202 comprises an outer housing 221, a power source 222, control circuitry 223, induction coils 224a, a receptacle 225, a mouthpiece end 226, an air inlet 227, an air outlet 228, a touch-sensitive panel 229, an inhalation sensor 230, and an end of use indicator 231. The aerosol generating article 204 comprises a carrier component 242, aerosol generating material 244, and susceptor elements 244b, as shown in more detail in Figs. 6A to 6C. Fig. 6A is a top-down view of the aerosol generating article 4, Fig. 6B is an end- on view along the longitudinal (length) axis of the aerosol generating article 204, and Fig. 6C is a side-on view along the width axis of the aerosol generating article 204.

Figs. 5 and 6A-C represent an aerosol provision system 200 which uses induction to heat the aerosol generating material 244 to generate an aerosol for inhalation.

In the described implementation, the aerosol generating component 224 is formed of two parts; namely, induction coils 224a which are located in the aerosol provision device 202 and susceptors 224b which are located in the aerosol generating article 204.

Accordingly, in this described implementation, each aerosol generating component 224 comprises elements that are distributed between the aerosol generating article 204 and the aerosol provision device 202.

Induction heating is a process in which an electrically-conductive object, referred to as a susceptor, is heated by penetrating the object with a varying magnetic field. The process is described by Faraday's law of induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater may comprise an electromagnet and a device for passing a varying electrical current, such as an alternating current, through the electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the object to be heated are suitably relatively positioned so that the resultant varying magnetic field produced by the electromagnet penetrates the object, one or more eddy currents are generated inside the object. The object has a resistance to the flow of electrical currents. Therefore, when such eddy currents are generated in the object, their flow against the electrical resistance of the object causes the object to be heated. This process is called Joule, ohmic, or resistive heating.

A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically- conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the susceptor. The susceptor may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the susceptor. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The aerosol provision device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.

Magnetic hysteresis heating is a process in which an object made of a magnetic material is heated by penetrating the object with a varying magnetic field. A magnetic material can be considered to comprise many atomic-scale magnets, or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field penetrates such material, the magnetic dipoles align with the magnetic field. Therefore, when a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field, for example as produced by an electromagnet, penetrates the magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes with the varying applied magnetic field. Such magnetic dipole reorientation causes heat to be generated in the magnetic material.

When an object is both electrically-conductive and magnetic, penetrating the object with a varying magnetic field can cause both Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating in the object. Moreover, the use of magnetic material can strengthen the magnetic field, which can intensify the Joule heating.

In the described implementation, the susceptors 224b are formed from an aluminium foil, although it should be appreciated that other metallic and/or electrically conductive materials may be used in other implementations. As seen in Fig. 6C, the carrier component 242 comprises a number of susceptors 224b which correspond in size and location to the discrete portions of aerosol generating material 244 disposed on the surface of the carrier component 242. That is, the susceptors 224b have a similar width and length to the discrete portions of aerosol generating material 244.

The susceptors are shown embedded in the carrier component 242. However, in other implementations, the susceptors 224b may be placed on the surface of the carrier component 242. In another implementation (not shown), the susceptor may be provided as a layer substantially covering the carrier component.

The aerosol provision device 202 comprises a plurality of induction coils 224a shown schematically in Fig. 5. The induction coils 224a are shown adjacent the receptacle 225, and are generally flat coils arranged such that the rotational axis about which a given coil is wound extends into the receptacle 225 and is broadly perpendicular to the plane of the carrier component 242 of the aerosol generating article 204. The exact windings are not shown in Fig. 5 and it should be appreciated that any suitable induction coil may be used.

The control circuitry 223 comprises a mechanism to generate an alternating current which is passed to any one or more of the induction coils 224a. The alternating current generates an alternating magnetic field, as described above, which in turn causes the corresponding susceptor(s) 224b to heat up. The heat generated by the susceptor(s) 224b is transferred to the portions of aerosol generating material 244 accordingly.

As described above in relation to Figs. 1 and 2A to 2C, the control circuitry 223 is configured to supply current to the coils 224a in response to receiving signalling from the touch sensitive panel 229 and/or the inhalation sensor 230. Any of the techniques for selecting which heating elements 24 are heated by control circuitry 23 as described previously may analogously be applied to selecting which induction coils 224a are energised (and thus which portions of aerosol generating material 244 are subsequently heated) in response to receiving signalling from the touch sensitive panel 229 and/or the inhalation sensor 230 by control circuitry 223 to generate an aerosol for user inhalation.

Although the above has described an induction heating aerosol provision system where the induction coils 224a and susceptors 224b are distributed between the aerosol generating article 204 and device 202, an induction heating aerosol provision system may be provided where the induction coils 224a and susceptors 224b are located solely within the aerosol provision device 202. For example, with reference to Figs. 6A-C, the susceptors 224b may be provided above the induction coils 224a and arranged such that the susceptors 224b contact the lower surface of the carrier component 242 (in an analogous way to the aerosol provision system 1 shown in Fig. 1).

Thus, Fig. 5 describes a more concrete implementation where induction heating may be used in an aerosol provision device 202 to generate aerosol for user inhalation to which the techniques described in the present disclosure may be applied.

In accordance with the present disclosure however, the inventors have found that in some instances devices 2,202 which have an array of aerosol generating components 24 (such as heating elements 24) designed to heat different ones of the portions of aerosol generating material to generate aerosol on a puff-by-puff basis can, in some instances, lead to inconsistencies in the amount of aerosol being delivered to the user per puff even if the heating conditions are broadly the same.

This is thought to be in part down to the fact that some of the portions of aerosol generating material 44 are provided at relatively different spatial distances relative to the opening 28 of the mouthpiece 26 such that, when the aerosol is first formed at a location adjacent to the portion of aerosol generating material, the distance by which that aerosol has to travel may vary. Accordingly, the volume of the airpath between the aerosol generating material and the mouthpiece may vary dependent on the location of the aerosol generating material.

Generally, as a hot aerosol travels it cools and condenses. This means that aerosols generated from different portions of the aerosol generating material 44 may cool and condense by different amounts. This may lead to inconsistencies in the aerosol that is delivered from each respective portion (such as inconsistent particle size distributions etc.).

The Applicant has also identified that the volume in which the aerosol is generated may affect the amount of aerosol generated. In particular, providing a larger air-path volume for aerosol generation may provide a greater amount of aerosol. Aerosol generating regions located close to the mouthpiece may have substantially reduced air-path volumes than for those located further from the mouthpiece.

Accordingly, the Applicant has identified that it may be beneficial for the cross- sectional area of transmission channels from aerosol generating regions located closer to the mouthpiece to be larger than those located further from the mouthpiece, such that the effective air-path volume of each transmission channel is more similar, and therefore a more consistent aerosol delivery is provided.

Alternatively, the Applicant has appreciated that the volume in which the aerosol is able to form may control the speed at which the aerosol forms. In particular, providing a larger volume for aerosol formation may allow for a desired aerosol to be produced more quickly.

Delivery of aerosol from aerosol generating regions located further from the mouthpiece may typically take longer than from aerosol generating regions located closer to mouthpiece. The Applicant has identified that providing an increased volume for aerosol formation may allow aerosol to be formed more quickly. Accordingly, the Applicant has identified that it may be beneficial for the cross-sectional area of transmission channels from aerosol generating regions located closer to the mouthpiece to be larger than those located further from the mouthpiece, such that the increased time for aerosol delivery due to the greater distance from mouthpiece is offset by the decreased time required for aerosol formation. Such a system may allow for a more consistent delivery time of aerosol from aerosol generating regions located different distances from the mouthpiece, thereby providing an improved user experience.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation of an aerosol provision system 700 in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure. The aerosol provision system 700 includes components that are broadly similar to those described in relation to Fig. 1. However, the reference numbers have been increased by 700. For efficiency, the components having similar reference numbers should be understood to be broadly the same as their counterparts in Figs. 1 and 2A to 2C unless otherwise stated.

The aerosol provision device 702 comprises an outer housing 721, control circuitry 723, aerosol generating components 724, a receptacle 725, a mouthpiece end 726, an air inlet 727 and an air outlet 728. Whilst not shown in Fig. 7, the aerosol provision device may further comprise a power supply, a touch-sensitive panel, an inhalation sensor, and an end of use indicator, as described with respect to Fig. 1.

The aerosol provision system 700 includes an aerosol generating article 704. This may be substantially similar to the aerosol generating article 4 described in Figs. 2A to 2C or to the aerosol generating article 204 described with respect to Figs. 6A to 6C. The aerosol generating components 724 may be heating elements as described with respect to Fig. 1. In an alternative embodiment, the aerosol generating components 724 may be inductive coils as described with respect to Fig. 5. In such an embodiment, the aerosol generating article may comprise one or more susceptors, as described with respect to Figs. 6A to 6C.

The aerosol provision device 702 has one or more first aerosol generating regions 730 located a first distance d1 from a mouthpiece 726 and one or more second aerosol generating regions 731 located a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece 726.

Whilst the aerosol provision device 702 of Fig. 7 illustrates two aerosol generating regions 730,731, it will be appreciated that aerosol provision devices with greater numbers of aerosol generating regions are expressly considered. Furthermore, each of the first and second aerosol generating regions 730,731 may comprise one or more aerosol generating regions.

One or more first aerosol transmission channels 710 are arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more first aerosol generating regions 730 to the mouthpiece 726, wherein the first aerosol transmission channels 710 have a first cross-sectional or other profile, and one or more second aerosol transmission channels 711 are arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more second aerosol generating regions 731 to the mouthpiece 726, wherein the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 711 have a second cross-sectional or other profile.

The first cross-sectional or other profile is different to the second cross-sectional or other profile.

The one or more first aerosol transmission channels 710 may be separate from the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 711.

Fig. 7 A shows a cross-section of an embodiment of the aerosol provision device 702 along line S. The cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 710a is larger than the cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 711a.

The effective airpath volume of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 710 may be approximately equal to the effective airpath volume of the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 711.

As described above, altering the effective airpath volume may allow for control of the amount of aerosol generated from an aerosol generating region. Providing aerosol transmission channels with different cross sectional or other profiles allows for a more even generation of aerosol from aerosol generating regions located at different distances from the mouthpiece 726 thereby allowing for more consistent delivery of aerosol.

The cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 710a and the second one or more aerosol transmission channels 711b may be configured such that the amount of aerosol provided from the first aerosol generating regions 730 and the second aerosol generating regions 731 are substantially equal.

Fig. 7B shows a cross-section of an alternate embodiment of the aerosol provision device 702 along line S. The cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 711b is larger than the cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 710b.

As described above, increasing the volume of an aerosol transmission channel from an aerosol generating region may decrease the formation time of aerosol from the aerosol generating region. As such, increasing the volume of an aerosol transmission channel from an aerosol generating region located further from a mouthpiece may allow the increased travel time from the aerosol generating region to the mouthpiece to be offset, allowing for a more consistent delivery time of aerosol from aerosol regions located different distances from the mouthpiece, thereby providing an improved user experience.

The cross-sectional or other profiles of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 710b and the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 711b may be configured such that the amount of aerosol provided from the one or more first aerosol generating regions 730 and the one or more second aerosol generating regions 731 are substantially equal.

In an embodiment, each of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 710 and one or more second aerosol transmission channels 711 may comprise separate aerosol transmission channels.

Whilst the aerosol provision device 702 of Fig. 7 is illustrated as comprising one or more first and second aerosol transmission channels 710,711, it will be appreciated that the aerosol provision device 702 may comprise additional aerosol generating transmission channels.

In an embodiment, there is one aerosol transmission channel for each aerosol generating region. In another embodiment there are more than one aerosol transmission channel for each aerosol generating region. In another embodiment, there is one aerosol transmission channel for one or more first aerosol generating regions and one aerosol transmission channel for one or more second aerosol generating regions.

Whilst the embodiment of the aerosol provision device 702 illustrated in Fig. 7 shows the first and second aerosol transmission channels 710,711 as separate aerosol transmission channels, the aerosol provision device 702 may instead or additionally comprise a central aerosol transmission channel. The first and second aerosol transmission channels 710,711 may each include a section of the central aerosol transmission channel.

Fig. 8 shows a cross-section of an embodiment of the aerosol provision device 802 comprising a central aerosol transmission channel 812. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation of an aerosol provision system 800 in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure. The aerosol provision system 800 includes components that are broadly similar to those described in relation to Fig. 1. However, the reference numbers have been increased by 800. For efficiency, the components having similar reference numbers should be understood to be broadly the same as their counterparts in Figs. 1 and 2A to 2C unless otherwise stated.

The aerosol provision device 802 comprises an outer housing 821, control circuitry 823, aerosol generating components 824, a receptacle 825, a mouthpiece end 826, an air inlet 827 and an air outlet 828. Whilst not shown in Fig. 8, the aerosol provision device 802 may further comprise a power supply, a touch-sensitive panel, an inhalation sensor, and an end of use indicator, as described with respect to Fig. 1.

The aerosol provision system 800 includes an aerosol generating article 804. This may be substantially similar to the aerosol generating article 4 described with respect to Figs. 2A to 2C or to the aerosol generating article 204 described with respect to Figs. 5A to 5C.

The aerosol provision device 802 has one or more first aerosol generating regions 830 located a first distance d1 from a mouthpiece 826 and one or more second aerosol generating regions 831 located a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece 826.

Whilst the aerosol provision device 802 of Fig. 8 illustrates two aerosol generating regions 830,831, it will be appreciated that aerosol provision devices with greater numbers of aerosol generating regions are expressly considered. Furthermore, each of the first and second aerosol generating regions 830,831 may comprise one or more aerosol generating regions.

The aerosol provision device 802 includes a central aerosol transmission channel 812. The central transmission channel 812 may be defined by the shape of the receptacle 825. In another embodiment, the central transmission channel 812 is a separate channel distinct from the receptacle 825. One or more first aerosol transmission channels 810 are arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more first aerosol generating regions 830 to the mouthpiece 826, and one or more second aerosol transmission channels 811 are arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more second aerosol generating regions 831 to the mouthpiece 826.

The one or more first aerosol transmission channels 810 and the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 811 each include at least a section of the central aerosol transmission channel 812.

The cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 812 adjacent the one or more first aerosol generating regions 830 is different to the cross-section or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 812 adjacent the one or more second aerosol generating regions 831.

Accordingly, the cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more first and second transmission channels 810,811 are different.

The cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 812 may be a tapered cross-sectional or other profile.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8, the cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 812 adjacent the one or more first aerosol generating regions 830 is larger than the cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 812 adjacent the one or more second aerosol generating regions 831. Accordingly, the effective airpath volume from the one or more first and second aerosol generating regions 830,831 to the mouthpiece 826 may be similar, leading to more consistent aerosol delivery.

In an alternate embodiment, the cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 812 adjacent the one or more second aerosol generating regions 811 may be larger than the cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 812 adjacent the one or more first aerosol generating regions 810. In such an embodiment, the speed of delivery of aerosol from the one or more second aerosol generating regions 811 may be increased relative to the speed of delivery of aerosol from the one or more first aerosol generating regions 810. This may offset the increased distance of the one or more second aerosol generating regions 811 from the mouthpiece 826, allowing for more consistent delivery time.

The above assumes that there is one common outlet through which the aerosol is directed when a user inhales on the aerosol provision device. However, the principles of the present disclosure are equally applicable to aerosol provision devices having multiple outlets.

Additionally, while it has been described above that the mouthpiece forms a part of the outer housing and/or is coupled to the outer housing, it should be appreciated that in some implementations the mouthpiece may form a part of the aerosol generating article. This may particularly be the case when the aerosol generating article comprises a chamber through which air and/or aerosol may pass, where the chamber includes the aerosol generating material. In these implementations, the aerosol generating article is placed into the receptacle of the aerosol provision device and protrudes from the receptacle such that the mouthpiece of the aerosol generating article extends from the aerosol provision device. In these instances, the receptacle comprises an opening through which the mouthpiece protrudes. The opening in these implementations may be referred to as the outlet of the aerosol provision device.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation of an aerosol generating article 904 in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure. The aerosol generating article 904 includes components that are broadly similar to those described in relation to Figs. 2A to 2C. However, the reference numbers have been increased by 900. For efficiency, the components having similar reference numbers should be understood to be broadly the same as their counterparts in Figs. 1 and 2A to 2C unless otherwise stated.

The aerosol generating article 904 includes an air inlet 927 and an outlet 928.

The aerosol generating article 904 includes one or more first portions of aerosol generating material 944a located a first distance d1 from the outlet 928 and one or more second portions of aerosol generating material 944b located a second distance d2 from the outlet 928, wherein the second distance d2 is greater than the first distance d1.

Whilst the aerosol generating article 904 of Fig. 9 is illustrated with two portions of aerosol generating material 944a, 944b, it will be appreciated that other numbers and configurations of portions of aerosol generating material are expressly considered. For example, the aerosol generating article may comprise a 3x2 arrangement of aerosol generating material portions as shown for the aerosol generating article of Figs. 2A to 2C. The aerosol generating material portions may be substantially similar to the aerosol generating material portions 44a-44f described with respect to Figs. 2A to 2C.

The aerosol generating article may comprise a carrier 942. The carrier may be substantially similar to the carrier 42 of Figs. 2A to 2C.

The aerosol generating article may further comprise a cover layer 943. The cover layer may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted aerosol generating material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. The cover layer 943 may be or comprise the same material as the carrier 942, however this need not be the case.

One or more first aerosol transmission channels 910 are arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more first aerosol generating material portions 944a to the outlet 928, wherein the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 910 have a first cross-sectional or other profile, and one or more second aerosol transmission channels 911 are arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more second aerosol generating regions 944b to the outlet 928, wherein the second aerosol transmission channels 911 have a second cross-sectional or other profile.

The first cross-sectional or other profile is different to the second cross-sectional or other profile.

The one or more first aerosol transmission channels 910 may be separate from the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 911.

Fig. 9A shows a cross-section of an embodiment of the aerosol generating article 904 along line S’. The cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 910a is larger than the cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 911a.

The effective airpath volume of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 910 may be approximately equal to the effective airpath volume of the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 911.

As described above, altering the effective airpath volume may allow for control of the amount of aerosol generated from an aerosol generating material. Providing aerosol transmission channels with different cross sectional or other profiles may allow for more even generation of aerosol from aerosol generating regions located different distances from outlet 928, allowing for more consistent delivery of aerosol.

The cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 910a and the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 911b may be configured such that the amount of aerosol provided from the one or more first aerosol generating regions 944a and the one or more second aerosol generating regions 944b are substantially equal.

Fig. 9B shows a cross-section of an alternate embodiment of the aerosol generating article 904 along line S’. The cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 911b is larger than the cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 910b. As described above, increasing the volume of an aerosol transmission channel from an aerosol generating region may decrease the formation time of aerosol from the aerosol generating region. As such, increasing the volume of an aerosol transmission channel from an aerosol generating region located further from a mouthpiece may allow the increased travel time from the aerosol generating region to the mouthpiece to be offset, allowing for a more consistent delivery time of aerosol from aerosol regions located different distances from the mouthpiece, thereby providing an improved user experience.

The cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 910b and the cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 911b may be configured such that the amount of aerosol provided from the one or more first aerosol generating material portions 944a and the one or more second aerosol generating material portions 944b are substantially equal.

In an embodiment, each of the one or more first aerosol transmission channels 910 and the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 911 may be a separate aerosol transmission channel.

Whilst the aerosol generating article 904 of Fig. 9 is illustrated as comprising one or more first and second aerosol transmission channels 910,911, it will be appreciated that the aerosol generating article 904 may comprise additional aerosol transmission channels.

In an embodiment, there is one aerosol transmission channel for each aerosol generating material portion. In another embodiment there are more than one aerosol transmission channels for each aerosol generating material portion. In another embodiment, there is one aerosol transmission channel for one or more first aerosol generating material portions and one aerosol transmission channel for one or more second aerosol generating material portions.

Whilst the embodiment of the aerosol generating article 904 illustrated in Fig. 9 shows the one or more first and second aerosol transmission channels 910,911 as separate aerosol transmission channels, the aerosol provision device 904 may instead or additionally comprise a central aerosol transmission channel. The one or more first and second aerosol transmission channels 910,911 may each include a section of the central aerosol transmission channel.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation of an aerosol generating article 1004 comprising a central aerosol transmission channel 1012 in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure. The aerosol generating article 1004 includes components that are broadly similar to those described in relation to Figs. 2A to 2C. However, the reference numbers have been increased by 1000. For efficiency, the components having similar reference numbers should be understood to be broadly the same as their counterparts in Figs. 1 and 2A to 2C unless otherwise stated.

The aerosol generating article 1004 comprises a carrier 1042. The carrier may be substantially similar to the carrier 42 of Figs. 2A to 2C.

The aerosol generating article 1004 may further comprise a cover layer 1043.

The cover layer 1043 may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted aerosol generating material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. The cover layer 1043 may be or comprise the same material as the carrier 1042, however this need not be the case.

The aerosol generating article 1004 comprises one or more first aerosol generating material portions 1044a located a first distance d1 from a mouthpiece and one or more second aerosol generating material portions 1044b located a second distance d2 from the mouthpiece.

Whilst the aerosol generating article 1004 of Fig. 10 illustrates two aerosol generating material portions 1044a, 1044b, it will be appreciated that aerosol provision devices with greater numbers of aerosol generating material portions are expressly considered. For example, the aerosol generating article 1004 may comprise a 3x2 arrangement of aerosol material generating material portions as described with respect to Figs. 2A to 2C.

The aerosol generating material portions 1044a, 1044b may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the aerosol generating material portions 44a-44f of Figs. 2A to 2C.

The aerosol generating article 1004 includes a central aerosol transmission channel 1012.

The aerosol generating article 1004 further includes a chamber 1045. The central transmission channel 1012 may be defined by the shape of the chamber 1045.

One or more first aerosol transmission channels 1010 are arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more first aerosol generating material portions 1044a to the outlet 1028, and one or more second aerosol transmission channels 1011 are arranged to communicate aerosol generated from the one or more second aerosol generating material portions 1044b to the outlet 1028. The one or more first aerosol transmission channels 1010 and the one or more second aerosol transmission channels 1011 each include at least a section of the central aerosol transmission channel 1012.

The cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 1012 adjacent the one or more first aerosol generating material portions 1044a is different to the cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 1012 adjacent the one or more second aerosol generating material portions 1044b.

Accordingly, the cross-sectional or other profile of the one or more first and second transmission channels 1010,1011 is different.

The cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 1012 may be a tapered cross-sectional or other profile.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 10, the cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 1012 adjacent the one or more first aerosol generating material portions 1044a is larger than the cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 1012 adjacent the one or more second aerosol generating material portions 1044b. Accordingly, the effective airpath volume from the one or more first and second aerosol generating material portions 1044a, 1044b to the mouthpiece may be similar, leading to more consistent aerosol delivery.

In an alternate embodiment, the cross-sectional or other profile of the central aerosol transmission channel 1012 adjacent the one or more second aerosol generating material portions 1044b may be larger than that of the central aerosol transmission channel 1012 adjacent the one or more first aerosol generating material portions 1044a.

In such an embodiment, the speed of delivery of aerosol from the one or more second aerosol generating material portions 1044b may be increased relative to the speed of delivery of aerosol from the one or more first aerosol generating material portions 1044a. This may offset the increased distance of the one or more second aerosol generating material portions 1044b from the mouthpiece, allowing for more consistent delivery time.

The aerosol generating articles 904,1004 of Figs. 9 and 10 may be suitable for use with the aerosol provision device 2 of Fig. 1. Alternatively, the aerosol generating articles 904,1004 of Figs. 9 and 10 may be suitable for use with the aerosol provision device 202 of Fig. 5. In this case, the aerosol generating article 904,1004 may additionally comprise a susceptor portion (not shown), as shown with respect to the aerosol generating article of Figs. 6A to 6C. Although the above has described a system in which an array of aerosol generating components (e.g. heater elements) are provided to energise the discrete portions of aerosol generating material, in other implementations, the aerosol generating article and/or an aerosol generating component may be configured to move relative to one another. That is, there may be fewer aerosol generating components than discrete portions of aerosol generating material provided on the carrier component of the aerosol generating article, such that relative movement of the aerosol generating article and aerosol generating components is required in order to be able to individually energise each of the discrete portions of aerosol generating material. For example, a movable heating element may be provided within the receptacle such that the heating element may move relative to the receptacle. In this way, the movable heating element can be translated (e.g. in the width and length directions of the carrier component) such that the heating element can be aligned with respective ones of the discrete portions of aerosol generating material. This approach may reduce the number of aerosol generating components required while still offering a similar user experience.

Although the above has described implementations where discrete, spatially distinct portions of aerosol generating material are deposited on a carrier component, it should be appreciated that in other implementations the aerosol generating material may not be provided in discrete, spatially distinct portions but instead be provided as a continuous sheet of aerosol generating material. In these implementations, certain regions of the sheet of aerosol generating material may be selectively heated to generate aerosol in broadly the same manner as described above. However, regardless of whether or not the portions are spatially distinct, the present disclosure described heating (or otherwise aerosolising) portions of aerosol generating material. In particular, a region (corresponding to a portion of aerosol generating material) may be defined on the continuous sheet of aerosol generating material based on the dimensions of the heating element (or more specifically a surface of the heating element designed to increase in temperature). In this regard, the corresponding area of the heating element when projected onto the sheet of aerosol generating material may be considered to define a region or portion of aerosol generating material. In accordance with the present disclosure, each region or portion of aerosol generating material may have a mass no greater than 20 mg, however the total continuous sheet may have a mass which is greater than 20 mg.

Although the above has described implementations where the aerosol provision device can be configured or operated using a touch-sensitive panel mounted on the aerosol provision device, the aerosol provision device may instead be configured or controlled remotely. For example, the control circuitry may be provided with a corresponding communication circuitry (e.g. Bluetooth) which enables the control circuitry to communicate with a remote device such as a smartphone. Accordingly, the touch- sensitive panel may, in effect, be implemented using an APP or the like running on the smartphone. The smartphone may then transmit user inputs or configurations to the control circuitry, and the control circuitry may be configured to operate on the basis of the received inputs or configurations.

Although the above has described implementations in which an aerosol is generated by energising (e.g. heating) aerosol generating material which is subsequently inhaled by a user, it should be appreciated in some implementations that the generated aerosol may be passed through or over an aerosol modifying component to modify one or more properties of the aerosol before being inhaled by a user. For example, the aerosol provision device 2,202,702,802 may comprise an air permeable insert (not shown) which is inserted in the airflow path downstream of the aerosol generating material (for example, the insert may be positioned in the outlet). The insert may include a material which alters any one or more of the flavour, temperature, particle size, nicotine concentration, etc. of the aerosol as it passes through the insert before entering the user’s mouth. For example, the insert may include tobacco or treated tobacco. Such systems may be referred to as hybrid systems. The insert may include any suitable aerosol modifying material, which may encompass the aerosol generating materials described above.

Although it has been described above that the heating elements are arranged to provide heat to aerosol generating material (or portions thereof) at an operational temperature at which aerosol is generated from the portion of aerosol generating material, in some implementations, the heating elements 24 are arranged to pre-heat portions of the aerosol generating material to a pre-heat temperature (which is lower than the operational temperature). At the pre-heat temperature, a lower amount or no aerosol is generated when the portion is heated at the pre-heat temperature. In particular, in some implementations, the control circuity is configured to supply power / energy prior to the first predetermined period starting (i.e. , prior to receiving the signalling signifying a user’s intention to inhale aerosol). However, a lower amount of energy is required to raise the temperature of the aerosol generating material from the pre-heat temperature to the operational temperature, thus increasing the responsiveness of the system but at an increased total energy consumption. This may be particular suitable for relatively thicker portions of aerosol generating material, e.g. having thicknesses above 400 pm, which require relatively larger amounts of energy to be supplied in order to reach the operational temperature. In such implementations, the energy consumption (e.g. from the power source) may be comparably higher, however.

It will be appreciated that, whilst each of the heating elements may provide the same heating profile to a respective aerosol generating region, one or more of the heating elements may instead be configured to provide a different heating profile to a respective aerosol generating region. For example, aerosol generating regions located further from the mouthpiece may be heated according to a heating profile that generates a greater amount of aerosol than for an aerosol generating region located closer to the mouthpiece, which may offset additional loss of aerosol due to condensation along the increased distance of travel, providing a more consistent delivery of aerosol from different aerosol generating regions.

Although the above has described implementations in which the aerosol provision device comprises an end of use indicator, it should be appreciated that the end of use indicator may be provided by another device remote from the aerosol provision device. For example, in some implementations, the control circuitry of the aerosol provision device may comprise a communication mechanism which allows data transfer between the aerosol provision device and a remote device such as a smartphone or smartwatch, for example. In these implementations, when the control circuitry determines that the aerosol generating article has reached its end of use, the control circuitry is configured to transmit a signal to the remote device, and the remote device is configured to generate the alert signal (e.g. using the display of a smartphone). Other remote devices and other mechanisms for generating the alert signal may be used as described above.

In addition, when the portions of aerosol generating material are provided on a carrier component, the portions may, in some implementations, include weakened regions, e.g. through holes or areas of relatively thinner aerosol generating material, in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane of the carrier component. This may be the case when the hottest part of the aerosol generating material is the area directly contacting the carrier component (in other words, in scenarios where the heat is applied primarily to the surface of the aerosol generating material that contacts the carrier component). Accordingly, the through holes may provide channels for the generated aerosol to escape and be released to the environment / the air flow through the aerosol provision device rather than causing a potential build-up of aerosol between the carrier component and the aerosol generating material. Such build-up of aerosol can reduce the heating efficiency of the system as the build-up of aerosol can, in some implementations, cause a lifting of the aerosol generating material from the carrier component thus decreasing the efficiency of the heat transfer to the aerosol generating material. Each portion of aerosol generating material may be provided with one of more weakened regions as appropriate.

In some implementations, the aerosol generating article may comprise an identifier, such as a readable bar code or an RFID tag or the like, and the aerosol provision device may comprise a corresponding reader. When the aerosol generating article is inserted into the receptacle of the aerosol provision device, the aerosol provision device may be configured to read the identifier on the aerosol generating article. The control circuitry may be configured to either recognise the presence of the aerosol generating article (and thus permit heating and/or reset an end of life indicator) or identify the type and/or the location of the portions of the aerosol generating material relative to the aerosol generating article. This may affect which portions the control circuitry aerosolises and/or the way in which the portions are aerosolised, e.g. via adjusting the aerosol generation temperature and/or heating duration. Any suitable technique for recognising the aerosol generating article may be employed.

While the above described embodiments have in some respects focussed on some specific example aerosol provision systems, it will be appreciated the same principles can be applied for aerosol provision systems using other technologies. That is to say, the specific manner in which various aspects of the aerosol provision system function are not directly relevant to the principles underlying the examples described herein.

In order to address various issues and advance the art, this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and to teach the claimed invention(s). It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. other than those specifically described herein, and it will thus be appreciated that features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the claims. The disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.