阅读说明：本技术 用于蒸气产生装置的加热组件 (Heating assembly for steam generating device ) 是由 马克·吉尔 于 2018-12-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供了一种用于蒸气产生装置(1)的加热组件(10)。该加热组件包括：加热装置,该加热装置被布置为在使用中对本体进行加热,该本体包括在使用中位于该加热组件的加热隔室中的可汽化物质(22),该加热组件被布置为在使用中向该加热装置供电以加热该本体；温度传感器(11),该温度传感器被布置为在使用中监测与从该本体产生的热量有关的温度,从该监测温度能确定与从该本体产生的热量有关的温度信息；以及存储器访问器,该存储器访问器被布置为在使用中访问存储器(28),该存储器保存温度信息、供给该加热装置的电量或供给该加热装置的电力分布、以及至少一种状况之间的关系,该至少一种状况包括该本体的使用度、或该本体的类型、或该本体的存在。(A heating assembly (10) for a vapour generating device (1) is provided. This heating element includes: heating means arranged, in use, to heat a body comprising a vaporisable substance (22) located, in use, in a heating compartment of the heating assembly, the heating assembly being arranged, in use, to supply power to the heating means to heat the body; a temperature sensor (11) arranged to monitor, in use, a temperature relating to heat generated from the body, from which temperature information relating to heat generated from the body can be determined; and a memory accessor arranged to access, in use, a memory (28) holding a relationship between temperature information, an amount of power supplied to the heating means or a distribution of power supplied to the heating means, and at least one condition including a degree of use of the body, or a type of the body, or a presence of the body.)

1. A heating assembly for a vapor-generating device, the heating assembly comprising:

heating means arranged, in use, to heat a body comprising a vaporisable substance located, in use, in a heating compartment of the heating assembly, the heating assembly being arranged to supply power, in use, to the heating means to heat the body, or to supply power, in use, based on a predetermined power supply profile configured to provide a predetermined heating profile to the body;

a temperature sensor arranged to monitor, in use, a temperature relating to heating at the body, from which temperature information relating to heating at the body can be determined; and

a memory accessor arranged to access, in use, a memory, the memory holding a relationship between temperature information, an amount of power supplied to the heating device or a distribution of power supplied to the heating device, and at least one condition, the at least one condition comprising a degree of use of the body, or a type of the body, or a presence of the body.

2. The heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the temperature information comprises a rate of change of the monitored temperature.

3. The heating assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the temperature information comprises a surface temperature of the body.

4. The heating assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one condition is determinable based on the relationship saved in the memory, from the temperature information and the amount of power supplied to the heating device or the power profile supplied to the heating device.

5. Heating assembly according to claim 4, wherein the at least one condition can be determined based on a threshold temperature for the temperature information, and preferably there are a plurality of threshold temperatures, at least one threshold temperature determining the degree of use of the body, at least one threshold temperature determining the type of the body, and at least one threshold temperature determining the presence of the body.

6. A heating assembly according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein at least two of the degree of use of the body, the type of body and the presence of the body can be determined simultaneously.

7. A heating assembly according to any preceding claim, further comprising a controller arranged to determine, in use, temperature information relating to heating at the body.

8. A heating assembly according to claim 7, wherein the controller is arranged, in use, to determine the next action of the heating assembly based on the temperature information.

9. The heating assembly of claim 8, wherein the controller is arranged, in use, to inhibit power to the heating means when the degree of use of the body is greater than a threshold degree of use based on the relationship held in the memory, and is arranged, in use, to power the heating means when the degree of use of the body is less than the threshold degree of use, or when the type of the body is determined to be an unsuitable type.

10. A heating assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the heating assembly has a first power mode and a second power mode, and wherein the first power mode is arranged to be applied, in use, while heating the body, and the second power mode is arranged to be applied, in use, after application of the first power mode, so as to maintain the body at a temperature within a predetermined temperature range, preferably the heating assembly is arranged to provide at least 80 percent (%) of full power to the heating means, when in the first power mode.

11. The heating assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one condition is determinable based on the relationship stored in the memory, from the temperature information and the amount of power supplied to the heating device or the power profile supplied to the heating device in the first power mode.

12. A heating assembly as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the first power mode is arranged to occur in response to a trigger determined based on monitoring a change in temperature or a change in switch caused by a user action.

13. The heating assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating assembly is an induction heating assembly, the heating device is an induction heating device, the body further comprises an inductively heatable susceptor, the induction heating device is arranged to heat the inductively heatable susceptor of the body in use, the heating assembly is arranged to supply power to the induction heating device to heat the inductively heatable susceptor in use, the temperature sensor is arranged to monitor a temperature relating to heat generated from the susceptor in use, temperature information relating to heat generated from the susceptor can be determined from the monitored temperature.

14. A method for determining a condition of a body, the body comprising a vaporizable substance, the method comprising:

heating the body with a heating device by supplying power to the heating device;

monitoring a temperature associated with the heating at the body, from which temperature information associated with the heating at the body can be determined;

accessing a memory that holds a relationship between the temperature information, the amount of power supplied to the heating device or the power distribution supplied to the heating device, and at least one condition including a degree of use of the body, or a type of the body, or a presence of the body, when the applied power distribution provides a predetermined heating distribution to the body; and

the at least one condition is determined based on the relationship maintained in the memory.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising, preferably, at the start of heating, setting a remaining heating amount of the body based on a relationship among the temperature information in the memory, an amount of power supplied to the heating device or a distribution of power supplied to the heating device, and a degree of use of the body.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, further comprising, preferably at the start of heating, determining a maximum allowable power level of the body based on a relation between the temperature information in the memory, the amount of power supplied to the heating means or the power distribution supplied to the heating means, and the degree of usage of the body.

17. A vapor-generating device comprising:

a heating assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13;

a heatable cartridge located within the heating compartment of the heating assembly;

an air inlet arranged to provide air to the heating compartment; and

an air outlet in communication with the heating compartment.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a heating assembly for a steam generating device.

Background

Devices that heat rather than burn a substance to produce vapor for inhalation have gained popularity in recent years by consumers.

Such devices may use one of a number of different approaches to provide heat to a substance. One such approach is simply to provide a heating element to which power is supplied to cause the element to heat, which in turn heats the substance to produce a vapor.

While there are a variety of ways to generate steam, one way to accomplish this is to provide a steam generating device that employs an induction heating method. In such a device, an induction coil (hereinafter also referred to as an inductor and an induction heating device) is provided within the device, and a susceptor is provided within the vapor-generating substance. When the user activates the device, electrical energy is supplied to the inductor, which in turn generates an Electromagnetic (EM) field. The susceptor couples with the field and generates heat that is transferred to the substance and generates a vapor as the substance is heated.

Using induction heating to generate steam makes it possible to provide controlled heating and thus controlled steam generation. In practice, however, this approach may result in an unknowingly inappropriate temperature being generated in the vapor generating substance. This can waste electrical power making operation expensive and risk damaging components or rendering the use of the vapour-generating substance ineffective, inconveniencing the user desiring to use a simple and reliable device. These problems are also present when the steam is generated by heating, rather than by induction heating.

This problem has previously been addressed by monitoring and controlling the temperature in the device. However, other factors besides just temperature (such as length of use) can also affect performance and the efficiency with which steam can be generated.

The present invention seeks to mitigate at least some of the above problems.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect, there is provided a heating assembly for a vapour generating device, the heating assembly comprising: heating means arranged, in use, to heat a body comprising a vaporisable substance located, in use, in a heating compartment of the heating assembly, the heating assembly being arranged to supply power, in use, to the heating means to heat the body, or to supply power, in use, based on a predetermined power supply profile configured to provide a predetermined heating profile to the body; a temperature sensor arranged to monitor, in use, a temperature relating to heating at the body, from which temperature information relating to heating at the body can be determined; and a memory accessor arranged to access, in use, a memory, the memory holding a relationship between temperature information, an amount of power supplied to the heating device or a distribution of power supplied to the heating device, and at least one condition, the at least one condition comprising a degree of use of the body, or a type of the body, or a presence of the body.

This allows the characteristics of the body to be determined based on the power usage and the monitored temperature. We have found that these characteristics have an impact on the performance of the assembly (e.g. device and body together) during use. It can therefore be ascertained that the characteristics of the body allow the body used to be replaced by a never used body before or when the characteristics of the body used have reached the stage at which the performance, efficiency and safety of the assembly are degrading. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the stored relationship data does not explicitly or explicitly refer to the usage degree referred to as an ontology, the type of ontology, or the status of the existence of an ontology. However, such embodiments are naturally intended to fall within the scope of the present invention, as long as the relational data are substantially associated with a specific relationship between the temperature information and the amount of power supplied to the heating means, which specific relationship corresponds to the degree of use of the body, or to the type of body, or to the presence of the body.

"power profile supplied to the heating device" is intended to refer to the manner in which power is provided to the heating device (e.g., taking into account the rate of change of power supplied), and/or the amount of time power is provided to the heating device. For example, the amount of power or rate of power delivery may be the same, but the power may be applied for 1 second or 3 seconds, which may cause the body to heat to a different temperature. By using the power profile supplied to the heating means to allow detection of at least one condition of the body, a predetermined amount or profile of heating suitable for the at least one condition of the body may be applied to the body during use thereof. The heating profile may, for example, correspond to heating the body to a predetermined temperature at a predetermined rate of temperature increase or for a predetermined time.

The temperature sensor may be a thermistor or a thermocouple. For example, the temperature sensor may be a resistance temperature detector, such as one that may use a platinum resistor as the sensing element. The platinum resistor may be a platinum film (e.g., a thin film) on a ceramic substrate, which may be passivated by a glass coating. The temperature sensor may be, for example, a PT100 from precision electronics (PTF series sensors).

Preferably, the vaporisable substance is a solid or semi-solid material, whereby the body comprises the vaporisable substance in a solid or semi-solid material.

The assembly may be arranged to obtain temperature information in use. The temperature information may be generated or determined by a controller of the heating assembly, by a temperature sensor, or by an external processing unit. Temperature information may be generated or determined by processing the monitored temperatures, such as by recording the monitored temperatures over a predetermined period of time and analyzing the recorded monitored temperatures to obtain trends including, for example, rates of change, increases, decreases, changes, or many other factors. The power usage of the heating device and/or the power supplied to the heating device may also be monitored and/or recorded and/or determined by the heating device, the controller or an external processing unit.

The temperature information may include the monitored temperature itself, or any other relevant information that can be obtained from monitoring the temperature. Typically, the temperature information includes a rate of change of the monitored temperature. The rate of change of temperature allows the speed of temperature rise of the body to be known. We have found that this is useful information for determining the degree of use of the body, since the rate at which the temperature of the body rises varies with the reduction in the moisture content within the body during use.

Additionally or alternatively, the temperature information may include a surface temperature of the body. It is also useful to have a usable bulk surface temperature. This is because we have found that different body types heat to different temperatures for the same power usage. This therefore helps to identify the ontology type. In addition, this helps to determine the degree of usage of the body, since for a certain amount of power usage, we have found that a more used body reaches a higher (surface) temperature than a less used body.

An example of a monitored temperature may also be the surface temperature of the body.

At least one condition may be determined based on the relationship saved in the memory, from the temperature information and the amount of power supplied to the heating device or the power profile supplied to the heating device.

At least one condition may be determined based on any aspect of the temperature information. As an example, in case the heating profile corresponds to the body being heated to a predetermined temperature (which may correspond to temperature information), at least one condition may be detected based on the "heating profile" (e.g. the power profile supplied to the heating device).

Typically, the at least one condition can be determined based on a threshold temperature for the temperature information, and preferably there are a plurality of threshold temperatures, at least one threshold temperature determining a degree of use of the body, at least one threshold temperature determining a type of the body, and at least one threshold temperature determining a presence of the body.

We have found that the threshold temperature that the body may reach allows distinguishing between features of the body. Setting the threshold value simplifies determining at least one condition of the ontology because two choices can be made. This reduces the amount of processing that needs to be performed to determine the at least one condition, and thus reduces the amount of power needed to determine the at least one condition.

In certain embodiments, only one of the at least one condition is determined at any one time. However, typically at least two of the degree of use of the ontology, the type of ontology, and the presence of the ontology may be determined simultaneously. This makes the determination more efficient since multiple conditions can be determined during a single determination. This reduces the amount of power used to determine the various conditions, thereby saving power.

The vapour generating device may further comprise a controller arranged, in use, to determine temperature information relating to heating at the body.

The controller may use this temperature information in any manner deemed appropriate. Typically, the controller is arranged, in use, to determine the next action of the heating assembly based on the temperature information. This allows a feedback loop to be established, meaning that the controller can react to the latest temperature information and can adjust the operation of the assembly in response to any changes detected. This has the advantage of making the power usage more efficient, since only slight adjustments are required during use, which would require lower power usage levels or minor power usage changes, rather than major changes due to the extreme circumstances that require a large amount of power to be addressed.

The next action may be any action that can be performed by the controller or component. Typically, the controller is arranged in use to inhibit power to the heating means when the degree of use of the body is greater than a threshold degree of use based on a relationship held in the memory, and is arranged in use to provide power to the heating means when the degree of use of the body is less than the threshold degree of use, or when it is determined that the type of the body is an unsuitable type. This reduces power waste and improves safety because the threshold usage can be set to a suitable usage that keeps the temperature of the body heating within a level that is safe for the user and does not damage the components, and also avoids any inefficient heating that may occur as body usage increases.

The assembly may operate in any suitable manner. Typically, the heating assembly has a first power mode and a second power mode, and wherein the first power mode is arranged to be applied in use while heating the body, and the second power mode is arranged to be applied in use after application of the first power mode, so as to maintain the body at a temperature within a predetermined temperature range, preferably the heating assembly is arranged to provide at least 80 percent (%) of full power to the heating device when in the first power mode. This allows for the detection of at least one condition of the body based on power usage and temperature information obtained when the assembly is operating in one mode, but also provides for another mode in which no processing corresponding to the determination of at least one condition of the body need be performed. Since the determination is performed in such a manner that the processing using electric power needs to be performed, having a power supply mode that does not involve the determination to be performed allows the power usage decided by the determination to be reduced.

This also allows the user to enjoy smoking (e.g., attempting to draw from the device) as soon as possible after initial use of the device, and to maintain the device within a predetermined temperature after the temperature reaches the predetermined temperature with active power.

This means that the assembly in this regard may relate to a device using a solid vaporizable substance (hereinafter referred to as a "solid vapor device") rather than a device using a liquid vaporizable substance (hereinafter referred to as a "liquid vapor device"). Solid vapor devices produce vapor by heating tobacco, tobacco products, or other such solid vaporizable materials, while liquid vapor devices produce vapor by heating liquids.

In both types of devices, the user draws vapor from the device in order to use the device. This is referred to as "suction" because the device typically draws vapor from the mouthpiece. To generate vapor for pumping, the vaporizable material is heated. This is common for solid vapor devices and liquid vapor devices.

Users typically use the device for a period of time of their choice during which they draw several puffs from the device, regardless of the type of device. This time during which one or more puffs are generated using the device is referred to as a "session". Thus, each session has a first puff at the beginning of the session, and typically has a further puff.

The energy required for the solid vapor device to produce the first draw is different from the energy required for the liquid vapor device.

One assumption is that only a small amount of liquid needs to be vaporized as the liquid vaporizable material can move towards the heating device during use (ideally only one draw is sufficient), but this is not possible with solid vaporizable material, the heating device in a solid vapor device needs to provide more heat in order to be able to heat a larger amount (e.g., the entire portion) of the solid vaporizable material, which typically also tends to be away from the heating device. This, of course, requires more energy and time, since the heat has to be further transferred from the heating device. This means that in such solid vapour devices, typically, when the vaporisable substance is heated from the same temperature (typically ambient temperature), more power and time will be required to output the first vapour during draw than in liquid vapour devices. To demonstrate this, currently solid vapor devices typically take several seconds or more to generate vapor after the start of heating, while liquid vapor devices can generate vapor almost at the same time as the start of providing heating.

Typically, in liquid vapor devices, power is supplied to the heating device only when the user is actively drawing suction from the device. We have found, on the other hand, that in a solid vapour device, power may be supplied to the heating means (in the case of the assembly of the first aspect) at any time after the assembly is switched on. By providing heating in this way, it is meant that vapour continues to be generated after the vaporisable substance has reached a temperature (i.e. the vaporisation temperature or the target operating temperature) at which the substance is caused to vaporise (e.g. after the first power mode) irrespective of whether or not the user is drawing. This also allows the user to actively suck up the mouthpiece and be provided with vapour at any time during the period, for example during the second power mode. This is consistent with a conventional cigarette.

We have found that by providing continuous heating during the time period, energy savings can be achieved. This is because more energy is typically required to reheat solid vaporizable material that has been allowed to cool below the target operating temperature than to maintain the solid vaporizable material at the target operating temperature. Furthermore, by maintaining the temperature for subsequent puffs, the user can draw vapor from the device in a puff at any time without waiting as they may need to take a first puff.

Thus, with respect to the first aspect, typically the heating means is arranged to heat the vaporisable substance during use during suction of air by a user through a mouthpiece of the assembly. In this case, "period" is intended to mean a period of time, meaning that heating is provided throughout the entire period of time. However, in some cases, "period" is intended to mean only during the time when the user is actively sucking air/gas/vapour/aerosol through the mouthpiece.

The time between aspirations in a session may be irregular since the user can select when to perform an active aspiration on the device. During the time period, if the gap between draws is too long, the energy used to maintain the vaporizable material at the target operating temperature by the solid vapor device will be higher than the energy that allows the vaporizable material to cool and reheat. The energy saving advantage described above can be achieved as long as the interval between periods when the user is actively sucking on the device is not too long. To avoid loss of efficiency gain, the period in the solid vapor device may "time out" after a predetermined period of time by stopping heating, requiring the period to be restarted the next time the user wishes to draw on the device.

Thus, in relation to the first aspect, the heating means may be arranged to end heating of the vaporisable substance in the event that the period of time since the user last drawn air through the mouthpiece is greater than a predetermined period of time in use. The user may detect the passage of air through the mouthpiece by means of a sensor in the device, such as a temperature sensor or a pressure sensor, such as a (pressure-based) suction sensor. For example, the temperature sensor may detect temperature fluctuations as the user passes air through the mouthpiece (and the heating compartment).

Once the temperature information has been obtained, at least one condition may be determined from the temperature information and the amount of power supplied to the heating device or the power profile supplied to the heating device in the first power mode based on the relationship saved in the memory.

This allows the controller to decide how to heat next as quickly as possible, e.g. the heat distribution at the later stage of the first and/or second mode may be determined based on the detected conditions. Further, in the first power supply mode, a large amount of power is supplied in a short period of time. Therefore, it is advantageous for the controller to more easily and accurately determine at least one condition in a short time.

In addition, it is possible to determine useful information from the rate of temperature increase detected during the first power supply mode while the body is heated toward the target temperature. For example, if the body contains a large amount of water (e.g. more than 5%), it is possible to detect that the rate of increase of the (surface) temperature of the body decreases at about 100 ℃, because the water present in the body starts to evaporate at about this temperature, resulting in the consumption of energy during the evaporation of the water, instead of increasing its temperature. The amount of water contained within the body may be indicative of the amount of time the body has been stored in an ambient environment of significant humidity without benefiting from the protective packaging. Such moisture content may also be detrimental to the quality of the steam produced by the assembly. Thus, it may be advantageous to stop heating the body and advise the user to dispose of the body and replace it with a new, fresh (e.g. never used) body, or else advise the user to wait until steam is started to be generated and continue heating the body at a reduced temperature (sufficient to vaporise all or most of the excess water) until most of the (excess) water has vaporised, and then heat the body to the operating temperature. Other components may also be detected in this manner, or other characteristics of the body may be determined based on a particular temperature ramp curve.

The first power mode may be set to occur at any time. Typically, the first power mode is arranged to occur in response to a trigger determined based on a change in the monitored temperature or a change in the switch caused by an action by the user, such as an action to change the body (e.g. open a compartment cover) or activate the switch to start a smoking session. This allows the first power mode to be used when the body is first heated after being placed in the heating compartment. This is advantageous because the information of the body should be collected as soon as possible when the certainty of the state of the body is reduced when the heating compartment is first inserted, rather than after use. The controller may be arranged in use to apply the respective power supply modes in response to a trigger or in response to a predetermined sequence, such as to apply the second power supply mode after applying the first power supply mode, preferably when a predetermined condition (such as mentioned above) occurs. The trigger may indicate a change in the body in the heating compartment.

The heating assembly may further comprise an indicator arranged to display, in use, at least one of the detected at least one property. This allows the user to understand the condition of the body being used and improves their knowledge of the experience that might be obtained with the currently used body and how it affects the use and safety of the device.

The heating assembly may be an induction heating assembly, the heating device may be an induction heating device, and the body may further comprise an inductively heatable susceptor, the induction heating device being arranged to heat the inductively heatable susceptor of the body in use, the heating assembly being arranged to supply power to the induction heating device to heat the inductively heatable susceptor in use; the temperature sensor is arranged to monitor, in use, a temperature associated with heat generated from the susceptor, from which temperature information associated with heat generated from the susceptor can be determined.

By using induction heating, and only in the presence of the susceptor, heat is generated within the body. Thus, the heating is more efficient, since the heating is generated within the body, rather than having to be transferred to the body, e.g. by conduction away from the heating means (which would also result in heating of components other than the body). In addition, heating by induction improves safety, since no heat will be generated without a suitable body in the heating compartment for heating. This also avoids unnecessary or accidental application of heat when no suitable body is present in the heating compartment.

The susceptor may include, but is not limited to, one or more of aluminum, iron, nickel, stainless steel, and alloys thereof (e.g., nichrome). By applying an electromagnetic field in its vicinity, the susceptor may generate heat due to eddy currents and hysteresis losses, thereby causing conversion of electromagnetic energy to thermal energy.

When induction heating is used, the assembly may comprise a fluctuating electromagnetic field generator, for example in the form of an induction heating coil and associated drive circuitry and power supply, arranged to operate in use to generate a fluctuating electromagnetic field having a magnetic flux density at the point of highest concentration of between about 0.5T and about 2.0T.

The power supply and circuitry may advantageously be configured to operate at high frequencies, whereby it may drive the induction heating coil of the heating device at similar high frequencies. Preferably, the power supply and circuitry may be configured to operate at a frequency of between about 80kHz and 500kHz, preferably between about 150kHz and 250kHz, and more preferably at about 200 kHz. Preferably, in embodiments including an induction heating coil, the power supply drives the induction coil at the same frequency (i.e., between about 80kHz and 500kHz, preferably between about 150kHz and 250kHz, more preferably about 200 kHz).

Typically, the induction coil may comprise a litz (L itz) wire or litz cable, although the induction coil, which is one form that the induction heating means may take, may comprise any suitable material.

In embodiments using induction heating, the use of induction heating provides several technical advantages. For example, in embodiments where it is desired that the body include a susceptor (as described above) for heating by the device, if the body is inserted into a device that does not include a susceptor (i.e., if, for example, an inappropriate body is inserted into the device by mistake), it can be readily determined that an appropriate body is not present in the device based on the relationship between the power applied to the heating device and the temperature information associated with heating at the body.

Thus, in some embodiments, a suitable body may be provided with one or more susceptors having a predetermined resonant frequency. In this case, when the fluctuating magnetic field generator generates a fluctuating magnetic field at a predetermined resonance frequency, it is possible to distinguish between a suitable body and an unsuitable body based on monitoring and detecting the relationship between the electric power applied to the heating means and the temperature information. In particular, in this case there will be a range of expected rates within which the temperature should be raised to identify a suitable body for heating. In particular, a too slow heating rate will indicate that the body does not comprise a suitable substrate, whereas a too fast heating may indicate that an unsuitable susceptor is included, or that the body is too old or has been heated and thus depleted of the humectant, etc.

According to a second aspect, there is provided a method for determining a condition of a body, the body comprising a vaporisable substance, the method comprising: heating the body with a heating device by supplying power to the heatable device; monitoring a temperature associated with the heating at the body, from which temperature information associated with the heating at the body can be determined; accessing a memory that holds a relationship between the temperature information, the amount of power supplied to the heating device or the power distribution supplied to the heating device, and at least one condition including a degree of use of the body, or a type of the body, or a presence of the body, when the applied power distribution provides a predetermined heating distribution to the body; and determining the at least one condition based on the relationship maintained in the memory.

As in the first aspect, in the second aspect, preferably, the vaporisable substance is a solid or semi-solid material, whereby the body comprises the vaporisable substance as a solid or semi-solid material.

The memory may be located on an external device or may be located in the cloud, meaning that we can access the internet-based computer storage and processing resources as needed. In this case, the vapor generating device may have a memory accessor capable of accessing and interacting with the memory.

The method of the second aspect may further comprise: preferably, at the time of starting heating, the remaining heating amount of the body is set based on a relationship among the temperature information in the memory, the amount of power supplied to the heating device or the power distribution supplied to the heating device, and the degree of use of the body.

The setting of the remaining amount of heating of the body may be achieved by providing a predetermined power level for a predetermined period of time, and detecting a rate of temperature increase during said period of time, the detected rate being temperature information.

In addition, the setting of the remaining heating amount of the body may be based on the temperature increase rate detected during the period of time, or based on data associated with the detected temperature increase rate, such as a distribution of the temperature increase rate of the body (e.g., identifying changes in the temperature increase rate at different temperatures). Further, information of the relationship between the degree of use of the body and the rate of temperature increase detected during the time period may be saved in memory (e.g., in a look-up table or as a formula); and this may be used in conjunction with information of the rate of temperature increase detected during the heating period to determine the estimated degree of use of the body, and then the remaining amount of heating of the body may be set based on the estimated degree of use of the body.

"heating amount" means the remaining amount that can heat the body before the body is considered to have expired or been completely used up. The body is considered to be expired or completely spent when a predetermined amount (e.g., zero) of the vaporizable material remains within the body. The amount of heating may be measured as the amount of time remaining that the body may be heated, or the number of aspirations (also referred to as "puffs") remaining before the heating of the body will cause the body to expire.

The term "vaporizable material" refers to a material from which a vapor can be generated. Typically, the vapor may be generated by heating a vaporizable material, but may be generated under other suitable conditions. The vapour may be in the form of an aerosol, meaning that the vaporisable substance may be an aerosol former. The vaporizable material itself can become a vapor under suitable conditions (such as when heated, for example, above a threshold temperature), or one or more components of the vaporizable material can be vaporized (or volatilized) into a vapor under suitable conditions. Further, the vaporizable material can be a material that permeates, soaks, or interleaves with the component that is vaporized under the appropriate conditions, or can be a product that undergoes a conversion process or produces a material that is converted to a vapor under the appropriate conditions. More details regarding vaporizable materials are provided below.

The "predetermined power level" applied "at the time of starting heating may be the above-mentioned first power supply mode.

Determining the amount of heating remaining allows the heating to be stopped before further heating becomes dangerous or will cause the body to burn or break. This reduces the risk to the user and reduces the likelihood of damage to the device holding the body due to overuse of the body.

Once the amount of remaining heating is determined, the amount may be stored in memory and/or a controller, and preferably the amount of remaining heating is monitored/detected while the user causes the device to be used (e.g., by heating), and the controller and/or memory may determine when the amount of remaining heating has been exhausted. This reduces the chance of the body being over-used and burning or causing damage.

In addition, or instead of the setting of the amount of remaining heating, the maximum allowable power level of the body may be determined based on the relationship between the temperature information in the memory, the amount of power supplied to the heating means or the distribution of power supplied to the heating means, and the degree of use of the body, if preferred at the time of starting heating. The amount of vaporizable material in the body decreases over time due to usage and heating, which allows the proper amount of heating to be provided to the body. This reduces the risk of overheating the body and thus reduces the chance of further heating causing combustion of the body.

The relationship may be between the rate of temperature increase and the allowable power level, and the power level to be supplied to the heating means is set based on the allowable power level corresponding to the detected rate.

In addition, the determination of the maximum allowable power level may be achieved by providing a predetermined power level for a predetermined period of time, and detecting a rate of temperature increase, the detected rate being temperature information.

The monitoring rate may also be used to determine whether the body is a body compatible with the heating device based on a relationship between the temperature information, the amount of power supplied to the heating device, and the at least one condition, continue heating when the body is determined to be compatible, and stop heating when the body is determined to be incompatible. This again reduces the risk of damage and injury to the user as the body is heated due to improper heating.

When heating is stopped due to body incompatibility, an indication may be provided to the user. This may alert the user to the need to replace the body. Heating may also be stopped when it is determined that the remaining amount of heating has been used.

Heating of the body may be started and/or stopped by triggering. This allows the user to have better control over the heating, which can extend the life of the body. The trigger causing the heating of the body to start may be different from the trigger causing the heating of the body to stop. The trigger that causes the heating of the body to begin may be referred to as the "first trigger". The trigger that causes the body heating to stop may be referred to as a "second trigger". The first trigger and/or the second trigger may be provided by a user activating a button, such as a push button. The first trigger may be provided by the user opening a lid of the heating compartment. The second trigger may be provided by closing a lid of the heating compartment. The lid may be automatically closed as it is typically biased to the closed position and prevented from closing in use by the presence of the body in the heating compartment. The second trigger may be a predetermined period of time, for example 1 minute, 3 minutes or 5 minutes, which is the time elapsed since the user has sucked the vapour from the assembly, for example by actively sucking air through the mouthpiece. Whether the trigger to cause the start of body heating is different from or the same as the trigger to cause the stop of body heating, the trigger to cause the stop of body heating may be a predetermined period of time that has elapsed since the last puff or activation/deactivation of a switch (such as depression of a depression switch or touching of a touch switch).

According to a third aspect, there is provided a vapour generating device comprising: a heating assembly according to the first aspect; a heatable cartridge located within the heating compartment of the heating assembly; an air inlet arranged to provide air to the heating compartment; and an air outlet in communication with the heating compartment. The cartridge of the first aspect may be a body as described in relation to the first or second aspect.

The cartridge may comprise any suitable material. Typically, the cartridge comprises a humectant or tobacco containing moisture, and preferably the cartridge is a single use cartridge arranged to fail in use upon consumption of a predetermined amount of at least one component of the cartridge.

The vaporizable material will be any type of solid or semi-solid material. Exemplary types of vapor producing solids include powders, granules, pellets, shreds, threads, porous materials, foams, or sheets. The substance may comprise plant-derived material, and in particular, the substance may comprise tobacco.

Preferably, the vaporisable substance may comprise an aerosol former. Examples of aerosol formers include polyols and mixtures thereof, such as glycerol or propylene glycol. Typically, the vaporizable material may include an aerosol former content of between about 5% and about 50% (dry weight basis). Preferably, the vaporisable substance may comprise an aerosol former content of about 15% (by dry weight).

Examples of solid materials comprising liquid aerosol former suitable for forming bodies in embodiments of the invention include tobacco rods comprising reconstituted tobacco sheets impregnated with humectant, typically up to about 20% by weight humectant, typically glycerine or a mixture of glycerine and propylene glycol, finely ground tobacco particles (to which humectant is added to form a paste), or tobacco mousses also formed from finely ground tobacco particles mixed with humectant, but typically also including gel former, and wherein the level of humectant is up to about 40% by weight (preferably between 20% and 40%), for example as described in pending patent application WO 2018/0122375. The use of a body such as a mousse or the like having a high level of moisture (although still sufficiently dry around the surface to prevent staining of the surface with which it may come into contact) makes certain embodiments advantageous in that the type of such body can be detected without the need to provide some form of paper wrapping or packaging for the body to make its type identifiable by means of printed instructions, and is therefore environmentally friendly in minimising excess wrapper. Furthermore, such bodies with a high humectant weight are well suited to identify their state of use by measuring their rate of temperature rise under heating conditions, since there may be a large variation as the humectant is consumed, especially for bodies such as mousses where the humectant is almost completely used up during smoking (from about 40% by weight to near zero% by weight after the entire smoking period).

Upon heating, the vaporizable material can release a volatile compound. The volatile compounds may include nicotine or flavor compounds such as tobacco flavors.

The body may be a capsule which, in use, comprises a vaporisable substance in a gas permeable housing. The gas permeable material may be an electrically insulating and non-magnetic material. The material may have high air permeability to allow air to flow through the material having high temperature resistance. Examples of suitable breathable materials include cellulose fibers, paper, cotton, and silk. The breathable material may also be used as a filter. Alternatively, the body may be a vaporisable substance encased in paper. Alternatively, the body may be a vaporisable substance held within a material which is air impermeable but includes suitable perforations or openings to allow air flow. Alternatively, the body may be the vaporisable substance itself. The body may be formed substantially in the shape of a rod.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a body or cartridge for use in any of the preceding aspects, the body or cartridge comprising a vaporisable substance and being adapted such that at least one condition, including the degree of use of the body or capsule, the type of the body or capsule, or the presence of the body or capsule, may be determined from the relationship between the power supplied to the heating means for heating the body or capsule and the temperature information relating to heating at the body or capsule. Preferably, the modification may comprise providing a body having a percentage of vaporisable liquid (preferably a humectant such as propylene glycol and/or glycerine, but possibly additionally including other vaporisable liquid such as water or ethanol) of greater than 20 wt% (100 wt% being equal to the total weight of liquid and vaporisable material such as tobacco, humectant and/or plant derived material) in new use and "in the first instance), the vaporisable liquid being reduced by at least 4 wt% when the body or capsule has been heated for a period of time, or over a predetermined period of time (or preferably at least 3 months) under predetermined environmental conditions after removal from a package associated with the body or capsule. Most preferably, the vaporizable liquid is reduced by at least 7% when heated for a period of time.

Modifying the body or capsule for purposes of the fourth aspect of the invention may comprise providing a susceptor in the body or capsule having a heating efficiency dependent on the frequency of the energised fluctuating magnetic field such that it has a maximum heating efficiency at a first predetermined resonant frequency and falls below a predetermined heating efficiency threshold of 50% of the maximum heating efficiency at either end of the frequency range.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a set of cartridge bodies according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the cartridge bodies being packaged in a package adapted to prevent the percentage of vaporisable liquid from falling to less than 3 wt% for a predetermined period of time (preferably at least one year) until the package is opened (e.g. by a consumer).

Drawings

Examples of induction heating assemblies are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary vapor-generating device;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of a vapor-generating device according to the example shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of an exemplary process;

FIG. 4 shows a graph applying an exemplary power mode as a function of time;

FIG. 5 shows another graph applying an exemplary power mode as a function of time; and is

FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of an exemplary process.

Detailed Description

We now describe examples of vapor-generating devices, including descriptions of exemplary induction heating assemblies, exemplary inductively heatable cartridges, and exemplary susceptors. Although heating by induction is described below, other forms of heating exist such as resistance heating and can be applied in the exemplary vapor generation device in place of induction heating.

Referring now to fig. 1 and 2, an exemplary vapor-generating device, generally designated 1, is shown in an assembled configuration in fig. 1, and in an unassembled configuration in fig. 2.

The exemplary vapor-generating device 1 is a hand-held device (thereby intended to mean a device that a user can hold with one hand and be unaided supported) having an induction heating assembly 10, an induction heatable cartridge 20, and a mouthpiece 30. The cartridge releases vapors when heated. Thus, steam is generated by using the induction heating assembly to heat the inductively heatable cartridge. The vapor can then be inhaled by the user at the mouthpiece.

In this example, the user inhales the vapour by drawing air from the ambient into the device 1, through or around the inductively heatable cartridge 20 as it is heated, and out of the mouthpiece 30. This is achieved by positioning the cartridge in a heating compartment 12 defined by a portion of the induction heating assembly 10 and bringing that compartment into gaseous connection with an air inlet 14 formed in the assembly and an air outlet 32 in the mouthpiece when the device is assembled. This allows air to be drawn through the device by applying a negative pressure, typically created by a user drawing air from an air outlet.

The cartridge 20 is a body comprising a vaporisable substance 22 and an inductively heatable susceptor 24. In this example, the vaporizable material includes one or more of tobacco, humectant, glycerin, and propylene glycol. The vaporizable material is also a solid. The susceptor comprises a plurality of electrically conductive plates. In this example, the cartridge also has a layer or film 26 for containing the vaporisable substance and the susceptor, wherein the layer or film is breathable. In other examples, no membrane is present.

As described above, the induction heating assembly 10 is used to heat the cartridge 20. The assembly includes an induction heating device in the form of an induction coil 16 and a power supply 18. The power source and the induction coil are electrically connected such that power may be selectively transferred between the two components.

In this example, the induction coil 16 is generally cylindrical such that the form of the induction heating assembly 10 is also generally cylindrical. The heating compartment 12 is defined radially inside the induction coil, with a base at an axial end of the induction coil and a sidewall around a radially inner side of the induction coil. The heating compartment is open at an axial end of the induction coil opposite the base. When the vapour generating device 1 is assembled, the opening is covered by the mouthpiece 30, wherein the opening to the air outlet 32 is located at the opening of the heating compartment. In the example shown in the figures, the air inlet 14 has an opening into the heating compartment at the base of the heating compartment.

The temperature sensor 11 is located at the base of the heating compartment 12. Thus, the temperature sensor is located within the heating compartment at the same axial end of the induction coil 16 as the base of the heating compartment. This means that when the cartridge 20 is located in the heating compartment and when the vapour generating device 1 is assembled (in other words when the vapour generating device is in use or ready for use), the cartridge deforms around the temperature sensor. This is because, in this example, the temperature sensor, due to its size and shape, does not pierce the membrane 26 of the cartridge.

The temperature sensor 11 is electrically connected to a controller 13 located within the induction heating assembly 10. The controller is also electrically connected to the induction coil 16 and the power supply 18 and is adapted, in use, to control the operation of the induction coil and the temperature sensor by determining when power is supplied from the power supply to each.

An exemplary process as shown in fig. 3 will now be described. As described above, to generate the vapor, the cartridge 20 is heated in step 101. This is achieved by converting the dc current supplied by the power supply 18 into an Alternating Current (AC), which is in turn fed to the induction coil 16. Current flows through the induction coil, causing a controlled EM field to be generated in the region near the coil. The generated EM field provides a source for an external susceptor (in this case the susceptor plate of the cartridge) to absorb EM energy and convert it to heat, thereby effecting induction heating.

In more detail, by providing power to the induction coil 16, a current is caused to pass through the induction coil, thereby generating an EM field. As described above, the current supplied to the induction coil is an Alternating Current (AC) current. This results in heat being generated within the cartridge because, when the cartridge is located in the heating compartment 12, it is intended to arrange the susceptor plate (substantially) parallel to the radius of the induction coil 16, as shown, or at least with a length component parallel to the radius of the induction coil. Thus, when an alternating current is supplied to the induction coil while the cartridge is in the heating compartment, the positioning of the susceptor plates causes eddy currents to be induced in each plate due to the coupling of the EM field generated by the induction coil with each susceptor plate. This results in heat being generated in each plate by induction.

The plates of the cartridge 20 are in thermal communication with the vaporizable substance 22, in this example, by direct or indirect contact between the susceptor plates and the vaporizable substance. This means that when the susceptor 24 is inductively heated by the induction coil 16 of the induction heating assembly 10, heat is transferred from the susceptor 24 to the vaporizable substance 22 to heat the vaporizable substance 22 and produce a vapor.

While the temperature sensor 11 is in use, the temperature is monitored by measuring the temperature of its surface at step 102. Each temperature measurement is sent to the controller 13 in the form of an electrical signal. The controller can then process the electrical signal to obtain temperature information related to the heat generated from the susceptor at step 103. In this example, the temperature information includes one or more of a monitored temperature, a surface temperature of the cartridge 20 (which may be the monitored temperature, as described above), or a rate of change of temperature.

The controller 13 is also capable of monitoring the amount of power supplied to the induction coil 16 by the power supply 18.

In this example, the steam generating device 1 also has a reservoir 28. Data is stored in the memory, the data representing a relationship between the temperature information, the amount of power supplied to the induction coil 16 and at least one condition of the cartridge. Thus, the memory holds the relationship. In this example, the at least one condition is one or more of the degree of use of the cartridge 20, the type of cartridge, or whether there is a cartridge in the heating compartment 12.

In alternative examples, the memory is located on an external device, or in the cloud, meaning that we can access the internet-based computer storage and processing resources as needed. In this case, the vapor generating device has a memory accessor capable of accessing and interacting with the memory.

In use, the controller 13 can access the memory 28 at step 104 to retrieve sufficient information to enable a determination of at least one condition of the cartridge 20 at step 105 based on the relationship by processing using the temperature information and the amount of power supplied to the induction coil 16.

As an example of this relationship, for a cartridge containing tobacco, the tobacco in the cartridge generates an aerosol when heated. While the aerosol is generated, the moisture content of the tobacco is reduced due to the generation of the aerosol. Thus, tobacco stored in a never used cartridge and tobacco stored in a used cartridge have different moisture contents, which can be determined by the amount of humectant (e.g., to provide an aerosol former) and water. This has an effect on the rate of change of temperature as the cartridge is heated. For used capsules, this cartridge heats up faster than a never used cartridge heated under the same conditions due to the reduced moisture content, and therefore for used cartridges the rate of temperature change is greater than for a never used cartridge. Similarly, less power is required to heat a used cartridge to a particular temperature than a previously unused cartridge. Of course, this also means that a used cartridge can be heated to a higher temperature than a never used cartridge when the same amount of power is supplied to the induction coil for heating.

Another example of this relationship is the ability to determine the type of cartridge being heated. Due to differences between types of cartridges (e.g., differences in the composition of different cartridge types), supplying a particular amount of power to heat a cartridge may heat different cartridge types to different temperatures. Thus, if the surface temperature of the cartridge is within a temperature range or below a particular temperature threshold, the cartridge can be determined to be a cartridge type; the cartridge can be determined to be a second cartridge type if the surface temperature of the cartridge is within a second temperature range or between two temperature thresholds; if the surface temperature of the cartridge is within a third temperature range, between two additional temperature thresholds, or below or above another temperature threshold, the cartridge can be determined to be another cartridge type.

Another example of this relationship is the ability to determine whether a cartridge is present in the heating compartment. In this example, if power is supplied to the induction coil and the temperature remains below the temperature threshold, then no cartridge is present. On the other hand, if power is supplied to the induction coil and the temperature rises or is above the temperature threshold, a cartridge is present. This relationship exists because the susceptor in the cartridge generates heat, so if no cartridge is present in the heating compartment, no heat will be generated, as there will be no susceptor to generate heat, and if a cartridge is present there will be a susceptor to generate heat.

Of course, all three examples of the above relationship can be determined simultaneously. For example, if no cartridge is present, the temperature that can be monitored will be below the first threshold temperature. The cartridge is a first type of unused cartridge if the temperature is between a first threshold temperature and a second threshold temperature that is higher than the first threshold temperature. The cartridge is a second type of unused cartridge if the temperature is between the second threshold temperature and a third threshold temperature that is higher than the second threshold temperature. If the temperature is between the third threshold temperature and a fourth threshold higher than the third threshold temperature, the cartridge is a never-used cartridge of the third type of cartridge. If the temperature is above the fourth threshold temperature, the cartridge is a used cartridge.

Once the at least one condition of the cartridge 20 is determined, the controller 13 selects the next action to be performed by the vapour generating device 1 based on the at least one condition (step 106). An example of a next action is to disable power to the induction coil 16 in the event that a cartridge is used. This stops the cartridge, which is no longer suitable for heating. Of course, the cartridge may be used more than once before being determined to be a "used" cartridge. The amount of usage that the cartridge displays before it does no longer fit is determined, for example, by a predetermined threshold temperature of the used cartridge, and the cartridge is considered "used" when it reaches a temperature at which it heats up from ambient temperature. This allows the cartridge to be used for a period of time before it is considered no longer suitable for heating.

Of course, if it is determined that the cartridge 20 has never been used, the controller selects the next action, i.e. to power the induction coil 16 as required.

In some examples, the vapor-generating device 1 has an indicator or display (not shown) that indicates to a user at least one condition of the cartridge 20 as determined by the controller 13.

Fig. 4 shows an example of how the steam generating device 1 operates over time. When a user uses the device, there is an initial period of time 30 in which the device operates in one of two power modes (a first power mode 32 or a temperature ramp up power mode 34). These power modes cause the monitorable temperature to rise to a predetermined temperature at which point the device changes from operating in the first power mode or the rapid rise power mode to operating in the second power mode 36 as long as certain criteria are met (as will be described in more detail below), which maintains the monitorable temperature within a predetermined temperature range for the remainder of a single use (suction 38) of the device by the user. Alternatively, in some cases, the device may continue to be in the second power mode for a period of time 42 after a period of time in which the device is in the first power mode. In this case, for example, even during the no-suction period (similar to the operation shown in fig. 5), the second power supply mode continues. Of course, however, if no suction has occurred within a predetermined period of time, the second power supply mode may end, and then a certain trigger (e.g. the next trigger) may again initiate the first power supply mode.

The first power supply mode 32 differs from the fast ramp up power supply mode 34 in that only when the device is in the first power supply mode, in addition to raising the monitorable temperature to the predetermined temperature, the amount of power supplied to the induction coil 16 is monitored during this time period and temperature information is obtained. And then determines therefrom at least one condition of the cartridge 20 being heated. Each of the first power supply mode and the fast ramp up power supply mode provides power to the induction coil at a rate of at least 80% of the maximum capacity that the apparatus can provide power to the induction coil. This heats the cartridge quickly so that the user experiences as little delay as possible between attempting to use the device and the device working as intended.

This process is performed each time the user uses the device 1 (i.e. each time the user applies suction 38), each use being determined by the user applying suction 38 on the mouthpiece 30 of the device. However, the change to the second power supply mode 36 is performed only when the cartridge is not determined to be a used cartridge. When it is determined that the cartridge is a used cartridge, the apparatus is prohibited from changing to the second power supply mode. Alternatively, in some cases, based on the detected condition, the controller changes the heating profile (including stopping heating) of the latter of the first power supply mode, the fast ramp-up power supply mode 34, and/or the second power supply mode 36 after the determination.

The act of determining whether the apparatus 1 is operating in the first power mode 32 or in the fast ramp up power mode 34 is the first use of the apparatus after a trigger 41 during a period 42. A first power supply mode is applied in said first use and in a later use either the first power supply mode or the fast ramp up power supply mode can be applied.

Each period 42 is intended to be the time period between successive triggers 40. An exemplary trigger includes depression of a button.

In the example shown in fig. 4, there are other event triggers. One such event trigger is a change in cartridge trigger 40. In other examples, such triggers may be caused by different events.

The change in cartridge trigger 40 may be the detection of the heating compartment being closed, opened, the insertion of a cartridge, or a temperature drop due to the removal of a cartridge. In this example, when a trigger 40 (e.g. depression of a button) occurs and/or a counter associated with the cartridge (e.g. amount of heating time remaining or amount of cartridge puff remaining) is reset, the change in the cartridge trigger that occurs resets the apparatus 1 to apply the first power mode at the beginning of the next period 42.

The trigger 40 should be a change in cartridge trigger, which in this example provides a signal that the first power mode 32 will be applied at the start of heating when the next trigger 41 is received. This may indicate that a time period is to begin, regardless of the type of trigger provided by trigger 40. In some examples, this may be provided by pressing a button down. Then, upon receiving the next trigger 41, the time period starts. The trigger 41 may be provided by any form of event, such as the depression of a button. If the trigger 40 is provided by a depression of a button, a different type of button depression will provide the trigger 41, such as depressing the button multiple times or depressing the button for at least a predetermined time. In any case, the trigger 41 causes the heating (and thus the period) to start.

Another event trigger for this example is a stop trigger 43. The stop trigger is detection of the end of suction (i.e., when the user stops suction, suction on the suction nozzle 30 ends). In this example, this causes the second power supply mode to end and thus causes the heating to stop.

Fig. 5 shows a second example of how the steam generating device 1 can be operated over time. When the user uses the device, there is a period of time during which the device is operating in the first power mode 32. As with the example shown in fig. 4, this power mode may cause the monitorable temperature to rise to a predetermined temperature, at which point the device may change from operating in the first power mode to operating in the second power mode 36, provided certain criteria are met (as will be described in more detail below). This maintains the monitorable temperature within the predetermined temperature range for the remainder of period 42. This differs from the example shown in fig. 4 in that the second power mode is maintained throughout the total number of uses (i.e. puffs 38) in the session, whether this be one or more puffs. Therefore, the second power supply mode continues even during the no-suction period. Of course, however, if no suction has occurred within a predetermined period of time, the second power supply mode may end, and then a certain trigger (e.g. the next trigger) may again initiate the first power supply mode.

As with the example shown in fig. 4, in the example shown in fig. 5, at least one condition of the cartridge 20 being heated is then determined by monitoring the amount of power supplied to the induction coil 16 over the period of time, the monitored temperature being raised to a predetermined temperature, and temperature information being obtained over the period of time.

The rate of the first power mode of the induction coil is at least 80% of the maximum capacity that the device can power the induction coil. This heats the cartridge quickly so that the user experiences as little delay as possible between attempting to use the device and the device working as intended. In a solid vapor device, if resistive heating is used, the time period is typically greater than about 20 seconds. For solid vapor devices using induction heating techniques, heating may result in the monitored temperature being reached in about 3 seconds.

The process of fig. 5 is performed each time the user initiates a period of use of the device 1 (e.g., each time a trigger 40 is received, such as by pressing a button or another event). This will enable the first power mode 32 when such a trigger occurs. During the time that the device 1 is in the first power mode, a determination is made to determine whether the cartridge is a used cartridge, not a used cartridge (and thus a never used cartridge) or is not present.

Changing to the second power mode 36 is only performed when the cartridge is not determined to be a used cartridge (e.g., in the event that the cartridge is determined to be a used cartridge or detected to be absent). When it is determined that the cartridge is a used cartridge or is not present, the device is inhibited from changing to the second power mode. Alternatively, in some cases, based on the detected condition, the controller changes the heating profile (including stopping heating) of the latter of the first power supply mode, the fast ramp-up power supply mode 34, and/or the second power supply mode 36 after the determination. The first power mode occurs within a short time, for example within three seconds of receipt of the trigger 40. The user then applies suction 38 after the device has been moved to the second power mode.

The period in the example shown in fig. 5 ends when the end of period trigger 45 occurs. Such an end of period trigger occurs, for example, when the amount of time remaining to heat the cartridge has expired. This causes the heating to stop.

Of course, the temperature range maintained by the device when in the second power mode may be varied based on the type of cartridge detected.

In one example, in use, the cartridge is removed from the heated compartment of the vapour generating device by a user when the cartridge is no longer required. The cartridge is then inserted into the heating compartment by the user. To accomplish this, the mouthpiece is removed from the remainder of the body of the vapour generating device. This causes the heating compartment to open and the cartridge to be accessible to the user. The cartridge is then pulled from the heating compartment by the user. The cartridge is then placed into the heating compartment by the user and the mouthpiece is reattached to the remainder of the body of the vapour generating device.

In embodiments where the mouthpiece is replaced by a lid (not shown) or where a lid for the heating compartment is provided at another location than the mouthpiece in addition to the mouthpiece, the lid can be hinged back and forth to open and close the compartment, rather than removing the mouthpiece, the cartridge being removed from the chamber by opening the lid and the user pulling the cartridge through an opening at the location of the lid; the opening is of course in communication with the heating compartment. A replacement cartridge can then be introduced into the chamber by inserting it through the opening. The lid is then closed.

As described above, a trigger may be one of many events. Taking the example where the trigger is to close the heating compartment, when closure of the heating compartment is detected (e.g. by a sensor in the vapour generating device), the controller is adapted to cause the first power mode to be applied by a user attempting to use the vapour generating device when heating is first applied.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary process that can be performed using the vapor generation device described above. When the user starts the period of use of the device, the heating process is started by a triggering event (step 201). The triggering event may be, for example, the depression of a button by a user. As described above, in other examples, the trigger may be one of a plurality of events.

The period may be a period of use of a previously used cartridge, or may be a cartridge that has never been used (e.g., a new cartridge) or is used for the first time in the device. Where the period is a period in which a cartridge that has been previously used in the heating compartment of the device is used, the start of the period may be referred to as "restarting" the period. When the period is a period of time using a cartridge that was not previously used in the heating compartment and is new to the device, the beginning of the period may be referred to as "starting" the period.

As described above, the heating process is initiated whether the time period is started or restarted. In one example, this involves providing a known amount of power at a low power level to cause heating of the cartridge for a predetermined period of time. The rate of temperature increase, also referred to as the "rate of temperature ramp up", is monitored.

Using a process (e.g., the process described above with respect to fig. 3), the type and/or usage of the cartridge is detected (step 202). In some examples, this involves using a look-up table to compare the monitored temperature ramp rate to the maximum power that allows later heating of the cartridge, which is determined based on previous tests (including degree of use, condition and diversity) performed on different types of cartridges.

If the detected cartridge type is not suitable for the device for any reason, heating is stopped and the device provides an indication to the user (step 203). In this example, the indication may be provided on the display in the form of a message, read for example as "please insert a new cartridge".

When the detected cartridge type is the appropriate cartridge type, the remaining heating time or the remaining number of puffs is set based on the detected cartridge type and/or the degree of usage (step 204). Preferably, steps 202, 204 and 205 are performed in the first power mode. As the time period continues, the device moves from the start heating mode to the normal operation heating mode (e.g., the second power supply mode). At this point, a maximum power level suitable for the cartridge is applied. When the cartridge changes, the maximum power level at which heating is provided is adjusted based on the condition of the cartridge (step 205). This adjustment of the heating profile is based on the remaining time or number of puffs available for the cartridge and is achieved by checking a memory accessible to the device to determine an appropriate amount of charge (e.g., a maximum allowable charge) to be applied to the cartridge having that amount of time used/number of puffs remaining.

While the normal operation heating mode continues, the remaining time of the cartridge to be heated is monitored and/or the number of puffs of the cartridge is monitored. A check is run to see if the remaining time or remaining suction has reached zero (step 206). If the remaining time or the remaining amount of suction has reached zero, heating is stopped and the device provides an indication to the user (step 203). The indication to the user may be the same as when it is detected that the cartridge is not of the appropriate type of device.

If the remaining time or the suction count has not reached zero, a check is run to confirm whether a stop trigger for the heating process has been received (step 207). In some examples, the stop-start trigger is provided by the user depressing a button, which may be the same button that provided the start trigger. If a stop trigger is received, heating is stopped (step 208). If no trigger is received, the process loops by returning to step 206 to check if the remaining time or puff count is zero.

After stopping the heating, the whole process can be restarted when the next start trigger is received.