阅读说明：本技术 气溶胶生成 (Aerosol generation ) 是由 阿龙·布鲁克班克 于 2020-05-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：本文公开了一种气溶胶生成系统(101,1)包括：可气溶胶化材料(103),其中,可气溶胶化材料包括至少两个区段(103a,103b),其中,至少一个区段包括烟草材料；至少第一加热器和第二加热器,其中,加热器(23)布置成分别加热可气溶胶化材料的不同区段,其中,系统配置成使得在使用阶段期间,在开始由第一加热器加热第一区段之后,第二加热器可选择性地致动以将第二区段加热到导致第二区段的可气溶胶化成分挥发的温度。(Disclosed herein is an aerosol-generating system (101, 1) comprising: an aerosolizable material (103), wherein the aerosolizable material comprises at least two segments (103a, 103b), wherein at least one segment comprises a tobacco material; at least a first heater and a second heater, wherein the heaters (23) are arranged to heat different sections of the aerosolizable material, respectively, wherein the system is configured such that during a stage of use, after starting heating of the first section by the first heater, the second heater is selectively actuatable to heat the second section to a temperature that causes volatilization of the aerosolizable component of the second section.)

1. An aerosol-generating system comprising:

-an aerosolizable material, wherein the aerosolizable material comprises at least two segments, wherein at least one segment comprises a tobacco material;

-at least a first heater and a second heater, wherein the heaters are arranged to heat different sections of the aerosolizable material, respectively,

wherein the system is configured such that during a phase of use, after commencing heating of the first section by the first heater, the second heater is selectively actuable to heat the second section to a temperature that causes the aerosolizable component of the second section to volatilise.

2. An aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the second heater is configured such that during a period of time in which the second heater is not actuated to heat the second section of the aerosolizable material to a temperature at which its components volatilize, the second heater is heated to an intermediate temperature, wherein the intermediate temperature is above room temperature and below the temperature required to volatilize the components of the second section.

3. An aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least another of the sections comprises an aerosol-modifying agent.

4. An aerosol-generating system according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the system is configured such that during heating of the first section by the first heater, the second heater is selectively actuable to heat the second section to a temperature that causes the aerosolisable component of the second section to volatilise.

5. An aerosol-generating system according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the system comprises a user input mechanism, wherein the user input mechanism is operable by a user in use to cause actuation of the second heater.

6. An aerosol-generating system according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first section comprises the tobacco material and the second section comprises the aerosol-modifying agent.

7. An aerosol-generating system according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the aerosol modifier is encapsulated and releasable on heating to a threshold release temperature.

8. An aerosol-generating system according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the aerosol-modifying agent comprises a flavouring agent.

9. An aerosol-generating system according to claim 8, wherein the flavouring agent comprises menthol.

10. An aerosol-generating system according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein another of the segments does not comprise any tobacco material.

11. An aerosol-generating system according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein another of the segments comprises tobacco material.

12. An aerosol-generating system according to any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the two sections of the aerosolizable material have different compositions.

13. An aerosol-generating system according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein one section and/or the other section comprises an unencapsulated aerosol-modifying agent.

14. An aerosol-generating system according to any of claims 1 to 13, comprising at least a third heater.

15. An aerosol-generating system according to claim 14, wherein the third heater is configured to heat the same section of aerosolizable material as the first section, or wherein the third heater is configured to heat a third section of the aerosolizable material, and wherein the heating profile of the third heater is programmed into the system and is not selectively actuatable by a user.

16. An aerosol-generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the aerosolizable material has a rod shape and the at least two sections are coaxially arranged along a longitudinal axis of the rod of aerosolizable material.

17. An aerosol-generating article for use in an aerosol-generating system, the article comprising an aerosolizable material and a cooling element and/or filter,

wherein the aerosolizable material comprises at least two segments having different compositions, wherein at least one segment comprises a tobacco material and at least another segment comprises an aerosol-modifying agent.

18. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 17, wherein the further section of aerosolizable material is disposed between the one section of aerosolizable material and the cooling element and/or the filter.

19. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 17, wherein one section of the aerosolizable material is disposed between another section of the aerosolizable material and the cooling element and/or the filter.

20. An aerosol-generating article according to any of claims 17 to 19, wherein a first section comprises the tobacco material and a second section comprises the aerosol-modifying agent.

21. An aerosol-generating article according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the aerosol-modifying agent is encapsulated and releasable on heating to at least a threshold release temperature.

22. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 21, wherein the threshold release temperature is at least 50 ℃, optionally at least 100 ℃, optionally at least 150 ℃, and optionally less than about 300 ℃, 250 ℃ or 200 ℃.

23. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 21 or claim 22, comprising an amorphous solid encapsulating the aerosol-modifying agent.

24. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 23 comprising a film, wherein the film comprises the amorphous solid.

25. An aerosol-generating article according to any one of claims 17 to 24, wherein the aerosol-modifying agent comprises a flavouring agent.

26. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 25, wherein the flavourant comprises menthol.

27. An aerosol-generating article according to any of claims 17 to 26, wherein the further section comprises the aerosol-modifying agent in an amount of from 0.1 wt% to 99 wt% by weight of the further section.

28. An aerosol-generating article according to any one of claims 17 to 27, wherein one section and/or the other section comprises an unencapsulated aerosol-modifying agent.

29. An aerosol-generating article according to any one of claims 17 to 27, wherein one section and/or the other section does not comprise any unencapsulated aerosol-modifying agent.

30. An aerosol-generating article according to any one of claims 17 to 29, wherein the further segment does not comprise any tobacco material.

31. An aerosol-generating article according to any of claims 17 to 29, wherein the further segment comprises a tobacco material.

32. An aerosol-generating article according to any one of claims 17 to 31, wherein one section does not comprise any aerosol-modifying agent of the same type as present in the other section.

33. An aerosol-generating article according to any of claims 17 to 32, wherein the aerosol-generating article is elongate and the at least two sections are arranged coaxially along a longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article.

34. An aerosol-generating device comprising at least a first heater and a second heater, wherein the heaters are arranged, in use, to heat a first section and a second section of an aerosolizable material respectively,

wherein the apparatus is configured such that during a phase of use, after commencing heating of the first heater to a temperature that causes vaporisation of the aerosolisable component of the first section of the aerosolisable material, the second heater is selectively actuable to heat the second section to a temperature that causes vaporisation of the aerosolisable component of the second section of aerosolisable material.

35. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 34, wherein the second heater is configured such that during a period of time in which the second heater is not actuated to heat the second section of the aerosolizable material to a temperature at which its components volatilize, the second heater is heated to an intermediate temperature, wherein the intermediate temperature is above room temperature and below the temperature required to volatilize the components of the second section.

36. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 34 or claim 35, wherein the system is configured such that, during heating of the first section by the first heater, the second heater is selectively actuable to heat the second section to a temperature that causes the aerosolisable component of the second section to volatilise.

37. An aerosol-generating device according to any of claims 34 to 36, wherein the device comprises a user input mechanism, wherein the user input mechanism is operable by a user in use to cause actuation of the second heater.

38. An aerosol-generating device according to any of claims 34 to 37, wherein the device comprises a third heater, and wherein the heating profile of the third heater is programmed into the system and is not selectively actuable by a user.

39. An aerosol-generating device according to any of claims 34 to 38, comprising a chamber for holding the aerosolizable material in use.

40. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 39, wherein at least one heater is tubular and surrounds the chamber for retaining the aerosolizable material in use.

41. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 40, wherein each heater is tubular and surrounds the chamber for retaining the aerosolizable material in use.

42. An aerosol-generating device according to any of claims 34 to 41, wherein the second heater is closer to the mouthpiece end of the device than the first heater.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to aerosol generation and in particular, but not exclusively, to aerosol-generating systems and aerosol-generating articles for use in aerosol-generating systems.

Background

Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and the like burn tobacco during use to produce tobacco smoke. Alternatives to these types of articles release compounds without burning.

Apparatus are known for heating an aerosolizable material to volatilize at least one component of the aerosolizable material, typically to form an aerosol that can be inhaled without burning or igniting the aerosolizable material. Such devices are sometimes described as "heat-not-burn" devices or "tobacco heating products" (THP) or "tobacco heating apparatus" or the like. Various different devices for volatilizing at least one component of an aerosolizable material are known.

The material may be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products or combinations, such as blended mixtures that may or may not contain nicotine.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an aerosol-generating system comprising:

-an aerosolizable material, wherein the aerosolizable material comprises at least two sections, wherein at least one section comprises a tobacco material;

-at least a first heater and a second heater, wherein the heaters are arranged to heat different sections of the aerosolizable material, respectively,

wherein the system is configured such that during a phase of use, after commencing heating of the first section by the first heater, the second heater is selectively actuatable to heat the second section to a temperature that causes the aerosolizable component of the second section to volatilize.

Providing a selectively operable second heater allows a user to control volatilization of the components of the second section, thereby facilitating user control over the composition of the aerosol generated.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an aerosol-generating article for use in a system according to the first aspect. In some embodiments, this provides an aerosol-generating article for use in an aerosol-generating system, the article comprising an aerosolizable material and a cooling element and/or filter, wherein the aerosolizable material comprises at least two sections having different compositions, wherein at least one section comprises a tobacco material and at least another section comprises an aerosol-modifying agent.

A third aspect of the invention provides an aerosol-generating device comprising at least a first heater and a second heater, wherein the heaters are arranged to heat, in use, a first section and a second section of aerosolizable material respectively, wherein the device is configured such that during a phase of use, after commencing heating of the first heater to a temperature that causes volatilisation of aerosolizable components of the first section of aerosolizable material, the second heater is selectively actuable to heat the second section to a temperature that causes volatilisation of aerosolizable components of the second section of aerosolizable material.

Features disclosed herein in relation to aerosol-generating articles are hereby expressly disclosed in connection with the aerosol-generating system of the first aspect. Features disclosed herein in relation to an aerosol-generating system are thus explicitly disclosed in connection with the aerosol-generating device of the third aspect.

Drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of examples of the invention, given by way of example only, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of an aerosolizable material for use in an aerosol-generating system.

Figure 2 is a schematic view of an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosolizable material for use in an aerosol-generating system.

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of an aerosol-generating article.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the article of fig. 3.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional elevation view of an example of an aerosol-generating article.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the article of fig. 5.

Figure 7 shows a perspective view of an example of an aerosol-generating system.

Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of an aerosol-generating system.

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of an example of an aerosol-generating system.

Figure 10 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating system.

Detailed Description

Aerosol-generating systems according to examples of the present invention may also be referred to herein as heated non-combustion devices, tobacco heating products, or tobacco heating devices.

As mentioned above, the present invention provides an aerosol-generating system comprising:

-an aerosolizable material, wherein the aerosolizable material comprises at least two sections, wherein at least one section comprises a tobacco material; and

-at least a first heater and a second heater, wherein the heaters are arranged to heat different sections of the aerosolizable material, respectively,

wherein the system is configured such that during a phase of use, after commencing heating of the first section by the first heater, the second heater is selectively actuatable to heat the second section to a temperature that causes the aerosolizable component of the second section to volatilize.

In some cases, at least one other segment includes an aerosol modifier.

In some cases, the invention provides an aerosol-generating system comprising:

-an aerosolizable material, wherein the aerosolizable material comprises at least two sections, wherein a first section comprises a tobacco material and a second section comprises an aerosol-modifying agent; and

-at least a first heater and a second heater, wherein the heaters are arranged to heat different sections of the aerosolizable material, respectively,

wherein the system is configured such that after the first section is initially heated by the first heater, the second heater is selectively actuatable to heat the second section to a temperature that causes the aerosolizable component of the second section to volatilize.

In some cases, the system is configured such that after heating of the first section begins and before heating of the second section ends, the second heater is selectively actuatable to heat the second section to a temperature that causes the aerosolizable component of the second section to volatilize. In some cases, the system is configured such that during heating of the first section by the first heater, the second heater is selectively actuatable to heat the second section to a temperature that causes the aerosolizable component of the second section to volatilize.

In some cases, the two sections of the aerosolizable material are in solid or gel form.

In some cases, the two sections of the aerosolizable material have different compositions.

The first section may comprise tobacco material. In some cases, the first section of the aerosolizable material can additionally include one or more aerosol-generating agents, flavorants, binders, and/or fillers.

The second section may comprise an aerosol modifier. The aerosol modifier may be any compound that can aerosolize and combine with the aerosol generated by heating the first segment, and that alters how the user perceives the aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-modifying agent may include aerosol-generating agents, flavoring agents, fragrances, and stimulants. In some embodiments, the aerosol-modifying agent comprises one or more flavouring agents, suitably menthol. In some cases, the aerosol modifier consists essentially of or consists of menthol.

In some cases, the segment comprising the aerosol modifier may comprise the aerosol modifier in an amount of from 0.1 wt% to 99 wt%, suitably 1-98 wt%, 5-95 wt%, 10-90 wt%, 20-75 wt%, or 30-55 wt%, by weight of the second segment.

In some cases, the aerosolizable composition of another segment is stabilized such that it does not transfer into the aerosol unless the second heater is actuated by a user.

In some cases, the aerosol-modifying agent may be encapsulated, wherein the aerosol-modifying agent may be released upon heating the appropriate segment to a threshold release temperature. Encapsulation may be used to prevent accidental volatilization of the aerosol modifier due to heat discharge (heat blanket) from the first section. Encapsulation also serves to prevent migration of the aerosol modifier within the aerosolizable material prior to use.

In some cases, the threshold release temperature is at least 50 ℃, optionally at least 100 ℃, optionally at least 150 ℃, and optionally less than about 300 ℃, about 270 ℃, or about 250 ℃.

The aerosol modifier may be encapsulated in an encapsulating material. In some cases, the encapsulation material includes at least one of the following materials: polysaccharide materials such as alginate, carrageenan or pectin materials; a cellulosic material; gelatin; a gum; a proteinaceous material; a polyol matrix material; gelling; a wax; a polyurethane; polymerized, hydrolyzed ethylene vinyl acetate, polyester, polycarbonate, polymethacrylate, polyglycol, polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, or mixtures thereof.

In some cases, a temperature dependent release may be provided by the use of an encapsulating material that melts, decomposes, reacts, degrades, expands or deforms at the release temperature to release the flavoring agent. In other cases, heating may cause the encapsulated aerosol modifier to expand, thereby causing the encapsulating material to crack.

The encapsulated aerosol modifier may be provided in the form of a powder, granule, or bead capsule. In some cases, the capsules may be carried on a substrate, such as a wrapper around the aerosol-generating article. In some cases, the encapsulated aerosol modifier can be provided in the form of an amorphous solid encapsulating the aerosol modifier. The amorphous solid may comprise a polysaccharide matrix. The amorphous solid may be provided as a film. For example, the film may be provided in a shredded or sheet form. In some cases, the encapsulated aerosol modifier may be present in a mixture of these forms, such as a combination of capsules and an encapsulating film.

In some cases, a segment comprising an encapsulated aerosol modifier may additionally comprise an unencapsulated aerosol modifier. For example, in some cases, a segment that includes an aerosol modifier can include an encapsulated flavor, such as menthol, and additionally include an unencapsulated flavor, such as menthol.

In some cases, the aerosolizable material may be provided as part of an aerosol-generating article that is inserted into the heater at the time of use. As mentioned above, another aspect of the present invention relates to such articles. The discussion herein regarding such articles is also expressly disclosed in connection with the system aspects of the present invention.

In a second aspect of the invention, an aerosol-generating article for use in an aerosol-generating system comprises an aerosolizable material and a cooling element and/or filter, wherein the aerosolizable material comprises at least two sections of different composition, wherein a first of the sections comprises a tobacco material and a second of the sections comprises an aerosol-modifying agent.

In some cases, an aerosol-generating article for use in an aerosol-generating system comprises an aerosolizable material and a cooling element and/or filter, wherein the aerosolizable material comprises at least two sections having different compositions, wherein a first section comprises a tobacco material and a second section comprises an aerosol-modifying agent.

In some cases, the second section of the aerosolizable material is disposed between the first section of the aerosolizable material and the cooling element and/or filter. In other cases, the first section of the aerosolizable material is disposed between the second section of the aerosolizable material and the cooling element and/or filter.

In some cases, the first section and/or the second section comprise unencapsulated aerosol modifiers. In some cases, the first section and/or the second section of the article do not include any unencapsulated aerosol modifiers. In some cases, the article does not include any unencapsulated aerosol modifier.

In some cases, another section, suitably the second section, of the aerosolizable material does not include any tobacco material.

In some cases where the aerosol-modifying agent is included in the second section, the first section of the aerosolizable material does not include any aerosol-modifying agent of the same type as the aerosol-modifying agent present in the second section. This means that the aerosol modifier in the second section is not present in the same form as in the first section. Thus, in these embodiments, for example, encapsulated menthol may be disposed in the second section instead of the first section, while unencapsulated menthol may be disposed in either or both sections. The menthol present in the second segment is encapsulated and the encapsulated form is not visible in the first segment.

In some cases, there is provided an aerosol-generating article, wherein;

-providing a filter and/or a cooling element at the mouth end,

-the second section of aerosolizable material comprises encapsulated flavoring agents and does not comprise tobacco material,

the first section of aerosolizable material comprises tobacco material but no encapsulated flavoring agent.

Suitably, the second section is disposed adjacent the filter and/or cooling element and the first section is disposed adjacent the first section (opposite the filter and/or cooling element). That is, the second section may be suitably disposed between the second section and the filter/cooling element.

Suitably, both segments may not include unencapsulated flavoring, either segment may include unencapsulated flavoring, or both segments may include unencapsulated flavoring.

In some cases, the aerosolizable material has a rod shape. As used herein, the term "rod" generally refers to an elongated body, which may be any suitable shape for use in an aerosol-generating system. In some cases, the rod is substantially cylindrical and the at least two sections are coaxially arranged along a longitudinal axis of the rod of aerosolizable material. In some cases, the sections may be cylindrical. In some cases, the segments may each have the same dimensions. In other cases, the sections may have different sizes. In some cases, the cylindrical section may have a cross-sectional diameter of about 5-9mm, suitably 7.5-8 mm. In some cases, the total length of the rod may be about 30-54mm, suitably 36-48 mm. In some cases, the rod may comprise two sections, each section having a length of about 15-27mm, suitably 18-24 mm. In some cases, the rod may comprise two sections, each section having a length of about 15-20mm, suitably about 18 mm. In some cases, the rod may comprise two sections, each section having a length of about 22-27mm, suitably about 24 mm.

In other cases, the sections of the aerosolizable material may be in the form of prismatic sections that are arranged together to form a rod, such as a cylinder. For example, in the case of two sections, they may be semi-cylindrical and arranged with their respective planar contacts.

If present, the cooling element may be used or utilized to cool the gas or aerosol composition. In some cases, it may be used to cool a gaseous component such that it condenses to form an aerosol. It can also be used to space very hot parts of the device from the user. The filter, if present, may comprise any suitable filter known in the art, such as a cellulose acetate plug. The aerosol-generating article may be surrounded by a wrapper, such as paper.

The aerosol-generating article may additionally comprise ventilation holes. These vents may be provided in the sidewall of the article. In some cases, the vent may be provided in the filter and/or cooling element. These holes may allow cool air to be drawn into the article during use, which may mix with the heated volatile components, thereby cooling the aerosol.

The ventilation enhances the generation of visibly heated volatile components from the article when the article is heated in use. The heated volatile components are rendered visible by the process of cooling the heated volatile components, so that supersaturation of the heated volatile components occurs. The heated volatile components then undergo droplet formation, also known as nucleation, and the aerosol particles of the finally heated volatile components increase in size by further condensation of the heated volatile components and by condensation of the droplets newly formed by the heated volatile components.

In some cases, the ratio of cool air to the sum of heated volatile components and cool air (referred to as the ventilation ratio) is at least 15%. A ventilation ratio of 15% enables the heated volatiles to be made visible by the method described above. The visibility of the heated volatile components enables the user to recognize that volatile components have been generated and increases the sensory experience of the smoking experience.

In another example, the draft ratio is 50% to 85% to provide additional cooling for the heated volatiles. In some cases, the draft ratio may be at least 60% or 65%.

The aerosolizable material is heated in the system to generate an aerosol without combusting the material.

In some cases, each heater provided in the aerosol-generating system may be a thin film resistance heater. In other cases, each heater may comprise an induction heater or the like. For the avoidance of doubt, the first and second heaters may be the same as each other or different from each other.

Typically, each heater is connected to a battery, which may be a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. Examples of suitable batteries include, for example, lithium ion batteries, nickel batteries (e.g., nickel cadmium batteries), alkaline batteries, and/or the like. The battery is electrically coupled to the heater and is controllable via appropriate circuitry to supply electrical energy (to volatilize components of the aerosolizable material without causing combustion of the aerosolizable material) when needed to heat the aerosolizable material.

In one example, the heater is typically in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube which is coaxially arranged and has a hollow internal heating chamber into which the aerosolizable material is inserted for heating in use. The ends of the respective tubes may be abutting. The heater may be dimensioned such that substantially all of the aerosolizable material is heated in use.

In another example, the heater may be in the form of one or more blades which are inserted into the aerosolizable material in use. For example, the heater may be provided as a single blade with independently heatable zones.

Each heater may be surrounded along at least a portion of its length by thermal insulation, which helps to reduce the amount of heat transferred from the heater to the exterior of the aerosol-generating system. This helps to reduce the power requirements of the heater as it generally reduces heat loss. The insulator also helps to keep the exterior of the aerosol-generating system cool during operation of the heater.

In some cases, the first heater may be heated to at least 180 ℃, 200 ℃, 220 ℃, or 240 ℃ to volatilize components of the first section of the aerosolizable material. In some cases, the assembly may be configured such that at least a portion of the aerosolizable material is exposed to a temperature of at least 180 ℃, 200 ℃, 220 ℃, or 240 ℃ for at least 50% of the heating period. In some cases, the first heater may be suction (puff) activated.

In some cases, the aerosol-generating system may comprise a memory having a library of stored heating profiles, and wherein the heating profile applied by the system may depend on the composition of the aerosol-generating material, which may be detected by the system. For example, the aerosol-generating material may include a unique identifier, such as a barcode, RFID, etc., that identifies the composition and is detected by the system, which then selects the appropriate heating profile from a library of stored profiles.

As described above, the system is configured such that after the first section is initially heated by the first heater, the second heater is selectively actuatable by a user to heat the second section to a temperature that causes the aerosolizable component of the second section of the aerosolizable material to volatilize.

In some cases, the system includes a user input mechanism operable by a user when in use to cause actuation of the second heater. In some cases, the second heater may be actuated by a button. In some cases, once the second heater is activated, it heats the second section until the end of the aerosolization phase. In other cases, the second heater may be intermittently activated during this stage to intermittently release the aerosol modifier. For example, in some cases, a button is pressed to begin heating the second heater for a predetermined period of time (thereby releasing a predetermined volume of aerosol modifier). As another example, in some cases, a button must be pressed and held to activate the second heater, wherein the heater is deactivated when the button is released (such that the aerosol modifier volatizes over a period of time that substantially corresponds to the time when the button is held).

In some cases, the second heater is configured such that during a period of time when the second heater is not activated to heat the second section to a temperature to volatilize its components, the second heater is at (i.e., is heated to) an intermediate temperature, wherein the intermediate temperature is above room temperature and below the temperature required to volatilize the components of the second section. This means that the second heater can quickly reach the volatilization temperature upon activation.

In some cases, there may be more than two sections of aerosolizable material. For example, in some cases, there may be a third section of aerosolizable material and a third heater to heat this section. In some such cases, the first section may comprise a tobacco material, the second section may comprise an aerosol-modifying agent, and the third section may comprise a tobacco material. In some such cases, the third segment is adjacent to the first segment and may abut the first segment. In some cases, the first and third sections have the same composition. In some cases, the first and third sections have different compositions.

In some such cases, the assembly is configured to provide a different thermal profile to each of the first and third sections of the aerosolizable material. By applying different thermal profiles to the first and third sections it is possible to control the draw profile of the aerosol during use. The heat provided to the two portions of the aerosolizable material can be provided at different times or rates; staggering the heating in this manner may allow for rapid aerosol generation and extended service life.

In some cases, the aerosol-generating system comprises at least a third heater. In some such cases, the third heater is configured to heat the same section of the aerosolizable material as the first section. In other cases, the third heater is configured to heat a third section of the aerosolizable material. In each case, the heating profile of the third heater is programmed into the system and is not selectively actuatable by the user.

In some such cases, the assembly may be configured such that at the beginning of the consumption experience, the first heater corresponding to the first section of the aerosolizable material is immediately heated to a temperature that achieves volatilization of the aerosolizable component. After a set period of time, the first heating element temperature drops to an intermediate temperature selected to prevent condensation of the aerosol in the first section.

At the beginning of the consumption experience or after a period of time, a third heater corresponding to a third section of the aerosolizable material is heated to an intermediate temperature (which may be the same or different than the intermediate temperature of the first heater). After a set period of time, the third heating element is heated to a volatilization temperature (which may be the same or different than the volatilization temperature of the first heater). Typically, at least one of the first heater and the third heater is at its volatilization temperature throughout the consumption experience, and in some cases, both the first heating element and the third heating element are at their volatilization temperatures for a period of time at the same time. The intermediate temperature of the third heater is selected so that the third section can be rapidly heated to its volatilization temperature.

At the end of the consumption experience, both heaters are allowed to cool to room temperature.

Another aspect of the invention provides an aerosol-generating device comprising at least a first heater and a second heater, wherein the heaters are arranged to heat, in use, a first section and a second section of an aerosolizable material respectively, wherein the device is configured such that during a phase of use, after starting to heat the first heater to a temperature that causes volatilization of an aerosolizable component of the first section of the aerosolizable material, the second heater is selectively actuatable to heat the second section to a temperature that causes volatilization of an aerosolizable component of the second section of the aerosolizable material.

In some cases, the aerosol-generating device is a device that forms an aerosol-generating assembly described herein with an aerosolizable material. The features discussed in relation to this assembly (and which do not involve an aerosolizable material) are explicitly disclosed herein in connection with the apparatus of the present invention, which to some extent are compatible.

To the extent it is compatible, the features described in relation to one aspect of the invention are expressly disclosed in connection with other aspects and examples described herein.

As used herein, the term "tobacco material" refers to any material comprising tobacco or derivatives thereof. The term "tobacco material" may include one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes. The tobacco material may include one or more of ground tobacco, tobacco fiber, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stems, reconstituted tobacco, and/or tobacco extracts.

The tobacco used to produce the tobacco material may be any suitable tobacco, such as a single grade or blend, cut or whole leaf, including virginia and/or burley and/or oriental. It may also be tobacco particulate "fines" or dust, expanded tobacco, stems, expanded stems and other processed stem material, such as cut rolled stems. The tobacco material may be ground tobacco or reconstituted tobacco material. Reconstituted tobacco materials can include tobacco fibers and can be formed by casting, fourdrinier-based papermaking with tobacco extract added back, or by extrusion.

As used herein, an "aerosol-generating agent" is an agent that promotes aerosol generation when heated. Aerosol-generating agents may facilitate aerosol generation by promoting initial evaporation and/or condensation of a gas into an inhalable solid and/or liquid aerosol. Suitable aerosol-generating agents include, but are not limited to: polyols, such as sorbitol, glycerol, and glycols, such as propylene glycol or triethylene glycol; non-polyhydric alcohols, such as monohydric alcohols, high-boiling hydrocarbons, acids, such as lactic acid, glycerol derivatives, esters, such as diacetin, triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate or myristate, including ethyl myristate and isopropyl myristate, and aliphatic carboxylic acid esters, such as methyl stearate, dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.

As used herein, the terms "aroma" and "flavoring agent" refer to materials that, where permitted by local regulations, may be used to produce a desired taste or aroma in a product for an adult consumer. It may include extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek leaf, clove, menthol, japanese mint, anise, cinnamon, vanilla, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, jungle brandy, bourbon whisky, scotland whisky, spearmint, mint, lavender, cardamom, celery, acerola, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cinnamon, caraway, brandy, jasmine, ylang, sage, fennel, allspice, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee or mint oil from any kind of mentha plant), aroma enhancers, bitter receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, asparagine, saccharin, sodium cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives, such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath fresheners. It may be a simulated, synthetic or natural ingredient or a mixture thereof. It may be in any suitable form, for example, an oil, a liquid, or a powder. In some embodiments, the sensory receptor site activator or stimulant is a sensory agent, such as a cooling agent. Suitable coolants may include one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of: n-ethyl-2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexanecarboxamide (also known as WS-3, CAS: 39711-79-0, FEMA: 3455); 2-isopropyl-N- [ (ethoxycarbonyl) methyl ] -5-methylcyclohexanecarboxamide (also known as WS-5, CAS: 68489-14-5, FEMA: 4309); 2-isopropyl-N- (4-methoxyphenyl) -5-methylcyclohexanecarboxamide (also known as WS-12, FEMA: 4681); and 2-isopropyl-N, 2, 3-trimethylbutanamide (also known as WS-23, FEMA: 3804).

As used herein, the term "stimulant" includes nicotine and caffeine, as well as other compounds that stimulate the body.

As used herein, the term "binder" includes compounds that may be included in an aerosol-generating material to increase its toughness or strength. Suitable compounds include alginates comprising any suitable cation; cellulose or modified cellulose such as hydroxypropyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose; starch or modified starch; polysaccharides, such as pectate salts comprising any suitable cation, for example sodium pectate, potassium pectate, calcium pectate or magnesium pectate; xanthan gum, guar gum and any other suitable natural gum; and mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the binder comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of one or more alginates selected from the group consisting of sodium alginate, calcium alginate, potassium alginate, and ammonium alginate.

As used herein, the term "filler" includes organic filler materials and inorganic filler materials. The filler material may be selected to have one or more purposes. In some embodiments, it may be used as a sorbent and/or carrier for other substances in the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, it may be used as a structure for adsorbing other substances before they are released upon heating. In some embodiments, it may be used as an adsorbent and/or carrier for an aerosol generating agent (e.g. glycerol) and/or any other substance that affects the organoleptic properties of an aerosol generated upon heating. Suitable organic filler materials include, but are not limited to: wood pulp, cellulose and cellulose derivatives. Suitable inorganic filler materials include, but are not limited to: calcium carbonate, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, magnesium carbonate, and suitable inorganic adsorbents such as molecular sieves.

Further embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 schematically shows an example of an aerosolizable material for use with an aerosol-generating system. The aerosolizable material is in the form of a cylindrical rod and includes a first section 103a and a second section 103 b. In this example, the second section 103b is further from the mouthpiece in use than the first section 103 a.

The first section 103a includes tobacco material and does not include encapsulated flavoring agents. The second section 103b includes encapsulated flavoring and no tobacco material. Alternatively, neither section may include unencapsulated flavoring, either section may include unencapsulated flavoring, or both sections may include unencapsulated flavoring, which if present, may be the same flavoring or a different flavoring than encapsulated in the second section 103 b. Suitably, the encapsulated flavour may comprise menthol.

Figure 2 schematically shows an example of an aerosol-generating article 101 for use with an aerosol-generating system. The aerosol-generating article 101 comprises a cylindrical rod of aerosolizable material 103 shown in figure 1, a cooling element 107, a filter 109 and a mouth end segment 111. As shown, the cooling element 107 and filter 109 may be arranged between the mouthpiece end and mouthpiece end section 111 of the aerosolizable material 103 such that the airflow from the aerosolizable material 103 passes through the cooling element 107 and filter 109 before reaching the user (or vice versa if the filter is arranged in the airflow before the cooling element). Although the example in figure 2 shows the cooling element 107, the filter 109 and the mouth end segment 111, in other examples one or more of these elements may be omitted.

In some examples, the mouth end section 111, if present, may be formed from paper (e.g., in the form of a spirally wound paper tube), cellulose acetate, cardboard, crimped paper (e.g., crimped heat-resistant paper or crimped parchment paper), and/or a polymeric material (e.g., Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)), or some other suitable material. The mouth end section 111 may comprise a hollow tube. Such hollow tubes may provide a filtering function to filter volatilized aerosolizable material. The mouthpiece end section 111 may be elongate so as to be spaced from the very hot parts of the primary apparatus (not shown) that heats the aerosolizable material.

In some examples, filter 109, if present, may be a filter plug, and may be made of, for example, cellulose acetate.

In some cases, the cooling element 107, if present, may comprise a unitary rod having a first end and a second end and including a plurality of through-holes extending between the first end and the second end. The through hole may extend substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the rod. The through holes of the cooling element 107 may be arranged substantially in the radial direction of the element, when seen in a lateral cross-section. That is, in one example, the element has an inner wall that defines the through-hole and has two primary configurations, a radial wall and a central wall. The radial walls extend along a radius of the cross-section of the element, and the central wall is centered on the center of the cross-section of the element. In one example, the central wall is circular, but other regular or irregular cross-sectional shapes may be used. Also, in one example, the cross-section of the elements is circular, but other regular or irregular cross-sectional shapes may be used.

In one example, most vias have a hexagonal or substantially hexagonal cross-sectional shape. In this example, the element has a structure that may be referred to as a "honeycomb" structure when viewed from one end.

In some cases, cooling element 107 may comprise a hollow tube that separates filter 109 (if present) from the very hot portions of the primary apparatus that heat the aerosolizable material. The cooling element 107 may be formed from, for example, paper (e.g., in the form of a spirally wound paper tube), cellulose acetate, cardboard, crimped paper (e.g., crimped heat-resistant paper or crimped parchment paper), and polymeric materials (e.g., Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)), or some other suitable material.

The cooling element 107, if present, may be substantially incompressible. It may be formed of a ceramic material or a polymer (e.g. a thermoplastic polymer), which may be an extrudable plastics material. In one example, the porosity of the element is in the range of 60% to 75%. In this sense, porosity may be a measure of the percentage of the lateral cross-sectional area of the element that is occupied by the through-holes. In one example, the porosity of the element is about 69% to 70%.

Further examples of cooling elements are disclosed in PCT/GB2015/051253, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference, in particular the descriptions of fig. 1 to 8, and from page 8, line 11 to page 18, line 16.

In further examples, the cooling element 107 may be formed from a sheet that is folded, rolled, or pleated to form the through-holes. For example, the sheet may be made of: metals, such as aluminum; a polymeric plastic material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, or polyvinyl chloride; or paper.

In some examples, the cooling element 107 and the filter 109 may be held together by a wrapper (not shown) to form an assembly. The assembly may then be joined to the aerosolizable material by another wrapper (not shown) surrounding the assembly and at least the mouthpiece end of the aerosolizable material to form the aerosol-generating article 101. In other examples, the aerosol-generating article 101 is formed by effectively wrapping the cooling element 107, the filter 109 and the aerosolizable material 103 in one operation, wherein no separate tipping paper is provided for the cooling element and/or filter components (if present).

Referring now to fig. 3 and 4, a partial cross-sectional view and a perspective view of an example of an aerosol-generating article 201 are shown. The article 201 is suitable for use with a device having a power source and a heater. The article 201 of this embodiment is particularly suitable for use with the device 1 shown in figures 7 to 9 described below. In use, the article 201 may be removably inserted into the device shown in fig. 7 at the insertion point 20 of the device 1.

The article 201 of one example is in the form of a substantially cylindrical rod that includes a body 203 of an aerosolizable material and a filter assembly 205 in the form of a rod. The aerosolizable material has two sections 203a, 203b, which correspond to the sections 103a, 103b shown in fig. 1. In some cases, the two sections 203a, 203b of the aerosolizable material 203 can be joined together by an annular tipping paper (not shown) positioned substantially around the circumference of the aerosolizable material 203.

The filter assembly 205 includes three sections, a cooling section 207, a filter section 209, and a mouthpiece section 211. The article 201 has a first end 213 (also referred to as a mouthpiece end or proximal end) and a second end 215 (also referred to as a distal end). A body 203 of aerosolizable material is positioned toward a distal end 215 of the article 201. In one example, the cooling section 207 is located between the body of aerosolizable material 203 and the filter section 209 adjacent the body of aerosolizable material 203 such that the cooling section 207 is in an abutting relationship with the aerosolizable material 203 and the filter section 209. In other examples, there may be a space between the body 203 of aerosolizable material and the cooling section 207 and between the body 203 of aerosolizable material and the filter section 209. The filter section 209 is located between the cooling section 207 and the mouthpiece section 211. The mouth end section 211 is located towards the proximal end 213 of the article 201, adjacent to the filter section 209. In one example, the filter segment 209 is in an abutting relationship with the mouth end segment 211. In one embodiment, the overall length of the filter assembly 205 is 37mm to 45mm, suitably 41 mm.

In some examples, the body 203 of aerosolizable material is between 30mm to 54mm in length, suitably 36mm to 48mm in length. The sections of aerosolizable material may be the same length as each other (i.e., half of the total length in embodiments with two sections of aerosolizable material 203).

In one example, the overall length of the article 201 is 71mm to 95mm, suitably 79mm to 87mm, suitably about 83 mm.

The axial end of the body 203 of aerosolizable material is visible at the distal end 215 of the article 201. However, in other embodiments, the distal end 215 of the article 201 may include an end member (not shown) covering an axial end of the body 203 of aerosolizable material.

The body of aerosolisable material 203 is joined to the filter assembly 205 by an annular tipping wrapper (not shown) which is positioned substantially around the circumference of the filter assembly 205 to surround the filter assembly 205 and extends partially along the length of the body of aerosolisable material 203. In one example, the tipping paper is made from 58GSM standard tipping base paper. In one example, the tipping paper has a length of 42mm to 50mm, suitably about 46 mm.

In some cases, the same tipping paper may be used to join the sections 203a, 203b of the aerosolizable material 203 and the filter assembly 205.

In one example, the cooling section 207 is an annular tube positioned around and defining an air gap within the cooling section. The air gap provides a chamber for the flow of heated volatile components generated from the body 203 of aerosolizable material. The cooling section 207 is hollow to provide a chamber for aerosol accumulation, but is sufficiently rigid to withstand axial compression forces and bending moments that may occur during manufacture and use during insertion of the article 201 into the device 1. In one example, the thickness of the wall of the cooling section 207 is about 0.29 mm.

The cooling section 207 provides physical displacement between the aerosolizable material 203 and the filter section 209. The physical displacement provided by the cooling section 207 will provide a thermal gradient over the length of the cooling section 207. In one example, the cooling section 207 is configured to provide a temperature difference of at least 40 degrees celsius between the heated volatile components entering a first end of the cooling section 207 and the heated volatile components exiting a second end of the cooling section 207. In one example, the cooling section 207 is configured to provide a temperature difference of at least 60 degrees celsius between the heated volatile components entering a first end of the cooling section 207 and the heated volatile components exiting a second end of the cooling section 207. The temperature difference over the length of the cooling element 207 protects the temperature sensitive filter section 209 from the high temperature of the aerosolizable material 203 when heated by the heating apparatus of the device 1. If no physical displacement is provided between the filter section 209 and the body 203 of aerosolisable material and the heating element of the device 1, the temperature sensitive filter section 209 may become damaged in use and therefore will not be able to effectively perform its required function.

In one example, the length of the cooling section 207 is at least 15 mm. In one example, the length of the cooling section 207 is 20mm to 30mm, suitably 23mm to 27mm or 25mm to 27mm, most suitably about 25 mm.

The cooling section 207 may be made of paper, which means that it comprises a material that does not generate compounds of interest (e.g. toxic compounds) when used in proximity to the heater device of the apparatus 1. In one example, the cooling section 207 is made of a spirally wound paper tube that provides a hollow interior chamber, yet retains mechanical rigidity. The spirally wound paper tube can meet the strict dimensional accuracy requirements of high-speed manufacturing processes in terms of tube length, outer diameter, roundness and straightness.

In another example, the cooling section 207 is a groove formed by stiff plug wrap or tipping paper. A stiff plug wrap or tipping paper is manufactured to have sufficient stiffness to withstand the axial compression forces and bending moments that may occur during manufacture and when the article 201 is in use during insertion into the apparatus 1.

Filter section 209 may be formed of any filter material sufficient to remove one or more volatile compounds from the heated volatile components of the aerosolizable material. In one example, the filter section 209 is made of a monoacetate material such as cellulose acetate. Filter section 209 provides cooling and reduced irritation of the heated volatile components without depleting the amount of heated volatile components to a level that is not satisfactory to the user.

The density of the cellulose acetate tow material of the filter section 209 controls the pressure drop across the filter section 209, which in turn controls the resistance to draw of the article 1. The selection of the material of the filter section 209 is therefore important in controlling the draw resistance of the article 201. In addition, the filter section performs a filtering function in article 201.

In one example, the filter section 209 is made of a 8Y15 grade filter tow material that provides a filtering effect on the heated volatile material while also reducing the size of the condensed aerosol droplets produced by the heated volatile material, which thus reduces the irritation and throat effects of the heated volatile material to a satisfactory level.

The presence of the filter section 209 provides an insulating effect by providing further cooling of the heated volatile components exiting the cooling section 207. This further cooling effect reduces the contact temperature of the user's lips on the surface of the filter section 209.

The one or more flavoring agents may be added to the filter section 209 in the form of a flavored liquid injected directly into the filter section 209 or by embedding or disposing one or more flavored frangible capsules or other flavoring agent carriers within the cellulose acetate tow of the filter section 209.

In one example, the length of the filter section 209 is 6mm to 10mm, suitably about 8 mm.

The mouthpiece end section 211 is an annular tube located around the mouthpiece end section 211 and defining an air gap therein. The air gap provides a chamber for heated volatile components that flow from the filter section 209. The mouthpiece end section 211 is hollow to provide a chamber for aerosol accumulation while being sufficiently rigid to withstand axial compression forces and bending moments that may be generated during manufacture and in use during insertion of the article into the device 1. In one example, the thickness of the wall of the mouth end segment 211 is about 0.29 mm.

In one example, the length of the mouth end segment 211 is from 6mm to 10mm, suitably about 8 mm.

The mouthpiece end section 211 may be made from a spirally wound paper tube providing a hollow internal chamber, yet maintaining a critical mechanical stiffness. The spirally wound paper tube can meet the strict dimensional accuracy requirements of high-speed manufacturing processes in terms of tube length, outer diameter, roundness and straightness.

The mouthpiece end section 211 provides the function of preventing any liquid condensate that accumulates at the outlet of the filter section 209 from coming into direct contact with the user.

It will be appreciated that in one example, the mouth end segment 211 and the cooling segment 207 may be formed from a single tube, and the filter segment 209 is located within the tube separating the mouth end segment 211 and the cooling segment 207.

Referring now to fig. 5 and 6, shown are partial cross-sectional and perspective views of an example of an article 301 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The reference numerals shown in figures 5 and 6 are the same as those shown in figures 3 and 4 but increased by 100.

In the example of the article 301 shown in fig. 5 and 6, a ventilation zone 317 is provided in the article 301 to enable air to flow from the exterior of the article 301 into the interior of the article 301. In one example, the venting region 317 takes the form of one or more vent holes 317 formed through an outer layer of the article 301. Vents may be located in the cooling section 307 to help cool the article 301. In one example, the vented zone 317 comprises one or more rows of apertures, and in some cases, each row of apertures is arranged circumferentially around the article 301 in a cross-section substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the article 301.

In one example, there are one to four rows of vents to provide ventilation for the article 301. Each row of ventilation holes may have 12 to 36 ventilation holes 317. The diameter of the vent 317 may be, for example, 100 to 500 μm. In one example, the axial spacing between the rows of vent holes 317 is 0.25mm to 0.75mm, suitably 0.5 mm.

In one example, the vent holes 317 are of uniform size. In another example, the vent holes 317 are different sizes. The vents may be made using any suitable technique, for example, one or more of the following: laser techniques, mechanical perforation of the cooling section 307, or pre-perforation of the cooling section 307 prior to its formation into the article 301. The vent 317 is positioned to provide effective cooling to the article 301.

In one example, the rows of ventilation holes 317 are located at least 11mm from the proximal end 313 of the article, suitably 17mm to 20mm from the proximal end 313 of the article 301. The location of the vent 317 is positioned such that the user does not block the vent 317 when using the article 301.

When the article 301 is fully inserted into the device 1, as can be seen in fig. 8 and 9, the provision of multiple rows of ventilation holes at a distance of 31317 mm to 20mm from the proximal end of the article 301 enables the ventilation holes 317 to be located outside the device 1. By locating the vent on the outside of the device, unheated air can enter the article 301 from outside the device 1 through the vent to help cool the article 301.

The length of the cooling section 307 is such that when the article 301 is fully inserted into the device 1, the cooling section 307 will be partially inserted into the device 1. The length of the cooling section 307 provides a first function of providing a physical gap between the heater device and the heat sensitive filter device 309 of the apparatus 1 and a second function of enabling the vent 317 to be located in the cooling section when the article 301 is fully inserted into the apparatus 1, whilst also being located outside the apparatus 1. As can be seen from fig. 8 and 9, a large part of the cooling element 307 is located within the device 1. However, a portion of the cooling element 307 protrudes from the device 1. The vent 317 is located in the portion of the cooling element 307 that protrudes from the device 1.

Referring now in more detail to figures 7 to 9, there is shown one example of a device 1 arranged to heat an aerosolizable material to volatilise at least one component of the aerosolizable material, typically to form an aerosol which can be inhaled. The device 1 is a heating device 1 which releases the compound by heating but not burning the aerosolizable material.

The first end 3 is sometimes referred to herein as the mouthpiece end or proximal end 3 of the device 1, and the second end 5 is sometimes referred to herein as the distal end 5 of the device 1. The device 1 has an on/off button 7 to allow the device 1 as a whole to be turned on and off as required by the user.

The device 1 comprises a housing 9 for positioning and protecting the various internal components of the device 1. In the example shown, the housing 9 comprises an integral sleeve 11 surrounding the periphery of the device 1, covered by a top panel 17 substantially defining the "top" of the device 1 and a bottom panel 19 substantially defining the "bottom" of the device 1. In another example, the housing includes a front panel, a rear panel, and a pair of opposing side panels in addition to the top panel 17 and the bottom panel 19.

The top panel 17 and/or the bottom panel 19 may be removably secured to the one-piece sleeve 11 to allow easy access to the interior of the device 1, or may be "permanently" secured to the one-piece sleeve 11, for example to prevent a user from accessing the interior of the device 1. In one example, the panels 17 and 19 are made of a plastic material, including glass filled nylon, for example, formed by injection molding, and the unitary sleeve 11 is made of aluminum, although other materials and other manufacturing processes may be used.

The top panel 17 of the device 1 has an opening 20 at the mouthpiece end 3 of the device 1 through which, in use, an article 201, 301 comprising an aerosolizable material can be inserted into the device 1 and removed from the device 1 by a user.

The housing 9 has a heater device 23, control circuitry 25 and a power supply 27 located or secured therein. In this example, the heater device 23, the control circuit 25, and the power supply 27 are laterally adjacent (i.e., adjacent when viewed from the end), with the control circuit 25 generally being located between the heater device 23 and the power supply 27, although other locations are possible.

The control circuit 25 may include a controller, such as a microprocessor device, configured and arranged to control heating of the aerosolizable material in the consumable article 201, 301, as discussed further below.

The power source 27 may be, for example, a battery, which may be a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. Examples of suitable batteries include, for example, lithium ion batteries, nickel batteries (e.g., nickel cadmium batteries), alkaline batteries, and/or the like. The battery 27 is electrically coupled to the heater apparatus 23 to supply electrical energy to heat the aerosolizable material in the article (as described above, to volatilize the aerosolizable material without causing combustion of the aerosolizable material) when desired and under the control of the control circuitry 25.

An advantage of locating the power supply 27 laterally adjacent to the heater device 23 is that a physically large power supply 25 can be used without causing the apparatus 1 as a whole to be unduly long. As will be appreciated, typically physically large power sources 25 have a higher capacity (i.e., total electrical energy that can be supplied, typically measured in amp-hours, etc.), and thus the battery life of the device 1 can be longer.

In one example, the heater apparatus 23 is generally in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube having a hollow interior heating chamber 29 into which the article 201, 301 comprising the aerosolizable material is inserted for heating in use. The heater device 23 may have a different arrangement. For example, the heater device 23 may include a plurality of heating elements aligned along a longitudinal axis of the heater device 23. Each heating element may be annular or tubular, or at least part-annular or part-tubular around its circumference. In one example, each heating element may be a thin film heater. In another example, each heating element may be made of a ceramic material. Examples of suitable ceramic materials include alumina and aluminum nitride and silicon nitride ceramics, which may be laminated and sintered. Other heating devices are also possible, including for example induction heating, infrared heater elements heated by emitting infrared radiation, or resistive heating elements formed by, for example, resistive windings.

In one particular example, the heater device 23 is supported by a stainless steel support tube and includes a polyimide heating element. The heater device 23 is dimensioned such that when the article 201, 301 is inserted into the apparatus 1, substantially the entire body of the aerosolizable material 203, 303 of the article 201, 301 is inserted into the heater device 23.

The heating elements are arranged such that each heating element individually heats a section of the aerosolizable material.

In this example, the heater device 23 is surrounded along at least a portion of its length by a thermal insulator 31. The insulator 31 helps to reduce the amount of heat transferred from the heater device 23 to the exterior of the apparatus 1. This helps to reduce the power requirements on the heater device 23 as it generally reduces heat losses. The insulator 31 also helps to keep the exterior of the device 1 cool during operation of the heater apparatus 23. In one example, insulator 31 may be a double-walled sleeve that provides a low pressure region between the two walls of the sleeve. That is, the insulation 31 may be, for example, a "vacuum" tube, i.e., a tube that has been at least partially evacuated in order to minimize heat transfer by conduction and/or convection. Other arrangements for the thermal insulator 31 are possible in addition to or instead of the double-walled sleeve, including the use of thermally insulating materials, including, for example, suitable foam-type materials.

The housing 9 may also include various internal support structures 37 for supporting all internal components, as well as the heating device 23.

The device 1 further comprises a collar 33 which extends around the opening 20 and from there into the interior of the housing 9 and comprises a generally tubular chamber 35 which is located between the collar 33 and one end of the vacuum sleeve 31. The cavity 35 also includes a cooling structure 35f, which in this example includes a plurality of cooling fins 35f spaced along the outer surface of the cavity 35, each fin being circumferentially arranged about the outer surface of the cavity 35. When the article 201, 301 is inserted into the device 1 over at least a portion of the length of the hollow chamber 35, there is an air gap 36 between the hollow chamber 35 and the article 201, 301. The air gap 36 surrounds the entire circumference of the article 201, 301 over at least a portion of the cooling section 307.

Collar 33 includes a plurality of ridges 60 arranged circumferentially around the periphery of opening 20 and which protrude into opening 20. The ridge 60 occupies space within the opening 20 such that the opening 20 has an open span at the location of the ridge 60 that is less than the open span of the opening 20 at locations without the ridge 60. The ridge 60 is configured to engage with an article 201, 301 inserted into the device to help secure it within the device 1. The open space (not shown in the figures) defined by the adjacent pairs of ridges 60 and articles 201, 301 forms a ventilation path around the exterior of the articles 201, 301. These ventilation paths 1 allow hot steam that has escaped from the articles 201, 301 to leave the device 1 and cooling air to flow into the device 1 around the articles 201, 301 in the air gap 36.

In operation, as shown in fig. 7-9, the article 201, 301 is removably inserted into the insertion point 20 of the device 1. Referring particularly to fig. 8, in one example, the body of aerosolizable material 203, 303 located towards the distal end 215, 315 of the article 201, 301 is completely contained within the heater device 23 of the apparatus 1. The proximal end 213, 313 of the article 201, 301 extends from the device 1 and serves as a mouthpiece component for the user.

In operation, the heater apparatus 23 will heat the consumable article 201, 301 to volatilize at least one component of the aerosolizable material from the first section 203a, 303a of aerosolizable material. The button 7 may be used to selectively activate the second heater to volatilize at least one component of the aerosolizable material from the second section 203b, 303b of aerosolizable material, if desired. The button 7 is programmed to provide different responses in response to different user inputs (e.g. length of press, applied pressure) so it can operate as both an on/off switch and an actuating switch for the second heater.

The main flow path for the heated volatiles from the body 203, 303 of the aerosolizable material is axially through the article 201, 301, through the chamber inside the cooling section 207, 307, through the filter section 209, 309, through the mouthpiece end section 211, 313 to the user. In one example, the temperature of the heated volatile components generated from the body of aerosolizable material is 60 ℃ to 250 ℃, which may be above the inhalation temperature acceptable to the user. As the heated volatiles travel through cooling sections 207, 307, they will cool and some volatiles will condense on the inner surfaces of cooling sections 207, 307.

In the example of the article 301 shown in fig. 5 and 6, cool air will be able to enter the cooling section 307 via vents 317 formed in the cooling section 307. This cold air will mix with the heated volatile components to provide additional cooling to the heated volatile components.

Figure 10 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating system according to the invention. Rod-shaped aerosol-generating articles are shown having, from one end to the other: a mouth end segment 1011, a filter segment 1009 adjacent the mouth end segment 1011, a cooling segment 1007 adjacent the filter segment 1009, a second segment 1003b of aerosolizable material adjacent the cooling segment, a third segment 1003c of aerosolizable material adjacent the second segment 1003b, and a first segment 1003a of aerosolizable material adjacent the third segment 1003 c. Three cylindrical heaters 1090, 1091, 1092 are arranged to heat respective sections 1003 a-c. A second heater 1091 that heats second section 1003b is coupled to a user input mechanism 1095 that allows for selective actuation of second heater 1091 to a temperature that causes the aerosolizable composition present in second section 1003b to volatilize. The first and third heaters 1090, 1092 are programmed to heat respective sections of aerosolizable material according to a preprogrammed heating profile, such as disclosed in PCT/EP2017/068804, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

In some embodiments, the first section 1003a and the third section 1003c have the same composition. In some cases, they have different compositions. In some cases, it has the same composition, including tobacco material but not including encapsulated flavorants. In some embodiments, the second section 1003b includes encapsulated flavorants and does not include tobacco material. In some cases, one or more of the segments include encapsulated flavorants.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description, the terms "first" and "second", etc. used in this specification do not denote any order or sequence. For the avoidance of doubt, these terms are only used to distinguish the respective sections/heaters etc. and do not indicate that they are provided in the order "first, second, third etc".

The above examples are to be understood as illustrative examples of the invention. It is to be understood that any feature described in relation to any one example may be used alone, or in combination with other features described, and may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other of the examples, or any combination of any other of the examples. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the accompanying claims.