Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110094523 | SMOKING SYSTEM HAVING A LIQUID STORAGE PORTION - A smoking system includes a capillary wick for holding liquid, at least one air inlet, at least one air outlet and a chamber between the air inlet and air outlet. The air inlet, the air outlet and the chamber are arranged so as to define an air flow route from the air inlet to the air outlet via the capillary wick so as to convey aerosol formed from the liquid to the air outlet. The smoking system further includes at least one guide for channeling the air flow in the air flow route, so as to control particle size in the aerosol. The smoking system optionally includes at least one heater for heating the liquid in at least a portion of the capillary wick to form the aerosol. | 04-28-2011 |
20110155153 | HEATER FOR AN ELECTRICALLY HEATED AEROSOL GENERATING SYSTEM - An electrically heated aerosol generating system for receiving an aerosol-forming substrate includes at least one electric heater for heating the aerosol-forming substrate to form the aerosol. The heater includes a heating element of a first cross section electrically connected to a plurality of elongate support elements. Each support element has a cross section greater than the first cross section. At least one of the support elements is integrally formed with the heating element. | 06-30-2011 |
20130306064 | Aerosol Generating System with Prevention of Condensate Leakage - There is provided an aerosol generating system for heating a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The system includes an aerosol-forming chamber, and a leakage preventer for preventing or reducing leakage of liquid aerosol condensate from the aerosol generating system. The leakage preventer may include one or more of: at least one cavity in a wall of the aerosol-forming chamber, for collecting droplets of condensed liquid aerosol-forming substrate; at least one hooked member for collecting droplets of condensed liquid aerosol-forming substrate; an impactor for disrupting airflow in the aerosol-forming chamber so as to collect liquid droplets; and a closure member for substantially sealing the aerosol-forming chamber when the aerosol generating system is not in use. | 11-21-2013 |
20130306065 | Aerosol Generating System With Leakage Prevention - There is provided an aerosol generating system for heating a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The system includes a liquid storage portion for storing the liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and a leakage preventer for preventing or reducing leakage of the liquid aerosol forming substrate from the liquid storage portion. The leakage preventer may include one or more of a porous plug at least partially located within the liquid storage portion, a first sealer between the liquid storage portion and a capillary wick, and a second sealer between the liquid storage portion and an electrical connector of an electric heater. | 11-21-2013 |
20130306084 | AEROSOL GENERATING SYSTEM WITH MEANS FOR DISABLING CONSUMABLE - An aerosol generating system is provided, including: a storage portion for storing an aerosol-forming substrate, an aerosol generating element for generating an aerosol from the aerosol-forming substrate, control circuitry in communication with the storage portion, and disabling component within the storage portion for rendering the storage portion inoperable in the aerosol generating system in response to a disable signal from the control circuitry. There is also provided a method in an aerosol generating system, including sending a disable signal from the control circuitry to the disabling component following a determination that an amount of the aerosol-substrate in the storage portion is below a threshold level or following a determination of a malfunction in the system. | 11-21-2013 |
20130319435 | AEROSOL GENERATING SYSTEM HAVING MEANS FOR HANDLING CONSUMPTION OF A LIQUID SUBTRATE - There is provided an electrically operated aerosol generating system for receiving an aerosol-forming substrate. The system includes a liquid storage portion for storing liquid aerosol-forming substrate, an electric heater including at least one heating element for heating the liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and electric circuitry configured to monitor activation of the electric heater and estimate an amount of liquid aerosol-forming substrate remaining in the liquid storage portion based on the monitored activation. There is also provided a method in an electrically operated aerosol generating system including a liquid storage portion for storing liquid aerosol-forming substrate and an electric heater including at least one heating element for heating the liquid aerosol-forming substrate, the method including monitoring activation of the electric heater and estimating an amount of liquid aerosol-forming substrate remaining in the liquid storage portion based on the monitored activation. | 12-05-2013 |
20130340750 | Electrically Heated Aerosol Generating System Having Improved Heater Control - There is provided a method for controlling at least one electric heating element of an electrically heated aerosol generating system for heating an aerosol-forming substrate. The electrically heated aerosol generating system has a sensor for detecting airflow indicative of a user taking a puff having an airflow duration. The method includes the steps of: increasing the heating power for the at least one heating element from zero to power p1 when the sensor detects that the airflow rate has increased to a first threshold, maintaining the heating power at a power p1 for at least some of the airflow duration, and decreasing the heating power for the at least one heating element from power p1 to zero when the sensor detects that the airflow rate has decreased to a second threshold. | 12-26-2013 |
20140020693 | AEROSOL GENERATING SYSTEM HAVING MEANS FOR DETERMINING DEPLETION OF A LIQUID SUBSTRATE - There is provided an electrically operated aerosol generating system for receiving an aerosol-forming substrate. The system includes a liquid storage portion for storing liquid aerosol-forming substrate, an electric heater including at least one heating element for heating the liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and electric circuitry for determining depletion of liquid aerosol-forming substrate heated by the heater based on a relationship between a temperature of the heating element and power applied to the heating element. There is also provided a method in an electrically operated aerosol generating system including a liquid storage portion for storing liquid aerosol-forming substrate and an electric heater including at least one heating element for heating the liquid aerosol-forming substrate, the method including determining depletion of liquid aerosol-forming substrate heated by the heater based on a relationship between a temperature of the heating element and power applied to the heating element. | 01-23-2014 |
20140299141 | AEROSOL GENERATING SYSTEM WITH IMPROVED AEROSOL PRODUCTION - There is provided a method of controlling aerosol production in an aerosol-generating device, the device including an aerosol-forming substrate, a heater including at least one heating element for heating the aerosol-forming substrate, and a power source for providing power to the heating element, the method including determining the temperature of the heating element; and adjusting the power to the heating element to maintain the temperature of the heating element within a desired temperature range, wherein the desired temperature range is dynamically calculated based on a measured flow rate of gas through or past the device. By controlling the temperature of the heating element, an aerosol with consistent and desirable properties can be produced. | 10-09-2014 |
20140321837 | ELECTRICALLY OPERATED AEROSOL GENERATING SYSTEM HAVING AEROSOL PRODUCTION CONTROL - A method of controlling aerosol production in an aerosol-generating device is provided, the device including a powered aerosol generating element, a flow channel to allow a flow of gas past the element, and a flow sensor to detect air flow in the flow channel, the method including: determining a value of a first parameter related to a change in flow rate; and reducing a supply of power to the element depending on a comparison result between the first parameter value and a threshold value, the first parameter being derived from a combination of a second parameter that is a measure of a flow rate detected by the flow sensor and a third parameter related to the flow rate. Also provided is a method of reducing or suspending aerosol production, based not simply on a detected flow rate, but on another measure indicative of the evolution of the flow characteristics. | 10-30-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090272379 | ELECTRICALLY HEATED SMOKING SYSTEM HAVING A LIQUID STORAGE PORTION - An electrically heated smoking system includes a shell and a replaceable mouthpiece. The shell includes an electric power supply and electric circuitry. The mouthpiece includes a liquid storage portion and a capillary wick having a first end and a second end. The first end of the wick extends into the liquid storage portion for contact with liquid therein. The mouthpiece also includes a heating element for heating the second end of the capillary wick, an air outlet, and an aerosol forming chamber between the second end of the capillary wick and the air outlet. When the shell and mouthpiece are engaged or connected, the heating element is in electrical connection with the power supply via the circuitry, and a flowpath for air is defined from at least one air inlet to the air outlet via the aerosol forming chamber. In use, liquid is transferred from the liquid storage portion towards the heating element by capillary action in the wick. Liquid at the second end of the capillary wick is vaporized by the heating element. The supersaturated vapor created, is mixed and carried in the air flow from the at least one air inlet to the aerosol forming chamber. In the aerosol forming chamber, the vapor condenses to form an aerosol, which is carried towards the air outlet. | 11-05-2009 |
20140318559 | ELECTRICALLY HEATED SMOKING SYSTEM HAVING A LIQUID STORAGE PORTION - An electrically heated smoking system includes a shell and a replaceable mouthpiece. The shell includes an electric power supply and electric circuitry. The mouthpiece includes a liquid storage portion and a capillary wick having a first end and a second end. The first end of the wick extends into the liquid storage portion for contact with liquid therein. The mouthpiece also includes a heating element for heating the second end of the capillary wick, an air outlet, and an aerosol forming chamber between the second end of the capillary wick and the air outlet. When the shell and mouthpiece are engaged or connected, the heating element is in electrical connection with the power supply via the circuitry, and a flowpath for air is defined from at least one air inlet to the air outlet via the aerosol forming chamber. In use, liquid is transferred from the liquid storage portion towards the heating element by capillary action in the wick. Liquid at the second end of the capillary wick is vaporized by the heating element. The supersaturated vapor created, is mixed and carried in the air flow from the at least one air inlet to the aerosol forming chamber. In the aerosol forming chamber, the vapor condenses to form an aerosol, which is carried towards the air outlet. | 10-30-2014 |