A conveyor for transporting assembled or semi-assembled cartridges for electronic cigarettes includes a rail extending along a path and a carriage movable on the rail and including a unit for housing cartridge that includes: a seat on which a single cartridge is received; first and second levers positioned on opposite sides of the seat, and being reciprocally rotatable between an open position, to allow the arrangement and/or picking-up of a cartridge, and a closed position, to retain the cartridge in its receiving position on the seat; a follower member for bringing the first lever into rotation as a result of a pushing action executed on the follower member. The housing unit includes a gear mechanism for rotationally connecting the first and second levers, so that the rotation of the first lever induced by the follower member causes, via the gear mechanism, a corresponding rotation of the second lever.

An aerosol generation device includes a case into which a cigarette is to be inserted; a protrusion pipe of a hollow shape protruding from one end portion of the case and having an opening; a heater installed in the case such that an end portion thereof is positioned inside the protrusion pipe, and configured to generate heat when an electric signal is applied thereto; and a heater fixing portion installed inside the protrusion pipe to support the heater and comprising a round surface that extends from an inner side surface of the protrusion pipe.

An aerosol generation device includes a case into which a cigarette is to be inserted; a protrusion pipe of a hollow shape protruding from one end portion of the case and having an opening; a heater installed in the case such that an end portion thereof is positioned inside the protrusion pipe, and configured to generate heat when an electric signal is applied thereto; and a heater fixing portion installed inside the protrusion pipe to support the heater and comprising a round surface that extends from an inner side surface of the protrusion pipe.

A heater with intentional surface aberrations spaced apart a predetermined distance allows for an efficient heating process by encouraging bubble nucleation at the sites of the aberrations. The spacing between aberrations creates a soft restriction to the size of the bubbles, which encourages a maximum bubble size. This reduces the likelihood of the creation of large bubbles that may inhibit heat transfer to the liquid. In embodiments where the liquid is a thin film over the heater, such as in ENDS applications, this structure can be used to skew droplet production to certain ranges of droplet sizes based on controlling the size of the bubbles.

A system for conveying electronic cigarette components, including: a guide including a stopping station; a carriage to slide along the guide; a retaining device for holding a component of an electronic cigarette; and a locking unit for locking the carriage relative to the guide at the stopping station. The locking unit includes: two abutment elements mounted on the carriage and disposed at a predetermined mutual distance; and an inserting element which is: disposed at the stopping station shaped such that first and second edges contact the abutment elements, respectively, when the carriage is at the stopping station; movable between a retracted position free from the abutment elements to allow the carriage to slide, and an advanced position contacting the abutment elements to prevent the carriage from sliding. Each abutment element is rotatable about its axis to facilitate movement of the inserting element between the two positions.

A system for conveying electronic cigarette components, including: a guide including a stopping station; a carriage to slide along the guide; a retaining device for holding a component of an electronic cigarette; and a locking unit for locking the carriage relative to the guide at the stopping station. The locking unit includes: two abutment elements mounted on the carriage and disposed at a predetermined mutual distance; and an inserting element which is: disposed at the stopping station shaped such that first and second edges contact the abutment elements, respectively, when the carriage is at the stopping station; movable between a retracted position free from the abutment elements to allow the carriage to slide, and an advanced position contacting the abutment elements to prevent the carriage from sliding. Each abutment element is rotatable about its axis to facilitate movement of the inserting element between the two positions.

The mouthpiece (10) for an aerosol-generating article is formed from at least two main parts (30, 40) that can be axially inserted into each other to define an aerosol flow path (20). The two main parts are axially moveable relative to each other between a first assembled position and a second assembled position. The mouthpiece further comprises an activatable element (28) for modifying upon activation a characteristic of an aerosol. Upon movement of the two main parts from the first assembled position into the second assembled position, the activatable element is activated. The invention is also directed to an aerosol generating system comprising the mouthpiece and a method for assembling the mouthpiece.

The mouthpiece (10) for an aerosol-generating article is formed from at least two main parts (30, 40) that can be axially inserted into each other to define an aerosol flow path (20). The two main parts are axially moveable relative to each other between a first assembled position and a second assembled position. The mouthpiece further comprises an activatable element (28) for modifying upon activation a characteristic of an aerosol. Upon movement of the two main parts from the first assembled position into the second assembled position, the activatable element is activated. The invention is also directed to an aerosol generating system comprising the mouthpiece and a method for assembling the mouthpiece.

An electromagnetic induction heating element includes: a substrate; an insulating layer arranged on the substrate; and a temperature sensing layer arranged on the insulating layer. A material of the substrate is a metal elementary substance or alloy. The temperature sensing layer includes a temperature measuring circuit formed by sintering resistance slurry.

An electromagnetic induction heating element includes: a substrate; an insulating layer arranged on the substrate; and a temperature sensing layer arranged on the insulating layer. A material of the substrate is a metal elementary substance or alloy. The temperature sensing layer includes a temperature measuring circuit formed by sintering resistance slurry.