Aerosol-generating system comprising a rupturing portion

Abstract

An aerosol-generating system is provided, including an aerosol-generating device including a heater element, and an aerosol-generating article configured to engage with the aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating article including a medicament source, a volatile delivery enhancing compound source, and at least one frangible barrier sealing the medicament source and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source, the aerosol-generating system further including a rupturing portion forming part of the aerosol-generating device or the aerosol-generating article, the aerosol-generating system being configured to allow relative sliding movement between the rupturing portion and the at least one frangible barrier to rupture the at least one frangible barrier.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating system, comprising: an aerosol-generating device comprising a heater element; an aerosol-generating article configured to engage with the aerosol-generating device and comprising: a medicament source, a volatile delivery enhancing compound source, a housing, and at least one frangible barrier sealing the medicament source and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source; and a rupturing portion configured to allow relative sliding movement between the rupturing portion and the at least one frangible barrier so that sliding the rupturing portion along the housing ruptures the at least one frangible barrier, wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises the rupturing portion, and wherein the rupturing portion is slidably mounted on the housing.

2. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the medicament source and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source are contained within the housing.

3. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the rupturing portion comprises: a cutting element extending into an interior of the aerosol-generating article inside the housing, and an activation element connected to the cutting element and extending through an elongate aperture in the housing, the activation element being configured such that a user can push on the activation element to slide the rupturing portion along the elongate aperture in the housing.

4. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 3, wherein the medicament source and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source are disposed in series within the aerosol-generating article and each comprise an elongate slot extending along a surface of the medicament source and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source, and wherein the cutting element of the rupturing portion is configured to slide through the elongate slots in the medicament source and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source when the rupturing portion slides along the elongate aperture in the housing.

5. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol-generating device and the aerosol-generating article are configured to heat the medicament source to a temperature of between 30 degrees Celsius and 100 degrees Celsius.

6. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol-generating device and the aerosol-generating article are configured to heat the volatile delivery enhancing compound source to a temperature of between 50 degrees Celsius and 150 degrees Celsius.

7. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the medicament source comprises a nicotine source.

8. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the volatile delivery enhancing compound source comprises an acid.

Description

(1) The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows an aerosol-generating system in accordance with the first set of embodiments of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the volatile delivery enhancing compound source of the aerosol-generating system of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows an aerosol-generating system in accordance with the second set of embodiments of the present invention, before activation of the aerosol-generating article;

(5) FIG. 4 shows the aerosol-generating system of FIG. 3 after activation of the aerosol-generating article;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the volatile delivery enhancing compound source of the aerosol-generating system of FIGS. 3 and 4;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a moveable part of the aerosol-generating system of FIGS. 3 and 4;

(8) FIG. 7 shows an aerosol-generating system in accordance with the third set of embodiments of the present invention, before activation of the aerosol-generating article;

(9) FIG. 8 shows the aerosol-generating system of FIG. 7 after activation of the aerosol-generating article;

(10) FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of a consumable portion of the aerosol-generating system of FIGS. 7 and 8;

(11) FIG. 10 shows an aerosol-generating system in accordance with the fourth set of embodiments of the present invention, before activation of the aerosol-generating article and with an airflow passage through the aerosol-generating article in a closed state; and

(12) FIG. 11 shows the aerosol-generating system of FIG. 10 after activation of the aerosol-generating article and with the airflow passage through the aerosol-generating article in an open state.

(13) Like reference numerals will be used to designate like parts in the following description of the drawings.

(14) FIG. 1 shows an aerosol-generating system 300 in accordance with the first set of embodiments of the present invention. The aerosol-generating system 300 comprises an aerosol-generating article 302 in combination with an aerosol-generating device 70. The aerosol-generating device 70 comprises heater element 72 in the form of a heater blade. The heater element 72 is electrically heated and the aerosol-generating device may comprise a power source and control electronics, as is known in the art.

(15) The aerosol-generating article 302 comprises an outer housing 304 and a mouthpiece 44. The mouthpiece 44 may be formed integrally with the outer housing 304, or the mouthpiece 44 may be formed separately. The outer housing 304 and the mouthpiece 44 are formed from a thermally insulating material, such as a plastic.

(16) A medicament source 18 and a volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 are provided on a first resilient member 306. Frangible barriers 308 and 310 formed from a metal foil seal the medicament source 18 and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 respectively. A second resilient member 312 is also provided within the outer housing 304, the first and second resilient members 306 and 312 each having an upstream portion 314 and a downstream portion 316. The upstream portions 314 of the first and second resilient members 306 and 312 are positioned adjacent each other and arranged to grip the heater element 72 of the aerosol-generating device 70 when inserted into the aerosol-generating article 302. The downstream portions 316 of the first and second resilient members 306 and 312 are spaced apart.

(17) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first and second resilient members 306 and 312 are formed from a single piece of resilient material so that the downstream portions 316 of the resilient member are connected at their downstream ends by a continuous portion of the resilient material. However, the first and second resilient members 306 and 312 can alternatively be formed separately and separately mounted within the outer housing 304.

(18) The resilient members 306 and 312 are formed from a thermally conductive resilient material, such as metal, capable of withstanding the operating temperature of the heater element that contacts the upstream portions 314 of the resilient members 306 and 312 during operation of the system. With the heater element 72 of the aerosol-generating device 70 inserted into the aerosol-generating article 302, the heater element 72 contacts the upstream portions 314 of the resilient members 306 and 312 so that the upstream portions 314 are resiliently biased against the heater element 72.

(19) The aerosol-generating device 302 also comprises a rupturing portion in the form of first and second cutting blades 318 and 320 mounted on a carrier element 322. The carrier element 322 is slidably mounted on the outer housing 304 and comprises a push-button 324 that extends through an elongate slot in the outer housing 304. To activate the aerosol-generating article 302, a user pushes on the push-button 324 to slide the carrier element 322 along the outer housing 304, so that the first and second cutting blades 318 rupture the frangible barriers 308 and 310. The aerosol-generating device 302 may further comprise a resilient biasing element, such as a spring, to return the carrier element 322 to the pre-activation position when the user releases the push-button 324.

(20) During operation of the aerosol-generating system 300, the heater element 72 heats the medicament source 18 and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 via the first resilient member 306. The medicament source 18 is positioned on the first resilient member 306 upstream from the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 and therefore closer to the heater element 72. Accordingly, the heater element 72 heats the medicament source 18 to a higher temperature than the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22.

(21) FIG. 2 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 taken along line 1-1 in FIG. 1. The volatile delivery enhancing compound source comprises a sorption element 326 onto which the volatile delivery enhancing compound is sorbed. In this embodiment, the sorption element 326 is mounted on a base plate 328 and the entire volatile delivery enhancing compound source is wrapped in the frangible barrier 310. A V-shaped slot 330 is provided in the upper surface 332 of the sorption element 326 and extends along the entire length of the upper surface 332. During activation of the aerosol-generating article 302, the second cutting blade 318 passes along the V-shaped slot 330 to rupture the frangible barrier 310. In this embodiment, the medicament source 18 is constructed in an identical manner to the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 and therefore also comprises a V-shaped slot in the upper surface of a sorption element.

(22) FIG. 3 shows an aerosol-generating system 400 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol-generating system 400 comprises an aerosol-generating article 402 in combination with an aerosol-generating device 70, as described with respect to the previous embodiment.

(23) The aerosol-generating article 402 comprises a housing portion 404 connected to the aerosol-generating device 70 and an insert portion 406 slidably received within a downstream end of the housing portion 404.

(24) The housing portion 404 comprises an outer housing 408, a resilient member 410 connected at its downstream end to the outer housing 408, and an airflow inlet 411 in an upstream end of the outer housing 408. A medicament source 18 and a volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 are provided on the resilient member 410. Rigid supports 412 are provided adjacent each end of each of the medicament source 18 and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22. Frangible barriers 414 and 416 formed from a metal foil seal the medicament source 18 and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 respectively. For ease of constructing the aerosol-generating article 402, preferably the frangible barriers also wrap around the rigid supports 412, as described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 5.

(25) An upstream end of the resilient member 410 is resiliently biased against the heater element 72 of the aerosol-generating device 70. As described with respect to the previous embodiment, the resilient member 410 is formed from a thermally conductive resilient material, such as metal, capable of withstanding the operating temperature of the heater element 72.

(26) The insert portion 406 comprises an annular stopper 418 and a mouthpiece 44, as described previously, extending downstream from the annular stopper 418. Extending upstream from the annular stopper 418 and the mouthpiece 44 is a rupturing portion 420, which is described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 6.

(27) FIG. 5 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 taken along line 1-1 in FIG. 3. The volatile delivery enhancing compound source comprises a sorption element 422 onto which the volatile delivery enhancing compound is sorbed. The sorption element 422 and the rigid supports 412 at each end of the sorption element 422 are mounted on a base plate 424 and the base plate 424, the rigid supports 412 and the sorption element 422 are wrapped in the frangible barrier 416. The transverse cross-sectional shape of the rigid supports 412 is the same as the transverse cross-sectional shape of the sorption element 422, and the width of the base plate 424 is larger than the width of the sorption element 422 and the rigid supports 412. Therefore, the side portions 426 of the frangible barrier 416 are spaced apart from the sorption element 422 and the rigid supports 412. In this embodiment, the medicament source 18 is constructed in an identical manner to the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22.

(28) FIG. 6 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the rupturing portion 420 taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 3. As shown by comparing FIGS. 5 and 6, the rupturing portion 420 comprises a longitudinal cut-out 428 having a transverse cross-sectional shape that is slightly larger than the combined transverse cross-sectional shape of the sorption element 422 and the base plate 424. Therefore, to activate the aerosol-generating article 402, a user pushes the insertion portion 406 into the housing portion 404 until the annular stopper 418 abuts the downstream end of the outer housing 408. As the insertion portion 406 slides into the housing portion 404, the rupturing portion 420 pushes against the side portions 426 of the frangible barriers 414 and 416 and therefore ruptures the frangible barriers 414 and 416. At the same time, the rupturing portion 420 further depresses the resilient member 410 against the heater element 72 to ensure optimum contact between the resilient member 410 and the heater element 72, as shown in FIG. 4.

(29) During operation of the aerosol-generating system 400, the heater element 72 heats the medicament source 18 and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 via the resilient member 410. The medicament source 18 is positioned on the resilient member 410 upstream from the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 and therefore closer to the heater element 72. Accordingly, the heater element 72 heats the medicament source 18 to a higher temperature than the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22.

(30) FIG. 7 shows an aerosol-generating system 500 in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol-generating system 500 comprises an aerosol-generating article 502 in combination with an aerosol-generating device 70, as described with respect to the previous embodiments.

(31) The aerosol-generating article 502 comprises a consumable portion 504 and a reusable portion 506 that attaches to the aerosol-generating device 70. The consumable portion 504 comprises a medicament source 18 and a volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22, both as described previously. Rigid supports 412 are provided adjacent each end of each of the medicament source 18 and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22. The medicament source 18, the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 and the rigid supports 412 are mounted on a common base plate 508. A frangible barrier 510 formed from a metal foil wraps entirely around the medicament source 18, the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22, the rigid support 412 and the common base plate 508 to seal the medicament source 18 and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22.

(32) As shown more clearly in FIG. 9, which shows a transverse cross section of the consumable portion 504 taken along line 1-1 in FIG. 7, the consumable portion 504 also comprises a rupturing portion 512 positioned adjacent the medicament source 18, the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 and the rigid supports 412. The rupturing portion 512 is connected to the remainder of the consumable portion 504 by a foil wrap 514 that wraps around the top and sides of the rupturing portion 512 and around the bottom of the common base plate 508. The foil wrap 514 does not extend across the upstream and downstream ends of the consumable portion 504 so that an airflow passage is established through the consumable portion 504.

(33) As shown in FIG. 9, the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 comprises a sorption element 516 onto which the volatile delivery enhancing compound is sorbed. In this embodiment, the medicament source 18 comprises a similar sorption element having the same transverse cross-sectional shape as the sorption element 516. The transverse cross-sectional shape of the rigid supports 412 is also the same as the transverse cross-sectional shape of the sorption element 516, and the width of the common base plate 508 is larger than the width of the sorption elements and the rigid supports 412. Therefore, the side portions 518 of the frangible barrier 510 are spaced apart from the sorption elements and the rigid supports 412.

(34) As shown in FIG. 9, the rupturing portion 512 comprises a longitudinal cut-out 519 having a transverse cross-sectional shape that is slightly larger than the combined transverse cross-sectional shape of the sorption elements and the common base plate 508. Therefore, to activate the consumable portion 504, a user pushes the rupturing portion 512 towards the medicament source 18 and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 so that the rupturing portion 512 pushes against the side portions 518 of the frangible barrier 510 and ruptures the frangible barrier 510. To prevent accidental activation of the consumable portion 504, the consumable portion 504 may comprise one or more resilient biasing elements, such as one or more springs, positioned between the rupturing portion 512 and the common base plate 508 to bias the rupturing portion 512 away from the common base plate 508. Additionally, or alternatively, the consumable portion 504 may comprise one or more elements that function to retain the rupturing portion 512 against the common base plate 508 after the consumable portion 504 has been activated. For example, an interference fit between the rupturing portion 512 and the common base plate 508 may retain the rupturing portion 512 against the common base plate 508 after the consumable portion 504 has been activated.

(35) The reusable portion 506 comprises an outer housing 520 and a mouthpiece 44 at a downstream end of the outer housing 520, as described previously. The mouthpiece 44 may be formed integrally with the outer housing 520, or the mouthpiece 44 may be formed separately and attached to the outer housing 520. An airflow inlet 522 at the upstream end of the outer housing 520 establishes an airflow passage through the outer housing 520 from the airflow inlet 522 to the mouthpiece 44.

(36) A resilient member 524 is secured at its downstream end to an inner surface of the outer housing 520. An upstream end of the resilient member 524 is resiliently biased against the heater element 72 of the aerosol-generating device 70. As described with respect to previous embodiments, the resilient member 524 is formed from a thermally conductive resilient material, such as metal, capable of withstanding the operating temperature of the heater element 72.

(37) To prepare the aerosol-generating system 500 for operation, the consumable portion 504 is inserted into the reusable portion 506 through an aperture in a sidewall of the outer housing 520. Pushing the consumable portion 504 into the reusable portion 506 further depresses the resilient member 524 against the heater element 72 to ensure optimum contact between the resilient member 524 and the heater element 72, as shown in FIG. 8. The consumable portion 504 may be pre-activated by the user, or the action of pushing the consumable portion 504 against the resilient member 524 may activate the consumable portion 504.

(38) During operation of the aerosol-generating system 500, the heater element 72 heats the medicament source 18 and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 via the resilient member 524 and the common base plate 508. For this reason, the common base plate 508 is also constructed from a thermally conductive material, such as a metal. The medicament source 18 is positioned on the common base plate 508 upstream from the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22 and therefore closer to the heater element 72. Accordingly, the heater element 72 heats the medicament source 18 to a higher temperature than the volatile delivery enhancing compound source 22.

(39) FIGS. 10 and 11 show an aerosol-generating system 800 in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol-generating system 800 comprises an aerosol-generating article 802 and an aerosol-generating device 70, as described previously.

(40) The aerosol-generating article 802 comprises a tubular outer housing 804 in which an upstream annular stopper 806 and a downstream annular stopper 808 are mounted. Extending between the annular stoppers 806 and 808 are a first rupturing portion 810 and a second rupturing portion 812 each comprising an elongate plate having an upstream protrusion 814 and a downstream protrusion 816. The protrusions 814 and 816 on the first rupturing portion 810 each comprise one or more airflow apertures 818 to allow airflow to enter the space between the first and second rupturing portions 810 and 812. An airflow inlet 819 in the outer housing 804 allows air to flow into the aerosol-generating article 802.

(41) A push-button 820 shaped for insertion into the recess forming the downstream protrusion 816 on the first rupturing portion 810 extends through an aperture in the outer housing 804. The push-button 820 allows a user to selectively block and unblock the airflow apertures 818 in the upstream protrusion of the first rupturing portion 810 to prevent or allow the flow of air through the aerosol-generating article 802 after the aerosol-generating article 802 has been activated. The push-button 820 is shown in the blocked position in FIG. 10 and the unblocked position in FIG. 11.

(42) The aerosol-generating article 802 further comprises a tubular segment 822 slidably received within the downstream end of the outer housing 804. A mouthpiece 44, as described previously, extends downstream from the tubular segment 822. A resilient member 824 extends upstream from the tubular segment 822 and is positioned between the first and second rupturing portions 810 and 812. The resilient member 824 is resiliently biased against the heater element 72 of the aerosol-generating device 70. As described with respect to previous embodiments, the resilient member 824 is formed from a thermally conductive resilient material, such as a metal, capable of withstanding the operating temperature of the heater element 72.

(43) A medicament source in the form of a medicament blister 826 is provided on the resilient member 824, the medicament blister 826 comprising a blister containing a liquid medicament. The blister forms a frangible barrier containing the liquid medicament. Similarly, a volatile delivery enhancing compound source in the form of a volatile delivery enhancing compound blister 828 is provided on the resilient member 824, the volatile delivery enhancing compound blister 828 comprising a blister containing a liquid volatile delivery enhancing compound. The blister forms a frangible barrier containing the liquid volatile delivery enhancing compound. First and second sorption elements 830 and 832 are provided on the resilient member 824 adjacent the medicament and volatile delivery enhancing compound blisters 826 and 828 respectively.

(44) To activate the aerosol-generating article 802, a user slides the tubular segment 822 into the outer housing 804 until the tubular segment abuts the downstream annular stopper 808. Sliding the tubular segment 822 into the outer housing 804 also slides the resilient member 824 further into the housing outer 804 so that the medicament and volatile delivery enhancing compound blisters 826 and 828 are crushed and ruptured between the upstream and downstream protrusions 814 and 816 of the first and second rupturing portions 810 and 812, as shown in FIG. 11. Rupturing the blisters causes at least some of the medicament and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source to be sorbed onto the first and second sorption elements 830 and 832 respectively.

(45) During operation of the aerosol-generating system 800, the heater element 72 heats the medicament source and the volatile delivery enhancing compound source via the resilient member 824. The medicament source is positioned on the resilient member 824 upstream from the volatile delivery enhancing compound source and therefore closer to the heater element 72. Accordingly, the heater element 72 heats the medicament source to a higher temperature than the volatile delivery enhancing compound source.