Portable extinguisher for aerosol generating article

Abstract

A portable extinguisher for an aerosol generating article having a solid heat source is described. The extinguisher includes an inner element extending between a first portion and an opposing second portion and having a longitudinal axis. An outer shell completely surrounds at least a portion of the inner element. The outer shell is slidable along the longitudinal axis of the inner element between an open position and a covered position. The first portion includes a cavity sized to receive a solid heat source of an aerosol generating article. The cavity is accessible in the open position and surrounded by the outer shell in the covered position.

Claims

1. A portable extinguisher for extinguishing a solid heat source of an aerosol generating article, the extinguisher comprising: an inner element extending between a first portion and an opposing second portion and having a longitudinal axis, the first portion comprising a cavity sized to receive a solid heat source of an aerosol generating article, the cavity defining a cylinder and extending from a closed to an open end, the cylinder having a solid wall; and an outer shell completely surrounding at least a portion of the inner element, the outer shell being slidable along the longitudinal axis of the inner element between an open position and a covered position, the cavity being accessible in the open position and surrounded by the outer shell in the covered position, wherein the outer shell completely surrounds the at least a portion of the inner element in the open position and the covered position, the inner element comprises a driving member that is movable along a guide element of the outer shell.

2. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the driving member extends through the outer shell.

3. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the guide element is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the inner element.

4. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the cavity has a length extending along a direction orthogonal to the inner element longitudinal axis.

5. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the cavity comprises a cutting element fixed to the open end of the cavity.

6. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises two or more cavities, where each cavity is sized to receive a solid heat source of an aerosol generating article.

7. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the outer shell comprises a heat insulating material adjacent to the cavity in the covered position.

8. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the outer shell defines an elongated obround shape.

9. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a heat sink in thermal contact with the cavity.

10. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the inner element comprises a phase change material in thermal connection with the cavity.

11. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein air flow is restricted to the cavity in the covered position.

12. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the second portion comprises a heating element.

13. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the second portion comprises a battery that may be electrically connected to a USB element.

14. The extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the outer shell is coextensive with the inner element in the covered position.

15. A portable extinguisher for extinguishing a solid heat source of an aerosol generating article, the extinguisher comprising: an inner element extending between a first portion and an opposing second portion and having a longitudinal axis, the first portion comprising a cavity sized to receive a solid heat source of an aerosol generating article; and an outer shell completely surrounding at least a portion of the inner element, the outer shell being slidable along the longitudinal axis of the inner element between an open position and a covered position, the cavity being accessible in the open position and surrounded by the outer shell in the covered position, wherein the outer shell completely surrounds the at least a portion of the inner element in the open position and the covered position, the inner element comprises a driving member that is movable along a guide element of the outer shell wherein the cavity comprises a cutting element fixed to an open end of the cavity.

16. The extinguisher according to claim 15, wherein the first portion comprises two or more cavities, where each cavity is sized to receive a solid heat source of an aerosol generating article.

17. The extinguisher according to claim 15, wherein the first portion comprises a heat sink in thermal contact with the cavity.

18. The extinguisher according to claim 15, wherein the second portion comprises a heating element.

19. The extinguisher according to claim 15, wherein the outer shell comprises a heat insulating material adjacent to the cavity in the covered position.

20. The extinguisher according to claim 15, wherein the second portion comprises a battery.

Description

(1) The schematic drawings are not necessarily to scale and are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation. The drawings depict one or more aspects described in this disclosure. However, it will be understood that other aspects not depicted in the drawing fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative portable extinguisher 1 in the covered and closed position.

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the illustrative portable extinguisher 1 in the open position.

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an illustrative portable extinguisher 1 in the igniting position.

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative portable extinguisher 1 in the open position.

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative aerosol generating article 100.

(7) The portable extinguisher 1 includes an inner element 2 extending between a first portion 21 and an opposing second portion 22 and having a longitudinal axis L.sub.A. The first portion 21 includes a cavity 3 sized to receive a solid heat source 102 of an aerosol generating article 100 (see FIG. 5). An outer shell 5 completely surrounds at least a portion of the inner element 2. The outer shell 5 is slidable along the longitudinal axis L.sub.A of the inner element 2 between an open position (see FIG. 2) and a covered or closed position (see FIG. 1). The cavity 3 is accessible in the open position and surrounded by the outer shell 5 in the covered position.

(8) The portable extinguisher 1 may include a driving member 4 fixed to the inner element 2 and is movable along a guide element 51 of the outer shell 5 to move the inner element 2 between the open position and a covered position. The cavity 3 may be configured to separate the combusting heat source 102 from the expended aerosol generating article 100. The inner element 2 may include two or more cavities 3, 32. The cavity 3 or outer shell 5 may be insulated to contain or dissipate the heat remaining in the received solid heat source 102 contained within the cavity and outer shell 5.

(9) The portable extinguisher 1 may include a heating element 6 on the second portion 22 of the inner element 2. The outer shell 5 may be configured to be co-extensive with the inner element 2 in the closed position (see FIG. 1). The outer shell 5 may be slidable along the longitudinal axis L.sub.A of the inner element 2 to expose the heating element 6 in an igniting position (see FIG. 3). The consumer may activate the heating element 6 to ignite a solid heat source 102 of an aerosol generating article 100. A battery or rechargeable power supply 7 may be contained within the inner element 2 and electrically coupled to the heating element 6. A USB element or micro-USB device may be electrically coupled to the battery or rechargeable power supply 7 to recharge the battery or power supply 7. Alternatively, the heating element 6 is a flame lighter.

(10) In use, a consumer may insert the solid heat source 102 end of a consumed aerosol generating article 100 into the cavity 3 and separate the solid heat source 102 that is contained or received within the cavity 3 from the aerosol generating article 100. In certain embodiments, the cavity 3 may have a sharp edge or cutting element 31 to facilitate the detachment or separation of the solid heat source 102 that is contained or received within the cavity 3 from the aerosol generating article 100. Once the combustible heat source 102 has been separated from the aerosol generating article 100 and retained within the cavity 3, the outer shell 5 may slide over the cavity 3 to cover the open end of the cavity 3. The contained combusting heat source 102 may then be extinguished within the cavity 3. Once extinguished and cooled, the extinguished solid heat source may then be discarded.

(11) Referring now to FIG. 5, an aerosol generating article 100 includes a housing 110 extending between a proximal end 111 and a distal end 112. The aerosol generating article 100 includes a solid heat source 102 positioned at the distal end 112 of the aerosol generating article 100, an aerosol-forming substrate 104 downstream of the solid heat source 102 and a mouthpiece 106 downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate 104 and positioned at the proximal end 111 of the aerosol generating article 100.

(12) The aerosol generating article 100 may comprises an aerosol-cooling element 107, an elongate expansion chamber or transfer element 108, in sequential, abutting coaxial alignment, between the aerosol-forming substrate 104 and the mouthpiece 106. The aerosol generating article 100 may not include all of these elements or may include additional elements. The housing 110 may be overwrapped in an outer wrapper of cigarette paper. The solid heat source 102 may be cylindrical. During consumption, only the solid heat source 102, of the aerosol generating article 100, combusts. Thus, the housing 110 and aerosol-forming substrate 104 may not combust during consumption of the aerosol generating article 100.

(13) The aerosol-generating substrate 104 may be located immediately downstream of the solid heat source 102 and comprise a cylindrical plug of homogenized tobacco material comprising, for example, glycerine as aerosol former and circumscribed by filter plug wrap. A heat-conducting element 114, consisting of a tube of aluminum foil for example, surrounds and is in contact with a rear portion of the solid heat source 102 and an abutting front portion of the aerosol-generating substrate 104. The elongate expansion chamber 108 may be located downstream of the aerosol-generating substrate 104 and comprises a cylindrical open-ended tube of cardboard. The mouthpiece 106 is located downstream of the expansion chamber 108 and comprises a cylindrical plug of cellulose acetate tow 109 circumscribed by filter plug wrap.

(14) In use, the user ignites the solid heat source which heats the aerosol-forming substrate to produce an aerosol. When the user inhales on the mouthpiece 106, air is drawn through the aerosol-forming substrate 104 through air inlet holes 113 in the housing 110 and adjacent to the aerosol-forming substrate 104, through the expansion chamber 108, through the mouthpiece 106 and into the consumer's mouth. The solid heat source 102 may remain hot for several minutes following consumption of the aerosol-generating substrate 104. The still hot solid heat source 102 may be inserted into the portable extinguisher 1 and separated off into the cavity 3 to extinguish and cool the combusting solid heat source 102.

(15) The specific embodiments described above are intended to illustrate the invention. However, other embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims, and it is to be understood that the specific embodiments described above are not intended to be limiting.