Cartridge comprising a coupling element for use in an aerosol-generating system

Abstract

A cartridge for an aerosol-generating system is provided, including a first sealed container including a nicotine source comprising a first carrier material impregnated with between about 1 milligram and about 50 milligrams of nicotine; a second sealed container including an acid source; and a coupling element disposed between the first sealed container and the second sealed container, wherein the first sealed container, the second sealed container, and the coupling element are separate components that are connected together to form the cartridge, and wherein the coupling element is directly connected to both the first sealed container and the second sealed container so as to form a substantially rigid connection between the first sealed container and the second sealed container.

Claims

1. A cartridge for an aerosol-generating system, the cartridge comprising: a first sealed container comprising a nicotine source; a second sealed container comprising an acid source; and a coupling element disposed between the first sealed container and the second sealed container, wherein the first sealed container, the second sealed container, and the coupling element are physically separate components in a first position prior to being connected together, and are connected together in a second position different from the first position to form the cartridge, wherein the coupling element is directly connected to both the first sealed container and the second sealed container so as to form a substantially rigid connection between the first sealed container and the second sealed container, wherein the coupling element is directly connected to the first sealed container at a first end of the coupling element and the coupling element is directly connected to the second sealed container at a second end of the coupling element, the second end being opposite to the first end of the coupling element, and wherein the coupling element is connected to both the first sealed container and the second sealed container by welds, or by a snap-fit connection, or by a threaded connection.

2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an end of the first sealed container proximate to the coupling element is sealed by a frangible barrier.

3. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an end of the second sealed container proximate to the coupling element is sealed by a frangible barrier.

4. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an end of the first sealed container distal to the coupling element is sealed by a removable or frangible barrier and an end of the second sealed container distal to the coupling element is sealed by a removable or frangible barrier.

5. The cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a wrapper circumscribing each of the coupling element, the first sealed container, and the second sealed container.

6. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the acid source comprises a second carrier material impregnated with lactic acid.

7. An aerosol-generating article for an aerosol-generating system, the aerosol-generating article comprising: the cartridge according to claim 1; and a mouthpiece.

8. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 7, wherein the second sealed container is downstream of the first sealed container.

9. An aerosol-generating system, comprising: the cartridge according to claim 1; and an aerosol-generating device comprising: a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the cartridge, and a heater configured to heat one or both of the nicotine source and the acid source of the cartridge.

10. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 9, wherein the heater is further configured to heat both of the nicotine source and the acid source of the cartridge.

11. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 10, wherein the aerosol-generating device further comprises a piercing member configured to rupture one or more frangible barriers sealing one or both of the first sealed container and the second sealed container of the cartridge.

12. An aerosol-generating system, comprising: an aerosol-generating article comprising: the cartridge according to claim 1, and a mouthpiece; and an aerosol-generating device comprising: a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article, and a heater configured to heat one or both of the nicotine source and the acid source of the cartridge.

13. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 12, wherein the heater is further configured to heat both of the nicotine source and the acid source of the cartridge.

14. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 13, wherein the aerosol-generating device further comprises a piercing member configured to rupture one or more frangible barriers sealing one or both of the first sealed container and the second sealed container of the cartridge.

15. A method of manufacturing the cartridge according to claim 1 for an aerosol-generating system, the method comprising: providing the first sealed container comprising the nicotine source comprising a first carrier material impregnated with between about 1 milligram and about 50 milligrams of nicotine; providing the second sealed container comprising the acid source; providing the coupling element disposed between the first sealed container and the second sealed container, wherein the first sealed container, the second sealed container, and the coupling element are separate components that are connected to one another to form the cartridge; and directly connecting the coupling element to both the first container and the second container so as to form a substantially rigid connection between the first sealed container and the second sealed container.

Description

(1) The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal cross-section of an aerosol-generating system according to an embodiment of the invention comprising: an aerosol-generating article; and an aerosol-generating device;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cartridge according to a first embodiment of the invention for use in the aerosol-generating system of FIG. 1; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a cartridge according to a second embodiment of the invention for use in the aerosol-generating system of FIG. 1.

(5) The aerosol-generating system 2 according to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 comprises an aerosol-generating article 4 and an aerosol-generating device 6.

(6) In the embodiment shown, the aerosol-generating article 4 is configured as a one-piece consumable that is discarded after use and has an elongate cylindrical shape. The aerosol-generating article 4 comprises a cartridge 8, a transfer section 10 and a mouthpiece 12. The cartridge 8, the transfer section 10 and the mouthpiece 12 are arranged in series and in coaxial alignment within the aerosol-generating article 4. The cartridge 8 is located at the distal end of the aerosol-generating article 4. The transfer section 10 is located immediately downstream of the cartridge 8. The mouthpiece 12 is located immediately downstream of the transfer section 10 at the proximal end of the aerosol-generating article 4. The cartridge 8, the transfer section 10 and the mouthpiece 12 are circumscribed by an outer wrapper (not shown) of paper of other wrapping material.

(7) The cartridge 8 comprises a first container 14 comprising a nicotine source (not shown), a second container 16 comprising an acid source (not shown) and a coupling element 18. The coupling element 18 is disposed between the first container 14 and the second container 16. The coupling element 18 is directly connected to both the first container 14 and the second container 16 so as to form a substantially rigid connection between the first container 14 and the second container 16.

(8) In the embodiment shown, the nicotine source in the first container 14 of the cartridge 8 comprises a first carrier material impregnated with nicotine. The acid source in the second container 16 of the cartridge 8 comprises a second carrier material impregnated with lactic acid.

(9) The aerosol-generating device 8 comprises an elongate cylindrical cavity configured to receive the aerosol-generating article 4. As shown in FIG. 1, the length of the cavity is less than the length of the aerosol-generating article 4 so that when the distal end of the aerosol-generating article 4 is inserted into the cavity of the aerosol-generating device 6, the mouthpiece 10 at the proximal end of the aerosol-generating article 4 protrudes from the cavity of the aerosol-generating device 6.

(10) The aerosol-generating device 6 further comprises a power supply 20, control circuitry 22, and a heater 24. The control circuitry 22 is configured to control the supply of power from the power supply 20 to the heater 24. In the embodiment shown, the power supply 20 is a battery and the heater 24 is an electrical heater. As shown in FIG. 1, the heater is positioned about the perimeter of an upstream portion of the cavity and extends around the circumference of the cavity such that it circumscribes the first container 14, the second container 16 and the coupling element 18 of the cartridge 8 of the aerosol-generating article 4.

(11) Prior to insertion of the distal end of the aerosol-generating article 4 into the cavity of the aerosol-generating device 6, the distal and proximal ends of the first container 14 of the cartridge 8 are sealed by a pair of opposed frangible barriers 19 and the distal and proximal ends of the second container 16 of the cartridge 8 are sealed by a pair of opposed frangible barriers 19. In the embodiment shown, the frangible barriers 19 sealing the proximal and distal ends of the first container 14 and the second container 16 of the cartridge 8 are made from aluminium film.

(12) The aerosol-generating device 6 also further comprises a piercing member 26. The piercing member 26 is positioned centrally within the cavity of the aerosol-generating device 6 and extends along the longitudinal axis of the cavity. The piercing member comprises a shaft portion and a piercing portion at the free end of the shaft portion.

(13) In use, as the distal end of the aerosol-generating article 6 is inserted into the cavity of the aerosol-generating device 6, the piercing member 26 of the aerosol-generating device 6 is inserted into the aerosol-generating article 6. The piercing portion of the piercing member ruptures the pair of opposed frangible barriers sealing the distal and proximal ends of the first container 14 of the cartridge 8 and the pair of opposed frangible barriers sealing the distal and proximal ends of the second container 16 of the cartridge 8. This creates an airflow pathway extending through the aerosol-generating article 4 from the distal end of the aerosol-generating article 4, downstream through the first container 14, the coupling element 18 and the second container 16 of the cartridge 8 and the transfer section 10, to the mouthpiece 12 at the proximal end of the aerosol-generating article 4.

(14) Once the aerosol-generating article 6 is inserted into the cavity of the aerosol-generating device 4, the heater 26 of the aerosol-generating device 6 heats the first container 14 and the second container 16 of the cartridge 8 of the aerosol-generating article 4 and the user draws on the mouthpiece 12 at the proximal end of the aerosol-generating article 4 to draw air through the aerosol-generating article 4 along the airflow pathway.

(15) As the user draws air through the aerosol-generating article 4 along the airflow pathway, nicotine vapour from the nicotine source is released into the drawn air as it passes through the first container 14 of the cartridge 8 and lactic acid vapour from the acid source is released into the drawn air as it passes through the second container 16 of the cartridge 8. The nicotine vapour reacts with the lactic acid vapour in the gas phase in the second container 16 of the cartridge 8 and the transfer section 10 of the aerosol-generating article 4 to form an aerosol of nicotine lactate salt particles, which is delivered to the user through the mouthpiece 12 at the proximal end of the aerosol-generating article 4.

(16) FIG. 2 shows a cartridge according to a first embodiment of the invention for use in the aerosol-generating system 2 shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the coupling element 18 of the cartridge 8 is made from aluminium and has a hollow substantially cylindrical shape.

(17) As shown in FIG. 2, the coupling element 18 is directly connected to the first container 14 comprising the nicotine source by welding a first end of the coupling element 18 to one of the pair of opposed frangible barriers 19 made from aluminium film that seal the ends of the first container 14. The coupling element 18 is directly connected to the second container 16 comprising the acid source by welding a second end of the coupling element 18 to one of the pair of opposed frangible barriers 19 made from aluminium film that seal the ends of the second container 16. The coupling element 18 forms a substantially rigid connection between the first sealed container 14 and the second sealed container 16. The coupling element 18 holds the first sealed container 14 and the second sealed container 16 in a substantially fixed position relative to one another within the cartridge.

(18) FIG. 3 shows a cartridge according to a second embodiment of the invention for use in the aerosol-generating system 2 shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the coupling element 18 of the cartridge 8 is formed from an elastically deformable resilient material and has a hollow substantially cylindrical shape.

(19) As shown in FIG. 3, a first end of the coupling element 18 is directly connected to an end of the first sealed container 14 comprising the nicotine source by a snap-fit connection and a second end of the coupling element 18 is directly connected to an end of the second sealed container 16 by a snap-fit connection. The coupling element 18 forms a substantially rigid connection between the first sealed container 14 and the second sealed container 16. The coupling element 18 holds the first sealed container 14 and the second sealed container 16 in a substantially fixed position relative to one another within the cartridge.