Flexible aerosol-generating devices

Abstract

An aerosol-generating device may include a housing having flexible portion along its length. The flexible portion is configured to transition between a relaxed or unloaded configuration and a flexed or deflected configuration. A flexible heating element and mouthpiece may also be disposed in the housing. When the housing is in a relaxed or unloaded configuration, the flexible heating element and the mouthpiece are at least partially longitudinally aligned with the flexible portion of the housing.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating device comprising: a housing including a rigid portion and a flexible portion, the flexible portion configured to deform based on a presence of an external force, the housing defining a longitudinal axis when the flexible portion and the rigid portion are aligned; and electronic modules within the housing, the electronic modules connected in series by flexible connectors, at least one of the electronic modules being flexible, and at least another one of the electronic modules being rigid.

2. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic modules are configured to remain longitudinally aligned with the housing in a relaxed configuration.

3. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein a rigid electronic module is configured to remain longitudinally aligned with the housing in a deformed configuration.

4. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein a flexible electronic module remains longitudinally aligned with at least a section of the flexible portion of the housing being deflected when the flexible portion of the housing is in a deformed configuration.

5. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible portion has a deformed configuration and a relaxed configuration.

6. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 5, wherein at least a section of the flexible portion of the housing is configured to deflect from the longitudinal axis by an angle of about 10 degrees to about 100 degrees when the flexible portion of the housing is in the deformed configuration.

7. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein a length of the flexible portion of the housing is about 25% to about 100% of a total length of the housing.

8. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible portion of the housing has a first end, an opposing second end, and a middle between the first end and the opposing second end, the middle is about equal distance from the first end and the opposing second end, and the flexible portion of the housing defines a radius of curvature at the middle of about 40 mm to about 120 mm when in a deformed configuration.

9. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic modules include a power supply.

10. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 9, wherein the power supply includes a battery.

11. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic modules include control circuitry.

12. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, further comprising: an aerosol-forming substrate disposed in the housing.

13. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 12, wherein the aerosol-forming substrate includes nicotine.

14. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible connectors are in a form of a ribbon.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The various features and advantages of the non-limiting embodiments herein may become more apparent upon review of the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are merely provided for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted to limit the scope of the claims. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted. For purposes of clarity, various dimensions of the drawings may have been exaggerated.

(2) FIG. 1A shows a schematic representation of an aerosol-generating device in accordance with an example embodiment.

(3) FIG. 1B shows a schematic representation of an aerosol-generating device in accordance with another example embodiment.

(4) FIG. 1C shows a schematic representation of an aerosol-generating device in accordance with another example embodiment.

(5) FIG. 1D shows a schematic representation of an aerosol-generating device in accordance with another example embodiment.

(6) FIG. 1E shows a schematic representation of an aerosol-generating device in accordance with another example embodiment.

(7) FIG. 2A shows a schematic representation of the flexible electrical components of an aerosol-generating device in accordance with an example embodiment.

(8) FIG. 2B shows a schematic representation of the flexible electrical components of an aerosol-generating device in accordance with another example embodiment.

(9) FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of the flexible electrical components of an aerosol-generating device in accordance with an example embodiment.

(10) FIG. 4 shows the electrical components and the housing of an aerosol-generating device in accordance with an example embodiment.

(11) FIG. 5 shows the housing of an aerosol-generating device in accordance with an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) It should be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “connected to,” “coupled to,” or “covering” another element or layer, it may be directly on, connected to, coupled to, or covering the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the specification. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

(13) It should be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another region, layer, or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of example embodiments.

(14) Spatially relative terms (e.g., “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like) may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It should be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “below” may encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

(15) The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing various embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

(16) Example embodiments are described herein with reference to cross-sectional illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of example embodiments. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, example embodiments should not be construed as limited to the shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing.

(17) Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, including those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

(18) FIG. 1A shows a schematic representation of an aerosol-generating device 100 in accordance with an example embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1A, the aerosol-generating device 100 has a housing 110. The electrical components 130 of the aerosol-generating device 100 are disposed within the flexible portion 120 of the housing 110. The electrical components 130 may include a flexible device component. The aerosol-generating device 100 may further include a heating element 140 and a mouthpiece 150 disposed within the housing 110. For instance, the heating element 140 and the mouthpiece 150 may be disposed within a rigid portion of the housing. Alternatively, a portion of the housing 110 may form the mouthpiece or the mouthpiece may be attached/appended to the housing 110.

(19) FIG. 1B shows a schematic representation of an aerosol-generating device 100 in accordance with another example embodiment. The electrical components 130, the heating element 140, and the mouthpiece 150 of the aerosol-generating device 100 are disposed within the flexible portion 120 of the housing 110. One or more of the electrical components 130, the heating element 140, and the mouthpiece 150 may be a flexible device component.

(20) FIG. 1C shows a schematic representation of an aerosol-generating device 100 in accordance with another example embodiment. The electrical components 130 and the mouthpiece 150 of the aerosol-generating device 100 are disposed within flexible portions 120a, 120b of the housing 110, and the heating element 140 is disposed in a rigid portion of the housing 110. The electrical components 130 or the mouthpiece 150 or both may be a flexible device component.

(21) FIG. 1D shows a schematic representation of an aerosol-generating device 100 in accordance with another example embodiment. A flexible fluid flow passage 160 is disposed within the flexible portion 120b of the housing 110. The flexible fluid flow passage 160 may be between the heating element 140 and the mouthpiece 150. Reference is made to the discussion above regarding FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C for the numbered elements depicted in, but not specifically described regarding, FIG. 1D.

(22) FIG. 1E shows a schematic representation of an aerosol-generating device 100 in accordance with another example embodiment. A flexible storage compartment 170 is disposed within a flexible portion 120a of the housing 110. The aerosol-forming substrate may be located within the flexible storage compartment 170. The aerosol-forming substrate may include nicotine. The aerosol-forming substrate may also be liquid. Reference is made to the discussion above regarding FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D for the numbered elements depicted in, but not specifically described regarding, FIG. 1E.

(23) FIG. 2A shows a schematic representation of the electrical components 130 of an aerosol-generating device including a power supply 132 in accordance with an example embodiment. The power supply 132 may be flexible. FIG. 2B shows a schematic representation of the electrical components 130 of an aerosol-generating device including a power supply 132 and control circuitry 134 in accordance with an example embodiment. One or both of the power supply 132 and the control circuitry 134 may be flexible.

(24) FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of the control circuitry 134 of an aerosol-generating device including electronic modules 233 and flexible connectors 231 in accordance with an example embodiment. At least some of the electronic modules 233 may be flexible. Additionally, at least some of the electronic modules 233 may be rigid. The electronic modules 233 may be batteries.

(25) FIG. 4 is a perspective cut-away view showing some components of an aerosol-generating device according to an example embodiment. The depicted components include a housing 110, electronic modules 233, and flexible connectors 231. The flexible connectors 231 may be a ribbon wire. “L” in FIG. 4 refers to a longitudinal direction of the device, and “T” refers to a transverse direction of the device. “L1” in FIG. 4 refers to a length of a flexible connector 231; “L2” refers to the length of an electronic module 233. “T1” in FIG. 4 refers to the height or thickness of an electronic module 233; and “T2” refers to the width of an electronic module 233.

(26) FIG. 5 shows the housing of an aerosol-generating device in accordance with an example embodiment. The housing has a flexible portion (1), a middle portion (2), and a mouthpiece portion (3-4). “LA” in FIG. 5 refers to the longitudinal axis of the device when the flexible portion of the housing is in a relaxed configuration. As shown in FIG. 5, when the flexible portion (1) of the housing is in a flexed configuration, at least a portion of the flexible portion (1) of the housing deflects from LA by an angle, α.sub.1 or α.sub.2. The angle α.sub.1 may be 10 degrees or more. The angle α.sub.2 may also be 10 degrees or more. Additionally, when the flexible portion (1) of the housing is in the flexed configuration, at least a portion of the flexible portion (1) of the housing may deflect from LA by an angle of about 10 degrees to about 70 degrees. For example, either α.sub.1 or α.sub.2 or both may be about 10 degrees to about 70 degrees. The flexible portion (1) of the housing may deflect from LA by the same amount in two or more directions or by different amounts in two or more directions.

(27) As shown in FIG. 5, the flexible portion (1) of the housing may have a first end, a second end, and a middle. The middle of the flexible portion (1) of the housing is the same distance from the first end of the flexible portion (1) of the housing as it is from the second end of the flexible portion (1) of the housing. When the housing is in the flexed configuration, the flexible portion (1) may define a radius of curvature R.sub.1 or R.sub.2 at the middle of the flexed portion. R.sub.1 may be about 60 mm to about 100 mm or R.sub.2 may be about 60 mm to about 100 mm, or both R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 may be about 60 mm to about 100 mm.

(28) The middle portion (2) may be rigid, at least at its core, and may include components that require solid assembly or precise fitting and interface. The middle portion (2) may be overmolded or coated to provide the same appearance and physical characteristics as the flexible portion (1).

(29) The mouthpiece portion (3-4) may include a core (4) or a cap (3), or both. The cap (3) may be flexible, partially flexible, or rigid. The cap (3) may include a metallic tubular housing core (4) or a flexible core (4). The core (4) or the cap (3) may be overmolded or coated to match the flexible portion (1), the middle portion (2), or both. The cap (3) may form part of the housing. The mouthpiece portion (3-4) may be part of a cartridge (not shown).

(30) While a number of example embodiments have been disclosed herein, it should be understood that other variations may be possible. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.