Abstract
An aerosol generation device has a partially opaque portion for rendering an illumination unit non-visible when the illumination unit is not emitting light. An aerosol generation device has a housing and an illumination unit capable of emitting light and covered by an exterior wall of the housing, the exterior wall including or substantially consisting of a light-transmissive portion arranged such that light emitted by the illumination unit is transmitted through the light-transmissive portion, wherein the illumination unit is not visible through the light-transmissive portion from the exterior of the device when the illumination unit does not emit light.
Claims
1. An aerosol generation device having a housing and an illumination unit capable of emitting light and covered by an exterior wall of the housing, the exterior wall comprising or substantially consisting of a light-transmissive portion arranged such that light emitted by the illumination unit is transmitted through the light-transmissive portion, wherein the illumination unit is not visible through the light-transmissive portion from an exterior of the device when the illumination unit does not emit light.
2. The aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein the light-transmissive portion comprises a laminar structure including a partially or fully transparent layer and a partially light-reflective layer.
3. The aerosol generation device according to claim 2 wherein the partially or fully transparent layer is arranged closer the illumination unit than the partially light-reflective layer.
4. The aerosol generation device according to claim 2, wherein the partially light-reflective layer comprises a coating created by a physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and/or non-conducting vacuum metallization (NCVM) process.
5. The aerosol generation device according to claim 2, wherein the partially light-reflective layer comprises an aluminum, copper, or bronze material.
6. The aerosol generation device according to claim 2, wherein the laminar structure comprises a light-diffusive layer.
7. The aerosol generation device according to claim 6, wherein the light-diffusive layer forms an exterior surface of the light-transmissive portion.
8. The aerosol generation device according to claim 2, wherein one or more layers of the laminar structure are colored or tinted.
9. The aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a main body on which the illumination unit is arranged, and a panel member that is movably and/or detachably attached to the main body and that comprises or substantially consists of the exterior wall of the housing.
10. The aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein a shape and/or a length and/or a width and/or a radius of the light-transmissive portion corresponds to a shape and/or a length and/or a width and/or a radius, respectively, of the illumination unit.
11. The aerosol generation device according to claim 10, wherein the length and/or the width and/or the radius of the light-transmissive portion is so small that the light-transmissive portion is not visibly discernible from the exterior of the device when the illumination unit does not emit light.
12. The aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein the illumination unit is positioned such that at least parts of the light emitted by the illumination unit passes through the light-transmissive portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to an exterior surface of the exterior wall of the housing.
13. The aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein the light-transmissive portion and at least parts of the housing adjacent to the light-transmissive portion and/or substantially the entire exterior wall of the housing are provided with substantially the same exterior surface finish.
14. The aerosol generation device according to claim 13, wherein the exterior surface finish is a glossy, mirrored, or matte finish.
15. The aerosol generation device according to claim 14, wherein the light-transmissive portion comprises a laminar structure including a partially or fully transparent layer, a partially light-reflective layer, and a light-diffusive layer, and wherein the exterior surface finish is provided by one of the partially light-reflective layer, the light-diffusive layer, and a combination thereof.
16. The aerosol generation device according to any one of the preceding claims 1, wherein the illumination unit comprises one or more LED light sources or LED light strips.
17. The aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein the illumination unit comprises a plurality of light sources arranged in a straight or curved line.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0049] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an aerosol generation device according to embodiments of the invention;
[0050] FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C show schematic illustrations of a front view of an aerosol generation device with a light-transmissive portion and an illumination unit, according to embodiments of the invention;
[0051] FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C show schematic illustrations of a laminar structure of a light-transmissive portion, respectively, according to embodiments of the invention;
[0052] FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D show schematic illustration of an illumination, respectively, according to embodiments of the invention;
[0053] FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D show schematic illustrations of a front view of an aerosol generation device with an illumination unit, respectively, according to embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0054] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described hereinafter and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0055] An aerosol generation 100 as depicted in FIG. 1 commonly comprises a housing with an opening 210 through which an aerosol generation substrate 110 such as a liquid or tobacco stick may at least partially be inserted into an aerosol generation chamber 120 of the device. The device 100 further comprises a power source 130 that may be a rechargeable and/or exchangeable power source such as a battery, and circuitry 140 for controlling operation of the aerosol generation device 100.
[0056] FIG. 2A shows an aerosol generation device 100 with an exterior wall 200 of the device housing. The exterior wall 200 substantially consists of a light-transmissive portion that 300 that covers an illumination unit 210 that is not emitting light. When the illumination unit 210 is not emitting light, the illumination unit is not visible through the light-transmissive portion 300 to the exterior of the aerosol generation device by the human eye. The dotted rectangle in FIG. 2A merely shows a position and extent of the illumination unit 210. The light-transmissive portion may comprise a laminar structure as described below in the context of FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C. The light-transmissive-portion may be provided with a glossy, mirrored, or matte exterior surface finish, and the housing of the aerosol generation device may be provided with the same surface finish as the light-transmissive portion, such that an appearance of the exterior surface of the housing cannot be substantially distinguished from an appearance of the exterior surface of the light-transmissive portion.
[0057] FIG. 2B shows an aerosol generation device 100 with an exterior wall 200 of the device housing, wherein the exterior wall 200 comprises a light-transmissive portion that is only partially the size of the of the exterior wall 200. While the light-transmissive portion is depicted to have a rectangular shape, the shape and/or size the light-transmissive portion may be of any appropriate shape, such as for example, but not limited to, the shapes and sizes of the light-transmissive portion as described in the context of FIGS. 5A to 5D. While a size and position of the illumination unit or illumination region that is covered by the exterior wall 200 and the light-transmissive portion is depicted to substantially match a size and position of the light-transmissive portion in the front view of the aerosol generation device, the size and position of the illumination unit or illumination region may be of any appropriate size and at any appropriate position. The former configuration however is preferred for an optimal illumination performance of the illumination unit through the light-transmissive portion. It should be noted that the illumination unit is covered by and hence not visible through the exterior wall 200 and the light-transmissive portion 300 when the illumination unit is not emitting light.
[0058] FIG. 2C shows an aerosol generation device that may an aerosol generation as described in the context of FIGS. 2A and 2B. In the state shown in FIG. 2c, the illumination unit and its illumination region 210 is emitting light. Light emitted by the illumination region 210 is transmitted through the light-transmissive portion 300 and visible to an exterior of the device, in particular the human eye of a user of the aerosol generation device, such that the illumination region 210 provides visual feedback indicative of states of the aerosol generation device or a consumable in use with the aerosol generation device. While the illumination unit and illumination region 210 are shown to emit light at a single brightness level for the entire illumination region, two different brightness levels and regions of the illumination region 210 with different brightness levels are also possible. Such embodiments of the illumination are described in a non-limiting manner in the context of FIGS. 4A to 5D.
[0059] It should be noted that in any of the embodiments of the invention described herein, the term “non-visible” denotes that the illumination unit cannot be seen through the light-transmissive portion by a naked human eye, under commonly occurring ambient lighting conditions, without any special viewing aids or equipment or under special, not naturally occurring lighting conditions, when the illumination unit is not emitting light.
[0060] FIG. 3A shows a schematic illustration of a structure of the light-transmissive portion 300. In its simplest form, the light-transmissive portion 300 may comprise a translucent layer 320. The translucent property of the layer is such, that more of the light that is incident from an exterior of the aerosol generation device onto the translucent layer 320 is reflected or scattered back towards the exterior of the device, than is transmitted through the translucent layer 320, reflected by the illumination unit 210 back towards the translucent layer 320 and subsequently transmitted through the translucent layer 320 back to the exterior of the aerosol generation device.
[0061] As shown in FIG. 3B, the light-transmissive portion comprises a laminar structure that comprises a translucent layer 320 or a partially or fully transparent layer 340 that is arranged closer to the illumination unit 210, and a light-reflective layer 330 that is arranged on a surface of the translucent layer 320 or the partially or fully transparent layer 340 further away from the illumination unit 210 than the translucent layer 320 or the partially or fully transparent layer 340. The translucent layer 320 and the partially or fully transparent layer 340 comprise translucent or partially or fully transparent plastic materials such as PMMA, PVC, PC, PET, PTFE, a resin-based material, or a similar material.
[0062] The partially light-reflective layer may be achieved by means of a physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and/or non-conducting vacuum metallization (NCVM) process or similar deposition method. The deposited material may comprise a copper, silver, bronze or similar metallic material. The partially light-reflective layer 330 may be an exterior layer that forms the exterior surface of the light-transmissive portion and, additionally, may provide the light-transmissive portion with a glossy or mirrored surface finish.
[0063] As shown in FIG. 3C, the laminar structure of the light-transmissive portion may comprise a transparent layer 340 arranged closest to the illumination unit 210. A partially light-reflective layer 330 as described above in the context of FIG. 3B is arranged on the transparent layer 340 further away from the illumination unit 210. A light-diffusive layer 350 is arranged on a surface of the light-reflective layer 330 furthest away from the illumination unit 210 and forms the exterior surface of the light-transmissive portion 300. The light-diffusive layer 350 may form the exterior surface of the light-transmissive portion 300. The light-diffusive layer 350 may form a layer that protects the light-reflective layer from external influences and may comprise a resin-based material or a transparent plastic material. Furthermore, the light-diffusive layer 350 may be colored or tinted to provide the light-transmissive portion 300 with a desired visual effect, and additionally, may provide the external surface of the light-transmissive portion with matte surface finish.
[0064] It should be noted that the layers of the laminar structure, as described above in the context of FIGS. 3A to 3C, may be arranged in a different layered order. For example, in the embodiments described in the context of FIG. 3B, the light-reflective layer 330 may be arranged closest to the illumination unit 210, or in the embodiments described in the context of FIG. 3C, the light-reflective layer 330 may be arranged furthest away from the illumination unit 210 and form the exterior surface of the light-transmissive portion 300. Additionally, the light-reflective layer 330 may provide the light-transmissive potion 300 with a glossy or mirrored surface finish.
[0065] The light-reflective layer 330 reflects some light and is penetrated by the rest. Light can pass through the light-reflective layer 330 in both directions. However, when the illumination unit 210 does not emit light and the illumination region is kept dark behind the light-transmissive portion 300, relative to a surrounding area of the aerosol generation device, which is typically a bright side in this case, the dark side become difficult to see from the bright side because the dark side is masked by the much brighter reflection of the bright side.
[0066] More specifically, the light from the bright side reflected by the light-reflective layer 330 back into the same side is much greater than the light transmitted from the dark side, overwhelming the small amount of light transmitted from the dark to the bright side. This is how the illumination unit 210 is kept invisible when it doesn't emit light. On the other hand, when the illumination unit 210 emits light, the illumination region becomes a bright side and the light transmitted from the illumination unit 210 is bright enough to be visible through the light-transmissive portion 330, without being overwhelmed by the light from the surrounding area reflected by the light reflective layer 330. In this way, the light-transmissive portion 330 operates like an one-way mirror and makes the illumination unit 210 either visible or invisible from the surrounding area depending on whether the illumination unit 210 is lit or not.
[0067] It should be noted that in case the housing of an aerosol generation device according to embodiments of the invention comprises a main body and a movable panel member that comprises or substantially consists of the light-transmissive portion, the panel member and the main body are coupled close to each other to substantially prevent any light emitted from the illumination unit arranged on the main body from leaking out from between the panel member and the main body unit to prevent any leakage light from negatively impacting visibility of the illumination region through the light-transmissive portion.
[0068] It should further be noted that for any embodiment of the present invention, the illumination unit may preferably be a light source, i.e. a component that is configured to generate light. The light source may in general comprise or substantially consists of an incandescent light source, and may preferably comprise or substantially consists of a luminescent light source. Luminescent light sources such as LED light sources are particularly preferable due to their high efficiency, low heat generation, low power consumption, and compact size. The luminescent light source may be provided in a wide range of sizes, shapes and/or colors. It should further be noted that, for any embodiment of the present invention, the illumination unit emitting light through the light-transmissive portion means that the illumination unit is arranged relative to the light-transmissive portion such that the illumination unit emits light directly through the light-transmissive portion, i.e. light emitted from the illumination unit reaches the light-transmissive portion substantially without relying on any scattering or reflecting components such as a light guide or a mirror component. Furthermore, the illumination unit is arranged and configured to emit light such that light emitted through the light-transmissive portion is transmitted through all layers of the light-transmissive portion.
[0069] FIG. 4A depicts an illumination unit 210 comprising a plurality of light sources. Each of the light sources may be an LED light source that may additionally emit light in different colors. The illumination unit 210 as shown in FIG. 4A is not emitting light and therefore in an “off” state. While the illumination unit is shown to be of a rectangular size, the plurality of light source may be arranged such that they form any appropriately sized contiguous and appropriate shape.
[0070] In FIG. 4B, all of the plurality of light sources of the illumination unit are emitting light to form a contiguous illumination region 210 that substantially matches the size and shape of the illumination unit. Alternatively, only a portion of the plurality of light source may emit light to form an illumination region 210 wherein the full extent of the illumination region 210 is different from the full extent of the illumination unit. The illumination region 210 may be illuminated at a first brightness level when the plurality of light source operating at a first power level form a region 210a illuminated at the first brightness level. In this state, the illumination unit is in an “on” state and provides visual feedback that states of the aerosol generation are being indicated by the illumination unit. When all of the plurality of light sources of the illumination unit are emitting light at a second brightness level by operating at a second power level to form a region illuminated at the second brightness level, the difference in brightness levels enables the illumination unit to indicate a state of the aerosol generation device or of the consumable in use with the aerosol generation device. For example, when illuminated at the first brightness level, the illumination unit indicates that the aerosol generation device is turned on and not ready for use by a user, and when illuminated at the second brightness level, the illumination indicates that the aerosol generation device is turned on and ready for use by a user.
[0071] In FIG. 4C, the full extent of the illumination region 210 is the combined extent of a region 210a illuminated at the first brightness level and the region 210b illuminated at the second brightness level. This configuration enables the illumination unit to indicate states of the aerosol generation device or a consumable in use with the aerosol generation device within a reference range of values or relative to a reference value, wherein the full extent of the illumination region may correspond to a maximum range of possible values or a maximum reference value for the indicated state. The indicated state may be based on the relation between the extent of the region 210b illuminated at the second brightness level and the full extent of the illumination region. For example, the full extent of the illumination region may correspond to a range of 0% to 100% of, for example, the charging level of a battery provided as a power source in the aerosol generation device, or the full extent of the illumination region may correspond to a range between a maximum amount of an aerosol generation substrate in the consumable and the level of full depletion of the aerosol generation substrate. The relative extent of the region 210b illuminated at the second brightness level compared to the full extent of the illumination region may consequently corresponds to a relative range of values or a value within the maximum range of values. For example, if the extent of the region 210b is only 60% percent of the full extent of the illumination region 210, the indicated state may therefore be a battery at a charging level of 60% compared to a full charging level of the battery.
[0072] As shown in FIG. 4D, the region 210b may comprise two regions 210b1 and 210b2 as patterns that may be the same or different from each other. The extent of the pattern 210b1 and the extent of the pattern 210b2 may be different from each other and may be independent from each other. In this configuration, the patterns 210b1 and 210b2 may each indicate different states of the aerosol generation device or consumable in use with the aerosol generation device. For example, the pattern 21ob1 may indicate, in a manner as described in the context of FIG. 4C, the charging level of the battery of the aerosol generation device, and the pattern 210b2 may indicate the aerosol generation substrate depletion level of the consumable in use with the aerosol generation device.
[0073] The states that may be indicated by visual feedback comprise elapsed and/or remaining start-up time period of the device, total amount of puffs by user, total amount of puffs by user in relation to a predetermined maximum amount of puffs for a consumable, total time of use of a consumable in relation to a predetermined maximum of time of use for a consumable, time of use of the device since start-up, consumed and/or remaining amount of aerosol generation substrate in the consumable, an operational temperature of the device, and depletion level of a battery of the device, charging status of the battery etc.
[0074] Additionally, a pattern 210a/210b of the illumination region 210 may be a dynamically changing or moving pattern. Furthermore, the moving direction of the pattern may indicate a change in a state indicated by the pattern. For example, in the embodiments described in the context of FIG. 4C, the illumination unit may comprise a pattern that indicates a battery depletion level. The pattern may repeatedly move in an upwards direction, then reset to its original position, and then move upwards again, to not only indicate charging/depletion level of the battery, but that the battery is being charged, i.e. that the charging level of the battery is increasing.
[0075] Additionally, or alternatively, any pattern on the illumination region 210 may dynamically change by, for exampling, periodically blinking, to indicate a state of the aerosol generation device. Additionally, or alternatively, only one of the plurality of light source may emit light, and an adjacent light source of the plurality of light sources following in a direction of the illumination unit may start emitting light when previous light source stops emitting light after a predetermined amount of time to form a pattern of a moving light source to indicate a state of the aerosol generation device. Such states may comprise, for example, a low charging level of the battery, a low remaining amount of an aerosol generation substrate in the consumable in use with the aerosol generation device, or a malfunction of the aerosol generation device.
[0076] FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D show aerosol generation devices o that may be aerosol generation device as described in the context of any one of the FIGS. 1A to 3C. For example, the exterior wall 200 may substantially consist of a light-transmissive portion 300 or may comprise a light-transmissive potion 300 that is only partially the size of the exterior wall. The aerosol generation device comprises an illumination unit 210 that may be an illumination unit 210 as described in the context of any one of the FIGS. 1A to 4C. Each of the illumination units 210 shown in FIGS. 5A to 5D comprises a plurality of light sources that are arranged to form a contiguous illumination region 210 when emitting light, wherein the illumination region 210 may be of different sizes and of different shapes, such as a triangular shape, a bent and/or curved shape, or a circular/elliptic shape. In particular, as shown in FIG. 5D, the illumination region 210 may comprise a pattern that is shaped such that the visual appearance of the shape is indicative of the type of state indicated by the pattern. For example, the pattern may have a shape reminiscent of the shape of a battery to indicate that visual feedback provided by the illumination region 210 indicates a state of the battery of the aerosol generation device such as the charging/depletion level of the battery.
[0077] While this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure, as defined by the independent and dependent claims.
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS USED
[0078] 100: Aerosol generation device [0079] 110: consumable/aerosol generating substrate [0080] 120: power supply [0081] 130: circuitry [0082] 200: exterior wall [0083] 210: illumination unit/region [0084] 210a: illumination unit/region at first brightness [0085] 210b: illumination unit/region at second brightness [0086] 300: translucent portion [0087] 310: translucent layer [0088] 320: partially reflective layer [0089] 330: transparent layer [0090] 340: protective layer
