Aerosol Generating Device with Battery Monitoring Arrangement

Abstract

An aerosol generating device comprises a housing defining a cavity for receiving an aerosol generating substance, a controller and a rechargeable battery positioned in the housing (16). The controller is configured to detect expansion of the rechargeable battery in the housing.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device comprising: a housing defining a cavity for receiving an aerosol generating substance; a controller; a rechargeable battery positioned in the housing; wherein the controller is configured to detect expansion of the rechargeable battery in the housing.

2. An aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol generating device includes an electrically conductive component having an electrical characteristic which varies in response to expansion of the rechargeable battery in the housing.

3. An aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive component is positioned in the housing such that the electrically conductive component is deformed by expansion of the rechargeable battery in the housing.

4. An aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein the electrical characteristic of the electrically conductive component varies based on the deformation of the electrically conductive component.

5. An aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to detect expansion of the rechargeable battery based on a detected variation of the electrical characteristic of the electrically conductive component.

6. An aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the electrical characteristic includes an electrical resistance of the electrically conductive component, and wherein the controller is configured to monitor the electrical resistance of the electrically conductive component.

7. An aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the electrical characteristic includes an electrical conductivity of the electrically conductive component, and wherein the controller is configured to detect a break in the electrical conductivity.

8. An aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive component extends around at least part of an outer surface of the rechargeable battery.

9. An aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive component extends substantially along the whole perimeter of the rechargeable battery.

10. An aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive component extends around an outer surface of the rechargeable battery over a distance which is greater than a perimeter of the rechargeable battery.

11. An aerosol generating device according to claim 10, wherein opposite ends of the electrically conductive component are arranged so as to be displaced relative to each other in an axial direction of the rechargeable battery due to expansion of the rechargeable battery.

12. An aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive component is disposed on an outer surface of the rechargeable battery.

13. An aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive component is positioned adjacent to an outer surface of the rechargeable battery.

14. An aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert upon detecting expansion of the rechargeable battery.

15. An aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol generating device includes a heater electrically connected to the rechargeable battery and arranged to heat an aerosol generating substance positioned in the cavity, and wherein the controller is configured to electrically disconnect the heater from the rechargeable battery upon detecting expansion of the rechargeable battery.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an example of an aerosol generating device including a rechargeable battery and an electrically conductive component which extends around the outer surface of the battery;

[0041] FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrammatic cross-sectional views along the line A-A in FIG. 1, showing the rechargeable battery respectively in an unexpanded state and an expanded state;

[0042] FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 of an alternative example in which an electrically conductive component extends around part of the outer surface of the rechargeable battery; and

[0043] FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 1 showing only the rechargeable battery and an electrically conductive component which extends helically around an outer surface of the rechargeable battery.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0044] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] Referring initially to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown diagrammatically an example of an aerosol generating system 1. The aerosol generating system 1 comprises an aerosol generating device 10 and an example of an aerosol generating article 24. The aerosol generating device 10 has a proximal end 12 and a distal end 14 and comprises a housing 16 which defines a cavity 18. The housing 16 includes one or more air inlets 19 for supplying air to the cavity 18. The aerosol generating device 10 further includes a power source in the form of a rechargeable battery 20, and a controller 22. Although only one rechargeable battery 20 is illustrated in FIG. 1, it will be understood that the power source could comprise a plurality of rechargeable batteries 20 and that the or each rechargeable battery 20 may, for example, be inductively rechargeable.

[0046] The aerosol generating device 10 is generally cylindrical and the cavity 18 defined by the housing 16 is also cylindrical and takes the form of a cylindrical heating compartment. The cavity 18 is arranged to receive a correspondingly shaped generally cylindrical or rod-shaped aerosol generating article 24 comprising an aerosol generating substance 26. The aerosol generating article 24 is a disposable article which may, for example, contain tobacco as the aerosol generating substance 26. The aerosol generating article 24 has first and second ends 28, 30 and comprises a paper wrapper 32 surrounding the aerosol generating substance 26. The aerosol generating article 24 also comprises a filter 34 at the first end 28 which is in abutting coaxial alignment with the aerosol generating substance 26 and the paper wrapper 32. The filter 34 acts as a mouthpiece and comprises an air-permeable plug, for example comprising cellulose acetate fibres. Both the paper wrapper 32 and the filter 34 are overwrapped by an outer wrapper 36 typically comprising tipping paper. In an alternative example not illustrated in the drawings, the filter 34 could be omitted and instead the aerosol generating device 10 could include an integrated mouthpiece.

[0047] The aerosol generating device 10 includes a heater 37 for heating the aerosol generating substance 26 without burning the aerosol generating substance 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the heater 37 comprises a resistive heating element 38 which is positioned radially outwardly of the cavity 18 and which extends around the cavity 18.

[0048] During operation of the aerosol generating system 1, an electric current is supplied to the resistive heating element 38 causing it to heat up. The heat from the resistive heating element 38 is transferred to the aerosol generating substance 26 positioned in the cavity 18, for example by conduction, radiation and convection, to heat the aerosol generating substance 26 and thereby generate a vapour which cools and condenses to form an aerosol for inhalation by a user of the aerosol generating system 1. The vaporisation of the aerosol generating substance 26 is facilitated by the addition of air from the surrounding environment through the air inlets 19.

[0049] The aerosol generating device 10 includes an electrically conductive component 40 in the form of an electrically conductive track 42. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the rechargeable battery 20 is substantially circular in cross-section and the electrically conductive track 42 extends circumferentially around an outer surface 20a of the rechargeable battery 20, substantially around the whole circumference. As will be apparent from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 which shows the rechargeable battery 20 in an unexpanded state, the electrically conductive track 42 is positioned adjacent to the outer surface 20a of the rechargeable battery 20. More particularly, the electrically conductive track 42 is disposed on the housing 16 inside a battery compartment in which the rechargeable battery 20 is positioned. In another example (not illustrated), the electrically conductive track 42 may be disposed on the outer surface 20a of the rechargeable battery 20, for example by being coated, adhered, printed, deposited or otherwise manufactured onto the outer surface 20a of the rechargeable battery 20. In both cases, the electrically conductive track 42 is arranged so that when the rechargeable battery 20 is in an unexpanded state as shown in FIG. 2, the electrically conductive track 42 remains intact and electrically conductive.

[0050] In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the electrically conductive track 42 is formed of a material which is substantially inextensible. Thus, if the rechargeable battery 20 expands by a predetermined amount or beyond a predetermined threshold, the electrically conductive track 42 is pulled apart and breaks under tension, for example at the point designated A in FIG. 3, resulting in a break in the electrical conductivity of the electrically conductive track 42. The controller 22 can be configured to detect the break in the electrical conductivity of the electrically conductive track 42 and to thereby detect expansion of the rechargeable battery 20 in the housing 16.

[0051] In another example illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the electrically conductive track 42 extends around only part of the outer surface 20a of the rechargeable battery 20. The electrically conductive track 42 comprises an extensible material which is caused to mechanically extend under tension when the rechargeable battery 20 expands in the housing 16. The extension of the electrically conductive track 42 due to expansion of the rechargeable battery 20 is apparent from a comparison of FIGS. 4 and 5. The electrically conductive track 42 has a resistance which changes (e.g. increases or decreases) as it is deformed, and in particular as it is extended. The controller 22 can be configured to detect the change in the resistance of the electrically conductive track 42 and to thereby detect expansion of the rechargeable battery 20 in the housing 16.

[0052] In some embodiments, the controller 22 may be configured to generate an alert upon detecting expansion of the rechargeable battery 20, for example based on a detected break in the electrical conductivity of the electrically conductive track 42 (FIGS. 2 and 3) or based on a detected change in the resistance of the electrically conductive track 42 (FIGS. 4 and 5). The alert may notify a user of the aerosol generating device 10 that expansion of the battery 20 has been detected, for example enabling the user to cease use of the device 10 and/or to replace the rechargeable battery 20. Alternatively or in addition, the controller 20 may be configured to electrically disconnect the resistive heating element 38 from the rechargeable battery 20 upon detecting physical expansion of the rechargeable battery 20 and/or to modify the charge and/or discharge characteristics of the rechargeable battery 20, for example to minimise the rate of further expansion and to prolong the useful life of the rechargeable battery 20.

[0053] Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown an alternative example of an electrically conductive track 42 which extends helically around the outer surface 20a of the rechargeable battery 20. In this alternative example, the electrically conductive track 42 extends around the outer surface 20a by a total distance which is greater than the circumference of the rechargeable battery 20. As noted above, arrangements in which the electrically conductive track 42 extends around the outer surface 20a of the rechargeable battery 20 by a distance which is greater than its circumference may allow expansion of the rechargeable battery 20 to be more reliably detected because the electrically conductive track 42 covers a larger surface area of the rechargeable battery 20.

[0054] Although exemplary embodiments have been described in the preceding paragraphs, it should be understood that various modifications may be made to those embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claim. Thus, the breadth and scope of the claim should not be limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments.

[0055] Any combination of the above-described features in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the present disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

[0056] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claim, the words “comprise”, “comprising”, and the like, are to be construed in an inclusive as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”.