Heater assembly for an aerosol-generating device

Abstract

A removable heater assembly for an aerosol-generating device is provided, the removable heater assembly being configured to heat a tobacco plug and including an electrical heater, a data storage device, and data stored on the data storage device, the data including calibration data for the electrical heater. An aerosol-generating device is also provided, including the removable heater assembly, a housing defining a cavity configured to removably receive the removable heater assembly and an aerosol-generating article, a power supply, and a controller configured to receive data from the data storage device of the removable heater assembly and to control a supply of electrical power from the power supply to the electrical heater of the removable heater assembly based on the received data.

Claims

1. A removable heater assembly for an aerosol-generating device, the removable heater assembly being configured to heat a tobacco plug and comprising: an electrical heater; a data storage device; data stored on the data storage device, the data comprising calibration data for the electrical heater; a first heater electrical contact and a second heater electrical contact, the first and the second heater electrical contacts being configured to receive a supply of electrical energy for supply to the electrical heater for heating the electrical heater; and a third heater electrical contact and a fourth heater electrical contact, the third and the fourth heater electrical contacts being configured to facilitate measurement of an electrical resistance of the electrical heater, wherein the removable heater assembly is configured to be removably attached to the aerosol-generating device.

2. The removable heater assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrical heater is an elongate electrical heater configured to be inserted into the tobacco plug.

3. The removable heater assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a heater assembly attachment connector configured to removably attach the removable heater assembly to the aerosol-generating device.

4. The removable heater assembly according to claim 3, wherein the heater assembly attachment connector comprises at least one of a resilient clip, a screw connector, a bayonet connector, and a magnetic connector.

5. The removable heater assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a base portion having a first end face on which the first and the second heater electrical contacts are disposed and a second end face on which the electrical heater is disposed.

6. The removable heater assembly according to claim 5, wherein the first and the second heater electrical contacts are circular electrical contacts disposed concentrically on the first end face of the base portion.

7. The removable heater assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrical heater comprises a resistive heating element having a first end connected to the first and the third heater electrical contacts and a second end connected to the second and the fourth heater electrical contacts.

8. The removable heater assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first electrical contact has a first electrical resistance, the second electrical contact has a second electrical resistance, the third electrical contact has a third electrical resistance, and the fourth electrical contact has a fourth electrical resistance, wherein the third electrical resistance is smaller than the first electrical resistance, and wherein the fourth electrical resistance is smaller than the second electrical resistance.

9. The removable heater assembly according to claim 1, wherein the calibration data represents a voltage-temperature profile for the electrical heater.

10. The removable heater assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a heater communication interface configured to provide data transfer between the data storage device and the aerosol-generating device.

11. The removable heater assembly according to claim 10, wherein the heater communication interface comprises a wireless data connector.

12. The removable heater assembly according to claim 11, wherein the wireless data connector is configured to operate using at least one of radio-frequency identification (RFID), near-field communication (NFC), BLUETOOTH®, ZIGBEE®, WI-FI®, and ultra-wideband.

13. The removable heater assembly according to claim 10, wherein the heater communication interface comprises at least one heater data electrical contact configured for connection to at least one device data electrical contact on the aerosol-generating device.

14. A method of manufacturing a removable heater assembly according to claim 1, the method comprising: providing an electrical heater and a data storage device; combining the electrical heater and the data storage device to form the removable heater assembly; supplying power to the electrical heater; collecting calibration data for the electrical heater during the step of supplying power to the electrical heater; and storing the collected calibration data on the data storage device.

15. A method of calibrating a removable heater assembly according to claim 1, the method comprising: supplying power to the electrical heater; collecting calibration data for the electrical heater during the step of supplying power to the electrical heater; and storing the collected calibration data on the data storage device.

16. An aerosol-generating device, comprising: a removable heater assembly being configured to heat a tobacco plug and comprising an electrical heater, a data storage device, and data stored on the data storage device, the data comprising calibration data for the electrical heater; a housing defining a cavity configured to removably receive the removable heater assembly and an aerosol-generating article; a power supply; and a controller configured to receive data from the data storage device of the removable heater assembly and to control a supply of electrical power from the power supply to the electrical heater of the removable heater assembly based on the received data, wherein the removable heater assembly further comprises: a first heater electrical contact and a second heater electrical contact, the first and the second heater electrical contacts being configured to receive a supply of electrical energy for supply to the electrical heater for heating the electrical heater, and a third heater electrical contact and a fourth heater electrical contact, the third and the fourth heater electrical contacts being configured to facilitate measurement of an electrical resistance of the electrical heater.

17. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the removable heater assembly further comprises a heater assembly attachment connector configured to removably attach the removable heater assembly to the aerosol-generating device, and wherein the aerosol-generating device further comprises a device attachment connector positioned within the cavity and configured to cooperate with the heater assembly attachment connector to removably attach the removable heater assembly within the cavity.

18. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the removable heater assembly further comprises a heater assembly attachment connector configured to removably attach the removable heater assembly to the aerosol-generating device, wherein the heater assembly attachment connector comprises at least one of a resilient clip, a screw connector, a bayonet connector, and a magnetic connector, wherein the aerosol-generating device further comprises a first device electrical contact disposed within the cavity and configured for electrical connection with the first heater electrical contact, and a second device electrical contact disposed within the cavity and configured for electrical connection with the second heater electrical contact, wherein the controller is further configured to control a supply of electrical power from the power supply to the electrical heater via the first and the second device electrical contacts and the first and the second heater electrical contacts.

19. The aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, wherein the removable heater assembly further comprises a heater communication interface configured to provide data transfer between the data storage device and the aerosol-generating device, and wherein the aerosol-generating device further comprises a device communication interface configured to establish a data link with the heater communication interface.

20. An aerosol-generating system, comprising: an aerosol-generating device according to claim 16; and an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate.

21. A method of assembling an aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, the method comprising: providing a housing defining a cavity configured to removably receive an aerosol-generating article; positioning a controller and a power supply within the housing; and inserting a removable heater assembly into the cavity, the removable heater assembly comprising an electrical heater, a data storage device, and data stored on the data storage device, the data comprising calibration data for the electrical heater.

22. A method of replacing a removable heater assembly within an aerosol-generating device according to claim 16, the method comprising: removing the removable heater assembly from the cavity of the aerosol-generating device; providing a replacement removable heater assembly comprising another electrical heater, another data storage device, and another data stored on the data storage device, the data comprising calibration data for the another electrical heater; and inserting the replacement removable heater assembly into the cavity.

Description

(1) The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a heater assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an end view of the heater assembly of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows an end view of a heater assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows an aerosol-generating device comprising the heater assembly of FIG. 1; and

(6) FIG. 5 shows an aerosol-generating system comprising the aerosol-generating device of FIG. 4 and an aerosol-generating article.

(7) FIG. 1 shows a heater assembly 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The heater assembly 10 comprises a base portion 12 and an elongate electrical heater 14 extending from the base portion 12. The electrical heater 14 comprises an electrically insulating substrate 16 and a resistive heating element 18 positioned on the electrically insulating substrate 16.

(8) The heater assembly 10 further comprises a plurality of electrical contacts 20 provided on a first end face 22 of the base portion 12, which will be described in further detail with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3. The electrical heater 14 extends from a second end face 24 of the base portion 12. A data storage device 26 is provided on the base portion 12, the data storage device 26 storing calibration data for the electrical heater 14. A heater communication interface comprises a wireless data connector 28 for providing communication between the data storage device 26 and an aerosol-generating device.

(9) FIG. 2 shows the first end face 22 of the base portion 12 to illustrate in further detail the arrangement of the electrical contacts 20. The heater assembly 10 comprises first and second heater electrical contacts 30, 32 for supplying electrical power to the resistive heating element 18 to heat the electrical heater 14. The first and second heater electrical contacts 30, 32 are circular and concentric to accommodate any rotational orientation of the heater assembly 10 when the heater assembly 10 is inserted into an aerosol-generating device. The heater assembly 10 further comprises third and fourth heater electrical contacts 34, 36 for measuring the electrical resistance of the resistive heating element 18 during manufacture of the heater assembly 10, to generate the calibration data stored on the data storage device 16. The electrical resistance of the third and fourth heater electrical contacts 34, 36 is smaller than the electrical resistance of the first and second heater electrical contacts 30, 32.

(10) FIG. 3 shows the first end face 22 of the base portion 12 of a heater assembly 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The heater assembly 100 is similar to the heater assembly 10 and like reference numerals are used to designate like parts. In particular, the heater assembly 100 comprises an electrical heater 14 and a data storage device 26 identical to those described with reference to FIG. 1.

(11) The heater assembly 100 does not include a wireless data connector, but instead comprises a heater communication interface comprising first and second data electrical contacts 138, 140 positioned on the first end face 22 of the base portion 12. The first and second data electrical contacts 138, 140 facilitate communication with the data storage device 26.

(12) The first and second heater electrical contacts 130, 132 of the heater assembly 100 are not concentrically positioned on the first end face 22 of the base portion 12. Therefore, the heater assembly 100 comprises a groove that forms an indexing indicator 142. The groove interacts with a protrusion on an aerosol-generating device to ensure that the heater assembly 100 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device in the correct rotational orientation.

(13) FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device 200 comprising the heater assembly 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The aerosol-generating device 200 further comprises a housing 202 defining a cavity 204 for removably receiving the heater assembly 10 and an aerosol-generating article, and a plurality of air inlets 205 for admitting air into the cavity 204.

(14) The aerosol-generating device 200 comprises first and second device electrical contacts 206, 208 for electrically connecting to the first and second heater electrical contacts 30, 32. At least one of the first and second device electrical contacts 206, 208 and the first and second heater electrical contacts 30, 32 is magnetic to releasably secure the heater assembly 10 within the cavity 204. Therefore, the first and second heater electrical contacts 30, 32 form a heater assembly attachment connector and the first and second device electrical contacts 206, 208 form a device attachment connector.

(15) The aerosol-generating device 200 further comprises a power supply 210, a controller 212 and a device communication interface 214 comprising a wireless data connector configured to establish a data connection with the wireless data connector 28 of the heater assembly 10. In use, the controller 212 is configured to receive the calibration data from the data storage device 26 via the wireless data connectors of the heater assembly 10 and the aerosol-generating device 200. Based on the calibration data, the controller 212 controls a supply of electrical power from the power supply 210 to the electrical heater 14 of the heater assembly 10 to heat an aerosol-generating article received within the cavity 204, as will now be described with reference to FIG. 5.

(16) FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating system 300 comprising the aerosol-generating device 200 of FIG. 4 and an aerosol-generating article 302 removably received within the cavity 204. The aerosol-generating article 302 comprises an aerosol-forming substrate 304 in the form of a tobacco plug, a hollow acetate tube 306, a polymeric filter 308, a mouthpiece 310 and an outer wrapper 312. When the aerosol-generating article 302 is received within the cavity 204 of the aerosol-generating device 200, the electrical heater 14 of the heater assembly 10 is received within the tobacco plug. Therefore, during use, the electrical heater 14 heats the tobacco plug to generate an aerosol therefrom.