Aerosol-generating system comprising variable air inlet

Abstract

There is provided an aerosol-generating system including a cartridge including: a first compartment containing a nicotine source, the first compartment having a first air inlet and a first air outlet; and a second compartment containing an acid source, the second compartment having a second air inlet and a second air outlet; and a mouthpiece configured to engage with the cartridge to define a chamber in fluid communication with the first air outlet and the second air outlet, the mouthpiece comprising a third air inlet in fluid communication with the chamber and a third air outlet in fluid communication with the chamber, the third air inlet defining a flow area, and the mouthpiece being configured so that the flow area through the third air inlet is variable.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating system, comprising: a cartridge comprising: a first compartment containing a nicotine source, the first compartment having a first air inlet and a first air outlet, and a second compartment containing an acid source, the second compartment having a second air inlet and a second air outlet; and a mouthpiece configured to engage with the cartridge to define a chamber in fluid communication with the first air outlet and the second air outlet, the mouthpiece comprising a third air inlet in fluid communication with the chamber and a third air outlet in fluid communication with the chamber, wherein the third air inlet defines a flow area, wherein the mouthpiece is configured so that the flow area through the third air inlet is variable, wherein the third air inlet comprises a first aperture proximate the first air outlet, and wherein the third air inlet further comprises a second aperture opposite the first aperture and proximate the second air outlet.

2. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece further comprises a first mouthpiece part and a second mouthpiece part moveable with respect to the first mouthpiece part, and wherein relative movement between the first mouthpiece part and the second mouthpiece part varies the flow area through the third air inlet.

3. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 2, wherein the second mouthpiece part is moveable with respect to the first mouthpiece part between a first position in which the first and the second apertures are unobstructed and a second position in which at least a portion of each of the first and the second apertures is obstructed.

4. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein a maximum flow area of the third air inlet is between 1.5 square millimeters and 2 square millimeters.

5. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein a minimum flow area of the third air inlet is less than 0.6 square millimeters.

6. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the third air inlet comprises a plurality of apertures, and wherein a total number of apertures is between 2 and 10.

7. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein each of the one first and the second apertures is substantially circular.

8. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein each of the one first and the second apertures is elongate.

9. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the acid source comprises lactic acid.

10. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, further comprising an aerosol-generating device comprising: a housing defining a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the cartridge; and a heater configured to heat one or both of the first compartment and the second compartment of the cartridge.

11. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 10, wherein the mouthpiece is further configured to attach to at least one of the cartridge and the aerosol-generating device.

12. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 10, wherein the heater is disposed within the cavity of the aerosol-generating device, and wherein the cartridge comprises a heater cavity configured to receive the heater.

13. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 10, wherein the heater is arranged to circumscribe at least a portion of the cartridge when the cartridge is received within the cavity.

14. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 10, wherein the heater is a resistive heater.

15. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 10, wherein the heater is an inductive heater, and wherein the cartridge comprises at least one susceptor.

16. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the nicotine source comprises a first sorption element with nicotine adsorbed thereon, and wherein the acid source comprises a second sorption element with lactic acid adsorbed thereon.

17. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 2, wherein the first mouthpiece part comprises a tubular portion extending from and formed integrally with a downstream end of the cartridge, and wherein the second mouthpiece part is rotatably connected to the first mouthpiece part.

Description

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

(2) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a cartridge and a mouthpiece in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a lateral cross-sectional view of the cartridge and the mouthpiece of FIG. 1 in a first configuration;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a lateral cross-sectional view of the cartridge and the mouthpiece of FIG. 1 in a second configuration;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cartridge and the mouthpiece of FIG. 1 combined with an aerosol-generating device;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a cartridge and a mouthpiece in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention and in a first configuration; and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cartridge and the mouthpiece of FIG. 5 in a second configuration.

(8) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a cartridge 2 and a mouthpiece 4 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. The cartridge 2 comprises a first compartment 6 containing a nicotine source and a second compartment 8 containing an acid source. The nicotine source may comprise a sorption element, such as a PTFE wick, with nicotine adsorbed thereon, which is received within the first compartment 6. The acid source may comprise a sorption element, such as a PTFE wick, with acid adsorbed thereon, which is received within the second compartment 8. The acid may be, for example, lactic acid.

(9) The first compartment 6 comprises a first air inlet 10 and a first air outlet 12, and the second compartment comprises a second air inlet 14 and a second air outlet 16. During use, air is drawn into the cartridge 2 through the first and second air inlets 10, 14 and out of the cartridge 2 through the first and second air outlets 12, 16, as illustrated by the dashed arrows in FIG. 1.

(10) The cartridge 2 further comprises a cartridge cavity 18 extending between the first and second compartments 6, 8 and a susceptor 20 positioned within the cartridge cavity 18.

(11) The mouthpiece 4 comprises a first mouthpiece part 22 and a second mouthpiece part 24. The first mouthpiece part 22 comprises a tubular portion extending from and formed integrally with the downstream end of the cartridge 2. The second mouthpiece part 24 is rotatably connected to the first mouthpiece part 22 so that the second mouthpiece part 24 can rotate with respect to the first mouthpiece part 24.

(12) The mouthpiece 4 defines a chamber 26 into which airflow from the first and second air outlets 12, 16 is received. During use, nicotine vapour and acid vapour entering the chamber 26 from the first and second compartments 6, 8 mix together and react to form an aerosol of nicotine salt particles, which is delivered to a user through a third air outlet 27 in the mouthpiece 4.

(13) The first mouthpiece part 22 comprises a first plurality of apertures 28 and the second mouthpiece part 24 comprises a second plurality of apertures 30. The combination of the first plurality of apertures 28 and the second plurality of apertures 30 forms a third air inlet 32 through which air can enter the chamber 26 directly from the exterior of the mouthpiece 4.

(14) The second mouthpiece part 24 is rotatable with respect to the first mouthpiece part 22 from a first position shown in FIG. 2, through an intermediate second position, to a third position shown in FIG. 3. In the first position, shown in FIG. 2, the first plurality of apertures 28 is fully aligned with the second plurality of apertures 30 to provide the maximum flow area of the third air inlet 32. In the third position, shown in FIG. 3, the first plurality of apertures 28 does not align with any portion of the second plurality of apertures 30 so that the third air inlet 32 is entirely obstructed. Therefore, the third position shown in FIG. 3 represents the minimum flow area (zero) of the third air inlet 32. In the intermediate second position (not shown) between the first and third positions, the first plurality of apertures 28 is partially aligned with the second plurality of apertures 30 so that the third air inlet 32 is only partially obstructed. Therefore, in the second position, the third air inlet 32 has a flow area between the maximum flow area and the minimum flow area. By varying the flow area of the third air inlet 32, a user can vary the flow rate of air entering the chamber 26 through the third air inlet 32, which varies the total delivery of nicotine salt particles per unit volume of airflow through the third air outlet 27.

(15) FIG. 4 shows the cartridge 2 and the mouthpiece 4 of FIG. 1 combined with an aerosol-generating device 40. The aerosol-generating device 40 comprises a housing 42 defining a cavity 44 for receiving the cartridge 2 and an inductive heater 46 circumscribing the cavity 44. The device 40 further comprises a power supply 48 and a controller 50 for controlling a supply of power from the power supply 48 to the inductive heater 46. During use, the controller 50 controls the supply of power from the power supply 48 to the inductive heater 46 to heat the susceptor 20 received within the cartridge cavity 18 of the cartridge 2. The susceptor 20, once heated, heats the first compartment 6 and the second compartment 8 to volatilise the nicotine and the acid received within the first and second compartments 6, 8.

(16) FIGS. 5 and 6 show a cartridge 2 and a mouthpiece 104 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The cartridge 2 is identical to the cartridge 2 described with reference to FIG. 1. The mouthpiece 104 is similar to the mouthpiece 4 described with reference to FIG. 1 and like reference numerals are used to designate like parts.

(17) The mouthpiece 104 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 comprises a first mouthpiece part 122 and a second mouthpiece part 124. The first mouthpiece part 122 comprises a tubular portion extending from and formed integrally with the downstream end of the cartridge 2. The second mouthpiece part 124 is slidably connected to the first mouthpiece part 122 so that the second mouthpiece part 124 can slide with respect to the first mouthpiece part 124.

(18) The mouthpiece 104 defines a chamber 26 into which airflow from the first and second air outlets 12, 16 is received. During use, nicotine vapour and acid vapour entering the chamber 26 from the first and second compartments 6, 8 mix together and react to form an aerosol of nicotine salt particles, which is delivered to a user through a third air outlet 27 in the mouthpiece 104.

(19) The first mouthpiece part 122 comprises a first plurality of apertures 28 and the second mouthpiece part 124 comprises a second plurality of apertures 30. The combination of the first plurality of apertures 28 and the second plurality of apertures 30 forms a third air inlet 32 through which air can enter the chamber 26 directly from the exterior of the mouthpiece 104.

(20) The second mouthpiece part 124 is slidable with respect to the first mouthpiece part 122 from a first position shown in FIG. 5, through an intermediate second position, to a third position shown in FIG. 6. In the first position, shown in FIG. 5, the first plurality of apertures 28 is fully aligned with the second plurality of apertures 30 to provide the maximum flow area of the third air inlet 32. In the third position, shown in FIG. 6, the first plurality of apertures 28 does not align with any portion of the second plurality of apertures 30 so that the third air inlet 32 is entirely obstructed. Therefore, the third position shown in FIG. 6 represents the minimum flow area (zero) of the third air inlet 32. In the intermediate second position (not shown) between the first and third positions, the first plurality of apertures 28 is partially aligned with the second plurality of apertures 30 so that the third air inlet 32 is only partially obstructed. Therefore, in the second position, the third air inlet 32 has a flow area between the maximum flow area and the minimum flow area. By varying the flow area of the third air inlet 32, a user can vary the flow rate of air entering the chamber 26 through the third air inlet 32, which varies the total delivery of nicotine salt particles per unit volume of airflow through the third air outlet 27.