Patent Publication Number: US-2023142601-A1

Title: Consumable for an Aerosol Generating Device, System and Method for Manufacturing a Consumable

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to consumables for aerosol generation devices. The consumable may comprise tobacco or other suitable aerosol substrate materials to be heated, rather than burned, to generate an aerosol for inhalation. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The popularity and use of reduced-risk or modified-risk devices (also known as vaporisers) has grown rapidly in the past few years as an aid to assist habitual smokers wishing to quit smoking traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and rolling tobacco. Various devices and systems are available that heat or warm aerosolisable substances as opposed to burning tobacco in conventional tobacco products. 
     A commonly available reduced-risk or modified-risk device is the heated substrate aerosol generation device or heat-not-burn device. Devices of this type generate an aerosol or vapour by heating an aerosol substrate that typically comprises moist leaf tobacco or other suitable aerosolisable material to a temperature typically in the range 150° C. to 300° C. Heating an aerosol substrate, but not combusting or burning it, releases an aerosol that comprises the components sought by the user but not the toxic and carcinogenic by-products of combustion and burning. Furthermore, the aerosol produced by heating the tobacco or other aerosolisable material does not typically comprise the burnt or bitter taste resulting from combustion and burning that can be unpleasant for the user and so the substrate does not therefore require the sugars and other additives that are typically added to such materials to make the smoke and/or vapour more palatable for the user. 
     It is desirable to provide a consumable that can generate an aerosol with improved energy efficiency and that can be simply manufactured. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     According to a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a consumable for an aerosol generating device, comprising: a columnar portion of aerosol generation substrate; and a heating element embedded in the columnar portion, the heating element comprising a base portion and a plurality of elongate portions extending from the base portion along the columnar portion, the heating element being adapted to be driven towards the columnar portion via a force applied to the base portion. 
     Optionally, the heating element is an inductive heating element. 
     Optionally, the heating element comprises two elongate portions arranged at respective ends of the base portion to form a U-shape. 
     Optionally, the heating element has a substantially similar cross-section throughout the base portion and the plurality of elongate portions. 
     Optionally, the heating element is a wire bent to form the base portion and the plurality of elongate portions. 
     Optionally, the aerosol generation substrate is a solid material or is a loose material held by a wrapping around the columnar portion, and the heating element is embedded in the aerosol generation substrate. 
     Optionally, the base portion is arranged at an open end of the columnar portion. 
     According to a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a system for manufacturing a consumable as described above, comprising: a holding means adapted to receive a consumable comprising a columnar portion; and a heating element driver arranged to face the holding means, the heating element driver being configured to drive a heating element towards an end of the columnar portion. 
     Optionally, the system comprises: a drum comprising a plurality of the holding means arranged at respective indexed positions around the drum, each holding means being adapted to receive a respective consumable, the drum being configured to undergo indexed rotation, wherein a heating element driver arranged to face a first indexed position around the drum, the heating element driver being configured to drive a heating element towards an end of a columnar portion of a consumable that is in the holding means at the first indexed position. 
     Optionally, the system further comprises a hopper arranged to store a plurality of columnar portions of aerosol generation substrate and to feed the plurality of columnar portions towards a second indexed position around the drum. 
     Optionally, the first indexed position and the second indexed position are different positions. 
     Optionally, the drum is arranged to rotate around a substantially horizontal axis, and the second indexed position is a top position. 
     Optionally, the holding means are adapted to drop the respective columnar portion after the drum has rotated through a predetermined number of indexed positions from when the respective columnar portion was arranged in the holding means at the second indexed position. 
     Optionally, the heating element driver is a staple gun. 
     According to a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a consumable as described above, comprising: arranging an end of a columnar portion of aerosol generation substrate to face a heating element driver; and using the heating element driver to drive a heating element towards the end of the columnar portion. 
     According to a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of generating an inhalable aerosol, comprising: inserting a consumable as described above into a heating chamber, the heating chamber comprising a driving element configured to drive the heating element; and heating the columnar portion of aerosol generation substrate using the heating element to generate the inhalable aerosol. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1 A  is a schematic illustration of a consumable according to the invention; 
         FIGS.  1 B and  1 C  is are schematic illustrations of examples of a heating element; 
         FIG.  1 D  and  FIG.  1 E  are schematic illustrations of an end of the consumable with different examples of a heating element; 
         FIG.  2    is a schematic illustration of a method of manufacturing the consumable; 
         FIG.  3    is a schematic illustration of a system for manufacturing the consumable. 
         FIGS.  4 A and  4 B  are schematic illustrations of a consumable in use in examples of an aerosol generating device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG.  1 A  schematically illustrates a consumable according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Referring to  FIG.  1 A , the consumable  100  comprises a columnar portion  110  of aerosol generation substrate. In general, consumables for aerosol generation devices are relatively long in one direction (labelled in  FIG.  1 A  as the z direction) with a relatively small cross-section perpendicular to the ‘long’ direction. In such consumables, a ‘columnar’ portion refers to a portion extending along the ‘long’ direction. Although reference to such consumables is convenient for explaining the invention, the invention is equally applicable to consumables where no such ‘long’ direction may be discerned, in which case the ‘columnar’ portion may be any portion of aerosol generation substrate. 
     The columnar portion may, for example, comprise a solid aerosol substrate material, or a loose aerosol substrate material held by a wrapping around the columnar portion. The aerosol substrate may, for example, comprise a tobacco material in various forms such as shredded tobacco and granulated tobacco, and/or the tobacco material may comprise tobacco leaf and/or reconstituted tobacco. The wrapping may, for example, comprise paper and/or other textile materials. The wrapping may also comprise various organic materials and/or inorganic materials. 
     A heating element  120  is embedded in the columnar portion  110 . The heating element  120  is preferably embedded in the aerosol generation substrate itself, but may alternatively be adjacent to the aerosol generation substrate. For example, the heating element  120  may be located between the aerosol generation substrate and a wrapping. The heating element  120  may, for example, be an inductive heating element (also called a susceptor) that is configured to receive energy via electromagnetic induction and dissipate the received energy to perform heating. Alternatively, the heating element  120  may be a conductive heating element configured to receive energy via an electric current. The heating element may typically comprise an electrically conductive material, including a metallic material such as aluminium, iron, alloy steel, copper, etc., and/or a non-metallic material such as graphite, silicon carbide, etc. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1 A , the consumable  100  may further comprise a tube section  140  between a filter  130  and the columnar portion  110 . The tube section can be used to allow the generated aerosol to cool before it reaches a mouth end of the consumable. 
     Detail of a first example of a heating element  120  is shown in  FIG.  1 B . 
     Referring to  FIG.  1 B , the heating element  120  comprises a base portion  121  and a plurality of elongate portions  122   a ,  122   b  extending from the base portion  120 . When embedded in the columnar portion  110 , the elongate portions are arranged to extend along the columnar portion. That is, the elongate portions are arranged to extend along the ‘long’ direction of the columnar portion. 
     With this arrangement of the elongate portions, an inductive heating element may conveniently be powered by surrounding the columnar portion with a solenoid. With such an arrangement, the magnetic field of the solenoid can be parallel to the elongate portions, inducing currents around their surface area. Furthermore, even if the heating element is not an inductive heating element, arranging the elongate portions along the columnar portion improves the uniformity of heating of the aerosol substrate. 
     This arrangement of a base portion and a plurality of elongate portions also means that the heating element is adapted to be driven towards the columnar portion  110  via a force applied to the base portion  121  (as shown in  FIG.  2   , described later). In particular, the base portion  121  provides a surface for driving, while the elongate portions  122   a ,  122   b  are arranged to penetrate through the columnar portion  110  with lower resistance than the base portion  121 . 
     In the example of  FIG.  1 B , the heating element  120  has two elongate portions  122   a ,  122   b , which are arranged at respective ends of the base portion  121  to form a U-shape. Using at least two elongate portions spread as far apart as possible along the base portion has the effect of stabilising the heating element  120  as it is driven into the columnar portion  110 , and increasing the number of elongate portions  122  increases the amount of material required for the heating element  120 . Therefore, a U-shape balances the requirements of stability when driving the heating element and reducing the amount of material required for the heating element. 
     The heating element  120  may advantageously have a substantially similar cross-section throughout the base portion and the plurality of elongate portions. This simplifies the manufacture of the heating element  120  by enabling usage of a long material with substantially uniform cross-section to form the heating element. Additionally, the substantially similar cross-section of the base portion and elongate portions means that the current is substantially uniform on the surface of the elongate portions, and uniformity of the heat distribution from the heating element is increased. 
     More preferably, the heating element  120  may be formed from a wire that is bent to form the base portion and the plurality of elongate portions. For example,  FIG.  1 C  shows a second example of a heating element  120  which has three elongate portions formed from a wire. The ends of the wire form a middle elongate portion  122   b , and a middle portion of the wire is bent to form outer elongate portions  122   a  and  122   c  as well as the base portion  121 . Bending a wire avoids the need to attach any of the base portion and elongate portions together, thus further simplifying the manufacture of the heating element  120 . 
       FIG.  1 D  is a rotated view of the consumable of  FIG.  1 A , from an end perspective where the z direction of  FIG.  1 A  extends into the page.  FIG.  1 D  illustrates the base portion  121  of the heating element extending across the end of the columnar portion  110 , while the elongate portions (not shown) extend from the base portion into the columnar portion  110 . 
       FIG.  1    E is view from the same perspective as  FIG.  1 D , for a further example of a heating element  120 . In this example, the base portion  121  has a crossed shape and an elongate portion (not shown) extends from each of the four ends of the crossed shape. The crossed shape is slightly distorted in this example, because this represents a crossed shape formed by bending a long material with substantially uniform cross-section multiple times to form the elongate portions and the base portion. By providing a base portion which can support a two-dimensional arrangement of elongate portions, the stability of the heating element as it is driven into the columnar portion is improved, and the uniformity of heat delivery to the columnar portion is improved. 
     Referring back to  FIG.  1 A , the base portion  121  is preferably arranged at an open end of the columnar portion  110 . In a common consumable design, the consumable comprises a filter  130  at a mouth end of the consumable. In such a design, the open end is opposed to the mouth end. This arrangement of the heating element  120  means that the heating element  120  can be added last to an almost-complete consumable. 
     More specifically, in  FIG.  1 A , the base portion  121  is close to but not actually embedded in the open end of the columnar portion  110 , while the elongate portions are almost entirely embedded. Alternatively, the heating element  120  may be entirely embedded in the columnar portion  110  to improve the efficiency of heat delivery to the aerosol generation substrate. 
     Furthermore, if the heating element  120  is added to the columnar portion  110  before assembly of any other elements of the consumable such as filter  130 , then the base portion  121  may be driven into and arranged at an end of the columnar portion  110  which will ultimately be closer to the mouth end of the consumable once fully manufactured. 
     In other consumables, no filter is included with the consumable, and the ‘open end’ may be either end of the columnar portion. 
       FIG.  2    illustrates a method for manufacturing a consumable as described above. 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   , a columnar portion  110  (which may already be part of a consumable comprising a filter  130 ) is arranged with an end facing a heating element driver  200 . The heating element driver  200  is then used to drive a heating element  120  towards the end of the columnar portion  110 . 
     The heating element driver  200  may be similar to a conventional staple gun or nail gun, adapted to hold and drive a heating element  120  as described above. 
     The columnar portion  110  may be arranged immediately adjacent to the heating element driver  200 , such that the heating element  120  can be held by the heating element driver  200  while being driven into the columnar portion. Alternatively, the columnar portion  110  may be arranged at a distance from the heating element driver  200 , such that the heating element driver  200  drives the heating element  120  towards the columnar portion by firing the heating element  120  with a sufficient force applied to the base portion  121  for the heating element to be driven into the columnar portion upon impact. 
     In a simple embodiment, this method may be performed manually by using a hand-held heating element driver  200  and/or by holding the columnar portion  110  to face the heating element driver  200 . 
     Alternatively, the method may be performed by a system comprising the heating element driver  200 , as well as a holding means arranged to face the holding means and adapted to receive the columnar portion  110  or a consumable  100  comprising the columnar portion  110 . An example of such a system is schematically shown in  FIG.  3   . 
     In the example of  FIG.  3   , the system comprises a drum  300 . The drum has a plurality of holding means  310   a ,  310   b ,  310   c  arranged at respective indexed positions around the drum, where each holding means is adapted to hold a respective columnar portion  110  (which may already be part of a consumable). The holding means may, for example, be indentations or grooves in an external surface of the drum. In this example, grooves at least as long as the ‘long’ direction of columnar portion  110  (the z direction in  FIG.  1   ) are provided, and the columnar portion  110  is held along the groove. The holding means may each optionally have an actuator for actively holding and releasing a columnar portion  110 . 
     The heating element driver  200  is arranged statically to face a first indexed position of the drum  300 . The drum  300  is configured to undergo indexed rotation such that, upon each rotation of the drum  300 , a new holding means (and thus a new columnar portion) is arranged in the first position to face the heating element driver  200 . 
     For example, the drum  300  illustrated in  FIG.  3    has twelve equally-spaced holding means  310   a ,  310   b ,  310   c . In this example, each indexed rotation of the drum is one twelfth of a complete rotation. More generally, the drum may have any number of holding means, and it is not necessary for the holding means to be equally spaced around the drum, so long as rotation of the drum is controlled according to the positions of the holding means. 
     With this system, a plurality of consumables according to the invention can be manufactured by alternating between: the drum  300  rotating by one position; and the heating element driver  200  driving a heating element  120  towards a columnar portion  110  that is currently in the first position. 
     Columnar portions  110  lacking a heating element  120  can be added to the drum  300  using a hopper  400 . More specifically, a hopper  400  may be arranged to store a plurality of columnar portions  110  and to feed the plurality of columnar portions  110  towards a second indexed position around the drum  300 . In this embodiment, the columnar portions  110  are fed one-by-one into respective holding means  310   a ,  310   b ,  310   c  when each respective holding means is at the second position that is adjacent to the hopper  400 . 
     The second position may be the same as the first position associated with the heating element driver  200 . However, the second position is preferably different from the first position. By arranging the heating element driver  200  and the hopper  400  adjacent to different indexed positions, the columnar portion  110  has more time to settle in the respective holding means  310   a ,  310   b ,  310   c  before application of the heating element  120 . This reduces the required precision for control of the timing of operation of the hopper  400  and operation of the heating element driver  200 . 
     Each columnar portion  110  can be added to the drum using gravity. This can be achieved by arranging the drum  300  to rotate around a substantially horizontal axis, and by arranging the hopper  400  to feed the columnar portions  110  towards a second position that is at or near to a top position around the drum  300 . Each columnar portion  110  enters a respective holding means  310  at the second position through an opening in the holding means. In this example, the hopper  400  is arranged to feed each columnar portion  110  such that the columnar portion  110  enters the respective holding means  310  perpendicular to the ‘long’ direction of columnar portion  110  (the z direction in  FIG.  1   ). 
     Each columnar portion  110  (or complete consumable) can similarly be removed from the drum  300  using gravity, after addition of the heating element  120 . This can be achieved adapting an opening in each holding means  310  such that the holding means  310  supports the columnar portion  110  while the drum  300  rotates through a predetermined number of indexed positions from when the respective columnar portion  110  was arranged in the holding means  310  at the second indexed position (i.e. a predetermined number of positions from the vertical in  FIG.  3   ), and thereafter allows the columnar portion to fall back out of the holding means  310  through the opening. For example the holding means may be passively shaped or actively controlled such that the columnar portion is held stably in the holding means for up to 120° rotation from the vertical position, and the columnar portion will fall out of the holding means when the holding means is at more than 120° from the vertical around the drum. 
     In another example, a modified drum  300 ′ may be arranged to rotate on a substantially vertical axis, and fed and/or emptied under gravity. In this example, the columnar portions  110  (or complete consumables) may enter and/or leave the drum  300 ′ parallel to the ‘long’ direction of columnar portion  110  (the z direction in  FIG.  1   ). For example, a modified feeder  400 ′ may be positioned above a second indexed position, and configured to supply the columnar portions  110  in a vertical orientation such that each columnar portion  110  enters the drum  300  parallel to the ‘long’ direction. Similarly, the drum  300 ′ may be adapted to release columnar portions  110  from a respective holding means  310  at a third indexed position. This may be achieved by providing a solid plate under the drum  300 ′, which does not rotate and which has a hole at the third indexed position to allow the columnar portion  110  to fall out of the holding means  310  under gravity. 
     The system may further comprise an electronic controller configured to automatically control one or more of the heating element driver  200 , the drum  300  and the hopper  400 . The system may further comprise one or more sensors configured to detect, for example, whether a columnar portion  110  is present in a holding means currently arranged in the first position and/or to detect whether or not a columnar portion  110  in a holding means already has a heating element  120  embedded therein. The system may alternatively be operated by a human operator. 
     In other embodiments of the system, the drum  300  could be replaced with a conveyor belt comprising a plurality of holding means. The system could otherwise be similar, with a heating element driver  200  arranged to face a first position along the conveyor belt, and a hopper  400  arranged to feed columnar portions  110  towards a second position along the conveyor belt. 
     Furthermore, in other embodiments, the system could be adapted to operate continuously, without stepped motion, by attaching one or more heating element drivers  200  to the drum  300  (or the conveyor belt). 
       FIGS.  4 A and  4 B  show examples of usage of a consumable as described above to generate an aerosol. 
       FIG.  4 A  schematically illustrates a consumable  100  in an aerosol generation device  500 . 
     The aerosol generation device  500  comprises a heating chamber  510  comprising a driving element  520  configured to drive the heating element  120  of the consumable  100 . In this example, the driving element  520  is a solenoid coil arranged to generate a magnetic field in the heating chamber  510 . The magnetic field induces a current in the heating element  120  to perform heating of the columnar portion of aerosol substrate  110 . 
     In order to generate an inhalable aerosol, a user may insert the consumable  100  into the heating chamber  510 , and heat the columnar portion  110  using the heating element  120  to generate the inhalable aerosol. 
     In this example, the consumable  100  does not have a filter  130  or tube section  140 . Such a simple consumable may, for example, be used in a case where the aerosol generation device itself has a mouthpiece and a filter (not shown) from which a user may obtain the generated aerosol. 
       FIG.  4 B  schematically illustrates a consumable  100  in a second aerosol generation device  600 . 
     The aerosol generation device  600  also comprises a heating chamber  610  and a driving element  620 . However, in this example, the driving element  620  comprises piercing elements arranged to penetrate the columnar portion  110  and make electrical contact with the heating element  120  in order to drive a current through the heating element. The driving element  620  may be retractable in order to allow a consumable to be added to and removed from the heating chamber  610 . 
     In order to generate an inhalable aerosol, a user may insert the consumable  100  into the heating chamber  610 , and heat the columnar portion  110  using the heating element  120  to generate the inhalable aerosol.