Patent Description:
The use of aerosol generating systems, also known as e-cigarettes, e-cigs (EC), electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS), electronic smoking devices (ESDs), personal vaporizers (PV), inhalation devices, vapes, which can be used as an alternative to conventional smoking articles such as lit-end cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, is becoming increasingly popular and widespread. The most commonly used e-cigarettes are usually battery powered and use a resistance heating element to heat and atomize a liquid containing nicotine and/or flavorants (also known as e-cigarette liquid, e-cig liquids, e-liquid, juice, vapor juice, smoke juice, e-juice, e-fluid, vape oil) (https://en. org/wiki/Construction_of_electronic_cigarettes"\| "cite_note-Lyons2017-<NUM>"), to produce an aerosol (also called vapor) which can be inhaled by a user.

In the conventional e-cigarettes described above, the liquid is put into contact with a resistance heating element after flowing through small channels, where it is heated and vaporized. The flowing is realized for example via a wick, a mesh or another type of porous element, which has a plurality of small channels that transport the liquid from a reservoir to the heating element. This heating element together with the porous element, a reservoir that contains the e-liquid, and a mouthpiece may be arranged within a disposable capsule, cartridge or pod, that is discarded or refilled once the e-liquid has been consumed by the user, and usually removably connects to a main body that includes a rechargeable battery.

<CIT> discloses an example of an electrically resistive heating element to be inserted into a tobacco stick. The heating element comprises a summit of a cone shaped blade and a base of the blade, configured such that, when an electrical current is passed through the heating element, the summit of the cone shaped blade is heated to a higher temperature than the base of the blade.

<CIT> discloses a conical shaped heater made of an electrically resistive track provided on a flexible substrate. The document further discloses that the heater is configured to be insertable into the recess of a capsule, the latter being frusto-conical in shape, and having a substantially circular cross-section.

<CIT> discloses an inhalant material container for electronic smoking device which is a tube-like storage container with an open top and an open bottom.

<CIT> discloses a method for providing an aerosol-generating device for use with a shape-transformable aerosol-forming substrate which comprises providing an aerosol-generating device comprising a device housing comprising a moulding cavity.

<CIT> discloses aerosol delivery devices, methods of forming such devices, and elements of such devices. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a heating member that can be formed of a heating element conformed to a heater substrate configured as a truncated cone (or similar shape) having a first end of a first size and a second end of greater size.

The present disclosure seeks to provide an alternative system, specifically one that works with a vaporizable material cartridge that holds a vaporizable material substance to generate aerosol.

In a first aspect, the invention provides an aerosol generating device according to claim <NUM>.

In other words, the conically shaped heating element of the aerosol-generating device and conically shaped alignment element of the capsule are complementary to each other to provide automatic alignment and adjustment of the capsule to the heating element in use, thereby preventing misconnections or misalignments, which may cause leakage of vaporizable material from the capsule in use. The proper alignment of the capsule to the heating element through the conical engagement and the mating conical surfaces thereof ensures proper contacting of the capsule to the heating surface and better vaporizable material release and gradual heating thereof along the whole surface of the heating element, for a more efficient heating and aerosol generation.

Advantageously, the conical heating element of the device may be configured as a male element and the conical alignment element of the capsule may be configured as a complementary female receiving element for the heating element, or vice-versa, offering various device/capsule design opportunities without functional alteration to either the device or capsule.

In a further preferred embodiment, the aerosol generating device further comprises a vaporizable material releasing means configured to enable the vaporizable material to flow from the vaporizable material capsule into a space located between a surface of the conically shaped alignment element and the conically shaped heating element at a time of mating.

The slanted surface of the conically shaped alignment element comprises at least a first groove enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material in use.

The e-liquid capsule further comprises a mesh structure located on the slanted surface of the conically shaped alignment element and configured to receive the e-liquid by capillarity and enabling an evaporation of e-liquid when heated.

In a further preferred embodiment, the slanted surface of the conically shaped heating element further comprises at least a second groove enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material in use.

In a further preferred embodiment, the mesh structure is located adjacently to the slanted surface of the conically shaped heating element.

In a further preferred embodiment, the conical shape of any of the heating element or alignment element is any one of the list comprising a cone, a frusto-cone, a bullet, a frusto-bullet, an ogival shape, a frusto-ogival shape.

In a further preferred embodiment, the aerosol generating device further comprises a body element configured to house a power source for the heat source, and an attaching means configured to attach the conically shaped heating element to the body element.

In a further preferred embodiment, the attaching means is further configured to removably attach the conically shaped heating element to the body element.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a vaporizable material capsule according to claim <NUM>.

In a further preferred embodiment, the conically shaped heating element is part of the vaporizable material capsule and comprises electrical connectors to connect said conically shaped heating element to a power source of an aerosol generating device.

In a further preferred embodiment, the conically shaped heating element comprises at least a groove enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain features of the invention.

In the present detailed description, the term vaporizable material will be used to designate any material that is vaporizable at a temperature up to <NUM>, preferably up to <NUM>. for example aerosol generating liquid, gel, wax and the like.

Referring to <FIG>, an aerosol generating device <NUM> comprises a body element <NUM>, an vaporizable material capsule <NUM> and a conically shaped heating element <NUM>. The assembly of all three elements results in a device operated by a user (user not represented in <FIG>) through which an vaporizable material contained in the vaporizable material capsule <NUM> flows towards the conically shaped heating element <NUM> to be evaporated and becomes the aerosol (vaporizable material and aerosol not represented in <FIG>). The aerosol generating device <NUM> further comprises a vapor conduit <NUM> configured to allow the aerosol circulation from an evaporation point at the heating element <NUM> to a mouthpiece <NUM>.

The body element <NUM> may be designed to be held by hand and therewith operated by the user. Referring to <FIG>, the body element may house a power source <NUM> for the conically shaped heating element (conically shaped heating element not represented in <FIG>) and features a first attaching means <NUM> configured to attach the conically shape heating element to it.

Referring to <FIG>, the vaporizable material capsule <NUM> of the aerosol generating device may comprise a chamber or reservoir <NUM> configured to contain or hold at least one vaporizable material (vaporizable material not represented in <FIG>). The vaporizable material capsule further comprises the vapor conduit <NUM>. As such, the vaporizable material capsule <NUM> is at the same time the receptacle of the vaporizable material, a part of a vaporization chamber of the aerosol, and an extremity of an inhalation device for the user, who may inhale the aerosol through the mouthpiece <NUM> located at an end of the vapor conduit <NUM>. The vaporizable material capsule <NUM> of <FIG> further features a concave cavity <NUM> designed to mate with the conically shaped heating element (not represented in <FIG>).

The conically shaped, concave, cavity <NUM> advantageously forms an alignment element of the capsule that is complementary to the conically shaped heating element of the aerosol-generating device, which provides automatic alignment and adjustment of the capsule to the heating element in use. Such alignment reduces leakage of vaporizable material from the capsule in use. In addition, this ensures proper contacting of the capsule to the heating surface and better vaporizable material release and gradual heating thereof along the whole surface of the heating element, as will be described hereinafter.

While the figures show a male heating element and a complementary, female, cavity <NUM>, it is also foreseeable according to the invention that the conical heating element of the device may be configured as a female, cavity element with a complementary male alignment element of the capsule.

Referring to <FIG>, the conically shaped heating element <NUM> may comprise a convex slanted surface <NUM>. The term "slanted" here denotes an oblique or sloping aspect which is characteristic of the surface on the conical shape. The conically shaped heating element <NUM> may further house a heat source <NUM> configured to provide a heat gradient along the convex slanted surface <NUM>, when in use. In a preferred embodiment, the conically shaped heating element <NUM> may be configured to be first attached to the body element's first attaching means (not represented in <FIG>) through a second attaching means <NUM> and then be mated with the vaporizable material capsule (not represented in <FIG>). In a further preferred embodiment, the conically shaped heating element <NUM> is configured to be mated first with the vaporizable material capsule, by introduction into the concave cavity (not represented in <FIG>) and then attached to the body element by means of the second attaching means <NUM>. Both preferred embodiments allow to implement a procedure that leads to the same result of the assembly of all three elements to obtain the aerosol generating device. The conically shaped heating element <NUM> may have a shape taken for example of the list containing a cone, a frusto-cone, a bullet, a frusto-bullet, an ogival shape, a frusto-ogival shape. The conically shaped heating element <NUM> may be made out of ceramics. Referring to <FIG>, after the process of mating, a gap <NUM> is obtained between the convex slanted surface <NUM> of the conically shaped heating element <NUM> and the concave slanted surface <NUM> of the cavity of the vaporizable material capsule.

A mesh structure <NUM> is located in the gap between the convex slanted surface <NUM> of the conically shaped heating element and the concave slanted surface <NUM> of the cavity of the vaporizable material capsule. This mesh structure <NUM> is fixed on the concave slanted surface <NUM> of the cavity of the vaporizable material capsule. The mesh structure <NUM> is designed to receive the vaporizable material from the vaporizable material capsule by capillarity and to enable the vaporizable material to evaporate by bringing it towards the conically shaped heating element <NUM>.

The heat source <NUM> of the conically shaped heating element <NUM> produces heat through resistive heat dissipation of current from the current supply, by means of an electric resistance inside, and in a known fashion (the electric resistance inside the heat source, and the connections to the current supply are not represented in the Figure). The design following which the electric resistance is positioned inside the conically shaped heating element <NUM> enables, by design, the provision of a heat gradient along the convex slanted surface, for instance hotter at the base than at the tip of the conically shaped heating element <NUM>. This heat gradient enables to selectively evaporate distinct components of the vaporizable material when received by the mesh structure and brought towards the convex slanted surface of the conically shaped heating element. The heat source of the conically shaped heating element generates an aerosol through evaporation.

The aerosol is generated within the mesh <NUM> located in the gap <NUM> between the convex slanted surface of the conically shaped heating element and the concave slanted surface of the cavity of the vaporizable material capsule. It ultimately leaves the aerosol generating device through the vapor conduit <NUM>. From the mesh structure to the vapor conduit, the aerosol flow is led through at least one groove <NUM> located on the concave slanted surface <NUM> of the cavity of the vaporizable material capsule (see <FIG>). Additionally, the aerosol flow may be led through at least one groove <NUM> located on the convex slanted surface <NUM> of the conically shaped heating element <NUM> (see <FIG>) or within the gap created by the mating of the conically shaped heating element with the vaporizable material capsule, or a combination of the two.

<FIG> shows schematically a radial cross section of the conically-shaped heating element <NUM>, whereby of course the vapor conduit, as constantly disclosed in the examples herein, is part of the vaporizable material capsule (latter not represented in <FIG> shows schematically a radial cross-section of the vaporizable material capsule <NUM> mated with the heating element <NUM>. Different embodiments in which the vapor conduit is located elsewhere may also be realized. The aerosol circulates from the mesh <NUM> through the groves <NUM> and/or <NUM> to the vapor conduit <NUM> partly at least by suction pressure created by the user inhaling through the mouthpiece located at the extremity of the vaporizable material capsule (both not shown in <FIG>).

The groves <NUM> and/or <NUM> provide an advantage in that they may shorten the time required for the aerosol to circulate from the mesh where it is produced, to the vapor conduit, because when entering the groves, the aerosol encounters less resistance to its circulation than it does in the mesh. As a consequence, it is also easier for the user to inhale the aerosol from the vapor conduit when it circulates through the groves as compared to the case where the aerosol would have to circulate directly from the mesh into the vapor conduit.

Implementations described herein are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure but are just provided to illustrate possible realizations.

Claim 1:
An aerosol generating device (<NUM>) comprising
a conically shaped heating element (<NUM>) configured to generate aerosol by evaporating a vaporizable material on a slanted surface (<NUM>) of said conically shaped heating element (<NUM>), and
a heat source (<NUM>) configured to heat the conically shaped heating element (<NUM>) in use, in such a way that a heat gradient is provided along the slanted surface (<NUM>),
the aerosol generating device (<NUM>) further comprising
a vaporizable material capsule (<NUM>),
whereby the vaporizable material capsule (<NUM>) comprises a conically shaped alignment element with a slanted surface (<NUM>) configured to mate with the conically shaped heating element (<NUM>) of the aerosol generating device (<NUM>),
wherein the slanted surface (<NUM>) of the conically shaped alignment element comprises at least a first groove (<NUM>) enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material,
wherein the vaporizable material capsule (<NUM>) further comprises a mesh structure (<NUM>) located on the slanted surface (<NUM>) of the conically shaped alignment element and configured to receive the vaporizable material by capillarity and enabling an evaporation of vaporizable material when heated.