Patent Description:
Handheld electrically operated aerosol-generating devices and systems are known that consist of a device portion comprising a battery and control electronics, a portion for containing or receiving an aerosol-forming substrate and an electrically operated heater for heating the aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol. A mouthpiece portion is also included on which a user may puff to draw aerosol into their mouth.

Some devices and systems use a liquid aerosol-forming substrate or e-liquid stored in a liquid storage portion. Such devices typically use a wick to carry the liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the liquid storage portion to the heater where it is aerosolised. A problem with such devices is that they may not provide accurate measurements of the amount of aerosol generated during use and, in particular, the amount of aerosol generated per puff. Consequently, a user does not have insight into their consumption of aerosol or the various components in the aerosol, which therefore makes it difficult for a user to control the amount of aerosol or aerosol components they receive per unit of time or per puff. Whilst the total amount of liquid aerosol-forming substrate in the liquid storage portion may be known and therefore the total quantity of aerosol received once the liquid storage portion is empty can be roughly estimated, such systems and devices do not provide an indication of the amount of aerosol received per puff.

There are a number of parameters which determine the quantity of aerosol generated per puff in a device using a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, for example, the amount of liquid reaching the heating area, which is related to the capillarity effect of the wick, the thickness of the wick, the distance from the liquid storage portion to the heater and the viscosity of the liquid. Further parameters which affect the amount of aerosol generated include, the reactivity of the device to a puff command, how quickly the heater reaches its working temperature and the value of such working temperature. In addition to these intrinsic parameters of the device, other parameters relating to the condition and use of the device also have an impact on the amount of aerosol generated, for example, the physical orientation of the device, the remaining quantity of liquid in the liquid storage portion (which affects the length of the travel of liquid in the wick and whether the wick is wet or dry), the duration of time since the device was previously used, the duration of the puff and the ambient temperature. Such parameters make it difficult to determine reliably the amount of aerosol or aerosol components consumed per puff.

Other types of aerosol-generating devices and systems use a solid aerosol-forming substrate such as a tobacco material. Such devices may comprise a recess for receiving a cigarette-shaped rod comprising folded sheets of such a tobacco material. A blade-shaped heater arranged in the recess is inserted into the centre of the rod as the rod is received in the recess. The heater is configured to heat the tobacco material to generate an aerosol.

The amount of aerosol generated by such devices is also determined by certain parameters, for example, the density distribution of the tobacco sheets around the heater, the orientation of the folded tobacco sheets relative to the heater and the way in which heat spreads into the tobacco rod and the duration of use. The tobacco sheets closest to the heater blade may be heated differently from the tobacco sheets furthest from the heater, which may result in a variability of the amount of aerosol generated over time as well as possible overheating of the tobacco sheets closest to the heater.

<CIT> describes a vaporization device having a body connected to a mouthpiece. The body comprises an oven chamber and a condensation chamber. The oven chamber has a first constricting valve arranged in a primary air inlet of the oven chamber and a second constricting valve arranged in an oven chamber outlet. The oven chamber is filled with a vapour forming medium such as tobacco. A heater is provided to heat the oven chamber. Prior to inhalation by a user, the vapour forming medium is heated in the oven chamber. During inhalation by a user, the first and second constricting valves are opened and air is drawn in through the primary air inlet of the oven chamber and vapour is drawn out of the oven chamber. The vapour passes into the condensation chamber before passing out of the mouthpiece.

It would be desirable to provide an aerosol-generating device which provides for a more reliable determination of the amount of aerosol generated. It would be desirable to provide an aerosol-generating device which would allow a user to more accurately control their consumption of aerosol, or one or more aerosol components, or their consumption of both aerosol and one or more aerosol components. It would be desirable to provide an aerosol-generating system which provides for a more reliable determination of the amount of aerosol generated. It would be desirable to provide an aerosol-generating system which would allow a user to more accurately control their consumption of aerosol or their consumption of one or more aerosol components. It would be desirable to provide a method for generating an aerosol, which method provides for a more reliable determination of the amount of aerosol generated. It would be desirable to provide method for generating an aerosol, which method would allow a user to more accurately control their consumption of aerosol or one or more aerosol components.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an aerosol-generating system comprising: an aerosol-generating article, the aerosol-generating article comprising a single metered-dose of an aerosol-forming substrate, the metered-dose comprising an amount of the aerosol-forming substrate sufficient for generating an amount of aerosol for only a single puff; an airflow pathway arranged between an air inlet and an air outlet; an aerosolisation chamber arranged at a location along the airflow pathway such that the airflow pathway passes through at least a portion of the aerosolisation chamber; and a flow controller for selectively controlling the flow of air through the airflow pathway, the flow controller having an open configuration in which air can flow into and out of the aerosolisation chamber and a closed configuration in which air is substantially blocked from flowing into and out of the aerosolisation chamber; wherein the aerosolisation chamber is configured to receive only one aerosol-generating article at a time; the system further comprising a heating element arranged to heat the aerosol-generating article within the aerosolisation chamber; wherein the aerosol-generating system is configured to heat the aerosol-generating article only when the flow controller is in the closed configuration.

As used herein, the term 'aerosol-generating system' relates to a system that interacts with an aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol.

As used herein, the term 'aerosol-generating article' relates to an article comprising an aerosol forming substrate. Optionally, the aerosol-generating article may also comprise one or more further components, such as a carrier material, wrapper, etc..

As used herein, the term "metered-dose" refers to an aerosol-generating article which has a measured or predetermined amount of an aerosol-forming substrate. The metered dose corresponds to a dose of aerosol-forming substrate to be delivered to a user during a single inhalation or puff. The metered dose of aerosol-forming substrate includes a component or components required to generate an aerosol. For example, the metered dose may comprise a predetermined amount of tobacco or nicotine or a flavourant or a combination of these. The metered dose may also comprise an aerosol-former.

As used herein, the term 'aerosol-forming substrate' relates to a substrate capable of releasing one or more volatile compounds that can form an aerosol. Such volatile compounds may be released by heating the aerosol-forming substrate. An aerosol-forming substrate may conveniently be part of an aerosol-generating device or system.

The system allows a user to accurately determine and control the dose of aerosol-forming substrate that can be administered. Each aerosol-generating article comprises a single metered-dose of an aerosol-forming substrate. When the user uses the device, the user knows how much aerosol-forming substrate the aerosol-generating article comprises and therefore how much aerosol or how much of one or more aerosol components they receive. The amount of aerosol generated and hence the aerosol components is fixed by the aerosol-generating article having a metered-dose or predetermined amount of aerosol-forming substrate.

The aerosol-generating article is a single-use article. As used herein, the term 'single-use' refers to an aerosol-generating article which is configured to be used for only a single puff or inhalation before being discarded. Each time a user takes a puff or inhales via the aerosol-generating system, a fresh aerosol-generating article is used. This provides for highly repeatable generation of aerosol and reduces the variability in aerosol generation which may be encountered over successive uses of a multiple-use aerosol-generating article, that is an aerosol-generating article having sufficient aerosol-forming substrate for more than one use.

When using a multiple-use aerosol-generating article, there may be variability in the amount of aerosol a user may take over successive uses of the article. However, when using the system of the invention, for each use or puff, the user can only take a dose of aerosol components up to the metered-dose of aerosol-forming substrate provided by the aerosol-generating article. In other words, the maximum dose that a user can receive per use or puff is determined by the metered-dose of aerosol-forming substrate. Even if the user attempts to use the aerosol-generating article a second time, the maximum dose is still limited to the metered-dose of aerosol-forming substrate.

The system also has a flow controller which has a closed configuration to substantially block or inhibit air from entering or leaving the aerosolisation chamber during heating. The flow controller may inhibit generated aerosol from leaking out of the aerosolisation chamber during heating. The system therefore heats the aerosol-generating article in a closed system until the aerosol-forming substrate has been aerosolised. Consequently, when the system is ready for a user to take a puff, the user knows how much aerosol or aerosol components they are going to receive. Furthermore, since the aerosol-generating article is a single-use article and the aerosol generated can be consumed with a single puff, any leakage of aerosol which may otherwise occur between puffs, for example, with a multiple-use aerosol-generating article, may be reduced. This provides improved insight and further control over the amount of aerosol and aerosol components being consumed. Once used, the single-use aerosol-generating article can then be discarded and replaced with a fresh article.

The aerosol-generating system may be configured to heat the aerosolisation chamber when an aerosol-generating article is received within the aerosolisation chamber such that substantially all of the aerosol-generating substrate is aerosolised. As used herein, the term "substantially all" is intended to mean that at least <NUM> percent of the aerosol-forming substrate is aerosolised, more particularly at least <NUM> percent of the aerosol-forming substrate is aerosolised, more particularly at least <NUM> percent of the aerosol-forming substrate is aerosolised and yet more particularly at least <NUM> percent of the aerosol-forming substrate is aerosolised.

The aerosolisation chamber may be configured to open to receive the aerosol-generating article. The aerosolisation chamber may be configured to close to contain the aerosol-generating article. Closing the aerosolisation chamber also assists in retaining generated aerosol in the aerosolisation chamber during heating until a user is ready to take a puff.

The aerosolisation chamber is configured to receive only one single-use aerosol-generating article at a time. The aerosolisation chamber may be configured to receive only one single-use aerosol-generating article at a time by being sized, shaped or dimensioned to accommodate only one aerosol-generating article. For example, in the case of a substantially spherical aerosol-generating article such as a spherical bead or pellet, the dimensions of the aerosolisation chamber may be less than <NUM> times the diameter of the aerosol-generating article and more particularly less than <NUM> times the diameter of the aerosol-generating article. This would prevent more than one article from being placed in the aerosolisation chamber because if there was already an article in the aerosolisation chamber there would be insufficient space to insert another. The shape, size or dimension relationship between the aerosol-generating article and the aerosol-generating system may also permit air to flow around the article in the aerosolisation chamber. This may cause some movement of the aerosol-generating article within the aerosolisation chamber. This may provide effective entrainment of the aerosol within the moving airflow. The moving aerosol-generating article may also generate sound as it moves or "rattles" within the aerosolisation chamber. This may provide audible feedback to a user that air is flowing through the aerosolisation chamber as they are taking a puff or inhaling.

Alternatively, the aerosolisation chamber may be configured to receive only one single-use aerosol-generating article at a time by having a sensor to detect the number of aerosol-generating articles in the aerosolisation chamber. The sensor may comprise, for example, a capacitive sensor or an inductive sensor for respectively detecting the different electric or electromagnetic fields created by there being more than one article in the aerosolisation chamber. Optionally, the aerosol-generating system may comprise one or more counters for counting the number of articles entering the aerosolisation chamber and the number of articles leaving the aerosolisation chamber. Such counters could be incremented by a signal generated by activating a sensor, such as microswitch or light sensor. Control circuitry may be configured to deactivate or disable the aerosol-generating system if it detects more than one aerosol-generating article in the aerosolisation chamber until the number of articles is reduced to one.

Alternatively, aerosolisation chamber may be configured to receive only one single-use aerosol-generating article at a time by a delivery mechanism which only allows one article to be delivered to the aerosolisation chamber at a time, for example by always ejecting a used article prior to inserting a new one or by ejecting a used article as part of the step of inserting a new article.

The cross-sectional area of the aerosol-generating article may be less than a cross-sectional area of the aerosolisation chamber. This may enable air can flow around the aerosol-generating article and through the aerosolisation chamber. Here, cross-sectional area is taken as being the cross-sectional area of the aerosol-generating article or the aerosolisation chamber in a plane perpendicular to the average direction of airflow through the aerosolisation chamber. In the aerosolisation chamber, the average direction of airflow is generally a substantially straight-line between the points at which the airflow pathway enters and exits the aerosolisation chamber.

In the case of a substantially spherical aerosol-generating article such as a spherical bead or pellet, at least one cross-sectional dimension of the aerosolisation chamber, in a direction perpendicular to the average direction of airflow through the aerosolisation chamber, may be larger than the diameter of the aerosol-generating article such that air can flow around the aerosol-generating article and through the aerosolisation chamber. This also allows the article to move around within chamber, which helps to entrain the aerosol in the airflow. Such movement may make a noise which would provide audible feedback, such as a rattling noise, to a user that air is flowing through the aerosolisation chamber.

The cross-sectional area of the aerosol-generating article may be between about <NUM> percent and <NUM> percent of the cross-sectional area of the aerosolisation chamber. This has been found to be a suitable range for allowing air to flow around the aerosol-generating article and through the aerosolisation chamber. It also allows sufficient movement of the article within the aerosolisation chamber.

The aerosolisation chamber may comprise an aperture through which an aerosol-generating article can be loaded into the aerosolisation chamber, the system further comprising a closure for closing the aperture during heating of the aerosol-generating article. This arrangement allows an aerosol-generating article to be inserted into the aerosolisation chamber and the closure prevents any aerosol escaping from the aerosolisation chamber until a user is ready to take a puff or inhalation.

The system may further comprise a delivery mechanism for delivering an aerosol-generating article into the aerosolisation chamber. The delivery mechanism may engage or encompass at least one aperture formed in the aerosolisation chamber. The delivery mechanism may allow an aerosol-generating article to be delivered to the aerosolisation chamber. The delivery mechanism may eject a used article prior to, or at the same time as, inserting a fresh article into the aerosolisation chamber. The delivery mechanism may comprise a drawer mechanism. The delivery mechanism may comprise a slider mechanism. The drawer mechanism and slider mechanism may comprise resiliently biased doors.

In the case where the aerosol-generating article comprises a sheet or a strip of absorbent carrier material coated with or impregnated with aerosol-forming substrate (as described below) , the delivery mechanism may, in some embodiments, comprise a suitably shallow drawer mechanism or a slide for gripping the aerosol-generating article by at least one of it edges.

The aerosol-generating system may comprise a guard for preventing the aerosol-generating article from leaving or escaping from the aerosolisation chamber via the airflow pathway. The guard may prevent the aerosol-generating article from leaving the aerosolisation chamber both prior to heating and after heating. In other words, the guard may prevent the aerosol-generating article from leaving the aerosolisation chamber both in the preheated or pre-aerosolised state of the aerosol-generating article and in the post-heated or post-aerosolised state of the aerosol-generating article. The dimensions of the aerosol-generating article may be smaller in the post-heated state due to the loss of aerosol-forming substrate. For example, in embodiments where the aerosol-generating article is a substantially spherical bead comprising a core coated with aerosol-forming substrate (as described below), the guard may be configured to prevent both the bead and the core from leaving the aerosolisation chamber via the airflow pathway.

Optionally, the guard may comprise a reduction in the cross-sectional area of the airflow pathway at the point the aerosolisation chamber is joined to the remainder of the airflow pathway. That is, the cross-sectional area of the airflow pathway outside of the aerosolisation chamber may be smaller than the cross-sectional area of the aerosolisation chamber. In some embodiments, the airflow pathway may have a constriction at the point the aerosolisation chamber is joined to the remainder of the airflow pathway. In the case of a spherical aerosol-generating article, at least one cross-sectional dimension of the airflow pathway outside the aerosolisation chamber may, in some embodiments, be smaller than a diameter of the aerosol-generating article. This may prevent the aerosol-generating article from leaving the aerosolisation chamber via the airflow pathway The cross-sectional dimension may be a cross-sectional dimension in a direction perpendicular to the average direction of airflow through the airflow pathway.

Optionally, the guard may comprise a guard member arranged across at least a portion of the airflow pathway. For example, the guard may comprise a mesh, a plate having at least one hole formed therethrough, a baffle, a hook, a protrusion or another suitable physical obstruction to prevent the aerosol-generating article from leaving the aerosolisation chamber.

Clearly it is more important to have a guard at the downstream side of the aerosolisation chamber to prevent the aerosol-generating article from entering the downstream portion of the airflow pathway and being inhaled by a user via a mouthpiece arranged at the air outlet. However, a guard may be arranged on both the upstream and downstream sides of the aerosolisation chamber to prevent the aerosol-generating article from passing into the upstream and downstream portions of the airflow pathway.

The system may further comprise a storage unit for storing a plurality of aerosol-generating articles. The storage unit may comprise a blister pack or a reservoir. The storage unit may be integral to an aerosol-generating device or may be separate to the device for use within the aerosol-generating system.

The storage unit may comprise an injector-type dispenser or pen for storing and dispensing aerosol-generating articles. In some embodiments, the dispenser may comprise: a housing defining an exit orifice. A rod may be at least partially disposed within the housing. The rod may have an engagement face at a first end. The engagement face may be for engaging an aerosol-generating article. The rod may be movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The retracted position may be a position in which the engagement face of the rod is fully disposed within the housing. The extended position may be a position in which the engagement face of the rod is disposed outside the housing. When the rod is moved between the retracted position and the extended position, the engagement face of the rod may pass through the exit orifice. The dispenser may comprise a loading zone for accommodating a single aerosol-generating article when the rod is in the retracted position. The loading zone may be disposed between the exit orifice and the engagement face of the rod when the rod is in the retracted position. Optionally, the injector-type dispenser may be part of an aerosol-generating device. Optionally, the injector-type dispenser may be releasably engageable with the aerosol-generating device.

The aerosol-generating article may have a central symmetry. This allows a repeatable amount of aerosol to be generated regardless of the article's position in an aerosolisation chamber. The shape of the aerosol-generating article may also permit air to flow around the article in the aerosolisation chamber and some movement within the aerosolisation chamber. This provides effective entrainment of the aerosol within the moving airflow. The moving article may also generate sound as it moves or "rattles" within the aerosolisation chamber which may provide audible feedback to a user that air is flowing through the aerosolisation chamber as they are taking a puff or inhaling.

The aerosol-generating article may comprise a substantially spherical or ball-shaped bead or pellet. However, the article may have other suitable shapes, for example, a lozengeshape or a cuboid or a cube shape.

The aerosol-generating article may comprise a core coated with an aerosol-forming substrate. For example, the core may comprise a substantially spherical bead or pellet. The core may be made from a heat-resistant material. The core may be made from an inert material. The core may be made from both a heat-resistant and an inert material. As used herein, the term "heat-resistant" refers to a core material which can be heated to the aerosolisation temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate without undergoing any appreciable structural change or other adverse transformation. The aerosolisation temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate may be less than <NUM>. The aerosolisation temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate may be less than <NUM>. The aerosolisation temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate may be less than <NUM>. The aerosolisation temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate may be less than <NUM>. The aerosolisation temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate may be less than <NUM>. The term "inert" is taken to mean that the core material can be heated to the aerosolisation temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate without undergoing any appreciable chemical change or releasing unwanted by-products. The core may be formed from glass, metallic or a ceramic material. For example, the core may comprise a glass sphere. Preferably, the core material is smooth and non-permeable or non-porous so that the aerosol-forming substrate is only located on the surface of the core. This makes it easier to accurately control the amount of aerosol-forming substrate deposited on the surface of the core and reduces variability between beads. Furthermore, an impermeable or non-porous core means that air does not enter the core and can only flow around the outside of the core rather than through it. This helps to reduce variability in the amount of generated aerosol caused by, for example, the air carrying the aerosol leaving a portion of the aerosol inside the core or condensation of the aerosol forming in cooler internal parts of the core. Preferably, the core material is not fibrous.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating article may be configured for inductive heating (as will be described in more detail below). In the case of aerosol-generating articles intended for inductive heating, in some embodiments, the core material may comprise a susceptor material. The term "susceptor" is used herein to refer to a material that is capable of being inductively heated. That is, a susceptor material is capable of absorbing electromagnetic energy and converting it to heat. The susceptor material may comprise a ferromagnetic material. The susceptor material may comprise a ferrite material. The susceptor material may comprise a metallic material. The susceptor material may comprise at least one of ferritic iron, ferromagnetic steel, stainless steel, and aluminium.

In embodiments in which the susceptor material comprises stainless steel, the susceptor material may, in some embodiments, comprise at least one <NUM> series stainless steel. Suitable <NUM> series stainless steels include grade <NUM>, grade <NUM>, and grade <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the core may be only partially covered with an aerosol-forming substrate. For example, the core may be coated with patches of aerosol-forming substrate. In some embodiments, the core may be completely coated with an aerosol-forming substrate. The coating of aerosol-forming substrate on the core may have a substantially uniform thickness. The coating of aerosol-forming substrate may be provided having a predetermined thickness. The thickness of the aerosol-forming substrate may range from <NUM> to <NUM>.

The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise a solid. The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise a liquid. The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise a gel. The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise any combination of two or more of a solid, a liquid and a gel.

The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise nicotine, a nicotine derivative or a nicotine analogue. The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise one or more nicotine salt. The one or more nicotine salt may be selected from the list consisting of nicotine citrate, nicotine lactate, nicotine pyruvate, nicotine bitartrate, nicotine pectates, nicotine aginates, and nicotine salicylate.

The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise an aerosol former. As used herein, an "aerosol former" is any suitable known compound or mixture of compounds that, in use, facilitates formation of a dense and stable aerosol and that is substantially resistant to thermal degradation at the operating temperature of the aerosol-generating article. Suitable aerosolformers are well known in the art and include, but are not limited to: polyhydric alcohols, such as triethylene glycol, <NUM>,<NUM>-butanediol and glycerine; esters of polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol mono-, di- or triacetate; and aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. Preferred aerosol formers are polyhydric alcohols or mixtures thereof, such as triethylene glycol, <NUM>,<NUM>-butanediol and glycerine.

The aerosol-forming substrate may further comprise a flavourant. The flavourant may comprise a volatile flavour component. The flavourant may comprise menthol. As used herein, the term 'menthol' denotes the compound <NUM>-isopropyl-<NUM>-methylcyclohexanol in any of its isomeric forms. The flavourant may provide a flavour selected from the group consisting of menthol, lemon, vanilla, orange, wintergreen, cherry, and cinnamon. The flavourant may comprise volatile tobacco flavour compounds which are released from the substrate upon heating.

The aerosol-forming substrate may further comprise tobacco or a tobacco containing material. For example, the aerosol-forming substrate may comprise any of: tobacco leaf, fragments of tobacco ribs, reconstituted tobacco, homogenised tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco slurry, cast leaf tobacco and expanded tobacco. Optionally, the aerosol-forming substrate may comprise tobacco powder compressed with an inert material, for example, glass or ceramic or another suitable inert material.

In cases where the aerosol-forming substrate comprises a liquid or a gel, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating article may comprise an absorbent carrier. The aerosol-forming substrate may be coated on or impregnated into the absorbent carrier. For example, the nicotine compound and the aerosol-former may be combined with water as a liquid formulation. The liquid formulation may, in some embodiments, further comprise a flavourant. Such a liquid formulation may then be absorbed by the absorbent carrier or coated onto the surface of the carrier. The absorbent carrier may be a sheet of cellulosic-based material onto which the nicotine compound and the aerosol former may be coated or absorbed. For example, the absorbent carrier may be a sheet or strip of paper.

The aerosol-generating article may comprise an amount of aerosol-forming substrate sufficient for generating an amount of aerosol for only a single puff or inhalation or dose. An average puff volume for an adult user will depend on the type of device and aerosol-generating article being used but is typically in the range of about <NUM> to <NUM>. Optionally, the aerosol-forming substrate may comprise about <NUM> to <NUM> of tobacco, more particularly about <NUM> to <NUM> of tobacco, more particularly about <NUM> to <NUM> of tobacco and yet more particularly about <NUM> to <NUM> of tobacco. Optionally, the aerosol-forming substrate may comprise about <NUM> to <NUM>µg, more particularly about <NUM> to <NUM>µg, and yet more particularly about <NUM>µg, of nicotine, a nicotine derivative or a nicotine analogue. Optionally, the aerosol-forming substrate may comprise about <NUM> to <NUM>% aerosol-former by weight. Optionally, the aerosol-forming substrate may comprise about <NUM> to <NUM>µg and more particularly about <NUM> to <NUM>µg of aerosol former. These have been found to be suitable amounts of tobacco, nicotine and aerosol-former respectively for a single puff or inhalation or dose. In the case of an aerosol-generating article comprising an absorbent carrier such as paper, the paper may be perforated or marked to indicate to a user a quantity equivalent to a single puff or inhalation or individual doses.

The aerosol-generating article may comprise a plurality of particles compressed into a bead or pellet, the bead or pellet being configured to disintegrate upon heating to a predetermined temperature in order to release aerosol from the plurality of particles. The plurality of particles may be held together by a binder which melts, or otherwise loses its binding properties, at a predetermined temperature. The particles may have a known distribution of shapes, sizes and materials such that, within a single bead or pellet, there is statistically consistent and homogeneous distribution of the particles from one pellet to another. As a result, the parameters of the pellet, for example, overall shape, size and surface area, will be consistent from one pellet to another. The plurality of particles may comprise particles of tobacco and an inert material.

There may be different categories of aerosol-generating article, each providing a different user experience. For example, the different categories may comprise articles having different recipes or compositions of aerosol-forming substrates, different concentrations of nicotine or other components and different quantities or thicknesses of aerosol-forming substrate. Aerosol-generating articles belonging to the same category may have the same shape, size or colour to make them identifiable to a user or to an aerosol-generating system or device. An aerosol-generating system or device may be configured to only accept a certain category of aerosol-generating article, for example, by having a delivery aperture or mechanism which only accepts a certain size or shape of article. Alternatively, an aerosol-generating system or device may be configured to determine the category of aerosol-generating article which has been inserted into the system or device, for example, by using a sensor for detecting the shape, size or colour of the article. The aerosol-generating system or device may store a set of heating programs or regimes corresponding to the category of article which has been inserted. Upon detecting the category of article, the aerosol-generating system or device may be configured to execute the heating program or regime corresponding to the type of article which has been inserted.

The flow controller may comprise any suitable device for controlling the flow of air through the airflow pathway. For example, the flow controller may comprise a valve such as a gate valve, an aperture valve, a butterfly valve, a flap valve, a piston valve, a solenoid valve or any other suitable valve. The flow controller may comprise a pair of control members each of which comprising a portion of the airflow pathway. At least one of the members may be translatable or rotatable relative to the other member such that its portion of the airflow pathway can be brought into alignment with the portion of the airflow pathway of the other member when the flow controller is in an open configuration or moved out alignment with the portion of the airflow pathway of the other member when the flow controller is in a closed configuration. The flow controller may be manually operable or electrically operable.

The heating element may comprise an electrically resistive heating element. The heating element may comprise an electrically resistive material. Suitable electrically resistive materials include but are not limited to: semiconductors such as doped ceramics, electrically "conductive" ceramics (such as, for example, molybdenum disilicide), carbon, graphite, metals, metal alloys and composite materials made of a ceramic material and a metallic material. Such composite materials may comprise doped or undoped ceramics. Examples of suitable doped ceramics include doped silicon carbides. Examples of suitable metals include titanium, zirconium, tantalum platinum, gold and silver. Examples of suitable metal alloys include stainless steel, nickel-, cobalt-, chromium-, aluminium- titanium- zirconium-, hafnium, niobium-, molybdenum-, tantalum-, tungsten-, tin-, gallium-, manganese-, gold- and ironcontaining alloys, and super-alloys based on nickel, iron, cobalt, stainless steel, Timetai® and iron-manganese-aluminium based alloys. In composite materials, the electrically resistive material may optionally be embedded in, encapsulated or coated with an insulating material or vice-versa, depending on the kinetics of energy transfer and the external physicochemical properties required.

The heating element may be an inductive heating element. For example, in some embodiments, the heating element may be a heating element which is heatable by being placed within a time-varying electromagnetic field, for example, a high-frequency alternating electromagnetic field. The inductive heating element may comprise a susceptor material. The heating element may be part of the aerosol-generating system. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosolisation chamber may be at least partially lined or coated with a susceptor material. The heating element may be part of the aerosol-generating article. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating article may comprise an inductive heating element by comprising a susceptor material. The susceptor material may be incorporated into the aerosol-generating articles in any number of ways. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating article may comprise a core comprising a susceptor material. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming substrate may comprise susceptor particles, strips, ribbons, shreds, pellets or beads. In some embodiments, the heating element may be part of both the aerosol-generating system and the aerosol-generating article.

The susceptor material may comprise a ferromagnetic material. The susceptor material may comprise a ferrite material. The susceptor material may comprise a metallic material. The susceptor material may comprise at least one of ferritic iron, ferromagnetic steel, stainless steel, and aluminium. Different materials will generate different amounts of heat when positioned within electromagnetic fields having similar values of frequency and field strength. Therefore, the susceptor material may be selected to provide a desired power dissipation within a known electromagnetic field. In some embodiments, the susceptor material may be heated by means of an electromagnetic coil provided by the aerosol-generating system, the magnetic coil arranged around the aerosolisation chamber.

The heating element may be arranged within the aerosolisation chamber. For example, in some embodiments, the heating element may extend into the aerosolisation chamber or be arranged on an internal surface of the aerosolisation chamber. In some embodiments, the heating element may be formed as a track of electrically resistive material on an internal surface of the aerosolisation chamber. In some embodiments, the heating element may comprise an inductive heating element arranged within the aerosolisation chamber which is heated by an electromagnetic coil arranged around the aerosolisation chamber.

The heating element may be arranged outside of the aerosolisation chamber. For example, the heating element may comprise a resistive heating coil arranged around the aerosolisation chamber.

The heating element may form part of the aerosolisation chamber. For example, the heating element may be integrated into the walls of the aerosolisation chamber or the walls of the aerosolisation chamber may comprise an electrically resistive metallic container.

The aerosol-generating system may comprise a plurality of heating elements.

The aerosol-generating system may comprise insulation provided around the aerosolisation chamber. The insulation may comprise vacuum insulation or an aerogel. The insulation may be U-shaped to provide space for the pellet to be inserted and ejected.

There is also described herein an aerosol-generating device for use in the aerosol-generating system described above. The aerosol-generating device may be configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating article. The aerosol-generating article may comprise a single metered dose of an aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-generating device may comprise an airflow pathway arranged between an air inlet and an air outlet. The aerosol-generating device may comprise an aerosolisation chamber arranged at a location along the airflow pathway such that the airflow pathway passes through at least a portion of the aerosolisation chamber. The aerosol-generating device may comprise a flow controller for selectively controlling the flow of air through the airflow pathway. The flow controller may have an open configuration and a closed configuration. The open configuration of the flow controller may be a configuration in which air can flow into and out of the aerosolisation chamber. The closed configuration of the flow controller may be a configuration in which air is substantially prevented or blocked from flowing into and out of the aerosolisation chamber. The aerosolisation chamber may be configured to receive only one aerosol-generating article at a time. The aerosol-generating device may comprise a heating element. The heating element may be arranged to heat the aerosolisation chamber when an aerosol-generating article is received within the aerosolisation chamber. The aerosol-generating device may be configured to heat the aerosolisation chamber containing an aerosol-generating article only when the flow controller is in the closed configuration.

The device may comprise a housing for housing the aerosolisation chamber, a heating element, airflow pathway and flow controller. The housing may comprise a main body portion. The housing may comprise a mouthpiece portion. The air inlet may be arranged at a point along a length of the housing. The air outlet may be arranged at a mouth end of the mouthpiece portion. In this way a user may be able to puff or inhale on an aerosol via the air outlet, which may be formed at or in the mouthpiece portion. The mouthpiece portion may be separable from the main body portion.

The aerosol-generating device may comprise an electrical power source. The aerosol-generating device may comprise control circuitry. The main body portion may comprise the electrical power source. The main body portion may comprise the control circuitry. The control circuity may be configured to control the supply of power to the heating element from the power source. The control circuitry may comprise a microprocessor. The microprocessor may be a programmable microprocessor, a microcontroller, or an application specific integrated chip (ASIC) or other electronic circuitry capable of providing control. The control circuitry may comprise further electronic components. For example, in some embodiments, the control circuitry may comprise any of: sensors, switches, display elements. Power may be supplied to the heating element for the duration of a puff either continuously or in the form of pulses of electrical current. The power source may be a battery. The battery may be a lithium iron phosphate battery, within the device. As an alternative, the power source may be another form of charge storage device such as a capacitor.

In some embodiments, the device may further comprise a sensor located within, or in proximity to, the aerosolisation chamber for monitoring the temperature of the aerosolisation chamber or heating element. In some embodiments, the control circuitry may monitor the temperature of the heating element. In some embodiments, the control circuitry may monitor the temperature of the heating element by determining the electrical resistance of the heating element, which resistance being related to the temperature of the heating element. The relationship between resistance and temperature may be defined in an algorithm. The relationship between resistance and temperature mat be defined in a look-up table stored in a memory of the control circuitry.

The device may comprise a sensor for detecting a puff. The sensor may comprise a flow detector arranged in a secondary airflow pathway. The secondary airflow pathway may have a smaller cross-section than the airflow pathway flowing through the aerosolisation chamber. The airflow pathway through the aerosolisation chamber may be referred to as the primary airflow pathway. In some embodiments, the sensor may comprise a capacitive sensor. The capacitive sensor may be arranged in the proximity of the mouthpiece of the device. The capacitive sensor may be configured to detect when a user contacts the mouthpiece with their lips.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of generating an aerosol, wherein the method is configured to generate the aerosol from an aerosol-generating article, the aerosol-generating article comprising a single metered-dose of an aerosol-forming substrate, the metered-dose comprising an amount of the aerosol-forming substrate sufficient for generating an amount of aerosol for only a single puff; the method comprising: providing an airflow pathway between an air inlet and an air outlet; providing an aerosolisation chamber arranged at a location along the airflow pathway such that the airflow pathway passes through at least a portion of the aerosolisation chamber; placing one aerosol-generating article within the aerosolisation chamber; closing the airflow pathway to substantially prevent or block air from flowing into and out of the aerosolisation chamber; heating the aerosolisation chamber containing the aerosol-generating article such that the aerosol-generating substrate is aerosolised whilst the airflow pathway is closed; opening the airflow pathway such that a user can puff on the generated aerosol via the air outlet.

The method may comprise raising the temperature within the aerosolisation chamber to a predetermined temperature prior to placing the aerosol-generating article within the aerosolisation chamber. This allows any variability in the starting temperature of the aerosolisation chamber to be reduced when the aerosol-generating article is inserted. Such variability may be caused by performing the method in different ambient temperatures, for example, indoors as opposed to outdoors or global variation in climate. The predetermined temperature may be an aerosolisation temperature. Preferably, the aerosolisation temperature is between <NUM> and <NUM> inclusive and the temperature to be used may depend on the type of aerosol-forming substrate and a user's taste preferences. The aerosol-generating system or device may be configured so that a user could control the aerosolisation temperature depending on their taste preferences.

In some embodiments, the method comprises raising the temperature within the aerosolisation chamber to a first predetermined temperature. The first predetermined temperature may be a temperature lower than an aerosolisation temperature used to aerosolise the aerosol-forming substrate. The first predetermined temperature may be a temperature higher than a maximum ambient temperature typically encountered. For example, in some embodiments, the first predetermined temperature may be within the range <NUM> to <NUM>. In some embodiments, the first predetermined temperature may be within the range <NUM> to <NUM>. In some embodiments, the first predetermined temperature may be within the range <NUM> to <NUM>. In some embodiments, the first predetermined temperature may be within the range <NUM> to <NUM>. In some embodiments, the first predetermined temperature may be within the range <NUM> to <NUM>. The method may comprise raising the temperature within the aerosolisation chamber to a second predetermined temperature. The second predetermined temperature may be an aerosolisation temperature for aerosolising the aerosol-forming substrate. The method may comprise raising the aerosolisation chamber to the second predetermined temperature in response to a signal indicative of an event. The event may be insertion of an aerosol-generating article. The event may be a user pressing a button to signal to the device that they wish to start puffing. The event may be the detection of contact between a mouthpiece and the user's mouth. The event may be detection of a puff. The event may be detection of a start of a puff.

In some embodiments, instead of heating the aerosolisation chamber to a predetermined temperature, the method could detect the starting temperature of the aerosolisation chamber, for example, using a temperature sensor and account for any deviation from an ideal starting temperature as part of the heating process. An algorithm to account for such deviations could be stored in a memory, for example, in a microcontroller forming part of the control circuitry.

Features described in relation to one or more aspects may equally be applied to other aspects of the invention. In particular, features described in relation to the aerosol-generating system may be equally applied to the method of generating an aerosol and vice versa.

<FIG> shows a cross-sectional view through an aerosol-generating article for use in an aerosol-generating system or device. The aerosol-generating article comprises a substantially spherical or ball-shaped bead or pellet <NUM> having a core <NUM> which is coated with an aerosol-forming substrate <NUM>. The core <NUM> is made from glass which is an inert material and therefore does not produce unwanted by-products when the bead <NUM> is heated. Glass also has a high melting temperature and therefore is able to withstand the temperatures (generally less than <NUM>) typically encountered during heating without losing its structural integrity. The glass core <NUM> is also smooth and impermeable or non-porous so that the aerosol-forming substrate <NUM> is only located on its surface. This makes it easier to accurately control the amount of aerosol-forming substrate <NUM> being deposited on the surface of the core <NUM> and reduces variability between beads.

Being substantially spherical, the bead <NUM> has a central symmetry which results in a repeatable amount of aerosol being generated regardless of the bead's position in an aerosolisation chamber. A spherical shape also permits movement within the aerosolisation chamber. Furthermore, an impermeable or non-porous core means that air can only flow around the outside of the bead <NUM> rather than through it. This helps to reduce variability in the amount of generated aerosol caused by, for example, the air carrying the aerosol leaving a portion of the aerosol inside the pellet or condensation of the aerosol in cooler internal parts of the bead <NUM>.

Other suitable materials for the core <NUM> could be used, for example, a ceramic or a thermosetting plastic. For aerosol-generating articles which are intended to be inductively heated, the core <NUM> could comprise a susceptor material, such as stainless steel.

The bead <NUM> is a single-use aerosol-generating article and comprises a metered-dose of aerosol-forming substrate <NUM>. The metered-dose constitutes an amount of aerosol-forming substrate <NUM> sufficient for generating an amount of aerosol for only a single puff or inhalation. The aerosol-forming substrate <NUM> comprises <NUM>µg of nicotine, which has been found to be an amount of nicotine suitable for only a single puff. During a typical session, a user may take <NUM> to <NUM> puffs on an aerosol-generating device and therefore will use <NUM> to <NUM> beads <NUM> and receive approximately <NUM> to <NUM> of nicotine. However, a user does not need to use each of the <NUM> to <NUM> beads during a single session but can simply take puffs as and when desired to take a metered-dose. In the described embodiment, the aerosol-forming substrate <NUM> comprises: <NUM>% to <NUM>% cellulose (dry weight basis); <NUM>% carboxymethyl cellulose; <NUM>% fibre; <NUM>% glycerine and <NUM>% nicotine lactate.

The aerosol-forming substrate <NUM> is formed as a slurry and coated around the glass core <NUM> before being cured. The bead <NUM> is approximately <NUM> in overall diameter with the core <NUM> having a diameter of around <NUM> to <NUM> and the aerosol-forming substrate <NUM> having a thickness of approximately <NUM> to <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a side perspective view of another aerosol-generating article <NUM> for use in an aerosol-generating system or device. The aerosol-generating article <NUM> comprises a length of paper strip <NUM> which is spooled on to a reel <NUM>. The paper strip <NUM> acts as an absorbent carrier material which is impregnated with a liquid or gel aerosol-forming substrate (not shown). The paper strip <NUM> is provided with a series of markings or perforations <NUM> across its width at regularly spaced apart intervals to define a series of paper sections <NUM>. Each paper section <NUM> contains an amount of aerosol-forming substrate sufficient for generating an amount of aerosol for only a single puff. In use, a user can tear off one paper section <NUM> at the next set of markings or perforations <NUM> and insert the paper section <NUM> into an aerosol-generating device or system to generate an aerosol for a single puff. The aerosol-forming substrate comprises a nicotine salt and an aerosol-former. The reel <NUM> comprises a cover (not shown) for covering the reel <NUM> when not in use to prevent evaporation or degradation of the aerosol-forming substrate.

<FIG> shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of an aerosol-generating device <NUM> comprising a housing <NUM> having a main body portion 102a and a mouthpiece portion 102b. The main body portion 102a comprises a battery <NUM>, which acts a power source, and control circuitry <NUM> for controlling the operation of the device <NUM>. The mouthpiece portion 102b comprises an air inlet <NUM> arranged in an upper part of the housing <NUM> and an air outlet <NUM> arranged in a mouthpiece <NUM> at a mouth-end of the mouthpiece portion 102b. An airflow pathway <NUM> is arranged between the air inlet <NUM> and the air outlet <NUM>. The airflow pathway is in the form a conduit or passage which passes through the mouthpiece portion 102b. An aerosolisation chamber <NUM> is arranged at a location along the airflow pathway <NUM>. At least a portion of the airflow pathway <NUM> passes through the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. In other words, the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> is part of the airflow pathway <NUM>.

In the described embodiment, a first heating element <NUM> is arranged in an upper part of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> and a second heating element <NUM> is arranged in a lower part of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. However, in some embodiments, the aerosolisation chamber could be heated by a single heating element which lines the walls of the aerosolisation chamber. The heating elements <NUM> and <NUM> are resistive heating elements and are electrically connected to the battery <NUM> via the control circuitry <NUM>. The heating elements <NUM> and <NUM> are arranged to heat an aerosol-generating article located within the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. The aerosolisation chamber <NUM> has an aperture or opening (not shown) so that the aerosolisation chamber can receive an aerosol-generating article. The opening can be closed to contain the aerosol-generating article. <FIG> shows a bead <NUM>, such as that illustrated in <FIG>, located within the aerosolisation chamber. The aerosolisation chamber <NUM> also comprises a temperature sensor (not shown) for determining the temperature within the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>.

The aerosol-generating device <NUM> further comprises a first valve <NUM> arranged at a point along the airflow pathway <NUM> upstream of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> and a second valve <NUM> arranged at a point along the airflow pathway <NUM> downstream of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. The valves <NUM> and <NUM> are electrically operated and are connected to and can be controlled by the control circuitry <NUM>. The valves <NUM> and <NUM> act as a flow controller for selectively controlling the flow of air through the airflow pathway <NUM>, in particular through the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. When valves <NUM> and <NUM> are open, air can flow into and out of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> and when valves <NUM> and <NUM> are closed air is substantially blocked from flowing into and out of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. The valves <NUM> and <NUM> are therefore able to isolate the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> such that the bead <NUM> can be heated in a closed system, that is aerosol is inhibited from leaking out of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> when the valves <NUM> and <NUM> are closed.

A switch <NUM> is provided to enable a user to indicate to the device <NUM> when they wish to take a puff. The switch <NUM> is arranged on an outer upper surface of the housing <NUM> and is connected to the controlled circuitry <NUM>. When the switch <NUM> is depressed, a signal is sent to the control circuitry <NUM> that the user wishes to take a puff. An indicator in the form of light emitting diode (LED) <NUM> is provided on an outer upper surface of the housing <NUM> to indicate to a user when aerosol has been generated in the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> and the device <NUM> is ready for a puff to be taken.

<FIG> shows a flow chart setting out a method 200a of generating an aerosol from a single use aerosol-generating article as described herein and in which the aerosol-generating article comprises a predetermined amount of an aerosol-forming substrate. The method may be performed by an aerosol-generating system or device as described herein.

The method starts at step S1, where a user requests a puff. A puff may be requested on demand, for example:.

Alternatively, the puff may be requested as part of a planned program, for example, as part of a medical program. In which case, when the scheduled time for a puff is reached, the method may indicate to the user, for example, using a visual or audible alert, and the user can decide whether to validate (or not) the start of the process, for example, by pressing a switch. In the device <NUM> of <FIG>, a puff is requested by pressing switch <NUM>.

The next step S2 is to close the airflow pathway. This substantially blocks air from flowing into and out of the aerosolisation chamber so that aerosol can be generated within the aerosolisation chamber to retain the aerosol until the user takes a puff. In the device <NUM> of <FIG>, this is achieved by closing valves <NUM> and <NUM>.

The next step S3 is to raise the temperature in the aerosolisation chamber to a predetermined temperature. In this embodiment, the predetermined temperature is the aerosolisation temperature required to aerosolise the aerosol-forming substrate. Preheating the aerosolisation chamber to the aerosolisation temperature allows any variability in the starting temperature of the aerosolisation chamber to be reduced when the aerosol-generating article is inserted. The aerosolisation temperature depends on the type of aerosol-forming substrate being used and also a user's taste preferences and in this embodiment is between <NUM> and <NUM> inclusive. An aerosol-generating system or device will know that type of aerosol-generating article it has to heat, either because it is adapted to heat a certain type of article or it will be able to determine the type of article which has been inserted into the aerosolisation chamber based on attributes of the article, such as its shape or colour or because a user has input such information, for example, via a user interface (not shown). It will therefore know the type of aerosol-forming substrate comprised in the article, the thickness of the aerosol-forming substrate on the core <NUM> or a carrier material and the geometry of the aerosol-generating article. The device can therefore determine to what aerosolisation temperature the device is required to heat the aerosol-generating article. Alternatively, a user can control the aerosolisation temperature via a user interface according to their taste preferences.

In the device <NUM> of <FIG>, the temperature sensor (not shown) located within the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> sends a signal to the control circuitry <NUM> that the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> has reached the aerosolisation temperature. The LED <NUM> may indicate that the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> has reached the aerosolisation temperature, for example, by flashing or displaying a certain colour. Once the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> has reached the aerosolisation temperature, it is ready to receive an aerosol-generating article such as bead <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. The device may prevent a bead from being inserted into the aerosolisation chamber until the aerosolisation temperature has been reached.

Step S3 is not essential to the method 200a of generating an aerosol. Instead of heating the aerosolisation chamber to a predetermined temperature, the method could detect the starting temperature of the aerosolisation chamber, for example, using the temperature sensor of the device <NUM> of <FIG>, and account for any deviation from an ideal starting temperature as part of the heating process, i.e. in step S5 discussed below. An algorithm to account for such deviations could be stored in a memory, for example, in a microcontroller forming part of the control circuitry <NUM> of the device <NUM> of <FIG>.

The next step S4 is to insert one aerosol-generating article into the aerosolisation chamber. Only one aerosol-generating article is inserted at a time and there is only one article in the aerosolisation chamber at any one time to deliver a single metered-dose. Therefore, an article is inserted into the aerosolisation chamber only after, or at the same time as, the previous expended article is evacuated from the aerosolisation chamber. A number of ways of inserting the aerosol-generating article are discussed below.

The next step S5 is to heat the aerosol-generating article for a predetermined amount of time in order to generate an aerosol. The aerosolisation temperature is already at the aerosolisation temperature. An aerosol-generating device will know that type of aerosol-generating article it has to heat, either because it is adapted to heat a certain type of article or it will be able to determine the type of article which has been inserted into the aerosolisation chamber based on attributes of the article, such as its shape or colour or because a user has input such information, for example, via a user interface (not shown). It will therefore know the type of aerosol-forming substrate comprised in the article, the thickness of the aerosol-forming substrate on the core <NUM> or a carrier material and the geometry of the aerosol-generating article. The device can therefore determine how long to heat the aerosol-generating article at the aerosolisation temperature to aerosolise the aerosol-forming substrate. Again, a heating algorithm or a look-up table containing heating parameters can be stored in a memory, for example, in a microcontroller forming part of the control circuitry <NUM> of the device <NUM> of <FIG>. The aerosol-generating article is heated such that substantially all the aerosol-forming substrate is aerosolised and so that a user knows how much aerosol and aerosol components they are receiving. Once all the aerosol-forming substrate has been aerosolised, the method has reached a point at which a puff can be taken.

The next step S6 is to provide an indication that a puff can be taken. By indicating to a user when they can take a puff, variability in the amount of aerosol deliverable to the user may be reduced because a user is prevented from taking a puff whilst the aerosol is still being generated. Indication can be provided by sending a visual or audible signal to the user or via some other signal, for example, haptic feedback. In the device <NUM> of <FIG>, the indication is provided by the LED <NUM>, for example, by changing from a flashing state to a continuous state or by changing colour, for example, from amber to green.

The next step S7 is to detect the start of the puff. The start of the puff could be detected in a number of different ways, for example:.

In the device <NUM> of <FIG>, the start of the puff is detected by a user pressing switch <NUM> following the indication being provided that a puff can be taken.

The next step S8 is to open the airflow pathway so that the generated aerosol can leave the aerosolisation chamber and a user can puff on the aerosol. In the device <NUM> of <FIG>, this is achieved by opening the valves <NUM> and <NUM>.

The next step S9 is to determine the end of the puff. The end of a puff can be determined by, for example:.

A puff sensor for detecting the end of a puff can be placed on the primary airflow pathway, i.e. the pathway flowing through the aerosolisation chamber, because this will be open whilst the puff is being taken. The puff sensor could monitor the flow of air drawn through the airflow pathway during a puff and any variation can be evaluated to determine whether the quantity of air drawn through the aerosolisation chamber during a puff was sufficient to take all the aerosol in the aerosolisation chamber. The amount of aerosol generated and any variation in the amount of aerosol taken can be stored in a memory, for example, in a memory of a microcontroller forming part of the control circuitry <NUM> of the device <NUM> of <FIG>, and provide information about the amount of aerosol and aerosol components received by a user.

The final step S10 in the method 200a is to evacuate the used aerosol-generating article and any remaining air or aerosol in the aerosolisation chamber. This could be achieved by, for example:.

Any remaining aerosol in the aerosolisation chamber could be expelled via the main airflow pathway or via a dedicated evacuation pathway. Any aerosol remaining in the aerosolisation chamber following a puff will cool and condense or its properties otherwise change undesirably. Therefore having a dedicated evacuation pathway could be useful to prevent the remaining aerosol contaminating the main airflow pathway.

<FIG> shows a flow chart setting out another method 200b of generating an aerosol from a single use aerosol-generating article as described herein and in which the aerosol-generating article comprises a predetermined amount of an aerosol-forming substrate. Again, the method may be performed by an aerosol-generating system or device as described herein.

In <FIG>, method steps S1, S2, S4 and S5 to S10 of method 200b are identical to the corresponding method steps set out in method 200a of <FIG>.

Method step S3 of method 200b involves raising the temperature in the aerosolisation chamber to a first predetermined temperature. The first predetermined temperature is lower than an aerosolisation temperature used to aerosolise the aerosol-forming substrate. The first predetermined temperature is higher than a maximum ambient temperature typically encountered. The predetermined temperature in the described embodiment is approximately <NUM>, although this can be varied as required. The first predetermined temperature is also generally higher than the temperature the aerosolisation chamber or heating elements reduce to following a heating cycle when they are not being supplied with power, i.e. due to heat loss between puffs. This allows any variability in the starting temperature of the aerosolisation chamber to be reduced when the aerosol-generating article is inserted. In the device <NUM> of <FIG>, the temperature sensor (not shown) located within the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> sends a signal to the control circuitry <NUM> that the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> has reached the first predetermined temperature. The LED <NUM> may indicate that the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> has reached the first predetermined temperature, for example, by flashing or displaying a certain colour. Once the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> has reached the predetermined temperature, it is ready to receive an aerosol-generating article such as bead <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. The device may prevent a bead from being inserted into the aerosolisation chamber until the first predetermined temperature is reached.

In step S4 of method 200b an aerosol-generating article is inserted into the aerosolisation chamber in the same way as in method 200a.

Method 200b of <FIG> then comprises an additional step compared to method 200a of <FIG>, that is step S4a which involves detecting the aerosol-generating article within the aerosolisation chamber. This may be done with a sensor, for example, a light sensor or micro-switch which is triggered as the aerosol-generating article is inserted.

Method 200b of <FIG> then comprises a further additional step S4b of raising the temperature within the aerosolisation chamber to a second predetermined temperature. The second predetermined temperature is the aerosolisation temperature required to aerosolise the aerosol-forming substrate. The determination of the aerosolisation temperature in method 200b is the same as for method 200a.

<FIG> is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> of the device <NUM> of <FIG>. As in <FIG>, an aerosol-generating article in the form the substantially spherical bead <NUM> of <FIG> is located in the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> between upper and lower heating elements <NUM> and <NUM>. The aerosolisation chamber <NUM> is sized to received only one bead <NUM>. Airflow pathway <NUM> enters the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> at the left of <FIG> and exits at the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> at the right of <FIG>. The cross-sectional area of the bead <NUM> in a plane perpendicular to the direction of airflow through airflow pathway <NUM> is less than the cross-sectional area of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> such that air can flow around the bead <NUM> and through the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. The smaller cross-sectional area of the bead <NUM> also allows the bead <NUM> to move with the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. Dashed arrows <NUM> in <FIG> schematically show an example airflow through the airflow pathway <NUM> and aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. Upon entering the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> via the airflow pathway, the airflow is diverted around the bead <NUM> before exiting the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> via the airflow pathway <NUM> along substantially the same line as it entered. The flow of air around the bead <NUM> causes the bead to move with the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. This creates a rattling sound which provides an audible indication to a user that air is flowing through the aerosolisation chamber. The movement of the bead <NUM> within the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> also helps to entrain the generated aerosol within the airflow <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the cross-sectional area of the airflow pathway <NUM> in a plane perpendicular to the direction of airflow through airflow pathway <NUM> is less than the cross-sectional area of the bead <NUM>. The height or diameter of the airflow pathway <NUM> is less than the diameter of the bead <NUM> and the diameter of the core <NUM> of the bead <NUM>. The reduced diameter of the airflow pathway <NUM> therefore acts as a guard which prevents the bead <NUM> from leaving the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> via the airflow pathway <NUM> both in the preheated and post-heated states of the bead <NUM>. The bead <NUM> and core <NUM> simply will not fit into the airflow pathway <NUM>. However, other forms of suitable guard may be used, for example, a physical member, such as a mesh, may be placed across at least a portion of the entrance and exit of the airflow pathway <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a schematic side view of the device <NUM> of <FIG>. The device <NUM> comprises an aperture <NUM> for delivering an aerosol-generating article into the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. The aperture <NUM> defines the opening of a conduit (not shown) which passes from aperture <NUM> to a similar aperture (not shown) in a side wall of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. The conduit allows communication between an exterior of the device <NUM> and the interior of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> so that an aerosol-generating article can be inserted into the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. The aperture <NUM> is circumscribed by a recessed rim <NUM> which is adapted to engage the end of an insertion device, such as the insertion pen shown in <FIG>. The aperture <NUM> is closed by a slidable closure <NUM> which can move back and forth, as denoted by the double ended arrow in <FIG>, between a closed position in which it closes aperture <NUM> and an open position in which the aperture <NUM> is available for inserting an aerosol-generating article. The closure <NUM> is biased towards the closed position by a spring (not shown). A similar aperture and closure (not shown) is provided on the opposing side of the device for allowing an aerosol-generating article to be removed from the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. When aerosol-generating article such as the bead <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> is inserted through aperture <NUM>, a used bead already in the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> would be pushed out of the opposing aperture such that only one bead can be present within the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> at any one time.

<FIG> shows a schematic side view of a device <NUM>. The features and principle of operation of the device <NUM> of <FIG> are the same as that of the device <NUM> of <FIG> with the exception that the device <NUM> has a drawer mechanism <NUM>, which can extend from the housing <NUM> of the device <NUM> for delivering an aerosol-generating article into the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>.

<FIG> are enlarged schematic cross-sectional views taken along the line A-A in <FIG> and show the drawer mechanism <NUM> in greater detail. <FIG> shows the drawer mechanism <NUM> in an open configuration. The drawer mechanism <NUM> comprises a drawer <NUM> having a base 362a and a drawer wall 362b extending substantially transversely to the base 362a at an outer end of the drawer <NUM>. The drawer wall 362b forms part of the housing <NUM> of the device <NUM> and conforms to the curved shape of the housing <NUM>. The drawer wall 362b closes an aperture <NUM> formed in the side of the housing <NUM> when the drawer mechanism <NUM> is in the closed configuration (see <FIG>). The drawer base 362a slidably engages a pair of rails <NUM> located on each side of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> so that the drawer <NUM> can slide into and out of the device <NUM>. First <NUM> and second <NUM> uprights extend from the drawer base 362a and define between them a receiving zone <NUM> for receiving an aerosol-generating article. <FIG> shows a bead <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG> received in the receiving zone <NUM>. The first <NUM> and second <NUM> uprights form part of the side walls of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> and respectively close openings <NUM> and <NUM> formed in the side walls of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> when the drawing mechanism <NUM> is in the closed configuration (see <FIG>) to prevent aerosol escaping from the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> during heating. The uprights <NUM> and <NUM> are joined by a pair of side walls (not shown) to define the lateral edges of the receiving zone and to prevent the bead <NUM> from rolling out from between the uprights <NUM>, <NUM> when the drawer is in the open configuration. The side walls of the receiving zone <NUM> are inset from the sides of the drawer base 362a which engages the rails <NUM> to prevent them from interfering with the rails when the drawer <NUM> slides into the device <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the drawer mechanism <NUM> in the closed configuration. In the closed configuration, drawer wall 362b closes aperture <NUM> formed in housing <NUM> of the device <NUM> and uprights <NUM> and <NUM> respectively close apertures <NUM> and <NUM> formed in the side walls of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. An aerosol-generating bead <NUM> is located within the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> and can be heated. Once the bead <NUM> has been heated the drawer mechanism <NUM> can be returned to the open configuration to remove the used bead <NUM>. The drawer <NUM> has a push to open/push to close spring latch mechanism (not shown). A user can open the drawer <NUM> by pushing the drawer wall 362b inwardly a small distance to release the latch cause the drawer to spring open under the action of the spring. The drawer <NUM> can be closed by pushing the drawer wall <NUM> a small distance inward of the housing <NUM> to reengage the latch such that the drawer <NUM> is retained in the closed configuration under the action of the spring.

<FIG> is a plan view of a blister pack <NUM> for storing a plurality of aerosol-generating articles for use in an aerosol-generating system or device. The blister pack <NUM> acts a storage unit for the articles. The blister pack <NUM> comprises a polymer layer <NUM> having a plurality of blisters or pockets <NUM> extending from a first surface 478a of the polymer layer <NUM>. The blisters <NUM> can be used for storing aerosol-generating articles (not shown). A second opposing surface (not shown) of the polymer layer <NUM> is covered by a frangible laminate layer (not shown) which is hermetically sealed to the second surface to seal the articles with the blisters <NUM>. In use, a user manually removes an aerosol-generating article from the blister pack <NUM> by rupturing the frangible laminate layer and then manually inserts the article into an aerosol-generating device, for example, via the aperture <NUM> of device <NUM> of <FIG> or via the drawer mechanism <NUM> of the device <NUM> of <FIG>.

<FIG> show schematic cross-sectional side views of an injector-type dispenser <NUM> or pen for storing and delivering aerosol-generating articles for use in an aerosol-generating system or with a device. The figures respectively show the dispenser <NUM> in three different stages of operation respectively.

The dispenser comprises a housing <NUM> containing a rod <NUM>, a carriage <NUM> and two springs <NUM>. Within the housing <NUM> there is a first storage zone <NUM> for storing a plurality of aerosol-generating beads <NUM> in axial alignment. In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the dispenser <NUM> also comprises within the housing <NUM> a second storage zone <NUM> also for storing a plurality of aerosol-generating beads <NUM> in axial alignment. The dispenser <NUM> comprises an exit orifice <NUM> at a lower dispensing end of the housing <NUM>. The exit orifice <NUM> is circumscribed by a protruding rim <NUM> which is adapted to engage an aperture, or in particular a recessed aperture rim, of an aerosol-generating device, for example, the aperture <NUM> or recess rim <NUM> of device <NUM> of <FIG>. The dispenser <NUM> further comprises a loading zone <NUM> disposed between the two storage zones <NUM> and <NUM> and the exit orifice <NUM>. The loading zone <NUM> is sized to accommodate a single aerosol-generating bead <NUM>. The dispenser <NUM> further comprises first <NUM> and second <NUM> hard stops located at either side of a lower end of the loading zone <NUM>.

The springs bias the carriage <NUM> towards the aerosol-generating beads <NUM> stored in the first <NUM> and <NUM> storage zones. The carriage <NUM> further comprises a first end face <NUM> and a second end face <NUM> which define the rear end of the first <NUM> and second <NUM> storage zones respectively. The first end face <NUM> is set further forwards, i.e. further towards the exit orifice <NUM>, than the second end face <NUM>. The distance in the longitudinal direction between the first <NUM> and the second <NUM> end faces is half the diameter of a single aerosol-generating bead <NUM>.

The rod <NUM> can reciprocate along and through the central longitudinal axis of the housing <NUM> and through a central longitudinally extending passage <NUM> formed through the carriage <NUM>. At its dispensing end, the rod <NUM> has an engagement face <NUM> for engaging an aerosol-generating bead <NUM>, which engagement face <NUM> protrudes laterally such that it is wider than the main stem of the rod <NUM>. The rod <NUM> is actuated by a button <NUM> located at an actuation end of the rod <NUM>, i.e. at the end opposite to the engagement face <NUM>. Either side of the rod <NUM> has a toothed section (not shown) which engages a respective rod engagement mechanism formed on each of the corresponding inside surfaces of the passage <NUM>. The inner surface of the housing <NUM> also has a toothed section facing either side of the carriage <NUM> which engages a respective housing engagement mechanism on either side of the carriage <NUM>.

In <FIG>, each storage zone <NUM> and <NUM> contains four axially aligned aerosol-generating beads <NUM> and the loading zone <NUM> contains a single aerosol-generating bead <NUM>. At the stage shown in <FIG>, the button <NUM> has started to be depressed and the rod <NUM> has begun to advance towards the exit orifice <NUM>. At this stage, the rod engagement mechanism of the carriage <NUM> engages with the toothed sections of the rod <NUM>. As a result, the carriage <NUM> also advances towards the exit orifice <NUM>. As it advances, the cartridge <NUM> pushes the rows of axially aligned aerosol-generating beads <NUM> in both the first and second storage zones <NUM> and <NUM> towards the exit orifice <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the carriage <NUM> is no longer able to advance as the aerosol-generating beads <NUM> in the first storage zone <NUM> are pushed against the first hard stop <NUM> by the first end face <NUM> of the carriage <NUM>. At this point, the rod engagement mechanism disengaged and the rod <NUM> continued to advance independently of the carriage <NUM> has pushed the aerosol-generating bead <NUM>, which was disposed in the loading zone <NUM> in <FIG>, through the exit orifice <NUM>. The dispensing end of the rod <NUM> has passed though the exit orifice <NUM> and continues to push the aerosol-generating bead <NUM> until the rod reaches the fully extended position. At this point the aerosol-generating bead <NUM> would be within the aerosolisation chamber of an aerosol-generating device.

In <FIG> the rod <NUM> has been moved back to the fully retracted position. The housing engagement mechanism of the carriage <NUM> prevents the carriage <NUM> moving rearwards with the rod <NUM>. As the engagement face <NUM> of the rod <NUM> passed the first <NUM> and second <NUM> storage zones, the protrusions at the engagement face <NUM> pushed the row of aligned aerosol-generating beads <NUM> in the second storage zone <NUM> rearwards towards the second end face <NUM> of the carriage <NUM>. The protrusions at the engagement face <NUM> of the rod <NUM> also acted on the row of aligned aerosol-generating beads <NUM> in the first storage zone <NUM>, however, since the first end face <NUM> of the carriage <NUM> is set further forwards than the second end face <NUM> of the carriage <NUM>, there is no space into which the aerosol-generating beads <NUM> may move. As a result, the engagement face <NUM> of the rod <NUM> moved rearwards into the first storage zone <NUM> while the aerosol-generating beads <NUM> remain in place such that the engagement face <NUM> of the rod <NUM> moved rearward past the furthest forward aerosol-generating bead <NUM> in the first storage zone <NUM>, which falls into the loading zone <NUM>. There are now four axially aligned the aerosol-generating beads <NUM> in the second storage zone <NUM>, three axially aligned the aerosol-generating beads <NUM> in the first storage zone <NUM> and the single the aerosol-generating bead <NUM> in the loading zone <NUM> is ready to be dispensed.

<FIG> shows a plan cross-sectional view of a device <NUM>. The features and principle of operation of the device <NUM> of <FIG> are the same as that of the devices <NUM> and <NUM> of <FIG> and <FIG> respectively with the exception that the device <NUM> has an integral first reservoir <NUM> and a delivery mechanism <NUM> for respectively storing a plurality of aerosol-generating beads <NUM> and delivering an aerosol-generating bead <NUM> to the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> of the device <NUM>. The device <NUM> also has an integral second reservoir <NUM> for storing used aerosol-generating beads 1b which have been ejected from the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>.

The first reservoir <NUM> is located within the housing <NUM> of the device <NUM> and extends longitudinally along one side of the device <NUM>. The delivery mechanism <NUM> includes a slider <NUM> which is slidably engaged in a longitudinal groove (not shown) formed in the housing <NUM>, which groove extends the length of the first reservoir <NUM>. The slider <NUM> has a pusher part <NUM> which extends into the first reservoir <NUM> via the longitudinal groove and is arranged to engage the rearmost aerosol-generating bead <NUM> stored in the first reservoir <NUM>. The portion of the pusher part <NUM> which extends into the first reservoir <NUM> is wider than the longitudinal groove to retain the pusher part <NUM> within the first reservoir <NUM>.

To insert an aerosol-generating bead <NUM> into the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>, a user manually pushes the slider <NUM> forward, i.e. towards the mouthpiece <NUM>. The pusher part <NUM> is brought into engagement with the rearmost aerosol-generating bead <NUM> and the pushing force is transmitted along the plurality of beads to the foremost bead, i.e. the bead closest to the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. An aperture <NUM> is formed in the side wall of the aerosolisation chamber <NUM> adjacent the first reservoir <NUM> via which an aerosol-generating bead <NUM> may be inserted into the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. The aperture <NUM> is closeable by an inwardly opening door <NUM> hingedly attached to a side of the aperture <NUM>. The door <NUM> is resiliently biased towards its closed configuration by a spring (not shown). If the force applied by a user to the slider <NUM> is sufficient to overcome the resilient force of the spring closing the door <NUM>, the foremost aerosol-generating bead <NUM> will be pushed into the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. Once a bead <NUM> has been inserted into the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>, the door <NUM> closes behind it under the action of the spring to prevent aerosol from escaping from the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>. The front end wall of the first reservoir <NUM> is angled to direct the bead <NUM> into the aerosolisation chamber <NUM>.

Claim 1:
An aerosol-generating system comprising:
an aerosol-generating article (<NUM>), the aerosol-generating article comprising a single metered-dose of an aerosol-forming substrate (<NUM>), the metered-dose comprising an amount of the aerosol-forming substrate sufficient for generating an amount of aerosol for only a single puff;
an airflow pathway (<NUM>) arranged between an air inlet (<NUM>) and an air outlet (<NUM>);
an aerosolisation chamber (<NUM>) arranged at a location along the airflow pathway such that the airflow pathway passes through at least a portion of the aerosolisation chamber; and
a flow controller (<NUM>, <NUM>) for selectively controlling the flow of air through the airflow pathway (<NUM>), the flow controller having an open configuration in which air can flow into and out of the aerosolisation chamber (<NUM>) and a closed configuration in which air is substantially prevented from flowing into and out of the aerosolisation chamber;
wherein the aerosolisation chamber (<NUM>) is configured to open to receive only one aerosol-generating article (<NUM>) at a time;
wherein the aerosolisation chamber (<NUM>) is configured to close to contain the aerosol-generating article (<NUM>);
the aerosol-generating system further comprising a heating element (<NUM>, <NUM>) arranged to heat the aerosolisation chamber (<NUM>) when an aerosol-generating article (<NUM>) is received within the aerosolisation chamber;
wherein the aerosol-generating system is configured to heat the aerosolisation chamber (<NUM>) containing the aerosol-generating article (<NUM>) only when the flow controller (<NUM>, <NUM>) is in the closed configuration.