Aerosol-generating article having a liquid indicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10609959-B2
Application number	US-201715606096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2017
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

An aerosol-generating article may comprise a liquid storage portion containing a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and a hydrochromic material provided on the liquid storage portion. The hydrochromic material has a first colour when in the presence of or when in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate and a second colour when in the absence of or when not in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate. An aerosol-generating system may comprise the aerosol-generating article, an aerosol-generating element, and an aerosol-generating device. An aerosol-generating device may comprise an electrical power supply, an electronic photosensor, and a controller configured to control a supply of electrical power from the electrical power supply based on a value of an optical property sensed with the electronic photosensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aerosol-generating article comprising:
a storage portion configured to contain an aerosol-forming substrate, the storage portion including a storage container configured to contain a liquid as the aerosol-forming substrate; and
a hydrochromic material on an internal surface of the storage container, the hydrochromic material configured to exhibit a first colour when in contact with the aerosol-forming substrate and to exhibit a second colour in an absence of the aerosol-forming substrate.

2. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a base layer,
wherein the storage portion includes a porous material on the base layer, and the aerosol-forming substrate is sorbed into the porous material.

3. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 2 , wherein the hydrochromic material is on an outer surface of the porous material.

4. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein the storage container defines an outlet configured for delivery of the aerosol-forming substrate from the storage container.

5. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a transport element extending through the outlet, the transport element having a first end positioned within the storage container.

6. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an aerosol-generating element configured for aerosolizing the aerosol-forming substrate.

7. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 6 , wherein the aerosol-generating element includes an electric heater.

8. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-forming substrate includes water.

9. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-forming substrate includes nicotine.

10. An aerosol-generating system comprising:
the aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 ;
an aerosol-generating element configured to aerosolize the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article; and
an aerosol-generating device including an electrical power supply and a controller, the controller configured to control a supply of electrical power from the electrical power supply to the aerosol-generating element, the hydrochromic material of the aerosol-generating article being visible from an exterior of the aerosol-generating system.

11. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the aerosol-generating article and the aerosol-generating device includes a translucent portion or a transparent portion overlying the hydrochromic material.

12. An aerosol-generating system comprising:
an aerosol-generating article including a storage portion and a hydrochromic material, the storage portion configured to contain an aerosol-forming substrate, the storage portion including a storage container configured to contain a liquid as the aerosol-forming substrate, the hydrochromic material on an internal surface of the storage container, the hydrochromic material configured to exhibit a first colour when in contact with the aerosol-forming substrate and to exhibit a second colour in an absence of the aerosol-forming substrate; and
an aerosol-generating device including an electrical power supply, an electronic photosensor, and a controller,
the electronic photosensor configured to sense an optical property of a portion of the aerosol-generating article when the aerosol-generating article is combined with the aerosol-generating device,
the controller configured to monitor a value of the sensed optical property when the aerosol-generating device is operated in combination with the aerosol-generating article, the controller configured to permit a supply of electrical power from the electrical power supply when the value of the sensed optical property is within a first range, the controller configured to prevent a supply of electrical power from the electrical power supply when the value of the sensed optical property is outside the first range.

13. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 12 , further comprising:
an aerosol-generating element.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Bilat Stephane
• Colotte Guillaume

Classifications

• H05B3/44

  heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material · CPC title

• H05B2203/014

  Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54 · CPC title

• F22B1/284

  with water in reservoirs · CPC title

• F22B35/005

  Control systems for instantaneous steam boilers · CPC title

• H05B2203/032

  Heaters specially adapted for heating by radiation heating · CPC title