Aerosol delivery device, and associated apparatus and method of formation thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10945457-B2
Application number	US-201816038991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2018
Priority date	Apr 20, 2016
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

An aerosol delivery device is provided, and includes a control body serially engaged with a cartridge, the cartridge having an aerosol precursor source housing an aerosol precursor and defining a mouth opening configured to direct an aerosol therethrough to a user. A heater device is operably engaged with the cartridge, wherein the heater device comprises an electrically-conductive carbon element disposed adjacent to a heat-conductive substrate. The heater device is configured to receive the aerosol precursor from the aerosol precursor source onto the heat-conductive substrate, such that the aerosol precursor on the heat-conductive substrate forms the aerosol in response to heat from the electrically-conductive carbon element conducted through the heat-conductive substrate. An associated apparatus and method are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aerosol delivery device, comprising:
a cartridge adapted to serially engaged a control body to form a smoking article, the cartridge including an aerosol precursor source configured to receive an aerosol precursor, and defining a mouth opening opposite the engagement between the cartridge and the control body, the mouth opening being configured to direct an aerosol formed from the aerosol precursor therethrough; and
a heater device operably engaged with the cartridge, the heater device comprising an electrically-conductive carbon element adjacent to a heat-conductive substrate, the heater device being configured to receive the aerosol precursor from the aerosol precursor source into engagement with the heat-conductive substrate, such that the aerosol precursor in engagement with the heat-conductive substrate forms the aerosol in response to heat from the electrically-conductive carbon element directed through the heat-conductive substrate.

2. The device of claim 1 , comprising a delivery device operably engaged between the aerosol precursor source and the heat-conductive substrate, the delivery device being configured to deliver the aerosol precursor from the aerosol precursor source into engagement with the heat-conductive substrate.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrically-conductive carbon element comprises an electrically conductive graphene element.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrically-conductive carbon element comprises an electrically conductive square graphene sheet.

5. The device of claim 1 , comprising an electrical circuit engaged with the carbon element, the carbon element being a resistive element configured to generate heat in response to application of an electrical current thereto from the electrical circuit.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol precursor source is configured to dispense the aerosol precursor into engagement with a surface of the heat-conductive substrate, the surface of the heat-conductive substrate being opposite to the carbon element and in communication with the mouth opening for the formed aerosol to be directed thereto.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein the delivery device comprises a pump apparatus or a wick arrangement.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-conductive substrate comprises a heat-conductive glass, a thermally-conductive dielectric material, or a heat-conductive composite material.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the carbon element is disposed between two layers of the heat-conductive substrate.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-conductive substrate is disposed perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the cartridge.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-conductive substrate is configured as a hollow cylinder defining an inner channel, and wherein the carbon element is engaged with an outer surface of the hollow cylinder.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the carbon element at least partially extends about the outer surface of the hollow cylinder such that a remaining surface of the hollow cylinder not engaged with the carbon element is in communication with the mouth opening for the formed aerosol to be directed thereto.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the carbon element is disposed between two concentric hollow cylinders of the heat-conductive substrate.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-conductive substrate is configured as a hollow cylinder defining an inner channel, and wherein the carbon element is engaged with an inner surface of the hollow cylinder.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the carbon element at least partially extends about the inner surface of the hollow cylinder such that an outer surface of the hollow cylinder overlying the carbon element is in communication with the mouth opening for the formed aerosol to be directed thereto.

16. The device of claim 11 , comprising a delivery device operably engaged between the aerosol precursor source and the heat-conductive substrate, the delivery device being a capillary in fluid communication with the aerosol precursor source and extending into the inner channel of the hollow cylinder, the delivery device being configured to deliver the aerosol precursor from the aerosol precursor source and into engagement with the heat-conductive substrate within the inner channel.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the capillary is configured to siphon the aerosol precursor from the aerosol precursor source, and to dispense the aerosol precursor through an outlet end thereof into engagement with an inner surface of the hollow cylinder defining the inner channel.

18. The device of claim 16 , wherein the hollow cylinder is configured to define at least one pore extending from the inner channel through to the outer surface, the at least one pore being configured and arranged such that aerosol formed by the aerosol precursor dispensed into engagement with the inner surface of the hollow cylinder, in response to heat from the electrically-conductive carbon element conducted through the heat-conductive substrate, is dispensed through the at least one pore in communication with the mouth opening for the aerosol to be directed thereto.

19. The device of claim 1 , wherein the carbon element is configured to have a resistance of 3 Ohms/square unit.

20. An aerosol formation apparatus, comprising:
an aerosol precursor source configured to receive an aerosol precursor;
a heater device including an electrically-conductive carbon element adjacent to a heat-conductive substrate, the heater device being configured to receive the aerosol precursor from the aerosol precursor source into engagement with the heat-conductive substrate, such that the aerosol precursor in engagement with the heat-conductive substrate forms the aerosol in response to heat from the electrically-conductive carbon element conducted through the heat-conductive substrate.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , comprising a delivery device operably engaged between the aerosol precursor source and the heat-conductive substrate, the delivery device being configured to deliver the aerosol precursor from the aerosol precursor source into engagement with the heat-conductive substrate.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the electrically-conductive carbon element comprises an electrically conductive graphene element.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the electrically-conductive carbon element comprises an electrically conductive square graphene sheet.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 , comprising an electrical circuit engaged with the carbon element, the carbon element being a resistive element configured to generate heat in response to application of an electrical current thereto from the electrical circuit.

25. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the aerosol precursor source is configured to dispense the aerosol precursor into engagement with a surface of the heat-conductive substrate, the surface of the heat-conductive substrate being opposite to the carbon element.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the delivery device comprises a pump apparatus or a wick arrangement.

27. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the heat-conductive substrate comprises a heat-conductive glass, a thermally-conductive dielectric material, or a heat-conductive composite material.

28. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the

Assignees

• Rai Strategic Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Sur Rajesh

Classifications

• H05B3/0014 Primary

  Devices wherein the heating current flows through particular resistances · CPC title

• H05B3/145

  Carbon only, e.g. carbon black, graphite · CPC title

• A24F40/70

  Manufacture · CPC title

• H05B3/26

  heating conductor mounted on insulating base {(for transparent areas H05B3/84, H05B3/86)} · CPC title

• A24F40/46 Primary

  Shape or structure of electric heating means · CPC title