Apparatus for heating smokable material and article of smokable material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12364288-B2
Application number	US-202318320471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2023
Priority date	Mar 21, 2014
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for enabling smokable material to be heated to volatize at least one component of the smokable material. In one example, the apparatus has a capacitive sensor arranged to sense a change in capacitance when an article of smokable material is associated with a housing of the apparatus in use. In another example, the apparatus has a resistive sensor arranged to provide a measure of electrical resistance when an article of smokable material is associated with a housing of the apparatus in use. A combination of capacitive and resistive sensing may be used in some examples. In another example, a sensor makes use of at least two different sensing techniques.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for enabling smokable material to be heated to volatize at least one component of the smokable material, the apparatus comprising:
a housing; and
a resistive sensor arranged to provide a measure of electrical resistance when an article of smokable material has been introduced into the housing in use to enable the article of smokable material to be identified,
wherein the resistive sensor comprises one or more electrodes, the one or more electrodes being arranged so as to be biased to provide physical contact with the article of smokable material introduced into the housing.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprising a processor constructed and arranged to provide a measure of electrical resistance using the one or more electrodes when the article of smokable material is introduces into the housing in use.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more electrodes comprise at least two electrodes, and wherein the at least two electrodes are arranged such that at least a portion of the article of smokable material introduced into the housing in use can be positioned between and in contact with the at least two electrodes, the at least two electrodes in use providing a measure of the electrical resistance of the at least a portion of the article of smokable material.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising circuitry constructed and arranged so that the apparatus is only operated to cause heating of the article of smokable material introduced into the housing in use if the electrical resistance meets at least one predetermined criterion.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a heater operable to heat the article of smokable material received within the housing in use.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor arrangement constructed and arranged to identify the article of smokable material when associated with the housing in use by making use of the resistive sensor and at least one other different sensing technique.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein one of the at least one other different sensing technique uses capacitive sensing.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein one of the at least one other different sensing technique uses optical sensing.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a heater operable to heat the article of smokable material received within the housing in use.

Assignees

• British American Tobacco Investments Ltd

Inventors

• Kaufman Duane Anthony
• Robinson Jesse Eugene

Classifications

• G01D5/24

  by varying capacitance · CPC title

• A24F40/20

  Devices using solid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24B15/167

  in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes · CPC title

• A61M15/06

  Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes · CPC title

• A24B15/16

  of tobacco substitutes · CPC title