Abstract: A charger for an electronic nicotine delivery systems (“ENDS”) device, which may include aerosol delivery devices provides functionality for authentication, including age verification. Such devices may be restricted based on age or other factors that require some form of authentication, verification, and/or identification to satisfy the restriction. The accessory or charger may provide or connect with a verification system for confirming an age of a user. If the authentication or verification is not satisfied, the charger or accessory will not charge the device, rendering it unusable.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an aerosol delivery device and a cartridge for an aerosol delivery device. In various implementations, the aerosol delivery device comprises a control device that includes an outer housing defining a cartridge receiving chamber, and further includes a power source and a control component, and a cartridge that includes a mouthpiece, a tank, a heating assembly, and a bottom cap. The mouthpiece defines an exit portal in an end thereof, and the tank is configured to contain a liquid composition therein. The cartridge is configured to be removably coupled with the receiving chamber of the control device, and the heating assembly defines a vaporization chamber and is configured to heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol. The heating assembly comprises a substantially planar heating member and a liquid transport element, wherein the heating member is installed in a bowed orientation.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to charging accessory device for the aerosol delivery device and related systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for providing interactive services for aerosol delivery devices. For example, a method may include a computing device establishing communication with a charging accessory device for an aerosol delivery device; receiving usage data for the aerosol delivery device provided by the charging accessory device; generating social data based on the usage data; and sending the social data to a social networking service including a community of aerosol delivery device users.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a control body adapted for use in an electronic smoking article. The control body includes a shell and a coupler that is adapted to connect the control body to a cartridge of an electronic smoking article. The coupler further is adapted to communicate a pressure reduction within the coupler to a pressure reduction space in the shell. Also positioned within the shell is an electronic circuit board having a pressure sensor attached thereto. The electronic circuit board can be positioned to be parallel to a central axis of the shell. A first end of the pressure sensor can be isolated within the pressure reduction space, and a second end of the pressure sensor can be in communication with a normal pressure space within the shell. One or more light emitting diodes can be attached to the electronic circuit board. At least a portion of the coupler can be light transmissive so that light from the LED is visible through the coupler.

Abstract: A smoking article may include a cigarette incorporated within an electrically powered aerosol generating device that acts as a holder for that cigarette. The smoking article possesses at least one form of tobacco. The smoking article also possesses a mouth-end piece that is used by the smoker to inhale components of tobacco that are generated by the action of heat upon components of the cigarette. A representative smoking article possesses an outer housing incorporating a source of electrical power (e.g., a battery), a sensing mechanism for powering the device at least during periods of draw, and a heating device (e.g., at least one electrical resistance heating element) for forming a thermally generated aerosol that incorporates components of tobacco. During use, the cigarette is positioned within the device, and after use, the used cigarette is removed from the device and replaced with another cigarette.

Abstract: A smoking article may include a cigarette incorporated within an electrically powered aerosol generating device that acts as a holder for that cigarette. The smoking article possesses at least one form of tobacco. The smoking article also possesses a mouth-end piece that is used by the smoker to inhale components of tobacco that are generated by the action of heat upon components of the cigarette. A representative smoking article possesses an outer housing incorporating a source of electrical power (e.g., a battery), a sensing mechanism for powering the device at least during periods of draw, and a heating device (e.g., at least one electrical resistance heating element) for forming a thermally generated aerosol that incorporates components of tobacco. During use, the cigarette is positioned within the device, and after use, the used cigarette is removed from the device and replaced with another cigarette.

Abstract: Smoking articles are disclosed herein. In one aspect, a smoking article includes a heat source configured to generate heat upon ignition thereof, a first substrate material having an aerosol precursor composition associated therewith and a first end being fixedly engaged with the heat source, and an aerosol delivery component having opposed first and second ends, the first end of the aerosol delivery component being engaged with the second end of the first substrate material. In some aspects, the aerosol delivery component includes a second substrate material having the aerosol precursor composition associated therewith and being disposed about the first end of the aerosol delivery component and a tobacco material disposed between the second substrate material and the mouthpiece, the aerosol precursor composition associated with the first and second substrate materials being configured to produce an aerosol in response to the heat generated by the ignited heat source.

Abstract: A test fixture for testing aerosol provision devices may include a housing, a plurality of testing modules disposed at the housing where each of the testing modules includes a cavity configured to receive a portion of an aerosol provision device, and processing circuitry operably coupled to the testing modules. Each of the testing modules may be configured to interface with an assembly of a respective one of the aerosol provision devices to transition the assembly between an initial state and a transitioned state during a functional test controlled by the processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may be configured to conduct the functional test of at least two of the testing modules simultaneously.

Abstract: An electronic vaping device may be designed to enhance or facilitate its use. For example, the electronic vaping device may: allow a capability of the electronic vaping device to provide vapor to be altered (e.g., disabled, reduced, enabled, or increased) in some situations (e.g., to prevent unauthorized vaping by a child, teenager or other individual); be able to communicate with an external communication device (e.g., a smartphone, a computer, etc.) to convey a notification of potential unauthorized use of the electronic vaping device (e.g., by a child, teenager or other unauthorized user); implement a physical deterrent to its unauthorized use; be able to visually convey information (e.g., advertisements, notifications, etc.); and/or be able to capture images and/or sounds (e.g., record pictures and/or video, speech, music, etc.).

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a shipping container configured to charge a plurality of power supplies associated with a plurality of aerosol delivery devices. The shipping container comprises at least one tray comprising at least one first charging interface configured to provide energy to the plurality of power supplies to charge the power supplies. In some embodiments, the at least one first charging interface is configured to wirelessly charge the plurality of power supplies. In other embodiments, the at least one first charging interface is configured to charge the plurality of power supplies via one or more physical connections. In some embodiments, the at least one first charging interface is configured to electrically couple to at least one local power storage unit. In some embodiments, the at least one first charging interface is configured to electrically couple to at least one external power source.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided that includes a power source, a heating element, a switch coupled to and between the power source and the heating element, and processing circuitry coupled to the switch. The processing circuitry outputs a PWM signal during a heating time period to cause the switch to switchably connect and disconnect the output voltage to the heating element to power the heating element. The processing circuitry outputs a pulse of known current to the heating element, and measure voltage across the heating element, between adjacent pulses of the PWM signal. And the processing circuitry calculates the resistance of the heating element based on the known current and the voltage, calculates the temperature of the heating element based on the resistance, and adjusts a duty cycle of the PWM signal when the temperature deviates from a predetermined target.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems, apparatuses, and methods for assembling cartridges for aerosol delivery devices. The cartridges may be assembled by coupling a base of the cartridge to a carriage that is transported via a track. The track transports the carriages between various substations at which one or more parts are added to the base. The carriage may be lifted from the track by a lifter mechanism at each substation in order to perform assembly operations on the base. An inspection system may inspect the cartridges at various stages of completion at or between the various substations.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device includes a cartridge of aerosol precursor composition, and a control body coupled or coupleable to the cartridge. The control body includes a control component to control delivery of components of the aerosol precursor composition in response to detection of airflow through at least a portion of the cartridge or control body, and includes a camera system with a digital camera to capture video imagery of a scene in a field of view thereof. The camera system or the control component is configured to perform video content analytics on the video imagery to detect a temporal or spatial event in the scene, and transfer at least one of the video imagery or information indicative of the temporal or spatial event externally to a computing device configured to store or display the video imagery or information, or perform at least one control operation based on the information.

Abstract: The present invention provides a conductive substrate useful for Joule heating, such as in an electronic smoking article. Particularly, the invention provides a resistive heating element formed of a conductive substrate. The conductive substrate comprises an electrically conductive material and a carbonaceous additive, such as a binder material. The conductive substrate is carbonized in that it is subjected to calcining conditions to effectively reduce the carbonaceous additive to its carbon skeleton. It has been found that such carbonized substrate has surprisingly improved resistance properties in relation a substrate of the same formulation that is not carbonized. The carbonized substrate can include an aerosol precursor material. The formed resistive heating element can be included in an electronic smoking article to simultaneously provide resistive heating and aerosol formation with a single, unitary component.

Abstract: A machine for dispensing an aerosol precursor composition for use with aerosol delivery devices. The machine may include a plurality of sources of dispensable, liquid aerosol precursor components. The plurality of sources may differ in the liquid aerosol precursor components being dispensable therefrom. The machine may include a user interface configured to allow a user to select an amount of the liquid aerosol precursor components for dispensing. The machine may also include a dispenser for dispensing the aerosol precursor components in response to the selection made on the user interface.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a flavor delivery article, a mouthpiece, a cartridge, and/or an aerosol delivery device that includes such flavor delivery article. The flavor delivery article includes a hollow elongate unit formed of a substantially continuous wall extending between a first end and a second end and defining an interior storage volume, the substantially continuous wall being formed of a porous material having a graded porosity across a thickness of the substantially continuous wall. The flavor delivery article further includes a flavor liquid contained with the interior storage volume of the hollow elongate unit. The flavor delivery article may be positioned anywhere within an aerosol delivery device (or a mouthpiece or a cartridge of an aerosol delivery device) wherein the flavor liquid may pass through the substantially continuous wall to be entrained in an air stream and/or vapor stream and/or aerosol stream passing through the aerosol delivery device.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device filling system. The system includes multiple source containers each respectively including a differing aerosol precursor composition. The system further includes a mixing container configured to engage the source containers to receive and mix the aerosol precursor compositions to form a mixed aerosol precursor composition. An aerosol delivery device may engage the mixing container to receive at least a portion of the mixed aerosol precursor composition. A related method for customizing an aerosol precursor composition is also provided.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device includes a power source, an aerosol production component, a sensor to produce measurements of atmospheric air pressure in an air flow path through at least one housing, and a switch coupled to and between the power source and the aerosol production component. The aerosol delivery device also includes processing circuitry that determines a difference between the measurements of atmospheric air pressure and a reference atmospheric air pressure. Only when the difference is at least a threshold difference, the processing circuitry outputs a signal to cause the switch to switchably connect and disconnect an output voltage from the power source to the aerosol production component to adjust power provided to the aerosol production component to a power target that is variable according to a predetermined relationship between the difference and the power target.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided that includes at least one housing structured to retain an aerosol precursor composition. The device includes an atomizer, and a microprocessor configured to operate in an active mode in which the control body is configured to control the atomizer to activate and produce an aerosol from the aerosol precursor composition. And the device includes a heart rate monitor including a plurality of biopotential electrodes affixed to the housing and configured to obtain biopotential measurements from a user, and including signal conditioning circuitry configured to produce an electrocardiogram signal from the biopotential measurements. The microprocessor is coupled to the signal conditioning circuitry and further configured to control operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device based on the electrocardiogram signal or a heart rate of the user calculated therefrom.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices. In various implementations, the aerosol delivery devices comprise a control device that includes a battery, a control component, and an outer housing that defines receiving chamber, and a cartridge that includes a mouthpiece portion, a tank that contains a liquid composition, and a heater configured to heat the liquid composition. The cartridge and the control device each include at least one connector configured to provide a magnetic and an electrical connection between the cartridge and the control device such that the cartridge can be removably and operatively received into the cartridge receiving chamber of the control body, wherein the at least one connector of the cartridge is located on the mouthpiece portion.