Abstract: A method of applying elongate susceptor elements to an aerosol-forming substrate for an inductively heatable aerosol-generating article is provided, the method including the steps of: providing an aerosol-forming substrate in the form of a sheet material; providing elongate susceptor elements; dispersing the elongate susceptor elements in a fluid medium; supplying the elongate susceptor elements dispersed in the fluid medium to and passing them through an applicator including at least one convergent applicator nozzle causing the elongate susceptor elements dispersed in the fluid medium to be discharged from the at least one convergent applicator nozzle in at least partial alignment along a direction of discharge of the at least one convergent applicator nozzle; and depositing the elongate susceptor elements dispersed in the fluid medium, being discharged from the at least one convergent applicator nozzle in at least partial alignment, on a main surface of the sheet material.

Abstract: A method of applying elongate susceptor elements to an aerosol-forming substrate for an inductively heatable aerosol-generating article is provided, the method including the steps of: providing an aerosol-forming substrate in the form of a sheet material; providing elongate susceptor elements; supplying the elongate susceptor elements to and conveying them through a vibratory alignment conveyor including at least one guide channel in which the elongate susceptor elements are conveyed by vibration towards a discharge end of the guide channel, thereby aligning their length dimension at least partially along a longitudinal direction of the guide channel; and depositing the at least partially aligned elongate susceptor elements discharged from the discharge end of the guide channel on a main surface of the sheet material.

Abstract: A susceptor arrangement for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the susceptor arrangement including: at least one susceptor body with a susceptor body surface, the at least one susceptor body including a first susceptor material; and a first heat-spreading layer including a first heat-spreading material, the first heat-spreading layer extending across at least a portion of the susceptor body surface in thermal contact with or in thermal proximity to the portion of the susceptor body surface, and the first heat-spreading material being a non-magnetic metal or a non-magnetic metal alloy that has a thermal conductivity greater than a thermal conductivity of the first susceptor material by at least a factor of 3.5.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating article for an inductively heating aerosol-generating device is provided, including: an aerosol-forming substrate; and a susceptor arrangement configured to heat the substrate by interaction of the susceptor arrangement with an alternating magnetic field provided by the device, the substrate being a solid aerosol-forming substrate, the susceptor arrangement including a plurality of elongate susceptor elements including a susceptor material that are dispersed throughout the substrate, the elongate susceptor elements being one of fiber elements, or thread elements, or grain elements, or rod elements, and a ratio of a maximum length dimension of the elongate susceptor elements to a maximum transverse dimension of the elongate susceptor elements perpendicular to a length dimension being greater than 20, and a maximum transverse dimension of the elongate susceptor elements being equal to or smaller than 100 micrometers.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating article for an inductively heating aerosol-generating device is provided, including: an aerosol-forming substrate; and a susceptor arrangement to heat the substrate by interaction of the arrangement with an alternating magnetic field provided by the device, the arrangement including 1D-elongate susceptor elements having a greater extent in one predominant dimension than in the two remaining dimensions, the susceptor elements including a ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic susceptor material and being dispersed throughout the substrate, the susceptor elements further including a ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic temperature marker material in addition to the susceptor material, the susceptor material being surrounded by the temperature marker material, an aspect ratio of a maximum extent of the susceptor elements in the one predominant dimension to a maximum extent of the susceptor elements in the remaining dimensions being greater than 4, and the susceptor elements being fiber elements, or wire

Abstract: A multi-layer susceptor arrangement for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the multi-layer susceptor arrangement including: a first layer including a first susceptor material; a second layer including a second susceptor material; and a third layer including a third material, the second layer being sandwiched between the first layer and the third layer, the second susceptor material including a Ni—Fe-alloy having a Ni content of equal to or smaller than 65 wt %, and a layer thickness of the third layer being smaller than 5 micrometers.

Abstract: A method of applying elongate susceptor elements to an aerosol-forming substrate for an inductively heatable aerosol-generating article is provided, including: providing an aerosol-forming substrate as a sheet material; providing elongate susceptor elements; supplying the elements to a belt conveyor system including a conveyor belt; conveying the elements on the belt towards a discharge end of the system, the belt returning around a magnetic head pulley, which generates a magnetic field causing the elements moving around the pulley to be attracted and aligned along the field, so that when moving out of the field, the elements are discharged from the belt at the discharge end in at least partial alignment to a travel direction; and depositing the elements discharged on a main surface of the sheet material, the substrate being made from a substrate slurry casted into the form of the sheet material, the elements being deposited on the casted slurry.

Abstract: A two-layer susceptor arrangement for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the two-layer susceptor arrangement consisting of a first layer including a first susceptor material, and a second layer including a second susceptor material, the first layer and the second layer being intimately coupled to each other, the second susceptor material including a Ni—Fe-alloy having a Ni content of equal to or smaller than 65 wt %, and a layer thickness of the second layer being in a range of between 13 micrometers and 18 micrometers.

Abstract: An induction heating module for an aerosol-generating device is provided, the module including an induction heating arrangement including: a cylindrical-helical induction coil to generate an alternating magnetic field to inductively heat a susceptor within an interior space of the coil to heat an aerosol-forming substrate in thermal contact or thermal proximity with the susceptor; a flux concentrator around the coil to distort the field towards the interior space, the concentrator including a sleeve portion circumferentially surrounding the coil and an annular protrusion portion at each axial end of the sleeve portion protruding radially inward beyond the sleeve portion; and a coil support, which the coil and the concentrator are supported on, the coil support including a support tube, the coil being arranged around an outer circumference of the support tube, and the outer circumference of the support tube including a flux concentrator recess.

Abstract: A multi-layer susceptor arrangement for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the multi-layer susceptor arrangement including: a first layer including a first susceptor material; a second layer including a second susceptor material; and a third layer including a third material, the second layer being sandwiched between the first layer and the third layer, the second susceptor material including a Ni—Fe-alloy having a Ni content of equal to or smaller than 65 wt %, a layer thickness of the third layer being equal to or smaller than 70% of a layer thickness of the second layer, and the layer thickness of the third layer being in a range of between 2 micrometers and 4 micrometers.

Abstract: A multi-layer susceptor arrangement for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the multi-layer susceptor arrangement including: a first layer including a first susceptor material; a second layer including a second susceptor material; and a third layer including a third material, the second layer being sandwiched between the first layer and the third layer, the second susceptor material including a Ni-Fe-alloy having a Ni content of equal to or smaller than 65 wt %, and a layer thickness of the third layer being equal to or smaller than 20% of a layer thickness of the first layer.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol by inductive heating of an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the aerosol-generating device including: a device housing including a cavity to removably receive the substrate to be heated; an inductive heating arrangement including an induction coil to generate a varying magnetic field within the cavity, the coil being arranged around at least part of the cavity; and a flux concentrator arranged around at least part of the induction coil and configured to distort the varying magnetic field towards the cavity during use of the device, the flux concentrator including a multi-layer flux concentrator foil having at least one magnetic layer laminated with at least a first support layer, the magnetic layer including a plurality of separated fragments of a ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic alloy, and gaps between the fragments being at least partially filled with an electrically insulating material.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system is provided, including an aerosol-generating device having a housing, a heating chamber defining a heating zone, the heating chamber sized to receive an aerosol-forming substrate within the zone, an induction element around or adjacent the zone, first and second susceptors within the zone, a power supply, and a controller connected to the element to provide an alternating electric current to the element to generate an alternating magnetic field within the zone and sequentially provide a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency for a first period of time followed by a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency for a second period of time, the first and second susceptors respectively having a first/second shape, cross-section, length, width, and thickness, at least one of the first/second shapes, the first/second cross-sections, the first/second length dimensions, the first/second width dimensions, and the first/second thickness dimensions are diffe

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system is provided, including: an aerosol-generating device, including a housing including ventilation holes, a heating chamber defining a heating zone and being sized to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate within the heating zone, an induction element disposed around, or adjacent to, the heating zone, a power supply, and a controller connected to the induction element and configured to provide an alternating electric current to the induction element to generate an alternating magnetic field within the heating zone, the induction element being configured to be controlled to sequentially provide a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency for a first period of time followed by a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency for a second period of time.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol by inductive heating of an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the device including: a device housing including a cavity to removably receive the substrate; an inductive heating arrangement including an induction coil to generate a varying magnetic field within the cavity and being arranged around at least a portion of the cavity; and a flux concentrator arranged around at least a portion of the coil and being configured to distort the field of the arrangement towards the cavity, the flux concentrator including a multi-layer flux concentrator foil having a magnetic layer laminated with at least a first support layer, the magnetic layer including a plurality of separated fragments of a soft magnetic alloy and being arranged in a pattern including a plurality of crack centers, and a plurality of cracks spread radially outwards from each crack center in a web-shaped pattern.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system is provided, including: an aerosol-generating device, including a housing including ventilation holes, a heating chamber defining a heating zone and being sized to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate within the heating zone, an induction element disposed around, or adjacent to, the heating zone, a power supply, and a controller connected to the induction element and configured to provide an alternating electric current to the induction element to generate an alternating magnetic field within the heating zone, the induction element being configured to be controlled to sequentially provide a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency for a first period of time followed by a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency for a second period of time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a non-destructive testing equipment and method for testing a heating element in an aerosol-generating article. The testing equipment comprises a control module comprising a passage for an aerosol-generating article to pass the control module through the passage. The control module further comprises a control circuit and a measurement device. The control circuit comprises an excitation coil configured to generate an alternating magnetic field within the passage of the control module. The measurement device is configured to determine values related to a load applied to the control circuit responsive to physical characteristics of the heating element, when the heating element passes the control module through the passage. The control module is further configured to determine if a determined value of the tested heating element corresponds to a predefined value of a predefined heating element.

Abstract: A multi-layer susceptor arrangement for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate, the multi-layer susceptor arrangement including: a first layer including a first susceptor material; and a second layer including a second susceptor material, the second susceptor material including a Ni—Fe-alloy including one of: 79 wt %-82 wt % Ni and 13 wt %-15 wt % Fe, or 79 wt %-82 wt % Ni, 4 wt %-6 wt % Mo, less than 1 wt % of Si and Mn combined together, and 13 wt %-15 wt % Fe, or 77 wt % Ni, 16 wt % Fe, 5 wt % Cu, and 2 wt % of one of Cr and Mo, or 77 wt % Ni, 14 to 15 wt % Fe, 4 wt % Cu, and 4 wt % of Mo.

Abstract: An electronic aerosol-generating device includes a housing extending between first and second ends along a longitudinal axis. The second end of the housing defines a cavity for receiving a consumable containing an aerosol generating substrate. The device further includes a heating component comprising a heating element extending along the longitudinal axis within the cavity and configured to penetrate into the aerosol generating substrate when the consumable is inserted into the cavity. The heating element comprises a material having a Curie temperature of less than 500° C. The device also includes an inductor comprising an inductor coil positioned to transfer magnetic energy to the heating element. The inductor is configured to induce eddy currents and/or hysteresis losses in the heating element. The device further includes a power supply operably connected to the inductor and control electronics operably connected to the power supply and configured to control heating of the heating element.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system is provided, including: an aerosol-generating article including an aerosol-forming substrate, and an aerosol-generating device having a housing, a heating chamber defining a heating zone and sized to receive the substrate therein, an induction element around the zone, a power supply, and a controller connected to the element to provide an alternating electric current to the element to generate an alternating magnetic field within the zone, the element being controlled to sequentially provide a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency for a first period of time followed by a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency for a second period of time, the element being first and second coils, the first and the second coils being actuatable to provide the first and the second fields, respectively, and the article and the chamber being arranged so the article is partially received within the chamber.