Abstract: An aerosol-generation apparatus, which is suitable for use as part of an aerosol-generating system of a smoking substitute type. The apparatus comprises a heater having a planar heating surface, and is configured to receive an aerosol precursor carrier for thermal interaction the heating surface. The heater comprises a heating element at the heating surface, and the heating surface comprises a fluid transport region adjacent the heating element. The fluid transport region is configured to move liquid across the heating surface towards the heating element.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery system has a fluid-transfer article with a first region for holding an aerosol precursor and a second region to which the aerosol precursor is transferred from the first region. The second region includes an activation surface which interacts thermally with a heater of the aerosol delivery system to form an aerosol from said aerosol precursor. When the user sucks or inhales through the aerosol delivery system, the diaphragm flexes to open an air-flow pathway between the activation surface and the heater, so that aerosol passes from the heater to the user in the airflow. When the user ceases to suck or inhale, the flexible diaphragm flexes to close the air-flow pathway and reduce escape of aerosol precursor from the second part of the fluid-transfer article.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device comprises an aerosol-generation apparatus, including a heater and a fluid-transfer article. The fluid-transfer article has a reservoir for the holding an aerosol precursor, a wick arrangement to receive aerosol precursor from the reservoir, and a wick support element. The wick support element has at least one capillary bore therethrough. Hence, it allows aerosol precursor to pass from the reservoir to the wick in a capillary manner through the or each bore. Preferably, the heater makes abutting, unbonded contact with an activation surface of the wick so as to interact thermally therewith. This allows the heater to separable from the wick, for example, when the fluid-transfer article is separated from the rest of the device. This may be necessary when the aerosol precursor in the reservoir of the fluid transfer article has been consumed.

Abstract: There is disclosed an aerosol-generation apparatus having a heater and a fluid-transfer article, the fluid-transfer article including a first region holding an aerosol precursor and transferring said aerosol precursor to an activation surface of a second region of said article, the activation surface being disposed at an end of the article configured for thermal interaction with a heating surface of the heater. The activation surface has at least one channel therein and is configured such that, when the fluid transfer article is arranged with respect to the heating surface for thermal interaction therebetween, the channel(s) opposes the heating surface and opens towards said heating surface. The heater has a substrate forming the heating surface and at least one heating element on a part of that heating surface. The channel(s) opposes a part of the heating surface other than part of the heating surface on which the heating element is formed.

Abstract: There is disclosed an aerosol-generation apparatus, which is suitable for use as part of an aerosol-generating system of a type which may be used as a smoking substitute. The apparatus comprises a heater having a planar heating surface, and is configured to receive an aerosol precursor carrier for thermal interaction the heating surface. The heater comprises a heating element at said heating surface, and said heating surface comprises a fluid transport region adjacent said heating element. The fluid transport region is configured to move liquid across the heating surface towards the heating element.