Abstract: A vaporiser assembly for an electrically operated aerosol-generating device is provided, including: a substantially planar, fluid-permeable heating element having opposing first and second sides; a liquid transport medium having a first side in contact with the second side of the heating element, a second side opposite to the first side, and a thickness between the first and the second sides of the medium is between 1 mm and 5 mm, the heating element extending over a first area of the first side of the medium; and a liquid supply conduit having a first end in contact with the second side of the medium and extending over only a second area of the second side of the medium, the second area being smaller than the first area, and the medium being configured to transport liquid from the conduit to the first area of the second side of the heating element.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided for heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate an inhalable aerosol during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device including: control electronics; and an outer lighting array partially or wholly surrounding an inner lighting array, the control electronics being coupled to the outer and inner lighting arrays and are configured to: i) selectively activate one of the outer and inner lighting arrays to generate a first predetermined light emission conveying first data indicative of a state of the aerosol-generating device, and ii) selectively activate the other of the outer and inner lighting arrays to generate a second predetermined light emission conveying second data indicative of a state of the aerosol-generating device, in which the first data and the second data are different from one another.

Abstract: An inductive heating arrangement to heat an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, including: a DC power source and power supply electronics including a DC/AC inverter connected to the power source, the inverter including a resonant switching power amplifier with a transistor switch, a transistor switch driver circuit associated with the switch and an LC load network including a capacitor and an inductor to generate an alternating magnetic field, the driver circuit including a tunable oscillator to output a switching signal to the switch having a tunable switching frequency; a current sensor to determine a DC supply current drawn from the power source; and a controller to receive a current signal from the sensor indicative of the supply current and to tune the frequency of the switching signal in response to the received current signal in order to tune the supply current to be in a predetermined range.

Abstract: A method for controlling aerosol production in an aerosol-generating device including an inductive heating arrangement and a power source to provide power, including: performing, during a first heating phase, a calibration process for defining first and second calibration values associated with respective first and second calibration temperatures of a susceptor to heat an aerosol-forming substrate; and during a second heating phase, controlling power to maintain a target operating value within the values, controlling the power to cause an increase of susceptor temperature, monitoring a value associated with current, interrupting power when the value reaches a first extremum corresponding to the second calibration value, monitoring the value until it reaches a second extremum corresponding to the first calibration value, and in response to determining that the value reached a minimum, repeating the steps, the calibration values corresponding to values associated with current measured during a first repetition

Abstract: An electrically heatable aerosol-generating device for an aerosol-generating article is provided, the device including a device housing including a receiving cavity within a proximal portion of the device to receive at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article; a separating wall disposed adjacent to a distal end of the cavity, separating the cavity within the proximal portion from a distal portion of the device; at least one electrical heating device configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate within the article when the article is received in the cavity; and sensing circuitry including a field generator disposed within the distal portion adjacent to the separating wall, the sensing circuitry being configured to measure a change of at least one property of the field generator caused by a presence of an indicator arranged within the article when the article is received in the cavity. An aerosol-generating system is also provided.

Abstract: A method for controlling aerosol production in an aerosol-generating device including a heating arrangement and a power source is provided, including: performing a calibration process for measuring calibration values, the arrangement configured to inductively heat the susceptor based on the values, and the process including controlling power to increase a temperature of the susceptor, monitoring a conductance value or a resistance value of the susceptor, interrupting power when the conductance value reaches a maximum or when the resistance value reaches a minimum, the value at maximum conductance or at minimum resistance being a second calibration value, and monitoring the conductance value until it reaches a minimum or the resistance value until it reaches a maximum, the value at minimum conductance or at maximum resistance being a first calibration value, the process being in response to detecting a control signal associated with an end of a predetermined duration pre-heating process.

Abstract: A method for controlling aerosol production in an aerosol-generating device is provided, the aerosol-generating device including an inductive heating arrangement and a power source configured to provide power to the inductive heating arrangement, and the method including: performing, during a first heating phase during user operation of the aerosol-generating device for producing an aerosol, a calibration process including measuring one or more calibration values associated with a susceptor inductively coupled to the inductive heating arrangement, the susceptor being configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate; and during a second heating phase during the user operation of the aerosol-generating device for producing the aerosol, controlling power provided to the inductive heating arrangement such that a temperature of the susceptor is adjusted based on the one or more calibration values.

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 configured to receive the aerosol-forming substrate; an induction source including an induction coil configured to generate an alternating magnetic field within the cavity, the induction coil being arranged around at least a portion of the cavity; a flux concentrator arranged around the induction coil and configured to distort the alternating magnetic field of the induction source towards the cavity; and a bond layer firmly coupled to a least a portion of the flux concentrator, the bond layer including or consisting of a poly(p-xylylene) polymer. There is also provided an aerosol-generating system including an aerosol-generating device including and an aerosol-generating article for the device, the article including an aerosol-forming substrate to be heated.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: a housing having a chamber, an induction coil around at least part of the chamber; a heating compartment to receive an aerosol-generating article, being detachably insertable into the chamber, and including a cavity to receive the article; and a heating element arrangeable within and extending into the cavity in a longitudinal direction, configured to penetrate an aerosol-forming substrate included in the article and received in the cavity, the compartment further including a first open end to receive the article, and a second, base end opposite the first open end, the first open end and the base end connected by side surfaces including openings and locking elements, and the chamber including recesses corresponding to the locking elements to facilitate a snap-fit when the compartment is inserted into the chamber, the compartment further including a press button to allow release of the snap-fit connection.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a storage container containing a liquid aerosol-forming substrate; a heating element spaced from the container for vaporising the substrate to form an aerosol; a transfer element between the container and the heating element to receive and retain the substrate, and to be coupled with the heating element to supply the received substrate to the heating element, at least one of the transfer element and the heating element being movable between a loading position and a heating position, such that when the movable element is in the loading position, the transfer element is in fluid communication with the outlet of the container and/or with the heating element, and such that when the movable element is in the heating position, the transfer element is in fluid communication with the heating element and the heating element is activated to vaporise the substrate retained in the transfer element.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: an induction heater configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate, the induction heater including an induction coil and a heating element, the heating element being arrangeable within the induction coil, and the induction coil having a varying pitch. An aerosol generating system is also provided, including the aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating article including an aerosol-forming substrate.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided for alternative use with at least a first type and a second type of inductively heatable aerosol-generating articles including a susceptor arrangement, the device including: a receptacle to removably receive at least a portion of the first or the second type of article; an inductive heating arrangement to generate an alternating magnetic field for inductively heating the susceptor arrangement when the article is received by the receptacle; and a controller operatively connected to the heating arrangement and being configured to: determine a first value and a second value of an electrical property of the susceptor arrangement being reached during heating of the susceptor arrangement in use of the device when the article is received by the receptacle, determine the difference between the first and the second values, and identify an article type of the article received by the receptacle based on the determined difference.

Abstract: A cartridge for an aerosol-generating system may include a container, a susceptor material, and an aerosol-forming substrate. The container defines a cartridge cavity. The susceptor material is positioned within the cartridge cavity. The susceptor material may define a plurality of interconnected interstices. The aerosol-forming substrate may be in the form of a gel that is solid at room temperature. The gel may be provided so as to be positioned within the plurality of interconnected interstices.

Abstract: A susceptor assembly for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the susceptor assembly including a multi-layer susceptor tube defining a cavity configured to receive an induction coil inside the multi-layer susceptor tube, the multi-layer susceptor tube includes an inner tubular layer, which includes a first electrically conductive material, and an outer tubular layer surrounding the inner tubular layer, which includes a second electrically conductive material, and an electrical resistivity of the first electrically conductive material is greater than an electrical resistivity of the second electrically conductive material. An inductive heating assembly for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate, an aerosol-generating article for an aerosol-generating device, and an aerosol-generating system are also provided.

Abstract: There is provided a cartridge (300) for a handheld aerosol-generating system, comprising: a cartridge body (305) comprising an outer wall (325) and an inner airflow tube (320) within the outer body, wherein the inner airflow tube is spaced from the outer wall; and a reservoir (340) of aerosol-forming substrate between the outer wall and the inner airflow tube; wherein the outer wall and inner airflow tube are connected to one another through one or more ribs (326) extending between the outer wall and inner airflow tube, and wherein the outer wall, inner airflow tube and one or more ribs are integrally moulded. With this arrangement a robust cartridge can be inexpensively and reliably manufactured. The ribs provide mechanical support between the outer wall and the inner airflow tube. The integral moulding of the outer wall, inner airflow tube and one or more ribs can ensure or minimise leakage of liquid from the cartridge.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: an electrical heating arrangement configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate in order to generate an aerosol; at least one of a user switch to enable a user to initiate a use pause of the device, and at least one sensor to output a sensor signal indicative of the device being in use by the user or in the use pause; and a controller to generate a pause signal in response to the sensor signal indicating that the device is in the use pause and/or in response to the user initiating the use pause of the device via the user switch, the heating arrangement being further configured to heat the substrate at a first temperature level in an aerosol-releasing mode, and in response to the pause signal to heat the substrate at a second temperature level below the first temperature level in a pause mode.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system is provided, including: an aerosol-generating device, including a housing, 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: A method of operating an aerosol-generating device is provided for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the device including a power supply to supply power to a heating element to heat the substrate, and a controller, the method including: monitoring a user interaction parameter indicative of use of the device during the session; using the user interaction parameter for controlling temperature of the heating element during the session; monitoring a parameter indicative of aerosol generation during the session; analyzing the monitored parameter to identify a user puff, the user puff defined by a puff start and a puff end; analyzing the monitored parameter during the user puff to calculate a puff volume, the puff volume being a volume of aerosol generated during the user puff; and using the puff volume as the user interaction parameter for controlling temperature of the heater element.

Abstract: A cartridge for an aerosol-generating system may include a container, a susceptor material, and an aerosol-forming substrate. The container defines a cartridge cavity. The susceptor material is positioned within the cartridge cavity. The susceptor material may define a plurality of interconnected interstices. The aerosol-forming substrate may be in the form of a gel that is solid at room temperature. The gel may be provided so as to be positioned within the plurality of interconnected interstices.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided for heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate an inhalable aerosol during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device including: control electronics; and an outer lighting array partially or wholly surrounding an inner lighting array, the control electronics being coupled to the outer and inner lighting arrays and are configured to: i) selectively activate one of the outer and inner lighting arrays to generate a first predetermined light emission conveying first data indicative of a state of the aerosol-generating device, and ii) selectively activate the other of the outer and inner lighting arrays to generate a second predetermined light emission conveying second data indicative of a state of the aerosol-generating device, in which the first data and the second data are different from one another.