Abstract: A heating assembly for heating an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, including a heater including an electrically resistive heating element and a heater substrate; and a heater mount coupled to the heater, the heating element including a first portion and a second portion configured such that, when an electrical current is passed through the heating element, the first portion is heated to a higher temperature than that of the second portion, the first portion of the heating element being disposed on a heating area of the heater substrate and the second portion of the heating element being disposed on a holding area of the heater substrate, the heater mount being fixed to the holding area of the heater substrate, and the second portion of the heating element being longer than the first portion of the heating element.

Abstract: An electrical system is provided, including primary and secondary devices, the primary device including an electrical power source; a cavity to receive the secondary device; at least one electrical contact within the cavity to contact a corresponding contact on the secondary device when the secondary device is in the cavity, the electrical contact being electrically connected to the source; at least one data contact to transfer data between the primary and secondary devices; and a lid moveable between a first position to retain the secondary device in contact with the electrical and data contacts and a second position in which the secondary device is free to move out of contact with the electrical and data contacts, wherein in the first position the lid urges the secondary device into contact with the electrical and data contacts, and wherein the secondary device is keyed to the cavity of the primary device.

Abstract: An electrically heated aerosol-generating system for receiving an aerosol-forming substrate includes a heating element including a first electrically conductive element electrically insulated from a second electrically conductive element by an electrically insulating portion. The first and second elements are elongate and are electrically connected to each other by an electrically resistive portion. At least one electrically conductive element and the electrically resistive portion are arranged such that they are at least partially in contact with the aerosol-forming substrate.

Abstract: An electrically heated aerosol-generating system for receiving an aerosol-forming substrate includes a heating element including a first electrically conductive element electrically insulated from a second electrically conductive element by an electrically insulating portion. The first and second elements are elongate and are electrically connected to each other by an electrically resistive portion. At least one electrically conductive element and the electrically resistive portion are arranged such that they are at least partially in contact with the aerosol-forming substrate.

Abstract: A method of using an aerosol-generating device is provided, including bringing a heating element of the aerosol-generating device into contact with an aerosol-forming substrate, raising a temperature of the heating element to a first temperature to heat the aerosol-forming substrate sufficiently to form an aerosol, removing the heating element from contact with the aerosol-forming substrate and heating the heating element to a second temperature, higher than the first temperature, to thermally liberate organic materials adhered to or deposited on the heating element. An aerosol-generating device is also provided, including a heating element coupled to a controller configured to heat the heating element to the first temperature and to the second temperature.

Abstract: A heating assembly for heating an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, including a heater including an electrically resistive heating element and a heater substrate; and a heater mount coupled to the heater, the heating element including a first portion and a second portion configured such that, when an electrical current is passed through the heating element, the first portion is heated to a higher temperature than that of the second portion, the first portion of the heating element being disposed on a heating area of the heater substrate and the second portion of the heating element being disposed on a holding area of the heater substrate, the heater mount being fixed to the holding area of the heater substrate, and the second portion of the heating element being longer than the first portion of the heating element.

Abstract: A method of using an aerosol-generating device is provided, including bringing a heating element of the aerosol-generating device into contact with an aerosol-forming substrate, raising a temperature of the heating element to a first temperature to heat the aerosol-forming substrate sufficiently to form an aerosol, removing the heating element from contact with the aerosol-forming substrate and heating the heating element to a second temperature, higher than the first temperature, to thermally liberate organic materials adhered to or deposited on the heating element. An aerosol-generating device is also provided, including a heating element coupled to a controller configured to heat the heating element to the first temperature and to the second temperature.

Abstract: An aerosol generating device is provided, including a housing configured to receive an aerosol-forming substrate having an internal cavity; a heating element configured to be received within the internal cavity of the substrate, and a positioning mechanism coupled to the heating element and to the housing being configured to move the heating element between a plurality of heating positions within the cavity. There is also provided an aerosol generating device including a housing configured to receive an aerosol-forming substrate, a heating element configured to heat a portion of the substrate, and a positioning mechanism configured to move the heating element from a first position next to a first portion of the substrate, to a second position remote from the substrate, and then to a third position next to a second portion of the substrate.

Abstract: A heating element module for an aerosol-generating device is provided, including an elongate heating element having a heating portion; a heating element mount, wherein the heating element extends substantially perpendicularly from a first surface of the heating element mount; and first and second projections extending substantially perpendicularly from the first surface of the heating element mount and abutting first and second sides of the heating element. An aerosol-generating device incorporating the heating element module is also provided.

Abstract: There is provided an aerosol-generating article including a tobacco plug, a mouthpiece positioned downstream of the tobacco plug, and a resistive heating element positioned within the tobacco plug. The resistive heating element includes an upstream portion protruding from an upstream end of the tobacco plug, wherein the upstream portion of the resistive heating element includes at least two heater electrical contacts configured to receive a supply of electrical energy from at least two device electrical contacts when the aerosol-generating article including the resistive heating element is inserted into an aerosol-generating device.

Abstract: There is provided an elongate aerosol-generating device having at least a portion of its transverse external cross-section defined by a shape having at least five sides. The shape may be polygonal. The cross-sectional shape of the device confers stability against rolling. The elongate aerosol-generating device includes a substrate receiving cavity configured to receive an aerosol-forming substrate to form an aerosol, a heating element, and a power supply configured to provide power to the heating element. The external shape of the aerosol-generating device may be defined by a housing having at least two separable portions. The external shape may be defined by a polygon having convexly curved faces to minimize perceived misalignments between adjacent housing portions.

Abstract: There is provided an elongate aerosol-generating device having a polygonal transverse cross-section. The polygon includes at least six sides. The elongate aerosol-generating device includes a substrate receiving cavity configured to receive an aerosol-forming substrate, a heating element configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol, and a power supply configured to provide power to the heating element. In addition, there is provided an aerosol-generating system, including the elongate aerosol-generating device, and a charging device including a cavity having a polygonal transverse cross-section corresponding to the polygonal transverse cross-section of the aerosol-generating device, the cavity being configured to receive the elongate aerosol-generating device.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a heating element coupled to a controller, wherein the controller is programmed to actuate the heating element through: a first thermal cycle in which a temperature of the heating element is raised to a first temperature to form an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate disposed in proximity to the heating element; a second thermal cycle in which the temperature of the heating element is raised to a second temperature, higher than the first temperature, to thermally liberate organic material adhered to or deposited on the heating element; and the second thermal cycle automatically when the aerosol-forming substrate is removed from contact with the heating element. A method of controlling an aerosol-generating device having a reusable heating element is also provided.

Abstract: There is provided an extractor for an aerosol-generating device configured to receive a smoking article including an aerosol-forming substrate and including a heater for heating the aerosol-forming substrate to form the aerosol. The extractor is configured to extract the smoking article received in the device, and includes a sliding receptacle configured to receive the smoking article, and a sleeve configured to receive the sliding receptacle. The sliding receptacle is slidable in the sleeve between a first position in which the substrate of the smoking article is positioned so as to be heated by the heater, and a second position in which the substrate is substantially separated from the heater. The sliding receptacle includes a support configured to support the substrate when the sliding receptacle and the smoking article are moved from the first position to the second position. There is also provided an electrically heated smoking system including the extractor.

Abstract: A heating assembly for heating an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, including: a heater including an electrically resistive heating element and a heater substrate; and a heater mount coupled to the heater; wherein the heating element includes a first portion and a second portion configured such that, when an electrical current is passed through the heating element, the first portion is heated to a higher temperature than the second portion as a result of the electrical current; and wherein the heater mount surrounds the second portion of the heating element.

Abstract: A heating assembly for heating an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, including: a heater including an electrically resistive heating element and a heater substrate; and a heater mount coupled to the heater; wherein the heating element includes a first portion and a second portion configured such that, when an electrical current is passed through the heating element, the first portion is heated to a higher temperature than the second portion as a result of the electrical current; and wherein the heater mount surrounds the second portion of the heating element.

Abstract: An electrically heated aerosol-generating system for receiving an aerosol-forming article is provide, including a tubular portion configured to receive the aerosol-forming article; and a heater element including an end face, the heater element being disposed proximate an end of the tubular portion so that the end face is proximate an end of the aerosol-forming article when the aerosol-forming article is inserted into the tubular portion, the system being configured to supply a first amount of electrical energy to the heater element to heat the heater element to a first temperature and to supply a second amount of electrical energy to the heater element to maintain the heater element at a second temperature, and wherein a difference between the first and second temperatures is at least about 100° C.

Abstract: An aerosol generating system includes an aerosol-forming article including an aerosol-forming substrate and a mouthpiece portion for allowing a user to draw air through the substrate; and an aerosol generating device, the device including a housing having proximal and distal ends and including at least one external surface and one internal surface, the internal surface defining an open ended cavity at the proximal end of the housing in which the substrate is received, the cavity having a longitudinal extent between its proximal and distal ends, a heater element within the cavity configured to heat the substrate received in the cavity, and an air inlet; the system including a first air flow channel extending from the air inlet to a distal end of the cavity, wherein the first channel extends between the heater and the external surface of the housing along at least a portion of the longitudinal extent of the cavity, and a second air flow channel extending from the distal end of the cavity to the mouthpiece porti

Abstract: There is provided an aerosol generating device configured to receive an aerosol-forming substrate and configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate using both an internal heater, positioned within the substrate, and an external heater positioned outside of the substrate. The use of both an internal and an external heater allows each heater to operate at a lower temperature than would be required when using either an internal or external heater alone. By operating the external heater at a lower temperature than the internal heater, the substrate can be heated to have a relatively uniform temperature distribution while the external temperature of the device can be kept to an acceptably low level.

Abstract: An electrically heated aerosol-generating system for receiving an aerosol-forming substrate includes a heating element including a first electrically conductive element electrically insulated from a second electrically conductive element by an electrically insulating portion. The first and second elements are elongate and are electrically connected to each other by an electrically resistive portion. At least one electrically conductive element and the electrically resistive portion are arranged such that they are at least partially in contact with the aerosol-forming substrate.