Abstract: An aerosol generation device has a heating chamber for receiving a substrate carrier containing an aerosol substrate. The heating chamber includes an open first end, a chamber side wall, and a base at a second end of the chamber side wall opposite the open first end. The base includes a platform extending from a portion of the base towards the open first end from an interior surface of the base. The platform is formed of a series of protrusions positioned at an edge of the base.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: a housing having a chamber configured to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming article; a first helical inductor coil disposed at least partially around the chamber; a second helical inductor coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the chamber; and an elongate susceptor element configured to be inductively heatable by one or both of the first and the second helical inductor coils to heat at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate which is part of the aerosol-forming article, when the aerosol-forming substrate is at least partially received in the chamber. An aerosol-generating system including the aerosol-generating device is also provided.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a thin film heater includes providing a heating element supported on a surface of a flexible dielectric backing film; and attaching a layer of heat shrink film onto the surface of the dielectric backing film so as to at least partially enclose the heating element between the heat shrink film and the dielectric backing film. The method provides a much more precise and consistent method of assembling the heater assembly and improves the thermal properties and heat transfer to a heating chamber.

Abstract: The method includes electrically connecting a first line and a second line to a first terminal and a second terminal, the first line and the second line being in parallel, first configuring an aerosol-generator and a first barrier element within the first line, and second configuring an identifying element and a second barrier element within the second line. The first barrier element and the second barrier element each have an asymmetric electrical conductance. The first and second configuring configures the aerosol-generating system so that a first electrical current applied through the first and second terminal in a first direction allows the first electrical current to pass through the identifying element without activating the aerosol-generator, and a second electrical current applied through the first and second terminal in a second direction allows the second electrical current to activate the aerosol-generator without the second electrical current passing through the identifying element.

Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system may include a liquid storage portion configured to store a liquid from which aerosol may be generated, an electric heater, a capillary wick extending between the liquid storage portion and the electric heater and configured to convey liquid from the liquid storage portion to the electric heater and electric circuitry connected to the electric heater. The electric circuitry may be configured to: activate the electric heater for a first heating time period in response to an input to vaporize liquid in the capillary wick, activate the electric heater for a second heating time period upon the elapse of a first cooling time period after the first heating time period, record a temperature measurement of the electric heater during the second heating time period, and determine an amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion based on the temperature measurement.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system includes a liquid storage for holding a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, a first pair of electrodes, a second pair of electrodes and a control system. The liquid storage includes a first portion in fluid communication with a second portion. The first pair of electrodes is adjacent to or in the first portion of the liquid storage. The second pair of electrodes is adjacent to or in the second portion of the liquid storage portion. The control system is configured to measure an electrical quantity between the first pair of electrodes, measure an electrical quantity between the second pair of electrodes, and determine the orientation of the liquid storage portion based on the electrical quantity between the first pair of electrodes and the electrical quantity between the second pair of electrodes.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system may include a cartridge, a vaporiser section configured to receive the cartridge, and a power supply section configured to supply electrical power to the vaporiser section. The cartridge may include a cartridge housing containing a solid aerosol-forming substrate and defining a cartridge air inlet that extends through a wall portion of the cartridge housing. The vaporiser section may include a vaporiser housing containing an electric heater and a liquid aerosol-forming substrate and defining a vaporiser air outlet that extends through a wall portion of the vaporiser housing. The cartridge wall portion is configured to abut the vaporiser wall portion when the cartridge is received within the vaporiser section. The cartridge configured to be rotatable with respect to the vaporiser section to vary the amount of overlap between the cartridge air inlet and the vaporiser air outlet.

Abstract: An electronic vaping device includes a liquid storage portion, an electric heater and electronic circuitry. The liquid storage portion is configured to store liquid vapor-forming substrate. The electric heater includes at least one heating element, the at least one heating element configured to heat the liquid vapor-forming substrate. The electronic circuitry is configured to self-activate the electric heater for a first time interval during a period of inactivity of the electric heater to determine depletion of the liquid vapor-forming substrate based on a relationship between a power applied to the at least one heating element and a resulting temperature change of the at least one heating element.

Abstract: A vapor-generating system includes a cartridge, a vapor-generating device and a piercing element. The cartridge includes a cartridge housing configured to hold a solid vapor-forming substrate within the cartridge housing interior, a liquid storage housing configured to hold a liquid vapor-forming substrate within the liquid storage housing interior, and a frangible seal on the liquid storage housing. The vapor-generating device includes a device housing at least partially defining a cavity, an electric heater, and a power supply. The piercing element is configured to pierce the frangible seal of the cartridge to expose the liquid storage housing interior to be in fluid communication with the electric heater based on the vapor-generating device coupling with the cartridge such that the device housing at least partially receives the cartridge into the cavity. The electric heater is located externally from the piercing element.

Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system may include a liquid storage portion configured to store a liquid from which aerosol may be generated, an electric heater, a capillary wick extending between the liquid storage portion and the electric heater and configured to convey liquid from the liquid storage portion to the electric heater and electric circuitry connected to the electric heater. The electric circuitry may be configured to: activate the electric heater for a first heating time period in response to an input to vaporize liquid in the capillary wick, activate the electric heater for a second heating time period upon the elapse of a first cooling time period after the first heating time period, record a temperature measurement of the electric heater during the second heating time period, and determine an amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion based on the temperature measurement.

Abstract: The aerosol-generating device includes a reservoir configured to hold an aerosol-forming substrate, an aerosol generator configured to receive the aerosol-forming substrate from the reservoir, a wick configured to transfer the aerosol-forming substrate from the reservoir to the aerosol generator, a tilt sensor configured to sense an angle of orientation value of the reservoir, and electric circuitry including at least one processor configured to determine a depletion value of the aerosol-forming substrate in the reservoir based on the angle of orientation value, while the aerosol generator is in operational use.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system may include a cartridge, a vaporiser section configured to receive the cartridge, and a power supply section configured to supply electrical power to the vaporiser section. The cartridge may include a cartridge housing containing a solid aerosol-forming substrate and defining a cartridge air inlet that extends through a wall portion of the cartridge housing. The vaporiser section may include a vaporiser housing containing an electric heater and a liquid aerosol-forming substrate and defining a vaporiser air outlet that extends through a wall portion of the vaporiser housing. The cartridge wall portion is configured to abut the vaporiser wall portion when the cartridge is received within the vaporiser section. The cartridge configured to be rotatable with respect to the vaporiser section to vary the amount of overlap between the cartridge air inlet and the vaporiser air outlet.

Abstract: The method includes electrically connecting a first line and a second line to a first terminal and a second terminal, the first line and the second line being in parallel, first configuring an aerosol-generator and a first barrier element within the first line, and second configuring an identifying element and a second barrier element within the second line. The first barrier element and the second barrier element each have an asymmetric electrical conductance. The first and second configuring configures the aerosol-generating system so that a first electrical current applied through the first and second terminal in a first direction allows the first electrical current to pass through the identifying element without activating the aerosol-generator, and a second electrical current applied through the first and second terminal in a second direction allows the second electrical current to activate the aerosol-generator without the second electrical current passing through the identifying element.

Abstract: An aerosol generation device has a heating chamber for receiving a substrate carrier containing an aerosol substrate. The heating chamber includes a tubular side wall having an open first end; and a flanged portion at the open first end of the tubular wall, the flanged portion extending outwardly away from the tubular side wall. The flanged portion is gripped between a first washer and a second washer.

Abstract: An electronic vaping device includes a liquid storage portion, an electric heater and electronic circuitry. The liquid storage portion is configured to store liquid vapor-forming substrate. The electric heater includes at least one heating element, the at least one heating element configured to heat the liquid vapor-forming substrate. The electronic circuitry is configured to self-activate the electric heater for a first time interval during a period of inactivity of the electric heater to determine depletion of the liquid vapor-forming substrate based on a relationship between a power applied to the at least one heating element and a resulting temperature change of the at least one heating element.

Abstract: An aerosol generation device has a heating chamber for receiving a substrate carrier containing an aerosol substrate. The heating chamber includes a first open end; a base; and a side wall between the open end and the base. The base is connected to the side wall and provides structural support to the side wall. The side wall has a first thickness and the base has a second thickness greater than the first thickness.

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: A cartridge for an aerosol-generating system includes a liquid storage portion configured to store a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The liquid storage portion includes one or more flexible walls and is configured to change at least one of the shape and the size of the liquid storage portion upon a change of the volume of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate held in the liquid storage portion. The cartridge includes a sensor configured to detect data of a physical property. The data relates to at least one of a corresponding shape and a corresponding size of the liquid storage portion so that the volume of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate held in the liquid storage portion is determinable from the measured data.

Abstract: An aerosol generation device has a heating chamber for receiving a substrate carrier containing an aerosol substrate. The heating chamber includes an open end through which the substrate carrier is insertable in a direction along a length of the heating chamber. A tubular wall defines an interior volume of the heating chamber and a plurality of engagement elements are each formed from a portion of the tubular wall. Each of the plurality of engagement elements is arranged to extend from an interior surface of the tubular wall at a different location around the tubular wall such that a cross sectional area of the interior volume of the heating chamber is reduced for at least a portion of the length of the heating chamber. These engagement elements serve to grip or to compress the substrate carrier in the heating chamber.

Abstract: A vapor-generating system includes a cartridge, a vapor-generating device and a piercing element. The cartridge includes a cartridge housing configured to hold a solid vapor-forming substrate within the cartridge housing interior, a liquid storage housing configured to hold a liquid vapor-forming substrate within the liquid storage housing interior, and a frangible seal on the liquid storage housing. The vapor-generating device includes a device housing at least partially defining a cavity, an electric heater, and a power supply. The piercing element is configured to pierce the frangible seal of the cartridge to expose the liquid storage housing interior to be in fluid communication with the electric heater based on the vapor-generating device coupling with the cartridge such that the device housing at least partially receives the cartridge into the cavity. The electric heater is located externally from the piercing element.