AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM

Abstract

An aerosol provision system comprising a first part comprising a reservoir for storing an aerosolisable material, and a sensor for detecting a level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir (44). The sensor is configured to output sensor information relating to the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir (44). The aerosol provision system further comprises a vaporizer (48) for vaporizing the aerosolisable material; and a second consumable part, for holding flavoring material, located downstream of the vaporizer (48). The aerosol provision system is configured to process the sensor information to determine an amount of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir (44), and generate a signal to replace the second consumable part when the amount of the aerosolisable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No. PCT/GB2021/052358, filed Sep. 10, 2021, which claims priority from GB Application No. 2014915.9, filed Sep. 22, 2020, each of which hereby fully incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to aerosol provision systems such as nicotine delivery systems (e.g. electronic cigarettes and the like).

BACKGROUND

Aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) generally contain an aerosol precursor material/aerosoliable material, such as a reservoir of a source fluid or liquid containing a formulation, typically including nicotine, or a solid material such as a tobacco-based product, from which an aerosol/vapor is generated, e.g. through heat vaporization. An aerosol source for an aerosol provision system may thus comprise a vaporizer, e.g., a heating element, arranged to vaporize a portion of the aerosoliable material. As a user inhales on the device and electrical power is supplied to the vaporizer, air is drawn into the device through inlet holes and into the vapor generation chamber where the air mixes with the vaporized aerosoliable material and forms a condensation aerosol. Such devices are usually provided with one or more air inlet holes located away from a mouthpiece end of the system. When a user sucks on a mouthpiece connected to the mouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn in through the inlet holes and past the aerosol source. There is a flow path connecting between the aerosol source and an opening in the mouthpiece so that air drawn past the aerosol source continues along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying some of the aerosol from the aerosol source with it. The aerosol-carrying air exits the aerosol provision system through the mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.

Some aerosol provision systems may also include a flavor element in the flow path through the system to impart additional flavors or otherwise modify the aerosol. Such systems may sometimes be referred to as hybrid systems and the flavor element may, for example, include a portion of tobacco arranged in the air path between the vapor generation chamber and the mouthpiece so that vapor / condensation aerosol drawn through the devices passes through the portion of tobacco before exiting the mouthpiece for user inhalation. In such hybrid devices, typically two components are being consumed during use, e.g., the aerosol precursor material/aerosolisable material and the flavor element. These components may typically be consumed at different rates, which may increase the complexity for a user of maintaining the aerosol provision system in a state which delivers an expected aerosol to the user.

There are already mechanisms in such aerosol provision systems for estimating the consumed amount of aerosoliable material/aerosol precursor material, which rely on monitoring the energy and/or time in which the heating element from the aerosol provision system is operated for. In that respect, the longer the heating element is operated, the more aerosoliable material that is used/vaporized. However, the above mechanisms inherently involve some sort of estimation, which can notionally introduce an element of inaccuracy in understanding the amount of aerosoliable material which has actually been consumed in the system during its use.

Various approaches are described which seek to help address some of these issues, and which comprise detecting an amount of remaining aerosoliable material which has yet to be consumed in the aerosol provision system, such to more accurately establish how much of the aerosoliable material is remaining.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol provision system comprising:

• a first part comprising a reservoir for storing an aerosolisable material;
• a sensor for detecting a level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir of the first part, wherein the sensor is configured to output sensor information relating to the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir;
• a vaporizer, located downstream of the reservoir, for vaporizing the aerosolisable material;
• a second consumable part, for holding flavoring material, located downstream of the vaporizer; and
• control circuitry configured to process the sensor information from the sensor to determine an amount of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir, and configured to generate a signal when the amount of the aerosolisable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount;
• wherein the signal is an indication to replace the second consumable part.

According to a second aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a method of generating a signal, for use with an aerosol provision system configured to generate vapor from an aerosolisable material using a vaporizer, wherein the method comprises:

• detecting, using a sensor, a level of aerosolisable material in a reservoir from a first part of the aerosol provision system;
• outputting sensor information from the sensor to control circuitry of the aerosol provision system, wherein the sensor information relates to the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir;
• processing the sensor information at the control circuitry to determine an amount of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir; and
• generating a signal at the control circuity when the amount of the aerosolisable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount,
• wherein the signal is an indication to replace a second consumable part, for holding flavoring material, from the aerosol provision system, wherein the second consumable part is located downstream of the vaporizer and is configured to receive the vapor generated by vaporizer.

It will be appreciated that features and aspects of the disclosure described above in relation to the first and other aspects of the disclosure are equally applicable to, and may be combined with, embodiments of the disclosure according to other aspects of the disclosure as appropriate, and not just in the specific combinations described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically shows an aerosol provision system including a reusable part; a first part comprising aerosoliable material; a second part for holding flavoring material; and a sensor, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 schematically shows an aerosol provision system including a reusable part; a first part comprising aerosoliable material; a second part for holding flavoring material; and a plurality of sensors, in accordance with further aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 schematically shows an aerosol provision system including a reusable part; a first part comprising aerosoliable material; a second part for holding flavoring material; and a sensor, in accordance with further aspects of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 4 shows a methodology for implementing the aerosol provision system from FIGS. 1-3 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and these are not discussed / described in detail in the interests of brevity. It will thus be appreciated that aspects and features of apparatus and methods discussed herein which are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

As described above, the present disclosure relates to an aerosol provision system, such as e-cigarettes, including hybrid devices. Throughout the following description the term “e-cigarette” or “electronic cigarette” may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with vapor provision system / device and electronic vapor provision system / device. Furthermore, and as is common in the technical field, the terms “vapor” and “aerosol”, and related terms such as “vaporize”, “volatilize” and “aerosolize”, may generally be used interchangeably.

Aerosol provision systems often, though not always, comprise a modular assembly including both a reusable, part and a replaceable (disposable) consumable part. Often the replaceable part will comprise the aerosol precursor material (also called aerosolisable material) and the vaporizer, while the reusable part will comprise the power supply (e.g. rechargeable battery), an activation mechanism (e.g. button or puff sensor), and control circuitry. However, it will be appreciated these different parts may also comprise further elements depending on functionality. For example, for a hybrid device the cartridge part may also comprise an additional aerosol modifying element/aerosol flavoring material, e.g. a portion of tobacco, provided as a second part or “pod”. In such cases the element insert or flavoring material may itself be removable from the first, disposable cartridge, part so it can be replaced separately from the first, cartridge, part, for example to change flavor or because the usable lifetime of the element insert is less than the usable lifetime of the vapor generating components of the first, cartridge, part. The reusable device part will often also comprise additional components, such as a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operating status characteristics.

For modular devices a consumable part and control unit are mechanically (and sometimes also electrically) coupled together for use, for example using a screw thread, latching or bayonet fixing with appropriately engaging electrical contacts. When the aerosoliable material in a cartridge is exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge having a different aerosoliable material, a cartridge may be removed from the control unit and a replacement cartridge attached in its place. Devices conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part devices or multi-part devices.

It is relatively common for electronic cigarettes, including multi-part devices, to have a generally elongate shape and, for the sake of providing a concrete example, certain embodiments of the disclosure described herein will be taken to comprise a generally elongate multi-part device employing disposable cartridges with a tobacco pod insert. However, it will be appreciated the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for different electronic cigarette configurations, for example single-part devices or modular devices comprising more than two parts, refillable devices and single-use disposable devices, and non-hybrid devices which do not have an additional flavor element, as well as devices conforming to other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a more box-like shape. More generally, it will be appreciated certain embodiments of the disclosure are based on electronic cigarettes that are configured to provide activation functionality in accordance with the principles described herein, and the specific constructional aspects of electronic cigarette configured to provide the described activation functionality are not of primary significance.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view through an example aerosol provision system 1 in accordance with certain aspects of the disclosure. The aerosol provision system 1 comprises two main components, namely a reusable part 2 (sometimes referred to as a device part or aerosol provision device) and a replaceable / disposable consumable part.

The reusable part 2 comprises components that are intended to have a longer lifetime than the consumable part. In other words, the reusable part 2 is intended to be used, sequentially, with multiple consumable parts. The consumable part comprises components that are consumed when forming an aerosol for delivery to the user during use of the aerosol provision system 1.

In the example of FIG. 1, the replaceable/disposable consumable part is formed of a cartridge 4 forming more generally a first part, and a removable pod 8 forming more generally a second part 8. As described in more detail below, the first part/cartridge 4 comprises a reservoir for storing an aerosol precursor material/aerosolisable material, which may be a fluid, and may be more specifically a liquid aerosol precursor such as an e-liquid (sometimes referred to as source liquid), which is vaporized to form an aerosol, while the second part/removable pod 8 contains a portion of tobacco or a tobacco-based product (hereinafter referred to as tobacco material 84) which is arranged to modify the aerosol generated from the e-liquid of the first part 4 (specifically, in the example arrangement of FIG. 1, the aerosol generated from the e-liquid is drawn through the removable pod 8 and flavor and/or nicotine is imparted to the aerosol). In other words, the aerosol that is delivered to the user is generated via the consumable part firstly by vaporizing aerosoliable material to generate an aerosol, and secondly by passing the generated aerosol through the tobacco pod 8 to modify the aerosol, wherein it is the modified aerosol that is delivered to the user. For the sake of a concrete example, the removable pod 8 is described as containing tobacco material 84, but it should be appreciated that the removable pod 8 may contain other materials which modify the properties or composition of the aerosol (herein sometimes referred to as aerosol modifying material or aerosol flavoring material), for example, other plant-based materials or liquid-soaked matrices. For the sake of a concrete example, however, the removable pod 8 described herein contains tobacco material 84, and may sometimes be referred to a tobacco pod 8.

In normal use, the reusable part 2 and the cartridge/first part 4 are releasably coupled together at a first interface 6. When the e-liquid in the cartridge 4 is exhausted or the user simply wishes to switch to a different cartridge 4, the cartridge 4 may be removed from the reusable part 2 and a replacement cartridge 4 attached to the reusable part 2 in its place. The interface 6 provides a structural, electrical and air path connection between the reusable part 2 and cartridge 4 and may be established in accordance with conventional techniques, for example based around a screw thread, latch mechanism, or bayonet fixing with appropriately arranged electrical contacts and openings for establishing the electrical connection and air path between the two parts as appropriate. The specific manner by which the cartridge 4 mechanically mounts to the reusable part 2 is not significant to the principles described herein. It will also be appreciated the interface 6 in some implementations may not support an electrical connection between the cartridge 4 and the reusable part 2. For example, in some implementations a vaporizer may be provided in the reusable part 2 rather than in the cartridge 4, or the transfer of electrical power from the reusable part 2 to the cartridge 4 may be wireless (e.g. based on electromagnetic induction), so that an electrical connection between the reusable part 2 and the cartridge 4 is not needed.

Likewise, in normal use, the cartridge/first part 4 and the tobacco pod/second part 8 are releasably coupled together at a second interface 7. The second interface 7 is broadly at the opposite end of the cartridge 4 to the first interface 6. As with the cartridge/first part 4, the tobacco pod/second part 8 is able to be replaced, e.g., when the tobacco material no longer imparts flavor or nicotine to the aerosol generated from the cartridge 4. Providing a tobacco pod 8 which is releasably coupled to the cartridge 4 enables the tobacco pod 8 to be switched independently of the cartridge 4. In this example, the interface 7 provides a structural and air path connection between the cartridge 4 and tobacco pod 8. Any suitable coupling mechanism, such as any of those described above, may be used to couple the tobacco pod 8 to the cartridge 4.

In FIG. 1, the first, cartridge, part 4 comprises a cartridge housing 42 formed of a plastics material. The cartridge housing 42 supports other components of the cartridge and provides the mechanical interface 6 with the reusable part 2. The cartridge housing 42 is generally circularly symmetric about a longitudinal axis along which the cartridge 4 couples to the reusable part 2. In this example the cartridge 4 has a length of around 4 cm and a diameter of around 1.5 cm. However, it will be appreciated the specific geometry, and more generally the overall shapes and materials used, may be different in different implementations.

Within the cartridge housing 42 is a reservoir 44 that, in the described example, contains a liquid aerosol precursor material. The liquid aerosol precursor material may be conventional, and may be referred to as e-liquid. The source liquid may contain nicotine and/or other active ingredients, and/or a one or more flavors. As used herein, the terms “flavor” and “flavorant” refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste or aroma in a product for adult consumers. In some implementations, the source liquid may contain no nicotine. It should also be appreciated that while the cartridge 4 described above comprises a liquid aerosol precursor material, in other implementations, the aerosol precursor material may be a solid or a gel.

The liquid reservoir 44 in this example has an annular shape with an outer wall defined by the cartridge housing 42 and an inner wall that defines an air path 52 through the cartridge 4. The reservoir 44 is closed at each end with end walls 44A;44B to contain the source liquid. The reservoir 44 may be formed in accordance with conventional techniques, for example it may comprise a plastics material and be integrally molded with the cartridge housing 42.

The cartridge 4 further comprises a vaporizer 48 configured to vaporize the source liquid, and which is located downstream of the reservoir 44. The vaporizer in the example of FIG. 1 comprises a heater 48 which is provided in conjunction with a wick 46 located towards an end of the reservoir 44. In this example the wick 46 extends transversely across the cartridge air path 52 with its ends extending into the reservoir 44 of e-liquid through openings in the inner wall of the reservoir 44. The openings in the inner wall of the reservoir are sized to broadly match the dimensions of the wick 46 to provide a reasonable seal against leakage from the liquid reservoir into the cartridge air path without unduly compressing the wick, which may be detrimental to its fluid transfer performance.

The wick 46 and heater 48 are arranged in the cartridge air path 52 such that a region of the cartridge air path 52 around the wick 46 and heater 48 in effect defines a vaporization region for the cartridge 4. E-liquid in the reservoir 44 infiltrates the wick 46 through the ends of the wick extending into the reservoir 44 and is drawn along the wick by surface tension / capillary action (i.e. wicking). The heater 48 in this example comprises an electrically resistive wire coiled around the wick 46. In use electrical power may be supplied to the heater 48 to vaporize an amount of e-liquid (vapor precursor material) drawn to the vicinity of the heater 48 by the wick 46. In this example the heater 48 comprises a nickel chrome alloy (Cr20Ni80) wire and the wick 46 comprises a glass fiber bundle, but it will be appreciated the specific vaporizer configuration is not significant to the principles described herein. Indeed, in other implementations, alternative vaporizers (e.g., a vibrating mesh, LED heaters, etc.) may be used within the first part/cartridge 4. The specific type of vaporizer will be selected based on a number of criteria, including the type of aerosol precursor material to be vaporized. A cartridge which includes a vaporizer is sometimes referred to as a “cartomizer”.

The rate at which e-liquid is vaporized by the vaporizer (heater) 48 will depend on the amount (level) of power supplied to the heater 48 during use. Thus electrical power can be applied to the heater 48 to selectively generate vapor from the e-liquid in the first part/cartridge 4, and furthermore, the rate of vapor generation can be changed by changing the amount of power supplied to the heater 48, for example through pulse width and/or frequency modulation techniques.

The tobacco pod/second part 8 in this example is coupled to an end of the first part/cartridge 4 opposite the interface 6, and is effectively located downstream of the vaporizer 48. The tobacco pod 8 comprises a pod housing 82 and tobacco material 84 contained within the pod housing 82. The tobacco pod housing 82 is formed from a plastics material. Although not shown, the cartridge 4 may include a recessed feature at the interface 7 into which a part of the tobacco pod 8 is inserted and held by friction fit, or alternatively the tobacco pod housing 82 may include engagement features for coupling to the cartridge 4 via interface 7 (and equally the cartridge 4 is provided with corresponding engagement features for coupling to the tobacco pod housing 82). It should be appreciated that the tobacco pod 8 is directly coupled to cartridge 4 but is indirectly coupled to the reusable part 2 via cartridge 4.

The housing 82 is formed so as to define an inner volume in which the tobacco material 84 can be housed. The housing 82 comprises an inlet 86 in a wall of the housing 82 which fluidly communicates with the air path 52 of the cartridge 4 when the tobacco pod 8 is coupled to the cartridge 4 via interface 7, and an outlet 50 positioned opposite the inlet 86. Air that flows along air path 52 (and in which the vaporized source liquid is entrained) passes into the inner volume of the tobacco pod 8 and interacts with the tobacco material 84. As mentioned above, the tobacco material 84 may impart some flavoring and/or nicotine to the aerosol that enters via inlet 86, and subsequently modifies the composition of the aerosol. The modified aerosol is delivered to the user via outlet 50. During use, the user may place their lips around or adjacent the outlet 86 and draw air through the outlet 50, hence the outlet 50 may be referred to as a mouthpiece outlet 50. The shape and dimensions of the tobacco pod 8 are set such that the housing 82 is broadly flush with the housing 42 when the tobacco pod 8 and cartridge 4 are engaged. In some implementations, the housing 82 of the tobacco pod 8 is shaped for an ergonomic fit with a typical user’s mouth, although in other implementations as separate mouthpiece element may be provided which couples to the tobacco pod 8 and/or the cartridge 4.

The reusable part 2 comprises an outer housing 12 with an opening that defines an air inlet 28 for the aerosol provision system 1, a battery 26 for providing operating power for the aerosol provision system 1, a controller (or sometimes referred to as control circuitry) 20 for controlling and monitoring the operation of the aerosol provision system 1, a first user input button 14, and a second user input button 24. The reusable part 2 additionally includes an inhalation sensor (puff detector) 16, which in this example comprises a pressure sensor located in a pressure sensor chamber 18. However, the pressure sensor is and pressure sensor chamber 18 may not be present in other implementations.

The outer housing 12 may be formed, for example, from a plastics or metallic material and in this example has a circular cross-section generally conforming to the shape and size of the cartridge 4 so as to provide a smooth transition between the two parts at the interface 6. In this example, the reusable part has a length of around 8 cm so the overall length of the e-cigarette when the cartridge part and reusable part are coupled together is around 12 cm. However, and as already noted, it will be appreciated that the overall shape and scale of an electronic cigarette implementing an embodiment of the disclosure is not significant to the principles described herein.

The air inlet 28 connects to an air path 30 through the reusable part 2. The reusable part air path 30 in turn connects to the cartridge air path 52 across the interface 6 when the reusable part 2 and cartridge 4 are connected together. The pressure sensor chamber 18 containing the pressure sensor 16 is in fluid communication with the air path 30 in the reusable part 2 (i.e. the pressure sensor chamber 18 branches off from the air path 30 in the reusable part 2). Thus, when a user inhales on the mouthpiece opening 50, there is a drop in pressure in the pressure sensor chamber 18 that may be detected by the pressure sensor 16 and also air is drawn in through the air inlet 28, along the reusable part air path 30, across the interface 6, through the vapor generation region in the vicinity of the heater 48 (where vaporized e-liquid becomes entrained in the air flow when the heater is active), along the cartridge air path 52, and out through the mouthpiece opening 50 for user inhalation.

The battery 26 in this example is rechargeable and may be of a conventional type, for example of the kind normally used in aerosol provision systems and other applications requiring provision of relatively high currents over relatively short periods. The battery 26 may be recharged through a charging connector in the reusable part housing 12, for example a USB connector. The battery 26 may be, for example, a lithium ion battery.

The user input button 14 in this example is a mechanical button, for example comprising a spring mounted component which may be pressed by a user to establish an electrical contact. In this regard, the input button 14 may be considered to provide a manual input mechanism for the reusable part 2, but the specific manner in which the button is implemented is not significant. For example, different forms of mechanical button or touch-sensitive button (e.g. based on capacitive or optical sensing techniques) may be used in other implementations. The specific manner in which the button is implemented may, for example, be selected having regard to a desired aesthetic appearance.

The user input button 14 in the example of FIG. 1 provides the function of turning the device on and off. When in the on state, power from the battery 26 is provided to the control circuitry 20 and any other components of the reusable part 2 as required, but aerosol generation is not enabled. Rather, the device is in standby with respect to aerosol generation. More specifically, the pressure sensor 16 and control circuitry 20 are provided with power sufficient to enable a detection of a change in pressure (signifying a user inhalation). Once a user inhalation is detected, the control circuitry 20 is configured to supply power to the heater 48 to cause the source liquid to be vaporized. Additionally, once the user inhalation has stopped being detected (e.g., the pressure has dropped below a certain threshold value), then the control circuitry 20 is configured to stop supplying power to the heater/vaporizer 48, resulting in aerosol generation also being stopped. Such aerosol generation activation mechanisms are known, and devices employing such mechanisms are generally referred to as “puff actuated” devices. In alternative configurations that do not employ a pressure sensor 16 (or other inhalation detectors), aerosol generation may be initiated via a user input button. For example, the user input button 14 may provide the dual functionality of turning the device on and off, and enabling aerosol generation. For instance, the user input button 14 may be depressed for a first time period (e.g., 1 second) to turn the device on or off, and when the device is in the on state, the user input button 14 may be held down (depressed) for a second time period greater than the first time period to supply power to the heater 48. When the button is in the depressed state, the user can inhale at the mouthpiece opening 50 to inhale generated aerosol. Such aerosol generation activation mechanisms are known, and devices employing such mechanisms are generally referred to as “button actuated” devices.

The control circuitry 20 is suitably configured / programmed to control the operation of the aerosol provision system 1 to provide functionality in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure as described further herein, as well as for providing conventional operating functions of the aerosol provision system in line with the established techniques for controlling such systems. The control circuitry 20 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units / circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the aerosol provision system’s operation and may be implemented by provision of a (micro)controller, processor, ASIC or similar form of control chip. The control circuitry 20 may be arranged to control any functionality associated with the system 1. By way of non-limiting examples only, the functionality may include the charging or re-charging of the battery 26, the discharging of the battery 26 (i.e., for providing power to the heater 48), in addition to other functionality such as controlling visual indicators (e.g., LEDs) / displays, communication functionality for communicating with external devices, etc. The control circuitry 20 may be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB). Note also that the functionality provided by the control circuitry 20 may be split across multiple circuit boards and / or across components which are not mounted to a PCB, and these additional components and / or PCBs can be located as appropriate within the aerosol provision device. For example, functionality of the control circuit 20 for controlling the (re)charging functionality of the battery 26 may be provided separately (e.g. on a different PCB) from the functionality for controlling the discharge of the battery 26.

The aerosol provision system 1 is also provided with a sensor 70 for detecting a level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44 of the cartridge/first part 4. As will be described, the sensor 70 is configured to output sensor information relating to the level of the aerosolisable material, such as a source liquid, in the reservoir 44.

The sensor 70 may comprise one or more sensors that are operable to detect the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. In that respect therefore, and in accordance with some embodiments, the sensor may comprise an optical sensor. In a particular embodiment thereof, the optical sensor may comprise a optical emitter configured to output a light source (e.g. visible light, infra-red light, and/or ultra-violet light) directed towards the surface of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44, which is then detected by a corresponding optical receiver from the optical sensor 70. In such an embodiment, by comparing the outputted light source from the optical emitter with the detected light from the optical receiver, which will be affected by the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44, the sensor 70 can output sensor information which effectively relates to the level of the aerosolisable material, such as a source liquid, currently in the reservoir 44.

The sensor 70 in accordance with some embodiments may equally comprise an acoustic sensor. In a particular embodiment thereof, the acoustic sensor may comprise an audio emitter, or speaker, configured to output an audio source directed towards the surface of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44, which is then detected by a corresponding audio receiver, or microphone, from the acoustic sensor 70. In such an embodiment, by comparing the outputted audio source from the audio emitter with the detected audio from the audio receiver, which will be affected by the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44, the sensor 70 can output sensor information which effectively relates to the level of the aerosolisable material, such as a source liquid, currently in the reservoir 44.

In some embodiments, the sensor 70 may alternatively/additionally comprise at least one of a capacitive sensor, resistive sensor, and/or an inductive sensor for respectively outputting a capacitance/resistance/impedance value related to the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. In that respect, any such capacitance/resistance/impedance value will be impacted by the relative amount of aerosolisable material to air that is present in the reservoir 44.

Where such a sensor(s) 70 is present, it will be appreciated that any number of sensor(s) may be provided to allow the level of liquid inside the reservoir to be accurately determined, and such to allow sensor information to be output therefrom which effectively relates to the remaining level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. Similarly, the exact position of each sensor(s) 70 will depend on the type of sensor 70 used to detect the level of aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. In accordance with some embodiments, each sensor may be located for instance in, or on a wall of, the reservoir 44, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 for instance, where the sensor 70 is shown as located on the outer wall of the reservoir 44.

In accordance with some embodiments, the sensor 70 may at least partially cover an opening from a wall of the reservoir 44 for delivering the aerosolisable material from the reservoir 44 to the vaporizer 48. This wall, in accordance with some very particular embodiments, may be the inner wall of the reservoir 44. By positioning the sensor 70 such that it at least partially covers the opening, through which aerosolisable material is deliverable from the reservoir 44 to the vaporizer 48, this may allow the aerosol provision system 1 to more effectively detect low amounts of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44, which may be indicative of dry out conditions (i.e. conditions where no/not enough aerosolisable material is operable to be delivered to the vaporizer 48 from the reservoir 44 - in such embodiments via the opening).

In a very particular embodiment, there may be provided a plurality of sensors 70a;70b...70n located on a wall of the reservoir 44, such as for instance distributed along a length of the reservoir 44 which extends between the two end walls 44A;44B. Such an embodiment is shown in FIG. 2. With the provision of more sensors 70, this may serve to further increase the effectiveness of the sensors to output accurate sensor information relating to the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44.

In accordance with the above embodiments, any of the provided sensor(s) 70;70a;70b... 70n may be for instance any of the sensors described herein, such as an optical sensor; an acoustic sensor; a capacitive sensor; a resistive sensor; and/or an inductive sensor as required, and/or any other sensor(s) capable of outputting sensor information relating to the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44.

As noted above, each sensor 70 is configured to output sensor information relating to the remaining level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. The output sensor information is configured to be output to control circuitry 20 of the aerosol provision system 1. This may be achieved, as required, using either a wired or wireless connection between the control circuitry 20 and the sensor(s) 70. In the particular embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a wired connection is provided between the sensor(s) 70 and the control circuitry 20, and which extends across the interface 6 between the first part 4 and the reusable part 2.

In accordance with some of the embodiments described above, the sensor 70 is shown as located in the first part 4. In accordance with other embodiments however, the reusable part 2 may comprise the sensor(s) 70, as shown for example in the embodiment of FIG. 3. In such embodiments, the sensor(s) 70, although being located on the reusable part 2, is still operable to detect the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. To achieve this, each sensor 70 in accordance with these embodiments may, for instance, be located at the interface 6 between the first part 4 and the reusable part 2. In this way, each sensor 70 is still proximal enough the first part 4 to detect the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. In a very particular embodiment, for instance where the sensor 70 is an optical sensor, the first part 4 may comprise a window 72 for allowing light from the sensor 70 to enter and exit the fluid reservoir 44, wherein the window 72 faces the reusable part 2, and wherein the window is located adjacent the sensor 70. Such an embodiment is shown in FIG. 3. By locating the sensor(s) 70 in the reusable part 2, this obviates the need for a sensor 70 to be provided in each first part 4, noting this first part 4 may be a consumable first part 4.

However the sensor(s) 70 is arranged/located in the aerosol provision system 1, as noted above, each sensor 70 is configured to output sensor information relating to the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. The control circuitry 20 is configured to process the sensor information from the sensor(s) 70 to determine an amount of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44, and is configured to generate a signal when the amount of the aerosolisable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount.

In accordance with some embodiments, the generated signal may be an indication to replace the second consumable part 8. In that respect, the quantity of aerosolisable material provided in the first part 4 is carefully selected, primarily with a view to decreasing the cost of goods as much as reasonably possible having regard to certain regulations. Equally, the quantity of flavoring material 84 in the second part 8 is selected based on similar considerations. In that regard as well, it has been found that the second part 8 generally requires replacement more frequently than the first part 4 in order to provide a satisfactory aerosol to the user. Put differently, a predetermined number of second parts 8 may end up being entirely consumed before a first part 4 with a reservoir 44 full of aerosolisable material is entirely consumed. In accordance with some embodiments, this predetermined number may be 2, 3, 4 or 5.

In the above respect, it is invariably difficult for the user to know the most optimal time when to switch the second part 8 for a replacement second part 8. Indeed, from the user’s perspective, this is only likely in response to the user receiving an unsatisfactory/ill-flavored aerosol (i.e. when the contents of the second part 8 have been entirely consumed). Depending on the user’s levels of perception, the user may not realize this until some time after the ideal time to switch the second part 8.

Conscious of the above, the generated signal may be an indication to replace the second consumable part 8 when the amount of the aerosolisable material from the reservoir 44 is determined as reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount.

In accordance with some embodiments, the predetermined amount corresponds to the reservoir 44 from the first part 4 being at least one of ¾; ⅔; ½; ⅓; or ¼ full with aerosolisable material. Appreciably, these fractions may depend on the predetermined number of second parts 8 which may be consumed before a first part 4 with a reservoir 44 full of aerosolisable material is entirely consumed. (e.g. the ¾ full fraction corresponding to four second parts 8 being consumed for every single entire consumption of the first part 4).

In respect of the signal which is generated in the above instances, in accordance with some embodiments, the signal may be at least one of: an optical signal, an acoustic signal, and a haptic signal, which can be used to provide an indication to the user that the second part 8 requires changing.

To implement the above, as required, in accordance with some embodiments, the aerosol provision system 1 may further comprise any one or combination of an optic element (such as an LED), an acoustic element (such as a speaker) and a haptic feedback element (such as a vibrator). Appreciably, in some particular embodiments to those set out above, any such optical/acoustic/haptic feedback element(s) may be most conveniently located on the reusable part 2.

In accordance with some embodiments, the predetermined amount may be a first predetermined amount, and the signal may be a first signal. In such embodiments, the control circuitry 20 may be further configured to generate a second signal when the amount of the aerosolisable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a second predetermined amount, wherein the second predetermined amount is less than the first predetermined amount.

In the above embodiments, the second signal facilitates the aerosol provision system 1 to be able to react to another second part 8 being nominally consumed after an earlier second part 8 has been consumed, and/or to react to the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44 reaching, or falling below, a low/empty amount.

The above being the case, in accordance with some particular embodiments thereof, the second signal may be a second indication to replace the second consumable part (again). In that respect, in some embodiments for instance, the second predetermined amount may correspond to the reservoir 44 being at least one of ½ or ⅓ full with aerosolisable material (which might be in respective embodiments where four or three second parts 8 are consumed for every single entire consumption of the first part 4).

Any such second signal to replace the second consumable part 8 may, if required, also be to at least one of: an optical signal, an acoustic signal, and a haptic signal, which can be used to provide an indication to the user that the second part 8 requires changing.

In some embodiments, for instance where the reservoir 44 is empty or almost empty, the second signal may be a command to disable the operation of the aerosol provision system 1 and/or the vaporizer 48. In some particular embodiments thereof, the operation of the aerosol provision system 1 and/or the vaporizer 48 may be then be disabled until the control circuitry 20 determines (from the sensor information from the sensor 70) an amount of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir as reaching, or exceeding, a predetermined minimum amount, and/or determines that the reservoir 44 is full with aerosolisable material.

In yet further narrower embodiments, beyond generating a second signal when the amount of the aerosolisable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a second predetermined amount, the control circuitry 20 may be further configured to generate a third signal when the amount of the aerosolisable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a third predetermined amount, wherein the third predetermined amount is less than the second predetermined amount.

In such a third signal, in accordance with some particular embodiments thereof, the third signal may comprise a command to (such as yet again, or for a third time) replace the second consumable part 8, and/or to disable the operation of the vaporizer.

As an illustration of an embodiment methodology for employing/operating the aerosol provision systems 1 described herein, reference is made to FIG. 4. In the method 400 from FIG. 4, the method initially comprises detecting, using the sensor(s) 70;70a;70b... 70n, a level of aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44 from the first part 4 of the aerosol provision system 1 (step 402).

Sensor information is then output from the sensor(s) 70 to the control circuitry 20 of the aerosol provision system 1, wherein the sensor information relates to the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44 (step 404).

The sensor information is then processed at the control circuitry 20 to determine an amount of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44 (step 406). It will be appreciated that such processing of the sensor information may further utilize additional information relating to the physical dimensions of the reservoir 44, and/or additional information relating to the position of each sensor 70 in the reservoir 70, to determine the amount of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. In accordance with some embodiments, such additional information relating to the physical dimensions of the reservoir 44, and/or the position of each sensor 70 in the reservoir 70, may be pre-stored in a memory of the control circuitry 20, or appreciably in some embodiments the additional information may be output from the sensor 70, alongside the sensor information.

Based off this determined amount of the remaining aerosolisable material left in the reservoir 44, the control circuitry 20 is then configured to generate a signal to replace the second consumable part 8 when the amount of the aerosolisable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount (step 408).

As noted above, and in accordance with some embodiments, the predetermined amount may correspond to the reservoir 44 from the first part being at least one of ¾; ⅔; ½; ⅓; or ¼ full with aerosolisable material. Appreciably, these fractions may depend on the predetermined number of second parts 8 which may be consumed before a first part 4 with a reservoir 44 full of aerosolisable material is entirely consumed. (e.g. the ¾ full fraction corresponding to four second parts 8 being consumed for every single entire consumption of the first part 4).

Thus, in accordance with the above methodology, the aerosol provision system detects the level of aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44 using a sensor(s) 70 to ultimately provide an accurate indication as to the remaining amount of aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. This contrasts with other systems employing techniques which estimate the consumed amount of aerosoliable material, by monitoring the energy and/or time in which the heating element is operated for. Such estimation techniques, noting they are only an estimate, may therefore be less accurate in their indication as to how much aerosoliable material has actually been consumed, which in the context of an aerosol provision system can be important.

Thus, there has been described an aerosol provision system comprising:

• a first part comprising a reservoir for storing an aerosolisable material;
• a sensor for detecting a level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir of the first part, wherein the sensor is configured to output sensor information relating to the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir;
• a vaporizer, located downstream of the reservoir, for vaporizing the aerosolisable material;
• a second consumable part, for holding flavoring material, located downstream of the vaporizer; and
• control circuitry configured to process the sensor information from the sensor to determine an amount of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir, and configured to generate a signal when the amount of the aerosolisable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount;
• wherein the signal is an indication to replace the second consumable part.

There has also been described a method of generating a signal, for use with an aerosol provision system configured to generate vapor from an aerosolisable material using a vaporizer, wherein the method comprises:

• detecting, using a sensor, a level of aerosolisable material in a reservoir from a first part of the aerosol provision system;
• outputting sensor information from the sensor to control circuitry of the aerosol provision system, wherein the sensor information relates to the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir;
• processing the sensor information at the control circuitry to determine an amount of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir; and
• generating a signal at the control circuity when the amount of the aerosolisable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount,
• wherein the signal is an indication to replace a second consumable part, for holding flavoring material, from the aerosol provision system, wherein the second consumable part is located downstream of the vaporizer and is configured to receive the vapor generated by vaporizer.

There has further been described an aerosol provision system 1 comprising a first part 4 comprising a reservoir 44 for storing an aerosolisable material, and a sensor 70 for detecting a level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. The sensor 70 is configured to output sensor information relating to the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. The aerosol provision system further comprises a vaporizer 48 for vaporizing the aerosolisable material; and a second consumable part 8, for holding flavoring material, located downstream of the vaporizer 48. The aerosol provision system 1 is configured to process the sensor information to determine an amount of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44, and generate a signal to replace the second consumable part 8 when the amount of the aerosolisable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount.

While the above described embodiments have in some respects focused on some specific example aerosol provision systems, it will be appreciated the same principles can be applied for aerosol provision systems using other technologies. That is to say, the specific manner in which various aspects of the aerosol provision system function are not directly relevant to the principles underlying the examples described herein.

For instance, while it has been described that the first part 4 is releasably coupled to the reusable part 2, in some implementations, the first part 4 may be integrated with the reusable part 2. For instance, the cartridge housing 42 of the first part 4 may in some embodiments be formed in conjunction with, or is the same as, the outer housing 12 of reusable part 2. In such implementations, the reservoir 44 may be refilled with aerosolisable material when the reservoir 44 is depleted, for example via a closable opening into reservoir 44. In such implementations, the signal from the control circuitry 20 may indicate to the user that reservoir 44 is, or is nearly, depleted and requires refilling.

In some embodiments as well, and although not expressly required, to further improve the accuracy of the aerosol provision system 1 to detect the amount of aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44, the aerosol provision system 1, such as its first part 4 and/or the reusable part 2, may further comprise an orientation sensor 74 for determining the orientation of the first part 4, and hence the orientation of the level of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. Such an orientation sensor 74, in accordance with a particular embodiment for instance, may comprise one or more accelerometers. With reference to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, the orientation sensor 74 is shown as located in the reusable part 2, though as noted above any such orientation sensor 74 may be located as appropriate anywhere in the aerosol provision system 1.

Where such an orientation sensor 74 is present, the orientation sensor 74 would be configured to output orientation sensor information, to the control circuitry 20, relating to the orientation of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir 44. In that way, the control circuitry 20 would be then configured to process the sensor information from each sensor 70, and the orientation sensor information from the orientation sensor 74, to determine an amount of the aerosolisable material in the reservoir.

For the sake of completeness, it is again noted that the presence of any such orientation sensor 74 is not expressly essential, noting the orientation of the liquid insider the reservoir 44 may additionally/alternatively be determined by positioning an appropriate number of sensors 70 inside the reservoir 44 as required, which can detect the orientation of liquid inside the reservoir 44 at any required angle/orientation.

In order to address various issues and advance the art, this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments that may be practiced. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and to teach the disclosure. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. other than those specifically described herein, and it will thus be appreciated that features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the claims. The disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

Claims

1. An aerosol provision system comprising:

a first part comprising a reservoir for storing an aerosolizable material;

a sensor for detecting a level of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir of the first part, wherein the sensor is configured to output sensor information relating to the level of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir;

a vaporizer, located downstream of the reservoir, for vaporizing the aerosolizable material;

a second consumable part, for holding flavoring material, located downstream of the vaporizer; and

control circuitry configured to process the sensor information from the sensor to determine an amount of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir, and configured to generate a signal when the amount of the aerosolizable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount;

wherein the signal is an indication to replace the second consumable part.

2. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor.

3. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an acoustic sensor.

4. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a capacitive sensor, resistive sensor, and an inductive sensor.

5. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is located in, or on a wall of, the reservoir.

6. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the aerosol provision system comprises a reusable part:

wherein the first part is connectable to the reusable part; and

wherein the second consumable part is connectable to the first part.

7. The aerosol provision system of claim 6, wherein the reusable part comprises the sensor.

8. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the first part comprises the sensor.

9. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the first part is able to be removed from the aerosol provision system independently of the second consumable part.

10. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the signal is at least one of: an optical signal, an acoustic signal, and a haptic signal.

11. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount corresponds to the reservoir from the first part being at least one of ¾; ⅔; ½; ⅓; or ¼ full with aerosolizable material.

12. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, further comprising an orientation sensor configured to output orientation sensor information, to the control circuitry, relating to the orientation of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir,

wherein the control circuitry is further configured to process the orientation sensor information from the orientation sensor, alongside the sensor information from the sensor, to determine the amount of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir.

13. The aerosol provision system of claim 12, wherein the aerosol provision system comprises a reusable part:

wherein the first part is connectable to the reusable part;

wherein the second consumable part is connectable to the first part; and

wherein the reusable part comprises the orientation sensor.

14. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount is a first predetermined amount, and the signal is a first signal;

wherein the control circuitry system is further configured to generate a second signal when the amount of the aerosolizable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a second predetermined amount, wherein the second predetermined amount is less than the first predetermined amount.

15. The aerosol provision system of claim 14, wherein the second predetermined amount corresponds to the reservoir being at least one of ½ or ⅓ full with aerosolizable material.

16. The aerosol provision system of claim 14, wherein the second signal is a second indication to replace the second consumable part.

17. The aerosol provision system of claim 14, wherein the second signal comprises a command to disable the operation of the aerosol provision system.

18. The aerosol provision system of claim 14,

wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate a third signal when the amount of the aerosolizable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a third predetermined amount, wherein the third predetermined amount is less than the second predetermined amount.

19. The aerosol provision system of 18, wherein the third signal comprises a command to replace the second consumable part and/or to disable the operation of the vaporizer.

20. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein a wall of the reservoir comprises an opening for delivering the aerosolizable material from the reservoir to the vaporizer, wherein the sensor at least partially covers the opening.

21. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the first part is a first consumable part.

22. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the vaporizer comprises a heater.

23. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the flavoring material comprises, or consists of, tobacco.

24. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the aerosolizable material comprises a fluid.

25. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of sensors.

26. A method of generating a signal, for use with an aerosol provision system configured to generate vapor from an aerosolizable material using a vaporizer, wherein the method comprises:

detecting, using a sensor, a level of aerosolizable material in a reservoir from a first part of the aerosol provision system;

outputting sensor information from the sensor to control circuitry of the aerosol provision system, wherein the sensor information relates to the level of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir;

processing the sensor information at the control circuitry to determine an amount of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir; and

generating a signal at the control circuity when the amount of the aerosolizable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a predetermined amount,

wherein the signal is an indication to replace a second consumable part, for holding flavoring material, from the aerosol provision system, wherein the second consumable part is located downstream of the vaporizer and is configured to receive the vapor generated by vaporizer.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting, using an orientation sensor, an orientation of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir;

outputting orientation sensor information from the orientation sensor to the control circuitry, wherein the orientation sensor information relates to the orientation of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir;

wherein to determine the amount of the aerosolizable material in the reservoir, as well as processing the sensor information, the control circuitry further processes the orientation sensor information.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the predetermined amount is a first predetermined amount, and the signal is a first signal;

wherein, after generating the first signal, the method further comprises: replacing the second consumable part with an another second consumable part; generating a second signal at the control circuity when the amount of the aerosolizable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a second predetermined amount, wherein the second predetermined amount is less than the first predetermined amount; wherein the second signal is an indication to replace the another second consumable part.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein, after generating the second signal, the method further comprises;

replacing the another second consumable part with a yet another second consumable part;

generating a third signal at the control circuity when the amount of the aerosolizable material is determined as reaching, or falling below, a third predetermined amount, wherein the third predetermined amount is less than the second predetermined amount.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the third signal is an indication to replace the yet another second consumable part.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the third signal is an indication to disable the operation of the vaporizer.