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EP-4188036-B1 - AEROSOL PROVISION DEVICE

EP4188036B1EP 4188036 B1EP4188036 B1EP 4188036B1EP-4188036-B1

Inventors

  • SAYED, Ashley John
  • WARREN, Luke James
  • WOODMAN, Thomas Alexander John

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20200309

Claims (15)

  1. An aerosol provision device (100), comprising: an inductor coil (124; 126); an opening (104) in one end of the device through which an article (110) comprising aerosol generating material (110a) may be inserted; a heating zone configured to receive the article, the article comprising aerosol generating material and a susceptor (132) arranged to heat the aerosol generating material, wherein the susceptor is heatable by the inductor coil, wherein the article is removable from the heating zone after use; and wherein the inductor coil is helical and encircles at least part of the heating zone; an indicator assembly (306); and a controller (302), configured to cause the coil to heat the susceptor; and the aerosol provision device being characterised in that the controller is configured to cause the indicator assembly to indicate that the device is ready for use within a predetermined period of time after causing the coil to heat the susceptor or after a predetermined temperature has been reached in the device, wherein the predetermined period of time or the time taken to for the predetermined temperature to be reached is less than about 30 seconds; wherein the device further comprises an input interface (112), and the controller is configured to cause the coil to heat the susceptor in response to an input received from the input interface; wherein the input interface is a button; wherein the indicator assembly comprises a visual component comprising one or more LEDs (214) configured to provide a visual indication that the device is ready for use; wherein the indicator assembly comprises a haptic component configured to provide haptic feedback to indicate that the device is ready for use; wherein the indicator assembly is configured to provide different haptic feedback patterns to indicate the time left until the device finishes operating at different times.
  2. An aerosol provision device (100), comprising: an inductor coil (124; 126); an opening (104) in one end of the device through which an article (110) comprising aerosol generating material (110a) may be inserted; a heating zone configured to receive the article, the article comprising aerosol generating material and a susceptor (132) arranged to heat the aerosol generating material, wherein the susceptor is heatable by the inductor coil, wherein the article is removable from the heating zone after use; and wherein the inductor coil is helical and encircles at least part of the heating zone; an indicator assembly (306); and a controller (302), configured to cause the coil to heat the susceptor; and the aerosol provision device being characterised in that the controller is configured to cause the indicator assembly to indicate that the device is ready for use within a predetermined period of time after causing the coil to heat the susceptor or after a predetermined temperature has been reached in the device, wherein the predetermined period of time or the time taken to for the predetermined temperature to be reached is less than about 30 seconds; wherein the device further comprises an input interface (112), and the controller is configured to cause the coil to heat the susceptor in response to an input received from the input interface; wherein the input interface is a button; wherein the indicator assembly comprises a visual component comprising one or more LEDs (214) configured to provide a visual indication that the device is ready for use; wherein the indicator assembly comprises a haptic component configured to provide haptic feedback to indicate that the device is ready for use; wherein the indicator assembly is configured to cause the one or more LEDs of the visual component to provide a particular indication to indicate that the device is about to finish operating which is different to a previous visual indication.
  3. An aerosol provision device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined period of time is less than about 15 seconds after causing the coil (124; 126) to heat the susceptor (132).
  4. An aerosol provision device (100) according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the device is configured to operate in one of a first mode and a second mode, and when the device is operated in the second mode the coil (124; 126) is configured to cause the aerosol generating material (110a) to be heated to a higher temperature than when the device is operated in the first mode, and wherein the predetermined period of time is a first predetermined time when the device is operating in the first mode and a second predetermined time when the device is operating in the second mode, the second predetermined time being different than the first predetermined time.
  5. An aerosol provision device (100) according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the device is configured to operate in one of a first mode and a second mode, and when the device is operated in the second mode the coil (124; 126) is configured to cause the susceptor (132) to be heated to a higher temperature than when the device is operated in the first mode, and wherein the predetermined period of time is a first predetermined time when the device is operating in the first mode and a second predetermined time when the device is operating in the second mode, the second predetermined time being less than the first predetermined time.
  6. An aerosol provision device (100), according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the controller (302) is configured to cause the indicator assembly (306) to indicate that the device has finished operating or is about to finish operating within a predetermined period of time after causing the coil (124; 126) to begin heating the aerosol generating material (110a).
  7. An aerosol provision device (100) according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the input comprises a signal indicating the button has been released.
  8. An aerosol provision device (100) according to claim 7, wherein the input further comprises a signal indicating a length of time that the button has been pressed and the controller (302) is configured to cause the coil (124; 126) to heat the susceptor (132) in response to: receiving the signal indicating that the button has been released; and determining that the length of time that the button has been pressed is greater than or equal to a threshold time period.
  9. An aerosol provision device (100) according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the device further comprises a puff detector for detecting when a user takes a puff on the device, and the controller is configured to cause the coil (124; 126) to heat the susceptor (132) in response to the puff detector detecting when the user takes a puff on the device, and/or, wherein the indicator assembly (306) comprises an audible indicator configured to emit sound to indicate that the device is ready for use.
  10. An aerosol provision device (100) according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the coil (124; 126) is a first coil (124), and the device further comprises a second coil (126) for heating the susceptor (132), and wherein: the first coil is adjacent the second coil in a direction along a longitudinal axis (134) of the device; the controller (302) is configured to cause the second coil to heat the susceptor after causing the indicator assembly (306) to indicate that the device is ready for use; and in use, the aerosol is drawn along a flow path of the device towards a proximal end of the device, and the first coil is arranged closer to the proximal end of the device than the second coil.
  11. An aerosol provision device (100) according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the indicator assembly (306) is configured to provide a haptic feedback indication that the inductor coil (124; 126) has begun to generate the varying magnetic field, and/or, wherein each of the plurality of LEDs (214) are configured to be switched off when the device has finished operating.
  12. A system, comprising: the device (100) of any preceding claim, further comprising the article, wherein the article (110) comprises the susceptor (132) configured to generate heat in the presence of a varying magnetic field.
  13. A method of operating an aerosol provision device (100), comprising: causing an inductor coil (124; 126) of the aerosol provision device to heat a susceptor (132) heatable by the inductor coil to heat aerosol generating material (110a) of an article (110) received by a heating zone and comprising the susceptor and aerosol generating material, the article being received by an opening in one end of the device, and the article being removable from the heating zone after use; wherein the inductor coil is helical and encircles at least part of the heating zone; and causing an indicator assembly (306) of the aerosol provision device to indicate that the device is ready for use within a predetermined period of time after causing the coil to heat the susceptor or after a predetermined temperature has been reached in the device, wherein the predetermined period of time or the time taken to for the predetermined temperature to be reached is less than about 30 seconds; causing the coil to heat the susceptor in response to an input received from an input interface (112); wherein the input interface is a button; providing, by a visual component of the indicator assembly comprising one or more LEDs (214), a visual indication that the device is ready for use; providing, by a haptic component of the indicator assembly, haptic feedback to indicate that the device is ready for use; and providing, by the indicator assembly, different haptic feedback patterns to indicate the time left until the device finishes operating at different times.
  14. A method of operating an aerosol provision device (100), comprising: causing an inductor coil (124; 126) of the aerosol provision device to heat a susceptor (132) heatable by the inductor coil to heat aerosol generating material (110a) of an article (110) received by a heating zone and comprising the susceptor and aerosol generating material, the article being received by an opening in one end of the device, and the article being removable from the heating zone after use; wherein the inductor coil is helical and encircles at least part of the heating zone; and causing an indicator assembly (306) of the aerosol provision device to indicate that the device is ready for use within a predetermined period of time after causing the coil to heat the susceptor or after a predetermined temperature has been reached in the device, wherein the predetermined period of time or the time taken to for the predetermined temperature to be reached is less than about 30 seconds; causing the coil to heat the susceptor in response to an input received from an input interface (112); wherein the input interface is a button; providing, by a visual component of the indicator assembly comprising one or more LEDs (214), a visual indication that the device is ready for use; providing, by a haptic component of the indicator assembly, haptic feedback to indicate that the device is ready for use; and providing, by the indicator assembly, different haptic feedback patterns to indicate the time left until the device finishes operating at different times. causing the one or more LEDs of the visual component of the indicator assembly to flash to indicate that the device is about to finish operating.
  15. A method according to claim 13 or 14, comprising; causing the indicator assembly (306) of the aerosol provision device (100) to indicate that the device has finished operating or is about to finish operating within a predetermined period of time after causing the coil to begin heating the aerosol generating material (110a).

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to aerosol provision devices and methods of operating aerosol provision devices. Background Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and the like burn tobacco during use to create tobacco smoke. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these articles that burn tobacco by creating products that release compounds without burning. Examples of such products are heating devices which release compounds by heating, but not burning, the material. The material may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. US 2017/055585 A1 discloses an aerosol provision device according to the preambles of claims 1 and 2. Summary According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an aerosol provision device as claimed in claim 1. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an aerosol provision device as claimed in claim 2. Further, optional, features are recited in each of claims 3 to 11. According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided system as claimed in claim 12. According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of operating an aerosol provision device as claimed in claim 13. According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of operating an aerosol provision device as claimed in claim 14. Further, optional, features are recited in claim 15. Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of example only, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows a front view of an example of an aerosol provision device;Figure 2 shows a front view of the aerosol provision device of Figure 1 with an outer cover removed;Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the aerosol provision device of Figure 1;Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the aerosol provision device of Figure 2;Figure 5A shows a cross-sectional view of a heating assembly within an aerosol provision device;Figure 5B shows a close-up view of a portion of the heating assembly of Figure 5A;Figure 6 shows a front view of the device;Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the housing of the device;Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the device without the housing;Figure 9 depicts a perspective view of LEDs arranged within the device;Figure 10 shows an outer member comprising a plurality of apertures;Figure 11 shows components of the device arranged above the LEDs;Figure 12 shows a system comprising a controller, a heater assembly, an input interface and an indicator assembly;Figures 13A-D show the outer member illuminated by a plurality of LEDs;Figure 14 shows a flow diagram of a method of operating a device; andFigure 15 shows a flow diagram of a method of operating a device. Detailed Description As used herein, the term "aerosol generating material" includes materials that provide volatilised components upon heating, typically in the form of an aerosol. Aerosol generating material includes any tobacco-containing material and may, for example, include one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes. Aerosol generating material also may include other, non-tobacco, products, which, depending on the product, may or may not contain nicotine. Aerosol generating material may for example be in the form of a solid, a liquid, a gel, a wax or the like. Aerosol generating material may for example also be a combination or a blend of materials. Aerosol generating material may also be known as "smokable material". Apparatus is known that heats aerosol generating material to volatilise at least one component of the aerosol generating material, typically to form an aerosol which can be inhaled, without burning or combusting the aerosol generating material. Such apparatus is sometimes described as an "aerosol generating device", an "aerosol provision device", a "heat-not-burn device", a "tobacco heating product device" or a "tobacco heating device" or similar. Similarly, there are also so-called e-cigarette devices, which typically vaporise an aerosol generating material in the form of a liquid, which may or may not contain nicotine. The aerosol generating material may be in the form of or be provided as part of a rod, cartridge or cassette or the like which can be inserted into the apparatus. A heater for heating and volatilising the aerosol generating material may be provided as a "permanent" part of the apparatus. An aerosol provision device can receive an article comprising aerosol generating material for heating. An "article" in this context is a component that includes or contains in use the aerosol generating material, which is heated to volatilise the aerosol generating material, and optionally other components in use. A user may insert the article into the aeroso