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EP-4736680-A2 - APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HEATING SMOKABLE MATERIAL

EP4736680A2EP 4736680 A2EP4736680 A2EP 4736680A2EP-4736680-A2

Abstract

Apparatus [100] arranged to heat smokable material to volatilise at least one component of the smokable material is described. In an example, the apparatus comprises at least one heater [200, 300] constructed and arranged to heat smokable material contained in use within the apparatus [100]. The heater [200, 300] has a plurality of heating regions [232, 234, 236] for heating different portions of smokable material contained in use within the apparatus [100]. At least a first heating region [232] of the heater has a different watt density from at least a second heating region [234] of the heater.

Inventors

  • THORSEN, Mitchel

Assignees

  • Nicoventures Trading Limited

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20170512

Claims (15)

  1. Apparatus (100) arranged to heat smokable material (252) to volatilise at least one component of the smokable material, the apparatus comprising: at least one thin-film heater (300) constructed and arranged to heat smokable material contained in use within the apparatus; the thin-film heater having at least one electrically conductive heating portion (322) provided by an electrically conducting material in the form of a layer, a trace, one or more elements or one or more wires which are printed onto, or otherwise deposited onto, a substrate.
  2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive heating portion is provided by thin metallic traces which are printed onto, or otherwise deposited onto, the substrate.
  3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the substrate is a first plastics layer, and the thin-film heater has a second plastics layer formed on or over the at least one electrically conductive heating portion, such that the at least one electrically conductive heating portion is between the first plastics layer and the second plastics layer.
  4. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one electrically conductive heating portion is a plurality of electrically conductive heating portions.
  5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a first heating zone (320) comprises a first heating portion (322) and a second heating portion (324) of the plurality of electrically conductive heating portions.
  6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first heating portion (322) is arranged towards a first end (302) of the thin-film heater (300), the second heating portion (324) is arranged away from the first end (302) of the thin-film heater (300), and the first heating portion (322) is adjacent the second heating portion (324) in the first heating zone (320).
  7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first heating zone (320) comprises a third heating portion (326) of the plurality of electrically conductive heating portions, and the third heating portion (326) is adjacent the second heating portion (324) and located towards the centre of the thin-film heater.
  8. The apparatus of any of claims 4 to 7, wherein the total width of the plurality of electrically conductive heating portions is 20 mm to 23 mm.
  9. The apparatus of any of claims 5 to 7, wherein a second heating zone (330) comprises a fourth heating portion (332) and a fifth heating portion (334) of the plurality of electrically conductive heating portions.
  10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the fourth heating portion (332) is arranged towards a second end (304) of the thin-film heater (300) with the fifth heating portion (334) of the second heating zone (330) arranged away from the second end (304) of the thin-film heater (300), adjacent the fourth heating portion (332), optionally wherein the second heating zone (330) comprises a sixth heating portion (336) of the plurality of electrically conductive heating portions and the sixth heating portion (336) is adjacent the fifth heating portion (334) and located towards the centre of the thin-film heater (300).
  11. The apparatus of claim 9 or 10, wherein the apparatus comprises a power source (204) which is arranged to provide the same voltage to the first heating zone (320) and the second heating zone (330).
  12. The apparatus of any of claims 4 to 11, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive heating portions are connected in parallel.
  13. The apparatus of any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the heating portions of the first heating zone are connected in series, and the heating portions of the second heating zone are connected in series.
  14. The apparatus of any of claims 4 to 13, wherein the first heating portion (322) of the plurality of electrically conductive heating portions has a different electrical resistance to the second heating portion (324) of the plurality of electrically conductive heating portions.
  15. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the thin-film heater has a non-heating region arranged generally centrally of the thin-film heater.

Description

Cross Reference to Related Application Reference is made to US provisional patent application no. 62/185,227, filed on June 26, 2015. Technical Field The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for heating smokable material. Background 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 types of articles, which burn tobacco, by creating products that release compounds without burning. Examples of such products are so-called heat-not-burn products, also known as tobacco heating products or tobacco heating devices, which release compounds by heating, but not burning, the material. The material may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products or a combination, such as a blended mix, which may or may not contain nicotine. Similarly, there are also so-called e-cigarette devices, which typically vaporise a liquid, which may or may not contain nicotine. Summary According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus arranged to heat smokable material to volatilise at least one component of the smokable material, the apparatus comprising: at least one heater constructed and arranged to heat smokable material contained in use within the apparatus;the heater having a plurality of heating regions for heating different portions of smokable material contained in use within the apparatus, wherein at least a first heating region of the heater has a different watt density from at least a second heating region of the heater. In some examples, this means that for example different portions of the smokable material can be heated to different temperatures. As another example, this means that a flatter, more uniform temperature profile can be achieved across at least part of or the whole of the smokable material. In an embodiment, the watt density of the first heating region is less than the watt density of the second heating region, the first heating region being arranged towards a first end of the heater and the second heating region being arranged away from the first end of the heater. In an embodiment, the first heating region has at least a first electrically conductive heating portion and the second heating region has at least a second electrically conductive heating portion, the electrical resistance of the first electrically conductive heating portion being different from the electrical resistance of the second electrically conductive heating portion. In an embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the first electrically conductive heating portion is different from the cross-sectional area of the second electrically conductive heating portion. In an embodiment, the first heating region has plural electrically conductive heating portions and the second heating region has plural electrically conductive heating portions, the electrical resistance of at least one of the electrically conductive heating portions of the first heating region being different from the electrical resistance of at least one of the electrically conductive heating portion of the second heating region. In an embodiment, the electrically conductive heating portions of the first heating region are electrically connected in series with each other and the electrically conductive heating portions of the second heating region are electrically connected in series with each other. In an embodiment, the heater has a non-heating region arranged generally centrally of the heater. In an embodiment, the apparatus comprises a power supply which is arranged to provide the same voltage to the first heating region and the second heating region. In an embodiment, the heater may be an inductive heater. In a further embodiment, the heater may comprise an electrical winding. In a further embodiment, the heater may be a thin-film heater. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of heating smokable material to volatilise at least one component of the smokable material using an apparatus, the apparatus comprising at least one heater constructed and arranged to heat smokable material contained in use within the apparatus, the heater having a plurality of heating regions for heating different portions of smokable material contained in use within the apparatus, wherein at least a first heating region of the heater has a different watt density from at least a second heating region of the heater;the method comprising: inserting smokable material into the apparatus; andoperating the heater to provide different heat fluxes from the first heating region and the second heating region to different respective portions of the smokable material so that the different respective portions of the smokable material are heated to different temperatures. In an embodiment, the apparatus comprises a power supply which provides the same voltage to the first heating region and the second heating region. Further