US-12616242-B2 - Aerosol-generator comprising multiple supply elements

US12616242B2US 12616242 B2US12616242 B2US 12616242B2US-12616242-B2

Abstract

An aerosol-generator for an aerosol-generating device is provided, including: a surface acoustic wave atomiser including: a substrate including an active surface defining an atomisation region, first and second transducers positioned on the active surface; first and second supply elements to respectively supply first and second liquid aerosol-forming substrates to the atomisation region; a controller to provide first and second drive signals respectively to the first and the second transducers to generate surface acoustic waves on the active surface, provide the first drive signal only when the first substrate is supplied to the atomisation region by the first supply element, and provide the second drive signal only when the second substrate is supplied to the atomisation region by the second supply element. An aerosol-generating device including the aerosol-generator is also provided.

Inventors

Leander Dittmann
Robert Emmett

Assignees

PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS S.A.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20201222
Priority Date: 20191223

Claims (8)

1 . An aerosol-generator for an aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generator comprising: a surface acoustic wave atomiser comprising: at least one substrate comprising an active surface defining at least one atomisation region, a first transducer positioned on the active surface of the at least one substrate, and a second transducer positioned on the active surface of the at least one substrate; a first supply element arranged to supply a first liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the at least one atomisation region; a second supply element arranged to supply a second liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the at least one atomisation region; at least one common reflector positioned on the active surface of the at least one substrate and being configured to reflect surface acoustic waves generated by the first transducer and the second transducer; and a controller configured to: provide a first drive signal to the first transducer to generate surface acoustic waves on the active surface of the at least one substrate, provide a second drive signal to the second transducer to generate surface acoustic waves on the active surface of the at least one substrate, provide the first drive signal to the first transducer only when the first liquid aerosol-forming substrate is supplied to the at least one atomisation region by the first supply element, and provide the second drive signal to the second transducer only when the second liquid aerosol-forming substrate is supplied to the at least one atomisation region by the second supply element; wherein the at least one atomisation region comprises a first atomisation region positioned on the active surface to receive surface acoustic waves generated by the first transducer and a second atomisation region positioned on the active surface to receive surface acoustic waves generated by the second transducer, wherein the first supply element is further arranged to supply the first liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the first atomisation region, wherein the second supply element is further arranged to supply the second liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the second atomisation region; wherein the at least one reflector comprises a common reflector, wherein the first atomisation region is positioned between the common reflector and the first transducer, wherein the second atomisation region is positioned between the common reflector and the second transducer; wherein the common reflector prevents surface acoustic waves generated by the first transducer being transmitted to the second atomisation region, and wherein the common reflector prevents surface acoustic waves generated by the second transducer being transmitted to the first atomisation region.
2 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one substrate further comprises a common substrate on which the first transducer and the second transducer are positioned.
3 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one atomisation region is a common atomisation region defined by the common substrate, and wherein the aerosol-generator further comprises a common supply element providing fluid communication between the common atomisation region and each of the first supply element and the second supply element.
4 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 3 , wherein the first supply element comprises a first flow control element configured to control a flow of the first liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the common atomisation region, wherein the second supply element comprises a second flow control element configured to control a flow of the second liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the common atomisation region, wherein the controller is further configured to: provide a first flow signal to the first flow control element to enable a flow of the first liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the common atomisation region, provide a second flow signal to the second flow control element to enable a flow of the second liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the common atomisation region, provide a first stop signal to the first control element to disable the flow of the first liquid aerosol-forming substrate when the controller provides the second flow signal to the second control element, and provide a second stop signal to the second control element to disable the flow of the second liquid aerosol-forming substrate when the controller provides the first flow signal to the first control element.
5 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to: provide the first drive signal to the first transducer only when the first liquid aerosol-forming substrate is supplied to the first atomisation region by the first supply element, and provide the second drive signal to the second transducer only when the second liquid aerosol-forming substrate is supplied to the second atomisation region by the second supply element.
6 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one absorber positioned on the active surface of the at least one substrate and being configured to absorb surface acoustic waves generated by at least one of the first transducer and the second transducer.
7 . The aerosol-generator according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one absorber comprises a common absorber, wherein the first atomisation region is positioned between the common absorber and the first transducer, and wherein the second atomisation region is positioned between the common absorber and the second transducer.
8 . An aerosol-generating device, comprising: an aerosol-generator according to claim 1 ; a power supply; a first liquid storage portion configured to receive the first liquid aerosol-forming substrate, wherein the first supply element is further arranged to supply the first liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the first liquid storage portion to the at least one atomisation region; and a second liquid storage portion configured to receive the second liquid aerosol-forming substrate, wherein the second supply element is further arranged to supply the second liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the second liquid storage portion to the at least one atomisation region.

Description

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol-generator for an aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generator comprising a surface acoustic wave atomiser, and first and second supply elements. The present disclosure also relates to an aerosol-generating device comprising the aerosol-generator. Aerosol-generating systems in which an aerosol-forming substrate is heated rather than combusted are known in the art. Typically in such aerosol-generating systems, an aerosol is generated by the transfer of energy from an aerosol-generator of an aerosol-generating device to an aerosol-forming substrate. For example, known aerosol-generating devices comprise a heater arranged to heat and vaporise a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. Typically, an aerosol-generating device is designed and optimised for vaporising or atomising a particular liquid aerosol-forming substrate. For example, an aerosol-generating device may be designed an optimised for vaporising a liquid having a particular volatility, viscosity, and so forth. It would be desirable to provide an aerosol-generator for an aerosol-generating device that facilitates the atomisation of multiple liquid aerosol-forming substrates. According to a first aspect of the present disclosure there is provided an aerosol-generator for an aerosol-generating device. The aerosol-generator comprises a surface acoustic wave atomiser, a first supply element, a second supply element, and a controller. The surface acoustic wave atomiser comprises at least one substrate comprising an active surface defining at least one atomisation region. The surface acoustic wave atomiser also comprises a first transducer positioned on the active surface of the at least one substrate and a second transducer positioned on the active surface of the at least one substrate. The first supply element is arranged to supply a first liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the at least one atomisation region. The second supply element is arranged to supply a second liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the at least one atomisation region. The controller is configured to provide a first drive signal to the first transducer for generating surface acoustic waves on the active surface of the at least one substrate. The controller is configured to provide a second drive signal to the second transducer for generating surface acoustic waves on the active surface of the at least one substrate. The controller is configured to provide the first drive signal to the first transducer only when the first liquid aerosol-forming substrate is supplied to the at least one atomisation region by the first supply element. The controller is configured to provide the second drive signal to the second transducer only when the second liquid aerosol-forming substrate is supplied to the at least one atomisation region by the second supply element. The term “surface acoustic wave” is used herein to include Rayleigh waves, Lamb waves and Love waves. Advantageously, atomising first and second liquid aerosol-forming substrates using a surface acoustic wave atomiser provides improved control of the atomisation process when compared to other known aerosol-generators, such as electric heaters. In other words, the surface acoustic wave atomiser of aerosol-generators according to the present disclosure provides reliable and consistent amounts of atomised liquid aerosol-forming substrate. Advantageously, the power required by a surface acoustic wave atomiser for atomising a liquid aerosol-forming substrate is less than the power required for atomising the same amount of liquid aerosol-forming substrate using known aerosol-generators, such as electric heaters. Advantageously, using a single surface acoustic wave atomiser for atomising first and second liquid aerosol-forming substrates simplifies the design and manufacture of the aerosol-generator. Advantageously, using a surface acoustic wave atomiser comprising first and second transducers facilitates optimisation of each transducer for atomisation of the first and second liquid aerosol-forming substrates respectively. Preferably, the at least one substrate comprises a common substrate on which the first transducer and the second transducer are positioned. Advantageously, a common substrate simplifies the design and manufacture of the surface acoustic wave atomiser. The at least one atomisation region may be a common atomisation region. In embodiments in which the at least one substrate comprises a common substrate, the common atomisation region is defined by the common substrate. Advantageously, providing a common substrate defining a common atomisation region may reduce or minimise the size of the surface acoustic wave atomiser. Advantageously, providing a common atomisation region may simplify the design and manufacture of an aerosol-generating device comprising the aerosol-generator. For example, providing a common atomisation region may facilitate a simple airflow path through the aerosol-gener