Nicoventures Trading Limited

British American Tobacco Limited

Mitchel Thorsen

Luke James Warren

Ashley John Sayed

Michael Naughton

John C Mehnert

Walid Abi Aoun

Thomas P Blandino

Richard Hepworth

Thomas Woodman

Thomas Alexander John Woodman

Keith George Beidelman

Roger Watkins

Edward Joseph Halliday

Stephen Shannon

John Clay Mehnert

Thomas Paul Blandino

Richard John Hepworth

An apparatus arranged to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material has a housing. The housing has a first opening at a first end through which smokable material can pass so as to be received within and removed from the apparatus in use. The housing has a second opening at a second end opposed from the first end. The housing further has a chamber between the first and second openings. At least one heater is arranged within the housing for heating smokable material removably received within the chamber in use. A user can access the chamber through at least the second opening to clean within the apparatus.

Apparatus for heating smokable material

An aerosol provision device comprises a haptic component configured to provide haptic feedback, a battery configured to power the haptic component, and an electrically insulating resilient member in contact with the haptic component and positioned between the battery and the haptic component.

Aerosol provision device

An aerosol provision device includes a battery support including a main portion defining a longitudinal axis, a first end portion at a first end of the main portion along the longitudinal axis and a second end portion at a second end of the main portion along the longitudinal axis. The first and second end portions extend away from a first side of the main portion in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The device further includes a battery supported between the first and second end portions and a heater assembly, comprising an inductor coil. The device further includes a printed circuit board (PCB) engaged with a second side of the main portion and positioned between the main portion and the heater assembly, wherein ends of the inductor coil are connected to the PCB.

An apparatus for receiving smokable material to enable at least one component of the smokable material to be volatilized is described. In an example, the apparatus comprises a housing having a first compartment and a second compartment. The first compartment is a heating compartment for receiving smokable material in use. The second compartment is an electronics compartment and containing at least one of control circuitry and a power source. The first compartment and the second compartment are substantially hermetically sealed from each other to minimize or prevent air or vapor flowing between the compartments.

Apparatus for receiving smokable material

A support for a heater component of an aerosol provision device defines an axis and is configured to engage an end of the heater component to hold the heater component substantially parallel to the axis at a predetermined distance from a coil. The support defines a channel to receive a wire of a temperature sensor, and the channel defines an opening into a space between the heater component and the coil. An aerosol provision device is also described which comprises: a heater component configured to heat aerosol generating material; a first support, wherein the first support defines an axis and is configured to engage a first end of the heater component; a second support, wherein the second support is configured to engage a second end of the heater component; and at least one coil configured to heat the heater component. The first and second supports hold the heater component substantially parallel to the axis at a predetermined distance from the at least one coil.

An aerosol provision devices are described. One such device comprises a receptacle configured to receive aerosol generating material, wherein the receptacle comprises a susceptor which is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field. The device further comprises an insulating member extending around the susceptor, wherein the insulating member is positioned away from the receptacle to provide an air gap around the susceptor. The device further comprises an inductor coil extending around the insulating member such that the insulating member is positioned between the inductor coil and the susceptor, wherein the inductor coil is configured to generate the varying magnetic field. Another such aerosol provision device comprises: a susceptor configured to receive aerosol generating material, wherein the susceptor is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field; an insulating member extending around the susceptor, wherein the insulating member is positioned away from the susceptor; an inductor coil extending around the insulating member such that the insulating member is positioned between the inductor coil and the susceptor, wherein the inductor coil is configured to generate the varying magnetic field; and an outer cover forming at least a portion of an outer surface of the aerosol provision device, wherein an inner surface of the outer cover is positioned away from an outer surface of the susceptor by a distance of between about 4 mm and about 10 mm.

An aerosol provision device includes a spring, wherein a first end of the spring is connected to the lid at a first pivot point and the first end is rotatable about the first pivot point as the lid moves between the open and closed positions. A second end of the spring is connected to the housing at a second pivot point and the second end is rotatable about the second pivot point as the lid moves between the open and closed positions. The spring is configured such that the spring biases the lid towards the open position when the lid is between the open position and the intermediate position, and the spring biases the lid towards the closed position when the lid is between the intermediate position and the closed position.

An apparatus arranged to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of said smokable material is described. An example of the apparatus includes a housing for receiving smokable material; and at least one heater arranged within the housing for heating smokable material removably received within the housing in use. The heater has first and second ends and a hollow central portion in which smokable material is received in use, and is formed from a sheet which is rolled into a tube and sealed along its length to prevent air entering or leaving the heater other than through at least one of the first and second ends.

Apparatus arranged to heat smokable material and method of forming a heater

Aerosol provision devices having printed circuit boards are described. One such aerosol provision device defines a longitudinal axis and comprises an electrical connector, a heater assembly configured to heat aerosol generating material received within the device and a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB comprises a first portion arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and a second portion arranged substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The heater assembly is electrically coupled to the first portion. The second portion is electrically coupled to the first portion and the electrical connector is electrically coupled to the second portion. Another such aerosol provision device comprises a first coil for heating a heater component and a PCB arranged adjacent to the first coil. The PCB comprises: a first through hole connected to a first end of the first coil; and a second through hole connected to a second end of the first coil.

A method of forming an aerosol provision device inductor coil comprises providing a litz wire comprising a plurality of wire strands, wherein each of the plurality of wire strands comprise a bondable coating. The method further comprises forming an inductor coil from the litz wire on a support member, wherein the inductor coil has a predetermined shape. The method further comprises activating the bondable coating such that the inductor coil substantially retains the predetermined shape, and removing the inductor coil from the support member.

An apparatus arranged to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material. The apparatus includes a housing, the housing having a first opening at a first end through which a consumable article containing smokable material can be removably inserted into the apparatus; at least one heater arrangement arranged within the housing for heating smokable material within the consumable article when in use and a hollow chamber between the first opening and the at least one heater arrangement. The hollow chamber surrounds at least a portion of the consumable article when the consumable article is inserted into the device and an inner wall of the chamber and the at least a portion of the consumable article define an air gap there between. Hot vapors that escape the consumable article in use can condense on the inner wall of the hollow chamber.

Apparatus for heating smokable material with a hollow tube located in a chamber at an end distal insertion opening

A method of manufacturing an aerosol provision apparatus for heating smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material, and an aerosol provision apparatus, are described. The method includes providing a heater arrangement for heating smokable material contained in use within the apparatus, the heater arrangement including at least a first heating zone and a second heating zone for heating different portions of the smokable material, providing a temperature sensor for each of the first and second heating zones, each temperature sensor for providing temperature measurements to be used as input temperature measurements for a temperature control loop, the control loop for controlling the heater arrangement to heat its associated respective heating zone to a target temperature based on the input temperature measurements acquired by the associated temperature sensor, and positioning each temperature sensor in its associated heating zone at a respective position selected so that if the heating arrangement were to heat the first and second heating zones so that the temperature sensors measure the same pre-selected target temperature, a temperature gradient across the length of the heating zones between the temperature sensors would be optimized as being substantially flat.

Method of manufacturing an aerosol provision apparatus and an aerosol provision apparatus

A method and apparatus for controlling a heater arrangement in a device arranged to heat smokable material is described. The method includes implementing a heater control loop, which control loop performs steps in one or more successive control periods. The control steps include determining a current remaining on time for a heating element of a heater arrangement based on the current rate of change of temperature, a target temperature and a current temperature of a zone of the device arranged to heat smokable material.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

Mitchel Thorsen