Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
  • A24F40/60—Devices with integrated user interfaces
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
  • A24F40/50—Control or monitoring
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
  • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates to an aerosol provision system with a user input element, and a method of operating such an aerosol provision system.
• a user input element can provide simple on or off operation if the user input element is configured merely to allow the user to turn the vaporiser on when aerosol is required during an inhalation, and to turn the vaporiser off at other times.
• a user input element can provide the user with a wider range of operating options, for increased flexibility and customisation and an improved user experience. For example, the selection of different operating powers for the vaporiser, or locking of the aerosol provision system into an off mode or off state for enhanced safety, may be made available.
• the present disclosure relates to electronic aerosol or vapour provision systems, such as e-cigarettes.
• e-cigarette and “electronic cigarette” may sometimes be used; however, it will be appreciated these terms may be used interchangeably with aerosol (vapour) provision system or device.
• the systems are intended to generate an inhalable aerosol by vaporisation of an aerosol-forming substrate in the form of a liquid or gel which may or may not contain nicotine.
• hybrid systems may comprise a liquid or gel substrate plus a solid substrate which is also heated.
• the solid substrate may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine.
• aerosol may be used interchangeably with "vapour”.
• the term "component” is used to refer to a part, section, unit, module, assembly or similar of an electronic cigarette or similar device that incorporates several smaller parts or elements, possibly within an exterior housing or wall.
• An electronic cigarette may be formed or built from one or more such components, and the components may be removably or separably connectable to one another, or may be permanently joined together during manufacture to define the whole electronic cigarette.
• the present disclosure is applicable to systems comprising (at least) two components separably connectable to one another and configured, for example, as an aerosolisable substrate material carrying component holding liquid or another aerosolisable substrate material (a cartridge, cartomiser or consumable), and a control unit or device component having a battery for providing electrical power to operate a vaporiser or vaporising element for generating vapour from the substrate material.
• a cartridge or cartomiser carrier component or consumable
• a cartridge or cartomiser is described as an example of the aerosolisable substrate material carrying portion or component, but the disclosure is not limited in this regard and is applicable to any configuration of aerosolisable substrate material carrying portion or component.
• Such a component may include more or fewer parts than those included in the examples. This is true also of the device component.
• the present disclosure is also applicable to unitary systems, in which all parts are comprised within a single housing, or in which two or more components are permanently joined together after manufacture with the intention that the user does not separate them.
• the present disclosure is particularly but not exclusively relevant to aerosol provision systems and components thereof that utilise aerosolisable substrate material in the form of a liquid or a gel which is held in a reservoir, tank, container or other receptacle comprised in the system.
• an arrangement for delivering the substrate material from the reservoir for the purpose of providing it for vapour / aerosol generation is included.
• the terms "liquid”, “gel”, “fluid”, “source liquid”, “source gel”, “source fluid” and the like may be used interchangeably with “aerosolisable substrate material” and “substrate material” to refer to aerosolisable substrate material that has a form capable of being stored and delivered in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 1 is a highly schematic diagram (not to scale) of a generic example aerosol/vapour provision system such as an e-cigarette 10, presented for the purpose of showing the relationship between the various parts of a typical system and explaining the general principles of operation.
• the e-cigarette 10 has a generally elongate shape in this example, extending along a longitudinal axis indicated by a dashed line, and comprises two main components, namely a control or power component, section or unit (device component) 20, and a cartridge component, assembly or section 30 (sometimes referred to as a cartomiser or clearomiser, or a pod) carrying aerosolisable substrate material and operating as a vapour-generating component.
• the power component or control unit or, simply, device or device component 20 includes a cell or battery 5 (referred to hereinafter as a battery, and which may be rechargeable) to provide power for electrical components of the e-cigarette 10, in particular to operate a vaporiser such as the heater 4. Additionally, there is a controller 28 such as a printed circuit board and/or other electronics or circuitry for generally controlling the e-cigarette.
• the controller 28 operates the heater 4 using power from the battery 5 when vapour is required, for example in response to a signal from an optional air pressure sensor or air flow sensor (“puff detector") 32 that detects an inhalation on the system 10 during which air enters through one or more air inlets 26 in the wall of the device component 20.
• the off mode can be thought of as a "no vape" mode or a sleep mode, in which the aerosol provision system is inoperable for vapour generation and does not respond to the inputs or signals used to cause vapour generation in the on mode.
• the off mode effectively becomes the default mode when the aerosol provision system is not being regularly used, or is left unattended for some time.
• supplementary functions may be a functionality to allow the user to change or select the power level provided from the battery to the vaporiser during an inhalation, or to change or select a time-varying profile of the power level during a puff.
• Other examples by which the on mode can be supplemented, modified or extended will be apparent to the skilled person, and are not excluded, since the present disclosure relates to handling or management of a supplementary function rather than to the form of the functionality provided by the supplementary function.
• the user input element which as explained above is configured for user inputs in the form of manual actions or actuations and in response to deliver control signals to the controller for aerosol generation via operation of the vaporiser, is additionally configured so as to movable between two positions relative to the housing of the aerosol provision system, which we may call a first position and a second position.
• the user input element When the user input element is in its first position, it is operable for switching the aerosol provision system between the on mode and off mode described above, optionally via a specified user interaction allocated for this switching, which optionally comprises a predetermined sequence at least two actions, also as described above.
• the supplementary function does not operate or is not available, and the on mode allows standard operation of the aerosol provision system to generate aerosol (via a puff detector or user inputs at the user input element, as described).
• the lock can be implemented electronically, such that the user input element does not deliver a control signal to the controller in response to the specified user action for switching between modes, or the controller is configured to ignore or not respond to a control signal from the user input element delivered in response to input of the specified user action.
• step S5'a If this is done when the on mode is selected, the aerosol provision system is locked into the on mode, and the supplementary function is disabled, in step S5'a. If step S4' is performed when the off mode is selected, the aerosol provision system is locked into the off mode, in step S5'b. In the next step S6', the user input element is returned to its first position. If this is done when the on mode is locked, the on mode is retained and the supplementary function is re-enabled, in step S7'a. If step S6' is performed when the off mode is locked, the off mode is retained, in step S7'b. Movement back to the first position also unlocks the current aerosol provision system mode, so that in step S8' it is again possible to switch between the on mode and the off mode.
• FIG 4 shows a flow chart of steps in a method for using or operating an aerosol provision according to a third example, in which the two positions of the user input unit are used for locking of the aerosol provision system mode.
• the aerosol provision system has its user input element in the first position. This allows switching between the on mode and the off mode by appropriate operation of the user input element, in step S2′′′. Accordingly, either the on mode is selected in step S3′′′a, or the off mode is selected in step S3"b.
• step S4′′′ the user input element can be moved to the second position if desired. If this is done when the on mode is selected, the aerosol provision system is locked into the on mode, in step S5′′′a.
• FIG. 5A shows a simplified schematic representation in plan view of part of an aerosol provision system having a first example of a user input element.
• the user input element 25 comprises a button or similar actuable mechanical element 42 which is mounted on a housing 40 of the aerosol provision system 10 so as to be movable by pushing or pressing in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to the plane of the housing 40 (into the plane of the page as depicted), and also movable by linear sliding along a direction which is parallel to the plane of the housing 40 (and orthogonal to the direction of the pressing action), indicated by the arrow M.
• the sliding might be facilitated by mounting the button 42 within a slot 43 in the housing 40, for example.
• the sliding action allows the button 42 to be moved from a first position 42a to a second position 42b, and also in the opposite direction to return the button 42 to the first position 42a, as desired by the user when the on mode or off mode is required to be locked or unlocked, and/or the supplementary function is required to be enabled or disabled, as described above.
• the pressing action of the button 42 is used to switch between the on mode and the off mode at least when the button 42 is in the first position 42a, by execution by the user of one or more presses corresponding to the specified user action defined for switching, as described above.
• Figure 5B shows a simplified schematic representation of a side view of the user input element of Figure 5A , showing an example configuration for enabling the pressing action of the button 42 to deliver control signals to the controller responsive to user inputs, which in this example are presses of the button 42.
• the controller 28 has an associated electrical circuit 50 for receiving control signals from the button 42.
• the button 42 is configured to send a control signal in response to a pressing action by the user (user input) in both the first position 42a and the second position 42b.
• This can be used in arrangements where operation of the vaporiser to vaporise liquid from the reservoir of the aerosol provision system in the on mode is controlled manually by the user when aerosol is required, rather than in response to inhalation detection by a puff detector, for example.
• the circuit 50 is open and has a pair of contacts 51a, 51b which can be connected to close the circuit by a switch 52 which is brought into connection with the contacts 51a, 51b by downward (in the depicted orientation) movement, that is pressing, of the button 42.
• the button 42 may have a protrusion 53 on its lower side (opposite the exposed outward facing surface which is pressed upon by the user) which engages with the switch 52 when the button is pressed, and pushes the switch into a closed position against the contacts 51a, 51b, thereby closing the circuit 50.
• the controller 28 can detect closure of the circuit 50 and thereby determine that a user input has been made at the user input element, in other words the controller 28 receives a control signal from the user input element in response to a user input.
• the switch 52 is shaped, sized and located such it can be engaged by the button 42 (via the protrusion 53 in this example) in both the first position 42a and the second position 42b, and the button 42 is structured and mounted such that movement P orthogonal to the sliding direction M is possible when the button 42 is pressed in either position.
• the button 42 has a return mechanism (not shown) such as spring mounting to return it to its undepressed position after a press from the user, in order to remove the pushing against the switch 52 and allow the circuit 50 to open; the control signal delivered to the controller 28 thereby ceases.
• circuitry able to detect a pressing or pushing operation or actuation of the button 42 so that the controller receives control signals in response to user inputs can be implemented in other ways.
• it may not be necessary to deliver control signals when the button 42 is in the second position for example in aerosol provision systems which are configured such that the on or off mode is locked in the second position so that there is no requirement to allow the specified user interaction for switching between modes to be able to be input in the second position, and also configured with a puff detector for activating the vaporiser so that there is no requirement for manual user input to activate the vaporiser.
• the switch 52 in the circuit 50 can be configured for engagement with the pressed button 42 only when the button is in the first position.
• the user input element comprises an electrical switch that is activated when the user input element is pressed, where the activation is closure of the circuit so as allow current to flow and provide a control signal to the controller in response to the user input of pressing.
• Figure 5C shows a simplified schematic representation of the user input element of Figure 5A , showing an example configuration for enabling the controller 28 to determine the position of the user input element in the form of the button 42.
• the controller 28 needs to be able to ascertain when the user input element is in the first position and when it is in the second position, so that the controller 28 can enable/disable the supplementary function, and lock/unlock the current mode in accordance to the position of the user input element.
• a sensing or detecting arrangement is provided in conjunction with the user input element in order to enable the controller to determine the position of the user input element.
• the user input element comprise a sensor configured to detect the position of the user input element and deliver control signals to the controller indicating whether the user input element is in the first position or the second position.
• the sensing be performed electronically.
• a first sensing circuit 60a is provided, connected to the controller 28.
• the first sensing circuit 60a has a pair of contacts 61a which are spaced apart so that the first sensing circuit 60a is open.
• the button 42 is provided with a further contact 62 that is physically mounted on the button, such as conductive protrusion. When the button 42 is in the first position 42a, the further contact 62 is located to connect with the pair of contacts 61a and close the first sensing circuit 60a.
• a second sensing circuit 60b also has a pair of contacts 61b, spaced apart to give an open circuit when the button 42 is in the first position, and which are contacted by the further contact 62 when the button 42 is in the second positon 42.
• the second sensing circuit 60b is thereby closed, and the controller 28 can detect that the button is in the second position.
• the first sensing circuit 60a is then open.
• the controller 28 is able to determine which of the first position 42a and the second position 42b the button 42 is in, by detecting which of the first sensing circuit 60a and the second sensing circuit 60b is closed.
• a simpler configuration may alternatively by used, comprising just one sensing circuit associated with one of the first position 42a and the second position 42b, say, the first position.
• the controller 28 detects the closed circuit and deduces that the button 42 is in the position associated with the sensing circuit, the first position 42a in this example.
• the controller 28 detects that the sensing circuit is open, it deduces that the button 42 is in the other position, the second position 42b in this example.
• this configuration is less robust since the controller 28 cannot differentiate between the button 42 being in the second position 42b, and the button 42 being in the first position 42a but the contacts having failed in some way so that the sensing circuit has not closed. Accordingly, a sensing arrangement that positively detects both the first position and the second position of the user input element may be preferred.
• Non-circuit based sensor configurations might also be used, such as optical detectors, which may for example be embodied such that the user input element blocks light transmission to one of a pair of detectors associated with the first and second positions according to whether it is in the first position or the second position.
• the controller can interrogate the optical detectors and determine the position of the user input element from which detector is receiving light and which is not.
• FIG. 6A shows a simplified schematic representation in plan view of part of an aerosol provision system having a second example of a user input element.
• the user input element 25 again comprises a button or similar actuable element 42 which is mounted on a housing 40 of the aerosol provision system 10 so as to be movable by pushing or pressing in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to the plane of the housing 40 (into the plane of the page as depicted).
• This example differs from the previous example in that the button 42 is additionally movable by a rotational movement about an axis parallel to the direction of the pressing action, indicated by the arrow M.
• the button 42 can therefore have the form of a rotatable dial.
• the rotation might be facilitated by mounting the button 42 on a spindle that passes through an opening in the housing 40, for example.
• the rotational action allows the button 42 to be moved from a first position 42a to a second position 42b, and also in the opposite direction to return the button 42 to the first position 42a, as desired by the user when the on mode or off mode is required to be locked or unlocked, and/or the supplementary function is required to be enabled or disabled, as described above.
• the button 42 may be provided with a marking on its surface that can be rotated into alignment with markings on the housing 40 to indicate whether the button 42 is in the first position 42a or the second position 42b.
• the pressing action of the button 42 is used to switch between the on mode and the off mode at least when the button 42 is in the first position 42a, by execution by the user of one or more presses corresponding to the specified user action defined for switching, as described above.
• Figure 6B shows a simplified schematic representation of a side view of the user input element of Figure 6A , showing an example configuration for enabling the pressing action of the button 42 to deliver control signals to the controller responsive to user inputs, which in this example are presses of the button 42.
• the controller 28 has an associated electrical circuit 50 for receiving control signals from the button 42.
• the circuit 50 is open and has a pair of contacts 51a, 51b which can be connected to close the circuit by a switch 52 which is brought into connection with the contacts 51a, 51b by downward (in the depicted orientation) movement, that is pressing, of the button 42.
• the button 42 may have a protrusion 53 on its lower side (opposite the exposed outward facing surface which is pressed upon by the user) which engages with the switch 52 when the button is pressed, and pushes the switch into a closed position against the contacts 51a, 51b, thereby closing the circuit 50.
• the protrusion 53 may also be the spindle or axel on which the button 42 is mounted for the rotatable movement, for example.
• the controller 28 can detect closure of the circuit 50 and thereby determine that a user input has been made at the user input element, in other words the controller 28 receives a control signal from the user input element in response to a user input.
• the button 42 has a return mechanism (not shown) such as spring mounting to return it to its undepressed position after a press from the user, in order to remove the pushing against the switch 52 and allow the circuit 50 to open; the control signal delivered to the controller 28 thereby ceases. Since in this example the button 42 occupies the same location in the first position and the second position, pressing of the button 42 can close the circuit 50 in both the first position and the second position; downward motion of the button 42 can push the switch 52 closed in both positions.
• a return mechanism such as spring mounting to return it to its undepressed position after a press from the user, in order to remove the pushing against the switch 52 and allow the circuit 50 to open; the control signal delivered to the controller 28 thereby ceases. Since in this example the button 42 occupies the same location in the first position and the second position, pressing of the button 42 can close the circuit 50 in both the first position and the second position; downward motion of the button 42 can push the switch 52 closed in both positions.
• Figure 6C shows a simplified schematic representation of the user input element of Figure 6A , showing an example configuration for enabling the controller 28 to determine the position of the user input element in the form of the button 42.
• This configuration is similar to that of Figure 5C , in that the sensing is performed electronically, by way of a first sensing circuit 60a and a second sensing circuit 60b, each connected to the controller 28 and each having a pair of contacts 61a, 61b which are spaced apart to provide open circuits.
• the button 42 is again provided with a further contact 62 that is physically mounted on the button, such as conductive protrusion.
• the further contact 62 When the button 42 is in the first position 42a, the further contact 62 is located to connect with the pair of contacts 61a in the first sensing circuit 60a and close the first sensing circuit 60a, and when the button 42 is in the second position 42b, the further contact is located to connect with the pair of contacts 61b in the second sensing circuit 60b and close the second sensing circuit 60b.
• Current can thereby flow in either the first sensing circuit 60a or the second sensing circuit 60b, which is detected by the controller 28 and allows the controller 28 to determine which of the first position 42a and the second position 42b that the button 42 is in.
• a simpler configuration may alternatively by used, comprising just one sensing circuit associated with one of the first position 42a and the second position 42b.
• other electrical configurations with switches and similar items that can sense or detect the user input element position will be apparent to the skilled person, and the disclosure is not limited to the above example, and non-circuit based sensor configurations might also be used, such as optical detectors.
• user input elements may also be implemented, which allow the movement of the user input element between two positions, in a first position of which (at least) the user input element can additionally be manipulated to enter user inputs for delivery to the controller (which may or may not be a pressable button as described above), and for which the controller is configured to discriminate between the two positions. Suitable designs for this will be apparent to the skilled person, and the disclosure is therefore not limited to the specific examples given above.
• the user input element may be configured as a graphical representation on a touch sensitive display provided on the housing of the aerosol provision system.
• FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of an example user input element configured as a graphical representation, or graphical user interface (GUI).
• the aerosol provision system 10 has a touch sensitive display panel 65 mounted on its housing 40.
• the touch sensitive display panel 65 is configured to be detect and respond to the touch of a user's finger, and may be configured as a capacitive touch screen, for example.
• the touch sensitive display panel 65 is also configured to, under control from the controller, display a user input element 25 as a graphical representation.
• the user input element 25 has a similar appearance to the slidable button of the Figures 5A-5C example, and is represented similarly to a conventional toggle button on a computer graphical user interface.
• the user input element 25 comprises a representation of a button element 42 within an elongate border so as to indicate to the user familiar with GUI toggle buttons that the button element 42 may be moved between a first position 42a at one end of the elongate border and a second position 42b at the other end of the elongate border.
• the user touches the button element 42 and drags it along the length of the elongate border.
• a dragging or sliding touch on the button element 42 allows the user to move the user input element between the first position 42a and the second position 42b, replicating the mechanical action of sliding a button in the Figures 5A-5C example.
• the touch sensitive screen detects and recognises these actions and send appropriate control signals to the controller, in response to which the controller can switch the aerosol provision system between the on mode and the off mode, lock and unlock the current mode, enable and disable the supplementary function of the on mode, and/or operate the vaporiser for aerosol generation, depending on the particular configuration of the aerosol provision system.

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Citations (2)

• 2024
  • 2024-02-22 EP EP24159240.1A patent/EP4606245A1/de active Pending
• 2025
  • 2025-02-21 WO PCT/EP2025/054819 patent/WO2025176890A1/en active Pending

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