Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F15/00—Receptacles or boxes specially adapted for cigars, cigarettes, simulated smoking devices or cigarettes therefor
  • A24F15/01—Receptacles or boxes specially adapted for cigars, cigarettes, simulated smoking devices or cigarettes therefor specially adapted for simulated smoking devices or cigarettes therefor
  • A24F15/015—Receptacles or boxes specially adapted for cigars, cigarettes, simulated smoking devices or cigarettes therefor specially adapted for simulated smoking devices or cigarettes therefor with means for refilling of liquid inhalable precursors
• • 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
  • A24F40/10—Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• • 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
  • A24F40/48—Fluid transfer means, e.g. pumps

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates to systems for providing aerosol to a user including electronic aerosol provision systems such as nicotine delivery systems (e.g. electronic cigarettes and the like).
• electronic aerosol provision systems such as nicotine delivery systems (e.g. electronic cigarettes and the like).
• Electronic aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are used by some as a replacement or alternative to cigarettes, for example such as those looking to reduce nicotine consumption.
• some electronic aerosol provision systems are provided with refillable reservoirs, which can be refilled with aerosol-generating material and used for multiple times without disposal.
• the refilling process for such refillable aerosol provision systems can be difficult, particularly in ensuring the right amount of aerosol-generating material is provided to the reservoir.
• a system including: an aerosol provision device comprising an aerosol-generating material storage portion for storing an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision device arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage portion; a refilling device comprising a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the refilling device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the refilling device.
• the transfer mechanism is configured to operate in a forward direction to transfer aerosol-generating material from the refilling device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device.
• the transfer mechanism is configured to operate in a reverse direction to transfer aerosol-generating material from the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device to the refilling device.
• the refilling device is configured to operate, at different times, the transfer mechanism in the forward direction and the reverse direction to refill the aerosol-generating material storage portion with a predetermined amount of aerosol-generating material.
• the refilling device is configured to operate the transfer mechanism in the forward direction when the aerosol provision device is initially coupled to the refilling device until a monitored parameter indicative of the amount of aerosol-generating material in the aerosol-generating material storage portion reaches or exceeds a threshold.
• the refilling device is configured to operate the transfer mechanism in the reverse direction to withdraw an amount of aerosol-generating material from the aerosol-generating material storage portion.
• the refilling device is configured to operate the transfer mechanism in the reverse direction for a predetermined time period.
• the refilling device is configured to operate the transfer mechanism in the reverse direction for a predetermined time starting from when the aerosol provision device is initially coupled to the refilling device.
• the refilling device is configured to operate the transfer mechanism in the forward direction to supply an amount of aerosol-generating material to the aerosol-generating material storage portion.
• the refilling device is configured to operate the transfer mechanism in the forward direction for a predetermined time period or until a monitored parameter indicative of the amount of aerosol-generating material in the aerosol-generating material storage portion reaches or exceeds a threshold.
• the transfer mechanism is configured to transfer a liquid aerosol-generating material.
• the transfer mechanism is configured to operate in a reverse direction to transfer aerosol-generating material from the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device to the refilling device.
• the refilling device is configured to operate, at different times, the transfer mechanism in the forward direction and the reverse direction to refill the aerosol-generating material storage portion with a predetermined amount of aerosol-generating material.
• a method for refilling an aerosol-generating material storage portion of an aerosol provision device arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage portion including: providing a refilling device comprising a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the refilling device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the refilling device, wherein the transfer mechanism is configured to operate in a forward direction to transfer aerosol-generating material from the refilling device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device, and the transfer mechanism is configured to operate in a reverse direction to transfer aerosol-generating material from the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device to the refilling device, and performing a refilling operation in which the transfer mechanism is operated, at different times, in the forward direction and the reverse direction to refill the aerosol-generating material storage portion with a predetermined amount of aerosol-generating material.
• a "non-combustible" aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.
• the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.
• the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.
• END electronic nicotine delivery system
• the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated.
• Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine.
• the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material.
• the solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.
• the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device.
• the non-combustible aerosol provision system such as a non-combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller.
• the power source may, for example, be an electric power source.
• the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
• the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material.
• either material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and/or one or more other functional materials.
• Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and/or flavourants. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise an "amorphous solid", which may alternatively be referred to as a "monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may for example comprise from about 50wt%, 60wt% or 70wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or 100wt% of amorphous solid.
• the aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and/or flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material.
• An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the aerosol generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol.
• the aerosol-modifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component, that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent.
• the aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent.
• the aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of an active substance, a flavourant, a colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent.
• the aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel.
• the aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form.
• the aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material.
• the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol.
• the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.
• the aerosol-generating material and/or the aerosol-modifying agent comprises an active substance.
• the active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response.
• the active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives.
• the active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained.
• the active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof.
• the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.
• the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.
• the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.
• the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof.
• botanical includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like.
• the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically.
• the material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like.
• Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon
• the mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v.,Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v.,Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Memtha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens
• the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.
• flavour and “flavourant” refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch,
• the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint.
• the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry.
• the flavour comprises eugenol.
• the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco.
• the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.
• the aerosol-generating material and/or aerosol-modifying agent comprises an aerosol-former material.
• aerosol-former materials are provided above.
• the aerosol-generating material and/or aerosol-modifying agent comprises one or more other functional materials, which may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.
• An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material.
• the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol.
• the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating.
• the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.
• a susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field.
• the susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material.
• the heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material.
• the susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms.
• the device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.
• a system having an aerosol provision device comprising an aerosol-generating material storage portion for storing an aerosol-generating material, and a refilling device comprising a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the refilling device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the refilling device.
• the transfer mechanism is configured to operate in a forward direction and a reverse direction. By operating the transfer mechanism, at different times, in the forward direction and the reverse direction, a predetermined amount of aerosol-generating material can be transferred to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device.
• overfilling of the aerosol-generating material storage portion may be avoided or reduced, which may lead to increased leakage of aerosol-generating material from the aerosol-generating material storage portion.
• under-filling of the aerosol-generating material storage portion may be avoided or reduced, which may lead to increased risk of an aerosol generator experiencing dry-out where insufficient aerosol-generating material is provided to the aerosol generator during operation.
• FIG. 1 schematically shows a system 1 for providing an aerosol to a user in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.
• the system 1 comprises a refill and recharge device 10 (sometimes referred to herein as a refill/recharge pack 10), an aerosol provision device 20, and an aerosol modifying agent release component 30 (sometimes referred to herein as a consumable or article).
• FIG. 1 schematically shows each of these components separated from one another.
• the aerosol provision device 20 is arranged to engage with the consumable 30 (for example, the aerosol provision device 20 may comprise a receptacle 21 for receiving at least a part of the consumable 30), with the consumable 30 and aerosol provision device 20 together being operable to deliver aerosol to a user.
• the combination of the aerosol provision device 20 and consumable 30 may be referred to herein as an aerosol provision system.
• the refill/recharge pack 10 is arranged to engage with the aerosol provision device 20 (for example, the refill/recharge pack 10 may comprise a receptacle 11 for receiving at least a part of the aerosol provision device 20), with the refill/recharge pack 10 being operable to recharge and/or refill the aerosol provision device 20 when the aerosol provision device 20 is engaged with the refill/recharge pack 10.
• Figure 2 schematically shows the aerosol provision device 20 in more detail, along with a schematic representation of the consumable 30, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that Figure 2 is not shown to any particular scale and the various components are only schematically shown. In addition, it should be appreciated that certain features of the aerosol provision device 20 are omitted from Figure 2 , such as the various wiring and electrical connections between certain components, for example.
• the aerosol provision device 20 comprises a housing 20a, the receptacle 21 (which in this example is formed by the housing 20a), a power source 22, control circuitry 23, an aerosol-generating material storage area (or herein referred to as a reservoir) 24, an aerosol-generating material transport element 25, an aerosol generator 26, an airflow path formed of an air inlet 27a, a vapour generation chamber 27b, air passage 27c, and outlet 27d, a reservoir refill mechanism 28 and electrical contacts 29a and 29b.
• the aerosol provision system (i.e., the combination of the consumable 30 and the aerosol provision device 20) is configured to have the shape and dimensions of a cigarette. That is, the aerosol provision system may be broadly cylindrical and have a total dimension in the length direction L (i.e., along a longitudinal axis thereof) of between 13 cm and 6 cm, or between 12 cm and 7 cm, or between 9 cm and 8 cm and a total width dimension W (i.e., perpendicular to the longitudinal axis) of between 5 to 10 mm, or between 7 to 9 mm.
• L i.e., along a longitudinal axis thereof
• W i.e., perpendicular to the longitudinal axis
• the size and/or shape of the aerosol provision system may be different.
• the width of consumable 30 is less than the width of the aerosol provision device 20, thereby providing a stepped profile at the relevant end of the aerosol provision system where the consumable 30 protrudes from the receptacle 21.
• the consumable 30 may be configured such that the protruding section has a similar width to the aerosol provision device 20. When the two are engaged, the protruding section of the consumable 30 protruding from the receptacle 21 forms a flush outer surface with the outer surface of the aerosol provision device 20.
• the aerosol provision system is intended to be held by a user during use and used in a similar manner to a cigarette.
• providing the aerosol provision system with similar dimensions to a cigarette increases familiarity to users transitioning from cigarettes to electronic aerosol provision systems, which therefore may help ease such a transition.
• the aerosol provision system may also have a similar weight to a cigarette, for broadly similar reasons.
• the outer housing 20a in the described implementation has an overall cylindrical shape.
• the outer housing 20a defines a proximal or mouth end 20b at which the receptacle 21 and consumable 30 (when present) are located and a distal end 20c, opposite the proximal end 20b.
• the outer housing 20a may be formed, for example, from a plastics or metallic material. In some implementations, the outer housing 20a may be circumscribed, at least partly, by a paper material or cellulose material. Within the outer housing 20a is located the various components of the aerosol provision device 20, such as the power source 22, control circuitry 23, etc.
• the first and second electrical contacts 29a, 29b may be annular and extend around the outer surface of the outer housing 20a and the inner surface of the receptacle 21, accordingly.
• the first electrical contact 29a is configured to couple to a positive terminal of an external power source (or alternatively a negative terminal) and the second electrical contact 29b is configured to couple to a negative terminal of an external power source (or alternatively a positive terminal).
• the electrical contacts 29a, 29b are electrically coupled to the terminals of the battery 22 (either directly or via suitable recharging circuitry) and can facilitate recharging of the battery 22.
• the reservoir 24 is provided in fluid communication with an aerosol-generating material transport element 25 and an aerosol generator 26.
• the reservoir 24 may comprising an opening, within which the aerosol-generating material transport element 25 is located or extends.
• the aerosol-generating material transport element 25 is configured to transport the aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 24 to the aerosol generator 26.
• the specific mechanism underlying how the aerosol-generating material transport element 25 functions may depend on the aerosol-generating material stored in the reservoir 24.
• the aerosol-generating material transport element 25 may be configured to transport aerosol-generating material via capillary action.
• the aerosol-generating material transport element 25 may comprise a porous material (e.g., ceramic) or a bundle of fibres (e.g., glass or cotton fibres) which define a plurality of pores or interstices capable of drawing liquid from the reservoir 24 to be provided to the aerosol generator 26. Any suitable aerosol-generating material transport element 25 may be utilised having regard to the specific aerosol-generating material stored in the reservoir 24 and/or the type of aerosol generator 26 used.
• the aerosol generator 26 is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material.
• the aerosol generator 26 is a heater or heating element.
• the heating element is configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol.
• the form of the heating element is not particularly limited.
• the heating element may be a planar structure.
• the heating element may take the form of an electrically conductive plate or sheet, for example of titanium or other electrically resistive material such as NiChrome.
• the heating element may take other forms, such as an electrically resistive wire or trace or the like.
• the heating element is electrically connected to the control circuitry 23 and battery 22, and heating of the heating element is achieved by passing an electrical current between locations on the heating element.
• the heating element may be a susceptor element which is intended to generate heat upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field (generated by a suitable magnetic field generator located in the aerosol provision device 20 and controlled by the control circuitry 23).
• the aerosol generator 26 is integrally formed with the aerosol provision device 20.
• the aerosol generator 26 and/or the aerosol-generating material transport element 25 may be removable from the aerosol provision device 20.
• the aerosol generator 26 and aerosol-generating material transport element 25 may be removable with the reservoir 24 (for example, the reservoir 24, aerosol-generating material transport element 25, and aerosol generator 26 may form a single component that is replaceable).
• the aerosol-generating material transport component 25 may be integrated with the aerosol generator 26 to form a combined aerosol generator and aerosol-generating material transport component.
• the aerosol generator 26 may comprise a porous, conductive plate or a plurality of sintered steel fibres forming a planar structure.
• the aerosol provision device 20 further comprises a reservoir refill mechanism 28.
• the reservoir refill mechanism 28 is arranged in fluid communication with the reservoir 24 and is configured to allow the reservoir 24 to be refilled with aerosol-generating material, for example from the refill/recharge pack 10. For example, as the aerosol generator 26 is activated, some of the aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 24 is used up.
• the reservoir refill mechanism 28 is any suitable mechanism that allows the reservoir 24 to be refilled with aerosol-generating material. Refilling the reservoir 24 with aerosol-generating material allows the aerosol provision device 20 to be used multiple times, therefore improving the longevity of the aerosol provision device 20 and reducing material waste.
• the reservoir refill mechanism 28 is configured to provide a suitable seal (depending on the nature of the aerosol-generating material) to prevent the escape of aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 24.
• the reservoir refill mechanism 28 may be valve, such as a spring-loaded ball valve, which is biased into a closed position but capable of being urged to an open position when the reservoir refill mechanism 28 is engaged with a suitable refilling mechanism (e.g., in the refill/recharge pack 10) for refilling of the reservoir 24 with aerosol-generating material.
• the reservoir refill mechanism 28 may comprise a septum capable of being pierced by a suitable needle or the like of a suitable refilling mechanism (e.g., in the refill/recharge pack 10).
• the reservoir refilling mechanism 28 is configured to allow aerosol-generating material to pass therethrough.
• the consumable 30 comprises a housing 30a, a first, distal end retaining element 31, a second, proximal end retaining element 32, and an aerosol modifying agent 33.
• the housing 30a of Figure 3 is shown as being a tubular with openings at either ends thereof. At each end, a retaining element 31, 32 is provided.
• the retaining elements 31, 32 are positioned to extend across the openings of the tubular housing 30a. Accordingly, the retaining elements 31, 32 and the housing 30a define a volume therebetween. Within the volume is located the aerosol modifying agent 33. Accordingly, it should be understood that the retaining elements 31, 32 help to retain the aerosol modifying agent 33 within the consumable 30.
• the retaining elements 31, 32 are configured to allow air (and aerosol from the aerosol provision device 20) to pass through the retaining elements 31, 32.
• the aerosol modifying agent 33 is or comprises tobacco, for example, cut-rag tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, and/or treated tobacco.
• tobacco By using tobacco as the aerosol modifying agent 33, tobacco flavouring and nicotine may be imparted to aerosol passing through the consumable 30 and the aerosol modifying agent 33.
• the aerosol that is generated and modified by such a tobacco aerosol modifying agent 33 has similar flavours/tastes to smoke generated by cigarettes, thereby helping to facilitate switching of cigarette users to aerosol provision systems by improving the familiarity of the aerosol provision system to such cigarette users.
• the aerosol provision device 20 comprises the pressure sensor 27e (or a similar sensor, such as a flow sensor) which is capable of sensing reduce pressure or air flow through the airflow path as a result of a user inhalation.
• the aerosol modifying agent 33 acts to modify at least one property of the aerosol that is generated by the aerosol generator 26.
• the properties include at least one of: the flavour and the presence of an active substance (such as nicotine).
• an active substance such as nicotine
• other properties for example temperature of the aerosol, may also be affected by the aerosol modifying agent 33.
• the aerosol-generating material may be any suitable aerosol-generating material, as described above.
• the aerosol-generating material may be a liquid aerosol-generating material, which may be referred to herein as a source liquid, e-liquid or liquid.
• the source liquid may be broadly conventional, and may contain nicotine and / or other active ingredients, and / or one or more flavours, as described above. In some implementations, the source liquid may contain no nicotine.
• the aerosol-generating material stored in the reservoir 24 is free from active ingredients (such as nicotine) and / or flavourants.
• active ingredients such as nicotine
• flavourants when the aerosol-generating material is heated, aerosol-forming material is vaporised / aerosolised and this acts as a transport medium for components such as the active ingredients and / or flavourants which may, in some implementations, not be directly vaporised by the aerosol generator 26 in use. While it is expected that some of the active ingredients and / or flavourants are transported from the aerosol generator 26 by the vaporised aerosol-former material, it has been found that some of the active ingredients / flavourants can be left in contact with the aerosol generator 26. This can lead to residues forming on the aerosol generator 26.
• the performance of the aerosol generator 26 e.g., in terms of the mass of aerosol produced for a given puff
• the performance of the aerosol generator 26 may not start to decrease until around 20,000 puffs. Accordingly, the lifetime of the aerosol generator 26, and hence of the aerosol provision device 20, may be relatively increased by using such an aerosol-generating material.
• the aerosol-generating material is free from any active ingredients and/or flavourants. "Free from” as used herein means that the aerosol-generating material does not contain any active ingredients and/or flavourants or contains no greater than negligible or trace amount of the active ingredients and/or flavourants. More concretely, the aerosol-generating material comprises an active ingredient in an amount of no greater than 0.01 wt.% based on the weight of the aerosol-generating material (such as a liquid aerosol-generating material) and/or the aerosol-generating material comprises one or more flavourants in an amount of no greater than 0.01 wt.% based on the weight of the aerosol-generating material (such as a liquid aerosol-generating material).
• the aerosol-generating material comprises, consists of, or essentially consists of an aerosol-former material.
• the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol.
• the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1 ,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.
• the aerosol-generating material may comprise water.
• the aerosol-generating material selected from the group comprising, or consisting of: propylene glycol, (vegetable) glycerol, and water.
• the aerosol-generating material may comprise or consist of any one or combination of the above.
• the aerosol generator 26 is provided as an integral part of the aerosol provision device 20.
• the aerosol provision device 20 is intended to be used with multiple consumables 30 and thus the aerosol generator 26 is intended to be used multiple times over a prolonged period of use.
• the aerosol generator 26 may be used for a longer period than aerosol provision systems that have a disposable, integrated reservoir and heater (for example, in the form of a disposable cartomiser).
• the aerosol generator 26 integrally provided with the aerosol provision device 20 may be more prone to build-up of residue over time which may affect performance if used with an aerosol-generating material having other constituents, such as a flavour or an active substance, for example. Therefore, by using an aerosol-generating material that is free from active ingredients and / or flavourants, the aerosol generator 26 can be used for a longer period of time with relatively lower levels of residual build-up, thereby maintaining acceptable performance for longer.
• the consumable 30 comprises an aerosol modifying agent 33, which is positioned along the airflow path (e.g., at the air outlet 27d of the aerosol provision device 20) such that the aerosol generated by the aerosol generator 26 passes to or through the aerosol modifying agent 33 to modify a characteristic of the aerosol.
• the aerosol modifying agent 33 is capable of imparting a (tobacco) flavour and/or active substance (nicotine) to the aerosol generated by the aerosol generator 26 as the aerosol passes to or through the aerosol modifying agent 33 (which, as noted above, may be or comprise a tobacco or tobacco based substance).
• the aerosol modifying agent 33 is capable of providing flavour and/or an active substance to the aerosol that is delivered to the user.
• the aerosol-generating material may contain an active substance and/or flavour.
• the consumable 30 may be configured to modify additional or alternative characteristics of the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material.
• the consumable 30 may impart an additional flavour, and/or reduce the temperature of the aerosol, and/or impart an additional active substance.
• the receptacle 21 provides a location where the consumable 30 couples or otherwise engages with the aerosol provision device 20.
• the consumable 30 is held in place in the receptacle 21 by friction-fit. That is, the diameter of the receptacle 21 may be the same size as (or slightly smaller than, e.g., 0.1 or less of a mm) the diameter of the consumable 30.
• the consumable 30 may be engaged with the receptacle 21 in other ways, for example based around a screw thread, latch mechanism, bayonet fixing or magnetic coupling.
• the receptacle 21 represents only an example of a suitable interface for interfacing with and engaging the consumable 30.
• the consumable 30 may be engaged with the aerosol provision device 20 in any suitable way.
• the outer housing 10a in the described implementation has an overall cuboidal shape having a top surface (through which the receptacle 11 is accessible), a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and one or more side surfaces extending therebetween and perpendicular thereto.
• the outer housing 10a may be formed, for example, from a plastics or metallic material. In some implementations, the outer housing 10a may be circumscribed, at least partly, by a paper material or cellulose material. Within the outer housing 10a is located the various components of the refill/recharge pack 10, such as the power source 12, control circuitry 13, etc.
• the power source 12 in this implementation is a battery 12.
• the battery 12 may be rechargeable, for example a lithium ion battery, although other battery chemistries may also be considered.
• the battery 12 is capable of being recharged via an external source (such as via a connection to mains power through a suitable cable, not shown, or via inductive charging).
• the battery 12 may not be rechargeable.
• the outer housing 10a may comprise a door or hatch that allows for the battery 12 to be replaced with a fresh (i.e., charged) battery 12.
• the battery 12 is intended to be used to recharge the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20, and thus has a capacity at least equal to the capacity of the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20.
• the capacity of the battery 12 of the refill/recharge pack 10 may be greater, for example 5 or more, 10 or more, or 20 or more times greater than the capacity of the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20. This means that the refill/recharge pack 10 is capable of recharging the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20 multiple times on a single charge.
• the control circuitry 13 is suitably configured / programmed to control the operations of the refill/recharge pack 10.
• the control circuitry 13 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units / circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the refill/recharge pack's operation and may be implemented by provision of a (micro)controller, processor, ASIC or similar form of control chip.
• the control circuitry 13 may be arranged to control any functionality associated with the refill/recharge pack 10.
• the functionality may include the charging or re-charging of the battery 12 (e.g., from the external source), the discharging of the battery 12 (e.g., for recharging the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20), and the transfer of aerosol generating material from the reservoir 14 to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20.
• other functionality such as controlling visual indicators (e.g., LEDs) / displays of the refill/recharge pack 10, communication functionality for communicating with external devices, etc. may also be controlled by the control circuitry 13.
• the control circuitry 13 may be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB). Note also that the functionality provided by the control circuitry 13 may be split across multiple circuit boards and / or across components which are not mounted to a PCB, and these additional components and / or PCBs can be located as appropriate within the refill/recharge pack 10.
• the refill/recharge pack 10 further comprises a reservoir 14 configured to store aerosol-generating material.
• the reservoir 14 is configured to store a liquid aerosol-generating material, and may therefore be configured so as to reduce or prevent leakage of the aerosol-generating material out of the reservoir 14.
• the reservoir 14 may take any suitable shape, such as a cuboidal shape.
• the aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 14 is intended to be transferred to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 when the aerosol provision device 20 is installed in the receptacle 11.
• the reservoir 14 is intended to be used to refill the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20, and thus in some implementations has a volume at least equal to the volume of the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20.
• the volume of the reservoir 12 of the refill/recharge pack 10 may be greater, for example 5 or more, 10 or more, or 20 or more times greater than the volume of the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20. This means that the refill/recharge pack 10 is capable of refilling the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 multiple times from the reservoir 12 of the refill/recharge pack 10.
• the reservoir 14 may be integrally formed with the refill/recharge pack 10, and may or may not be refillable. However, in other implementations, the reservoir 14 may be removable from the refill/recharge pack 10. In these implementations, once the reservoir 14 is depleted, the reservoir 14 may be removed and replaced with a new (full) reservoir 14.
• the transfer mechanism 15 may be electronically operated.
• a motor provided in the refill/recharge pack 10, under control of the control circuitry 13, may be used to drive the peristaltic pump or other transfer mechanism 15.
• the battery 12 may be used to supply power to the transfer mechanism 15 in such implementations.
• Control of the motor may be dependent on a suitable detection process for detecting that the aerosol provision device 20 is located in the receptacle 11; that is, the transfer mechanism 15 may be operable to transfer aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 14 when the aerosol provision device 20 is determined to be present in the receptacle 11.
• the transfer mechanism 15 may be mechanically and manually operated by a user; for example, by a rotatable arm coupled to the rotational axis of the peristaltic pump and provided on the outer surface of the housing 10a.
• aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 14 of the refill/recharge pack 10 is withdrawn from the reservoir 14 along the first conduit 16a to the inlet of the peristaltic pump, forced to the outlet of the peristaltic pump, and then pumped along the second and third conduits 16b and 16c to the reservoir refill mechanism 28 before entering the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20.
• the transfer mechanism 15 is configured to operate in the forward direction for a predetermined duration. That is, step S3 is performed after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed from step S2. This is represented by step S2a in Figure 5 .
• the predetermined quantity of aerosol-generating material may be set to be slightly less than the maximum theoretical capacity of the reservoir 24, for example to accommodate for a residual amount of aerosol-generating material that is unable to be depleted during use of the reservoir 24 (that is, put another way, any aerosol-generating material that is, in effect, trapped in the reservoir 24 and unable to be used by the aerosol generator 26).
• the predetermined time can be determined for a given refill/recharge pack 10. For example, if the predetermined quantity of aerosol-generating material is 2 ml and the rate of transfer of the transfer mechanism 15 is 0.1 ml/sec, the duration is set to 20 seconds.
• the refill/recharge pack 10 is unable to determine the amount of aerosol-generating material that is currently within the reservoir 24 when the aerosol provision device 20 is received in the receptacle 11, and therefore the predetermined time is set based on the assumption the reservoir 24 is empty. Accordingly, at the end of the predetermined time, the reservoir 24 is considered to be full with aerosol-generating material. It should be appreciated that the reservoir 24 may be full of aerosol-generating material prior to the predetermined time expiring. For example, if the reservoir 24 is 50% full when the aerosol provision device 20 is installed in the receptacle 11, then based on the above example, the reservoir 24 is full after only 10 seconds of the transfer mechanism 15 operating in the forward direction.
• the transfer mechanism 15 may continue to operate in the forward direction for the remaining duration of the predetermined time (e.g., in the above example, the remaining 10 seconds) but the amount of aerosol-generating material the transfer mechanism 15 transfers may be limited (or even zero) based on the fact that the reservoir 24 is at full capacity and thus unable to receive further aerosol-generating material.
• the control circuitry 13 can assume that the reservoir 24 is full with aerosol-generating material.
• the predetermined time may be determined based on a measurement of the aerosol-generating material present in the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 when the aerosol provision device 20 is installed in the receptacle 11.
• the receptacle 11 may be provided with capacitive plates (not shown) on opposite sides of the receptacle 11 and arranged at a position that overlaps the reservoir 24 when the aerosol provision device 20 is installed in the receptacle 11. Based on the capacitance value measured between the plates, the quantity of aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 24 can be estimated. The predetermined time can then be calculated or adjusted based on the estimated quantity of aerosol-generating material.
• the transfer mechanism 15 when operating in the forward direction, supplies aerosol-generating material to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20. As the reservoir 24 fills with aerosol-generating material, and in particular is close to becoming full, the resistance to pumping / transfer felt by the transfer mechanism 15 increases. Depending on the transfer mechanism 15, this resistance may cause a change in the operation of the transfer mechanism 15. For example, for a peristaltic pump, the rotations per minute may decrease as pumping becomes more difficult, and/or the current drawn by the motor turning the peristaltic pump increases.
• the control circuitry 13 is configured to monitor one or more of these parameters and when the monitored parameter exceeds a threshold (e.g., above a current value, or below a rotations per minute value), the control circuitry 13 determines that the reservoir 24 is full (i.e., a YES at step S2b). The method then proceeds to step S3. As above, if the control circuitry 13 does not determine the monitored parameter exceeds a threshold (i.e., a NO at step S2b), the method proceeds back to step S2.
• a threshold e.g., above a current value, or below a rotations per minute value
• control circuitry 13 may operate according to both steps S2a and S2b. That is, if the monitored parameter equals or exceeds the threshold at step S2b before the predetermined time has elapsed at step S2a, the method proceeds to step S3 as shown above. Otherwise, the method proceeds to step S3 when the predetermined time has elapsed at step S2a.
• step S4 the refill/recharge pack 10 is configured to operate the transfer mechanism 15 in the reverse direction.
• the refill/recharge pack 10 is configured to operate the refill/recharge mechanism 15 in the reverse direction to withdraw an amount of aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 14 of the aerosol provision device 20.
• the purpose of withdrawing an amount of aerosol-generating material is to create a headspace and reduce the pressure within the reservoir 24 which may contribute to leakage of the aerosol-generating material if otherwise left in the full state as described above.
• refilling of the reservoir 24 with a predetermined amount of aerosol-generating material can be achieved by, in essence, filling the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 to a maximum capacity and, using the maximum capacity as a baseline, withdrawing a known amount of aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 24.
• step S12 proceeds to step S12 after step S1 where the transfer mechanism 15 is operated in the reverse direction as part of the refill operation.
• step S2 occurs at the same time as step S1 (i.e., when the refill operation starts), but is shown as a separate method step in step S2 for convenience.
• the transfer mechanism 15 is configured to cause aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 to be withdrawn and transferred to the reservoir 14 of the refill/recharge pack 10.
• the predetermined time may be determined based on a measurement of the aerosol-generating material present in the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 when the aerosol provision device 20 is installed in the receptacle 11.
• the receptacle 11 may be provided with capacitive plates (not shown) on opposite sides of the receptacle 11. Based on the capacitance value measured between the plates, the quantity of aerosol-generating material in the reservoir 24 can be estimated. The predetermined time can then be calculated or adjusted based on the estimated quantity of aerosol-generating material.
• control circuitry 13 is configured to monitor a parameter of the refill/recharge pack 10 to determine when the reservoir 24 is empty.
• the control circuitry 13 is configured to monitor one or more of these parameters and when the monitored parameter exceeds a threshold (e.g., below a current value, or above a rotations per minute value), the control circuitry 13 determines that the reservoir 24 is empty (i.e., a YES at step S12b). The method then proceeds to step S13. As above, if the control circuitry 13 does not determine the monitored parameter exceeds a threshold (i.e., a NO at step S12b), the method proceeds back to step S2.
• a threshold e.g., below a current value, or above a rotations per minute value
• control circuitry 13 may operate according to both steps S12a and S12b. That is, if the monitored parameter equals or exceeds the threshold at step S12b before the predetermined time has elapsed at step S12a, the method proceeds to step S13 as shown above. Otherwise, the method proceeds to step S13 when the predetermined time has elapsed at step S12a.
• step S12a may be implemented using an indicator, such as the indicator described above. That is, when the predetermined time has elapsed, the indicator is configured to indicate to the user to stop manually actuating the transfer mechanism 15 in the reverse direction.
• step S12a may be implemented using the movable stop, which may be engaged to prevent further reverse motion of the transfer mechanism 15. In respect of step S12b, this may be implemented by 'feel' by the user, i.e., the transfer mechanism 15 becomes progressively easier for the user to actuate indicating that the reservoir 24 is empty.
• step S14 the refill/recharge pack 10 is configured to operate the transfer mechanism 15 in the forward direction.
• the transfer mechanism 15 can now be operated in the forward direction to deliver an amount of aerosol-generating material equal to or slightly less than the capacity of the reservoir 24. That is to say, by operating the transfer mechanism 15 for a predetermined time or by a predetermined amount, a predetermined amount of aerosol-generating material can be accurately and reliably provided to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20.
• a moveable stopper may be used to limit the amount of forward actuation possible for the transfer mechanism 15 or an indicator may be used to indicate when to stop actuating the transfer mechanism 15 in the forward direction, in a similar manner to that described above.
• the refill/recharge pack 10 comprises a transfer mechanism 15 configured to operate in a forward direction to transfer aerosol-generating material from the refill/recharge pack 10 to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20, and configured to operate in a reverse direction to transfer aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 to the refill/recharge pack 10.
• the refill/recharge pack 10 is configured to operate, at different times, the transfer mechanism in the forward direction and the reverse direction.
• the radial extent of the first electrical contact 29a of the aerosol provision device 20 about the longitudinal axis of the aerosol provision 20 and the radial extent of the first electrical contact 18a of the refill/recharge pack 10 about the longitudinal axis of the receptacle 11 is such that the aerosol provision device 20 can be inserted at any rotational position about the longitudinal axis of the aerosol provision device 20 relative to the receptacle 11 and still provide electrical contact between the first electrical contacts 18a, 29a.
• the electrical contact 29a may extend 360° around the longitudinal axis of the aerosol provision device 20, and the electrical contact 18a may extend between 1° to 360° around the longitudinal axis of the receptacle 11.
• the second electrical contact 18b of the refill/recharge pack 10 is provided at a location on the outer surface of the engagement mechanism 17.
• the second electrical contact 29b located within the receptacle 21 of the aerosol provision device 20 is capable of being bought into electrical connection with the second electrical contact 18b of the refill/recharge pack 10 when the engagement mechanism 17 engages with the receptacle 21.
• the second electrical contact 18b may take any suitable form; for example, the electrical contact 18b may be an annular ring provided extending, coaxially, with the axis of the engagement mechanism 17. In other implementations, the electrical contact 18b may comprise one or more contact pads provided at a surface of the engagement mechanism 17.
• the radial extent of the second electrical contact 29b of the aerosol provision device 20 about the longitudinal axis of the receptacle 21 and the radial extent of the second electrical contact 18a of the refill/recharge pack 10 about the longitudinal axis of the engagement mechanism 17 is such that the aerosol provision device 20 can be inserted at any rotational position about the longitudinal axis of the aerosol provision device 20 relative to the receptacle 11 and still provide electrical contact between the second electrical contacts 18b, 29b.
• the electrical contact 29b may extend 360° around the longitudinal axis of the receptacle 21, and the electrical contact 18b may extend between 1° to 360° around the longitudinal axis of the engagement mechanism 17.
• the refill/recharge pack 10 is also configured to cause electrical power provided in the battery 12 of the refill/recharge pack 10 to pass to the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20 when the aerosol provision device 20 is located in the receptacle 11. Accordingly, the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20 is capable of being recharged with electrical power by the refill/recharge pack 10.
• the refill/recharge pack 10 is configured to both refill the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 and to recharge the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20.
• the refill/recharge pack 10 may be configured to refill the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 only. That is, the recharging circuitry and electrical contacts 29a, 29b may be omitted. Additionally, depending on how the transfer mechanism 15 is operated, and in particular whether the transfer mechanism 15 requires electrical power to operate, the battery 12 of the refill/recharge pack 10 may be omitted. In implementations where the refill/recharge pack 10 is only configured to refill the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20, the refill/recharge pack 10 may be referred to as a refill pack 10 or refilling device 10.
• the configuration of the refill/recharge pack 10 as shown in Figure 4 is to be understood as an example of the refill/recharge pack 10; however, in other implementations, the refill/recharge pack 10 may be configured differently.
• the position of the electrical contacts 18a, 18b may be different from what is shown in Figure 4 .
• the conduit 16, transfer mechanism 15, and engagement mechanism 17 may be different from what is shown.
• Various aspects of the refill/recharge pack 10 may also depend on the configuration of the aerosol provision device 20 (or vice versa).
• the aerosol provision device 20 is inserted with the distal end 20c protruding from the receptacle 11 (or otherwise arranged near the opening of the receptacle 11).
• the inlet to the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 (comprising the reservoir refill mechanism 28) is closer to the engagement mechanism 17 than the aerosol generator 26.
• the aerosol generator 26 is closer to the top surface than the reservoir refill mechanism 28.
• the refill/recharge pack 10 and/or aerosol provision device 20 may be configured differently.
• the reservoir 24 may be provided with an air release valve.
• the engagement mechanism 17 acts dually to function as a mechanism for refilling the reservoir 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 and as a mechanism for recharging the battery 22 of the aerosol provision device 20.
• the engagement mechanism 17 may be configured to perform only one of these functions, with the other function being implemented using different components and/or a second engagement mechanism.
• the lid 10b is capable of moving between a closed position in which the opening of the receptacle 11 is obscured by the lid 10b, and an open position in which the opening of the receptacle 11 is exposed and an aerosol provision device 20 is able to be inserted therein.
• Cigarette packs often comprise a lid, and thus providing lid 10b on the refill/recharge pack 10 provides increased familiarity to users transitioning to non-combustible aerosol provision systems.
• the overall length dimension of the refill/recharge pack 10 includes the extent of the lid 10b in the longitudinal direction.
• a system including: aerosol provision means (including aerosol provision device 20) comprising aerosol-generating material storage means (including reservoir 24) for storing an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision means arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage means; refilling means (including refill/recharge pack 10) comprising transfer means (including transfer mechanism 15) for transferring aerosol-generating material from the refilling means to the aerosol-generating material storage means when the aerosol provision means is coupled to the refilling means, wherein the transfer means is configured to operate in a forward direction to transfer aerosol-generating material from the refilling means to the aerosol-generating material storage means of the aerosol provision means, the transfer means is configured to operate in a reverse direction to transfer aerosol-generating material from the aerosol-generating material storage means of the aerosol provision means to the refilling means, and during a refilling operation, the refilling means is configured to operate, at different times, the transfer means in the forward direction and the reverse
• an aerosol provision device comprising an aerosol-generating material storage portion for storing an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision device arranged to aerosolise aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage portion; a refilling device comprising a transfer mechanism for transferring aerosol-generating material from the refilling device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion when the aerosol provision device is coupled to the refilling device.
• the transfer mechanism is configured to operate in a forward direction to transfer aerosol-generating material from the refilling device to the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device.
• the transfer mechanism is configured to operate in a reverse direction to transfer aerosol-generating material from the aerosol-generating material storage portion of the aerosol provision device to the refilling device.

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• 2024
  • 2024-03-25 EP EP24165943.2A patent/EP4623720A1/de active Pending
• 2025
  • 2025-03-19 WO PCT/GB2025/050566 patent/WO2025202609A1/en active Pending

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