IP Library Granted Patent US 12667135
Granted Patent B2
US 12667135 · App. 17/707,054 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Aerosol-generating system including a cartridge containing a gel and a device for heating the cartridge

Inventors: Gerard Zuber (Neuchatel, CH); Jean-Yves Vollmer (Neuchatel, CH)
Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
A24F40/42A24F40/30A24F40/465B05B1/24B05B9/0822B65D83/141B65D83/384B65D83/685H05B1/0227A24F40/10A24F40/20B05B7/1686H05B1/0247H05B2203/021
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12667135
App. No.
17/707,054
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An aerosol-generating system may include a device body and a cartridge configured to be removably inserted into or connected to the device body. The device body may include a power supply and an electrical heater connected to the power supply. The cartridge contains an aerosol-forming substrate in the form of a thermoreversible gel that is a solid at room temperature.

Claims (40)

1 . An aerosol-generating system comprising:

a device body including a power supply and a heater, the heater electrically connected to the power supply;

a cartridge containing an aerosol-forming substrate in an interior of a container, the cartridge configured to be removably inserted into or connected to the device body, the container defining at least two chambers;

a removable mouthpiece configured to engage the device body, the removable mouthpiece including,

at least two piercing elements, and

at least two aerosol passages configured to engage the at least two chambers; and

at least one air inlet at a junction of the device body and the removable mouthpiece, the at least one air inlet including an exterior opening at the junction of the device body and the removable mouthpiece, the exterior opening configured to receive external air from the junction of the device body and the removable mouthpiece and provide the external air to an interior of the removable mouthpiece.

2 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge includes a sealing element covering a mouthpiece end of the cartridge.

3 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least two piercing elements are configured to pierce the sealing element of the cartridge.

4 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 3 , wherein the mouthpiece is configured to pierce the sealing element with the at least two piercing elements in response to the mouthpiece engaging the device body.

5 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the container is configured to store a first substrate in a first chamber of the at least two chambers, and store a second substrate in a second chamber of the at least two chambers.

6 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 5 , wherein the first substrate is a first gel containing nicotine and an aerosol-former.

7 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 5 , wherein the second substrate is a second gel containing shredded tobacco leaves.

8 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the container includes a dividing wall separating the at least two chambers.

9 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 8 , wherein

the dividing wall defines a blind cavity;

the blind cavity is closed at a mouthpiece end, and the blind cavity is opened at a power supply end; and

the blind cavity is configured to receive the heater in response to the cartridge being inserted into the device body.

10 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 9 , wherein the blind cavity is defined by at least one liquid impermeable and aerosol impermeable wall, and the blind cavity is configured to isolate the heater from contents of the at least two chambers.

11 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein

the heater is configured to generate aerosol by providing heat to the aerosol-forming substrate; and

the heater is isolated from the generated aerosol.

12 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece includes at least two aerosol passages corresponding to the at least two chambers of the cartridge.

13 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece includes at least one particulate filter.

14 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece includes an airflow restrictor.

15 . A removable mouthpiece configured to engage a device body of an aerosol-generating system and a removable cartridge containing an aerosol-forming substrate in an interior of a container, the device body including a heater, the mouthpiece comprising:

at least two piercing elements configured to pierce a sealing element of the removable cartridge;

at least two aerosol passages configured to engage at least two chambers of the removable cartridge and receive aerosol generated by the heater from the aerosol-forming substrate; and

an aerosol-forming chamber configured to condense the generated aerosol,

wherein in response to the removable mouthpiece being engaged with the device body, the removable mouthpiece is configured such that there is at least one air inlet at a junction of the device body and the removable mouthpiece, and

the at least one air inlet includes an exterior opening at the junction of the device body and the removable mouthpiece, the exterior opening configured to receive external air from the junction of the device body and the removable mouthpiece and provide the external air to an interior of the aerosol-forming chamber.

16 . The removable mouthpiece of claim 15 , further comprising:

at least one particulate filter.

17 . The removable mouthpiece of claim 16 , wherein the at least one particulate filter is at least one of a low particulate filtration efficiency filter, and a very low particulate filtration efficiency filter.

18 . The removable mouthpiece of claim 16 , wherein

the at least one air inlet is configured to provide the external air to at least one airflow channel included in a wall of the removable cartridge.

19 . The removable mouthpiece of claim 18 , further comprising:

an airflow restrictor configured to mix the received external air with the generated aerosol.

20 . The removable mouthpiece of claim 16 , further comprising:

a mouthpiece tube configured to receive and hold the removable cartridge.