Inhalator and cartridge thereof
In one aspect, apparatus is provided for generating an inhalable medium. The apparatus has a container for holding a liquid and a heater for volatilizing liquid held in the container. The apparatus further has a chamber for receiving a material. The apparatus has an outlet. In use liquid volatilized by the heater passes, in the form of at least one of a vapor and an aerosol, through material received in the chamber to thereby entrain one or more constituents from the material to produce the inhalable medium which passes out of the outlet.
1. Apparatus for generating an inhalable medium, the apparatus comprising:
a container for holding a liquid;
a wick for drawing the liquid from the container;
a heater for volatilizing the liquid drawn into the wick from the container;
a chamber for receiving a material; and
an outlet;
wherein, in use, liquid volatilized by the heater passes, in the form of at least one of a vapor or an aerosol, through the material received in the chamber to thereby entrain one or more constituents from the material to produce the inhalable medium which passes out of the outlet, and wherein the wick is a cotton material.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heater for volatilizing the liquid drawn into the wick from the container is arranged to vaporize the liquid.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2 , comprising a cooler or cooling zone downstream of the heater and upstream of the chamber, the cooler or cooling zone being arranged to cool vaporized liquid to form an aerosol of liquid droplets which in use passes through the material received in the chamber.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heater for volatilizing the liquid drawn into the wick from the container is arranged to heat the liquid to form an aerosol.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a second heater for heating the material received in the chamber.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber is removable from the apparatus.
7. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber is non-removable from the apparatus.
8. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid container is removable.
9. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid container and the chamber are an integral unit.
10. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber contains the material, the material being in solid form.
11. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the material is or comprises tobacco.
12. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the container contains a flavorant and the liquid, the liquid comprising at least one of nicotine or glycerol.
13. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of: the apparatus is battery-operated, or the or each heater is an electrically resistive heater.
14. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cotton material is a non-woven cotton material.
15. A method of generating an inhalable medium using an apparatus comprising a container holding a liquid, a wick for drawing the liquid from the container, the wick being a cotton material, a heater for volatilizing the liquid drawn into the wick from the container, a material, and an outlet, the method comprising:
volatilizing the liquid drawn into the wick from the container;
entraining one or more constituents from the material in at least one of a vapor or an aerosol formed by the volatilized liquid by passing the at least one of a vapor or an aerosol through the material to generate the inhalable medium; and
passing the inhalable medium out of the outlet.
16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the cotton material is a non-woven cotton material.
17. A cartridge for use with an apparatus for generating an inhalable medium, the cartridge comprising:
a container for holding a liquid;
a wick for drawing the liquid from the container for volatilizing by a heater in use; and
a receptacle for receiving a solid material;
the cartridge being arranged such that volatilized liquid exiting the container can flow, in the form of at least one of a vapor or an aerosol, through the solid material received by the receptacle in use,
wherein the wick is a cotton material.
18. A cartridge according to claim 17 , comprising at least one of: a heater associated with the container for volatilizing the liquid in use, or a heater associated with the receptacle for heating a solid material received by the receptacle in use.
19. A cartridge according to claim 17 , wherein the container has one or more apertures to allow volatilized liquid to exit the container.
20. A cartridge according to claim 17 , wherein the receptacle contains the solid material.
21. A cartridge according to claim 20 , wherein the material is or comprises tobacco.
22. A cartridge according to claim 17 , wherein the receptacle comprises a chamber.
23. A cartridge according to claim 17 , wherein the cotton material is a non-woven cotton material.