Heated aerosol-generating device and method for generating aerosol with consistent properties
A method of controlling an aerosol-generating device including a heater, the method including, over a period of more than 30 seconds, and independent of whether a user is puffing on the device or not: heating the heater to a first temperature, then heating the heater to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, and then heating the heater to a third temperature higher than the second temperature. There is also provided an aerosol-generating device including a heater and a controller; and there is also provided a system including the aerosol-generating device.
1. A method of controlling an aerosol-generating device comprising a heater, the method comprising, over a period of more than 30 seconds:
heating the heater to a first temperature; then
heating the heater to a second temperature lower than the first temperature independent of whether a user is puffing on the device or not; and then
heating the heater to a third temperature higher than the second temperature independent of whether a user is puffing on the device or not.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heater heats a solid aerosol-forming substrate.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heater continuously heats the solid aerosol-forming substrate during implementation of the method so as to continuously generate an aerosol independent of whether the user is puffing on the device or not.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein heating the heater to the first, second, and third temperatures during implementation of the method introduces a time-modulated thermal gradient to the solid aerosol-forming substrate.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heater comprises an internal heating element disposed within the solid aerosol-forming substrate.
6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heater comprises an external heating element disposed outside of the solid aerosol-forming substrate.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises a resistive heater.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises more than one heating element, each of the heating elements being controlled to have a different heating profile.
9. A method of controlling an aerosol-generating device comprising a heater, the method comprising, over a period of more than 30 seconds:
heating the heater to a first temperature; and then
heating the heater to a second temperature lower than the first temperature independent of whether a user is puffing on the device or not.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the heater heats a solid aerosol-forming substrate, and wherein the heater comprises an external heating element disposed outside of the solid aerosol-forming substrate.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising heating the heater to at least one additional temperature.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the heater comprises more than one heating element.
13. A method of controlling an aerosol-generating device comprising a heater, the method comprising, over a period of more than 30 seconds:
heating the heater to a first temperature; and then
heating the heater to a second temperature higher than the first temperature independent of whether a user is puffing on the device or not.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the heater heats a solid aerosol-forming substrate, and wherein the heater comprises an external heating element disposed outside of the solid aerosol-forming substrate.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising heating the heater to at least one additional temperature.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the heater comprises more than one heating element.
17. An aerosol-generating device comprising a heater and a controller, the controller configured to perform operations comprising, over a period of more than 30 seconds:
heating the heater to a first temperature; then
heating the heater to a second temperature lower than the first temperature independent of whether a user is puffing on the device or not; and then
heating the heater to a third temperature higher than the second temperature independent of whether a user is puffing on the device or not.
18. A system comprising the device of claim 17 and a solid aerosol-forming substrate heated by the heater.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the heater continuously heats the solid aerosol-forming substrate during implementation of the operations so as to continuously generate an aerosol independent of whether the user is puffing on the device or not.
20. The system of claim 18 , wherein heating the heater to the first, second, and third temperatures during implementation of the operations introduces a time-modulated thermal gradient to the solid aerosol-forming substrate.
21. The system of claim 18 , wherein the heater comprises an internal heating element disposed within the solid aerosol-forming substrate.
22. The system of claim 18 , wherein the heater comprises an external heating element disposed outside of the solid aerosol-forming substrate.
23. The device of claim 17 , wherein the heater comprises a resistive heater.
24. The device of claim 17 , wherein the heater comprises more than one heating element, and wherein the controller is configured to control each of the heating elements to have a different heating profile.
25. An aerosol-generating device comprising a heater and a controller, the controller configured to implement operations comprising, over a period of more than 30 seconds:
heating the heater to a first temperature; and then
heating the heater to a second temperature lower than the first temperature independent of whether a user is puffing on the device or not.
26. A system comprising the device of claim 25 and a solid aerosol-forming substrate heated by the heater, wherein the heater comprises an external heating element disposed outside of the solid aerosol-forming substrate.
27. The device of claim 25 , wherein the controller is configured to control heating of the heater to at least one additional temperature.
28. The device of claim 25 , wherein the heater comprises more than one heating element.
29. An aerosol-generating device comprising a heater and a controller, the controller configured to implement operations comprising, over a period of more than 30 seconds:
heating the heater to a first temperature; and then
heating the heater to a second temperature higher than the first temperature independent of whether a user is puffing on the device or not.
30. A system comprising the device of claim 29 and a solid aerosol-forming substrate heated by the heater, wherein the heater comprises an external heating element disposed outside of the solid aerosol-forming substrate.
31. The device of claim 29 , wherein the controller is configured to control heating of the heater to at least one additional temperature.
32. The device of claim 29 , wherein the heater comprises more than one heating element.