Aerosol delivery system
There is disclosed an aerosol-generation apparatus having a heater and a fluid-transfer article, the fluid-transfer article including a first region holding an aerosol precursor and transferring said aerosol precursor to an activation surface of a second region of said article, the activation surface being disposed at an end of the article configured for thermal interaction with a heating surface of the heater. The activation surface has at least one channel therein and is configured such that, when the fluid transfer article is arranged with respect to the heating surface for thermal interaction therebetween, the channel(s) opposes the heating surface and opens towards said heating surface. The heater has a substrate forming the heating surface and at least one heating element on a part of that heating surface. The channel(s) opposes a part of the heating surface other than part of the heating surface on which the heating element is formed.
1 . An aerosol-generation apparatus comprising a heater and a fluid-transfer article, said fluid-transfer article having a first region, and a second region comprising an activation surface, the first region being for holding an aerosol precursor and for transferring said aerosol precursor to the activation surface, said activation surface being disposed and configured for thermal interaction with a heating surface of said heater;
said second region comprising at least one discontinuity in said activation surface to form a corresponding at least one channel between said second region and said heating surface and being configured such that, when the fluid transfer article is arranged with respect to said heating surface of the heater for thermal interaction therebetween, the or each channel opposes and opens towards said heating surface, and provides an air-flow pathway across said heating surface;
wherein the heater comprises a substrate defining said heating surface, and at least one heating element formed on a part of said heating surface; and
wherein said at least one channel opposes a further part of said heating surface other than said part of said heating surface on which the at least one heating element is formed, such that the at least one heating element is not aligned with any of the or each channel, but is aligned with a part or parts of the activation surface that projects towards the heater.
2 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said activation surface is configured such that the or each said discontinuity is spaced apart from said heating surface.
3 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the or each said channel is at least partly defined by a pair of spaced apart side walls, and an arcuate surface portion extending between said side walls to form a ceiling portion of said channel.
4 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said arcuate surface portion blends smoothly with each of said side walls, thereby eliminating a sharp corner therebetween.
5 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the or each channel is at least partially defined by a pair of spaced apart side walls and a flat surface portion, said flat surface portion extending between said side walls to form a ceiling portion of said channel.
6 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the or each channel is at least partially defined by a pair of side walls, said side walls being inclined relative to each other to meet at an apex portion of said channel.
7 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said side walls are substantially planar.
8 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least said second region is formed from a polymeric wicking material.
9 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said first and second regions are both formed from said polymeric wicking material.
10 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said polymeric wicking material is porous.
11 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said polymeric wicking material is configured such that a pore diameter in said first region is greater than a pore diameter in said second region.
12 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said polymeric wicking material is heat resistant.
13 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said polymeric wicking material is a hydrophilic material that is configured to transfer fluid from said first region to said second region.
14 . An aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said polymeric wicking material is of greater hydrophilicity in said second region than said first region.
15 . An aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol-generation apparatus according to claim 1 , and a carrier, the carrier having a housing containing said heater and said fluid-transfer article.
16 . An aerosol delivery system according to claim 15 , wherein said housing has an inlet and an outlet, said air-flow pathway extending to said inlet and said outlet.