Granted Patent B2

US 12,702,161 · App. 17/600,290 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Inventor: Patrick Moloney (London, GB)

Assignee: NICOVENTURES TRADING LIMITED

A24F40/30A24F40/20A24F40/42A24F40/46A24F40/465A24F40/57

Abstract

Claims (52)

1 . An aerosol provision system comprising:

an aerosol generating medium;

a source of energy for heating, wherein the source of energy for heating is configured to cause heating of the aerosol generating medium in a heating zone;

a movement mechanism arranged to move the aerosol generating medium;

an aerosol outlet through which an aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user; and

a flow path arranged between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet such that aerosol formed from heated aerosol generating medium flows along the flow path,

wherein the aerosol generating medium is translatable past the source of energy for heating, into the heating zone, such that respective portions of aerosol generating medium are individually presented to the source of energy for heating to form an aerosol;

wherein the aerosol generating medium is arranged to move along a line that is at an angle to the flow path of generated aerosol; and

wherein the movement mechanism is arranged to present a first portion of aerosol generating medium to the source of energy for heating for a first period of time and present a second portion of aerosol generating medium to the source of energy for heating for a second period of time, wherein the first period of time is different to the second period of time.

2 . The aerosol provision system of claim 1 , wherein the motion of the aerosol generating medium enabled by the movement mechanism is along an axis that is across the flow path.

3 . The aerosol provision system of claim 1 , wherein the movement mechanism is arranged to enable indexed motion with at least one of fixed or varied distances per index or fixed or varied time intervals per index.

4 . The aerosol provision system of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol generating medium, when connected to the movement mechanism, takes any of the shapes of:

a ring;

a flattened elongate bar; and

a U-shape.

5 . The aerosol provision system of claim 1 , wherein the movement mechanism is configured to move respective portions into the heating zone such that adjacent portions of aerosol generating medium are moved into the heating zone in turn.

6 . The aerosol provision system of claim 1 , wherein a first power level of the source of energy for heating for heating one portion of aerosol generating medium when presented to the source of energy for heating is different to a second power level of the source of energy for heating for heating a different portion of aerosol generating medium when presented to the source of energy for heating.

7 . The aerosol provision system of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol generating medium is translatable past the source of energy for heating, into the heating zone, such that portions of aerosol generating medium are individually presented to the source of energy for heating to form an aerosol.

8 . The aerosol provision system of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol generating medium is planar and has a normal axis which is substantially parallel to the axis of the aerosol outlet.

9 . A method of generating an aerosol in an aerosol provision system, comprising:

providing an aerosol generating medium;

providing a source of energy for heating;

providing a movement mechanism;

providing an aerosol outlet through which an aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user;

individually moving portions of the aerosol generating medium by the movement mechanism past the source of energy for heating into a heating zone by translation,

heating a first portion of the portions of aerosol generating medium presented to the source of energy for heating in the heating zone to form an aerosol;

wherein the aerosol generating medium is arranged along a line that is at an angle to a flow path of generated aerosol, the flow path arranged between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet; and

wherein the method comprises the movement mechanism presenting a first portion of aerosol generating medium to the source of energy for heating for a first period of time and presenting a second portion of aerosol generating medium to the source of energy for heating for a second period of time, wherein the first period of time is different to the second period of time.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein individually moving the portions of the aerosol generating medium by the movement mechanism past the source of energy for heating into a heating zone involves presenting the portions of the aerosol generating medium to the source of energy for heating not in sequential order.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising heating one portion of the portions of the aerosol generating medium when presented to the source of energy for heating in the heating zone at a first power level that is different to a second power level for heating a different portion of the portions of the aerosol generating medium when presented to the source of energy for heating in the heating zone.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein moving the portions of the aerosol generating medium by the movement mechanism past the source of energy for heating into the heating zone comprises moving the portions by indexed motion past the source of energy for heating into the heating zone.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein moving the portions by indexed motion past the source of energy for heating into the heating zone comprises linearly indexing the portions of the aerosol generating medium past the source of energy for heating into the heating zone.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein individually moving the portions of the aerosol generating medium by the movement mechanism past the source of energy for heating into the heating zone by translation comprises individually moving the portions of the aerosol generating medium by the movement mechanism past the source of energy for heating into the heating zone by linear translation.

15 . An aerosol provision device configured to receive aerosol generating medium, comprising:

a source of energy for heating, wherein the source of energy for heating is configured to cause, in use, heating of the aerosol generating medium in a heating zone;

a movement mechanism arranged to, in use, move the aerosol generating medium;

an aerosol outlet through which, in use, an aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user; and

a flow path arranged between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet such that, in use, aerosol formed from heated aerosol generating medium flows along the flow path,

wherein the aerosol generating medium is translatable past the source of energy for heating, into the heating zone, such that respective portions of the aerosol generating medium are individually presented to the source of energy for heating to form an aerosol,

wherein the movement mechanism is arranged, in use, to move the aerosol generating medium along a line that is at an angle to the flow path of generated aerosol; and

wherein the movement mechanism is arranged to present a first portion of aerosol generating medium to the source of energy for heating for a first period of time and present a second portion of aerosol generating medium to the source of energy for heating for a second period of time, wherein the first period of time is different to the second period of time.

16 . Aerosol provision means comprising:

aerosol generating means; and

heating means, wherein the heating means is configured to heat the aerosol generating means to form an aerosol;

movement provision means arranged to move the aerosol generating means;

a heating zone into which the aerosol generating means are moved by the movement provision means to form an aerosol an aerosol outlet means through which an aerosol can flow to be inhaled by a user; and

a flow path arranged between the heating zone and the aerosol outlet means such that aerosol formed from heated aerosol generating means flows along the flow path;

wherein the aerosol generating means are linearly translatable past the heating means, into the heating zone, such that respective portions of aerosol generating means are individually presented to the heating means to form an aerosol;

wherein the aerosol generating means are arranged to move along a line that is at an angle to the flow path of generated aerosol; and

wherein the movement mechanism is arranged to present a first portion of aerosol generating medium to the source of energy for heating for a first period of time and present a second portion of aerosol generating medium to the source of energy for heating for a second period of time, wherein the first period of time is different to the second period of time.

17 . The aerosol provision system of claim 1 , wherein the heating zone is arranged substantially between the aerosol outlet and the source of energy for heating.

18 . The aerosol provision system according to claim 1 , wherein the movement mechanism comprises an indexing system arranged to enable indexed motion of the aerosol generating medium.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (69)