Smoking substitute component
Disclosed is an aerosol-delivery component for an aerosol-generating system (e.g., a smoking substitute system), said component comprising a tank for storing an aerosol precursor and a vaporization chamber housing a vaporizer. The tank being is in fluid communication with the vaporizer. The component further comprises a channel extending from the vaporization chamber to the tank defining an unimpeded air flow pathway from the vaporization chamber into the tank.
1 . An aerosol-delivery component for an aerosol-generating system, said aerosol-delivery component comprising:
a tank for storing an aerosol precursor;
a vaporization chamber housing a vaporizer comprising a cylindrical wick having a first diameter, the tank being in fluid communication with the vaporizer,
wherein the cylindrical wick extends between first and second opposing chamber walls of an insert at least partially formed of silicone defining the vaporization chamber, the first and second opposing chamber walls each comprising a respective aperture through which a respective end of the cylindrical wick projects such that the cylindrical wick is in fluid communication with aerosol precursor in the tank, and
wherein the aerosol-delivery component further comprises a channel extending from the vaporization chamber to the tank defining an unimpeded air flow channel pathway from the vaporization chamber into the tank, wherein the cylindrical wick partially defines the channel and the channel comprises a semi-cylindrical profile having a second diameter which is less than the first diameter of the cylindrical wick such that the unimpeded air flow channel pathway cannot be impeded by the cylindrical wick.
2 . The aerosol-delivery component according to claim 1 wherein the channel extends between a channel inlet and a channel outlet and the channel is unimpeded between the channel inlet and the channel outlet.
3 . The aerosol-delivery component according to claim 1 wherein the channel is a transverse channel.
4 . The aerosol-delivery component according to claim 1 wherein the component comprises an airflow path extending from an air inlet to an air outlet, the airflow path comprising an inlet portion extending from the air inlet to the vaporization chamber wherein the channel extends substantially perpendicularly to the inlet portion of the airflow path.
5 . The aerosol-delivery component according to claim 4 wherein the airflow path comprises an outlet portion extending to the air outlet within a passage and wherein the channel extends substantially perpendicularly to the passage.
6 . The aerosol-delivery component according to claim 1 wherein the channel extends substantially parallel to the cylindrical wick.
7 . The aerosol-delivery component according to claim 6 wherein the channel is vertically/axially adjacent to one of the respective apertures in the first and second opposing chamber walls, in a downstream direction from the cylindrical wick.
8 . The aerosol-delivery component according to claim 6 wherein the channel extends through the insert to the tank.
9 . The aerosol-delivery component according to claim 8 wherein the insert comprises a lower portion and an upper portion and the channel is defined between a lower surface of the upper portion and the cylindrical wick.
10 . The aerosol-delivery component according to claim 9 wherein an upper wall is defined by the upper portion of the insert, the upper wall having the semi-cylindrical profile.
11 . The aerosol-delivery component according to claim 10 wherein the second diameter of the semi-cylindrical profile is between 3-7 mm.
12 . The aerosol-delivery component according to claim 9 wherein the upper portion of the insert comprises at least one longitudinally-extending groove on a surface facing the tank and wherein the channel opens into the longitudinally-extending groove.
13 . The aerosol-delivery component according to claim 1 which is a consumable component for receipt in a smoking substitute device.
14 . An aerosol-delivery system comprising the aerosol-delivery component according to claim 1 and a device comprising a power source.