HEATING SMOKABLE MATERIAL

• US 20140182608A1
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Abramov, Oleg Jurievich, Egoyants, Petr Alexandrovich, Volobuev, Dmitry Mikhailovich, Fimin, Pavel Nikolaevich, Saleem, Fozia, Woodman, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,414,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/328
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/20 Devices using solid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/485 Valves; Apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0091 mechanically breath-triggered

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a heating chamber for heating smokable material, the apparatus being operable in a first configuration to allow a gaseous flow between an interior of the chamber and an exterior of the chamber and operable in a second configuration to prevent the gaseous flow by hermetic sealing of the chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a heating chamber configured to heat smokable material in the chamber, the apparatus being operable in a first configuration to allow a gaseous flow between an interior of the chamber and an exterior of the chamber and operable in a second configuration to prevent the gaseous flow by hermetically sealing the chamber.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a heater configured to heat the smokable material inside the chamber to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in the first configuration the at least one volatized smoke component is allowed to flow out of the heating chamber for inhalation and in the second configuration the at least one volatized smoke component is sealed inside the heating chamber.

4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus is configured to operate in the first configuration in response to an indication of a puff at a mouthpiece of the apparatus and configured to operate in the second configuration in response to an indication that the puff has ended.

5. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the heating chamber comprises an inlet which is open in the first configuration and hermetically sealed in the second configuration, the first configuration allowing gaseous flow through the inlet and the second configuration preventing gaseous flow through the inlet.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the inlet is configured to open in response to a force exerted on the inlet due to a gaseous flow caused by a user puffing at a mouthpiece.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the inlet is configured to hermetically seal in response to a lack of said force.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the inlet is configured to open in response to a signal from a puff sensor indicative of a puff and to hermetically seal in response to an end of the puff.

9. An apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the inlet comprises a one-way valve configured to allow a gaseous flow into the heating chamber in the first configuration and to prevent a gaseous flow out of the heating chamber.

10. An apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 9, wherein the inlet is provided in vacuum insulation which is configured to thermally insulate the heating chamber.

11. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, comprising an outlet which is open in the first configuration and hermetically sealed in the second configuration, the first configuration allowing gaseous flow through the outlet and the second configuration preventing gaseous flow through the outlet.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the outlet is configured to open in response to a force exerted on the outlet due to a gaseous flow caused by a user puffing at a mouthpiece.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the outlet is configured to hermetically seal in response to a lack of said force.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the outlet is configured to open in response to a signal from a puff sensor indicative of a puff and to hermetically seal in response to an end of the puff.

15. An apparatus according to any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the outlet comprises a one-way valve configured to allow a gaseous flow out of the heating chamber in the first configuration and to prevent a gaseous flow into the heating chamber.

16. An apparatus according to any of claims 11 to 15, wherein the outlet is provided in vacuum insulation which is configured to thermally insulate the heating chamber.

17. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus is configured to heat the smokable material without combusting the smokable material.

18. A method for heating smokable material in a heating chamber, comprising

operating in a first configuration of the chamber to allow a gaseous flow between an interior of the chamber and an exterior of the chamber;

and

operating in a second configuration of the chamber to prevent the gaseous flow by hermetically sealing the chamber.