AEROSOL GENERATING SYSTEM WITH IMPROVED AEROSOL PRODUCTION

• US 20140299141A1
• Filed: 10/25/2012
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris Products SA (Philip Morris Limited)
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris Products SA (Philip Morris Limited)
• Inventors: FLICK, Jean-Marc
• Granted Patent: US 9,949,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/329
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0202 Switches

Abstract

There is provided a method of controlling aerosol production in an aerosol-generating device, the device including an aerosol-forming substrate, a heater including at least one heating element for heating the aerosol-forming substrate, and a power source for providing power to the heating element, the method including determining the temperature of the heating element; and adjusting the power to the heating element to maintain the temperature of the heating element within a desired temperature range, wherein the desired temperature range is dynamically calculated based on a measured flow rate of gas through or past the device. By controlling the temperature of the heating element, an aerosol with consistent and desirable properties can be produced.

Claims

1. A method of controlling aerosol production in an electrically heated device, the device comprising:

a heater comprising at least one heating element; and

a power source for providing power to the at least one heating element,

the method comprising the steps of;

determining a temperature of the at least one heating element; and

adjusting the power to the at least one heating element to maintain the temperature of the at least one heating element within a desired temperature range,

wherein the desired temperature range is dynamically calculated based on a measured flow rate of gas through or past the device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the desired temperature range is dependent on a composition of an aerosol-forming substrate received in the device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the power is performed only when the heating element has reached a specific temperature within the desired temperature range.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the power is performed only after specific time has elapsed following detection of a flow of gas through the device exceeding a predetermined threshold flow rate.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of cutting or reducing power to the heating element based on a calculated parameter related to flow rate following the step of adjusting.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of adjusting the power to the heating element comprises adjusting a frequency or a pulse width modulation of a pulsed power signal.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the desired temperature range consists of a single desired temperature.

11. Electric circuitry for an electrically heated smoking device, the device comprising:

at least one heating element for forming an aerosol from a substrate; and

a power supply for supplying power to the at least one heating element, the electric circuitry being arranged to perform the method of claim 1.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon which, when run on programmable electric circuitry for an electrically operated aerosol generating device, causes the programmable electric circuitry to perform the method of claim 1.

8. An electrically heated smoking device, the device comprising:

at least one heating element for forming an aerosol from a substrate;

a power supply for supplying power to the at least one heating element; and

electric circuitry for controlling supply of power from the power supply to the at least one heating element, wherein the electric circuitry is arranged to;

determine a temperature of the at least one heating element and adjust the power to the at least one heating element to maintain the temperature of the at least one heating element within a desired temperature range, wherein the desired temperature range is dynamically calculated based on a measured flow rate of gas through or past the device.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the device is configured to allow a flow of gas past the substrate and comprises a flow sensor for detecting the flow of gas past the substrate, and wherein the electric circuitry is arranged to control the supply of power to the at least one heating element based on an output of the flow sensor.

10. (canceled)

13. (canceled)