AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE, AND METHOD OF SELECTING A CONSUMABLE USING THE AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE

• US 20180213847A1
• Filed: 01/31/2018
• Published: 08/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tony Reevell
• Inventors: REEVELL, Tony
• Granted Patent: US 11,311,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/20 Devices using solid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/30 Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/485 Valves; Apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/60 Devices with integrated user interfaces

Abstract

The aerosol-generating device includes a housing, a mouthpiece on an end of the housing, a first and second receiving chamber defined within the housing, where the first and second receiving chambers receive and accommodate a first and second consumable. A selection member is arrangeable in a first position and a second position, where the first position establishes a first airflow passageway that traverses through the first receiving chamber while circumventing the second receiving chamber, and the second position establishes a second airflow passageway that traverses through the second receiving chamber while circumventing the first receiving chamber. The method includes providing at least two consumables in a housing, establishing an airflow through a selected one of the at least two consumables while circumventing the airflow from passing through a non-selected one of the at least two consumables, and guiding the airflow to an outlet opening of a mouthpiece.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating device, comprising:

a device housing;

a mouthpiece on an end of the device housing;

a first receiving chamber defined within the device housing, the first receiving chamber configured to receive and accommodate a first consumable;

a second receiving chamber defined within the device housing, the second receiving chamber configured to receive and accommodate a second consumable;

a selection member arrangeable in a first position and a second position,

wherein in the first position the selection member establishes a first airflow passageway that traverses through the first receiving chamber while circumventing the second receiving chamber, and in the second position the selection member establishes a second airflow passageway that traverses through the second receiving chamber while circumventing the first receiving chamber.

2. The aerosol-generating device of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece mounts on the device housing and is configured to cover one of a first receiving opening of the first receiving chamber and a second receiving opening of the second receiving chamber.

3. The aerosol-generating device of claim 1, wherein the selection member is arranged to be in one of the mouthpiece and the device housing.

4. The aerosol-generating device of claim 1, wherein the selection member is one of a switch and a valve configured to be movable between the first position and the second position.

5. The aerosol-generating device of claim 1, wherein the selection member is integrated into the mouthpiece, and the mouthpiece defines an inlet opening that is alignable with either one of the first receiving chamber and the second receiving chamber to establish one of the first airflow passageway and the second airflow passageway.

6. The aerosol-generating device of claim 5, wherein the mouthpiece includes a bottom wall configured to close one of the first receiving opening and the second receiving opening.

7. The aerosol-generating device of claim 1, wherein the first receiving chamber and the second receiving chamber each include at least one of a heating element for heating the respective first or second consumable, and electrical contacts connectable to an external heating element for heating the respective first or second consumable.

8. The aerosol-generating device of claim 7, wherein the heating element is one of arranged in a receiving chamber wall of the respective first or second receiving chamber, and extends into the respective first or second receiving chamber.

9. The aerosol-generating device of claim 1, wherein the receiving chamber wall includes an aligning element for aligning the respective first or second consumable within the respective first or second receiving chamber.

10. The aerosol-generating device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one third receiving chamber defined within the device housing, the at least one third receiving chamber being configured to receive and accommodate at least a third consumable,

wherein the selection member is arrangeable in at least one third position, the at least one third position establishing a third airflow passageway that traverses through the at least one third receiving chamber while circumventing the first and second receiving chambers.

11. The aerosol-generating device of claim 1, wherein the first consumable is arranged in the first receiving chamber, and the second consumable is arranged in the second receiving chamber.

12. The aerosol-generating device of claim 11, wherein the first consumable includes an aerosol-forming liquid and the second consumable includes a solid tobacco material, the first receiving chamber including the heating element for heating the aerosol-forming liquid.

13. The aerosol-generating device of claim 10, wherein two or more of the first consumable, the second consumable and the at least one third consumable is arranged side-by side in the device housing, and the mouthpiece defines an inlet opening that is alignable with only one of the first consumable, the second consumable and the at least one third consumable.

14. A method for selecting use of a consumable of an aerosol-generating device, the method comprising:

providing at least two consumables in a housing of the aerosol-generating device;

establishing an airflow through a selected one of the at least two consumables, while circumventing the airflow from passing through a non-selected one of the at least two consumables; and

guiding the airflow from the selected one of the at least two consumables to an outlet opening of a mouthpiece.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the establishing of the airflow includes,

aligning an inlet opening of the mouthpiece with the selected one of the at least two consumables, and

blocking the airflow from passing through the non-selected one of the at least two consumables using a bottom wall portion of the mouthpiece.