Aerosol-generating device, and method of selecting a consumable using the aerosol-generating device

• US 11,311,047 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2018
• Issued: 04/26/2022
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reevell, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Yaary, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kessie, Jennifer A
• Application Number:
  US15/885,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20180213847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 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 a first end of the device housing, the mouthpiece defining an outlet opening;

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

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

at least one aligning element being configured to align the first consumable and the second consumable in a fixed orientation within the first receiving chamber and the second receiving chamber, respectively,

the mouthpiece including a wall defining an inlet opening that is in fluid communication with the outlet opening, the mouthpiece configured to be selectively arranged in at least a first position and a second position on the first end, the first position aligning the inlet opening with a first airflow passageway for directing an airflow in a first direction through the first receiving chamber while circumventing the second receiving chamber, the second position aligning the inlet opening with a second airflow passageway for directing the airflow in the first direction 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 first receiving chamber and the second receiving chamber each include at least one of an internal heating element for respectively heating the first consumable or the second consumable, and electrical contacts connectable to an external heating element for respectively heating the first consumable or the second consumable.

4. The aerosol-generating device of claim 3, wherein each of the internal heating element and the external heating element are one of:

arranged in a receiving chamber wall of the first receiving chamber, the second receiving chamber, or both the first receiving chamber and the second receiving chamber, or

arranged to extend into the first receiving chamber or the second receiving chamber.

5. The aerosol-generating device of claim 4, wherein the receiving chamber wall includes the at least one aligning element.

6. 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 mouthpiece is configured to be arranged in at least one third position, the at least one third position aligning the inlet opening with a third airflow passageway that traverses through the at least one third receiving chamber while circumventing the first receiving chamber and the second receiving chamber.

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

the first consumable arranged in the first receiving chamber, and

the second consumable arranged in the second receiving chamber.

8. The aerosol-generating device of claim 7, wherein the first consumable includes an aerosol-forming liquid and the second consumable includes a solid tobacco material, the first receiving chamber including a heating element for heating the aerosol-forming liquid.

9. The aerosol-generating device of claim 6, 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.

10. The aerosol-generating device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol-generating device defines an airflow inlet near the first end of the device housing, the airflow inlet being configured to allow the airflow to enter the aerosol-generating device in a second direction.

11. The aerosol-generating device of claim 10, wherein the second direction and the first direction are in substantially opposite directions.

12. The aerosol-generating device of claim 10, wherein the first position directs the airflow through the second receiving chamber in the second direction before being redirected through the first receiving chamber in the first direction, and the second position directs the airflow through the first receiving chamber in the second direction before being redirected through the second receiving chamber in the first direction.

13. The aerosol-generating device of claim 10, wherein the mouthpiece defines the airflow inlet.

14. The aerosol-generating device of claim 1, wherein the at least one aligning element includes:

a first aligning element configured to align the first consumable in the first receiving chamber, and

a second aligning element configured to align the second consumable in the second receiving chamber.

15. The aerosol-generating device of claim 1, wherein the at least one aligning element includes:

a first slit configured to align the first consumable in the first receiving chamber, the first slit being configured to allow a first portion of the first consumable to extend through the device housing once the first consumable is retained in the first receiving chamber, and

a second slit configured to align the second consumable in the second receiving chamber, the second slit being configured to allow a second portion of the second consumable to extend through the device housing once the second consumable is retained in the second receiving chamber.

16. The aerosol-generating device of claim 7, wherein the first consumable includes a first lug extending through the device housing once the first consumable is retained in the first receiving chamber, and the second consumable includes a second lug extending through the device housing once the second consumable retained in the second receiving chamber, the first lug and the second lug being configured to respectively allow the first consumable and the second consumable to be manually removed from the aerosol-generating device.

17. The aerosol-generating device of claim 1, wherein the first consumable and the second consumable are arranged side-by side in the device housing.

18. The aerosol-generating device of claim 12, wherein the second direction and the first direction are in substantially opposite directions.