System and method for testing a heating system

Abstract

A system for determining a resistivity of a heating system for an aerosol generating article, the system including: a receptacle configured to receive a plurality of elements, each element including a heating system to be tested; and a testing assembly including: a plurality of sensors, each sensor including at least a pair of electrical contacts configured to pass an electric current therethrough and being configured to obtain signals related to properties of the heating system of each of the plurality of elements, and a processor configured to receive the signals obtained by the sensors and determine a resistivity of the heating system of each of the plurality of elements, the sensors being biasedly held in the testing assembly.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A system for determining a resistivity of a heating system for an aerosol generating article, the system comprising:
 a receptacle configured to receive a plurality of elements, each element comprising a heating system to be tested; and   a testing assembly comprising:
 a plurality of sensor units, each sensor unit comprising at least a pair of electrical contacts configured to pass an electric current therethrough and being configured to obtain signals related to properties of the heating system of each of the plurality of elements, and 
 a processor configured to receive the signals obtained by the sensor units and determine a resistivity of the heating system of each of the plurality of elements, 
 wherein the sensor units are biasedly held in the testing assembly. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the signals related to properties of the heating system of each of the plurality of elements are obtained substantially simultaneously by the sensor units. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the testing assembly is configured to obtain the signals when the testing assembly is in a testing configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sensor units comprises at least an optical sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the signals obtained relate to at least one of current, voltage, or light. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the properties of the heating system tested relate to at least one of resistivity of the element, spatial location of the element, or physical condition of the element. 
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the determined resistivity is at least one of integrity of the heating system, conformity of the heating system to a predetermination condition, or functionality of the heating system. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the receptacle is a plate with a plurality of cavities, each cavity being configured to receive an element. 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the heating system of each element comprises a mesh foil. 
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the sensor units are held within channels of the testing assembly under their own weight. 
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 25 , wherein the sensor units are configured to be displaced from, or within, their respective channel. 
     
     
         27 . A method of determining a state of a heating system for an aerosol generating article, the method comprising:
 providing a system according to  claim 16 ;   populating the receptacle with a plurality of elements, each element comprising a heating system to be tested;   actuating the plurality of sensor units to obtain signals related to properties of the heating system of each of the plurality of elements; and   determining, with the processor, a resistivity of the heating system of each of the plurality of elements from the obtained signals.   
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising bringing the testing assembly into a testing configuration. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising removing the plurality of elements from the receptacle and repopulating the receptacle with a further plurality of elements.