Smoking substitute apparatus

Abstract

A smoking substitute apparatus comprising: a housing; an air inlet and an air outlet formed in the housing, wherein the air inlet is in fluid communication with the air outlet through an air flow passage; and a heater located in the air flow passage configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor. There is also provided a flow modifying device which extends across the air flow passage at a position between the air inlet and the heater. The flow modifying device is configured to incite a laminar property to the air flow to the heater.

1 . A smoking substitute apparatus comprising:
 a housing;   an air inlet and an air outlet formed in the housing, wherein the air inlet is in fluid communication with the air outlet through an air flow passage;   an aerosol generator located in the air flow passage configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor; and   a flow modifying device extending across the air flow passage at a position between the air inlet and the aerosol generator, wherein the flow modifying device is configured to incite a laminar property to the air flow to the aerosol generator.   
     
     
         2 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow modifying device comprises a structure with an upstream face, a downstream face and a plurality of apertures through the structure between the upstream face and the downstream face. 
     
     
         3 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of apertures are of uniform size. 
     
     
         4 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of apertures are of non-uniform size. 
     
     
         5 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of apertures are arranged in a pattern and the size of the apertures varies from a center of the pattern towards an edge of the pattern. 
     
     
         6 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein a largest aperture, or largest apertures, of the pattern are located at the center of the pattern. 
     
     
         7 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein a largest aperture, or largest apertures, of the pattern are located at the edge of the pattern. 
     
     
         8 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of apertures are arranged in a uniform pattern. 
     
     
         9 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of apertures are arranged in a non-uniform pattern. 
     
     
         10 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of apertures have a size in a range from about 0.2 mm to about 0.7 mm. 
     
     
         11 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of apertures have a depth in a range from about 0.1 mm to about 10 mm. 
     
     
         12 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the structure is a woven mesh structure of strands with the apertures formed between the strands. 
     
     
         13 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the upstream face and the downstream face of the flow modifying device are substantially planar and orthogonal to the air flow passage. 
     
     
         14 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein at least the downstream face of the flow modifying device has a curved or domed shape. 
     
     
         15 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow modifying device comprises a channel at, or adjacent to, a lateral edge of the flow modifying device. 
     
     
         16 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the channel extends continuously around a periphery of the flow modifying device. 
     
     
         17 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow modifying device is formed of an electrically conductive material. 
     
     
         18 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the flow modifying device is heated. 
     
     
         19 . A smoking substitute apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the aerosol generator includes a heater operable to vaporize the aerosol precursor. 
     
     
         20 . A smoking substitute system comprising:
 a main body; and   a smoking substitute apparatus comprising:
 a housing; 
 an air inlet and an air outlet formed in the housing, wherein the air inlet is in fluid communication with the air outlet through an air flow passage; 
 an aerosol generator located in the air flow passage configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor; and 
 a flow modifying device extending across the air flow passage at a position between the air inlet and the aerosol generator, wherein the flow modifying device is configured to incite a laminar property to the air flow to the aerosol generator.