Non-combustible electronic aerosol delivery system

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol delivery system, the article comprising a reservoir configured to hold a supply of aerosolizable material; wherein the reservoir comprises a reservoir housing having one or more internal boundary walls defining a first volume, wherein the article further comprises a spacer fully or partially located within the first volume of the reservoir housing, the spacer being configured to reduce the available fill volume of the reservoir, such that a second volume of the reservoir housing available for storing aerosolizable material is smaller than the first volume.

1 . An article for use with a non-combustible aerosol delivery system,
 the article comprising a reservoir configured to hold a supply of aerosolizable material;   wherein the reservoir comprises a reservoir housing having one or more internal boundary walls defining a first volume, and   wherein the article further comprises a spacer fully or partially located within the first volume of the reservoir housing, the spacer being configured to reduce an available fill volume of the reservoir, such that a second volume of the reservoir housing available for storing aerosolizable material is smaller than the first volume.   
     
     
         2 . The article according to  claim 1 , wherein the article further comprises an aerosol generating component. 
     
     
         3 . The article according to  claim 2 , wherein the aerosol generating component is not located within the reservoir. 
     
     
         4 . The article according to  claim 1 , configured such that the spacer cannot be removed from the article without damaging the article. 
     
     
         5 . The article according to  claim 4 , wherein configuring the article such that the user cannot remove the spacer without causing damage to the article comprises locating the spacer within the reservoir housing during manufacture of the reservoir housing. 
     
     
         6 . The article according to  claim 1 , wherein the reservoir housing is configured with an aperture via which the spacer can be introduced to the reservoir housing, and wherein the aperture is configured to be non-reversibly sealed following the introduction of the spacer such that the spacer cannot be removed from the reservoir via the aperture. 
     
     
         7 . The article according to  claim 6 , wherein the aperture is sealed via a process selected from the set consisting of welding, adhesive bonding and mechanical fastening. 
     
     
         8 . The article according to  claim 6 , wherein the aperture comprises a one-way valve which permits the spacer to be introduced into the reservoir but prevents the spacer being removed from the reservoir. 
     
     
         9 . The article according to  claim 1 , wherein assembling the reservoir housing comprises joining together a plurality of reservoir housing portions via one or more assembly steps to form the reservoir housing, and wherein the spacer is incorporated into the internal volume of the reservoir housing during assembly of the reservoir. 
     
     
         10 . The article according to  claim 9 , wherein the reservoir housing portions are joined together via processes selected from the set consisting of welding, adhesive bonding, solvent bonding, and mechanical fastening. 
     
     
         11 . The article according to  claim 1 , wherein the spacer is configured to be attached to one or more internal boundary walls of the reservoir housing. 
     
     
         12 . The article according to  claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of an external surface of the spacer is configured to interact mechanically with at least a portion of one or more of the internal walls of the reservoir housing so as to retain the spacer in a fixed position relative to the reservoir. 
     
     
         13 . The article according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the spacer and the reservoir housing is formed of a resilient material, such that at least one of the topology of one or more portions of the outer surface of the spacer and the topology of one or more portions of the internal walls of the reservoir deform when the spacer is introduced to the reservoir, such that a portion of the outer surface of the spacer and a portion of one or more of the boundary walls of the reservoir are biased into contact with one another when the spacer is located within the reservoir housing. 
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 12 , wherein the spacer comprises at least one latching feature configured to engage mechanically with at least one cooperating latching feature on a boundary wall of the reservoir when the spacer is located within the reservoir housing. 
     
     
         15 . The article of  claim 14 , wherein the latching feature comprises a tab, groove or depression formed in the spacer. 
     
     
         16 . The article according to  claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of an external surface of the spacer is configured to be bonded to at least a portion of one or more of the boundary walls of the reservoir. 
     
     
         17 . The article according to  claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of an external surface of the spacer is configured to be bonded to at least a portion of one or more of the boundary walls of the reservoir, using a process selected from the set consisting of an adhesive bonding process, a welding process, or a solvent bonding process. 
     
     
         18 . The article according to  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the reservoir is formed via a molding process, and wherein the spacer is introduced to the mold before or during the molding process such that a portion of the reservoir housing is formed around the spacer. 
     
     
         19 . The article according to  claim 1 , wherein the spacer engages with the internal walls of the reservoir housing so as to partition the first volume into two partitioned volumes, such that aerosolizable material introduced to a first one of the two partitioned volumes is substantially prevented from passing into the second one of the two partitioned volumes, and wherein the article is configured such that the volume of the first one of the two partitioned volumes is smaller than the first volume. 
     
     
         20 . The article according to  claim 1 , wherein the spacer comprises a liquid. 
     
     
         21 . The article according to  claim 1 , wherein the spacer comprises a plurality of granules, particles or beads. 
     
     
         22 . The article according to  claim 20 , wherein the spacer is immiscible with an aerosolizable material to be stored in the reservoir. 
     
     
         23 . The article according to  claim 20 , wherein the liquid changes state to form a gel or solid following introduction to the reservoir housing. 
     
     
         24 . A spacer for use with an non-combustible aerosol delivery system comprising a reservoir configured to hold a supply of aerosolizable material, wherein the reservoir comprises a reservoir housing having one or more internal boundary walls defining a first volume,
 wherein the spacer is configured to be fully or partially located within the first volume of the reservoir housing; and   wherein the spacer is configured to occupy a portion of the first volume of the reservoir housing, such that a second volume of the reservoir housing not occupied by the spacer is smaller than the first volume.