A consumable for use with an aerosol provision device

Abstract

A consumable for use with an aerosol provision device including a support, an aerosol generating material, and a substance to be delivered that may be caused to volatilize, in which the support supports the aerosol generating material, and the substance to be delivered volatilizes on heating of one or both of the support or the aerosol generating material.

1 . A consumable for use with an aerosol provision device, in which the consumable comprises a support, an aerosol generating material, and a substance to be delivered that may be caused to volatilize, in which the support supports the aerosol generating material, and the substance to be delivered volatilizes on heating of one or both of the support or the aerosol generating material. 
     
     
         2 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which the support comprises a sorbent material, and the sorbent material comprises the substance to be delivered. 
     
     
         3 . A consumable according to  claim 2  in which the substance to be delivered is located in one or more discrete zones of the sorbent material and not located outside of those discrete zones. 
     
     
         4 . A consumable according to  claim 2 or 3  in which the support is a laminate, the laminate comprises at least a first and second substrate, and at least one of the substrates is formed from a sorbent material. 
     
     
         5 . A consumable according to any of  claims 2 to 4  in which the sorbent material forms one or both of a first or second surface of the support. 
     
     
         6 . A consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 5  in which a surface of the support is formed from an impermeable material. 
     
     
         7 . A consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 6  in which a surface of the support is formed from a susceptor. 
     
     
         8 . A consumable according to  claim 7  in which the susceptor is a metal foil. 
     
     
         9 . A consumable according to any of  claims 2 to 8  in which the aerosol generating material is supported on a surface of the support that is a sorbent material. 
     
     
         10 . A consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 8  in which the aerosol generating material is supported on a surface of the support that is not a sorbent material. 
     
     
         11 . A consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 9  in which the support is formed from a sorbent material. 
     
     
         12 . A consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 11  in which the substance to be delivered is supported on a surface of the support. 
     
     
         13 . A consumable according to  claim 12  further comprising a sorbent material, in which the sorbent material comprises the substance to be delivered, and the sorbent material is supported on a surface of the support. 
     
     
         14 . A consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 13  in which the substance to be delivered is volatilized a period of time PS after commencement of heating the support or aerosol generating material, the aerosol generating material is configured to release aerosol a period of time PA after commencement of heating the support or aerosol generating material, and period PS is smaller than or equal to PA. 
     
     
         15 . A consumable according to  claim 14  in which period PS is smaller than PA. 
     
     
         16 . A consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 15  in which the temperature to which the substance to be delivered needs to be heated to cause the substance to be delivered to volatilize is lower than the temperature to which the aerosol generating material needs to be heated to generate an aerosol. 
     
     
         17 . A consumable according to  claim 3  or any of  claims 4 to 16  when dependent on  claim 3  in which at least one discrete zone has a shape and size, and the shape and size of the discrete zone is at least partially defined by sorbent material surrounding the discrete zone having a reduced capacity for sorption of the at least one substance into that sorbent material relative to the capacity for sorption of the at least one substance into the sorbent material in the discrete zone. 
     
     
         18 . A consumable according to  claim 17  in which the consumable comprises two or more discrete zones. 
     
     
         19 . A consumable according to  claim 18  in which at least two of the discrete zones comprise different substances to be delivered. 
     
     
         20 . A consumable according to  claim 3  or any of  claims 4 to 19  when dependent on  claim 3  in which the aerosol generating material is supported on the support in one or more discrete portions and at least one discrete zone is associated with each discrete portion of aerosol generating material. 
     
     
         21 . A consumable according to  claim 3  or any of  claims 4 to 20  when dependent on  claim 3  in which a discrete zone is on the same surface of the support as a discrete portion of the aerosol generating material and substantially surrounds that discrete portion of the aerosol generating material. 
     
     
         22 . A consumable according to  claim 3  or any of  claims 4 to 21  when dependent on  claim 3  in which a discrete portion of the aerosol generating material is on a first surface of the support, and a discrete zone is on a second surface of the support, and the discrete portion of the aerosol generating material and the discrete zone are in corresponding positions on their respective surfaces. 
     
     
         23 . A consumable according to  claim 22  in which the shapes of the discrete portion of the aerosol generating material and the discrete zone in the plane of the first and second surfaces of the support are substantially the same. 
     
     
         24 . A consumable according to  claim 22  in which the discrete portion of the aerosol generating material covers a first area on the surface of the support on which it is supported, the discrete zone covers a second area on the surface of the support on which it is supported, and one of the first and second areas is larger than the other of the first and second areas. 
     
     
         25 . A consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 24  in which the consumable further comprises one or more perforations extending at least between a first and second surface of the support. 
     
     
         26 . A consumable according to  claim 25  in which at least one perforation extends at least between one of the first or second surface of the support and a face of the consumable that is adjacent the other of the first or second surface of the support. 
     
     
         27 . A consumable according to  claim 25 or 26  in which at least one perforation extends between a face of the consumable that is adjacent the first surface of the support and a face of the consumable that is adjacent to the second face of the support. 
     
     
         28 . A consumable according to any of  claims 25 to 27  in which at least one of the perforations extends through the substance to be delivered. 
     
     
         29 . A consumable according to any of  claims 25 to 28  in which at least one of the perforations extends through the aerosol generating material. 
     
     
         30 . A consumable according to any of  claims 25 to 29  in which at least one of the perforations has a blind first end within the consumable, and the other end opens through a surface of one of the support, the substance to be delivered, the aerosol generating material or a surface of the consumable. 
     
     
         31 . A consumable according to any of  claims 25 to 30  in which the perforations are have a cross-sectional area of at least 0.01 mm 2 , at least 0.05 mm 2 , at least 0.1 mm 2 , at least 0.5 mm 2 , at least 1 mm 2 , at least 2 mm 2 , or at least 3 mm 2 . 
     
     
         32 . A consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 31  in which the at least one substance comprises a flavorant, an active substance, a mixture of flavorants, a mixture of active substances, a mixture of one or more flavorants and one or more active substances, one or more solvents, and/or one or more aerosol-generators or aerosol-former materials. 
     
     
         33 . A consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 32  in which the support is planar. 
     
     
         34 . A method of manufacturing a consumable for use with an aerosol provision device, in which the consumable comprises a support, an aerosol generating material, and a substance to be delivered that may be caused to volatize, in which the method comprises the steps of
 a) providing a support;   b) applying a slurry of the aerosol generating material to a surface of the consumable,   c) drying the applied aerosol generating material,   d) applying the substance to be delivered to a surface of the consumable.   
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 34  in which step (b) occurs any time after step (a), step (b) is followed by step (c), and step (d) occurs any time after step (c). 
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 34 or 35  including a step (e) comprising providing a sorbent material, step (e) occurs before step (d), and step (d) comprises applying the substance to be delivered to the sorbent material to form a sorbent material comprising the substance to be delivered and, if the support does not comprise the sorbent material, applying the sorbent material comprising the substance to be delivered to the consumable. 
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 36  in which step (e) comprises application of a paste to the consumable and subsequently drying that paste, the paste drying to form a sorbent material. 
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 36  in which step (e) comprises forming a desired shape of sorbent material, and fixing that shape of sorbent material to a desired position on the consumable. 
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 38  in which step (d) occurs before the sorbent material is fixed to the consumable. 
     
     
         40 . A method according to any of  claims 34 to 39  in which steps (b) and (c) are repeated one or more times before step (d). 
     
     
         41 . A method according to any of  claims 34 to 40  in which step (c) comprises the use of one or more of time, conducted heat, or radiant heat. 
     
     
         42 . A method according to any of  claims 34 to 41  in which the method comprises a further step (f) comprising providing a susceptor and fixing the susceptor to the support. 
     
     
         43 . A method according to  claim 42  in which step (f) occurs after step (a) and the susceptor is fixed to a first surface of the support, step (b) occurs after step (f), and the slurry of aerosol generating material is at least partially applied to a surface of the susceptor. 
     
     
         44 . A method according to any of  claims 34 to 43  in which the support is a sheet of material and the method further comprises a step (h) comprising cutting the support into two or more consumables. 
     
     
         45 . A method according to any of  claims 36 to 44  in which the method comprises a step (i) comprising perforating at least part of the consumable to form one or more perforations, and one or more of
 one or more those perforations extend at least between a first and second surface of the support, 
 one or more those perforations extend at least between one of the first or second surface of the support and the face of the consumable that is adjacent the other of the first or second surface of the support, 
 one or more those perforations extend between a face of the consumable that is adjacent the first surface of the support and the face of the consumable that is adjacent to the second face of the support, 
 one or more those perforations extend at least through the sorbent material, 
 one or more those perforations extend at least through the aerosol generating material, and 
 one or more those perforations extend have a blind first end within the consumable, and the other end opens through a surface of one of the support, the substance to be delivered, the aerosol generating material or a surface of the consumable. 
 
     
     
         46 . A method according to any of  claims 34 to 45  to form a consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 33 . 
     
     
         47 . An aerosol provision system comprising an aerosol provision device and a consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 33 . 
     
     
         48 . A method of generating aerosol from a consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 33  using an aerosol generating device with at least one heat source disposed to heat, but not burn, the consumable in use; wherein at least one heat source is a resistive heater element. 
     
     
         49 . A method of generating aerosol from a consumable according to any of  claims 1 to 33  using an aerosol generating device with at least one heat source disposed to heat, but not burn, the consumable in use; wherein at least one heat source is a magnetic field generator suitable for causing electrical eddy-currents in a susceptor. 
     
     
         50 . A method of generating aerosol according to  claim 48 or 49  in which the consumable comprises one or more discrete portions of aerosol generating material, and the or each heat source is configured to be able to heat one or more those discrete portions at a time.