Improved cartridge and aerosol-generating system

Abstract

Aerosol-generating system ( 1000 ) comprising an aerosol-generating device ( 1100 ) comprising a heating element ( 1102 ), and a cartridge ( 1200 ) comprising a housing ( 1202 ), a wicking element ( 1204 ), and a biasing means ( 1206 ). The cartridge is engageable with, and disengageable from, the device. When the cartridge is not engaged with the device, the wicking element is in a disengaged wicking element position and is not in contact with the heating element. When the cartridge is engaged with the device, the wicking element is in an engaged wicking element position, different to the disengaged wicking element position relative to the housing, and is in contact with the heating element, and the biasing means biases the wicking element towards the disengaged wicking element position such that the wicking element applies a force to the heating element in a force direction non-parallel with the engagement direction.

1 . An aerosol-generating system comprising:
 an aerosol-generating device comprising a heating element; and   a cartridge comprising a housing, a wicking element, and a biasing means,   wherein the cartridge is engageable with, and disengageable from, the device by movement of the cartridge relative to the device in an engagement direction,   and wherein:   when the cartridge is not engaged with the device, the wicking element is in a disengaged wicking element position in which the wicking element is not in contact with the heating element; and   when the cartridge is engaged with the device, the wicking element is in an engaged wicking element position, different to the disengaged wicking element position relative to the housing, in which the wicking element is in contact with the heating element and the biasing means biases the wicking element towards the disengaged wicking element position such that the wicking element applies a force to the heating element in a force direction which is non-parallel with the engagement direction, the force being a total resultant force applied by the wicking element to the heating element,   wherein the wicking element comprises a mesh.   
     
     
         2 . An aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating element comprises an outer heating surface and the wicking element comprises an outer contact surface, and wherein, when the cartridge is engaged with the device, the outer heating surface of the heating element abuts the outer contact surface of the wicking element. 
     
     
         3 . An aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein the force direction is substantially perpendicular to the engagement direction. 
     
     
         4 . An aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein, when the cartridge is engaged with the device, the force applied to the heating element by the wicking element is greater than 0.1 Newtons. 
     
     
         5 . An aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating element is an elongate heating element having a length extending in a heating element direction and the force direction is non-parallel with the heating element direction. 
     
     
         6 . An aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating element comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being configured to be heated to a higher temperature than the second portion, and wherein, when the cartridge is engaged with the device, the wicking element is in contact with the second portion of the heating element. 
     
     
         7 . A cartridge for use with an aerosol-generating device having a heating element, the cartridge comprising a wicking element, a housing, and a biasing means,
 wherein the wicking element is moveable relative to the housing between a disengaged wicking element position and an engaged wicking element position,   and wherein, when the wicking element is in the engaged wicking element position, the biasing means biases the wicking element towards the disengaged wicking element position,   wherein the cartridge is configured to engage with, and disengage from, the aerosol-generating device by movement of the cartridge relative to the device in an engagement direction,   and wherein the cartridge is configured such that:   when the cartridge is not engaged with the device, the wicking element is in the disengaged wicking element position and is not in contact with the heating element; and   when the cartridge is engaged with the device, the wicking element is in the engaged wicking element position and is in contact with the heating element, and the biasing means biases the wicking element towards the disengaged wicking element position such that the wicking element applies a force to the heating element in a force direction which is non-parallel with the engagement direction, the force being a total resultant force applied by the wicking element to the heating element,   wherein the wicking element comprises a mesh.   
     
     
         8 . A cartridge according to  claim 7 , wherein the cartridge comprises a counter element configured to contact the heating element and apply a counterforce to the heating element in a counterforce direction. 
     
     
         9 . A cartridge according to  claim 8 , wherein the counter element is a second wicking element. 
     
     
         10 . A cartridge according to  claim 8 , wherein the wicking element comprises a wicking element contact portion and the counter element comprises a counter element contact portion, and:
 when the wicking element is in the engaged wicking element position, the wicking element contact portion and the counter element contact portion are in contact with the heating element, and   when the wicking element is in the disengaged wicking element position, the wicking element contact portion and the counter element contact portion are in contact or are separated by a distance of less than 3 millimetres.   
     
     
         11 . A cartridge according to  claim 7 , wherein the wicking element comprises a wicking element contact portion configured to contact the heating element when the wicking element is in the engaged wicking element position, and a curved, outer portion adjacent to the wicking element contact portion, and
 wherein the curved, outer portion curves away from the engagement direction as the curved, outer portion extends in one or both of the engagement direction and a direction opposite to the engagement direction.   
     
     
         12 . A cartridge according to  claim 7 , wherein the mesh comprises a plurality of wires defining a plurality of apertures, each of the plurality of wires having a thickness of between 10 and 200 microns. 
     
     
         13 . A cartridge according to  claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of apertures has a dimension less than three times the thickness of each of the plurality of wires. 
     
     
         14 . A cartridge according to  claim 7 , wherein the wicking element provides the biasing means such that, when the wicking element is in the engaged wicking element position, the wicking element is elastically deformed and resilience of the wicking element biases the wicking element towards the disengaged wicking element position. 
     
     
         15 . An aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein the cartridge comprises a counter element configured to contact the heating element and apply a counterforce to the heating element in a counterforce direction. 
     
     
         16 . An aerosol-generating system according to  claim 15 , wherein the counter element is a second wicking element. 
     
     
         17 . An aerosol-generating system according to  claim 15 , wherein the wicking element comprises a wicking element contact portion and the counter element comprises a counter element contact portion, and:
 when the wicking element is in the engaged wicking element position, the wicking element contact portion and the counter element contact portion are in contact with the heating element, and   when the wicking element is in the disengaged wicking element position, the wicking element contact portion and the counter element contact portion are in contact or are separated by a distance of less than 3 millimetres.   
     
     
         18 . An aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein the wicking element comprises a wicking element contact portion configured to contact the heating element when the wicking element is in the engaged wicking element position, and a curved, outer portion adjacent to the wicking element contact portion, and
 wherein the curved, outer portion curves away from the engagement direction as the curved, outer portion extends in one or both of the engagement direction and a direction opposite to the engagement direction.   
     
     
         19 . An aerosol-generating system according to  claim 1 , wherein the mesh comprises a plurality of wires defining a plurality of apertures, each of the plurality of wires having a thickness of between 10 and 200 microns. 
     
     
         20 . An aerosol-generating system according to  claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of apertures has a dimension less than three times the thickness of each of the plurality of wires.