Cartomiser

Abstract

A cartomizer for an aerosol-generating device, the cartomizer including an aerosol-generating device interface configured to interface with an aerosol-generating device; and a vaporizer for generating aerosol from aerosol-generating material held in a reservoir of the cartomizer. The aerosol-generating device interface further includes one or more through holes, each through hole sized so as to receive a power-supply pin of the aerosol generating device, and the vaporizer is arranged in the cartridge such that the vaporizer is adjacent the one or more through holes so that, when the cartomizer is engaged with the aerosol-generating device, the respective power-supply pins of the aerosol-generating device electrically couple to the vaporizer. Also described is an aerosol-generating device including the abovementioned cartomizer.

1 . A cartomizer for an aerosol-generating device, the cartomizer comprising:
 an aerosol-generating device interface configured to interface with an aerosol-generating device; and   a vaporizer for generating aerosol from aerosol-generating material held in a reservoir of the cartomizer, wherein   the aerosol-generating device interface further comprises one or more through holes, each through hole sized so as to receive a power-supply pin of the aerosol generating device, and   the vaporizer is arranged in the cartridge such that the vaporizer is adjacent the one or more through holes so that, when the cartomizer is engaged with the aerosol-generating device, the respective power-supply pins of the aerosol-generating device electrically couple to the vaporizer.   
     
     
         2 . The cartomizer of  claim 1 , wherein the vaporizer is arranged such that the vaporizer extends over the one or more through holes, and wherein, when the cartomizer is engaged with the aerosol-generating device, the respective power-supply pins of the aerosol-generating device directly contact the vaporizer. 
     
     
         3 . The cartomizer of  claim 2 , wherein the vaporizer has a longitudinal extent of greater than 2 mm, or greater than 3 mm, or greater than 4 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The cartomizer of  claim 1 , wherein the cartomizer further comprises one or more electrically conductive contact elements arranged to electrically couple to ends of the vaporizer, and wherein the electrically conductive contact elements are arranged to extend over the one or more through holes, and wherein, when the cartomizer is engaged with the aerosol-generating device, the respective power-supply pins of the aerosol-generating device directly contact the electrically conductive contact elements. 
     
     
         5 . The cartomizer of  claim 4 , wherein the vaporizer has a longitudinal extent of less than or equal to 4 mm, 3 mm, or 2 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The cartomizer of  claim 1 , wherein the vaporizer is elongate along a longitudinal axis and has a central portion and first and second end portions. 
     
     
         7 . The cartomizer of  claim 6 , wherein at least the central portion of the vaporizer is configured to wick liquid aerosol-generating material. 
     
     
         8 . The cartomizer of  claim 1 , wherein the vaporizer comprises a substrate and an electrically resistive layer disposed on a first surface of the substrate, wherein one or more capillary tubes extend from another surface of the substrate and through the electrically resistive layer disposed on the first surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         9 . The cartomizer of  claim 8 , wherein the another surface of the vaporizer is provided in fluid communication with the reservoir of the cartomizer. 
     
     
         10 . The cartomizer of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more capillary tubes have a diameter such that a liquid aerosol-generating material held in the reservoir of the cartomizer is able to move, via capillary forces, along the one or more capillary tubes. 
     
     
         11 . The cartomizer of  claim 10 , wherein the capillary tubes are configured move liquid aerosol-generating material held in the reservoir of the cartomizer to the electrically resistive layer of the vaporizer. 
     
     
         12 . The cartomizer of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more capillary tubes are formed by a laser drilling process. 
     
     
         13 . The cartomizer of  claim 8 , wherein the substrate of the vaporizer is formed from a non-conductive material, such as silicon dioxide. 
     
     
         14 . The cartomizer of  claim 8 , wherein the electrically resistive layer of the vaporizer is formed from an electrically conductive material, such as titanium. 
     
     
         15 . The cartomizer of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the cartomizer has a top end and a bottom end which are spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the cartomizer; and   the vaporizer is positioned below the reservoir of the cartomizer and vaporizer sits flat on top of a lower support unit such that the longitudinal axis of the vaporizer is positioned transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cartomizer.   
     
     
         16 . The cartomizer according to  claim 15 , wherein the central portion of the vaporizer is planar with the end portions of the vaporizer and extends across an air passage of the lower support unit. 
     
     
         17 . The cartomizer according to  claim 15 , wherein the plane of the vaporizer is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartomizer. 
     
     
         18 . The cartomizer according to  claim 15 , wherein the cartomizer includes an upper clamping unit which sits on top of the lower support unit with the vaporizer sandwiched between the lower support unit and the upper clamping unit. 
     
     
         19 . The cartomizer according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 the cartomizer includes an outer housing and at the top end of the cartomizer the outer housing includes a mouthpiece;   the vaporizer is positioned inside the outer housing at the bottom end of the cartomizer; and   the reservoir is positioned inside the outer housing between the mouthpiece and the vaporizer.   
     
     
         20 . The cartomizer according to  claim 18 , wherein the lower support unit and the upper clamping unit form a plug which closes a bottom end of the outer housing and a bottom end of the reservoir. 
     
     
         21 . The cartomizer according to  claim 15 , wherein the lower support unit comprises the one or more through holes, wherein each through hole leads from a bottom surface of the lower support unit to the vaporizer. 
     
     
         22 . The cartomizer according to  claim 15 , wherein each through hole is tapered from having a wider width at the bottom surface of the lower support unit to having a narrower width at the top surface of the lower support unit. 
     
     
         23 . An aerosol-generating device comprising a cartomizer according to  claim 1 .