# US 11,305,076 B2 · Method for providing an aerosol-generating device, aerosol-generating device and flat aerosol-generating article for use in such a device

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- Number: US 11,305,076 B2
- Document ID: US11305076B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/301,285
- Filed: 2017-05-24
- Published: 2020-07-16
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-05-25
- Assignees: Philip Morris Products S.A.
- Applicants: Philip Morris Products S.A.
- Inventors: Robert William Emmett; Tony Reevell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305076B2

## CPC

- A61M 15/06: Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
- A24B 3/14: Forming reconstituted tobacco products, e.g. wrapper materials, sheets, imitation leaves, rods, cakes; Forms of such products (delustering A24C1/40)
- A24D 1/20: Cigarettes specially adapted for simulated smoking devices
- A24F 40/40: Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
- A24F 40/42: Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
- A24F 40/485: Valves; Apertures
- A24F 40/50: Control or monitoring
- A61M 11/042: {electrical}
- A24B 15/167: in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes
- A24F 40/20: Devices using solid inhalable precursors
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- A24B: MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
- A24D: CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES OF CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
- A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06)

## Abstract

The method for providing an aerosol-generating device for use with a shape-transformable aerosol-forming substrate comprises providing an aerosol-generating device comprising a device housing comprising a moulding cavity. The moulding cavity at least partially corresponds to a moulding space between a first mould half and a second mould half of a mould, the first mould half and the second mould half being internal surfaces of the device housing. The method further comprises the step of providing a flat aerosol-forming substrate adapted to change shape when pressed into the moulding cavity and being transformed into a non-flat aerosol-forming substrate. The invention also refers to a flat aerosol-generating article and a kit comprising a flat aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An aerosol-generating device comprising a device housing comprising a moulding cavity for receiving a solid tobacco containing aerosol-forming substrate,
the moulding cavity at least partially corresponds to a moulding space between a first and a second mould half of a mould, the first mould half and the second mould half being internal surfaces of the device housing,
wherein in an open state of the mould corresponding to an open device housing, the aerosol-generating device is adapted to receive a flat aerosol-forming substrate in between the first and second mould halves,
wherein in a closed state of the mould corresponding to a closed device housing, the moulding space in between the first and second mould halves has a non-flat shape,
wherein the first and second mould halves are adapted to transform a flat aerosol-forming substrate supplied between the first and second mould halves into a non-flat aerosol-forming substrate having a shape corresponding to the non-flat moulding space in the mould upon closing of the mould.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1,
wherein the cavity is arranged in a side and along a length of the aerosol-generating device,
wherein the device housing comprises a lid portion,
wherein the first mould half forms a first internal surface of the lid portion, and a second mould half forms a second internal surface of the device housing,
wherein in a closed position of the lid portion the mould is in a closed state forming a non-flat moulding space in between the mould halves,
and wherein the first and second mould halves are adapted to transform the flat aerosol-forming substrate supplied between the first and second mould halves into the non-flat aerosol-forming substrate having a shape corresponding to the non-flat moulding space upon closing of the lid portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second mould halves comprises a series of concave shapes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The aerosol-generating device according to claim 3, wherein the first and the second mould halves comprise corresponding undulating shapes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein an airflow channel is provided through the cavity along a longitudinal direction of the device housing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The aerosol-generating device according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of airflow channels are provided through the cavity, each airflow channel having an air inlet provided with a valve for opening and closing each of the airflow channels of the plurality of airflow channels.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein an internal surface forming a mould half is provided with a plurality of openings enabling aerosol to leave the mould through the internal surface of the mould half provided with the plurality of openings.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A kit for an aerosol-generating system, the kit comprising:
the aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, the mould having a longitudinal mould extension and a lateral mould extension;
the flat aerosol-generating article comprising a flat aerosol-forming substrate having a longitudinal substrate extension and a lateral substrate extension,
wherein the flat aerosol-generating article is configured to be mounted in the moulding cavity in between the first and second mould halves of the device housing, and is configured to be transformed into the non-flat aerosol-forming substrate having the shape corresponding to the non-flat moulding space in the mould upon closing of the mould, and wherein the lateral substrate extension is larger than the lateral mould extension or wherein the longitudinal substrate extension is larger than the longitudinal mould extension.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The kit according to claim 8, wherein the aerosol-forming substrate has a rectangular shape having a length longer than a length of the mould or having a width larger than a width of the mould.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A method for using the aerosol-generating device of claim 1 for use with a shape-transformable aerosol-forming substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the aerosol-generating device comprising the device housing comprising the moulding cavity, the moulding cavity at least partially corresponding to the moulding space between the first mould half and the second mould half of the mode, the first mould half and the second mould half being internal surfaces of the device housing;
opening the device housing, thereby opening the first and second mould halves;
providing the flat aerosol-forming substrate adapted to change shape when pressed into the moulding cavity and being transformed into a non-flat aerosol-forming substrate having the shape corresponding to the non-flat moulding space in the mould upon closing of the mould.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of providing the moulding cavity in a side and along the length of the aerosol-generating device, wherein the flat aerosol-forming substrate adapted to being transformed into the non-flat aerosol-forming substrate extends in a general plane such that the non-flat article after transformation extends along the general plane and additionally in a direction perpendicular to the general plane.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10 comprising the steps of:
providing the device housing with a lid portion, the device housing comprising a first internal surface, the lid portion comprising a second internal surface,
the first and second internal surface forming the first and second mould halves with the moulding space in the form comprising a series of concave shapes, wherein the flat aerosol-forming substrate is adapted to being transformed in the moulding space into a non-flat aerosol-forming substrate comprising a series of concave shapes.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, wherein the non-flat aerosol-forming substrate is adapted to being divided into a plurality of non-flat aerosol-forming sub-substrates.