An apparatus arranged to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of said smokable material, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing having an insertion point at one end through which a consumable article comprising smokable material can be removably inserted into the apparatus in use;
- at least one heater arrangement within the housing for heating but not burning said smokable material within the consumable article;
- a collar extending around and projecting from an opening through which, in use, a consumable article comprising smokable material may be inserted so as to form the insertion point, the collar extending from the opening into an interior of the housing to a generally tubular chamber located between the collar and the at least heater arrangement;
- wherein the housing comprises ventilation around an outside of said consumable article at the insertion point to enable at least one heated volatilized component from said smokable material to exit the apparatus and/or air to enter the apparatus,
- wherein the collar comprises a plurality of first ridges arranged circumferentially around the insertion point that project into the insertion point,
- wherein a first ventilation path is defined between a first neighboring pair of the plurality of first ridges and wherein the ventilation is provided by the first ventilation path,
- wherein a second ventilation path is defined between a second neighboring pair of the plurality of first ridges and wherein the ventilation is additionally provided by the second ventilation path,
- wherein the ventilation is configured to enable the at least one heated volatilized component that has entered a chamber, surrounding said consumable article, to exit the apparatus,
- wherein the plurality of first ridges protrude into the insertion point to reduce a span of the insertion point at the location of the plurality of first ridges,
- wherein the plurality of first ridges are configured to engage with said consumable article received within the apparatus in use,
- wherein the at least one heater arrangement is an inductive heating element,
- wherein the at least one heater arrangement is in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube,
- wherein the collar, the chamber and the at least one heater arrangement are arranged co-axially such that, when the consumable is inserted in the apparatus, the consumable extends through the collar and then the chamber and then into the hollow cylindrical tube of the at least one heater arrangement,
- wherein the chamber comprises a plurality of second ridges arranged circumferentially around an inner surface of the chamber at an end of the chamber opposite to the first ridges,
- wherein the second ridges provide a gripping section that grips the consumable article in order to correctly position and retain a portion of the consumable article that is within the chamber when the consumable article is within the apparatus.