WO2024150010A1

WO2024150010A1 - Article for use in an aerosol provision device, and a refilling device therefor.

Info

Publication number: WO2024150010A1
Application number: PCT/GB2024/050071
Authority: WO
Inventors: Howard ROTHWELL
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Limited
Priority date: 2023-01-13
Filing date: 2024-01-12
Publication date: 2024-07-18
Also published as: GB202300532D0

Abstract

An article (30) for use with an aerosol provision device (20) for generating aerosol from aerosol-generating material stored within the article comprises an aerosol generator (36) for generating aerosol from the aerosol-generating material stored within the article and article control circuitry (38) for storing information corresponding to the article. The article also comprises a first article connector (31a) electrically coupled to the aerosol generator and a second article connector (31b) electrically coupled to the aerosol-generator, wherein the first and second article connectors are configured to enable power to be provided to the aerosol-generator. The article also comprises a third article connector (31c) electrically coupled to the article control circuitry. The first and second article connectors are arranged to define an opening (311) through which a connector mechanism of the aerosol provision device is able to protrude to electrically couple with the third article connect. A refilling device (40) is also provided.

Description

ARTICLE FOR USE IN AN AEROSOL PROVISION DEVICE, AND A REFILLING DEVICE THEREFOR.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an article for use with an aerosol provision device, an aerosol provision device for use with an article, a refilling device for refilling an article and a method of obtaining information from article control circuity of an article.

BACKGROUND

Electronic aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) generally contain an aerosol-generating material, such as a reservoir of a source liquid containing a formulation, typically including nicotine, or a solid material such as a tobaccobased product, from which an aerosol is generated for inhalation by a user, for example through heat vaporisation. Thus, an aerosol provision system will typically comprise an aerosol generator, e.g. a heating element, arranged to aerosolise a portion of aerosolgenerating material to generate an aerosol in an aerosol generation region of an air channel through the aerosol provision system. As a user inhales on the device and electrical power is supplied to the aerosol generator, air is drawn into the device through one or more inlet holes and along the air channel to the aerosol generation region, where the air mixes with the vaporised aerosol generator and forms a condensation aerosol. The air drawn through the aerosol generation region continues along the air channel to a mouthpiece, carrying some of the aerosol with it, and out through the mouthpiece for inhalation by the user.

It is common for aerosol provision systems to comprise a modular assembly, often having two main functional parts, namely an aerosol provision device and an article. Typically the article will comprise the consumable aerosol-generating material and the aerosol generator (heating element), while the aerosol provision device part will comprise longer-life items, such as a rechargeable battery, device control circuitry and user interface features. The aerosol provision device may also be referred to as a reusable part or battery section and the article may also be referred to as a consumable, disposable/replaceable part, cartridge or cartomiser.

The aerosol provision device and article are mechanically coupled together at an interface for use, for example using a screw thread, bayonet, latched or friction fit fixing. When the aerosol-generating material in an article has been exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different article having a different aerosol-generating material, the article may be removed from the aerosol provision device and a replacement article may be attached to the device in its place. Alternatively, some articles are configured such that, after the aerosol-generating material in the article has been exhausted, the article can be refilled with more aerosol-generating material, thereby allowing the article to be reused. In this example, the user is able to refill the article using a separate reservoir of aerosol-generating material. The aerosol-generating material used to refill the article may be the same or different to the previous aerosol-generating material in the article, thereby allowing the user to change to a different aerosol-generating material without purchasing a new article.

Refilling the article with aerosol-generating material extends the life of the article as its use is no longer limited by the volume or amount of aerosol-generating material that the article can hold. As a result, the use of the article may be limited by other factors, such as the life of individual components within the article. Continuous use of the article may therefore result in degradation or fault developing in components within the article. The article may therefore become less reliable, the operation of the article less predictable or the article may stop working entirely, each of which has a negative impact on the user experience.

Various approaches are described herein which seek to help address or mitigate some of the issues discussed above.

SUMMARY

The disclosure is defined in the appended claims.

In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided an article for use with an aerosol provision device for generating aerosol from aerosol-generating material stored within the article, the article comprising an aerosol generator for generating aerosol from the aerosol-generating material stored within the article, article control circuitry for storing information corresponding to the article, a first article connector electrically coupled to the aerosol generator, and a second article connector electrically coupled to the aerosol-generator, wherein the first and second article connectors are configured to enable power to be provided to the aerosol-generator; and a third article connector electrically coupled to the article control circuitry, wherein the first and second article connectors are arranged to define an opening through which a connector mechanism of the aerosol provision device is able to protrude to electrically couple with the third article connector.

The third article connector can be offset in a longitudinal direction of the article relative to the positions of the first and second article connectors.

The first and second article connectors can be provided in a common plane that extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent of the article.

The article can comprise a base portion configured to interface with a corresponding article interface region of the aerosol provision device, and the third article connector is positioned further from the base portion than the first and second article connectors. The first article connector can be arranged to couple to a first terminal of the aerosol generator and the second article connector is configured to couple to a second terminal of the aerosol generator.

The third article connector can be coupled to a first terminal of the article control circuitry and wherein a second terminal of the article control circuitry is coupled to the first or second article connector.

The third article connector can be an electrically conductive plate.

The first and second article connectors can be each electrically conductive plates.

The first and second article connectors can form part of the same electrically conductive plate and the opening is through the electrically conductive plate.

The article can comprise a base portion configured to interface with a corresponding article interface region of the aerosol provision device, and the electrically conductive plate can form part of or all of the base portion.

One or more of the first article connector and the second article connector can have a larger surface area than the third article connector.

The first article connector and/or the second article connector can comprise a magnetic material.

The article can comprise no more than three article connectors.

The article control circuitry can comprise a memory element.

In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol provision device for use with an article for generating aerosol from aerosolgenerating material stored within the article, the device comprising a power source for supplying power to at least an aerosol generator of the article, device control circuitry for controlling aspects of operation of the aerosol provision device, a first device connector coupled to the power source, a second device connector coupled to the power source, and a third device connector coupled to the device control circuitry, wherein the device control circuitry is configured to use the third device connector to read information from article control circuitry of the article.

In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol provision system comprising the article and aerosol provision device described above. The first article connector can be magnetically coupled to the first device connector and/or the second article connector can be magnetically coupled to the second device connector

In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a refilling device for refilling an article for use with an aerosol provision device for generating aerosol from aerosol-generating material stored within the article. The refilling device comprises an article interface for receiving at least the article as described above, and refilling control circuitry configured to read information from article control circuitry of the article. The article interface comprises a first article interface connector for coupling to a connector of the article coupled to an aerosol generator, and a second article interface connector for coupling to another connector of the article coupled to the article control circuitry. The refilling control circuitry is configured to read information from the article control circuitry using the first and second article interface connectors.

In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a method of obtaining information from article control circuitry of an article for use with an aerosol provision device for generating aerosol from aerosol-generating material stored within the article, the information corresponding to the article, the method comprising coupling a second article connector electrically coupled to an aerosol generator of the article with a corresponding connector on another device, coupling a third article connector coupled to the article control circuitry of the article with a corresponding connector on the another device, and supplying power to the article control circuitry from the another device via the second and third article connectors.

These aspects and other aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description. In this regard, particular sections of the description are not to be read in isolation from other sections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol provision system;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an example refilling device and a reservoir for refilling the article illustrated in Figure 2;

Figures 4A to 4D are further schematic diagrams of example articles 30 for use in the aerosol provision system 10 illustrated in Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the aerosol provision device.

Figure 6 is a flow chart of a method of obtaining information from article control circuitry of an article for use with an aerosol provision device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed/described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and these are not discussed/described in detail in the interests of brevity. It will thus be appreciated that aspects and features of articles and systems discussed herein which are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

The present disclosure relates to aerosol provision systems, which may also be referred to as aerosol provision systems, such as e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description the term “e-cigarette” or “electronic cigarette” may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with aerosol provision system and electronic aerosol provision system.

As noted above, aerosol provision systems (e-cigarettes) often comprise a modular assembly including both a reusable part (aerosol provision device) and a replaceable (disposable) or refillable cartridge part, referred to as an article. Systems conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part systems or devices. It is also common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongate shape. For the sake of providing a concrete example, certain embodiments of the disclosure described herein comprise this kind of generally elongate two-part system employing refillable cartridges. However, it will be appreciated the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for other electronic cigarette configurations, for example modular systems comprising more than two parts, as devices conforming to other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a more boxy shape.

As described above, the present disclosure relates to (but it not limited to) refilling devices for articles of aerosol provision systems, such as e-cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.

Figure 1 is a highly schematic diagram (not to scale) of an example aerosol provision system 10, such as an e-cigarette, to which embodiments are applicable. The aerosol provision system 10 has a generally cylindrical shape, extending along a longitudinal or y axis as indicated by the axes (although aspects of the invention are applicable to e- cigarettes configured in other shapes and arrangements), and comprises two main components, namely an aerosol provision device 20 and an article 30.

The aerosol provision device 20 and article 30 each comprise an interface 22, 24 such that the aerosol provision device 20 and article 30 are mechanically coupled for use. As described above, the interfaces may comprise a screw thread, bayonet, latched or friction fit fixing, wherein the interface 24 on the aerosol provision device 20 and the interface 24 on the article 30 each comprise a complementary fitting or fixture to enable the aerosol provision device 20 and article 30.

The article 30 comprises or consists of aerosol-generating material 32, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. An article 30 may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area 39, an aerosol-generating material transfer component 37, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece 35, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.

An article 30 may also comprise an aerosol generator 36, such as a heating element, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material 32 to generate aerosol in use. The aerosol generator 36 may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor. It should be noted that it is possible for the aerosol generator 36 to be part of the aerosol provision device 20 and the article 30 then may comprise the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 for the aerosol-generating material 32 such that, when the article 30 is coupled with the aerosol provision device 20 via the interfaces 22, 24, the aerosol-generating material 32 can be transferred to the aerosol generator 36 in the aerosol provision device 20.

Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. The aerosol-generating material 32 may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and/or flavourants. In some embodiments, the aerosolgenerating material 32 may comprise an “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material 32 may for example comprise from about 50wt%, 60wt% or 70wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or 100wt% of amorphous solid.

The aerosol-generating material comprises one or more ingredients, such as one or more active substances and/or flavourants, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional materials such as pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.

The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, and psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12. The aerosol provision device 20 includes a power source 14, such as a battery, configured to supply electrical power to the aerosol generator 36. The power source 14 in this example is rechargeable and may be of a conventional type, for example of the kind normally used in electronic cigarettes and other applications requiring provision of relatively high currents over relatively short periods. The battery 14 may be recharged through the charging port (not illustrated), which may, for example, comprise a USB connector.

The aerosol provision device 20 includes device control circuitry 28 configured to control the operation of the aerosol provision system 10 and provide conventional operating functions in line with the established techniques for controlling aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes. In other words, the device control circuitry 28 is for controlling aspects of operation of the aerosol provision device 20. The device control circuitry (processor circuitry) 28 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units/circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the electronic cigarette's operation. For example, depending on the functionality provided in different implementations, the device control circuitry 28 may comprise power source control circuitry for controlling the supply of electrical power from the power source 14 to the aerosol generator 36, user programming circuitry for establishing configuration settings (e.g. user-defined power settings) in response to user input, as well as other functional units/circuitry associated functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and conventional operating aspects of electronic cigarettes. It will be appreciated the functionality of the device control circuitry 28 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality.

The aerosol provision device 20 includes one or more air inlets 21. In use, as a user inhales on the mouthpiece 35, air is drawn into the aerosol provision device 20 through the air inlets 21 and along an air channel 23 to the aerosol generator 36, where the air mixes with the vaporised aerosol-generating material 32 and forms a condensation aerosol. The air drawn through the aerosol generator 36 continues along the air channel 23 to a mouthpiece 35, carrying some of the aerosol with it, and out through the mouthpiece 35 for inhalation by the user. Alternatively, the one or more air inlets 21 may be included on the article 30, such that the air channel 23 is entirely contained within the article 30.

By way of a concrete example, the article 30 comprises a housing (formed, e.g., from a plastics material), an aerosol-generating material storage area 39 formed within the housing for containing the aerosol-generating material 32 (which in this example may be a liquid which may or may not contain nicotine), an aerosol-generating material transfer component 37 (which in this example is a wick formed of e.g., glass or cotton fibres, or a ceramic material configured to transport the liquid from the reservoir using capillary action), an aerosol-generating area containing the aerosol generator 36, and a mouthpiece 35. Although not shown, a filter and/or aerosol modifying agent (such as a flavour imparting material) may be located in, or in proximity to, the mouthpiece 35. The aerosol generator 36 of this example comprises a heater element formed from an electrically resistive material (such as NiCr8020) spirally wrapped around the aerosol-generating material transfer component 37, and located in the air channel 23. The area around the heating element and wick combination is the aerosol-generating area of the article 30.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an example article 30 for use in the aerosol provision system 10 illustrated in Figure 1, where the same reference signs have been used for like elements between the article 30 illustrated in Figure 1 and the article 30 illustrated in Figure 2. As per the article 30 illustrated in Figure 1, the article 30 illustrated in Figure 2 includes an aerosol-generating material storage area 39 for storing an aerosol-generating material 32, an aerosol-generating material transfer component 37, an aerosol generation area containing an aerosol generator 36, and a mouthpiece 35.

The article 30 illustrated in Figure 2 is configured to be refilled and reused. In other words, the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 of the article 30 illustrated in Figure 2 can be refilled with aerosol-generating material 32 once some or all of the aerosolgenerating material 32 contained in the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 has been exhausted or depleted. To facilitate the refilling or replenishment of aerosol-generating material 32, the article 30 has a refilling tube 33 extending between the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 and the exterior or an outer surface of the housing of the article 30, thereby creating a refilling orifice 34. Aerosol-generating material 32 can then be inserted into the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 via the refilling orifice 34 and refilling tube 33. It will be appreciated, however, that such a configuration of a refilling tube 33 and a refilling orifice 34 is not essential, and the article 30 may comprise any other suitable means of facilitating the refilling of the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 with aerosol generating material 32.

The refilling orifice 34 and/or the refilling tube 33 may be sealable, for example with a cap, one-way valve or septum valve, in order to ensure that aerosol-generating material 32 does not leak out of the refilling orifice 34. In other words, the refilling orifice 34 can comprise a cap, one-way valve or septum valve. Although the refilling orifice 34 is illustrated in Figure 2 as being on the same end or surface 310 of the article 30 as the air channel 23 and interface 22 with the aerosol provision device 20, this is not essential. The refilling orifice 34 may be located at the end 320 of the article 30 comprising the mouthpiece 35, for example proximate to the outlet of the air channel 23 on the mouthpiece 35, such that the refilling tube 33 extends between the end 320 of the article 30 comprising the mouthpiece 35 and the aerosol-generating material storage area 39. In this case, the article 30 does not necessarily need to be separated from the aerosol-generating device 20 in order to refill the article 30 with aerosol-generating material 32, as the refilling orifice 34 is not obstructed by the aerosol-generating device 20 when the article 30 is coupled with the aerosol provision device 20 via the interfaces 22, 24.

The article 30 illustrated in Figure 2 also comprises article control circuitry 38 configured to store information corresponding to the article control, for example instructions for controlling the operation of the article 30 and parameters and/or data associated with the article 30. The parameters associated with the article 30 may include, for example, a serial number and/or stock keeping unit (SKU) for the article 30 or other means of identifying the article 30 and/or the type of the article 30, a date of manufacture and/or expiry of the article

30, an indication of the number of times the article 30 has been refilled, the capacity of the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 and/or the amount of aerosol-generating material remaining in the aerosol-generating material storage area 39. The parameters associated with the article 30 may include data relating to the aerosol-generating material stored in the aerosol-generating material storage area 39, such as one or more ingredients, the concentration and/or amount of the ingredients and/or one or more flavourants within the aerosol-generating material. As described above in relation to the device control circuitry 28, the article control circuitry 38 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality. For example, the article control circuitry 38 may comprise a microcontroller unit (MCU), a system on chip (SoC) and/or a memory element.

The article 30 illustrated in Figure 2 also comprises one or more article connectors

31 , such as contact electrodes, connected via electrical wiring to the aerosol generator 36 and the article control circuitry 38. In use, the article 30 is coupled to the aerosol-generating device 20 and the article connectors 31 mate with connectors on the aerosol-generating device, thereby allowing electrical power and electrical current to be supplied from the battery 14 of the aerosol-generating device 20 to the aerosol generator 36 and the article control circuitry 38. As illustrated in Figure 2, the one or more article connectors 31 can be located at the same end 310 of the article 30 as the interface 22. Alternative, the one or more article connectors 31 may form part of the interface 22 or be located on a different surface of the article 30 to the interface 22, for example a side wall of the article 30 proximate to the end 310 with the interface. It will be appreciated that the one or more article connectors 31 can be located on any surface of the article 30 so as to provide a complementary fixture or fitting with equivalent connectors 22 on the aerosol provision device 20 and/or refilling device 40 as described in more detail below. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a refilling device 40 for an article of an aerosol provision system, such as the article 30 illustrated in Figure 2, and a reservoir 50. The reservoir 50 is a disposable/replaceable part which contains aerosol-generating material 52. The refilling device 40 facilitates the transfer of the aerosol-generating material 52 from a reservoir 50 couplable to the refilling device to an article 30 couplable to the refilling device in order to refill or replenish the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 of the article 30 with aerosol-generating material. In other words, the refilling device 40 described herein is a refilling apparatus for an article 30 of an aerosol provision system 10. The article 30 can then be reused as part of the aerosol provision system 10 described above, whilst the reservoir 50 can be disposed of when the aerosol-generating material 52 within the reservoir 50 has been depleted. This allows a single article 30 to be refilled using one or more reservoirs, thereby increasing the number of uses of a single article 30.

The refilling device 40 illustrated in Figure 3 can be considered a desktop refilling device 40. A desktop refilling device is a refilling device designed for regular use at a single location on or near a desk, table or other solid surface due to its size and power requirements. For example, desktop refilling device 40 can comprise an external power supply, such as a mains power or supply to which the refilling device 40 can be coupled, attached or otherwise connected. The refilling device 40 may also comprise an internal power source, such as a battery, configured to supply electrical power to the components of the refilling device 40 in the event that the external power supply is not available or unexpectedly cuts out in the middle of operation.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the refilling device 40 can also comprise a flat surface 410 to facilitate storage of the desktop refilling device on another flat surface, such as a desk, table or other solid surface. This allows the desktop refilling device 40 to rest stably and level on another surface. The flat surface 410 may comprise a non-slip mat or coating in order to prevent the desktop refilling device from being knocked or pushed. The non-slip mat may be made of rubber or any other suitable material with a high coefficient of friction. More generally, the desktop refilling device 40 illustrated in Figure 3 has the flat surface 410 at a first end of the refilling device 40 and a second surface 420 at a second end of the refilling device 40. The second end is opposite the first end, such that a major axis or length of the refilling device 40 extends between the first end and the second end. When the first end and flat surface 410 are placed or otherwise located on a horizontal surface (e.g. aligned with x-axis in Figure 3), the major axis or length of the refilling device 40 extends in a vertical direction (aligned with the y-axis in Figure 3) between the first end and the second end. The flat surface 410 can therefore be considered as the base, bottom or foot of the refilling device 40 whilst the second surface 420 can be considered the top or upper surface of the refilling device 40. As illustrated in Figure 3, the refilling device 40 comprises an article interface 42 configured to receive the article 30. The article interface 42 may comprise a slot, tray, opening or aperture on the refilling device 40 into or onto which the article 30 is placed or coupled. Alternatively the article interface 42 may comprise a lead or other cable which is attachable or otherwise connectable to the article 30. Although one article interface 42 is illustrated in Figure 3, the refilling device 40 may comprise more than one article interface 42, for example three, five or ten, depending on the specific design of the refilling device 40. In this case, two or more of the article interfaces 42 may be different such that the refilling device 40 is capable of receiving different types of article, or two or more of the article interfaces 42 may be the same such that the refilling device 40 is capable of receiving multiple articles of the same type.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the article interface 42 is configured to receive the article 30 when the article 30 is separated from the aerosol provision device 20. As set out above with reference to Figure 1, when used as an aerosol provision system 10, the aerosol provision device 20 and article 30 are mechanically coupled together via interfaces 22, 24. The article interface 42 is configured such that, before the article 30 is received by the article interface 42, the article is detached, disconnected or otherwise separated from the aerosol provision device 20 such that only the article 30 is received by the article interface 42 (in other words, the aerosol provision system 20 is not received by the article interface 42). This means that the aerosol provision device 20 is not required in order for the article 30 to be refilled with aerosol generating material 32.

The refilling device 40 also comprises one or more reservoir interfaces 46 configured to receive a reservoir 50. In the same fashion as described above in relation to the article interface 42, each of the reservoir interfaces 46 may comprise a slot, tray, opening or aperture on the refilling device 40 into or onto which the reservoir 50 is placed or coupled. Alternatively, each reservoir interface 46 may comprise a lead or other cable which is attachable or otherwise connectable to the reservoir 50. Although two reservoir interfaces 46 are illustrated in Figure 3, this is not essential and the refilling device 40 may comprise fewer or more reservoir interfaces 46, for example one, three, five or ten, depending on the specific design of the refilling device 40.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the one or more reservoir interfaces 46 can be located above the article interface 42. In other words the one or more reservoir interfaces 46 are located at a higher position than the article interface 42 such that, in use, the transfer of aerosol-generating material 52 from the reservoir 50 to the article 30 is gravity assisted, thereby reducing the energy required to transfer aerosol-generating material 52. The x-axis shown in Figure 3 aligns with a horizontal direction and the y-axis shown in Figure 3 aligns with a vertical direction. A first end of the refilling device 40 comprises the flat surface 410 to allow the refilling device is located on a horizontal surface. As illustrated in Figure 3, the one or more reservoir interfaces 46 are located further (in other words, a greater distance along the major axis or length of the refilling device 40) from the flat surface 410 than the above the article interface 42. This ensures that, when the flat surface 410 is placed on another flat surface (such as a horizontal surface), such as in the case of a desktop refilling device as described above, the flat surface 410 aligns with the x-axis (or horizontal direction), and the one or more reservoir interfaces 46 are located at a higher position than the article interface 42.

The refilling device 40 also comprises refilling control circuitry 48 configured to control the operation of the refilling device 40. In particular, the refilling control circuitry 48 is configured to facilitate the transfer of aerosol-generating material 52 from a reservoir 50 to the article 30. As described above in relation to the device control circuitry 28, the refilling control circuitry 48 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality. For example, the refilling control circuitry 48 may comprise a microcontroller unit (MCU) or a system on chip (SoC).

The refilling device 40 also comprises a housing 400 which contains and encloses the components of the refilling device 40. As illustrated in Figure 3, the article interface 42 and the one or more reservoir interfaces 46 are located inside the housing 400 of the refilling device. The article interface 42 is therefore configured to enclose the article 30 and the one or more reservoir interfaces 46 configured to enclose the reservoir 50 inside the housing 400 of the refilling device 40 during the transfer of aerosol-generating material 52 from the reservoir 50 to the article 30. The article interface 42 and/or the reservoir interfaces 46 may comprise a door, cover or flap which can be shut when the article 30 and reservoir 50 are respectively received by the article interface 42 and the one or more reservoir interfaces 46 such that the article 30 and the reservoir 50 are fully contained within or otherwise enclosed by the housing 400 of the refilling device 40.

As described above, the reservoir 50 comprises aerosol-generating material 52 for transferring, by the refilling device 40, to the article 30 in order to refill or replenish the aerosol-generating material 32 in the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 of the article 30.

The reservoir 50 illustrated in Figure 3 also comprises reservoir control circuitry 58 configured to control the reservoir 50 and store parameters and/or data associated with the reservoir 50. The parameters associated with the reservoir 50 may include, for example data indicative of an amount of aerosol-generating material 52 stored in the reservoir 50, data relating to the aerosol-generating material 52 stored in the reservoir 50, such as one or more ingredients, the concentration and/or amount of the ingredients and/or one or more flavourants within the aerosol-generating material 52. The data may also comprise an identifier, such as a serial number and/or SKU for the reservoir 50 or other means of identifying the reservoir 50 and/or the type of the reservoir 50, and a date of manufacture and/or expiry of the reservoir 50. As described above in relation to the device control circuitry 28, the reservoir control circuitry 58 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality. For example, the reservoir control circuitry 58 may comprise a microcontroller unit (MCU) or a system on chip (SoC). Alternatively, the reservoir control circuitry 58 may comprise a code printed onto the reservoir, such as a barcode or QR code, or an NFC chip or other form of passive tag.

The reservoir 50 can have a volume of 10ml or more, for example 20ml, 50ml or 100ml. In other words, the reservoir is configured to contain 10ml or more of aerosolgenerating material 52 when the reservoir 50 is filled with aerosol generating material 52. At least one of the one or more reservoir interfaces 46 is then configured to receive a reservoir with a volume of 10ml or more.

The reservoir 50 can also have a larger volume than the article 30. For example, the volume of the reservoir can be at least 5 times greater than the volume of the article, for example 10 times, 20 times or 50 times greater. In other words, the reservoir is configured to contain, when filled with aerosol-generating material 52, a volume of aerosol-generating material 52 at least 5 times greater than the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 of the article 30. This allows the same reservoir 50 to be used to refill the article at least 5 times. At least one of the one or more reservoir interfaces 46 is then configured to receive a reservoir with a volume at least 5 times greater than a volume of the article the article interface 42 is configured to receive.

The refilling device 40 illustrated in Figure 3 also comprises one or more connectors 41, such as contact electrodes, connected via electrical wiring to the refilling control circuitry 48 and the power source (not illustrated). The connectors 41 are located proximate to or as part of the article interface 42. This facilitates communication between the refilling control circuitry 48 and the article control circuitry 38; the article connectors 31 on the article 30 mate with the connectors 41 on the refilling device 40 when the article 30 is received by the article interface 42, thereby allowing power to be supplied from the refilling device 40 to the article control circuitry 38 and electrical signals to be transferred between the refilling control circuitry 48 and the article control circuitry 38. The connectors 41 may be arranged relative to the article interface 42 in a pattern and position matching/mirroring the article connectors 31 on the article 30 in order to facilitate the mating of the article connectors 31 on the article 30 and the connectors 41 on the refilling device 40 when the article 30 is received by the article interface 42.

In the same fashion, the refilling device 40 illustrated in Figure 3 also comprises one or more connectors 47, such as contact electrodes, located proximate to or as part of each of the reservoir interfaces 46 and connected via electrical wiring to the refilling control circuitry 48 and the power source (not illustrated). The connectors 47 mate with the connectors 51 on the reservoir 50 when the reservoir 50 is received by the reservoir interface 46, thereby allowing power to be supplied from the refilling device 40 to the reservoir control circuitry 58 and electrical signals to be transferred between the refilling control circuitry 48 and the reservoir control circuitry 58. The connectors 47 may be arranged relative to the reservoir interface 46 in a pattern and position matching/mirroring the connectors 51 on the reservoir 50 in order to facilitate the mating of the connectors 51 on the reservoir 50 and the connectors 47 on the refilling device 40 when a reservoir 50 is received by one of the reservoir interfaces 46.

Although the connectors 31 , 41, 47, 51 are described herein as physical electrical connectors between the article, the refilling device and the reservoir, in an alternative implementation one or more of the electrical connections between the respective components may be a wireless connection, such as NFC, RFID, or inductive coupling.

The refilling device 40 illustrated in Figure 3 also comprises a refilling outlet 44 located proximate to or as part of the article interface 42, a refilling inlet 45 located proximate to or as part of each of the reservoir interfaces 46, and a duct 43 connecting each refilling inlet 45 to the refilling outlet 44. The refilling outlet 44 is configured to mate with the refilling orifice 34 on the article 30 when the article is received by the article interface 42, and each refilling inlet 45 is configured to mate with a reservoir outlet 55 when a reservoir 50 is received by the corresponding reservoir interface 46. The duct 43 is configured to facilitate the transfer of aerosol-generating material 52 from each of the refilling inlets 45 to the refilling outlet 44, thereby providing a transfer path for aerosol-generating material 52 from the reservoir 50 through the refilling device 40 and into the article 30.

Although the refilling outlet 44 is illustrated in Figure 3 as being on the same end or surface of the article interface 42 as the connectors 41, this is not essential. The refilling outlet 44 may be located anywhere proximate to or in the article interface 42 relative to the connectors 41 in order for the refilling outlet 44 to mate with the refilling orifice 34 on the article 30 whilst the connectors 41 on the refilling device 40 mate with the article connectors 31 on the article 30 when the article 30 is received by the article interface 30. Similarly, the refilling inlet 45 may be located anywhere proximate to or in each reservoir interface 46 relative to the connectors 47 in order for the refilling inlet 45 to mate with the reservoir outlet 55 on the reservoir 50 whilst the connectors 47 on the refilling device 40 mate with the connectors 51 on the reservoir 50 when a reservoir 50 is received by a reservoir interface 46.

Further, as described above, the refilling device 40 may be configured to receive different types, designs or configuration of article 30 using the same article interface 42. In this case, there may be multiple configurations of connectors 41 and/or refilling outlets 44 proximate to or in the article interface 42 in order to facilitate the same article interface 42 receiving different types, designs or configurations of article 30. Equally, there may be multiple configurations of connectors 47 and/or refilling inlets 45 proximate to or in each reservoir interface 46 in order to facilitate the same reservoir interface 46 receiving different types, designs or configurations of reservoir 50. Alternatively or in addition, the configuration of connectors 47 and/or refilling inlets 45 proximate to or in the one or more of the reservoir interfaces 46 may be different such that different reservoir types are received by different reservoir interfaces 46 of the same refilling device 40.

One or more of the refilling outlet 44, the refilling inlets 45, the reservoir outlet 55 and the duct 43 may also include a means of controlling the rate and/or direction of transfer of the aerosol-generating material 52, for example a ball valve, needle valve or diaphragm to control the rate of transfer and/or a one way valve such as a check valve or non-return valve to control the direction of transfer. For example, a one way valve may be located at or proximate to each of the refilling outlet 44, the refilling inlets 45 and the reservoir outlets 55 to ensure that aerosol-generating material 52 can only be transferred from the reservoir 50 to the refilling device 40 and from the refilling device 40 to the article 30, whilst a single ball valve or diaphragm may be located on or in the duct 43 of the refilling device 40 in order to control the flow rate of aerosol-generating material 52 from the reservoir 50 through the refilling device 40 and into the article 30. Equally, a ball valve or diaphragm may be located proximate to each refilling inlet 45 in order to independently control the rate of transfer of aerosol-generating material 52 into each of the refilling inlets 45 or from each of the refilling inlets 45 into the duct 43. For example, this allows the refilling control circuitry 48 to prevent a first aerosol-generating material 52 being transferred from a first reservoir 50 whilst a second aerosol-generating material 52 is being transferred from a second reservoir 50 to the article 30. This also allows the refilling control circuitry 48 to facilitate the transfer the first aerosol-generating material 52 from the first reservoir 50 and the second aerosol-generating material 52 from the second reservoir 50 simultaneously to the article 30, but at different transfer rates, thereby creating an aerosol-generating material 32 in the article 30 containing a mixture of the first aerosol-generating material 52 and the second aerosol-generating material 52 at different concentrations.

The refilling device 40 illustrated in Figure 3 also comprises a device interface 49 configured to receive the aerosol provision device 20. As described above, the article interface 42 is configured to receive the article 30 when the article 30 is separated from the aerosol provision device 20, such that the aerosol provision device 20 is not received by the article interface 42. The aerosol provision device 20 can then be received by a separate device interface 49 as illustrated in Figure 3. This allows the device interface 49 and the article interface 42 to be located separately on the refilling device 40, for example on different sides of the refilling device 40, such that the aerosol provision device 20 can be coupled to the refilling device 40 independently of the article 30. As described above, this also means that the aerosol provision device 20 is not required in order for the article 30 to be refilled with aerosol generating material 32.

The device interface 49 can be configured to receive the aerosol provision device 20 in order to supply electrical power from the refilling device 40 to the aerosol provision device 20. This electrical power can be used, for example, to recharge the power source or battery 14 of the aerosol provision device 20 and to facilitate the transfer of electrical signals between the refilling control circuitry 48 and the device control circuitry 28. This allows the user to use the refilling device 40 as a means of charging the aerosol provision device 20 whilst the article 30 is being replenished with aerosol-generating material 32, thereby reducing the number of associated devices needed to operate and maintain the aerosol provision system 10. The device interface 49 may be a wired interface, such as using electrical connectors as described above, or a wireless interface such as inductive or capacitive coupling. The device interface 49 may also be configured to the transfer of data between the refilling control circuitry 48 and the device control circuitry 28. The refilling control circuitry 48 may be configured to read data from the aerosol provision device 20 and/or write data to the aerosol provision device 20, for example to perform a software update, thereby installing an updated version of software onto the device control circuitry 28.

As set out above, the refilling device 40 facilitates the transfer of aerosol-generating material 52 from a reservoir 50 couplable to the refilling device 40 to an article 30 couplable to the refilling device 40 in order to refill or replenish the article 30 so that it can be reused as part of the aerosol provision system 10. In particular, the refilling control circuitry 48 is configured to facilitate the transfer of aerosol-generating material 52 from the reservoir 50 to the article 30 in response to detecting that the article 30 has been received by the refilling device 40.

By way of a concrete example, when a reservoir 50 is received by one of the reservoir interfaces 47, the connectors 47 located proximate to or in the corresponding reservoir interface 46 mate with the connectors 51 on the reservoir 50 and the refilling inlet 45 located proximate to or in the corresponding reservoir interface 46 mates with the reservoir outlet 55. When an article 30 is received by the article interface 42, the connectors 41 located proximate to or in the article interface 42 mate with the article connectors 31 on the article 30 and the refilling outlet 45 mates with the refilling orifice 34 on the device 30. The refilling control circuitry 48 is then configured to facilitate the transfer of aerosolgenerating material 52 from the reservoir 50 to the article 30 by facilitating the transfer of aerosol-generating material 52 from the reservoir 50 into the duct 42 of the refilling device 40 via the reservoir outlet 51 and the refilling inlet 45, and from the duct 42 of the refilling device 40 into the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 of the article 30 via the refilling outlet 44, the refilling orifice 34 and the refilling tube 33.

In the examples where the refiling device 40 has a plurality of reservoir interfaces 46, the refilling control circuitry 48 is configured to selectively facilitate the transfer of aerosolgenerating material 52 from a reservoir 50 received by one of the reservoir interfaces 46, for example in response to a determination that only one of the reservoir interfaces 46 has received a reservoir 50, or in response to a selection of a particular reservoir 50 from which aerosol-generating material 52 should be transferred, for example a user input or a determination based on one or more parameters of each of the reservoirs 50 stored on the respective reservoir control circuitry 58. In this case, the refilling control circuitry 48 is configured to receive, from a user of the refilling device 40, a selection of one or more reservoir interfaces 46 and selectively facilitate the transfer of aerosol-generating material 52, from each reservoir 50 connected to one of the one or more selected reservoir interfaces 46, to the article 30 when the article 30 is coupled to the refilling device. In other words, the refilling control circuitry 48 is configured to only transfer aerosol-generating material 52 from a reservoir 50 connected to a selected reservoir interface 46, and prevent aerosolgenerating material 52 from being transferred from any other reservoir 50 connected to the refilling device 40.

Although not illustrated, in some examples, the refilling device 40 can comprise a tank, container or other such receptacle for storing aerosol-generating material 52 received from the reservoir 50, for example when a reservoir 50 is received by the reservoir interface 46 without an article 30 being received by the article interface 42, thereby allowing the reservoir 50 to be disconnected from the reservoir interface 46 before an article 30 is received by the article interface 42. In this case, the aerosol-generating material 52 is stored in the receptacle of the refilling device 40 until such a time that it can be transferred to an article 30 received by the article interface 42. In this case, control circuitry 48 of the refilling device 40 is configured to facilitate the transfer of aerosol-generating material 52 from the reservoir 50 to the receptacle, and subsequently and separately to facilitate the transfer of the aerosol-generating material 52 from the receptacle to the article 42.

The receptacle of the refilling device 40 can also be used to facilitate the mixing of aerosol-generating material 52 before it is transferred to the article 30. For example, if a first reservoir interface 46 receives a first reservoir 50 containing a first aerosol-generating material 52 and a second reservoir interface 46 receives a second reservoir 50 containing a second aerosol-generating material 52, then the refilling control circuitry 48 can be configured to facilitate the transfer of the first aerosol-generating material 52 from the first reservoir 50 into the receptacle, and facilitate the transfer of the second aerosol-generating material 52 from the second reservoir 50 into the receptacle. The first aerosol-generating material 52 and the second aerosol-generating material 52 can then be mixed in the receptacle, and the mixture of the first aerosol-generating material 52 and the second aerosol-generating material 52 transferred to the article 30.

Figures 4A to 4D are further schematic diagrams of example articles 30 for use in the aerosol provision system 10 illustrated in Figure 1 , where the same reference signs have been used for like elements between the article 30 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and the article 30 illustrated in Figures 4A to 4D.

Figures 4A and 4B are plan views of example articles 30 showing the end 310 of the article 30 comprising the article connectors 31, the refilling orifice 34 and the air channel 23. Figures 4C and 4D are cutaways along the line A-A of the article 30 illustrated in Figures 4A and 4B. Figures 4C and 4D illustrate only the portion of the article 30 proximate to the end 310 of the article comprising the article connectors 31. As described above, although the refilling orifice 34 is illustrated in Figures 4A to 4D as being on the same end or surface 310 of the article 30 as the article connectors 31 , this is not essential. The refilling orifice 34 may be located at the end 320 of the article 30 comprising the mouthpiece 35, for example proximate to the outlet of the air channel 23 on the mouthpiece 35, or on a side wall of the article 30.

Equally, although the air channel 23 is illustrated in Figures 4A to 4D as being on the same end or surface 310 of the article 30 as the article connectors 31, this is not essential. The air channel 23 may be located at the end 320 of the article 30 comprising the mouthpiece 35, for example proximate to the outlet of the air channel 23 on the mouthpiece 35, or on a side wall of the article 30.

In each of Figures 4A and 4B, the article 30 comprises a first article connector 31a, a second article connector 31b and a third article connector 31c. Although Figures 4A to 4D each show three article connectors 31a, 31b, 31c, it will be appreciated that there may be additional article connectors 31 in some cases. Alternatively, the article may comprise no more than three article connectors 31.

The first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b are each electrically coupled to the aerosol generator such that the first and second article connectors are configured to enable power to be provided to the aerosol-generator 36, for example when the article 30 is connected to the aerosol provision device 20. For example, the first article connector 31a can be connected to a first terminal of the aerosol generator 36 and the second article connector 31b can be connected to a second terminal of the aerosol generator 36, thereby defining an electrical circuit from the first article connector 31a to the second article connector 31b via the aerosol generator 36.

The third article connector 31c is electrically coupled to the article control circuitry 38 such that electrical current can be transferred to the article control circuitry 38 from a device (such as the aerosol provision device 20 or the refilling device 40) when the device is connected to the article 30. For example, the third article connector 31c can be coupled to a first terminal of the article control circuitry 38 and a second terminal of the article control circuitry 38 can be coupled to the first article connector 31a or the second article connector 31b, thereby defining an electrical circuit from the first article connector 31a or the second article connector 31b to the third article connector 31b via the article control circuitry 38.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the aerosol provision device 20 showing the interface 24 of the aerosol provision device 20 with the article 30. The interface 24 comprises a first device connector 24a, a second device connector 24b and a third device connector 24c. Although not illustrated in Figure 5, as described above, the aerosol provision device 20 comprises a power source 12 for supplying power to at least the aerosol generator 36 of the article 30 and device control circuitry 28 for controlling aspects of operation of the aerosol provision device 20.

The first device connector 24a and the second device connector 24b are each coupled to the power source 12 such that electrical power can be supplied each of the first device connector 24a and the second device connector 24b from the power source 12. The third device connector 24c is coupled to the device control circuitry 28, and the device control circuitry 28 is configured to use the third device connector 24c to read information from article control circuitry 28 of the article 30. In other words, in use, the article 30 is coupled to the aerosol-generating device 20 and the article connectors 31 on the article 30 mate with, connect or otherwise electrical couple with the device connectors 24 on the aerosol-generating device 20; in particular, the first device connector 24a electrically couples with the first article connector 31a, the second device connector 24b electrically couples with the second article connector 31b and the third device connector 24c electrically couples with the third article connector 31c. This allows electrical power and electrical current to be supplied from the battery 12 of the aerosol-generating device 20 to the aerosol generator 36 via the first and second device connectors 24a, 24b and the first and second article connectors 31a, 31b and allows signals to be transferred between the device control circuitry 28 and the article control circuitry 38 via the third device connector 24c and the third article connector 31c. In other words, the device control circuitry 28 is configured to use the third device connector 24c to read information from article control circuitry 38 of the article 30. It will be appreciated that each of the device connectors 24 can be a size, shape and located on the respective interface of the aerosol provision device 20 so as to provide a complementary fixture or fitting with the equivalent article connector on the article 30 and so as to ensure that electrical contact is made between the appropriate device connector 24 and article connector 31.

As illustrated in Figures 4A to 4D, the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b are arranged to define an opening 311, through which a connector mechanism (for example the third device connector 24c) of the aerosol provision device 10 is able to protrude to electrically couple with the third article connector 31c.

The first article connector 31a and second article connector 31b illustrated in Figures 4A to 4D are each electrically conductive plates, but it will be appreciated that any type and/or arrangement of article connectors can be used and arranged to define the opening 311. Equally, the third article connector 31c can be an electrically conductive plate or any other type of electrical connector capable of transferring electrical current from a device connected to the article 30 (such as the aerosol provision device 20 or the refilling device 40) to the article control circuitry 38.

For example, as described above with reference to Figure 3, the refilling device 40 comprises an article interface 42 for receiving at least the article 30 illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, and refilling control circuitry 48 configured to read information from article control circuitry 38 of the article 30. The article interface 42 comprises one or more article interface connectors 41. A first article interface connector 41 can be configured for coupling to a connector 31 of the article 30, where the connector 31 is coupled to an aerosol generator 36 (for example one of the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b). A second article interface connector 41 can be configured for coupling to another connector 31 of the article 30, where the another connector is coupled to the article control circuitry 38 (for example the third article connector 31c). As a result, the refilling control circuitry 48 can read information from the article control circuitry 38 using the first article interface connector and the second article interface connector when the article 30 is received by the article interface 42. It will be appreciated that each of the article interface connectors 41 can be a size, shape and located on the article interface 42 of the refilling device so as to provide a complementary fixture or fitting with the equivalent article connector on the article 30 and so as to ensure that electrical contact is made between the appropriate article interface connector 41 and article connector 31.

Referring back to Figures 4A to 4D, in the example illustrated in Figure 4A, the first article connector 31a and second article connector 31b each comprise a semi-annular shaped electrically conductive plate which meet or are proximate to each other at the ends of semi-annulus around the circumference in order to define a complete (or essential complete) annulus with the opening 311 defined as the hole in the centre of the annulus. In the example illustrated in the Figure 4B, the first article connector 31a and second article connector 31b

It will be appreciated that other shapes of electrically conductive plate for the first article connector 31a and second article connector 31b are also possible. For example, the first article connector 31a and second article connector 31b can be found of concentric complete annuluses, with the opening 311 defined as the hole in the centre of the innermost annulus. In this case, the first article connector 31a may be located radially inside the second article connector 31b, or first article connector 31a may be located radially outside the second article connector 31b.

The first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b can form part of the same electrically conductive plate, for example a single annular or semi-annular shaped electrically conductive plate as described above with reference to Figure 4A or a single II- shaped electrically conductive plate as described above with reference to Figure 4B. In each case, the opening 311 is through the single electrically conductive plate that is forms the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b.

It will therefore be appreciated that first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b are arranged wholly or at least partially around the third article connector 31c such that the third article connector 31c is located inside or otherwise contained within the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b. This allows the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b to have larger surface areas (i.e. cross sectional areas) than the third article connector 31c, thereby giving the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b lower electrical resistances that the third article connector 31c. This means the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b can carry higher electrical currents than the third article connector 31c, for example if the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b are electrically coupled to the aerosol generator 36 whilst the third article connector 31c is electrically connected to the article control circuitry 38. Equally, the larger surface areas of the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b provides additional coupling strength to the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b. For example, the first article connector 31a and/or the second article connector 31b could comprise a magnetic material with the equivalent connectors on the aerosol provision device 20 (e.g. the first device connector 24a and/or the second device connector 24b) having a complementary magnetic material such that the article 30 is coupled to the aerosol provision device 20 via a magnetic coupling of the first article connector 31a and/or the second article connector 31b and the first device connector 24a and/or the second device connector 24b on the aerosol provision device 20 (i.e. the first article connector 311 is magnetically coupled to the first device connector 24a and/or the second article connector 31b is magnetically coupled to the second device connector 24b).

Figures 4C and 4D are cutaways along the line A-A of the article 30 illustrated in Figures 4A and 4B.

As described above, the article 30 extends in a longitudinal direction (corresponding to the y-axis in Figures 1 to 4). In each of Figures 4C and 4D, the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b are provided in a common plane that extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent of the article. In other words, the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b are at the same longitudinal location along the article 30 (i.e. along the y-axis in Figures 1 to 4) and lie in the same plane (the x-z plane in axis in Figures 1 to 4) that is perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis or extent of the article.

In the example illustrated in Figure 4C, the third article connector 31c is offset in the longitudinal direction of the article 30 relative to the positions of the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b. In other words, the third article connector 31c is located at a different position along an axis of the article 30 (the y-axis in Figure 4C) than both the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b. As illustrated in Figure 4C, the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b are located at the same longitudinal position, but the third article connector 31c is located at a different longitudinal position, i.e. further away from the end 310 of the article 30 and closer to the mouthpiece (not illustrated in Figure 4C). The corresponding connector mechanism of the aerosol provision device 20 (i.e. the third device connector 24c) or the refilling device 40 (i.e. the second article interface connector) therefore needs to protrude further in the longitudinal direction that then other connector mechanisms on the aerosol provision device 20 (i.e. the first device connector 24a or the second device connector 24b) or the refilling device (i.e. the first article interface connector) in order to contact and electrically connect with the third article connector 31c.

In contrast, in the example illustrated in Figure 4D the first, second and third article connectors 31a, 31b, 31c are all located at the same longitudinal position (i.e. the third article connector 31c is not offset in the longitudinal direction of the article 30 relative to the positions of the first and second article connectors 31a, 31b.)

As described above, Figures 4C and 4D illustrate only the portion of the article 30 proximate to the end 310 of the article comprising the article connectors 31. The end 310 of the article 30 can also be referred to as a base portion 310 that is configured to interface a corresponding article interface region, such as the interface 24, on the aerosol provision device 20 or the article interface 42 on the refilling device 40. In other words, the base portion 310 is a size and shape to provide a complementary fixture or fitting with equivalent portions on the aerosol provision device 20 and/or the refilling device 40.

In the example illustrated in Figure 4C, the third article connector 31c is positioned further from the base portion 310 than the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b. In other words, the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b are located on, at or proximate to the base portion 310 of the article 30 and the third article connector 31c is position a greater distance away from the base portion 310 than the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b. In contrast, in the example illustrated in Figure 4D, the third article connector 31c is also located on, at or proximate to the base portion 310 of the article 30 such that the third article connector 31c is located the same distance away from the base portion 310 as the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b.

As described above, the first article connector 31a and the second article connector 31b can each be electrically conductive plates, or form part of the same electrically conductive plate. Equally, the third article connector 31c can be an electrically conductive plate. In these cases, the electrically conductive plate(s) can form part of or all of the base portion 310 of the article 30, such that the electrically conductive plate(s) not only provide an electrical function as described above, but also form a structural part of the article 30, thereby reducing the part count (i.e. the number of components) of the article 30.

Figure 6 is a flow chart of a method 500 of obtaining information from article control circuitry 38 of an article 30 for use with an aerosol provision device 20 for generating aerosol from aerosol-generating material 32 stored within the article 30. The information corresponds to the article 30. The method begins at step 610, where a second article connector electrically coupled to an aerosol generator 36 of the article 30 is coupled with a corresponding connector on another device, such as the first or second device connectors 24a, 24b of the aerosol provision device 20 or the first article interface connector of the refilling device 40. At step 620 a third article connector coupled to the article control circuitry 38 of the article 30 is coupled with a corresponding connector on the another device, such as the third device connector 24c of the aerosol provision device 20 or the second article interface connector of the refilling device 40. At step 630 power is supplied to the article control circuitry 38 from the another device 20, 40 via the second and third article connectors. The method then ends.

As described above, the present disclosure relates to (but it not limited to) an article 30 for use with an aerosol provision device 20 for generating aerosol from aerosolgenerating material 32 stored within the article 30. The article 30 comprises an aerosol generator 36 for generating aerosol from the aerosol-generating material 32 stored within the article 30. The article 30 also comprises article control circuitry 38 for storing information corresponding to the article 30. The article 30 also comprises a first article connector electrically coupled to the aerosol generator 36, and a second article connector electrically coupled to the aerosol-generator 36, wherein the first and second article connectors are configured to enable power to be provided to the aerosol-generator 36. The article 30 also comprises a third article connector electrically coupled to the article control circuitry 38. The first and second article connectors are arranged to define an opening through which a connector mechanism of the aerosol provision device 20 is able to protrude to electrically couple with the third article connector.

Thus, there has been described an article for use with an aerosol provision device, an aerosol provision device for use with an article, a refilling device for refilling an article and a method of obtaining information from article control circuity of an article.

The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

Aspects of the subject matter described herein are set out in the following numbered paragraphs:

1. An article for use with an aerosol provision device for generating aerosol from aerosol-generating material stored within the article, the article comprising: an aerosol generator for generating aerosol from the aerosol-generating material stored within the article, article control circuitry for storing information corresponding to the article, a first article connector electrically coupled to the aerosol generator, and a second article connector electrically coupled to the aerosol-generator, wherein the first and second article connectors are configured to enable power to be provided to the aerosol-generator; and a third article connector electrically coupled to the article control circuitry, wherein the first and second article connectors are arranged to define an opening through which a connector mechanism of the aerosol provision device is able to protrude to electrically couple with the third article connector.

2. The article according to clause 1 , wherein the third article connector is offset in a longitudinal direction of the article relative to the positions of the first and second article connectors.

3. The article according to clause 1 or clause 2, wherein the first and second article connectors are provided in a common plane that extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent of the article.

4. The article according to any one of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the article comprises a base portion configured to interface with a corresponding article interface region of the aerosol provision device, and the third article connector is positioned further from the base portion than the first and second article connectors.

5. The article according to any one of clauses 1 to 4, wherein the first article connector is arranged to couple to a first terminal of the aerosol generator and the second article connector is configured to couple to a second terminal of the aerosol generator.

6. The article according to any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein the third article connector is coupled to a first terminal of the article control circuitry and wherein a second terminal of the article control circuitry is coupled to the first or second article connector.

7. The article according to any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the third article connector is an electrically conductive plate.

8. The article according to any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the first and second article connectors are each electrically conductive plates.

9. The article according to any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the first and second article connectors form part of the same electrically conductive plate and the opening is through the electrically conductive plate.

10. The article according to any one of clauses 7, 8 or 9, wherein the article comprises a base portion configured to interface with a corresponding article interface region of the aerosol provision device, and wherein the electrically conductive plate forms part of or all of the base portion.

11. The article according to any one of clauses 1 to 10, wherein one or more of the first article connector and the second article connector has a larger surface area than the third article connector.

12. The article according to any one of clauses 1 to 11 , wherein the first article connector and/or the second article connector comprises a magnetic material.

13. The article according to any one of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the article comprises no more than three article connectors. 14. The article according to any one of clauses 1 to 13, wherein the article control circuitry comprises a memory element.

15. An aerosol provision device for use with an article for generating aerosol from aerosol-generating material stored within the article, the device comprising: a power source for supplying power to at least an aerosol generator of the article; device control circuitry for controlling aspects of operation of the aerosol provision device; a first device connector coupled to the power source; a second device connector coupled to the power source; and a third device connector coupled to the device control circuitry; wherein the device control circuitry is configured to use the third device connector to read information from article control circuitry of the article.

16. An aerosol provision system comprising to the article according to any one of clauses 1 to 14 and the aerosol provision device according to clause 15.

17. The aerosol provision system according to clause 16, wherein the first article connector is magnetically coupled to the first device connector and/or the second article connector is magnetically coupled to the second device connector.

18. A refilling device for refilling an article for use with an aerosol provision device for generating aerosol from aerosol-generating material stored within the article, the refilling device comprising: an article interface for receiving at least the article according to any one of clauses 1 to 14; refilling control circuitry configured to read information from article control circuitry of the article; wherein the article interface comprises: a first article interface connector for coupling to a connector of the article coupled to an aerosol generator, and a second article interface connector for coupling to another connector of the article coupled to the article control circuitry, wherein the refilling control circuitry is configured to read information from the article control circuitry using the first and second article interface connectors.

19. A method of obtaining information from article control circuitry of an article for use with an aerosol provision device for generating aerosol from aerosol-generating material stored within the article, the information corresponding to the article, the method comprising: coupling a second article connector electrically coupled to an aerosol generator of the article with a corresponding connector on another device, coupling a third article connector coupled to the article control circuitry of the article with a corresponding connector on the another device, and supplying power to the article control circuitry from the another device via the second and third article connectors.

Claims

2. The article according to claim 1, wherein the third article connector is offset in a longitudinal direction of the article relative to the positions of the first and second article connectors.

3. The article according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first and second article connectors are provided in a common plane that extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent of the article.

4. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the article comprises a base portion configured to interface with a corresponding article interface region of the aerosol provision device, and the third article connector is positioned further from the base portion than the first and second article connectors.

5. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first article connector is arranged to couple to a first terminal of the aerosol generator and the second article connector is configured to couple to a second terminal of the aerosol generator.

6. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the third article connector is coupled to a first terminal of the article control circuitry and wherein a second terminal of the article control circuitry is coupled to the first or second article connector.

7. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the third article connector is an electrically conductive plate.

8. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first and second article connectors are each electrically conductive plates.

9. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first and second article connectors form part of the same electrically conductive plate and the opening is through the electrically conductive plate.

10. The article according to any one of claims 7, 8 or 9, wherein the article comprises a base portion configured to interface with a corresponding article interface region of the aerosol provision device, and wherein the electrically conductive plate forms part of or all of the base portion.

11. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein one or more of the first article connector and the second article connector has a larger surface area than the third article connector.

12. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the first article connector and/or the second article connector comprises a magnetic material.

13. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the article comprises no more than three article connectors.

14. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the article control circuitry comprises a memory element.

16. An aerosol provision system comprising to the article according to any one of claims 1 to 14 and the aerosol provision device according to claim 15.

17. The aerosol provision system according to claim 16, wherein the first article connector is magnetically coupled to the first device connector and/or the second article connector is magnetically coupled to the second device connector.

18. A refilling device for refilling an article for use with an aerosol provision device for generating aerosol from aerosol-generating material stored within the article, the refilling device comprising: an article interface for receiving at least the article according to any one of claims 1 to 14; refilling control circuitry configured to read information from article control circuitry of the article; wherein the article interface comprises: a first article interface connector for coupling to a connector of the article coupled to an aerosol generator, and a second article interface connector for coupling to another connector of the article coupled to the article control circuitry, wherein the refilling control circuitry is configured to read information from the article control circuitry using the first and second article interface connectors.