Aerosol-generating article with integral heating element

Abstract

There is provided an aerosol-generating article including a tobacco plug, a mouthpiece positioned downstream of the tobacco plug, and a resistive heating element positioned within the tobacco plug. The resistive heating element includes an upstream portion protruding from an upstream end of the tobacco plug, wherein the upstream portion of the resistive heating element includes at least two heater electrical contacts configured to receive a supply of electrical energy from at least two device electrical contacts when the aerosol-generating article including the resistive heating element is inserted into an aerosol-generating device.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An aerosol-generating article, comprising:
 a tobacco plug;   a mouthpiece disposed downstream of the tobacco plug; and   a resistive heating element disposed within the tobacco plug and comprising an upstream portion protruding from an upstream end of the tobacco plug, the upstream portion of the resistive heating element comprising at least two heater electrical contacts configured to receive a supply of electrical energy from at least two device electrical contacts when the aerosol-generating article comprising the resistive heating element is inserted into an aerosol-generating device.   
     
     
         17 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the resistive heating element further comprises an electrically resistive heating track disposed on an elongate electrically insulating substrate, and   wherein the electrically resistive heating track is electrically connected to the at least two heater electrical contacts.   
     
     
         18 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 17 , wherein the elongate electrically insulating substrate is shaped in the form of one of a rod, a needle, a pin, a blade, or a cone. 
     
     
         19 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein an upstream portion of the resistive heating element comprises a disc of electrically insulating material,   wherein the disc comprises a downstream face abutting an upstream end of the tobacco plug,   wherein the elongate electrically insulating substrate extends downstream from the downstream face of the disc, and   wherein the disc further comprises an upstream face on which the at least two heater electrical contacts are disposed.   
     
     
         20 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 19 ,
 wherein the disc and the tobacco plug both have a substantially circular cross-sectional shape, and   wherein a diameter of the disc is substantially the same as a diameter of the tobacco plug.   
     
     
         21 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , further comprising an article securing element configured to interact with a device securing element on the aerosol-generating device to releasably retain the aerosol-generating article within the aerosol-generating device. 
     
     
         22 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the at least two heater electrical contacts and/or at least one of the at least two device electrical contacts comprises a magnetized material configured to releasably retain the at least two heater electrical contacts in electrical contact with corresponding device electrical contacts when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the aerosol-generating device. 
     
     
         23 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the aerosol-generating article has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape centered on a longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article,   wherein the at least two heater electrical contacts comprise a first heater electrical contact having an annular shape centered on the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article and a second heater electrical contact having a circular or an annular shape centered on the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article,   wherein an outer diameter of the second heater electrical contact is smaller than an inner diameter of the first heater electrical contact, and   wherein the second heater electrical contact is disposed within the first heater electrical contact.   
     
     
         24 . An electrically heated aerosol-generating system, comprising:
 an aerosol-generating article comprising:
 a tobacco plug, 
 a mouthpiece disposed downstream of the tobacco plug, and 
 a resistive heating element disposed within the tobacco plug and comprising an upstream portion protruding from an upstream end of the tobacco plug, the upstream portion of the resistive heating element comprising at least two heater electrical contacts; and 
   an aerosol-generating device comprising:
 a tubular housing comprising a cavity configured to receive at least an upstream portion of the aerosol-generating article, 
 a supply of electrical energy within the tubular housing, and 
 at least two device electrical contacts connected to the supply of electrical energy, 
   wherein the at least two device electrical contacts are disposed at an upstream end of the cavity and are configured to contact the at least two heater electrical contacts when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the cavity to transfer electrical energy from the supply of electrical energy to the resistive heating element, and   wherein the at least two heater electrical contacts are configured to receive a supply of electrical energy from at least two device electrical contacts when the aerosol-generating article comprising the resistive heating element is inserted into the aerosol-generating device.   
     
     
         25 . The electrically heated aerosol-generating system according to  claim 24 ,
 wherein the at least two device electrical contacts comprise a first device electrical contact spaced apart from a second device electrical contact,   wherein the aerosol-generating article has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape centered on a longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article,   wherein the at least two heater electrical contacts comprise a first heater electrical contact having an annular shape centered on the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article and a second heater electrical contact having a circular or an annular shape centered on the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article,   wherein an outer diameter of the second heater electrical contact is smaller than an inner diameter of the first heater electrical contact, and   wherein the second heater electrical contact is disposed within the first heater electrical contact.   
     
     
         26 . A method of manufacturing an aerosol-generating article, comprising:
 providing a tobacco plug and a mouthpiece;   wrapping a wrapper around at least a portion of the tobacco plug and the mouthpiece to secure the mouthpiece to a downstream end of the tobacco plug;   providing a resistive heating element comprising an electrically resistive heating track on an elongate electrically insulating substrate, and at least two heater electrical contacts configured to receive a supply of electrical energy and being connected to the electrically resistive heating track; and   inserting at least a portion of the elongate electrically insulating substrate into the tobacco plug at an upstream end of the tobacco plug, the upstream portion of the resistive heating element protruding from the upstream end of the tobacco plug,   wherein the upstream portion of the resistive heating element comprises the at least two heater electrical contacts configured to receive the supply of electrical energy.   
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26 ,
 wherein the elongate electrically insulating substrate is shaped in the form of one of a rod, a needle, a pin, a blade, or a cone, and   wherein the step of inserting at least the portion of the elongate electrically insulating substrate into the tobacco plug further comprises inserting the rod, the needle, the pin, the blade, or the cone into the tobacco rod.   
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 26 ,
 wherein the upstream portion of the resistive heating element comprises a disc of electrically insulating material,   wherein the disc comprises an upstream face on which the at least two heater electrical contacts are disposed and a downstream face from which the electrically insulating substrate extends, and   wherein the step of inserting at least the portion of the elongate electrically insulating substrate into the tobacco plug further comprises inserting the elongate electrically insulating substrate until the downstream face of the disc abuts the upstream end of the tobacco plug.   
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 ,
 wherein the disc and the tobacco plug both have a substantially circular cross-sectional shape, and   wherein a diameter of the disc is substantially the same as a diameter of the tobacco plug.   
     
     
         30 . The A method of manufacturing a tobacco plug, comprising:
 positioning a resistive heating element on a forming belt, the resistive heating element comprising at least two heater electrical contacts configured to receive a supply of electrical energy;   depositing a tobacco shiny onto the forming belt;   drying the tobacco slurry to form a dried tobacco sheet comprising the resistive heating element; and   forming the dried tobacco sheet comprising the resistive heating element into a tobacco plug, the resistive heating element positioned within the tobacco plug and comprising an upstream portion protruding from an upstream end of the tobacco plug, wherein the upstream portion of the resistive heating element comprises the least two heater electrical contacts configured to receive the supply of electrical energy.