Aerosol provision systems and methods

Abstract

Described is an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the system including an optical arrangement provided by the system and including at least one irradiative light source, the optical arrangement configured to generate a plurality of light beams from the at least one irradiative light source; an aerosol-generating material contained within the system; wherein the optical arrangement is configured to direct the plurality of light beams to intersect at a spatial point within the system, the spatial point located at or adjacent to at least a part of the aerosol-generating material or a target material.

1 . An aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the system comprising:
 an optical arrangement provided by the aerosol provision system and comprising at least one irradiative light source, the optical arrangement configured to generate a plurality of light beams from the at least one irradiative light source; and   an aerosol-generating material contained within the aerosol provision system;   wherein the optical arrangement is configured to direct the plurality of light beams to intersect at a spatial point within the aerosol provision system, the spatial point located at or adjacent to at least a part of at least one of the aerosol-generating material or a target material.   
     
     
         2 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol provision system is configured such that a combined intensity of the plurality of light beams at the spatial point is sufficient to cause generation of an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material and wherein an intensity of each individual light beam of the plurality of light beams is less than the combined intensity at the spatial point. 
     
     
         3 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 1  wherein the optical arrangement comprises at least one beam splitter configured to split a light beam emitted from the at least one irradiative light source and incident on the at least one beam splitter to provide at least two light beams of the plurality of light beams each having different propagation directions. 
     
     
         4 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 3 , wherein the optical arrangement comprises a single irradiative light source and the plurality of light beams arranged to intersect at the spatial point within the aerosol provision system are generated via the at least one beam splitter. 
     
     
         5 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 1 , wherein the optical arrangement comprises a plurality of irradiative light sources, wherein each of the plurality of irradiative light sources is configured to generate a light beam of the plurality of light beams. 
     
     
         6 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of irradiative light sources are arranged such that emitted light beams from each of the plurality of irradiative light sources are directed into a receptacle with propagation directions which are non-parallel or anti-parallel with respect to each other. 
     
     
         7 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 1 , wherein the optical arrangement comprises one or more optical elements, wherein each of the one or more optical elements is configured to change a propagation direction of one or more of the plurality of light beams within the optical arrangement. 
     
     
         8 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 7 , wherein the optical elements are one or more of a mirror, a lens, a diffraction grating, a prism, or an optical fiber. 
     
     
         9 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol provision system comprises:
 a receptacle for accommodating the aerosol-generating material and for receiving light emitted in use by the optical arrangement;   wherein the optical arrangement is arranged such that propagation directions of the plurality of light beams received into the receptacle intersect at a spatial point within the receptacle.   
     
     
         10 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 9 , wherein the optical arrangement is arranged such that the propagation directions of each of the plurality of light beams is incident with a wall of the receptacle after passing through the spatial point, in the absence of any intermediary material. 
     
     
         11 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 9 , wherein the optical arrangement is arranged such that the propagation directions of the plurality of light beams received into the receptacle are in a plane perpendicular to an airflow direction through the receptacle in normal use. 
     
     
         12 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 9 , wherein the receptacle comprises a container comprising the aerosol-generating material, the container replaceably attached to a control part of the aerosol provision system. 
     
     
         13 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 12 , wherein control circuitry is arranged to detect whether the container is attached to the control part of the aerosol provision system or not, and when the control circuitry determines the container is not connected to the control part, the control circuitry is configured to prevent activation of the at least one light source of the optical arrangement. 
     
     
         14 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 9 , wherein the receptacle comprises a chamber of the aerosol provision system fluidly connected to an air inlet. 
     
     
         15 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol provision system is configured to position the aerosol-generating material at the spatial point. 
     
     
         16 . The aerosol provision system of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating material is a liquid and the aerosol provision system comprises a wick for wicking the liquid to the spatial point. 
     
     
         17 . A receptacle for an aerosol provision system configured to receive a plurality of light beams from the aerosol provision system comprising an optical arrangement configured to generate the plurality of light beams, the receptacle comprising:
 an aerosol-generating material contained within the receptacle;   wherein the receptacle is configured to direct the plurality of light beams to intersect at a spatial point within the receptacle, the spatial point located at or adjacent to at least a part of at least one of the aerosol-generating material or a target material.   
     
     
         18 . An aerosol generator apparatus for an aerosol provision system for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the aerosol generator apparatus comprising:
 an optical arrangement comprising at least one irradiative light source, the optical arrangement configured to generate a plurality of light beams from the at least one irradiative light source;   wherein the optical arrangement is configured to direct the plurality of light beams to intersect at a spatial point, the spatial point located at or adjacent to at least a part of at least one of an aerosol-generating material or a target material.   
     
     
         19 . Means for generating an aerosol, the means comprising:
 optical means configured to generate a plurality of light beams; and   an aerosol-generating material;   wherein the optical means are configured to direct the plurality of light beams to intersect at a spatial point within a system, the spatial point located at or adjacent to at least a part of at least one of the aerosol-generating material or target material.   
     
     
         20 . A method of generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material by an aerosol provision system, the method comprising:
 providing an optical arrangement in the aerosol provision system, the optical arrangement configured to generate a plurality of light beams;   providing an aerosol-generating material contained within the aerosol provision system, wherein the optical arrangement is configured to direct the plurality of light beams to intersect at a spatial point within the aerosol provision system, the spatial point located at or adjacent to at least a part of at least one of the aerosol precursor material or a target material; and   generating the plurality of light beams.