Non-combustible aerosol provision device

Abstract

A non-combustible aerosol provision device for generating an aerosol from aerosol-generating material in a consumable is disclosed. The non-combustible aerosol provision device includes a retention apparatus configured to hold in position, one at a time, each of the plurality of consumables comprising aerosol-generating material of different sizes.

1 . A non-combustible aerosol provision device for generating an aerosol from aerosol-generating material comprised in a consumable, the non-combustible aerosol provision device comprising:
 a retention apparatus configured to hold in position, one at a time, each of a plurality of consumables comprising aerosol-generating material of different sizes.   
     
     
         2 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of consumables has a different width; and   the retention apparatus comprises at least one resilient member which enables the retention apparatus to adopt each of a plurality of configurations in order to hold in position, one at a time, each of the plurality of consumables having a respective width.   
     
     
         3 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the at least one resilient member enables the retention apparatus to define an initial arrangement which provides a gap of an initial size into which each of the plurality of consumables are to be inserted; and   applying a force against the at least one resilient member causes the initial size of the gap to change to accommodate and hold, one at a time, each of the plurality of consumables.   
     
     
         4 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the at least one resilient member comprises two or more resilient members which are deflectable away from the initial arrangement to change a size of the gap; and   the two or more resilient members are configured each simultaneously to contact, one at a time, each of the plurality of consumables in order to hold the consumable in position.   
     
     
         5 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the two or more resilient members are biased towards the initial arrangement; and   the gap provided by the initial arrangement is smaller than a smallest width among the different widths of the consumables of the plurality of consumables.   
     
     
         6 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 each of the two or more resilient members is an arm forming a cantilever spring; and   a consumable retention force of each of the arms forming the cantilever spring is less than 120 grams.   
     
     
         7 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the at least one resilient member is configured to contact, one at a time, each of the plurality of consumables in order to hold the consumable in position;   the at least one resilient member is biased towards the initial arrangement;   the gap provided by the initial arrangement is smaller than a smallest width among the different widths of the consumables of the plurality of consumables;   the retention apparatus comprises a tubular body; and   the at least one resilient member is a resilient protrusion extending from the tubular body into a cavity defined by the tubular body.   
     
     
         8 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the retention apparatus comprises a moveable element which moves between a plurality of positions with respect to an end of the non-combustible aerosol provision device in order to transition the retention apparatus between a corresponding plurality of different initial arrangements;   each of the plurality of different initial arrangements provides a gap of a different initial size into which the consumables are to be inserted; and   the two or more resilient members are biased towards the initial arrangement that corresponds to a current position of the plurality of positions of the moveable element.   
     
     
         9 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the non-combustible aerosol provision device comprises a housing;   each of the plurality of consumables has a different width;   the retention apparatus comprises an orifice which provides an opening into a chamber of the non-combustible aerosol provision device;   a central axis of the orifice is at a non-zero angle relative to a central axis of the chamber in an initial arrangement; and   the retention apparatus is movably attached to the housing, and moving the retention apparatus relative to the housing causes the angle to change such that a size of the opening changes.   
     
     
         10 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the retention apparatus comprises at least one resilient member which enables the retention apparatus to adopt each of a plurality of configurations in order to hold in position the consumables having respective widths;   the opening provided by the initial arrangement is smaller than a smallest width among the widths of the consumables of the plurality of consumables;   the at least one resilient member biases the retention apparatus towards the initial arrangement; and   applying a force against the at least one resilient member causes the angle to change such that the size of the opening into the chamber increases.   
     
     
         11 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the non-combustible aerosol provision device comprises a housing;   each of the plurality of consumables has a different width;   the retention apparatus further comprises an end cap that is movably attached to the housing of the non-combustible aerosol provision device;   the end cap comprises a first opening of a first size and a second opening of a second size;   in a first configuration of the retention apparatus, the first opening is aligned with a chamber of the non-combustible aerosol provision device; and   in a second configuration of the retention apparatus, the second opening is aligned with the chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the retention apparatus comprises one or more holding elements configured to hold the retention apparatus in a current configuration; and   the retention apparatus is configured to transition between the first configuration and the second configuration by pivoting relative to the housing of the non-combustible aerosol provision device.   
     
     
         13 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the non-combustible aerosol provision device comprises a housing;   the at least one resilient member is a coil spring;   a fixed end of the coil spring is fixedly attached to the housing of the non-combustible aerosol provision device;   a moveable end of the coil spring is moveably attached to the housing of the non-combustible aerosol provision device;   the gap is defined by a center of the coil spring; and   a size of the gap is changed by moving the moveable end relative to the fixed end.   
     
     
         14 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the non-combustible aerosol provision device comprises a housing;   the two or more resilient members are circumferentially arranged in order to define the gap therebetween;   the two or more resilient members are biased towards the initial arrangement and the gap provided by the initial arrangement is larger than a largest width among the respective widths of the consumables of the plurality of consumables; and   the retention apparatus comprises a restrictive member slidably attached to the housing of the non-combustible aerosol provision device, wherein the restrictive member is configured to be slid relative to the housing of the non-combustible aerosol provision device in order to urge the two or more resilient members against the bias to reduce a size of the gap.   
     
     
         15 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the non-combustible aerosol provision device comprises a housing;   each of the plurality of consumables has a different width;   the retention apparatus defines an initial arrangement which provides a gap of an initial size into which the plurality of consumables are to be inserted one at a time;   the retention apparatus comprises a pivotable member pivotably attached to the housing such that a pivoting axis of the pivotable member is substantially aligned with a center of a chamber of the non-combustible aerosol provision device throughout a length of the chamber; and   a size of the gap is changed by pivoting the pivotable member relative to the housing.   
     
     
         16 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 the retention apparatus comprises two or more resilient wires which enable the retention apparatus to adopt each of a plurality of configurations in order to hold in position, one at a time, the plurality of consumables each having a respective width,   wherein:
 a first end of each of the two or more resilient wires is fixedly attached to the pivotable member; 
 a second end of each of the two or more resilient wires is fixedly attached with respect to the housing of the non-combustible aerosol provision device; 
 the two or more resilient wires are configured each simultaneously to contact, one at a time, each of the plurality of consumables in order to hold the plurality of consumables in position; and 
 applying a force against the two or more resilient wires causes the two or more resilient wires to be deflected away from the initial arrangement to change the size of the gap to accommodate and hold, one at a time, each of the plurality of consumables. 
   
     
     
         17 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 the pivotable member is a cam;   the retention apparatus comprises two or more gripper members, each of the two or more gripper members slidably connected to the cam,   wherein:
 the two or more gripper members are disposed circumferentially around the gap so as to define the size of the gap and configured each simultaneously to contact, one at a time, each of the plurality of consumables in order to hold the plurality of consumables in position; and 
 the two or more gripper members are engaged with the cam such that pivoting the cam causes the two or more gripper members to move towards and away from a center of the gap to change the size of the gap. 
   
     
     
         18 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the retention apparatus comprises an opening comprising a tapered internal surface; and   the at least one resilient member comprises a resilient ring,   wherein:
 a respective consumable of the plurality of consumables is held in position by the retention apparatus when the resilient ring is sandwiched between the respective consumable and the tapered internal surface at a position along the tapered internal surface depending upon a width of the respective consumable. 
   
     
     
         19 . The non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein the retention apparatus comprises a region adapted to receive each of a first retention member and a second different retention member, wherein a user can select which one of the first retention member or the second different retention member is received in the region at any given time wherein, when the first retention member is installed in the region the first retention member is configured to hold a consumable of a first given size in position for use in the non-combustible aerosol provision device, and when the second different retention member is installed in the region the second different retention member is configured to hold a consumable of a second given size in position for use in the non-combustible aerosol provision device. 
     
     
         20 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A non-combustible aerosol provision system comprising:
 the non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 ; and   one or more consumables comprising aerosol-generating material.