Electronic smoking article and associated method

Abstract

Smoking articles, and methods for forming such smoking articles, such as an electronic smoking article, are provided. An exemplary smoking article comprises a control body portion having a control body engagement end, and having a first control component therein. A cartridge body portion includes a cartridge body engagement end configured to removably engage the control body engagement end of the control body portion. The cartridge body portion further includes a consumable arrangement comprising at least an aerosol precursor composition and at least one heating element operably engaged therewith, and a second control component. At least the consumable arrangement is configured to be in communication with the first control component upon engagement between the cartridge body and control body portions.

1 . A smoking article comprising:
 a control body including a control body engagement portion, a first control component, and at least one indicator; and   a cartridge body including a cartridge body engagement portion, a reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition, an aerosolization component powerable to aerosolize the aerosol precursor composition to form an aerosol, and a second control component;   wherein the control body engagement portion is configured to removably engage the cartridge body engagement portion so that, responsive to engagement of the control body with the cartridge body, the first control component and the second control component communicate to:
 one or both of validate that the cartridge body is authentic and assess an amount of the aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir; and 
 cause the at least one indicator to produce indicia that is one or both of based on whether the cartridge body is validated as authentic and based on the amount of the aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir. 
   
     
     
         2 . The smoking article of  claim 1 , wherein the second control component is further configured to provide authentication indicia to the first control component, and the first control component is configured to validate the cartridge body is authentic based on the authentication indicia. 
     
     
         3 . The smoking article of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one indicator comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs). 
     
     
         4 . The smoking article of  claim 1 , wherein the first control component is further configured to cause the at least one indicator to produce indicia indicating the level of the aerosol precursor composition remaining. 
     
     
         5 . The smoking article of  claim 4 , the first control component is further configured to cause the at least one indicator to produce indicia indicating that the amount of the aerosol precursor composition is below a threshold value. 
     
     
         6 . The smoking article of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one indicator comprises a plurality of LEDs, and the first control component is configured to cause one or more of the plurality of LEDs to be lit in response to the cartridge body being validated as authentic. 
     
     
         7 . The smoking article of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one indicator comprises a plurality of LEDs, and the first control component is configured to cause one or more of the plurality of LEDs to be lit based on the amount of the aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir. 
     
     
         8 . The smoking article of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one indicator comprises one or both of a sound indicator and a tactile indicator. 
     
     
         9 . The smoking article of  claim 1 , wherein the cartridge body further comprises a memory and a sensor operably engaged with the reservoir and configured to determine the amount of aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir. 
     
     
         10 . The smoking article of  claim 9 , wherein the second control component is configured to poll or monitor the sensor to determine the amount of aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir based on readings from the sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The smoking article of  claim 10 , wherein the second control component is configured to store the amount of aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir in the memory. 
     
     
         12 . The smoking article of  claim 1 , wherein the control body further comprises control circuitry configured to direct power from an electrical power source to the aerosolization component to aerosolize the aerosol precursor composition in response to the cartridge body being validated as authentic. 
     
     
         13 . The smoking article of  claim 12 , wherein the control body further includes a sensor configured to detect user demand on the smoking article, and
 wherein the control circuitry is configured to direct power from the electrical power source to the aerosolization component only in response to the cartridge body being validated as authentic, and in response to the user demand.   
     
     
         14 . A control body for a smoking article, the control body comprising:
 a first control component;   a control body engagement portion configured to removably engage a cartridge body engagement portion of a cartridge body, the cartridge body including a reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition, an aerosolization component powerable to aerosolize the aerosol precursor composition to form an aerosol, and a second control component; and   at least one indicator;   wherein, responsive to engagement of the control body with the cartridge body, the first control component is configured to:
 one or both of validate that the cartridge body is authentic and assess an amount of the aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir; and 
 cause the at least one indicator to produce indicia that is one or both of based on whether the cartridge body is validated as authentic and based on the amount of the aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir. 
   
     
     
         15 . The control body of  claim 14 , wherein the first control component is further configured to receive authentication indicia from the second control component, and the first control component is configured to validate the cartridge body is authentic based on the authentication indicia. 
     
     
         16 . The control body of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one indicator comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs); and
 wherein the first control component is further configured to cause the at least one indicator to produce indicia indicating the amount of the aerosol precursor composition.   
     
     
         17 . The control body of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one indicator comprises a plurality of LEDs, and the first control component is configured to cause one or more of the plurality of LEDs to be lit in response to the cartridge body being validated as authentic. 
     
     
         18 . The control body of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one indicator comprises a plurality of LEDs, and the first control component is configured to cause one or more of the plurality of LEDs to be lit based on the amount of the aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir. 
     
     
         19 . The control body of  claim 14 , wherein the control body further comprises control circuitry configured to direct power from an electrical power source to the aerosolization component to aerosolize the aerosol precursor composition in response to the cartridge body being validated as authentic. 
     
     
         20 . A cartridge body for a smoking article, the cartridge body comprising
 a cartridge body engagement portion configured to removably engage a control body;   a control component;   a reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition; and   an aerosolization component powerable to aerosolize the aerosol precursor composition to form an aerosol;   wherein, responsive to engagement of the cartridge with the control body, the control component is configured to communicate with a control component of the control body so as to:
 one or both of validate that the cartridge body is authentic and communicate an amount of the aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir; and 
 cause the control component of the control body to activate at least one indicator to produce indicia that is one or both of based on whether the cartridge body is validated as authentic and based on the level or amount of the aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir.