Ejector of consumables incorporating air management

Abstract

An aerosol-generating device for an aerosol-generating article including an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the aerosol-generating device including: a housing including a cavity and an aerosol outlet, the cavity to receive the aerosol-generating article; a heating assembly configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article received in the cavity to generate an aerosol; an air flow path extending within the aerosol-generating device downstream from the cavity to the aerosol outlet and being configured to convey an air flow entrained with aerosol; and an ejector coupled to the housing and being configured to urge the aerosol-generating article received in the cavity out from the cavity, the ejector defining at least part of the air flow path and being further configured to modify the air flow entrained with aerosol along the air flow path. An aerosol delivery system including the aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article is also provided.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An aerosol-generating device for an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate, the aerosol-generating device comprising:
 a housing comprising a cavity and an aerosol outlet, the cavity being configured to receive the aerosol-generating article;   a heating assembly configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article received in the cavity to generate an aerosol;   an air flow path extending within the aerosol-generating device downstream from the cavity to the aerosol outlet and being configured to convey an air flow entrained with aerosol; and   an ejector coupled to the housing and being configured to urge the aerosol-generating article received in the cavity out from the cavity, the ejector defining at least part of the air flow path and being further configured to modify the air flow entrained with aerosol along the air flow path.   
     
     
         17 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 16 , wherein the ejector is further configured to promote mixing of the air flow entrained with aerosol along the air flow path. 
     
     
         18 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 16 , wherein the ejector is further configured to change at least one of speed and direction of the air flow entrained with aerosol along the air flow path. 
     
     
         19 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 16 , wherein the ejector comprises a venturi positioned to form part of the air flow path. 
     
     
         20 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the housing is an elongate housing having a longitudinal axis, and   wherein the cavity, the ejector, and the aerosol outlet are sequentially arranged along the longitudinal axis of the housing between a distal end and a mouth end of the housing.   
     
     
         21 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 20 , further comprising a cover coupled to the housing to cover an access opening to the cavity, the cover being moveable relative to the housing between a closed position and an open position, the coupling of the cover to the housing being configured to bias the cover in the closed position. 
     
     
         22 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 16 , wherein the ejector is slidably moveable relative to the housing to urge the aerosol-generating article, when received in the cavity, out from the cavity. 
     
     
         23 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 22 , further comprising a slidable interface accessible from outside of the housing and being slidable over a surface of the housing, the slidable interface being coupled to the ejector such that motion of the interface over the surface of the housing provides a corresponding sliding motion of the ejector relative to the housing to urge the aerosol-generating article, when received in the cavity, out from the cavity. 
     
     
         24 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 16 , wherein the heating assembly is arranged along and around a longitudinal axis of the cavity. 
     
     
         25 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 24 , wherein the heating assembly is further configured to be air-permeable so as to define a transverse air flow path across the heating assembly inwards into the cavity. 
     
     
         26 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 24 ,
 wherein the heating assembly comprises a plurality of heating segments, each of the plurality of heating segments being sequentially arranged along the longitudinal axis of the cavity, and   the aerosol-generating device further comprising control electronics configured to selectively activate one or more of the plurality of heating segments so as to heat one or more corresponding regions of the aerosol-generating article when received in the cavity.   
     
     
         27 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 24 ,
 wherein the heating assembly is an inductive heating assembly, and   wherein said each of the plurality of heating segments comprises a circumferential arrangement of one or more inductors around the cavity.   
     
     
         28 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 27 , wherein said each of the plurality of heating segments further comprises a circumferential arrangement of one or more susceptor elements around the cavity, the circumferential arrangement of one or more susceptor elements being disposed inwards from the corresponding circumferential arrangement of one or more inductors. 
     
     
         29 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 26 , wherein the control electronics are further configured to sequentially activate different ones or groups of the plurality of heating segments over a predetermined period of time, progressing along a length of the cavity. 
     
     
         30 . An aerosol delivery system, comprising:
 an aerosol-generating device according to  claim 16 ; and   an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate, the aerosol-generating article configured to be received in the cavity of the aerosol-generating device.