Modulare device with mechanical, electrical and hermetic coupling, for air management control

Abstract

A three-piece modular aerosol-generating device, including: a mouthpiece including one first connection element at a distal end of the mouthpiece; a functional component including an air inlet and a cavity to receive a consumable; and a main body, the component being arranged between the mouthpiece and the main body and further including one second connection element at a proximal end and one first connection element arranged at a distal end, the main body including one second connection element arranged at a proximal end of the main body, the first and the second connection elements being connectable to each other and providing mechanical, electrical, and hermetic coupling, the first connection elements including an annular recess and the second connection elements including a tubular protrusion, or vice versa, the annular recess being to receive the tubular protrusion, and the annular recess and the tubular protrusion having matching shapes.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A three-piece modular aerosol-generating device, comprising:
 a mouthpiece;   a functional module comprising an air inlet; and   a main body,   wherein the functional module is arranged between the mouthpiece and the main body,   wherein the functional module further comprises a cavity configured to receive a consumable,   wherein the functional module does not comprise a heating element,   wherein the mouthpiece comprises one first connection element arranged at a distal end of the mouthpiece,   wherein the functional module further comprises one second connection element arranged at a proximal end and one first connection element arranged at a distal end of the functional module,   wherein the main body comprises one second connection element arranged at a proximal end of the main body,   wherein the first connection elements are configured to be connectable to the second connection elements,   wherein the first and the second connection elements are configured to provide mechanical, electrical, and hermetic coupling,   wherein the first connection elements comprise an annular recess and the second connection elements comprise a tubular protrusion, or vice versa,   wherein the annular recess is configured to receive the tubular protrusion, and   wherein the annular recess and the tubular protrusion have matching shapes.   
     
     
         30 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 , wherein the air inlet of the functional module is a lateral air inlet. 
     
     
         31 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 , wherein the mouthpiece is configured to be connectable to the functional module and to the main body. 
     
     
         32 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 ,
 wherein the annular recess comprises a first magnetic connection element and the tubular protrusion comprises a second magnetic connection element, and   wherein the first and the second magnetic connection elements are annular.   
     
     
         33 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 32 , wherein the annular recess comprises the first magnetic connection element at a bottom portion of the annular recess and the tubular protrusion comprises the second magnetic connection element at a distal end of the tubular protrusion. 
     
     
         34 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 32 ,
 wherein the first magnetic connection element comprises an annular magnet and the second magnetic connection element comprises a metallic ring, or vice versa, or   wherein both the first and the second magnetic connection elements comprise an annular magnet.   
     
     
         35 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 , wherein the first connection elements comprise first and second electrical contacts and the second connection elements comprise first and second electrical contacts. 
     
     
         36 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 35 ,
 wherein the first and the second electrical contacts are annular contacts on a side surface of the annular recess and a side surface of the tubular protrusion,   wherein the first and the second electrical contacts are positioned at an inner side surface of the annular recess and an inner side surface of the tubular protrusion, or   wherein the first and the second electrical contacts are positioned at an outer side surface of the annular recess and an outer side surface of the tubular protrusion.   
     
     
         37 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 , wherein the mouthpiece, the functional module, and the main body have a cylindrical elongate shape. 
     
     
         38 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 , wherein the mouthpiece, the functional module, and the main body have a same external diameter. 
     
     
         39 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 , wherein the mouthpiece further comprises a cavity configured to receive an aerosol-generating article or a cartridge. 
     
     
         40 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 39 , wherein the mouthpiece further comprises a heating element arranged at least partly around the cavity. 
     
     
         41 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 , wherein the mouthpiece further comprises a distal opening configured to be fluidly connected to the functional module or the main body. 
     
     
         42 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 , wherein the mouthpiece further comprises a central airflow channel. 
     
     
         43 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 , wherein the functional module is hollow. 
     
     
         44 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 , wherein the functional module further comprises a distal opening. 
     
     
         45 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 ,
 wherein the air inlet of the functional module is a lateral air inlet,   wherein the lateral air inlet is disposed between the second and the first connection element and proximal to the second connection element, and   wherein, when the mouthpiece and functional module are assembled, the lateral air inlet provides a fluid connection to the mouthpiece.   
     
     
         46 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 , wherein the functional module further comprises wirings connecting the first and the second electrical contacts of the first connection element of the functional module with the first and the second electrical contacts of a device connection element of the functional module. 
     
     
         47 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 ,
 wherein the air inlet of the functional module is a lateral air inlet,   wherein the cavity is a cylindrical cavity, and   wherein the cavity is fluidly connected to the lateral air inlet.   
     
     
         48 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 ,
 wherein the main body further comprises an air inlet, and   wherein, when the mouthpiece and the main body are assembled without the functional module, the air inlet of the main body provides a fluid connection to the mouthpiece.   
     
     
         49 . The three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 , wherein the main body further comprises a power supply and a controller. 
     
     
         50 . A modular aerosol-generating system comprising the three-piece modular aerosol-generating device according to  claim 29 ; and a consumable. 
     
     
         51 . The modular aerosol-generating system according to  claim 50 ,
 wherein the consumable comprises filtering material, and at least one of a sensorial medium, an aerosol-forming substrate, or a flavourant.   
     
     
         52 . The modular aerosol-generating system according to  claim 50 , wherein the consumable comprises a distal sealing layer, configured to hermetically seal a distal opening of the functional module when the consumable is received within the cavity. 
     
     
         53 . The modular aerosol-generating system according to  claim 50 ,
 wherein the air inlet of the functional module is a lateral air inlet, and   wherein, when the consumable is received within the functional module, the lateral air inlet is the only air inlet of the modular aerosol-generating system.   
     
     
         54 . The modular aerosol-generating system according to  claim 50 , wherein, when the consumable is received within the cavity of the functional module and when the mouthpiece, the functional module, and the main body are assembled, a resistance-to-draw (RTD) of the modular aerosol-generating system is between 10 mm to 65 mm H 2 O.