Vapour Generating Device

Abstract

A vapour generating device includes an air inlet, a vapour outlet, an airflow passage extending between the air inlet and the vapour outlet, and a vaporizing unit for vaporizing a vapour generating substance for delivery to a user through the airflow passage via the vapour outlet. The vapour generating device includes a rotary airflow regulator and a rotational biasing member. The rotary airflow regulator is positioned in the airflow passage and configured for rotation in a first direction by an airflow through the airflow passage from the air inlet to the vapour outlet resulting from a user inhalation. The rotational biasing member is configured to apply a torque to the rotary airflow regulator in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and is configured to prevent rotation of the rotary airflow regulator in the first direction when the applied torque exceeds a threshold value corresponding to the user inhalation.

1 . A vapour generating device comprising:
 an air inlet;   a vapour outlet;   an airflow passage extending between the air inlet and the vapour outlet;   a vaporizing unit for vaporizing a vapour generating substance to generate a vapour for delivery to a user through the airflow passage via the vapour outlet;   a rotary airflow regulator positioned in the airflow passage and configured for rotation in a first direction by an airflow through the airflow passage from the air inlet to the vapour outlet resulting from a user inhalation; and   a rotational biasing member configured to apply a torque to the rotary airflow regulator in a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the rotational biasing member is configured to prevent rotation of the rotary airflow regulator in the first direction resulting from the user inhalation when the applied torque exceeds a threshold value corresponding to the user inhalation.   
     
     
         2 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotational biasing member is configured for movement from a first state to a second state by the user inhalation and the applied torque exceeds the threshold value in the second state. 
     
     
         3 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 2 , wherein the rotational biasing member is coupled to the rotary airflow regulator and is configured for movement from the first state to the second state by rotation of the rotary airflow regulator resulting from the user inhalation. 
     
     
         4 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotational biasing member is configured to apply said torque to the rotary airflow regulator in the second direction opposite to the torque applied to the rotary airflow regulator resulting from the user inhalation. 
     
     
         5 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotational biasing member is configured to rotate the rotary airflow regulator in the second direction in the absence of the torque applied thereto in the first direction resulting from the user inhalation. 
     
     
         6 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotary airflow regulator is positioned upstream of the vaporizing unit in an airflow direction through the airflow passage from the air inlet towards the vapour outlet. 
     
     
         7 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotary airflow regulator is positioned downstream of the vaporizing unit in an airflow direction through the airflow passage from the air inlet towards the vapour outlet. 
     
     
         8 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotary airflow regulator comprises a paddle wheel having an axle. 
     
     
         9 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 8 , wherein the rotational biasing member is a spirally wound torsion spring. 
     
     
         10 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 9 , wherein the spirally wound torsion spring is coupled to the axle to apply said torque to the paddle wheel. 
     
     
         11 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 2 , wherein the vapour generating device includes a pretension mechanism configured to apply a pretension force to the rotational biasing member when in the first state, such that the pretensioned rotational biasing member is configured to apply a torque to the rotary airflow regulator in the second direction which is less than the threshold value. 
     
     
         12 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 11 , wherein the pretension mechanism is user adjustable to allow adjustment of the pretension force. 
     
     
         13 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 12 , wherein the pretension mechanism comprises a friction guide in which the rotational biasing member is mounted and a user adjustable dial for applying a rotational pretension force to the rotational biasing member.