A consumable for use with an aerosol provision device

Abstract

A consumable for use with an aerosol provision device includes a support and aerosol generating material. The aerosol generating material includes one or more or discrete portions of aerosol generating material and the discrete portions are supported on the support. At least one discrete portion has a detectable characteristic, and the detectable characteristic is indicative of at least one product characteristic of the discrete portion.

1 . A consumable for use with an aerosol provision device, in which the consumable comprises a support and aerosol generating material, in which the aerosol generating material comprises one or more or discrete portions of aerosol generating material,
 the discrete portions are supported on the support,   at least one discrete portion has a detectable characteristic, and   the detectable characteristic is indicative of at least one product characteristic of the discrete portion.   
     
     
         2 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which there are two or more discrete portions, and at least two of the discrete portions each have a detectable characteristic, and
 the detectable characteristic for each discrete portion is indicative of at least one product characteristic of that discrete portion. 
 
     
     
         3 . A consumable according to  claim 2  in which at least one of the discrete portions has a different detectable characteristic to the detectable characteristic of at least one other discrete portion. 
     
     
         4 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which the detectable characteristic of a discrete portion is indicative of at least one product characteristic of two or more discrete portions. 
     
     
         5 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which at least one discrete portion has at least two detectable characteristics, and
 each detectable characteristic is indicative of at least one product characteristic of the discrete portion. 
 
     
     
         6 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which a product characteristic comprises one or both of the composition of the aerosol generating material in the discrete portion, and the volume of the aerosol generating material in the discrete portion. 
     
     
         7 . A consumable according to  claim 6  in which the composition of the aerosol generating material in the discrete portion comprises one or more of an active substance, a flavor or flavorant, and a sensate. 
     
     
         8 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which a detectable characteristic comprises one of shape, dimension, position relative to a reference, position relative to at least one other discrete portion, color in the wavelength range of 390 to 700 nm of the electro-magnetic spectrum, absorption spectrum, optical density, translucency, presence of one or more bio-markers, presence of one or more chemical markers, a magnetic characteristic, pH, or mass. 
     
     
         9 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which at least one discrete portion has a detectable characteristic which comprises a shape that is one of substantially circular, a polygon, a star, a longitudinally extending stripe, a stripe including at least one curve or angle, or a shape that will tessellate, when viewed from a position perpendicular to the surface on which the discrete portion is supported. 
     
     
         10 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which at least one discrete portion has a detectable characteristic which comprises a first shape that is substantially circular, a polygon, a star, a longitudinally extending stripe, a stripe including at least one curve or angle, or a shape that will tessellate when viewed from a position perpendicular to the surface on which the discrete portion is supported, and at least one other discrete portion has a detectable characteristic which comprises a second shape which is a different shape to the first shape and which comprises a shape that is substantially circular, a polygon, a star, a longitudinally extending stripe, a stripe including at least one curve or angle, or a shape that will tessellate when viewed from a position perpendicular to the surface on which the discrete portion is supported. 
     
     
         11 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which a detectable characteristic is selected to be visually identifiable by a user. 
     
     
         12 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which a detectable characteristic is selected to be identifiable by an automated detector, optionally without physical contact between the detector and the discrete portion. 
     
     
         13 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which the aerosol generating material has the form of an aerosol generating film or an aerosol generating gel. 
     
     
         14 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which the support has at least two surfaces, and the discrete portions of the aerosol generating material are all supported on one surface of the support. 
     
     
         15 . A consumable according to  claim 1  to in which at least three of the discrete portions are supported on a surface of the support in a grid pattern. 
     
     
         16 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which the support comprises a susceptor. 
     
     
         17 . A consumable according to  claim 16  in which the susceptor is a sheet material. 
     
     
         18 . A consumable according to  claim 16  in which the support is a laminate, and the susceptor is a layer of that laminate. 
     
     
         19 . A consumable according to  claim 16  in which the susceptor is a metallic foil or metallic film. 
     
     
         20 . A consumable according to  claim 1  in which the support comprises a support material, and the support material comprises one or more of paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. 
     
     
         21 . A consumable according to  claim 20  in which the support is a laminate. 
     
     
         22 . An aerosol provision device for use with a consumable according to  claim 1 , in which the device comprises
 an aerosol generator configured to heat at least one discrete portion of the aerosol generating material supported on the consumable,   a detector configured to detect a detectable characteristic of least one discrete portion on the consumable,   a memory comprising a table relating detectable characteristics of discrete portions and the product characteristics of discrete portions, and   a controller configured to receive the detected detectable characteristics of a discrete portion, lookup the table in the memory, and control the operation of the device on the basis of at least one product characteristic of the discrete portion.   
     
     
         23 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 22  in which the aerosol generator is configured to independently heat at least two discrete portions which are supported at different positions on the consumable, and the detector is configured to detect the detectable characteristics of two or more discrete portions of the aerosol generating material to be heated. 
     
     
         24 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 22  in which the heater assembly is configured to releasably retain a consumable in a heating position, and the detector detects the detectable characteristics of at least one discrete portion supported on the consumable as the consumable is moved into the heating position. 
     
     
         25 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 22  in which the aerosol provision device is configured operate or function differently in association with discrete portions of aerosol generating material which have different product characteristics. 
     
     
         26 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 25  in which the different functions of operation of the aerosol provision device are one or more of: operating at one or more of different heating temperatures, heating different discrete portions for different heating times, operating with different temperature profiles for the heater assembly for different discrete portions, and allowing a different number of puffs to be taken from different discrete portions before the aerosol provision device deems the aerosol generating material to be exhausted or spent. 
     
     
         27 . An aerosol provision system comprising an aerosol provision device according to  claim 22  and a consumable in which the consumable comprises
 a support and aerosol generating material, in which 
 the aerosol generating material comprises one or more or discrete portions of aerosol generating material, 
 the discrete portions are supported on the support, 
 at least one discrete portion has a detectable characteristic, and 
 the detectable characteristic is indicative of at least one product characteristic of the discrete portion. 
 
     
     
         28 . A method of generating aerosol from a consumable in which the consumable comprises a support and aerosol generating material, in which
 the aerosol generating material comprises one or more or discrete portions of aerosol generating material,   the discrete portions are supported on the support,   at least one discrete portion has a detectable characteristic, and   the detectable characteristic is indicative of at least one product characteristic of the discrete portion using an aerosol generating device according to  claim 22  with at least one aerosol generator disposed to heat, but not burn, the consumable in use; wherein at least one aerosol generator is a resistive heater element or a magnetic field generator and a susceptor.