Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to an aerosol generating device, and more particularly to an aerosol generating device with a determination unit able to determine if a predetermined condition for locking/ unlocking the device is met, and an operating method thereof.

Technical Background

The popularity and use of reduced-risk or modified-risk devices (also known as vaporizers) have grown rapidly in recent years as an alternative to the use of traditional tobacco products. Various devices and systems are available that heat or warm, rather than burn, an aerosol generating substrate to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user.

A commonly available reduced-risk or modified-risk device is an aerosol generating device, or the so-called heat-not-burn device. Devices of this type generate an aerosol or vapour by heating an aerosol generating substrate, for instance comprised in an aerosol generating article such as a heated tobacco stick, to a temperature typically in the range of 15O°C to 300°C, in a heating compartment. Heating the aerosol generating substrate to a temperature within this range, without burning or combusting the aerosol generating substrate, generates a vapour which typically cools and condenses to form an aerosol for inhalation by a user of the device.

It is a long-standing demand to make sure that only certain persons can access the aerosol generating device. Typically, certain checking mechanisms, e.g. a parental lock, are arranged so as to ensure, e.g., that only the owner or the user can use the aerosol generating product. A slide button is usually set on the housing of the devices as a lock. However, it is still unsafe as it is easy to unlock the device with just a button. Another problem is that having such an external button usually sacrifices its insulation property. Generally, it is required to provide a compact design for the outer surface of the aerosol generating device. Other applications, such as locking/ unlocking the device by connecting it to an external terminal, e.g., mobile phone, are still not reliable. It is also desirable to have an arrangement that is not complex and thus user-friendly.

There is, therefore, a need to provide an aerosol generating device which mitigates these drawbacks and has the desired advantages.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol generating device, comprising:

- a receiving chamber configured to receive a consumable,

- a determination unit configured to measure a rotation of the consumable in the receiving chamber and determine if the rotation of the consumable meets a predetermined condition, and

- a processing unit configured to perform an operation locking/ unlocking the device, if the predetermined condition is met.

Locking/ unlocking an aerosol generating device by rotating a consumable in the receiving chamber by a user enables a secure, reliable and easy way of controlling the device. This provides a user with more secure and simple control over the device using only a single user input, i.e., manipulation of the consumable by just rotating it in the receiving chamber. Such an arrangement negates the requirement to provide additional buttons or different ways of pressing an existing button or buttons to provide locking or unlocking commands, or the needs of connecting to an external entity for this function. The device is therefore less complex, more secure, discrete, reliable and more user-friendly.

According to a second aspect, in the previous aspect, the determination unit comprises a measuring unit configured to measure a rotation of the consumable in the receiving chamber by a user; and a checking unit configured to determine or check if the rotation of the consumable meets a predetermined condition.

According to a third aspect, in any one of the previous aspects, the determination unit is configured to measure the rotation by measuring a degree of the rotation of the consumable in the receiving chamber and/or detecting if the rotation is clockwise/ anticlockwise.

According to a fourth aspect, in any one of the previous aspects, the determination unit is configured to determine if the rotation of the consumable meets a predetermined condition defined by a predetermined rotational movement or a set of different predetermined rotational movements.

With this arrangement, the locking/ unlocking process can be easier to implement yet harder to crack and thus be secure, since the condition for locking and unlocking can be more complex.

According to a fifth aspect, in any one of the previous aspects, the determination unit comprises a rotary-combination-lock-like mechanism that is rotated along with the rotation of the consumable.

This arrangement makes the locking or unlocking mechanism a reliable mechanical structure.

According to a sixth aspect, in any one of the previous aspects, the determination unit comprises:

- a primary rotation member arranged such that, when a consumable is in the receiving chamber, the mechanism is in touch with the consumable and rotates with the movement of the consumable,

- an engagement member, and

- multiple secondary rotation members mechanically connected with the primary rotation member, wherein each of the secondary rotation members having a slot which can engage with the engagement member, wherein the secondary rotation members at least partially rotate with the main primary rotation member, and the slots of the secondary rotation members are aligned if the rotation of the consumable meets the predetermined condition, the engagement member engages with the slots and triggers the processing unit for the operation locking/ unlocking the device. According to a seventh aspect, in the previous aspect, the determination unit comprises:

- a light unit,

- a photodetector configured to detect the light from the light unit only when all of the slots are engaged with the engagement member, wherein the determination unit triggers the processing unit to perform an operation locking/unlocking the device, if the photodetector detects the light from the light unit.

According to an eighth aspect, in the previous aspect, each of the secondary rotation member has a light-conductive part or an additional slot, wherein the light-conductive parts or the additional slots configured to be aligned, if all of the slots are engaged with the engagement member, and wherein the photodetector configured to detect the light from the light unit via the aligned light-conductive parts or the aligned additional slots.

According to a ninth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the determination unit comprises a metal detector configured to measure an angle and/ or an orientation of a susceptor in the consumable and determine if the angle and/ or the orientation of the consumable meets the predetermined condition.

This arrangement provides another robust mechanism for determining how the consumable is rotated in the receiving chamber based on a readily detectable metal susceptor.

According to a tenth aspect, in the previous aspect, the determination unit comprises multiple metal detectors configured to measure a rotational angle and/or a rotational orientation of a susceptor in the consumable, and/or detect if the rotation of the susceptor of the consumable is clockwise/ anticlockwise and determine if the rotation of the susceptor of the consumable meets the predetermined condition.

According to an eleventh aspect, in the ninth or tenth aspect, the aerosol generating device further comprises an induction coil configured to inductively heat the susceptor. According to a twelfth aspect, in any one of the previous aspects, the aerosol generating device further comprises an indicator configured to indicate a degree and/or an orientation of the rotation of the consumable to a user.

With this arrangement, the user can rotate the consumable more precisely and it makes locking/ unlocking the device easier.

According to a thirteenth aspect, in the previous aspect, the aerosol generating device has an opening of the receiving chamber and an outer surface around the opening of the receiving chamber, wherein the indicator comprises multiple light units arranged on the outer surface, and the multiple light units are configured to illuminate so as to indicate a degree and/or orientation of the rotational movement of the consumable.

With this arrangement, the user can easily understand the degree and the orientation of the rotation of the consumable. This facilitates the process of locking/ unlocking the device.

According to a fourteenth aspect, in the previous aspect, the processing unit is also configured to perform a heating process of the consumables, and the multiple light units are configured to also notify a progress of the heating process.

According to a fifteenth aspect, in the thirteenth or fourteenth aspect, the aerosol generating device has an opening of the receiving chamber and an outer surface around the opening of the receiving chamber, wherein the indicator comprises marks printed on the outer surface to illustrate a degree of the movement of the consumable.

According to a sixteenth aspect, in the previous aspect, the indicator comprises a haptic unit and/or a sound unit configured to provide a haptic and/or a sound feedback based on the degree of the movement of the consumable.

According to a seventeenth aspect, in the previous aspect, the processing unit is also configured to perform a heating process of the consumables, and the haptic unit and/or the sound unit are also configured to provide a haptic and/or sound feedback once pre-heating process has completed.

According to an eighteenth aspect of the invention, a method of operating an aerosol generating system is provided which comprises the steps of:

- inserting a consumable into a receiving chamber,

- measuring a rotation of the consumable in the receiving chamber and determining if the rotation of the consumable meets a predetermined condition, and

- performing an operation locking/unlocking the device if the predetermined condition is met.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure i is a diagrammatic perspective view of an example embodiment of an aerosol generating device with a consumable showing clockwise and anticlockwise rotation;

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the aerosol generating device of Figure i;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a first detailed example of an aerosol generating device according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a second detailed example of an aerosol generating device according to the invention;

Figure 5 is a coordinate graphical representation of the relationship between an induced electromagnetic field and the susceptor angle or rotation in the second example;

Figure 6 is an exploded diagrammatic view of the consumable and the metal detectors of a third detailed example of an aerosol generating device according to the invention;

Figure 7a is a diagrammatic top view of a fourth detailed example of an aerosol generating device according to the invention;

Figure 7b is a diagrammatic top detail view of the aerosol generating device of Figure 7a. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

General concept

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown diagrammatically an example of an aerosol generating device io according to the present disclosure. The aerosol generating device io is configured to be used with a consumable 20 such that the aerosol generating device 10 and the consumable 20 together form an aerosol generating system.

The aerosol generating device 10 may equally be referred to as a “heated tobacco device”, a “heat-not-burn tobacco device”, a “device for vaporising tobacco products”, and the like, with this being interpreted as a device suitable for achieving these effects. The features disclosed herein are equally applicable to devices which are designed for vaporising any aerosol generating substrate.

The aerosol generating device 10 is a hand-held, portable device, by which it is meant that a user is able to hold and support the device unaided, in a single hand. The aerosol generating device 10 has a first (or proximal) end 191 and a second (or distal) end 192 and comprises a device housing 11.

As shown in Figure 2, the aerosol generating device 10 comprises a processing unit 12, having electronic circuitry or a processing unit 12, such as a CPU. As used herein, the term “circuitry” may refer to, be part of, or include an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and/ or memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality. The aerosol generating device 10 may include a user interface for controlling the operation of the aerosol generating device 10 via the processing unit 12. The processing unit 12 may comprise at least one of a microcontroller unit (MCU) and a micro processing unit (MPU). The processing unit 12 is configured to, for example, detect the initiation of the use of the aerosol generating device io in response to a user input, such as a button press to activate the aerosol generating device io, or in response to a user command so as to lock or unlock the aerosol generating device io as described in more detail below. As will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, to lock or unlock the aerosol generating device io may mean to lock or unlock a parental lock of the aerosol generating device io, which allows the user to restrict the access of the aerosol generating device io by other persons. By locking the aerosol generating device io, an unauthorized user cannot use the aerosol generating device io without the authorized user's permission. For example, if the user or the owner leaves their aerosol generating device to an unauthorized user, he or she cannot use the unattended aerosol-generating device without unlocking the lock. In some other embodiments, if the user or the owner loses their aerosolgenerating device, an unauthorized user cannot utilize the lost aerosol-generating device without the authorized user's knowledge. The term “lock” or “unlock” refers to at least locking or unlocking the function of utilizing the consumable, more specifically, the function of heating or vaporizing the tobacco substance in the consumable. The term “lock” or “unlock” may further refer to locking or unlocking at least another function, such as setting the aerosol generating device io, e.g., a heating value, or communication function with other devices, e.g., mobiles or even directly to a server. Preferably, the term “lock” or “unlock” refers to completely restricting or releasing the use of the aerosol generating device io, by not responding at all to any operation of an unauthorized user except the unlocking operation, or resuming the full control of the device so that the user can use the device normally. In some embodiments, the lock can not only be configured by the manufacturer of the aerosol generating device io but also may be configured by the user. In other words, the condition for locking/ unlocking the device io can be customized. In those embodiments, the aerosol generating device io may comprise a lock setting mechanism or a program stored in the processing unit 12 further configured to instruct or execute receiving a reset request from the user to reset to the condition or method of locking/ unlocking the device. The database stored in the processing unit 12 or the mechanism is then updated with the new unlocking method. The aerosol generating device io comprises a power source 54, such as a Li-ion secondary battery. The power source 54 is engaged with the other components of the device 10, e.g., the processing unit 12, so as to provide power to those components. Alternatively or additionally, an energy storage (e.g., a fuel cell, a capacitor or a metal-air battery) other than a Li-ion secondary battery can be employed.

The aerosol generating device 10 comprises a receiving chamber 13. The receiving chamber 13 further comprises an energizer 14. The energizer 14 is, for example, a heating component or an induction coil or any other well-known means that can generate aerosol from the consumable 20. The receiving chamber 13 is arranged to receive a consumable 20, namely an aerosol generating article. In some examples, the heating chamber 13 has a substantially cylindrical cross-section, i.e., a shape of a cylinder. The heating chamber 13 defines a cavity.

The heating chamber 13 has a first end 131 and a second end 132. The receiving chamber 13 includes an opening 133 at the first end 131 for receiving a consumable 20. In the illustrated embodiments, the receiving chamber 13 includes a substantially cylindrical side wall 134, i.e. a side wall 134 which has a substantially circular cross-section.

The consumable 20 comprises an aerosol generating substrate 24. The aerosol generating substrate 24 maybe any type of solid or semi-solid material. Example types of aerosol generating solids include powder, granules, pellets, shreds, strands, particles, gel, strips, loose leaves, cut leaves, cut filler, porous material, foam material or sheets. The aerosol generating substrate 24 may comprise plant derived material and in particular tobacco. It may advantageously comprise reconstituted tobacco.

Upon heating, the aerosol generating substrate 24 may release volatile compounds. The volatile compounds may include nicotine or flavour compounds such as tobacco flavouring.

The shape of the consumable 20 corresponds to the shape of the receiving chamber 13. The consumable 20 maybe generally cylindrical or rod-shaped. The consumable 20 may be formed substantially in the shape of a stick, and may broadly resemble a cigarette, having a tubular region with an aerosol generating substrate 24 arranged in a suitable manner. The consumable 20 may be a disposable and replaceable article which may, for example, contain tobacco as the aerosol generating substrate 24. The consumable 20 may be a heated tobacco stick. The consumable 20 is an aerosol generating article.

The consumable 20 has a first end 22a (or mouth end), a second end 22b, and comprises a filter 23 at the first end 22a. The filter 23 may act as a mouthpiece and may comprise an air-permeable plug, for example comprising cellulose acetate fibres. Alternatively, the aerosol generating device 10 may comprise a dedicated mouthpiece covering the filter 23 of the consumable 20.

The aerosol generating substrate 24 and filter 23 maybe circumscribed by a paper wrapper and may, thus, be embodied as a consumable 20. One or more vapour collection regions, cooling regions, and other structures may also be included in some designs.

To use the aerosol generating device 10, a user inserts a consumable 20 through the opening 133 into the receiving chamber 13, so that the second end 22b of the consumable 20 is positioned at the second end 132 of the receiving chamber 13 and so that the filter 23 at the first end 22a of the consumable 20 projects from the first end 131 of the receiving chamber 13 to permit engagement by a user’s lips.

In some embodiments, the energizer 14 comprises a heater (not shown) arranged to heat the aerosol generating substrate 24 of a consumable 20 received in the receiving chamber 13.

The energizer 14 may also be an induction heating assembly, in some embodiments as shown in Figure 4. The induction heating assembly 14 further comprises an induction coil. The induction coil 14 is arranged to be energised to generate an alternating electromagnetic field for inductively heating an induction heatable susceptor 21, i.e., a heater, in the aerosol generation substrate as shown in Figures 4 and 6. The induction heatable susceptor 21 may be arranged around only a part of the periphery of the consumable 20. Alternatively, the induction heatable susceptor may be arranged to project into the receiving chamber 13 from the second end 132 (e.g., as a heating blade or pin) to penetrate the aerosol generating substrate 24 when the aerosol generating article 20 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 10. In other examples, the induction heatable susceptor 21 is instead provided in the aerosol generating substrate 24 during the manufacture of the aerosol generating consumable 20. In such examples, the aerosol generating consumable 20 comprises the induction heatable susceptor. In preferred embodiments, the inductively heatable susceptor 21 maybe located proximate, in contact with, or, in the illustrated embodiments, contained within the aerosol generation substrate 24. The susceptor 21 is preferably flat. The susceptor 21 is preferably arranged at a center position and (preferably shares a midline that) coextends with the longitudinal center axis of the consumable 20, as illustrated in Figure 6. However, the susceptor 21 should not be arranged in a symmetry way such that a metal detector arranged in the device 10 cannot determine if the susceptor 21 is rotated. In other words, the susceptor 21 should be arranged in a way such that a metal detector arranged in the device 10 can determine if the susceptor 21 is rotated. Preferably, the consumable 20 and the susceptor 17 are asymmetry regarding the longitudinal center axis.

The induction coil can be powered by the power source 54 and processing unit 12. The induction coil may comprise a Litz wire or a Litz cable. It will, however, be understood that other materials could be used.

The induction coil 14 may extend around the receiving chamber 13 as shown in Figure 4. Accordingly, the induction coil 14 maybe annular. The induction coil 14 may be substantially helical in shape. In some examples, the circular crosssection of a helical induction coil 14 may facilitate the insertion of a consumable 20 and optionally one or more induction heatable susceptors, into the receiving chamber 13 and ensure uniform heating of the aerosol generating substrate 24.

The induction heatable susceptor 21 comprises an electrically conductive material that can be detected, more specifically measured, by a metal detector. The induction heatable susceptor 21 comprises a metal and may comprise one or more, but not limited to, of molybdenum, niobium, aluminum, iron, nickel, nickel containing compounds, titanium, mild steel, stainless steel, low carbon steel and alloys thereof, e.g., nickel chromium or nickel copper or permalloy, and composites of metallic materials, and may further comprise graphite or silicon carbide. In some examples, the induction heatable susceptor 21 comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of mild steel, stainless steel, and low carbon stainless steel.

In use, with the application of an electromagnetic field in its vicinity, the induction heatable susceptor 21 generates heat due to eddy currents and magnetic hysteresis losses resulting in a conversion of energy from electromagnetic to heat.

The induction coil 14 may be arranged to operate in use with a fluctuating electromagnetic field having a magnetic flux density of between approximately 2omT and approximately 2.0T at the point of highest concentration.

An alternative approach is to employ a resistive heating assembly (not shown). In such cases, the heater comprises a resistive heater. The resistive heater may surround the aerosol generating substrate 24 and transfer heat to an outer surface of the aerosol generating substrate 24; for instance, the resistive heater may be arranged around the periphery of the receiving chamber 13. Alternatively, the resistive heater may be arranged to project into the receiving chamber 13 from the second end 132 (e.g., as a heating blade or pin) to penetrate the aerosol generating substrate 24 when the consumable 20 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 10. In use, current from the power supply 54 is supplied directly to the resistive heater to generate heat. Of course, some electrical parts can be arranged on the electrical path between the power supply 54 and the resistive heater.

In use, heat from the heater (i.e., induction heatable susceptor or resistive heater) is transferred to the aerosol generating substrate 24 of a consumable 20 positioned in the receiving chamber 13, for example by conduction, radiation and convection, to heat the aerosol generating substrate 24 (without burning the aerosol generating substrate 24) and thereby generate a vapour which cools and condenses to form an aerosol for inhalation by a user of the aerosol generating device 10, for instance, through the filter 23. The vaporisation of the aerosol generating substrate 24 is facilitated by the addition of air from the surrounding environment, e.g., through an air inlet (not shown).

In general terms, a vapour is a substance in the gas phase at a temperature lower than its critical temperature, which means that the vapour can be condensed to a liquid by increasing its pressure without reducing the temperature, whereas an aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets, in air or another gas. It should, however, be noted that the terms ‘aerosol’ and ‘vapour’ may be used interchangeably in this specification, particularly with regard to the form of the inhalable medium that is generated for inhalation by a user.

As shown in Figure 2, the aerosol generating device 10 further comprises a determination unit 15. The determination unit 15 is configured to measure a rotation of the consumable 20 in the receiving chamber 13 by a user and determine if the rotation of the consumable 20 meets a predetermined condition for locking/ unlocking the device 10. In other words, the determination unit 15 is configured to detect user commands on locking/ unlocking the device based on manipulation (rotational operation) of a consumable 20 by a user in the receiving chamber 13. More specifically, the determination unit 15 comprises a measuring unit 151 and a checking unit 152. Accordingly, the measuring unit 151 is configured to measure a rotation of the consumable 20 in the receiving chamber 13 by a user; and the checking unit 152 is configured to determine or check if the rotation of the consumable 20 meets a predetermined condition. The measurement of this refers to measuring a degree of rotational operation by a user (i.e., a degree of rotation of the consumable 20 operated by a user, or if the rotation reaches, lands or stops at a predetermined degree) and/or an orientation, specifically a clockwise or anticlockwise motion, of the rotation of the consumable 20 operated by a user. A reference to orientation or clockwise/anticlockwise rotation, means an orientation or rotational direction viewed from above the opening 133 of the receiving chamber 13 of the device 10, namely an orientation of the consumable 20 observed from the outside of the device io. In other words, a clockwise or anticlockwise direction is a rotatory direction when viewed in a point of view from the outside of the device io.

For the processing unit 12, locking or unlocking the device io depends on whether the predetermined condition is met. In other words, the processing unit 12 locks or unlocks the device io according to the result checked by the determination unit 15, i.e., if the way of rotation of the consumable 20 operated by a user is substantially the same or identical to the predetermined method of rotation stored or set in the processing unit 12.

The condition of locking/unlocking can be defined as a single rotation with a predetermined degree, e.g., a 90 degrees rotation, or a predetermined rotational orientation, i.e., a clockwise/anticlockwise rotation. In preferred embodiments, the condition is whether the rotation of the consumable 20 constitutes a predetermined set of different defined rotational movements 80 of the consumable 20 in the receiving chamber 13, in which each of the defined rotational movements 80 has a predetermined degree and/or orientation. In other words, the condition may be defined by a pattern of rotations comprising a series of rotational movements, each of which reaches or stops at different predetermined degrees in a predetermined order. For example, similar to locking/unlocking a rotary combination lock with three lock disks, the user may, in the first step, rotate the consumable 20 by a first predetermined degree in a first predetermined orientation, e.g., in the clockwise orientation by 60 degrees; in the second step, rotate the consumable 20 again by a second predetermined degree in a second predetermined orientation, e.g., in an anti-clockwise orientation by 70 degrees. Preferably, the second predetermined orientation is different from the first predetermined orientation. Finally, in the third step, the user can rotate the consumable 20 by a third predetermined degree in a third predetermined orientation, e.g., 80 degrees in an anticlockwise orientation. Preferably, the third predetermined orientation is the same orientation as the first predetermined orientation. The device is then locked/unlocked. The user only needs to rotate the consumable 20 by a predetermined degree and/or orientations, and the determination unit 15 can reset itself automatically. Hence, the number of the rotations for unlocking/locking the device 10 is configured to be the same as the number of the rotation members, more specifically, the secondary rotational members 152. In some other embodiments, the user may need to rotate manually to reset the lock before/ after each rotation movement.

Specifically, the method of locking and/or unlocking the aerosol generating system has the steps of, for example: a user first inserting the consumable 20 into the receiving chamber 13; the user then rotating the consumable 20 in the receiving chamber 13, more specifically by a predetermined degree and/or orientation, i.e., clockwise or anticlockwise, or a set of different predetermined rotations; the determination unit 15 then measures the rotation 18 of the consumable 20 in the receiving chamber 13 and determines if the rotation of the consumable 20 meets a predetermined condition, which is, preferably, stored in a memory of the determination unit 15; finally the processing unit 12 performs an operation of locking/ unlocking the device if the predetermined condition is met; and if the predetermined condition is not met, the processing unit 12 may simply not respond to the input and may reset the determination unit so as to measure or determine the next rotational movement input, and in addition, the processing unit 20 may respond with an alert audio and may send a message to a server for alerting an unauthentic operation in order to notify the user about it. This arrangement provides a simple yet safe mechanism for locking/unlocking the aerosol generation device 10 based on a user rotating the consumable 20 with different orientations in the receiving chamber 13.

The locking/unlocking commands can be assigned with the same set of different defined rotational movements 19 of the consumable 20 in the receiving chamber 13 by a user. Alternatively, the sets of rotations of the locking and unlocking commands can be different.

In the examples of this disclosure, locking/unlocking an aerosol generating device 10 by rotating a consumable 20 in the receiving chamber 13 by a user enables a secure and easy way of controlling the device 10. This provides a user with more secure and simple control over the device 10 using only a single user input, i.e., manipulation of the consumable 20 by just rotating it in the receiving chamber 13. Such an arrangement negates the requirement to provide additional buttons or different ways of pressing an existing button or buttons to provide locking or unlocking commands. The device 10 is therefore less complex, more secure and more user-friendly. In addition, inputting a combination of appropriate rotations is difficult for a child. Thus, this disclosure can also work as child protection function.

First embodiment with dial lock mechanism

As illustrated in Figure 3, in one preferred embodiment, the determination unit 15 has a rotary-combination-lock-like or dial-lock mechanism that can rotate along with the rotation of the consumable 20. By rotating the consumable 20 in the heating chamber 13 the user can lock or unlock the device 10. A user rotating the consumable 20 in the receiving chamber 13 means a user causing the consumable 20 to turn or move about a longitudinal axis of the receiving chamber 13 to some extent, i.e., by a certain degree and/or with a certain orientation (i.e., clockwise and anticlockwise rotation). Accordingly, the determination unit 15 is configured such that clockwise and anticlockwise turns of the consumable 20 by certain degrees provide lock and/ or unlock commands.

More specifically, the determination unit 15 comprises a primary rotation member 151, an engagement member (not shown), and at least one, preferably two, and even more preferably three or even more, secondary rotation members 152. The primary rotation member 151 is arranged in a way such that it can be rotated with the consumable 20 once the consumable 20 is inserted in the receiving chamber 13 and rotated by the user. The secondary rotation members 152 are mechanically connected with the primary rotation member and arranged in such a way that they can rotate partially with the primary rotation member 151, and be fixed once at least one of the rotational degree and/ or orientation meets at least a part of the predetermined condition. When the rotation of the consumable 20 meets the predetermined condition completely, the slots arranged on the (fixed) secondary rotation members 152 are aligned. The engagement member arranged close to the secondary rotation members 152 then engages with the aligned slots and then triggers the processing unit 12 to lock/ unlock the device 10.

More specifically, in some of the preferred embodiments, the primary rotation member 151 is arranged in a way such that, when the consumable 20 is in the receiving chamber 13, the member 151 is in touch with the consumable 20 and rotates with the movement of the consumable 20. In some embodiments, the primary rotation member 151 comprises a touching means (not shown) configured to contact and rotate with the consumable 20. In some preferred embodiments, the touching means is a gripping means that can tightly grip a portion (e.g., the second end 22b) of the consumable 20 when the consumable 20 is inserted in the receiving chamber 13, such that the primary rotation member 151 can rotate with the consumable 20 when the user rotates it; and in some more preferred embodiments, with the gripping means, the entire receiving chamber 13 rotates together with the consumable 20. The primary rotation member 151 further comprises a lock core or a spindle, preferably in a cylindrical shape. The lock core is engaged with the secondary rotation members 152 (preferably, rotational disks), each of which has a tab on its sides (not shown) and a slot (not shown) on its edge, and a drive cam (not shown). Once the user rotates the consumable 20, the core turns the drive cam. While the drive cam rotates, a drive pin, which is attached to the drive cam, eventually makes contact with the tab on the adjacent (next) secondary rotation member 152. The drive pin then spins a first secondary rotation member till it contacts the next secondary rotation members that are adjacent to it. After the condition is met, i.e., the predetermined locking/ unlocking rotational movements are made, all the slots of the secondary rotation members 152 are aligned and form a gap. The engagement member is then engaged with all the slots, i.e., the gap. More specifically, the engagement comprises a bar and preferably further comprises a lever attached to the bar. The bar that rests next to the secondary rotation members 152 then drops or falls into the gap, either by its own weight or by force from the lever.

In one preferred embodiment, the determination unit 15 further comprises a light unit 154 and a photodetector 155 which is configured to detect the light from the light unit. Each of the secondary rotation members 152 further comprises a light- conductive part 153, preferably a notch, a transparent part, or an additional slot, arranged in a way that when all of the slots are engaged with the engagement member, the photodetector 155 can detect the light (shown as a straight arrow in Figure 3) from the light unit 154 through the light-conductive parts 153. In other words, when all the slots are aligned, the light-conductive parts 153 are also aligned. Once the photodetector 155 detects the light from the light unit 154, the determination unit 15 determines that the predetermined condition is met, so that the device is locked/unlocked.

In another preferred embodiment, with the fall of the bar, a switch unit comprised in the processing unit is triggered by the bar. Once the switch unit is turned on/ off, the processing unit determines that the condition is met, so that the device is locked/unlocked.

With these arrangements, the user can lock/unlock the device 10 by simply dialing or rotating the consumable 20 just like using a rotary combination lock or a dial lock.

Second embodiment, with metal detector

As illustrated in Figure 4, in some preferred embodiments, the energizer 14 can be an induction coil. Accordingly, a susceptor 25 is comprised in the energizer 14 or the consumable 20 for receiving the alternating electromagnetic field generated by the induction coil 14 to inductively heat the aerosol generating substrate 24 of the consumable 20. The susceptor 25, which is provided in the consumable 20 or inserted in the consumable 20 when the consumable 20 is in the receiving chamber 13, is configured to rotate with the consumable 20 when the user rotates the consumable 20.

The aerosol generation device 10 comprises at least one metal detector 156. The metal detector 156 can be any metal detector that is able to measure a position (orientation) of the susceptor 21. Preferably, the metal detector 156 is positioned parallel to an insertion direction of the consumable 20 to the receiving chamber 13. The metal detector 156 comprises an electromagnetic field transmitter and receiver with an induction coil 14. During the detection, the susceptor 21 is energized by the electromagnetic field transmitted from the metal detector 156, and then the energized susceptor 21, with eddy currents, retransmits an electromagnet field of its own to the metal detector 156. The metal detector’s search soil, i.e., the receiver, receives the retransmitted electromagnetic field. In the preferred illustrated embodiments, the susceptor 21 is provided in the consumable 20 and is a flat metallic material that is not symmetrical about the longitudinal center axis of the consumable 20. In such embodiments, the metal detector 156 can measure a position, specifically, an orientation or direction of the movement, of the susceptor 21 by measuring the density of the magnetic field, i.e., a change of the magnetic field. If the predetermined condition only requires the number of rotations of the susceptor 21, arranging the susceptor 21 at a position where it is not symmetrical about the longitudinal center axis of the consumable 20 is not mandatory.

Referring to Figure 5 and reading the graph from left to right, the flat susceptor 21 is turned from perpendicular to parallel to the metal detector 156. It can be seen that the induced electro-magnetic field received by the search coil of the receiver of the detector 156 is increased progressively from a base value to a maximum value (o to 100%) with the rotating of the susceptor from a perpendicular position to a parallel position. This is because more eddy currents, i.e., the retransmitted electromagnetic field, are induced when the coil and the susceptor are parallel to the coil, and no eddy current is induced when the susceptor is perpendicular to the coil since the susceptor is too thin. For this reason, transformer cores are laminated not to lose efficiency due to eddy currents creation. The back-induced current in the metal detector 156 will be a bijective function of the angular position between parallel and perpendicular surfaces, as in Figure 5.

Figure 6 shows another preferred embodiment, and only the consumable 20 and the metal detectors 156 are shown for the ease of understanding. In order to detect a clockwise or anticlockwise rotation of the susceptor 21, at least two coils or metal detectors 156 are arranged at different positions around the receiving chamber 21, and, preferably, not in a parallel position and/or a perpendicular position to each other. As illustrated in Figure 6, two metal detectors 156 are arranged adjacent to each other, and with the discrepancy of the sensed electromagnetic fields, it is possible to determine if the flat susceptor 21 is rotating in a clockwise orientation or an anti-clockwise orientation. If multiple of the metal detectors 156 are arranged as illustrated in Figure 6, arranging the susceptor 21 at position, where it is not symmetrical about the longitudinal center axis of the consumable 20, is not mandatory. The measuring unit 151 can detect the rotational orientation of the susceptor 21 by analyzing signals outputted from each metal detectors 156. Specifically, if the susceptor 21 is rotating in a clockwise orientation, the strength of the induced electromagnetic field detected by the lefthand metal detector 156 is increased just after the strength of the induced electromagnetic field detected by the right-hand metal detector 156 is increased. If the susceptor 21 is rotating in an anti-clockwise orientation, the strength of the induced electromagnetic field detected by the right-hand metal detector 156 is increased just after the strength of the induced electromagnetic field detected by the left-hand metal detector 156 is increased.

Indicator

In order to indicate the degree of the rotation of the consumable 20 to the user, in some embodiments as illustrated in Figures 7a and 7b, a ring of light indicators 24 (e.g., LED) are arranged, preferably, around the opening 44 of the device 10 to indicate a degree and/ or orientation of rotation that has been made in each step of the rotation. In other words, the light indicators 24 are synchronized with the rotation of the consumable 20. The indicators 24 are controlled by the processing unit 12 or the determination unit 15. The number of the light indicators 24 is at least two, preferably four, more preferably six, even more preferably eight, and most preferably 10. For example, if the user turns the consumable by about 30 degrees in the clockwise orientation, one light indicator 24 may be lit up accordingly, and then if the user turns the consumable by about 60 degrees in the anticlockwise orientation, the light indicator 24 may be switched off and then switched on again together with another light indicator 24, that is next to it in the anticlockwise orientation so as to show that the new rotational input is made. In preferred embodiments, the light indicator may be used for other purposes, for example, to indicate or notify a progress of the heating process, a vaping time, charging time progression, and/or battery level.

In another preferred embodiment, the outer surface around the opening 44 of the receiving chamber 13 is printed with marks (not shown), preferably digit marks, so that the user can understand the degree of the rotation of the consumable 20 by himself or herself.

In addition, in some embodiments, the indicator comprises a haptic unit and/ or a sound unit configured to provide a haptic and/or a sound feedback based on the degree of the movement of the consumable. Preferably, haptic feedbacks can be synchronized with a new light unit’s lighting for every step of rotation of the consumable 20. For example, the haptic unit or the sound unit may notify the user with a haptic and/or a sound feedback every 10 degrees of rotation. In addition, the haptic unit and/ or the sound unit can also provide a haptic and/ or sound feedback once the pre-heating process has completed, or if the battery is at a low level, etc.