Reservoir and heater system for controllable delivery of multiple aerosolizable materials in an electronic smoking article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10004259-B2
Application number	US-201213536438-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2012
Priority date	Jun 28, 2012
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electronic smoking article that provides for improved aerosol delivery. Particularly, the article provides for separate delivery of two or more components of an aerosol precursor composition to one or more heaters so as to control the rate of delivery or the rate of heating of the separate components of the aerosol precursor composition.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A smoking article comprising:
a substantially tubular shell;
an air passage through at least a portion of the shell;
an aerosolization zone with a resistive heating element substantially in line with the air passage;
a first reservoir within the shell, the first reservoir containing a liquid aerosol precursor comprising a polyhydric alcohol;
a second reservoir within the shell separate from the first reservoir, the second reservoir containing a liquid flavor material;
a first transport element providing fluid communication between the first reservoir and the aerosolization zone; and
a second transport element separate from the first transport element providing fluid communication between the second reservoir and the aerosolization zone;
wherein the first transport element and the second transport element are formed of different materials, at least one of the first transport element and the second transport element is a carbon foam, and the first transport element exhibits one or more different transport properties relative to the second transport element; and
wherein transporting the liquid aerosol precursor comprising the polyhydric alcohol from the first reservoir to the aerosolization zone via a first transport element and transporting the liquid flavor material from the second reservoir to the aerosolization zone via the second transport element is normalized such that a rate of transport of the liquid aerosol precursor comprising the polyhydric alcohol differs from a rate of transport of the liquid flavor material by about 15% or less.

2. The smoking article of claim 1 , wherein the article comprises a plurality of resistive heating elements.

3. The smoking article of claim 1 , wherein the article comprises a first resistive heating element and a second resistive heating element, wherein the first transport element provides fluid communication between the first reservoir and the first resistive heating element, and wherein the second transport element provides fluid communication between the second reservoir and the second resistive heating element.

4. The smoking article of claim 3 , comprising a control component adapted to operate the first resistive heating element by a first heating protocol and operate the second resistive heating element by a second, different heating protocol.

5. The smoking article of claim 4 , wherein the article comprises an electrical power source, and wherein the control component is adapted to control electrical current flow from the power source to the first resistive heating element and the second resistive heating element such that the respective heating elements heat to different temperatures or heat for different lengths of time or both heat to different temperatures and heat for different lengths of time.

6. The smoking article of claim 1 , wherein both of the first reservoir and the second reservoir comprise a fibrous material that is at least partially saturated with the respective liquid.

7. The smoking article of claim 1 , wherein the first transport element and the second transport element are interconnected in the aerosolization zone.

8. A method of forming an aerosol in a smoking article, the method comprising:
drawing air through an air passage in the smoking article;
activating a power source within the smoking article to cause flow of electrical current from the power source to a resistive heating element positioned within an aerosolization zone in the smoking article;
transporting a liquid aerosol precursor comprising a polyhydric alcohol from a first reservoir to the aerosolization zone via a first transport element;
transporting a liquid flavor material from a second reservoir to the aerosolization zone via a second transport element, wherein the first transport element and the second transport element are formed of different materials, and at least one of the first transport element and the second transport element is a carbon foam; and
heating the liquid aerosol precursor comprising the polyhydric alcohol and the liquid flavor material to form a vapor that mixes with the air drawn through the air passage;
wherein the first transport element exhibits one or more different transport properties relative to the second transport element; and
wherein transporting the liquid aerosol precursor comprising the polyhydric alcohol from the first reservoir to the aerosolization zone via a first transport element and transporting the liquid flavor material from the second reservoir to the aerosolization zone via the second transport element is normalized such that a rate of transport of the liquid aerosol precursor comprising the polyhydric alcohol differs from a rate of transport of the liquid flavor material by about 15% or less.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the liquid aerosol precursor comprising the polyhydric alcohol is transported at a first rate, and the liquid flavor material is transported at second, different rate.

10. The method of claim 8 , comprising transporting the liquid aerosol precursor comprising the polyhydric alcohol from the first reservoir to the resistive heating element in the aerosolization zone and transporting the liquid flavor material from the second reservoir to a second resistive heating element in the aerosolization zone.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising controlling the flow of electrical current from the power source to the resistive heating element and to the second resistive heating element such that resistive heating element is heated by a first heating protocol and the second resistive heating element is heated by a second, different heating protocol.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising controlling the flow of electrical current from the power source to the resistive heating element and the second resistive heating element such that the respective heating elements heat to different temperatures or heat for different lengths of time or both heat to different temperatures and heat for different lengths of time.

13. The smoking article of claim 1 , wherein the first transport element and the second transport element exhibit different flow rates.

14. The smoking article of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first transport element and the second transport element is a sintered material.

Assignees

• Sebastian Andries Don
• Williams Karen V
• Sears Stephen Benson
• Ingebrethsen Bradley James
• Ademe Balager
• Alderman Steven Lee
• Collett William Robert
• Dooly Grady Lance
• Novak Iii Charles Jacob
• Rai Strategic Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Sebastian Andries Don
• Williams Karen V
• Sears Stephen Benson
• Ingebrethsen Bradley James
• Ademe Balager
• Alderman Steven Lee
• Collett William Robert
• Dooly Grady Lance
• Novak Iii Charles Jacob

Classifications

• A24F40/30 Primary

  Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges · CPC title

• A24F47/008 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A24F40/50 Primary

  Control or monitoring · CPC title

• A24F40/44

  Wicks · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title