Aerosol delivery device with replaceable wick and heater assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10080387-B2
Application number	US-201615274073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 23, 2016
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

An aerosol delivery device includes a housing and a reservoir having an open end and an opposing closed end. The reservoir includes an aerosol precursor composition therein. The aerosol delivery device also includes an electrical contact in or on the housing. The device further includes a vaporizing unit. The vaporizing unit includes a liquid transport element, a heating element, and an electrical connector. The vaporizing unit is configured to removably engage the open end of the reservoir such that the liquid transport element is in arrangement with the reservoir to transfer the aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir to the heating element and configured to engage the electrical contact in or on the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising:
a housing;
a reservoir having an open end and an opposing closed end, the reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition therein;
an electrical contact in or on the housing; and
a vaporizing unit including:
a liquid transport element;
a heating element; and
an electrical connector;

the vaporizing unit being configured to removably engage the open end of the reservoir such that the liquid transport element is in an arrangement with the reservoir to transfer the aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir to the heating element and configured to engage the electrical contact in or on the housing;
wherein the housing defines a fill orifice that is in fluid communication with the open end of the reservoir.

2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 further comprising:
a power source disposed within the housing, the power source configured to provide an electrical current to the heating element when the vaporizing unit is engaging the open end of the reservoir and disposed in an operating position; and
a mouthpiece coupleably engaged with the vaporizing unit.

3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2 , wherein the mouthpiece is in electrical connection with the power source when the mouthpiece is coupleably engaged with the vaporizing unit and the vaporizing unit is engaged with the open end of the reservoir, the power source being further configured to provide an electrical current to the heating element when the mouthpiece is coupleably engaged with the vaporizing unit disposed in the operating position.

4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2 , wherein the vaporizing unit includes an outer shell, the outer shell defining an aperture proximate a first end of the outer shell and an annular channel proximate an opposing second end of the outer shell, the heating element and the liquid transport element being disposed within the outer shell.

5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 4 , wherein the housing further comprises an engaging element, the engaging element configured to operably engage the annular channel when the vaporizing unit is disposed in the operating position.

6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 5 , wherein the engaging element includes the electrical contact.

7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 4 , wherein the mouthpiece coupleably engaged with the vaporizing unit is in electrical connection with the power source when the electrical connector of the vaporizing unit is engaged with the electrical contact in or on the housing.

8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 4 further comprising a sealing element disposed proximate the open end of the reservoir, the vaporizing unit being sealably engaged with the sealing element when the vaporizing unit is disposed in the operating position, the sealing element configured to retain the aerosol precursor composition within the reservoir when the vaporizing unit is removably disengaged from the open end of the reservoir.

9. The aerosol delivery device of claim 8 , wherein the sealing element is configured to remove excess aerosol precursor composition from the vaporizing unit as the vaporizing unit traverses the sealing element and is removably disengaged from the open end of the reservoir.

10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the fill orifice includes a filling engaging element configured to removably and sealably engage a container for filling the reservoir with the aerosol precursor composition.

11. An aerosol delivery device comprising:
a housing including a reservoir, the reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition therein;
a removable vaporizing unit configured to engage the reservoir;
a mouthpiece coupleably engaged with the vaporizing unit;
a power source;
a liquid transport element; and
a heating element;
wherein the housing, vaporizing unit, and the mouthpiece collectively form an electrical circuit; and
wherein the power source is configured to provide an electrical current to the heating element through the electrical circuit when the housing, vaporizing unit, and the mouthpiece are coupleably engaged with one another.

12. The aerosol delivery device of claim 11 further comprising at least one electrical contact in or on the housing, the electrical contact being in electrical connection with the electrical circuit.

13. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12 , wherein the mouthpiece is configured to coupleably engage the vaporizing unit to form the electrical circuit.

14. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12 , wherein the mouthpiece is configured to engage at least one electrical contact to form the electrical circuit.

15. An aerosol delivery device comprising:
a housing;
an electrical contact in or on the housing;
a reservoir disposed in or on the housing, the reservoir having an open end and an opposing closed end, the reservoir defining an orifice proximate the open end configured to receive a removable vaporizing unit such that the vaporizing unit is in fluid connection with the reservoir and is in electrical connection with the electrical contact, the reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition therein;
a power source disposed within the housing, the power source being in electrical connection with the electrical contact; and
a controller disposed within the housing, the controller configured to control an electrical current provided by the power source to the electrical contact;
wherein the housing defines a fill orifice that is in fluid communication with the open end of the reservoir.

16. The aerosol delivery device of claim 15 further comprising a vaporizing unit, the vaporizing unit being configured to removably engage the open end of the reservoir such that a liquid transport element of the vaporizing unit is arranged with respect to the reservoir to transfer the aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir to a heating element within the vaporizing unit when the vaporizing unit is disposed in the operating position.

17. The aerosol delivery device of claim 16 further comprising a mouthpiece coupleably engaged with one or both of the reservoir and the vaporizing unit.

18. The aerosol delivery device of claim 17 , wherein the power source is configured to provide an electrical current to the heating element and to electrically communicate with the mouthpiece when the mouthpiece is coupleably engaged with the vaporizing unit and the vaporizing unit is disposed in the operating position.

19. The aerosol delivery device of claim 17 further comprising an engaging element within the housing, the engaging element configured to operably engage an annular channel defined by an outer shell of the vaporizing unit when the vaporizing unit is disposed in the operating position.

20. The aerosol delivery device of claim 19 , wherein the engaging element includes the electrical contact in or on the housing.

21. The aerosol delivery device of claim 15 , wherein the reservoir removably engages the housing.

22. The aerosol delivery device of claim 21 , wherein the reservoir is positioned adjacent an outer wall of the housing.

23. The aerosol delivery device of claim 22 , wherein the outer wall of the housing includes a light source configured to illuminate the reservoir.

Assignees

• Rai Strategic Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Phillips Percy D
• Rogers James William
• Brown Lisa E
• Demopoulos James
• Davis Michael F
• Minskoff Noah Mark

Classifications

• H05B1/0244

  Heating of fluids (H05B1/0247 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61M15/06

  Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes · CPC title

• A61M15/0021

  Mouthpieces therefor · CPC title

• A61M2205/36

  related to heating or cooling · CPC title

• H05B2203/021

  Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids · CPC title