Electronic smoking article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10098381-B2
Application number	US-201414200963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

An electronic smoking article includes a heater in communication with a liquid supply reservoir including liquid material and operable to heat the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to volatilize the liquid material contained therein and form an aerosol. The volatilized material flows through a sheath flow and aerosol promoter insert that is operable to cool the aerosol, reduce the particle size of the aerosol and increase the delivery rate of the aerosol.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electronic vaping article comprising:
an outer housing extending in a longitudinal direction, the outer housing having a mouth end;
an inner tube within the outer housing;
a sheath flow and aerosol promoter (SFAP) insert in the outer housing, the SFAP insert defining a flow passage through the SFAP insert and a SFAP insert outlet at an end of the flow passage, the flow passage centrally located within the SFAP insert, the SFAP insert defining an airflow gap between an outer surface of the SFAP insert and an inner surface of the outer housing, and the SFAP insert including,
a constricting portion, the SFAP insert configured to produce a airflow within the electronic vaping article, the airflow flowing through the airflow gap, and the SFAP insert configured to direct a vapor through the constricting portion, such that the vapor exits the SFAP insert via the SFAP insert outlet;

a cavity between the SFAP insert and the mouth end of the outer housing;
a gasket between the inner tube and the SFAP insert; and
at least one air inlet configured to provide air to the cavity.

2. The electronic vaping article of claim 1 ,
further comprising: a mixing chamber is within an upstream portion of the SFAP insert.

3. The electronic vaping article of claim 2 , wherein the constricting portion is located along a central portion of the SFAP insert and the constricting portion is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber.

4. The electronic vaping article of claim 2 , wherein (a) the electronic vaping article includes the at least one air inlet superimposed with the SFAP insert, the mixing chamber is within the upstream portion of the SFAP insert, and the SFAP insert includes a plurality of air holes in an upstream end thereof, the plurality of air holes configured to allow air to flow therethrough to the mixing chamber or (b) the at least one air inlet is upstream of the SFAP insert and the mixing chamber is upstream of the SFAP insert such that air flows through the at least at least one air inlet and into the mixing chamber.

5. The electronic vaping article of claim 4 , wherein about 80% to about 95% of the air from the at least one air inlet flows into the mixing chamber and about 5% to about 20% of the air is air that flows through longitudinally extending channels formed between longitudinally extending vanes on an outer surface of the SFAP insert and an inner surface of the outer housing of the electronic vaping article.

6. The electronic vaping article of claim 5 , wherein the air flows into the cavity, and the SFAP insert is configured to substantially reduce deposition of the vapor on the inner surface of the outer housing so as to increase the delivery rate of the vapor.

7. The electronic vaping article of claim 4 , wherein the at least one air inlet comprises at least two air inlets.

8. The electronic vaping article of claim 1 , further comprising:
a reservoir configured to supply liquid material to a heater, the heater configured to vaporize the liquid material.

9. The electronic vaping article of claim 8 , wherein the heater is a coil heater in communication with a filamentary wick.

10. The electronic vaping article of claim 9 , wherein the electronic vaping article further comprises:
the reservoir comprising the liquid material, the reservoir contained in an outer annulus between the outer housing and the inner tube,
wherein the coil heater is located in the inner tube and the filamentary wick is in communication with the reservoir and surrounded by the coil heater such that the filamentary wick delivers liquid material to the coil heater and the coil heater heats the liquid material.

11. The electronic vaping article of claim 1 , wherein the SFAP insert is contained within a mouth-end tip.

12. The electronic vaping article of claim 1 , further including,
a mouth-end insert at the mouth end of the outer housing.

13. The electronic vaping article of claim 1 , wherein the constricting portion has a diameter ranging from about 0.125 inch to about 0.1875 inch and a length ranging from about 0.25 inch to about 0.5 inch.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Kane David B
• Schiff David R
• Carrick Chris
• Phelan Chris
• Tucker Christopher S

Classifications

• A24F47/008 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A24F40/485 Primary

  Valves; Apertures · CPC title

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title