Electronic cigarette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10098386-B2
Application number	US-201615065467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	Jan 31, 2012
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

An electronic smoking article includes a liquid supply including liquid material, a heater operable to heat the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form an aerosol, a wick in communication with the liquid material and in communication with the heater such that the wick delivers the liquid material to the heater, at least one air inlet operable to deliver air to a central air passage upstream of the heater, and a mouth end insert having at least two diverging outlets.

First claim

We claim:

1. A cartridge of an electronic article comprising:
an outer housing extending in a longitudinal direction, the outer housing defining a portion of a liquid supply region configured to store a liquid material;
an inner tube within the outer housing;
a coil heater contained within the outer housing;
a wick in communication with the liquid supply region and at least partially surrounded by the coil heater;
a mouthpiece at a mouth-end of the outer housing, the mouthpiece including only two outlets and no central outlet; and
a gasket including a central orifice between the inner tube and the mouthpiece.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece further includes an interior surface upon which drops of liquid material may impact.

3. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the central orifice has a diameter of about 2.0 mm to about 3.0 mm.

4. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the wick comprises:
a plurality of filaments.

5. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the coil heater extends substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction.

6. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the coil heater includes 3 to 8 windings.

7. An electronic article comprising:
a cartridge including,
an outer housing extending in a longitudinal direction, the outer housing defining a portion of a liquid supply region configured to store a liquid material;
an inner tube within the outer housing;
a coil heater contained within the outer housing;
a wick in communication with the liquid supply region and at least partially surrounded by the coil heater;
a mouthpiece at a mouth-end of the outer housing, the mouthpiece including only two outlets and no central outlet; and
a gasket including a central orifice between the inner tube and the mouthpiece; and

a second section including,
a power supply configured to be electrically connected to the coil heater.

8. The electronic article of claim 7 , wherein the mouthpiece further includes an interior surface upon which drops of liquid material may impact.

9. The electronic article of claim 7 , wherein the central orifice has a diameter of about 2.0 mm to about 3.0 mm.

10. The electronic article of claim 7 , wherein the wick comprises:
a plurality of filaments.

11. The electronic article of claim 7 , wherein the coil heater extends substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction.

12. The electronic article of claim 7 , wherein the coil heater includes 3 to 8 windings.

13. The electronic article of claim 7 , wherein the coil heater is formed of a nickel-chromium alloy.

14. The electronic article of claim 13 , wherein the nickel-chromium alloy is essentially iron-free.

15. The electronic article of claim 7 , wherein the coil heater has substantially uniformly spaced windings.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Tucker Christopher S
• Jordan Geoffrey Brandon
• Smith Barry S
• Rostami Ali A

Classifications

• Y10T29/49083

  Heater type · CPC title

• A61M2021/0016

  by the smell sense · CPC title

• A61M11/001

  Particle size control · CPC title

• H05B3/44

  heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material · CPC title

• A61M2209/02

  Equipment for testing the apparatus · CPC title