E-vaping device cartridge with internal conductive element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10278423-B2
Application number	US-201615067537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2016
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A cartridge for an e-vaping device includes a conductive element extending through an interior of a dispensing interface to which a heating element is coupled. The conductive element may have a greater temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity than the heating element. The dispensing interface may include a fibrous wicking material, and the conductive element may be woven through an interior of the fibrous wicking material. A temperature of the dispensing interface may be determined based on monitoring an electrical resistance of the conductive element. An amount of pre-vapor formulation may be determined based on an electrical resistance of the bridge electrical circuit to an electrical signal between the heating element and the conductive element through the dispensing interface.

First claim

We claim:

1. A cartridge for an e-vaping device, comprising:
a reservoir configured to hold a pre-vapor formulation;
a dispensing interface configured to draw the pre-vapor formulation from the reservoir;
a heating element coupled to the dispensing interface, the heating element configured to heat pre-vapor formulation drawn into the dispensing interface, the heating element extending along an outer surface of the dispensing interface; and
a conductive element extending through an interior of the dispensing interface,
wherein the heating element has a first temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity,
wherein the conductive element has a second temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity,
wherein the second temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity is greater than the first temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity,
wherein the second temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity is at least about 1.5×10^−4 microohms-m/° C. between temperatures of about 21° C. and about 327° C.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the conductive element at least partially extends along a central longitudinal axis of the dispensing interface.

3. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein
the dispensing interface includes a fibrous wicking material; and
the conductive element is woven through an interior of the fibrous wicking material.

4. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the heating element includes a heater coil wire at least partially extending around an outer surface of the dispensing interface.

5. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the conductive element has a temperature coefficient of electrical resistance of at least 1.5 milliohms/° C. between temperatures of about 21° C. and about 327° C.

6. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing interface is configured to establish a bridge electrical circuit between the heating element and the conductive element when an amount of pre-vapor formulation drawn into the dispensing interface is greater than or equal to a threshold amount.

7. The cartridge of claim 6 , further comprising:
a sensor wire coupled to the dispensing interface separately from the conductive element and the heating element, the sensor wire being configured to carry an electrical signal propagating through the bridge electrical circuit.

8. An e-vaping device, comprising:
a cartridge, the cartridge including,
a reservoir configured to hold a pre-vapor formulation;
a dispensing interface configured to draw the pre-vapor formulation from the reservoir;
a heating element coupled to the dispensing interface, the heating element configured to heat pre-vapor formulation drawn into the dispensing interface, the heating element extending along an outer surface of the dispensing interface; and
a conductive element extending through an interior of the dispensing interface, wherein the dispensing interface is configured to establish a bridge electrical circuit between the heating element and the conductive element when an amount of pre-vapor formulation drawn into the dispensing interface is greater than or equal to a threshold amount;

a power supply configured to selectively supply electrical power to the heating element; and
control circuitry configured to determine whether an amount of pre-vapor formulation in the cartridge is greater than or equal to a threshold amount based on whether the bridge electrical circuit is established between the heating element and the conductive element.

9. The e-vaping device of claim 8 , wherein,
the heating element has a first temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity;
the conductive element has a second temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity; and
the second temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity is greater than the first temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity.

10. The e-vaping device of claim 9 , further comprising:
control circuitry configured to,
determine an electrical resistance of the conductive element;
determine a temperature of the dispensing interface based on the electrical resistance of the conductive element; and
control the electrical power supplied to the heating element based on the temperature of the dispensing interface.

11. The e-vaping device of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the electrical power supplied to the heating element to maintain the temperature of the dispensing interface below a threshold temperature.

12. The e-vaping device of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect changes in the electrical resistance of the conductive element, the changes having a magnitude of at least one milliohm.

13. The e-vaping device of claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to,
receive a bridge electrical signal, the bridge electrical signal being transmitted between the heating element and the conductive element through the bridge electrical circuit;
determine an electrical resistance of the bridge electrical circuit based on the bridge electrical signal; and
determine the amount of pre-vapor formulation in the cartridge based on the determined electrical resistance of the bridge electrical circuit.

14. The e-vaping device of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to,
transmit an initial electrical signal through at least a portion of at least one of the conductive element and the heating element; and
determine the amount of pre-vapor formulation in the cartridge based on both the initial electrical signal and the bridge electrical signal.

15. The e-vaping device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a sensor wire coupled to the dispensing interface separately from the conductive element and the heating element, the sensor wire being configured to carry the bridge electrical signal; and
wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive the bridge electrical signal through the sensor wire.

16. The e-vaping device of claim 8 , wherein the power supply includes a rechargeable battery.

17. The e-vaping device of claim 8 , wherein the cartridge and the power supply are configured to be removably connected to each other.

18. A method, comprising:
coupling a dispensing interface to a reservoir to configure the dispensing interface to draw a pre-vapor formulation from the reservoir;
coupling a heating element to the dispensing interface such that,
the heating element extends along an outer surface of the dispensing interface, and
the heating element is operable to heat pre-vapor formulation drawn into the dispensing interface;

configuring a conductive element to be within an interior of the dispensing interface such that the conductive element is configured to receive heat from the heating element through the interior of the dispensing interface; and
electrically coupling control circuitry to at least the conductive element, the control circuitry configured to determine whether an amount of pre-vapor formulation in the reservoir is greater than or equal to a threshold amount based on whether the dispensing interface establishes a bridge electrical circuit between the heating element and the conductive element.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein,
the heating element has a first temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity;
the conductive element has a second temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity; and
the second temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity is greater than the first temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity.

20. The m

Assignees

• Smith Barry S
• Cadieux Ed
• Cobler Patrick J
• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Smith Barry S
• Cadieux Ed
• Cobler Patrick J

Classifications

• H05B1/0244

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

• A24F47/008 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A24F47/00 Primary

  Smokers' requisites not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• H05B3/44

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

• A61M2205/52

  with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient · CPC title