Electronic cigarette with visible liquid container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10653182-B2
Application number	US-201615264901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2016
Priority date	Sep 16, 2015
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A liquid storage portion for an aerosol-generating system includes a container configured to hold a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The container has an opening for dispensing the liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and includes at least one transparent wall portion, such that the liquid level in the container can be visually monitored by the vaper. The container is further configured such that the liquid aerosol-forming substrate is held in a contiguous volume area of the container. The aerosol-forming substrate in the contiguous volume is confined near the dispensing opening of the container without regard to the orientation of the liquid storage portion.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method for manufacturing a liquid storage portion for an aerosol-generating system, the method comprising:
forming a container having an dispensing opening; and
providing liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the container,
the container being designed such that the liquid aerosol-forming substrate is held in a contiguous volume area of the container, and the aerosol-forming substrate in the contiguous volume is confined near the dispensing opening of the container independent from an orientation of the liquid storage portion;
providing a central container portion with a plurality of parallel channels extending along a whole length of the central container portion;
providing end sections; and
attaching the end sections to the central container portion, such that adjacent parallel channels are linearly connected with each other, and a single serpentine liquid path is formed that extends continuously from the dispensing opening of the container.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container comprises at least a section having a width dimension such that the liquid aerosol-forming substrate is held by capillary forces in the contiguous volume area.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming comprises:
injection molding the container.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming comprises:
extruding the container.

5. A method for manufacturing a liquid storage portion for an aerosol-generating system, the method comprising:
forming a container having an dispensing opening; and
providing liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the container, the container being designed such that the liquid aerosol-forming substrate is held in a contiguous volume area of the container, and the aerosol-forming substrate in the contiguous volume is confined near the dispensing opening of the container independent from and orientation of the liquid storage portion;
providing a central container portion defining a single liquid path and a plurality of enlarged pocket sections that are provided along a length of liquid path;
providing a front cover plate and a back cover plate; and
attaching the cover plates to the central container portion, such that a container with a single capillary channel comprising a plurality of enlarged pockets is formed.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Reevell Tony

Classifications

• B29D22/003

  Containers for packaging, storing or transporting, e.g. bottles, jars, cans, barrels, tanks · CPC title

• H05B2203/021

  Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids · CPC title

• H05B1/0244

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

• B65D25/56

  with means for indicating level of contents · CPC title

• H05B2203/014

  Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54 · CPC title