Device and method for filling an electric cigarette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10940964-B2
Application number	US-201615759450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2016
Priority date	Sep 15, 2015
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

The invention discloses a device for filling an electric cigarette, more specifically for filling a consumable-material tank of an electric cigarette wherein the device has a first tank for accommodating a consumable material and a second tank for accommodating air, wherein the device is designed such that the volumes of the tanks can be altered inversely by means of an actuating device, and therefore a pressing action and an intake action can be established at connections of the tanks. By virtue of the device being connected to a consumable-material tank of an electric cigarette, it is thus possible, while the consumable-material tank is being filled with consumable material, for the air displaced by the consumable material to be simultaneously extracted from the electric cigarette.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a first storage chamber configured and arranged for accommodating a consumable material,
an interface, which is connected to a first connection, which is fluidically connected to the first storage chamber, characterized by
a second storage chamber configured and arranged for accommodating an equalizing fluid, and
a control device, wherein
the device is configured and arranged to fill an electric cigarette wherein the volumes of the first storage chamber and of the second storage chamber are changed in an opposite direction by means of the control device, and wherein the interface has a second connection, which is fluidically connected to the second storage chamber,
further having a child-proof lock, which is provided with a bolt configured and arranged for blocking and releasing the control device.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein
the first storage chamber has a first hollow cylinder and a first piston, and the second storage chamber has a second hollow cylinder and a second piston, and
the first piston is configured and arranged to facilitate a first volume change, ΔV1, of the first storage chamber when extended into and retracted out of the first hollow cylinder; and
the second piston is configured and arranged to facilitate a second volume change, ΔV2, of the second storage chamber when extended into and retracted out of the second hollow cylinder.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein
the control device has a toothed wheel section,
the first piston and the second piston are indirectly or directly coupled to one another by means of a control rod in the form of a toothed rod, threaded rod or a different rod comprising tooth-like engagement elements, and
the device is constructed in such a way that the toothed wheel section and the control rod engage with one another.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein
the control device has a lever, wherein
the first piston and the second piston are indirectly or directly coupled to the lever.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein
the control device has a center of rotation for the lever, wherein
the first piston and the second piston are indirectly or directly coupled to one another by means of a rod, wherein
the lever and the rod are coupled to one another.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein
the control device is connected to a threaded rod in a rotationally fixed manner, wherein
the first and second pistons have an internal thread, and
the device is configured and arranged so that the pistons shift on the threaded rod with respect to the first hollow cylinder and the second hollow cylinder.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein
the control device has an internal thread, wherein
the first piston and the second piston are fixedly connected to a threaded rod, wherein
the device is configured and arranged so that the threaded rod with the pistons shifts with respect to the control device and the hollow cylinders by means of the control device.

8. The device of claim 2 , wherein
a rod is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner with respect to a control device, but axially shiftable inside the control device,

wherein
the pistons are fixedly connected to the rod and at least one of the first and second hollow cylinders has an internal thread, wherein
at least one of the first and second pistons engages with the internal thread of the at least one of the first and second hollow cylinders by means of an external thread or at least one pin, wherein
the device is configured and arranged so that the rod with the pistons shifts with respect to the cylinders and the control device by means of the control device.

9. The device of claim 2 , wherein the device is configured and arranged so that ΔV1, ΔV2 can be effected in the storage chambers with equal or unequal size.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the child-proof lock is further configured and arranged to release the control device when the device is in a release state and otherwise block the control device.

11. The device according to claim 1 , having a shell element, which is provided for accommodating an electric cigarette and which is set up to define the position and alignment of an electric cigarette in one, two, three, four, five or six degrees of freedom.

12. A system comprising:
a device including
a first storage chamber configured and arranged for accommodating a consumable material,
a second storage chamber configured and arranged for accommodating an equalizing fluid,
an interface with first and second connections, the first connection fluidically connected to the first storage chamber and the second connection fluidically connected to the second storage chamber, and
wherein the device is configured and arranged so that a change of volume within the first and second storage chambers are inversely related by means of a control device;

the first connection is configured and arranged for facilitating filling of the consumable material, and the second connection is configured and arranged for discharging the equalizing fluid; and
a child-proof lock, which is provided with a bolt configured and arranged for blocking and releasing the control device;
wherein the child-proof lock is configured and arranged to release the control device when the device and a consumable material tank are in a filling position with respect to one another, and the child-proof lock otherwise blocks the control device.

13. A method for filling a consumable material tank of an electric cigarette by means of a device for filling the electric cigarette, having the step:
controlling a control device, whereby consumable material is filled from the device into the tank of the electric cigarette,
characterized in that an equalizing fluid volume, which is displaced by the consumable material, which is filled in, is simultaneously extracted from the tank of the electric cigarette.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further having the steps:
docking the device to the electric cigarette, whereby the control device is released, and
undocking the device from the electric cigarette, whereby the control device is blocked.

15. A method for filling a consumable material tank of an electric cigarette by means of a device for filling the electric cigarette, having the steps:
fluidically connecting the consumable material tank to a first storage chamber, which is filled with a consumable material,
fluidically connecting the consumable material tank to a second storage chamber,
volume reduction of the first storage chamber, so that the consumable material reaches from the first storage chamber into the consumable material tank, and
volume increase of the second storage chamber, so that an equalizing fluid, in particular air, is extracted from the consumable material tank into the second storage chamber.

16. A device comprising:
a first storage chamber configured and arranged for accommodating a consumable material,
an interface, which is connected to a first connection, which is fluidically connected to the first storage chamber, characterized by
a second storage chamber configured and arranged for accommodating an equalizing fluid, and
a control device,
wherein the device is configured and arranged to fill an electric cigarette in a manner so that the volumes of the first storage chamber and of the second storage chamber are changed in the opposite direction by means of the control device, and wherein the interface has a second connection, which is fluidically connected to the second storage chamber,
wherein the first and th

Assignees

• Fontem Holdings 1 Bv

Inventors

• Beer Andreas

Classifications

• B65B3/18

  Controlling escape of air from containers or receptacles during filling · CPC title

• A24F15/015

  with means for refilling of liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A61M2209/045

  for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs · CPC title

• A24F40/485 Primary

  Valves; Apertures · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title