Nicotine pod assemblies and nicotine e-vaping devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11528937-B2
Application number	US-201916695415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2019
Priority date	Nov 26, 2019
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

A nicotine e-vaping device may include a nicotine pod assembly and a device body defining a through hole configured to receive the nicotine pod assembly. The nicotine pod assembly is configured to hold a nicotine pre-vapor formulation. The through hole of the device body includes at least sidewall that is configured to deflect during an insertion of the nicotine pod assembly. One or more sidewalls of the through hole may include at least one protrusion configured to engage with corresponding recesses of the nicotine pod assembly so as to retain the nicotine pod assembly within the through hole of the device body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A nicotine e-vaping device, comprising:
a nicotine pod assembly configured to hold a nicotine pre-vapor formulation, the nicotine pod assembly having an upstream end and a downstream end, the upstream end defining at least one upstream recess, the downstream end defining at least one downstream recess; and
a device body defining a through hole configured to receive the nicotine pod assembly, the through hole including an upstream sidewall and a downstream sidewall, at least one of the upstream sidewall or the downstream sidewall configured to deflect during an insertion of the nicotine pod assembly, the upstream sidewall including at least one upstream protrusion, the downstream sidewall including at least one downstream protrusion, the at least one upstream protrusion and the at least one downstream protrusion configured to engage with the at least one upstream recess and the at least one downstream recess, respectively, so as to retain the nicotine pod assembly within the through hole of the device body.

2. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the upstream sidewall and the downstream sidewall of the device body are configured to flex away from each other during the insertion of the nicotine pod assembly.

3. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the upstream sidewall and the downstream sidewall of the device body are resilient sections configured to transition from an unloaded state to a loaded state when the nicotine pod assembly is received by the device body.

4. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one upstream protrusion is urged by the upstream sidewall of the device body to interlock with the at least one upstream recess of the nicotine pod assembly during the loaded state.

5. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one downstream protrusion is urged by the downstream sidewall of the device body to interlock with the at least one downstream recess of the nicotine pod assembly during the loaded state.

6. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the device body includes a bezel structure defining the through hole.

7. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 6 , wherein the bezel structure is a monolithic article.

8. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 6 , wherein the bezel structure includes a first upstream corner defining a first upstream slit, a second upstream corner defining a second upstream slit, a first downstream corner defining a first downstream slit, and a second downstream corner defining a second downstream slit.

9. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 8 , wherein the upstream sidewall is between the first upstream slit and the second upstream slit, and the downstream sidewall is between the first downstream slit and the second downstream slit.

10. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 8 , wherein the bezel structure has a length, a width, and a depth, the width being greater than the depth.

11. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 10 , wherein each of the first upstream slit, the second upstream slit, the first downstream slit, and the second downstream slit has a longest dimension that is at least 30 percent of the depth of the bezel structure.

12. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 6 , wherein the device body further includes a mouthpiece secured to the bezel structure.

13. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 12 , wherein the mouthpiece includes a male portion, the bezel structure includes a female portion, and the male portion of the mouthpiece and the female portion of the bezel structure are configured to mate as a bayonet connection.

14. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one upstream recess and the at least one downstream recess of the nicotine pod assembly are in a form of a dimple.

15. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one upstream recess of the nicotine pod assembly includes two upstream recesses, and the at least one downstream recess of the nicotine pod assembly includes two downstream recesses.

16. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one upstream protrusion and the at least one downstream protrusion of the device body are in a form of a spherical cap.

17. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one upstream protrusion of the device body includes two upstream protrusions, and the at least one downstream protrusion of the device body includes two downstream protrusions.

18. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the device body is configured to produce at least one of an audible click or a haptic feedback in response to the nicotine pod assembly being seated within the through hole of the device body.

19. A device body for a nicotine e-vaping device, comprising:
a device housing defining a through hole configured to receive a nicotine pod assembly, the through hole including an upstream sidewall and a downstream sidewall, at least one of the upstream sidewall or the downstream sidewall configured to deflect during an insertion of the nicotine pod assembly, the upstream sidewall including at least one upstream protrusion, the downstream sidewall including at least one downstream protrusion, the at least one upstream protrusion and the at least one downstream protrusion configured to engage with at least one upstream recess and at least one downstream recess, respectively, of the nicotine pod assembly so as to retain the nicotine pod assembly within the through hole.

20. A nicotine pod assembly for a nicotine e-vaping device, comprising:
a pod body configured to hold a nicotine pre-vapor formulation, the pod body having a front face, a rear face, a first side face, a second side face, an upstream end, and a downstream end, the upstream end including at least one electrical contact and defining at least one upstream recess, the at least one electrical contact being on an outer surface of the upstream end, the downstream end defining a pod outlet and at least one downstream recess.

21. The nicotine pod assembly of claim 20 , wherein the at least one upstream recess includes two upstream recesses, the at least one electrical contact being between the two upstream recesses, the at least one downstream recess includes two downstream recesses, the pod outlet being between the two downstream recesses.

22. The nicotine pod assembly of claim 20 , wherein the at least one electrical contact includes a planar surface.

23. The nicotine pod assembly of claim 20 , wherein the at least one downstream recess is adjacent to the pod outlet.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Hourmand Yannick
• Newcomb Christopher
• Lau Raymond W
• Hawes Eric

Classifications

• A24B15/243

  Nicotine · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/40 Primary

  Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts · CPC title

• A24F40/42 Primary

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• G08B6/00

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title