Method and device for controlling the quantity of liquid contained in a cartridge for an aerosol generating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11530128-B2
Application number	US-201816483761-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2018
Priority date	Feb 20, 2017
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

Method and device for controlling the quantity of liquid contained in a cartridge for an aerosol generating device, wherein the cartridge has a container and a liquid contained in the container and wherein, according to which is measured the quantity of liquid contained in the cartridge; and compared the quantity of liquid with a reference quantity of liquid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling the quantity of liquid ( 11 ) contained in a cartridge ( 1 ) for an aerosol generating device, wherein the cartridge ( 1 ) comprises a container ( 10 ) and a liquid ( 11 ) contained in the container ( 10 ); the method comprising:
measuring the quantity of liquid ( 11 ) contained in the cartridge ( 1 ); and
comparing the quantity of liquid ( 11 ) with a reference quantity of liquid;

wherein the step of measuring the quantity of liquid ( 11 ) comprises sequentially the following steps:
weighing the container ( 10 ) of the cartridge ( 1 ) in a first weighing group ( 80 );
injecting a quantity of liquid ( 11 ) in the container ( 10 ) in a filling station ( 15 );
weighing the cartridge ( 1 ) in a second weighing group ( 81 ); and
calculating the weight of the liquid ( 11 ) contained in the container ( 10 );
wherein a first conveyor ( 9 ) is provided comprising: a first gripping portion ( 91 ) at which it receives the container ( 10 ) without liquid ( 11 ) from the first weighing group ( 80 ); a first release portion ( 92 ) at which the container ( 10 ) without liquid ( 11 ) is moved to the filling station ( 15 ) to fill the container ( 10 ) with the liquid ( 11 ); a second gripping portion ( 93 ) at which it receives the container ( 10 ) containing liquid ( 11 ) from the filling station ( 15 ); and a second release portion ( 94 ) at which the container ( 10 ) containing liquid ( 11 ) is moved to the second weighing group ( 81 );
the method ( 7 ) is characterized in that it comprises a second conveyor ( 16 ) which comprises: a first gripping portion ( 160 ) at which the container ( 10 ) without liquid ( 11 ) is received; a first release portion ( 161 ) at which the container ( 10 ) without liquid ( 11 ) is moved to the first weighing group ( 80 ); and a second gripping portion ( 162 ) at which the container ( 10 ) containing liquid ( 11 ) is received from the second weighing group ( 81 ).

2. A device ( 7 ) for controlling the quantity of liquid ( 11 ) contained in a cartridge ( 1 ) for an aerosol generating device, wherein the cartridge ( 1 ) comprises a container ( 10 ) and a liquid ( 11 ) contained in the container ( 10 ) and wherein the device ( 7 ) comprises:
measuring means ( 8 ) for measuring the quantity of liquid ( 11 ) contained in the cartridge ( 1 ) and comprising a first weighing group ( 80 ) for weighing at least one container ( 10 ) of a cartridge ( 1 ) before filling the same with the liquid ( 11 ) and a second weighing group ( 81 ) for weighing the container ( 10 ) containing liquid ( 11 );
a processing unit connected to the measuring means ( 8 ) for receiving the data measured by the measuring means ( 8 ) and comparing them with a reference quantity of liquid; and
a first conveyor ( 9 ) which comprises: a first gripping portion ( 91 ) at which the container ( 10 ) without liquid ( 11 ) is received from the first weighing group ( 80 ); a first release portion ( 92 ) at which the container ( 10 ) without liquid ( 11 ) is moved to a filling station ( 15 ) for filling the container ( 10 ) with the liquid ( 11 ); a second gripping portion ( 93 ) at which the container ( 10 ) containing liquid ( 11 ) is received from the filling station ( 15 ); and a second release portion ( 94 ) at which the container ( 10 ) containing liquid ( 11 ) is moved to the second weighing group ( 81 );
the device ( 7 ) is characterized by comprising a second conveyor ( 16 ) which comprises: a first gripping portion ( 160 ) at which the container ( 10 ) without liquid ( 11 ) is received; a first release portion ( 161 ) at which the container ( 10 ) without liquid ( 11 ) is moved to the first weighing group ( 80 ); and a second gripping portion ( 162 ) at which the container ( 10 ) containing liquid ( 11 ) is received from the second weighing group ( 81 ).

3. The device ( 7 ) according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first conveyor ( 9 ) is ring-shaped and comprises a first branch ( 9 a ) comprising the first gripping portion ( 91 ) and the second release portion ( 94 ) and a second branch ( 9 b ) comprising the first release portion ( 92 ) and the second gripping portion ( 93 );
the second conveyor ( 16 ) is ring-shaped and comprises a first branch ( 16 a ) comprising the first release portion ( 161 ) and the second gripping portion ( 162 ) and a second branch ( 16 b ) comprising the first gripping portion ( 160 ); and
the first branch ( 9 a ) of the first conveyor ( 9 ) and the first branch ( 16 a ) of the second conveyor ( 16 ) are opposed.

4. The device ( 7 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the measuring means ( 8 ) are arranged between the first branch ( 9 a ) of the first conveyor ( 9 ) and the first branch ( 16 a ) of the second conveyor ( 16 ).

5. The device ( 7 ) according to claim 2 and comprising gripping and releasing means ( 17 ) arranged at the measuring means ( 8 ) and comprising:
a first element ( 170 ) for gripping the container ( 10 ) from the first release portion ( 161 ) of the second conveyor ( 16 ) and releasing it to the first weighing group ( 80 ) and for gripping the container ( 10 ) from the first weighing group ( 80 ) and releasing it to the first gripping portion ( 91 ) of the first conveyor ( 9 ); and
a second element ( 171 ) for gripping the container ( 10 ) from the second release portion ( 94 ) of the first conveyor ( 9 ) and releasing it to the second weighing group ( 81 ) and for gripping the container ( 10 ) from the second weighing group ( 81 ) and releasing it to the second gripping portion ( 162 ) of the second conveyor ( 16 ).

6. The device ( 7 ) according to claim 2 , wherein:
the container ( 10 ) has a longitudinal development along a relative development axis (X);
the first conveyor ( 9 ) comprises a couple of pulleys rotating about respective rotation axes parallel to one another and a chain ( 95 ) which forms a plurality of seats for receiving a container ( 10 ) of a cartridge ( 1 ) in each seat; and
said seats being arranged to receive the containers ( 10 ) with the development axis (X) parallel to the rotation axes of the pulleys.

Assignees

• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Madera Giovanni
• Lamborghini Gianpiero
• Morelli Sergio
• Navacchia Eugenio
• Sorrentino Catello
• Federici Luca

Classifications

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• B65B3/28

  by weighing · CPC title

• A61M2209/045

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

• A24F40/53

  Monitoring, e.g. fault detection · CPC title

• B67D7/02 Primary

  for transferring liquids other than fuel or lubricants · CPC title