Reservoir filling system for an electronic vaping device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11770879-B2
Application number	US-202218056837-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2022
Priority date	Nov 5, 2014
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

A reservoir refill system for an electronic vaping device includes a refill container and a reservoir. The refill container contains a pre-vapor formulation. The refill container includes a body, an opening in the body, and a first interlocking ring including at least one groove or at least one protrusion therein. The reservoir is configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation and includes a reservoir body, an opening in the reservoir body, and a second interlocking ring including at least one groove or at least one protrusion therein at an opening of the reservoir. The first interlocking ring is configured to mate with the second interlocking ring so as to release the pre-vapor formulation from the refill container to the reservoir.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electronic vaping device comprising:
a housing including,
a stop on an inner surface of the housing;

a chimney in the housing, the chimney including,
a protrusion along a length of the chimney;

a reservoir configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation, the reservoir being refillable, and the reservoir between the housing and the chimney;
a flexible valve circumscribing at least a portion of the chimney, the flexible valve including,
a first ring,
a second ring, and
at least one pillar connecting the first ring and the second ring;

a heater configured to heat the pre-vapor formulation; and
a power supply configured to supply power to the heater.

2. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the first ring has a larger outer diameter than the second ring.

3. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the first ring is smaller than an inner diameter of the housing.

4. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein
an outer diameter of the first ring is larger than an outer diameter of the second ring; and
the outer diameter of the first ring is smaller than an inner diameter of the housing.

5. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible valve is formed of a flexible material including rubber.

6. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pillar includes four pillars.

7. The electronic vaping device of claim 6 , wherein the four pillars are concave.

8. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the first ring abuts the stop when the flexible valve is in a closed position.

9. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the second ring abuts the protrusion when the flexible valve is in a closed position and when the flexible valve is in an open position.

10. A cartridge of an electronic vaping device, the cartridge comprising:
a housing including,
a stop on an inner surface of the housing;

a chimney in the housing, the chimney including,
a protrusion along a length of the chimney;

a reservoir configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation, the reservoir being refillable, and the reservoir between the housing and the chimney;
a flexible valve circumscribing at least a portion of the chimney, the flexible valve including,
a first ring,
a second ring, and
at least one pillar connecting the first ring and the second ring; and

a heater configured to heat the pre-vapor formulation.

11. The cartridge of claim 10 , wherein the first ring has a larger outer diameter than the second ring.

12. The cartridge of claim 10 , wherein a diameter of the first ring is smaller than an inner diameter of the housing.

13. The cartridge of claim 10 , wherein
an outer diameter of the first ring is larger than an outer diameter of the second ring; and
the outer diameter of the first ring is smaller than an inner diameter of the housing.

14. The cartridge of claim 10 , wherein the flexible valve is formed of a flexible material including rubber.

15. The cartridge of claim 10 , wherein the at least one pillar includes four pillars.

16. The cartridge of claim 15 , wherein the four pillars are concave.

17. The cartridge of claim 10 , wherein the first ring abuts the stop when the flexible valve is in a closed position.

18. The cartridge of claim 10 , wherein the second ring abuts the protrusion when the flexible valve is in a closed position and when the flexible valve is in an open position.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Levitz Robert
• Holtz Arie

Classifications

• H05B3/44 Primary

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

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/485

  Valves; Apertures · CPC title

• F16K15/1823

  for ball check valves · CPC title

• H05B3/06

  Heater elements structurally combined with coupling elements or holders · CPC title