Air intake assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11871784-B2
Application number	US-202217706949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2022
Priority date	Nov 20, 2018
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

A vapor generator assembly for an e-vaping device may include a reservoir configured to hold a pre-vapor formulation, a vaporizer assembly configured to heat pre-vapor formulation drawn from the reservoir to form a vapor, and an air intake assembly configured to direct ambient air into the vaporizer assembly. The air intake assembly may at least partially define an air inlet that extends at least partially around an outer surface of the vapor generator assembly. The air inlet may be an arcuate air inlet or an annular air inlet. The air intake assembly may at least partially define an inlet channel extending from the air inlet into an interior of the vapor generator assembly to at least partially establish fluid communication between the arcuate air inlet and the vaporizer assembly. The inlet channel may extend coaxially in relation to a longitudinal axis of the vapor generator assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vapor generator assembly for an e-vaping device, the vapor generator assembly comprising:
a reservoir configured to hold a pre-vapor formulation;
a vaporizer assembly configured to heat pre-vapor formulation drawn from the reservoir to form a vapor; and
an air intake assembly configured to direct ambient air into the vaporizer assembly via an inlet port of the vaporizer assembly, the air intake assembly at least partially defining
an arcuate air inlet that extends at least partially around an outer surface of the vapor generator assembly,
an adjustment ring structure through which a plurality of orifices having different sizes extend, the adjustment ring structure surrounding at least a portion of the vaporizer assembly, the adjustment ring structure configured to rotate around a longitudinal axis of the vaporizer assembly to adjustably align a selected orifice of the plurality of orifices with the inlet port of the vaporizer assembly to adjustably control a cross-sectional flow area of fluid communication between the arcuate air inlet and the inlet port of the vaporizer assembly, and
a structural element that defines
a first outer surface that at least partially defines the arcuate air inlet, and
a second outer surface that is exposed to an exterior of the vapor generator assembly and is configured to be physically manipulated from the exterior of the vapor generator assembly to cause the intake air assembly to rotate around the longitudinal axis,

wherein an outer surface of the adjustment ring structure and an inner surface of the structural element at least partially define an annular inlet channel between the arcuate air inlet and the plurality of orifices, the annular inlet channel surrounding the adjustment ring structure, and
wherein the air intake assembly is configured to establish adjustable fluid communication between the arcuate air inlet and the inlet port of the vaporizer assembly via the annular inlet channel and the selected orifice of the plurality of orifices.

2. The vapor generator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the arcuate air inlet is at least partially defined by an arcuate gap between the air intake assembly and an outer housing of the vapor generator assembly.

3. The vapor generator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the arcuate air inlet is an annular air inlet that extends around an entirety of the outer surface of the vapor generator assembly.

4. The vapor generator assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the structural element further defines a separate inlet channel extending from the arcuate air inlet at the first outer surface to the inner surface of the structural element, the separate inlet channel extending paraxially in relation to the longitudinal axis of the vapor generator assembly,
the outer surface of the adjustment ring structure and the inner surface of the structural element at least partially define the annular inlet channel between the separate inlet channel and the plurality of orifices, and
the air intake assembly is configured to establish the adjustable fluid communication between the arcuate air inlet and the inlet port of the vaporizer assembly via the separate inlet channel, the annular inlet channel, and the selected orifice of the plurality of orifices.

5. An e-vaping device, comprising:
the vaporizer generator assembly of claim 4 ; and
a power supply assembly detachably coupled to the vaporizer generator assembly, the power supply assembly configured to supply electrical power to the vaporizer assembly,
wherein the power supply assembly includes an outer housing, and at least one inner surface of the outer housing of the power supply assembly at least partially defines an outer annular boundary of the annular inlet channel, such that the annular inlet channel is at least partially defined within an interior of the e-vaping device by respective surfaces of the adjustment ring structure of the air intake assembly, the structural element of the air intake assembly, and the outer housing of the power supply assembly.

6. The e-vaping device of claim 5 , wherein the arcuate air inlet is at least partially defined by an arcuate gap between the air intake assembly and an outer housing of the e-vaping device.

7. The e-vaping device of claim 5 , wherein the arcuate air inlet is an annular air inlet that extends around an entirety of the outer surface of the e-vaping device.

8. The e-vaping device of claim 5 , wherein the power supply assembly includes a rechargeable battery.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Hawes Eric
• Lau Raymond W
• Dahl Mik
• Jarantilla Jon
• Salvador Galen
• Montalvan Jose Jesus Paolo
• Kok Jeroen

Classifications

• A24F40/50

  Control or monitoring · CPC title

• A24F40/40 Primary

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

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/485 Primary

  Valves; Apertures · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title