Reservoir filling system for an electronic vaping device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12133299-B2
Application number	US-202318468036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2023
Priority date	Nov 5, 2014
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

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

a refillable 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 vaporizer configured to vaporize a pre-vapor formulation; and
a power supply configured to supply power to the vaporizer.

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 housing includes a stop on an inner surface of the housing.

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

10. The electronic vaping device of claim 9 , 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.

11. A cartridge of an electronic vaping device, the cartridge comprising:
a housing;
a chimney in the housing, the chimney including,
a protrusion along a length of the chimney;

a refillable reservoir between the housing and the chimney; and
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.

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

13. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein a diameter of the first ring is smaller than an inner diameter of the housing.

14. The cartridge of claim 11 , 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.

15. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the flexible valve is formed of a flexible material including rubber.

16. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the at least one pillar includes four pillars.

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

18. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the housing includes a stop on an inner surface of the housing.

19. The cartridge of claim 18 , wherein the first ring abuts the stop when the flexible valve is in a closed position.

20. The cartridge of claim 18 , 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

• F16K15/1823

  for ball check valves · CPC title

• A24F40/485

  Valves; Apertures · CPC title

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F15/015

  with means for refilling of liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title