Consumable for a smoking substitute device and a smoking substitute device containing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12336570-B2
Application number	US-202017086944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2020
Priority date	May 1, 2018
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A consumable for a smoking substitute device, and a smoking substitute device including the consumable. The consumable comprises: a tank for storing vapourisable liquid; a heater assembly; and a mouthpiece.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A consumable for a smoking substitute device, the consumable comprising:
a tank, for storing vapourisable liquid;
a heater assembly for heating and vapourising the vapourisable liquid;
a mouthpiece, having a first mouthpiece outlet having a first axis and a second mouthpiece outlet having a second axis, the mouthpiece being in fluid communication with the tank; and
a chimney extending from the heater assembly to the mouthpiece, wherein the mouthpiece defines a first airflow path extending from the chimney to the first mouthpiece outlet, and a second airflow path extending from the chimney to the second mouthpiece outlet; and
a filter positioned in the mouthpiece and disposed between the tank and the mouthpiece outlets, which is configured to be impermeable to unvapourised liquid whilst being permeable to vapourised liquid, wherein at least a portion of the filter is offset from the first axis and offset from the second axis such as to be positioned between the first airflow path and the second airflow path.

2. The consumable of claim 1 , wherein the filter has a tubular geometry.

3. The consumable of claim 1 , further including an air inlet, disposed at an opposite end of the consumable to the mouthpiece, and wherein the air inlet, the heater assembly, and the mouthpiece define a path for airflow through the consumable in that order.

4. The consumable of claim 1 , wherein the filter is formed from a fabric so as to be permeable to vapourised liquid but impermeable to unvapourised liquid.

5. The consumable of claim 1 , wherein the filter is formed from a mesh so as to be permeable to vapourised liquid but impermeable to unvapourised liquid.

6. The consumable of claim 1 , wherein the filter is a gas-permeable and liquid-impermeable membrane.

7. The consumable of claim 1 , further including a silicone seal disposed between the mouthpiece and the tank, which is configured to only allow fluid flow in a direction from the tank to the mouthpiece.

8. The consumable of claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece includes a mouthpiece chamber located between the tank and the mouthpiece outlet, and wherein the filter is located within the mouthpiece chamber.

9. A smoking substitute device, comprising a consumable of claim 1 connected thereto.

10. A consumable for a smoking substitute device, the consumable comprising:
a tank, for storing vapourisable liquid;
a heater assembly for heating and vapourising the vapourisable liquid;
a mouthpiece, having a first mouthpiece outlet having a first axis and a second mouthpiece outlet having a second axis, the mouthpiece being in fluid communication with the tank; and
a chimney extending from the heater assembly to the mouthpiece, wherein the mouthpiece defines a first airflow path extending from the chimney to the first mouthpiece outlet, and a second airflow path extending from the chimney to the second mouthpiece outlet; and,
a filter positioned in the mouthpiece and disposed between the tank and the mouthpiece outlet, which is configured to be impermeable to unvapourised liquid whilst being permeable to vapourised liquid, wherein, for each mouthpiece outlet, the filter covers an entirety of an aperture of the respective mouthpiece outlet such that filtering by the filter occurs immediately before a fluid flow exits the consumable, and wherein a portion of the filter is offset from the first axis and from the second axis such as to be positioned between the first airflow path and the second airflow path.

11. The consumable of claim 10 , wherein the filter has a tubular geometry.

12. The consumable of claim 10 , further including an air inlet, disposed at an opposite end of the consumable to the mouthpiece, and wherein the air inlet, the heater assembly, and the mouthpiece define a path for airflow through the consumable in that order.

13. The consumable of claim 10 , wherein the filter is formed from a mesh so as to be permeable to vapourised liquid but impermeable to unvapourised liquid.

14. The consumable of claim 10 , wherein the filter is a gas-permeable and liquid-impermeable membrane.

15. The consumable of claim 10 , further including a silicone seal disposed between the mouthpiece and the tank, which is configured to only allow fluid flow in a direction from the tank to the mouthpiece.

16. The consumable of claim 10 , wherein the mouthpiece includes a mouthpiece chamber located between the tank and the first mouthpiece outlet and the second mouthpiece outlet and wherein the filter is located within the mouthpiece chamber.

17. A smoking substitute device, comprising a consumable of claim 10 connected thereto.

18. The smoking substitute device of claim 9 , wherein the smoking substitute device is a single use smoking substitute device.

Assignees

• Imperial Tobacco Ltd

Inventors

• Lomas Pete
• Lord Chris

Classifications

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24D3/17

  Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices · CPC title

• A24F40/485 Primary

  Valves; Apertures · CPC title