Aerosol delivery device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12369639-B2
Application number	US-202117533526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2021
Priority date	Jun 21, 2019
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

An aerosol delivery device comprises: a storage for storing aerosol precursor liquid, the storage comprising an air bleed channel for permitting air to enter the storage as the storage empties of aerosol precursor in use; and a liquid transfer element for transferring aerosol precursor liquid from the storage to an aerosol generator, wherein the air bleed channel and the liquid transfer element are configured such that aerosol precursor liquid from the liquid transfer element forms an obstruction in the air bleed channel in use to reduce flow through the air bleed channel, the aerosol delivery device further configured such that the obstruction is removed to open the air bleed channel in response to a user drawing on the aerosol delivery device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerosol delivery device, comprising:
a storage for storing aerosol precursor liquid, the storage comprising an air bleed channel for permitting air to enter the storage as the storage empties of aerosol precursor liquid in use;
an aerosol generator for generating an aerosol from the aerosol precursor liquid for inhalation by a user; and
a liquid transfer element for transferring the aerosol precursor liquid from the storage to the aerosol generator,
wherein the air bleed channel and the liquid transfer element are configured such that the aerosol precursor liquid from the liquid transfer element forms an obstruction in the air bleed channel in use to reduce flow through the air bleed channel, and
the aerosol delivery device is further configured such that the obstruction is removed to open the air bleed channel in response to the user drawing on the aerosol delivery device by causing the aerosol precursor liquid in the liquid transfer element to reduce and the obstruction to be pulled from the air bleed channel into the storage to open the air bleed channel.

2. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 1 , wherein an external opening of the air bleed channel is located adjacent to the liquid transfer element and wherein the liquid transfer element defines a portion of the air bleed channel.

3. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 1 , wherein the air bleed channel follows a tortuous path.

4. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 1 , and further comprising a sealing element for inhibiting flow through the air bleed channel when the sealing element is in a deactivated state, wherein the sealing element is openable into an activated state to permit air flow through the air bleed channel when the obstruction is removed from the air bleed channel.

5. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 1 , and further comprising a barrier arrangement for inhibiting flow of the aerosol precursor liquid from the storage to the liquid transfer element, wherein the barrier arrangement is openable so that the liquid transfer element can receive the aerosol precursor liquid from the storage and wherein the liquid transfer element is movable to contact the barrier arrangement to open the barrier arrangement.

6. An aerosol delivery device for delivering an aerosol for inhalation by a user, comprising:
a storage tank defining a storage chamber for storing a liquid aerosol precursor;
a porous liquid transfer element for transferring the liquid aerosol precursor from the storage chamber to an aerosolization chamber in an activated state of the aerosol delivery device;
an air bleed channel configured to allow bleeding of air into the storage chamber of the storage tank to replace the liquid aerosol precursor as it is transferred by the porous liquid transfer element in the activated state of the aerosol delivery device; and
a sealing element for sealing the air bleed channel in a deactivated state of the aerosol delivery device,
wherein the device further comprises first and second activation members extending from an inner surface of a terminal element,
wherein, in a first orientation of the terminal element, the first activation member is longitudinally aligned with the sealing element configured to engage the sealing element to provide the activated state of the aerosol delivery device, and
wherein, in a second orientation of the terminal element, the second activation member is longitudinally aligned with the sealing element configured to engage the sealing element to provide the activated state of the aerosol delivery device.

7. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 6 , wherein the terminal element is rotated by 180 degrees between the first and second orientations.

8. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 6 , wherein the storage tank further comprises a filling port and, wherein, in the first orientation of the terminal element, the second activation member is longitudinally aligned with the filling port and wherein, in the second orientation of the terminal element, the first activation member is longitudinally aligned with the filling port.

9. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 6 , wherein the porous liquid transfer element is interposed between the first and second activation members.

10. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 6 , wherein the porous liquid transfer element is an elongate, liquid transfer element extending longitudinally along a longitudinal axis of the aerosol delivery device and the first and second activation members extend parallel to the liquid transfer element and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol delivery device.

11. An aerosol delivery device according to claim 6 , comprising a flow passage extending between an upstream flow passage inlet to a downstream mouthpiece aperture on a mouthpiece portion of the terminal element, wherein the first and second activation members extend from an inner surface of the terminal element within the mouthpiece portion on opposing lateral and/or transverse sides of the downstream mouthpiece aperture.

Assignees

• Imperial Tobacco Ltd

Inventors

• Austin Andrew
• Sajtos Tamas
• Lomas Pete
• Lord Chris
• Shenton Ross

Classifications

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/44

  Wicks · CPC title

• A24F40/30

  Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges · CPC title

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/485 Primary

  Valves; Apertures · CPC title