Cartridge for electronic vaping device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12420034-B2
Application number	US-201916577319-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2019
Priority date	Mar 3, 2016
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A cartridge for an e-vaping device enables separate vapors to be formed proximate to separate, respective ends of the cartridge. The cartridge includes multiple reservoirs and separate vaporizer assemblies coupled to separate reservoirs on opposite ends of the reservoirs. The separate reservoirs may hold separate pre-vapor formulations. The separate vaporizer assemblies may draw separate pre-vapor formulations from separate reservoirs towards opposite ends of the cartridge and vaporize the separate pre-vapor formulations via operation of separate heaters proximate to the separate ends. The separate heaters may be independently controlled to independently control vapor formation at the separate ends. The heaters may be controlled to independently control vapor formation rates proximate to the separate ends. The heaters may be controlled to form separate vapors at least one of simultaneously, concurrently, and at different times.

First claim

We claim:

1. An e-vaping device, comprising:
a cartridge, the cartridge including
a housing including first and second ends;
at least first and second reservoirs positioned within the housing between the first and second ends, the first and second reservoirs being configured to hold respective first and second pre-vapor formulations; and
at least first and second vaporizer assemblies positioned within the housing on opposite ends of the first and second reservoirs, the first vaporizer assembly being coupled to the first reservoir, the first vaporizer assembly being configured to vaporize the first pre-vapor formulation to generate a first vapor closer to the first end than the second end, the second vaporizer assembly being coupled to the second reservoir, the second vaporizer assembly being configured to vaporize the second pre-vapor formulation to generate a second vapor closer to the second end than the first end; and

a power supply section configured to selectively supply power to the first and second vaporizer assemblies, wherein the power supply section includes control circuitry, the control circuitry being configured to independently control vapor generation by the first and second vaporizer assemblies.

2. The e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to independently control vapor generation by the first and second vaporizer assemblies based on independently controlling power supplied to the first and second vaporizer assemblies.

3. The e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the first and second vaporizer assemblies to generate the first vapor and the second vapor at different times, based on independently controlling the first and second vaporizer assemblies.

4. The e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to activate a first heater included in the first vaporizer assembly, such that a viscosity of the second pre-vapor formulation is reduced, prior to controlling the second vaporizer assembly to vaporize the second pre-vapor formulation.

5. The e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein
the first vaporizer assembly includes,
a first dispensing interface configured to draw the first pre-vapor formulation from the first reservoir, and
a first heater coupled to the first dispensing interface, the first heater being configured to vaporize the drawn first pre-vapor formulation; and

the second vaporizer assembly includes,
a second dispensing interface configured to draw the second pre-vapor formulation from the second reservoir, and
a second heater coupled to the second dispensing interface, the second heater being configured to vaporize the drawn second pre-vapor formulation.

6. The e-vaping device of claim 5 , wherein the first dispensing interface includes a porous material, the porous material being arranged in fluidic communication with the first heater.

7. The e-vaping device of claim 6 , wherein the porous material is a wick having an elongated form and arranged in fluidic communication with the first reservoir.

8. The e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the power supply section includes a rechargeable battery, the power supply section being removably coupled to the cartridge.

9. A method, comprising:
configuring a cartridge to generate separate vapors at separate ends of an enclosure, the configuring including,
positioning at least first and second reservoirs in a housing, such that the first and second reservoirs are positioned between first and second ends of the housing, the first and second reservoirs being configured to hold respective first and second pre-vapor formulations;

coupling at least first and second vaporizer assemblies to opposite ends of the first and second reservoirs, such that the first vaporizer assembly is configured to vaporize the first pre-vapor formulation to generate a first vapor closer to the first end than the second end, and the second vaporizer assembly is configured to vaporize the second pre-vapor formulation to generate a second vapor closer to the second end than the first end; and
coupling the cartridge to a power supply section, such that the power supply section is configured to selectively supply power to the first and second vaporizer assemblies, wherein the power supply section includes control circuitry, the control circuitry being configured to control power supplied from the power supply section, such that coupling the cartridge to the power supply section configures the control circuitry to independently control vapor generation by the first and second vaporizer assemblies.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to independently control vapor generation by the first and second vaporizer assemblies based on independently controlling power supplied to the first and second vaporizer assemblies.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the first and second vaporizer assemblies to generate the first vapor and the second vapor at different times, based on independently controlling the first and second vaporizer assemblies.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to activate a first heater included in the first vaporizer assembly, such that a viscosity of the second pre-vapor formulation is reduced, prior to controlling the second vaporizer assembly to vaporize the second pre-vapor formulation.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein
the first vaporizer assembly includes,
a first dispensing interface configured to draw the first pre-vapor formulation from the first reservoir, and
a first heater coupled to the first dispensing interface, the first heater being configured to vaporize the drawn first pre-vapor formulation; and

the second vaporizer assembly includes,
a second dispensing interface configured to draw the second pre-vapor formulation from the second reservoir, and
a second heater coupled to the second dispensing interface, the second heater being configured to vaporize the drawn second pre-vapor formulation.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first dispensing interface includes a porous material, the porous material being arranged in fluidic communication with the first heater.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the porous material is a wick having an elongated form and arranged in fluidic communication with the first reservoir.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Rostami Ali
• Tucker Christopher S
• Kane David
• Lipowicz Peter
• Karles Georgios
• Kobal Gerd
• Pithawalla Yezdi

Classifications

• A24F40/50

  Control or monitoring · CPC title

• A24F40/46

  Shape or structure of electric heating means · CPC title

• A24F40/42 Primary

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/30

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

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title