Combined cartridge for electronic vaping device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12446622-B2
Application number	US-202318481500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2023
Priority date	Mar 8, 2016
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A cartridge for an e-vaping device enables simultaneous vaporization of different pre-vapor formulations to form a vapor for vaping by an adult vaper. The cartridge includes a dispensing interface coupled to a plurality of reservoirs and a heater coupled to the dispensing interface in a housing. The dispensing interface may include a trunk and separate roots extending into separate reservoirs, such that the dispensing interface draws different pre-vapor formulations from the reservoirs to the trunk via the separate roots. The heater is coupled to the trunk, such that the heater is operable to simultaneously vaporize the different pre-vapor formulations drawn into the trunk.

First claim

We claim:

1. A cartridge for an e-vaping device, the cartridge comprising:
a housing extending in a longitudinal direction;
a plurality of reservoirs positioned within the housing, the plurality of reservoirs extending in the longitudinal direction and configured to hold different pre-vapor formulations;
a dispensing interface coupled to the plurality of reservoirs, the dispensing interface including a plurality of separate wicks coupled together, the plurality of separate wicks each including absorbent material; and
a heater coupled to the dispensing interface,
wherein the dispensing interface includes
a trunk that is a portion of the dispensing interface that includes coupled portions of the plurality of separate wicks and is surrounded by the heater,
a plurality of separate roots that include non-coupled portions of the plurality of separate wicks extending away from the trunk, the plurality of separate roots extending in the longitudinal direction into separate, respective reservoirs of the plurality of reservoirs, such that the dispensing interface is configured to draw the different pre-vapor formulations from the plurality of reservoirs into the trunk via the plurality of separate roots, and
at least one constrictor coupled to at least one root of the plurality of separate roots, the at least one constrictor being configured to adjustably control a rate of transport at which the at least one root draws at least one pre-vapor formulation based on adjustably constricting a diameter of at least a portion of the at least one root to adjust a porosity of the portion of the at least one root,

wherein the heater is configured to vaporize the different pre-vapor formulations simultaneously.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the at least one constrictor extends from the plurality of separate roots to an exterior of the housing.

3. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one constrictor is within at least one of the plurality of reservoirs.

4. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the at least one constrictor is exterior to the plurality of reservoirs.

5. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the heater is a wire coil winding around the trunk, the wire coil including separate portions coupled to separate portions of the trunk, the separate portions of the wire coil having different spacings, the separate portions of the wire coil configured to provide different magnitudes of heat to different portions of the trunk simultaneously based on the different spacings of the separate portions of the wire coil.

6. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein
the heater includes a plurality of separate heating elements, each separate heating element being coupled to a separate portion of the trunk, each separate heating element configured to generate a different magnitude of heat.

7. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein:
the heater is configured to vaporize the different pre-vapor formulations at a common rate simultaneously based on applying different magnitudes of heat to different portions of the trunk simultaneously; or
the heater is configured to heat separate portions of the trunk at different rates simultaneously based on applying different magnitudes of heat to different portions of the trunk simultaneously.

8. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the separate roots include different porosities.

9. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the different pre-vapor formulations include different viscosities at a common temperature.

10. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of separate wicks include different wicking materials, respectively.

11. The cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising:
a divider assembly configured to partition at least two separate wicks of the plurality of separate wicks from direct contact with each other, the divider assembly being configured to mitigate pre-vaporization mixing of separate pre-vapor formulations drawn to the trunk via the at least two separate wicks.

12. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein
the trunk includes the coupled portions of the plurality of separate wicks overlapping each other in the longitudinal direction, and
the divider assembly is between side surfaces of the plurality of separate wicks in the longitudinal direction and extends in parallel to the plurality of separate wicks at the trunk.

13. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein
the trunk includes the coupled portions of the plurality of separate wicks including respective end surfaces of the plurality of separate wicks facing each other in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, and
the divider assembly is between the respective end surfaces of the plurality of separate wicks in the direction transverse to the longitudinal direction and extends transverse to the coupled portions of the plurality of separate wicks at the trunk.

14. An e-vaping device, comprising:
a cartridge, including
a housing extending in a longitudinal direction;
a plurality of reservoirs positioned within the housing, the plurality of reservoirs extending in the longitudinal direction and configured to hold different pre-vapor formulations;
a dispensing interface coupled to the plurality of reservoirs, the dispensing interface including a plurality of separate wicks coupled together, the plurality of separate wicks each including absorbent material; and
a heater coupled to the dispensing interface,
wherein the dispensing interface includes
a trunk that is a portion of the dispensing interface that includes coupled portions of the plurality of separate wicks and is surrounded by the heater,
a plurality of separate roots that include non-coupled portions of the plurality of separate wicks extending away from the trunk, the plurality of separate roots extending in the longitudinal direction into separate, respective reservoirs of the plurality of reservoirs, such that the dispensing interface is configured to draw the different pre-vapor formulations from the plurality of reservoirs into the trunk via the plurality of separate roots, and
at least one constrictor coupled to at least one root of the plurality of separate roots, the at least one constrictor being configured to adjustably control a rate of transport at which the at least one root draws at least one pre-vapor formulation based on adjustably constricting a diameter of at least a portion of the at least one root to adjust a porosity of the portion of the at least one root,

wherein the heater is configured to vaporize the different pre-vapor formulations simultaneously; and

a power supply section configured to selectively supply power to the cartridge.

15. The e-vaping device of claim 14 , wherein
the power supply section includes a rechargeable battery, the power supply section being removably coupled to the cartridge.

16. The e-vaping device of claim 14 , wherein the heater is a wire coil, and the wire coil is in contact with the dispensing interface.

17. The e-vaping device of claim 14 , wherein the at least one constrictor extends from the at least one root to an exterior of the housing.

18. The e-vaping device of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one constrictor is within at least one of the plurality of reservoirs.

19. The e-vaping device of claim 14 , wherein the at least one constrictor is exterior to the plurality of reservoirs.

20. The e-vaping device of claim 14 , wherein:
the heater is configured to vaporize the different pre-vapor formulations at a common rate simultaneously based on appl

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A24F40/42 Primary

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/30 Primary

  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

• A24F40/46

  Shape or structure of electric heating means · CPC title

• A24F40/40

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