Smoking substitute apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12453377-B2
Application number	US-202217694919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2022
Priority date	Sep 20, 2019
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

A smoking substitute apparatus. The smoking substitute apparatus comprising: an air inlet, and a vapor outlet; a vaporization chamber the vaporization chamber including: a first vaporizer, for vaporizing aerosol precursor and providing vaporized precursor; and a second vaporizer, located downstream of the first vaporizer, for vaporizing aerosol precursor and providing vaporized precursor; wherein the smoking substitute apparatus also includes a bypass airflow path, which bypasses the vaporization chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smoking substitute apparatus comprising:
an air inlet;
a vapor outlet; and
a vaporization chamber, the vaporization chamber including:
a first vaporizer inside the vaporization chamber, for vaporizing aerosol precursor; and
a second vaporizer inside the vaporization chamber and located downstream of the first vaporizer, for vaporizing aerosol precursor;

wherein the air inlet and the vapor outlet define a first airflow path therebetween, for a first airflow, the first airflow path extending through the smoking substitute apparatus, and wherein the vaporization chamber is located along and forms a part of the first airflow path such that the first airflow path impinges the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer;
wherein the smoking substitute apparatus includes a fixed bypass airflow path, for a bypass airflow, the fixed bypass airflow path bypassing the vaporization chamber and combining with the first airflow path downstream from the vaporization chamber; and
wherein the smoking substitute apparatus includes a main airflow path downstream of and communicating with the air inlet, the main airflow path being split into the first airflow path and the fixed bypass airflow path such that air in the first airflow enters the first airflow path and the fixed bypass airflow path.

2. The smoking substitute apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vaporization chamber has an inlet and an outlet, and wherein the first vaporizer is located closer to the inlet than the second vaporizer.

3. The smoking substitute apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first and second vaporizers are spaced within a plane which is transversal to a line joining the inlet and the outlet of the vaporization chamber, such that the first airflow path extends at least through a gap between the first and second vaporizers.

4. The smoking substitute apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the gap is aligned with the inlet of the vaporization chamber.

5. The smoking substitute apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the gap has a width which is substantially equal to a width of the inlet to the vaporization chamber.

6. The smoking substitute apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the gap between the first and second vaporizers is at least 0.1 mm and no more than 5 mm.

7. The smoking substitute apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer as measured along the first airflow path is at least 0.1 mm and no more than 20 mm.

8. The smoking substitute apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fixed bypass airflow path converges with the first airflow path at a point downstream of the vaporization chamber.

9. The smoking substitute apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the fixed bypass airflow path converges with the first airflow path in a mouthpiece of the smoking substitute apparatus.

10. The smoking substitute apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the smoking substitute apparatus is a consumable for a smoking substitute system.

11. A smoking substitute system, including a smoking substitute apparatus and a main body, wherein the smoking substitute apparatus comprises:
an air inlet;
a vapor outlet; and
a vaporization chamber, the vaporization chamber including:
a first vaporizer inside the vaporization chamber, for vaporizing aerosol precursor; and
a second vaporizer inside the vaporization chamber and located downstream of the first vaporizer, for vaporizing aerosol precursor;

wherein the air inlet and the vapor outlet define a first airflow path therebetween, for a first airflow, the first airflow path extending through the smoking substitute apparatus, and wherein the vaporization chamber is located along the first airflow path such that, in use, the first and second vaporizers each provide vaporized aerosol precursor to the first airflow;
wherein the smoking substitute apparatus includes a fixed bypass airflow path, for a bypass airflow for a bypass airflow, the fixed bypass airflow path bypassing the vaporization chamber and combining with the first airflow path downstream from the vaporization chamber; and
wherein the smoking substitute apparatus includes a main airflow path downstream of and communicating with the air inlet, the main airflow path being split into the first airflow path and the fixed bypass airflow path such that air in the first airflow enters the first airflow path and the fixed bypass airflow path.

12. The smoking substitute system of claim 11 , wherein the main body includes a processor configured to activate the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer simultaneously in response to a puff detection.

Assignees

• Imperial Tobacco Ltd

Inventors

• Illidge Benjamin
• Astbury Benjamin
• Aggarwal Nikhil
• Lu Huanghai

Classifications

• A24F40/57

  Temperature control · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/48

  Fluid transfer means, e.g. pumps · CPC title

• A24F40/30

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

• A24F40/46 Primary

  Shape or structure of electric heating means · CPC title