Smoking substitute device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12465079-B2
Application number	US-202217842243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2022
Priority date	Dec 18, 2019
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed is a smoking substitute device comprising a body, a heating element projecting from an end of the body, a cap for engagement with the end of the body, the cap defining a cavity for receipt of the heating element when engaged with the body, and a lock configured to selectively prevent disengagement of the cap from the body based on a condition of the heating element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A smoking substitute device comprising:
a body; a heating element projecting from an end of the body; a cap for engagement with the end of the body, the cap defining a cavity for receipt of the heating element when engaged with the body; and a lock configured to selectively prevent disengagement of the cap from the body based on a condition of the heating element; wherein the cap comprises an outer portion for gripping by a user, and an inner portion at least partly enclosing the heating element; wherein the cap is configured such that a force to disengage the cap from the body, when in a locked state, is greater than a force to separate the outer portion from the inner portion; and wherein the cap is configured to be locked to the device via the inner portion.

2 . A device according to claim 1 wherein the lock is configured to selectively prevent disengagement of the cap from the body based on a temperature of the heating element.

3 . A device according to claim 1 wherein the lock is configured to selectively prevent disengagement of the cap from the body based on whether the heating element is active.

4 . A device according to claim 1 , wherein the lock is configured to prevent disengagement of the cap from the body when the heating element is in an active state.

5 . A device according to claim 1 wherein the lock forms part of the cap or the body and, when in the locked state, engages a retaining portion forming the other of the cap or the body.

6 . A device according to claim 5 wherein the retaining portion comprises an aperture in which a portion of the lock is received.

7 . A device according to claim 5 wherein the lock comprises at least one of an electro-mechanical device, bimetallic component, shape memory allow wire and expanding wax mechanism.

8 . A device according to claim 1 wherein the outer portion is connected to the inner portion by a weakened portion.

9 . A device according to claim 8 wherein the weakened portion is configured to break at a force that is less than 80N.

10 . A device according to claim 1 wherein the device comprises a tamper sensor for detecting whether the outer portion has been separated from the inner portion.

11 . A device according to claim 10 wherein the tamper sensor comprises a hall sensor forming part of the body or the inner portion of the cap, and a magnet disposed on the outer portion.

12 . A device according to claim 1 wherein the lock forms part of the body or inner portion and engages the other of the body or inner portion when in the locked state.

13 . A device according to claim 1 wherein the lock is configured to provide a retaining force of 80N to 100N.

Assignees

• Imperial Tobacco Ltd

Inventors

• Stuart Ian
• Elt Matthew

Classifications

• A24F40/51

  Arrangement of sensors · CPC title

• A24F40/85

  Maintenance, e.g. cleaning · CPC title

• A24F40/53

  Monitoring, e.g. fault detection · CPC title

• A24F40/40 Primary

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

• A24F40/00 Primary

  Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor · CPC title