Electronic vaping device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12476316-B2
Application number	US-202318480586-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2023
Priority date	Jul 30, 2018
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A power supply assembly for an e-vaping device may include a coupling interface configured to couple with a cartridge to configure the e-vaping device to generate a vapor, a light-emitting device, and a light tube structure extending from the light-emitting device and through the coupling interface. The light tube structure may channel light emitted by the light-emitting device to emit the light into a reservoir of the cartridge to cause at least one portion of the cartridge to emit at least a portion of the channeled light to an external environment.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method for operating an e-vaping device, the method comprising:
identifying a particular set of cartridge properties associated with a cartridge coupled to a power supply assembly based on determining a particular instance of information associated with the cartridge, the cartridge including a reservoir housing at least partially defining a reservoir configured to hold a pre-vapor formulation and a vaporizer assembly configured to generate a vapor based on heating pre-vapor formulation drawn from the reservoir; and controlling a first light-emitting device to emit light having a particular set of light properties associated with the identified particular set of cartridge properties and a second light-emitting device to emit light having a particular set of light properties associated with the identified particular set of cartridge properties, such that the light from the first light-emitting device is channeled through a first end of a first light tube structure, the light from the second light-emitting device is channeled through a first end of a second light tube structure, the first light tube structure and the second light tube structure being spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to a length of the first light be in a longitudinal direction, and light from the first light-emitting device is emitted a second end of the first light tube structure into the reservoir housing spaced apart from the first light-emitting device by the first light tube structure and light from the second light-emitting device is emitted from a second end of the second light tube structure into the reservoir housing spaced apart from the second light-emitting device by the second light tube structure to cause at least a portion of the cartridge to emit at least a portion of the channeled light to an external environment, the second end of the first light tube structure between the first light-emitting device and the reservoir housing.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the identifying includes determining that a value of the particular determined instance of information associated with the cartridge corresponds with a value of a particular stored instance of information of a plurality of stored instances of information in a database, the particular stored instance of information associated with a stored set of light properties, and the controlling the light-emitting devices includes identifying the stored set of light properties associated with the particular stored instance of information as the particular set of light properties associated with the identified particular set of cartridge properties.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein
the particular instance of information is a particular resistance associated with the cartridge.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein
the plurality of stored instances of information stored in the database includes a plurality of stored resistances, and the value of the particular stored instance of information is a value of a particular stored resistance value of the plurality of stored resistances.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
coupling the power supply assembly to the cartridge such that one or more magnets magnetically couple the power supply assembly to the cartridge.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more magnets are included in the power supply assembly.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more magnets are included in a coupling interface of the power supply assembly.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more magnets are included in the cartridge.

9 . The method of claim 4 , wherein
the particular resistance associated with the cartridge is determined by an identity circuit including a first electrical contact, a second electrical contact, and at least one resistor electrically connected to the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact; and the vaporizer assembly is electrically connected to a third electrical contact and a fourth electrical contact.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying an electrical signal to an identity circuit and detecting a response electrical signal indicating that the cartridge is coupled to the power supply assembly.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the reservoir housing is transparent.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first light tube structure or the second light tube structure contacts an end portion of the reservoir housing.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first light tube structure or the second light tube structure is defined within the cartridge.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Sundberg Sean
• Bailey Ryan Alan
• Dendy Charles
• Arents Robert
• Tucker Christopher S
• Tran Nam

Classifications

• A24F40/40 Primary

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

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/42 Primary

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F7/02

  with detachable connecting members · CPC title

• H01M2220/30

  Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop · CPC title