Non-nicotine e-vaping device with integral heater-thermocouple

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12520871-B2
Application number	US-202016929475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2020
Priority date	Jul 15, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

A non-nicotine e-vaping device may include a device body configured to receive a non-nicotine cartridge. The non-nicotine cartridge includes a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation, a wick, and an integral heater-thermocouple. The wick is configured to transport the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation by capillary action. The integral heater-thermocouple includes a first segment made of a first alloy and a second segment made of a second alloy. The device body includes a power supply, at least one sensor, and a controller. The power supply is configured to deliver electrical energy to the integral heater-thermocouple to heat the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation to generate a non-nicotine vapor. The at least one sensor is configured to measure a voltage difference between the first segment and the second segment of the integral heater-thermocouple during such heating. The controller is configured to adjust the electrical energy to the integral heater-thermocouple based on the measured voltage difference.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A non-nicotine cartridge for a non-nicotine e-vaping device, comprising:
a housing defining a reservoir containing a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation; a wick configured to transport the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation by capillary action; an integral heater-thermocouple configured to heat the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation in the wick to generate a non-nicotine vapor, the integral heater-thermocouple including a first segment made of a first alloy and a second segment made of a second alloy, the first segment being downstream from the second segment; a first vapor channel; and a second vapor channel, the first vapor channel and the second vapor channel spaced apart by the reservoir, wherein the housing has a first longitudinal axis, and the integral heater-thermocouple has a second longitudinal axis that intersects the first longitudinal axis to form an oblique angle.

2 . The non-nicotine cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a sidewall, the sidewall of the housing defining the first vapor channel and the second vapor channel extending therethrough and along the first longitudinal axis of the housing.

3 . The non-nicotine cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the integral heater-thermocouple has a Seebeck coefficient of about 35 to 75 μV/° C.

4 . The non-nicotine cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the integral heater-thermocouple has an overall resistance of about 0.5 to 3.5 Ω.

5 . The non-nicotine cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the integral heater-thermocouple is in a form of a helical structure wrapped around the wick, the helical structure including a plurality of coils, the plurality of coils including at least one coil of the first alloy and at least one coil of the second alloy.

6 . The non-nicotine cartridge of claim 5 , wherein the at least one coil of the first alloy is welded to the at least one coil of the second alloy at a junction.

7 . The non-nicotine cartridge of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of coils is in a form of five to ten coils.

8 . The non-nicotine cartridge of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of coils includes one coil of the first alloy and five coils of the second alloy.

9 . The non-nicotine cartridge of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of coils includes two coils of the first alloy and four coils of the second alloy.

10 . The non-nicotine cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the first alloy has a first electrical resistivity and a first thermal conductivity, the second alloy has a second electrical resistivity and a second thermal conductivity, the first electrical resistivity is less than the second electrical resistivity, and the first thermal conductivity is greater than the second thermal conductivity.

11 . The non-nicotine cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the first alloy is a nickel-aluminum alloy, and the second alloy is a nickel-chromium alloy.

12 . The non-nicotine cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the nickel-aluminum alloy includes 95% nickel and 2% aluminum.

13 . The non-nicotine cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the nickel-chromium alloy includes 90% nickel and 10% chromium.

14 . A non-nicotine e-vaping device comprising:
a non-nicotine cartridge including a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation, a wick, an integral heater-thermocouple, a reservoir, a first vapor channel, and a second vapor channel, the wick configured to transport the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation by capillary action, the integral heater-thermocouple including a first segment made of a first alloy and a second segment made of a second alloy, the first segment being downstream from the second segment, the first vapor channel and the second vapor channel being spaced apart by the reservoir; and a device body configured to receive the non-nicotine cartridge, the device body including a power supply, at least one sensor, and a controller, the power supply configured to deliver a supply of electrical energy to the integral heater-thermocouple to heat the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation in the wick to generate a non-nicotine vapor, the at least one sensor configured to measure a voltage difference between the first segment and the second segment of the integral heater-thermocouple as a result of the supply of the electrical energy from the power supply, the controller configured to adjust the supply of the electrical energy to the integral heater-thermocouple based on the voltage difference measured by the at least one sensor, wherein the device body has a first longitudinal axis, and the integral heater-thermocouple has a second longitudinal axis that intersects the first longitudinal axis to form an oblique angle.

15 . The non-nicotine e-vaping device of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate a temperature of the integral heater-thermocouple based on the voltage difference and to cease the supply of the electrical energy when the temperature exceeds an upper threshold value.

16 . The non-nicotine e-vaping device of claim 14 , wherein the device body further includes a sleeve section configured to receive the non-nicotine cartridge, the sleeve section defining an array of inlet openings.

17 . The non-nicotine e-vaping device of claim 16 , wherein the array of inlet openings are in a form of a honeycomb pattern configured to facilitate an intake of ambient air which enters the device body and travels toward the power supply before moving inward and then toward the integral heater-thermocouple.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Lau Raymond W
• Hawes Eric

Classifications

• H05B2203/037

  Heaters with zones of different power density · CPC title

• H05B3/06

  Heater elements structurally combined with coupling elements or holders · CPC title

• H05B1/0297

  Heating of fluids for non specified applications · CPC title

• A61M2205/3673

  thermo-electric, e.g. Peltier effect, thermocouples, semi-conductors · CPC title

• A61M15/06

  Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes · CPC title