Nicotine pod assemblies and nicotine e-vaping devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12582162-B2
Application number	US-202218051222-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2022
Priority date	Nov 26, 2019
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A nicotine pod assembly for a nicotine e-vaping device may include a pod body and a connector module. The pod body has an upstream end and a downstream end and is configured to hold a nicotine pre-vapor formulation. The upstream end of the pod body defines a cavity. The connector module is configured to be seated within the cavity of the pod body. The connector module may include an external face and a side face. The external face of the connector module includes at least one electrical contact and defines a pod inlet. The side face of the connector module defines at least one module inlet. The side face of the connector module faces a sidewall of the cavity in the pod body when the connector module is seated within the cavity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A nicotine pod assembly for a nicotine e-vaping device, comprising:
a pod body configured to hold a nicotine pre-vapor formulation, the pod body having an upstream end and a downstream end, the upstream end defining a cavity; and a connector module configured to be seated within the cavity of the pod body, the connector module including an external face and a side face, the external face including at least one electrical contact and defining at least part of a pod inlet, the side face defining a first module inlet.

2 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 1 , wherein the side face further defines a second module inlet.

3 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 2 , wherein the pod inlet is in fluidic communication with both the first module inlet and the second module inlet.

4 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first module inlet is larger than the second module inlet.

5 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 2 , wherein the pod inlet is configured to receive incoming air during vaping, the first module inlet is configured to receive a primary flow of the incoming air, the second module inlet is configured to receive a secondary flow of the incoming air, and the connector module further includes a sensor positioned within a path of the secondary flow through the second module inlet.

6 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 1 , wherein the downstream end of the pod body defines a pod outlet in fluidic communication with the cavity at the upstream end.

7 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pod body includes a first housing section and a second housing section, the first housing section defining a reservoir configured to hold the nicotine pre-vapor formulation, the second housing section defining the cavity.

8 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 7 , wherein the reservoir is configured to hermetically seal the nicotine pre-vapor formulation until an activation of the nicotine pod assembly.

9 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 7 , wherein the pod body includes a perforator configured to release the nicotine pre-vapor formulation from the reservoir during an activation of the nicotine pod assembly.

10 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 1 , wherein the connector module includes a heater configured to heat the nicotine pre-vapor formulation.

11 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 10 , wherein the heater is electrically connected to the at least one electrical contact.

12 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 10 , wherein the connector module includes a wick configured to transfer the nicotine pre-vapor formulation to the heater, the wick having a planar form.

13 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 12 , wherein the heater includes a folded heating element configured to hold the wick.

14 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 1 , wherein the external face of the connector module is adjacent to the side face.

15 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 1 , wherein the external face of the connector module forms an exterior of the pod body when the connector module is seated within the cavity.

16 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical contact includes at least one power contact.

17 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical contact includes at least one data contact.

18 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pod inlet is in a form of a slot.

19 . The nicotine pod assembly of claim 1 , wherein the side face of the connector module and a sidewall of the cavity define an intermediate space in between, the intermediate space being downstream from the pod inlet and upstream from the first module inlet.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Twite Dean
• Hourmand Yannick
• Dendy Charles
• Patil Bipin
• Sundar Rangaraj S
• Newcomb Christopher
• Gallagher Niall
• Lau Raymond W
• Hawes Eric

Classifications

• A24F40/44

  Wicks · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/42 Primary

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title