Electronic smoking device with liquid filling valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021076737-A1
Application number	US-201816954467-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2018
Priority date	Dec 18, 2017
Publication date	Mar 18, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic smoking device (100) with an atomizer/liquid reservoir portion (114) and to an atomizer/liquid reservoir portion (114). In order to facilitate refilling a liquid reservoir (134) of the atomizer/liquid reservoir portion (114), the atomizer/liquid reservoir portion (114) comprises a docking valve (146) for docking a source of liquid (148) to be stored in the liquid reservoir (134), and a liquid duct (156) that is adapted to receive liquid (172) from the docking valve (146) and that opens into the refillable liquid reservoir (134) at a predetermined distance (A) to the docking valve (146).

First claim

1 . An electronic smoking device ( 100 ), comprising:
a power supply portion ( 112 ) comprising a power supply ( 18 ), and an atomizer/liquid reservoir portion ( 114 ) comprising
a refillable liquid reservoir ( 134 ) adapted for storing liquid ( 172 ),
an atomizer ( 26 ) operable when connected to the power supply ( 18 ) to atomize liquid ( 172 ) stored in the liquid reservoir ( 134 ), and
a central passage ( 132 ) that is adapted to conduct atomized liquid, the central passage ( 132 ) extending through the refillable liquid reservoir ( 134 ),
wherein the atomizer/liquid reservoir portion ( 114 ) comprises
a docking valve ( 146 ) for docking a source of liquid ( 148 ) to be stored in the liquid reservoir ( 134 ),
a liquid duct ( 156 ) that is adapted to receive liquid ( 172 ) from the docking valve ( 146 ) and that opens into the refillable liquid reservoir ( 134 ) at a predetermined distance (A) to the docking valve ( 146 ), and
a valve ( 181 ) for releasing gas from the refillable liquid reservoir ( 134 ) when refilling the refillable liquid reservoir ( 134 ), the valve ( 181 ) comprising a flexible sealing element ( 182 ) and an essentially rigid counter sealing element ( 186 ) formed by an outer side wall section ( 183 ) of the central passage ( 132 ).

2 . The electronic smoking device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid duct ( 156 ) opens into the refillable liquid reservoir ( 134 ) with an outlet orifice ( 166 ).

3 . The electronic smoking device ( 100 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the outlet orifice ( 166 ) is arranged closer to a side wall section ( 170 ) of the refillable liquid reservoir ( 134 ) opposite to the docking valve ( 146 ) than to the docking valve ( 146 ).

4 . The electronic smoking device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the section of the central passage ( 132 ) that provides for the rigid counter sealing element ( 186 ) has a curved shape.

5 . The electronic smoking device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 or 4 , wherein the liquid duct ( 156 ) extends essentially perpendicular to and through the central passage ( 132 ) at a convex section ( 176 ) of the central passage ( 132 ).

6 . The electronic smoking device ( 100 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the electronic smoking device ( 100 ) comprises a mouthpiece cap ( 140 ) in communication with an air inhalation port ( 136 ) for providing atomized liquid to a user, wherein the mouthpiece cap ( 140 ) comprises a refill position (R) and a vaping position (V), wherein in the vaping position (V), the mouthpiece cap ( 140 ) is closer to an opposite end of the electronic smoking device ( 100 ) than in the refill position (R), and/or wherein in the vaping position (V,) the mouthpiece cap ( 140 ) is rotated around a longitudinal axis of the electronic smoking device ( 100 ) by a predetermined angle compared to the refill position (R).

7 . The electronic smoking device ( 100 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the docking valve ( 146 ) is covered by the mouthpiece cap ( 140 ) in the vaping position (V), and is accessible when the mouthpiece cap ( 140 ) is in the refill position (R).

8 . The electronic smoking device ( 100 ) according to claim 6 or 7 , wherein the mouthpiece cap ( 140 ) comprises a closing element ( 184 ) that forces the flexible sealing element ( 182 ) against the rigid counter sealing element ( 186 ) when the mouthpiece cap ( 140 ) is in the vaping position (V).

9 . The electronic smoking device ( 100 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the closing element ( 184 ) is arranged at a distance to the flexible sealing element ( 182 ) when the mouthpiece cap ( 140 ) is in the refill position (R).

10 . The electronic smoking device ( 100 ) according to any one of claims 6 to 9 , wherein the mouthpiece cap ( 140 ) is held in the refill position (R) and/or in the vaping position (V) in a force-fit manner and/or in a form-fit manner.

11 . The electronic smoking device ( 100 ) according to any one of claims 8 to 9 , wherein a latch element ( 188 ) of a latch connection holding the mouthpiece cap ( 140 ) in the vaping position (V) and/or in the refill position (R) is provided by the closing element ( 184 ), and a counter latch element ( 190 , 192 ) is provided by an outer side wall section ( 194 ) of the central passage ( 132 ).

12 . The electronic smoking device ( 100 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the docking valve ( 146 ) is adapted to form a snap-fit connection with a counter docking valve ( 150 ) of a source of liquid.

13 . The electronic smoking device ( 100 ) according to any of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the docking valve ( 146 ) has a docking section, the docking section comprising a convex or a concave shape.

14 . An atomizer/liquid reservoir portion ( 114 ) comprising:
a liquid reservoir ( 134 ), an atomizer ( 26 ) operable when connected to a power supply ( 18 ) for an electronic smoking device ( 100 ) to atomize liquid stored in the liquid reservoir ( 134 ), and a central passage ( 132 ) that is adapted to conduct atomized liquid, the central passage ( 132 ) extending through the refillable liquid reservoir ( 134 ), wherein the atomizer/liquid reservoir portion ( 114 ) comprises
a docking valve ( 146 ) for docking a source of liquid ( 148 ) to be stored in the liquid reservoir ( 134 ),
a liquid duct ( 156 ) that is adapted to receive liquid ( 172 ) from the docking valve ( 146 ) and that opens into the refillable liquid reservoir ( 134 ) at a predetermined distance (A) to the docking valve ( 146 ), and
a valve ( 181 ) for releasing gas from the refillable liquid reservoir ( 134 ) when refilling the refillable liquid reservoir ( 134 ), the valve ( 181 ) comprising a flexible sealing element ( 182 ) and an essentially rigid counter sealing element ( 186 ) formed by an outer side wall section ( 183 ) of the central passage ( 132 ).

Assignees

• Fontem Holdings 1 Bv

Inventors

• Biel Stefan
• Jones David
• Nichols Richard

Classifications

• A24F40/485 Primary

  Valves; Apertures · CPC title

• B05B11/0056

  with an additional opening for filling or refilling · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F15/015

  with means for refilling of liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• B05B11/0039

  associated with means for compensating the pressure difference between the ambient pressure and the pressure inside the container, e.g. pressure relief means · CPC title