Non-nicotine electronic vaping device including a reservoir assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022015420-A1
Application number	US-202016929386-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 15, 2020
Priority date	Jul 15, 2020
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A reservoir assembly for a non-nicotine e-vaping device includes an outer shell, a wick, and a membrane. The outer shell includes a first opening, an inner surface of the outer shell at least partially defining a reservoir configured to hold a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation. The wick extends from an interior of the reservoir to an exterior of the reservoir. The wick is configured to draw the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation held in the reservoir to the exterior of the reservoir. The first membrane covers the first opening. The first membrane is one or more layers of a fabric that is liquid impermeable and air permeable.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A reservoir assembly for a non-nicotine e-vaping device, the reservoir assembly comprising:
an outer shell including a first opening, an inner surface of the outer shell at least partially defining a reservoir configured to hold a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation, the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation being devoid of nicotine and including at least one non-nicotine compound; a wick extending from an interior of the reservoir to an exterior of the reservoir, the wick configured to draw the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation held in the reservoir to the exterior of the reservoir; and a first membrane covering the first opening, the first membrane including
one or more layers of a fabric that is liquid impermeable and air permeable.

2 . The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fabric includes woven hydrophobic fibers.

3 . The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first opening is a slit.

4 . The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of openings, the plurality of openings including the first opening, each opening of the plurality of openings being a pinhole; and a plurality of membranes, the plurality of membranes including the first membrane, each membrane of the plurality of membranes covering a respective opening of the plurality of openings.

5 . The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the outer shell includes a second opening, the reservoir assembly includes a second membrane covering the second opening, the second membrane including one or more layers of a second fabric that is liquid impermeable and air permeable, and the second opening and the first opening are on opposite sides of the outer shell.

6 . The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the outer shell includes a third opening, and the wick extends through the third opening.

7 . The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a conduit extending through the outer shell, wherein
the conduit and the outer shell collectively define the reservoir as a space between an outer surface of the conduit and the inner surface of the outer shell, and
the wick extends between the outer surface of the conduit and the inner surface of the outer shell.

8 . A non-nicotine cartridge, comprising:
the reservoir assembly of claim 1 ; and a vaporizer assembly including a heater, the vaporizer assembly configured to generate a non-nicotine vapor based on heating the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation drawn from the reservoir by the wick.

9 . A non-nicotine e-vaping device, comprising:
the cartridge of claim 8 ; and a power source configured to supply electrical power to the vaporizer assembly.

10 . A reservoir assembly for a non-nicotine e-vaping device, the reservoir assembly comprising:
an outer shell extending in a first direction, the outer shell including a first end and an inner surface, the inner surface of the outer shell defining an interior of the outer shell; a plunger extending through the interior of the outer shell in a second direction normal to the first direction, the plunger including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a portion of the inner surface of the outer shell defining a liquid containment area in a portion of the interior of the outer shell between the first surface of the plunger and the first end of the outer shell, the liquid containment area being a reservoir configured to hold non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation, the plunger configured to move in the first direction within the interior of the outer shell in response to a first force being applied to the first surface of the plunger by a volume of the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation contained in the liquid containment area, the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation being devoid of nicotine and including at least one non-nicotine compound; and a wick extending from the interior of the outer shell to an exterior of the liquid containment area.

11 . The reservoir assembly of claim 10 , wherein
the outer shell is cylindrical in shape, and the first direction extends along a longitudinal axis of the outer shell.

12 . The reservoir assembly of claim 10 , further comprising:
a conduit extending in the first direction through the interior of the outer shell, wherein the plunger includes an opening through which the conduit passes.

13 . The reservoir assembly of claim 12 , wherein the wick extends through the opening in the conduit.

14 . The reservoir assembly of claim 10 , wherein the wick extends through an opening in the first end of the outer shell.

15 . The reservoir assembly of claim 10 , further comprising:
a passive actuator configured to continuously apply a second force on the second surface of the plunger.

16 . The reservoir assembly of claim 15 , wherein a magnitude of the second force is less than a magnitude of the first force associated with forcing the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation to pass through the wick from the liquid containment area to an exterior of the outer shell.

17 . The reservoir assembly of claim 10 , wherein the plunger is configured to move within the outer shell based only on the first force applied on the first surface of the plunger by the volume of the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation contained in the liquid containment area and a third force applied on the second surface of the plunger by atmospheric pressure.

18 . A non-nicotine cartridge, comprising:
the reservoir assembly of claim 10 ; and a vaporizer assembly including a heater, the vaporizer assembly configured to generate a non-nicotine vapor based on heating the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation drawn from the interior of the liquid containment area by the wick.

19 . A non-nicotine e-vaping device, comprising:
the cartridge of claim 18 ; and a power source configured to supply electrical power to the vaporizer assembly.

20 . A method of filling a non-nicotine e-vaping device, comprising:
providing an outer shell and a plunger, the outer shell extending in a first direction, the outer shell including a first end, an opening in the first end, and an inner surface, the inner surface of the outer shell partially defining an interior of the outer shell, the plunger extending through the interior of the outer shell in a second direction normal to the first direction, the plunger including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface and a limited portion of the inner surface of the outer shell define a liquid containment area in the limited portion of the interior of the outer shell between the first surface of the plunger and the first end of the outer shell, the liquid containment area being a reservoir configured to hold non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation, the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation being devoid of nicotine and including at least one non-nicotine compound; filling the liquid containment area with the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation such that the plunger is moved in the first direction away from the first end of the outer shell by the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation, based on the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation applying a first force on the first surface of the plunger; and placing a portion of a wick into the liquid containment area.

21 . The method of claim 20 further comprising:
applying a second force on the second surface of the plunger to remove any air from the liquid containment area.

22 . The method of clai

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Miller John H
• Tucker Christopher S

Classifications

• A61M15/0001

  Details of inhalators; Constructional features thereof · CPC title

• A61M15/06

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

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/46

  Shape or structure of electric heating means · CPC title

• A24F40/485

  Valves; Apertures · CPC title