Electronic cigarette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9474306-B2
Application number	US-201614991449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2016
Priority date	Jan 31, 2012
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

An electronic smoking article includes a liquid supply including liquid material, a heater operable to heat the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form an aerosol, a wick in communication with the liquid material and in communication with the heater such that the wick delivers the liquid material to the heater, at least one air inlet operable to deliver air to a central air passage upstream of the heater, and a mouth end insert having at least two diverging outlets.

First claim

We claim:

1. A device comprising:
a casing extending in a longitudinal direction;
a vaporizer configured to generate a vapor, the vaporizer within the casing;
a mouth-end insert at an end of the casing, the mouth-end insert including,
at least two outlets uniformly spaced about a perimeter of the mouth-end insert, the at least two outlets configured to distribute the vapor exiting the device, and
an on-axis outlet centrally located in the mouth-end insert;

a central channel between the vaporizer and the mouth-end insert, the central channel being sized and configured to reduce a velocity of the vapor approaching the mouth-end insert; and
a power supply configured to supply power to the vaporizer.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the central channel is defined by a generally cylindrical body.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two outlet passages is angled at about 5° to about 60° in relation to a longitudinal axis of the device.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two outlet passages is angled at about 40° to about 50° in relation to a longitudinal axis of the device.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the mouth-end insert further includes an interior surface upon which unvaporized drops of liquid material may impact.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the mouth-end insert includes two to eight diverging outlet passages.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the vaporizer includes a coil heater and the device further comprises:
an inner tube within the casing, the inner tube including a pair of opposing slots;
a liquid supply comprising a liquid material, the liquid supply contained in an outer annulus between the casing and the inner tube;
the coil heater located in the inner tube; and
a wick in communication with the liquid supply and surrounded by the coil heater such that the wick delivers the liquid material to the coil heater and the coil heater heats the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form a vapor in the inner tube.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the central channel is in communication with the inner tube and is located between the mouth-end insert and the coil heater.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the central channel has a diameter of about 2.0 mm to about 3.0 mm.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the device comprises a first section attachable to a second section and wherein the wick, the liquid supply and the mouth-end insert are contained in the first section and a power supply connected to the coil heater and configured to apply voltage across the coil heater is contained in the second section.

11. The device of claim 7 , wherein the device comprises a single casing, and wherein the wick, the liquid supply, the mouth-end insert and a power supply connected to the coil heater and configured to apply voltage across the coil heater is contained in the casing.

12. A cartridge comprising:
a casing extending in a longitudinal direction;
a vaporizer configured to generate a vapor, the vaporizer within the casing;
a mouth-end insert in an end of the casing, the mouth-end insert including,
at least two outlets uniformly spaced about a perimeter of the mouth-end insert, the at least two outlets configured to distribute the vapor exiling the cartridge; and
an on-axis outlet centrally located in the mouth-end insert; and

a central channel between the vaporizer and the mouth-end insert, the central channel sized and configured to reduce a velocity of the vapor approaching the mouth-end insert.

13. The cartridge of claim 12 , wherein the central channel is defined by a generally cylindrical body.

14. The cartridge of claim 12 , wherein the central channel has a diameter of about 2.0 mm to about 3.0 mm.

15. A device comprising:
a casing extending in a longitudinal direction;
a vaporizer within the casing;
a mouth-end insert at an end of the casing, the mouth-end insert including,
at least two outlets uniformly spaced about a perimeter of the mouth-end insert, and
an on-axis outlet centrally located in the mouth-end insert;

a central channel between the vaporizer and the mouth-end insert, the central channel sized and configured to reduce a velocity of the vapor approaching the mouth-end insert; and
a power supply electrically connected to the vaporizer.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the vaporizer comprises a wick and a coil heater.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Tucker Christopher S
• Jordan Geoffrey B
• Smith Barry S
• Rostami Ali A

Classifications

• A61M2205/8268

  Fuel storage cells · CPC title

• H01C17/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing resistors (providing fillings for housings or enclosures H01C1/02; reducing insulation surrounding a resistor to powder H01C1/03; manufacture of thermally variable resistors H01C7/02, H01C7/04) · CPC title

• A61M2209/02

  Equipment for testing the apparatus · CPC title

• A61M15/06 Primary

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

• H05B3/44

  heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material · CPC title