Aerosol generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9848642-B2
Application number	US-201314048811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2013
Priority date	May 25, 2010
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

An aerosol generator device has an elongate body with an interior passageway extending longitudinally to its mouth end. The device receives an interchangeable, pressurized canister charged with a nicotine containing liquid that is discharged in a metered dose on manual actuation of a button member that causes a valve in the canister to open and discharge through a discharge tube. A sleeve releasably couples the canister to the body. The button member is slidably mounted on the body for reciprocal movement along a trigger axis Y-Y′ extending transversely of the longitudinal axis X-X′ of the device, and has a manually depressible surface portion and a camming surface portion that drives a slidable nozzle member to press the discharge tube inwardly of the canister to open its valve and release liquid into the nozzle member. Nozzle forms an aerosol from the liquid, which is delivered to the consumer through outlets in the mouth end of the device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aerosol generator device comprising: an elongate body having a proximal mouth end, a distal end and an interior passageway extending longitudinally to the mouth end, a fluid containing pressurized canister having an axial discharge tube that on inward depression is configured to open a valve therein and release the fluid through the discharge tube, with the canister and the passageway having a common longitudinal axis, and a trigger mounted on the body and configured to reciprocate along a trigger axis extending transversely of the longitudinal axis, the trigger having a manually depressible surface portion facing outwardly of the body, and a camming surface portion operable on depression of the manually depressible surface portion inwardly of the body along the trigger axis, such that pressing the discharge tube inwardly of the canister operates the valve such that fluid from the canister is released through the discharge tube and through the body to the mouth end; wherein the fluid containing pressurized canister is coupled to the elongate body and is substantially not contained within a housing.

2. The aerosol generator device according to claim 1 , further comprising an aerosol-forming nozzle configured to supply an aerosol through the body to the mouth end, wherein the nozzle is slidably mounted in the body and includes an end to abut the axial discharge tube of the fluid containing pressurized canister and a trigger-engaging end that engages the camming surface portion of the trigger so that inward depression of the trigger operates the valve and releases fluid through the tube and the nozzle.

3. The aerosol generator device according to claim 1 , wherein the elongate body includes a generally tubular sidewall, the interior passageway extending from the distal end to the mouth end, and a trigger opening that extends from the interior passageway through the sidewall.

4. The aerosol generator device according to claim 1 , further comprising a coupling, wherein the coupling includes a sleeve configured to grip the fluid containing pressurized canister at one end and to releasably attach to the distal end of the body at the other end.

5. The aerosol generator device according to claim 2 , wherein the mouth end is generally cylindrical, and the body comprises a generally cylindrical button housing attached to the generally cylindrical mouth end, wherein the manually depressible surface portion of the trigger is mounted in the button housing and is configured to reciprocate along a trigger axis.

6. The aerosol generator device according to claim 5 , wherein the manually depressible surface portion of the trigger comprises a cylindrical surface generally coaxial with the button housing.

7. An aerosol generator device comprising:
an elongate body having a proximal mouth end, a distal end and an interior passageway extending longitudinally to the mouth end;
a fluid-containing supply vessel coupled to the elongate body, with the fluid-containing supply vessel and the passageway having a common longitudinal axis; and
an aerosol-forming nozzle configured to supply an aerosol through the body to the mouth end, wherein the nozzle is slidably mounted in the body and includes an end to abut an axial discharge tube of a canister and a trigger-engaging end that engages a camming surface portion of a trigger so that inward depression of the trigger operates a valve and releases fluid through the tube and the nozzle,
wherein the trigger comprises a manually depressible button, wherein the fluid-containing supply vessel is substantially outside a housing, wherein the body comprises a generally cylindrical button housing and a generally cylindrical mouth end attached thereto, wherein the button is mounted in the button housing and is configured to reciprocate along a trigger axis, and wherein the mouth end includes a filter plug therein.

8. An aerosol generator device, comprising:
an elongate body having a proximal mouth end, a distal end and an interior passageway extending longitudinally to the mouth end;
a fluid-containing supply vessel coupled to the elongate body, with the fluid-containing supply vessel and the passageway having a common longitudinal axis; and
an aerosol-forming nozzle configured to supply an aerosol through the body to the mouth end; wherein the fluid-containing supply vessel is substantially outside a housing, wherein the nozzle is slidably mounted in the body and includes an end to abut an axial discharge tube of a canister and a trigger-engaging end that engages a camming surface portion of a trigger so that inward depression of the trigger operates a valve and releases fluid through the tube and the nozzle, and wherein the nozzle includes a radially extending lug and the trigger includes a depending flange with an inclined edge that engages the lug to provide the camming surface portion.

9. The aerosol generator device according to claim 8 , wherein the nozzle includes a second lug, said lugs being disposed diametrically opposite one another, and wherein the trigger includes a second depending flange, said flanges being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of the body to engage the lugs respectively.

10. The aerosol generator device according to claim 1 , wherein the pressurized canister is generally cylindrical, and wherein the valve is configured to release a metered dose of the fluid.

11. The aerosol generator device according to claim 10 , further comprising a detachable mouthpiece at the mouth end.

12. The aerosol generator device according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid containing pressurized canister is interchangeable.

13. The aerosol generator device according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes nicotine and a propellant.

14. The aerosol generator device according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge tube is configured to release fluid for aerosolization.

15. The aerosol generator device according to claim 1 , wherein the proximal mouth end engages a detachable mouthpiece.

16. The aerosol generator device according to claim 1 , wherein the mouth end includes a filter plug therein.

17. The aerosol generator device according to claim 1 , further comprising an aerosol-forming nozzle configured to supply an aerosol through the body to the mouth end, wherein the nozzle is slidably mounted in the body and includes an end to abut the axial discharge tube of the pressurized canister and a trigger-engaging end that engages the camming surface portion of the trigger, and wherein the nozzle includes a radially extending lug and the trigger includes a depending flange with an inclined edge that engages the lug to provide the camming surface portion.

18. The aerosol generator device according to claim 17 , wherein the nozzle includes a second lug, the radially extending lug and the second lug being disposed diametrically opposite one another, and wherein the trigger includes a second depending flange, the depending flange and the second depending flange being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of the body to engage the radially extending lug and the second lug, respectively.

Assignees

• British American Tobacco Investments Ltd

Inventors

• Schennum Steven Michael

Classifications

• B65D83/30

  for guiding the flow of the dispensed content, e.g. funnels or hoods · CPC title

• A61M15/06

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

• A61M15/0021

  Mouthpieces therefor · CPC title

• A61M15/009 Primary

  using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans (pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08) · CPC title

• B65D83/201

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic