E-cigarette personal vaporizer

• US 10,143,235 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AYR Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Beyond Twenty Ltd.
• Inventors: Memari, Kaveh, Bennett, Adrian, Murison, Ian, Marsh, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robbins, Jerry D
• Application Number:
  US14/633,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20150245655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 320114
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 15/015 with means for refilling of liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/40 Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/48 Fluid transfer means, e.g. pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/485 Valves; Apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/60 Devices with integrated user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/90 Arrangements or methods specially adapted for charging batteries thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/95 structurally associated with cases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/04 Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 37/06 by pistons or pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/005 Side walls formed with an aperture or a movable portion arranged to allow removal or insertion of contents B65D5/16, B65D7/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/00 Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2023/0025 on containers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 : with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/00 : dummy group
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

A portable, personal storage and carrying case for an e-liquid e-cigarette PV in which the case is adapted to lock the PV securely in a charging position; and when the PV is locked in the charging position, then electrical charging contacts on the PV are in direct or indirect engagement with electrical charging contacts in the case that are connected to a power source, such as a rechargeable battery, in the case.

Claims

1. An electronic cigarette system including an e-liquid e-cigarette personal vaporizer (PV) and a power source in which the system includes a locking system adapted to lock the PV securely in a charging and filling position;

and when the PV is locked in the charging and filling position, then (a) electrical charging contacts on the PV are in direct or indirect engagement with electrical charging contacts in the system that are connected to the power source and (b) an e-liquid filling aperture in the PV is connected to a pumped, e-liquid source in the system.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the system automatically charges the PV only if the PV is fully inserted and an inter-lock operates to secure the PV in position.

3. The system of claim 1 in which the system automatically locks the e-cigarette PV into a secured re-charging position when the system is fully closed for storage and carrying the PV.

4. The system of claim 1 in which electrical charging contacts in the system are positioned on a sliding contact block that moves from a first position in which it is not physically engaged with the PV and a second position in which it is itself locked in position and also secures the PV in position.

5. The system of claim 1 in which the sliding contact block also includes data transfer contacts that engage directly or indirectly with data transfer contacts in the PV.

6. The system of claim 1 in which the electrical charging contacts inductively transfer power from the system to the PV.

7. The system of claim 1 which can be locked or disabled to prevent under-age or unauthorized use.

8. The system of claim 7 which can be locked or disabled to prevent under-age or unauthorized use and can be unlocked using data sent or exchanged with the authorized user'"'"'s smartphone.

9. The system of claim 1 which includes a locking system to lock the PV securely in a heating position during which time the PV is heating using power from a power source in the system and, after the PV has been sufficiently heated, to release the locking mechanism.

10. The system of claim 9 in which the system automatically moves the PV to a position which allows it to be readily removed from the system by an end-user once the PV has been sufficiently heated.

11. The system of claim 1 in which the system can be locked as part of a user-defined nicotine or smoking reduction or cessation program.

12. The system of claim 11 in which locking of the system can be over-ridden by a user but the system then sends an alert signal to a connected smartphone, which tracks the over-ride.

13. The system of claim 12 in which the smartphone also shares the over-ride, including sharing with other friends of the user connected via a social network.

14. The system of claim 1 in which the e-liquid includes nicotine and the PV is not a medicinal device but instead a device that in normal use replaces cigarettes, with the e-liquid being vaporized in the PV and the vapor inhaled to replicate or replace the experience of smoking a cigarette.

15. The system of claim 1 in which the electronic cigarette system includes a portable charging and refilling case.

16. The system of claim 1 in which the electronic cigarette system includes a desktop charging and refilling station.

17. The system of claim 1 in which the power source is a rechargeable battery.