Electronic vaporiser system

• US 10,202,272 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AYR Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Beyond Twenty Ltd.
• Inventors: Murison, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Yaary, Eric
• Application Number:
  US15/253,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20170042214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/167 in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes
• 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 40/51 Arrangement of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/95 structurally associated with cases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/13 with means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. lip sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/27 preventing use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3379 Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/60 : with identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 : battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8237 : Charging means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 : for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/086 : Docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/04 : Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0038 : moved by a spring-like mechanism B65D83/005, B65D83/0817, B65D83/0858 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/70 : for materials not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/02 : for transferring liquids other than fuel or lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0288 : Container connection means for dispensing beverages on draught B67D1/0829
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/145 : by wireless communication means, e.g. RF, transponders or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/346 : by reading a code
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/36 : Arrangements of flow- or pressure-control valves associated with nozzles B67D7/42
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/42 : Filling nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/54 : with means for preventing escape of liquid or vapour or for recovering escaped liquid or vapour B67D7/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/62 : power operated
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/78 : Arrangements of storage tanks, reservoirs or pipe-lines
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/003 : driven by piezoelectric means F04B43/046 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 : Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2203/0404 : Frequency of the electric current
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 35/04 : the means being electric
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/046 : with piezoelectric drive
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 45/047 : Pumps having electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/06 : Control using electricity regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/044 : spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 24/00 : Devices, e.g. valves, for venting or aerating enclosures equalising valves F16K17/00; arrangement or mounting in pipes or pipe systems F16L55/07; venting or aerating as an additional function of steam traps or like apparatus F16T; ventilation of rooms, vehicles, see the appropriate subclass, e.g. F24F
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/02 : for measuring temperature of moving fluids or granular materials capable of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2825 : in household appliances or professional audio/video equipment testing LAN's H04L43/50; testing TV systems H04N17/00; testing loudspeakers H04R29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4166 : Controlling feed or in-feed G05B19/4163 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37371 : Flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 : Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 : After-sales
• 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 7/342 : The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 : using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 : with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0227 : Applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0244 : Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/021 : Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/141 : Conductive ceramics, e.g. metal oxides, metal carbides, barium titanate, ferrites, zirconia, vitrous compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/00 : Adapting or protecting infrastructure or their operation

Abstract

The invention is an electronic cigarette vaporizer system operable in a ‘discrete’ mode to reduce the amount of vapor produced by a vaporizer that forms part of the system, compared to a normal mode. The ‘discrete’ mode causes the vapor produced to be less visible or noticeable, compared to a normal mode.

Claims

1. An electronic cigarette vaporiser system operable in a ‘

discrete’

mode to reduce the amount of vapour produced by a vaporiser that forms part of the system, compared to a normal mode;

in which the electronic vaporiser system includes

(i) a user-replaceable, e-liquid cartridge, which is not user-refillable and includes no heating element;

(ii) an e-liquid reservoir that is separate from the user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge;

(iii) an electric or electronic pump that is configured to withdraw e-liquid from the user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge and pump pressurised e-liquid to the e-liquid reservoir; and

(iv) a heating element that is not in the user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge but is instead in, or in e-liquid communication with, the e-liquid reservoir.

2. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the ‘

discrete’

mode causes the vapour produced to be less visible or noticeable, compared to a normal mode.

3. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the system includes a button or sensor that, if selected or activated, alters the operation of the vaporiser in such a way as to decrease the vapour produced compared to a normal mode.

4. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 3 in which the button or sensor is part of the vaporiser, or a case for the vaporiser, or a connected application running on a connected smartphone or other device.

5. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the ‘

discrete’

mode involves reducing the power delivered to or used by an atomising or heating unit compared to a normal mode.

6. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 5 in which the atomising or heating unit is powered using a pulsed signal and the duty cycle of the pulsed signal is varied to decrease the power, compared to a normal mode.

7. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 6 in which the pulsed signal is a PWM (pulse width modulated) signal.

8. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the ‘

discrete’

mode involves increasing the VG (vegetable glycerin) proportion compared to PG (propylene glycol) in the e-liquid being vaporised, compared to a normal mode.

9. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the ‘

discrete’

mode involves altering the frequency or duty cycle or other operational parameters of a piezo-electric, thermal bubble jet or ultrasonic atomiser, compared to a normal mode.

10. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the ‘

discrete’

mode involves reducing the maximum temperature of a heating element in the atomizing unit, compared to a normal mode.

11. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 10 in which a microcontroller in the vaporiser monitors the temperature of the heating element.

12. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser system is an e-cigarette system.

13. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser system is a medicinally approved nicotine drug delivery system.

14. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the vaporiser is the same approximate size as a cigarette, and that vaporiser includes no ‘

discrete’

mode button, or any other kind of control button.

15. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser has a square or rectangular cross-section with rounded corners and includes a long PCB inserted lengthwise into the vaporiser.

16. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser is filled from the user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge.

17. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser includes the heating element, wherein the electronic vaporiser is refillable with e-liquid only when inserted, whole and intact and not dis-assembled, into a re-fill case that includes a fluid transfer mechanism to transfer e-liquid into the vaporiser.

18. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser includes lights that illuminate to indicate the amount of e-liquid consumed, and these lights are dimmed or turned off if the vaporiser is in ‘

discrete’

mode.

19. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 including a case for storing the electronic vaporiser.

20. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 19 in which the case includes the electric or electronic pump.

21. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser includes the electric or electronic pump and the user-replaceable cartridge is removably insertable or integral to the vaporiser.

22. The electronic vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser includes a structure that is configured to enable excess air-pressure arising from the pressurised e-liquid to escape from the e-liquid reservoir and that is non-porous to the pressurised e-liquid.