E-cigarette personal vaporizer

• US 10,349,679 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2018
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AYR Ltd.
• Original Assignee: AYR Ltd.
• Inventors: Memari, Kaveh, Bennett, Adrian, Murison, Ian, Marsh, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnett, Nicolas A
• Application Number:
  US15/989,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20180271160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• 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 user-replaceable e-liquid reservoir for dispensing e-liquid, the reservoir being inserted into, or otherwise attached to, a portable, personal e-cigarette device and engaging with an electrical or electronic pump fluid transfer system in the device, the device including: an electrical or electronic pump, being configured to transfer e-liquid from the e-liquid reservoir to an atomizing unit in the device, the pump delivering a pre-defined or variable quantity of e-liquid from the reservoir; and in which the reservoir is not user-refillable.

Claims

1. A re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system including (i) a user-replaceable e-liquid reservoir for dispensing e-liquid and (ii) an e-liquid filling device;

in which the reservoir is inserted into, or otherwise attached to, the e-liquid filling device and engages with an electrical or electronic fluid transfer system in the e-liquid filling device, the fluid transfer system being configured to transfer e-liquid from the e-liquid reservoir to a fluid storage chamber configured to supply e-liquid to an atomizing unit;

and in which the filling device is configured to automatically send a signal requesting a replacement for the user-replaceable e-liquid reservoir to an e-fulfilment platform, either directly or via a connected smartphone.

2. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the atomising unit is in a portable vaporiser that is docked or otherwise attached to the filling device.

3. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the filling device includes a battery or other electrical power source and is configured to re-charge a portable battery in a portable vaporiser that is docked or otherwise attached to the filling device.

4. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the e-liquid capacity of the user replaceable reservoir is at least three times greater than the e-liquid capacity of a chamber directly feeding the atomizing unit.

5. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the reservoir stores no more than 10 mL of e-liquid.

6. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the reservoir includes an overflow channel that enables excess e-liquid that is pumped up from the reservoir but is not stored in the atomising unit to be captured and returned to the reservoir.

7. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the reservoir is designed in normal use to permit e-liquid to escape or to be withdrawn only if the reservoir is correctly positioned in the filling device.

8. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 and in which the system is configured to implement a nicotine reduction or cessation program, the system including a counter/measuring system for counting the number of times the atomising unit has been refilled from the e-liquid reservoir.

9. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the system includes a portable vaporiser that is configured to enable vaping equivalent to smoking 1 cigarette.

10. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 9 in which the portable vaporiser includes indicators that show when e-liquid equivalent to a single cigarette is present in the system and when that e-liquid equivalent to a single cigarette has been consumed.

11. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the fluid transfer system is a peristaltic pump.

12. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the reservoir includes a unique identification chip.

13. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the reservoir stores a record of the amount of e-liquid pumped from it.

14. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the filling device detects the level of e-liquid or the quantity of e-liquid in the reservoir.

15. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the filling device detects or measures or infers the amount of e-liquid in the reservoir and prompts the user for a new reservoir when the amount falls below a set threshold.

16. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the filling device is configured to enable automated re-ordering of fresh reservoirs.

17. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the system wirelessly sends or transmits e-liquid consumption data.

18. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 17 in which the system wirelessly sends or transmits e-liquid consumption data that shows how e-liquid consumption varies according to one or more of the following parameters:

part of the day/night, daily, weekly, seasonal, weather, time, location, temperature and any other factor.

19. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the filling device is lockable remotely from a smartphone app.

20. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the filling device is a desktop filling station.

21. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 20 in which the filling device is a desktop filling station that a personal vaporiser docks into.

22. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the e-liquid is an inhalable, atomisable substance that includes nicotine.

23. The re-fillable and re-chargeable inhalable vapor dispensing system of claim 1 in which the e-liquid is an inhalable, atomisable substance that does not include nicotine.