Method for measuring a vapor precursor level in a cartomizer of an electronic vaping device and/or an electronic vaping device configured to perform the method
First Claim
1. An electronic vaping device, comprising:
- a cartomizer including a housing, a liquid supply reservoir in the housing, a vaporizer connected to the liquid supply reservoir, and a channel adjacent to the liquid supply reservoir,the liquid supply reservoir being configured to store vapor precursor,the vaporizer including a fluid-transport structure that is configured to transport the vapor precursor from the liquid supply reservoir to the channel,the vaporizer including a heating element that is configured to generate a vapor from the vapor precursor transported to the channel,the fluid-transport structure including a wick that extends from the channel into the liquid supply reservoir,the cartomizer including a first probe and a second probe that are electrically connected to a first end and a second end of the wick, respectively,the heating element including a heating coil that is wrapped around a part of the wick,the cartomizer including a first electrical lead and a second electrical lead that are connected to respective ends of the heating coil,the first probe and the first electrical lead being separated from each other,the second probe and the second electrical lead being separated from each other; and
a battery section configured to provide power to the vaporizer,the battery section including a control circuit that is configured to determine a saturation level of the vapor precursor on the fluid-transport structure based on an electrical resistance of at least a portion of the fluid-transport structure,the control circuit being configured to measure the electrical resistance across a first portion of the wick using the first probe and one of the first electrical lead, the second electrical lead, or the first electrical lead and the second electrical lead,the control circuit being configured to measure the electrical resistance across a second portion of the wick using the first probe and the second probe,the control circuit being configured to determine the saturation level of the vapor precursor on the fluid-transport structure based on one of the measured electrical resistance across the first portion of the wick, the measured electrical resistance across the second portion of the wick, or the measured electrical resistance across the first portion of the Wick and the measured electrical resistance across the second portion of the wick, andthe first portion of the wick and the second portion of the wick being different sizes.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic vaping device includes a cartomizer and a battery section. The cartomizer includes a housing, a liquid supply reservoir in the housing, a vaporizer connected to the liquid supply reservoir, a channel adjacent to the liquid supply reservoir. The liquid supply reservoir being is to store vapor precursor. The vaporizer includes a fluid-transport structure that is configured to transport the vapor precursor from the liquid supply reservoir to the channel. The battery section is configured to provide power to the vaporizer. The battery section includes a control circuit that is configured to determine a saturation level of the vapor precursor on the fluid-transport structure based on an electrical resistance of the fluid-transport structure.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An electronic vaping device, comprising:
-
a cartomizer including a housing, a liquid supply reservoir in the housing, a vaporizer connected to the liquid supply reservoir, and a channel adjacent to the liquid supply reservoir, the liquid supply reservoir being configured to store vapor precursor, the vaporizer including a fluid-transport structure that is configured to transport the vapor precursor from the liquid supply reservoir to the channel, the vaporizer including a heating element that is configured to generate a vapor from the vapor precursor transported to the channel, the fluid-transport structure including a wick that extends from the channel into the liquid supply reservoir, the cartomizer including a first probe and a second probe that are electrically connected to a first end and a second end of the wick, respectively, the heating element including a heating coil that is wrapped around a part of the wick, the cartomizer including a first electrical lead and a second electrical lead that are connected to respective ends of the heating coil, the first probe and the first electrical lead being separated from each other, the second probe and the second electrical lead being separated from each other; and a battery section configured to provide power to the vaporizer, the battery section including a control circuit that is configured to determine a saturation level of the vapor precursor on the fluid-transport structure based on an electrical resistance of at least a portion of the fluid-transport structure, the control circuit being configured to measure the electrical resistance across a first portion of the wick using the first probe and one of the first electrical lead, the second electrical lead, or the first electrical lead and the second electrical lead, the control circuit being configured to measure the electrical resistance across a second portion of the wick using the first probe and the second probe, the control circuit being configured to determine the saturation level of the vapor precursor on the fluid-transport structure based on one of the measured electrical resistance across the first portion of the wick, the measured electrical resistance across the second portion of the wick, or the measured electrical resistance across the first portion of the Wick and the measured electrical resistance across the second portion of the wick, and the first portion of the wick and the second portion of the wick being different sizes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
12. A battery section of an electronic vaping device, the battery section comprising:
-
a battery; and a control circuit connected to the battery, the control circuit being configured to determine a saturation level of vapor precursor on a fluid-transport structure based on an electrical resistance of at least a portion of the fluid-transport structure, wherein the fluid-transport structure is part of a cartomizer that includes a wick in the fluid-transport structure, a first probe and a second probe that are electrically connected to a first end and a second end respectively of the wick, and a first electrical lead and a second electrical lead that are connected to respective ends of a heating coil wrapped around a part of the wick; the first probe and the first electrical lead are separated from each other, the second probe and the second electrical lead are separated from each other, and a first portion of the wick and a second portion of the wick are different sizes; and the control circuit is configured to Measure the electrical resistance across the first portion of a wick using the first probe and one of the first electrical lead, the second electrical lead, or the first electrical lead and the second electrical lead, the control circuit is configured to measure the electrical resistance across the second portion of the wick using the first probe and the second probe, the control circuit is configured to determine the saturation level of the vapor precursor on the fluid-transport structure based on one of the measured electrical resistance across the first portion of the wick, the measured electrical resistance across the second portion of the wick, or the Measured electrical resistance across the first portion of the wick and the measured electrical resistance across the second portion of the wick. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
Specification