Electronic vapor provision device

• US 10,588,354 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2018
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: Nicoventures Holdings Limited (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Yaary, Eric
• Application Number:
  US15/914,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20180192705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/42 Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/44 Wicks
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/46 Shape or structure of electric heating means
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 7/00 Mouthpieces for pipes; Mouthpieces for cigar or cigarette holders

Abstract

An electronic vapor provision device comprising a power cell, a vaporizer and a liquid store, wherein the vaporizer comprises a heater and a heater support, wherein the liquid store comprises a porous material.

Claims

1. An electronic vapor provision device comprising:

a heating element for vaporizing liquid;

an air outlet for vaporized liquid from the heating element; and

a porous heating element support configured to support the heating element without a separate support for the heating element,

wherein the heating element support is a store of liquid, and has an internal channel having a circular cross-sectional shape, whereby the heating element is fitted into the internal channel and is in contact with a surface of the internal channel along the length of the internal channel.

2. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is a heating coil.

3. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 2, wherein the heating coil is a wire coil.

4. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is in contact with the surface of the internal channel at contact areas and substantially without gaps in the contact areas.

5. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element support has a circular outer cross-sectional shape.

6. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 5, wherein the heating element support comprises a first support section and a second support section each comprising a half cylinder with a semi-circular cross-section.

7. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 6, wherein the first support section and the second support section are joined together to form a cylindrically shaped heating element support.

8. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 7, wherein the first support section and the second support section each have a groove running along their respective lengths along otherwise flat longitudinal surfaces such that when the first support section and the second support section are joined, the respective grooves together form the internal channel of the heating element support.

9. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element support has a square outer cross-sectional shape.

10. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element support comprises a porous ceramic material.

11. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 10, wherein the heating element support comprises a rigid porous ceramic material.

12. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element support comprises a rigid porous material.

13. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element support comprises pores of substantially equal size.

14. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element support comprises pores distributed evenly throughout the material.

15. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element support comprises smaller pores in the region next to the heating element and larger pores further from the heating element.

16. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element support comprises a gradient of pore sizes ranging from smaller pores next to the heating element to larger pores further from the heating element.

17. The electronic vapor provision device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic vapor provision device is an electronic cigarette.