Electronic smoking device and atomizer

• US 10,701,974 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2016
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fontem Ventures BV (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Fontem Holdings 2 B.V.
• Inventors: Rosser, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Hyeon, Hae Moon
• Application Number:
  US15/739,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20180177236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 131329, 131328
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid 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: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0025 with caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0024 with an on-off output signal, e.g. from a switch
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0039 in the inspiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/021 Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/44 heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material

Abstract

The invention relates to an atomizer for an electronic smoking device, to a cartomizer with an atomizer and to an electronic smoking device with an atomizer. In order to improve atomizing efficiency, the atomizer comprises a heating coil made of a heating wire with a first section and a second section, wherein the first section comprises an electrical resistance per length unit that differs from an electrical resistance per length unit of the second section, and wherein the heating coil has a first winding, a last winding and at least one inner winding between the first winding and the last winding, wherein the at least one inner winding comprises the first section, the first winding comprises the second section, and the last winding ROM comprises a third section, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the third section corresponds to the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section.

Claims

1. An atomizer for an electronic smoking device comprising:

a heating wire that is at least section-wise formed as a heating coil comprising a plurality of windings, the heating wire comprising a first section and a second section, the heating coil has a first winding, a last winding and at least one inner winding between the first winding and the last winding, wherein the at least one inner winding comprises the first section, the first winding comprises the second section, and the last winding comprises a third section, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the third section corresponds to the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the first section differs from the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section to increase the electrical resistance per unit length of the first section to generate heat for vaporizing liquid.

2. The atomizer of claim 1, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the first section is higher than the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section.

3. The atomizer of claim 1, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the first section corresponds to the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section multiplied by a factor of at least 10.

4. The atomizer of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the heating wire of the first section is less than the diameter of the heating wire of the second section.

5. The atomizer of claim 1, wherein the first section is made of a first material, and the second section is made of a second material, wherein the first material has an electrical conductivity that differs from the electrical conductivity of the second material.

6. The atomizer of claim 1, wherein the first section and the second section are formed continuously or are interconnected by a material fit.

7. The atomizer of claim 1, wherein the heating coil comprises a plurality of inner windings that consist of the first section.

8. The atomizer of claim 1, wherein the atomizer comprises a wick that is formed with a free end that is folded back onto another section of the wick.

9. A cartomizer for an electronic smoking device the cartomizer comprising:

a liquid reservoir;

a wick configured to draw liquid from the liquid reservoir; and

an atomizer including a heating wire that is at least section-wise formed as a heating coil comprising a plurality of windings wrapped around the wick, the heating wire comprising a first section and a second section, the heating coil has a first winding, a last winding and at least one inner winding between the first winding and the last winding, wherein the at least one inner winding comprises the first section, the first winding comprises the second section, and the last winding comprises a third section, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the third section corresponds to the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the first section differs from the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section to increase the electrical resistance per unit length of the first section to generate heat for vaporizing liquid.

10. The cartomizer of claim 9, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the first section is higher than the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section.

11. The cartomizer of claim 9, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the first section corresponds to the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section multiplied by a factor of at least 10.

12. The cartomizer of claim 9, wherein the diameter of the heating wire of the first section is less than the diameter of the heating wire of the second section.

13. The cartomizer of claim 9, wherein the first section is made of a first material and the second section is made of a second material, wherein the first material has an electrical conductivity that differs from the electrical conductivity of the second material.

14. The cartomizer of claim 9, wherein the first section and the second section are formed continuously or are interconnected by a material fit.

15. An electronic smoking device including an atomizer comprising:

a battery portion, including a battery;

an atomizer/liquid reservoir portion configured for attaching to the battery portion, the atomizer/liquid reservoir portion including a liquid reservoir;

a wick configured to draw liquid from the liquid reservoir; and

the atomizer including a heating wire that is at least section-wise formed as a heating coil comprising a plurality of windings wrapped around the wick, the heating wire comprising a first section and a second section, the heating coil has a first winding, a last winding and at least one inner winding between the first winding and the last winding, wherein the at least one inner winding comprises the first section, the first winding comprises the second section, and the last winding comprises a third section, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the third section corresponds to the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the first section differs from the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section to increase the electrical resistance per unit length of the first section to generate heat for vaporizing liquid.

16. The electronic smoking device of claim 15, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the first section is higher than the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section.

17. The electronic smoking device of claim 15, wherein the electrical resistance per length unit of the first section corresponds to the electrical resistance per length unit of the second section multiplied by a factor of at least 10.

18. The electronic smoking device of claim 15, wherein the diameter of the heating wire of the first section is less than the diameter of the heating wire of the second section.

19. The electronic smoking device of claim 15, wherein the first section is made of a first material and the second section is made of a second material, wherein the first material has an electrical conductivity that differs from the electrical conductivity of the second material.

20. The electronic smoking device of claim 15, wherein the first section and the second section are formed continuously or are interconnected by a material fit.