WICK SUITABLE FOR USE IN AN ELECTRONIC SMOKING ARTICLE

• US 20140209105A1
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Inventors: Sears, Stephen Benson, Dooly, Grady Lance, Griffith, David William, Sebastian, Andries Don, Chang, Yi-Ping
• Granted Patent: US 8,910,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/328
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/30 Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/44 Wicks
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/46 Shape or structure of electric heating means
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/28 in boilers heated electrically superheating using an electrical heat source independent from heat supply of the steam boiler F22G1/165

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electronic smoking article that provides for improved aerosol delivery. Particularly, the article comprises a wicking element useful for improving delivery of aerosol precursor to a heating element. In particular, the wick can take on a brush-like configuration. The present disclosure further relates to methods of forming an aerosol in a smoking article.

Claims

1. A smoking article comprising a wick formed of a plurality of individual filaments aligned in a brush-like configuration.

2. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the individual filaments of the wick each comprise a first end that is affixed to a holding member and an opposing free end.

3. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising a hollow shell having the filaments of the wick positioned therein.

4. The smoking article of claim 3, wherein the filaments are positioned such that the free ends of the filaments are directed toward an interior of the hollow shell.

5. The smoking article of claim 4, wherein the filaments are circumferentially positioned around a segment of an interior surface of the hollow shell.

6. The smoking article of claim 5, wherein the filaments are circumferentially positioned around a plurality of segments of the interior surface of the hollow shell.

7. The smoking article of claim 4, wherein the filaments are axially aligned along a length of the hollow shell.

8. The smoking article of claim 7, wherein the axial alignment is substantially a straight line.

9. The smoking article of claim 7, wherein the axial alignment is substantially helical.

10. The smoking article of claim 7, wherein the filaments are aligned in a plurality of rows.

11. The smoking article of claim 3, wherein the filaments are positioned about a central axis of the hollow shell such that the free ends of the filaments are directed outward toward an outer wall of the hollow shell.

12. The smoking article of claim 11, further comprising a central member extending along the central axis through at least a portion of the length of the hollow shell.

13. The smoking article of claim 12, wherein the filaments are circumferentially positioned around a segment of the central member.

14. The smoking article of claim 13, wherein the filaments are circumferentially positioned around a plurality of segments of the central member.

15. The smoking article of claim 12, wherein the filaments are axially aligned along a length of the central member.

16. The smoking article of claim 15, wherein the axial alignment is substantially a straight line.

17. The smoking article of claim 15, wherein the axial alignment is substantially helical.

18. The smoking article of claim 15, wherein the filaments are aligned in a plurality of rows.

19. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the filaments are substantially uniform in length.

20. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the filaments are variable in length.

21. The smoking article of claim 20, wherein the filament lengths define a pattern.

22. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising an aerosol precursor composition.

23. The smoking article of claim 22, wherein the wick is operatively positioned within the smoking article to be substantially in contact with the aerosol precursor composition.

24. The smoking article of claim 22, wherein the aerosol precursor composition is in the form of a liquid or gel at ambient conditions.

25. The smoking article of claim 22, wherein the holding member is a reservoir, and wherein the aerosol precursor composition is retained by the reservoir.

26. The smoking article of claim 25, wherein the reservoir is provided in a plurality of segments.

27. The smoking article of claim 26, wherein the wick is provided in a plurality of segments.

28. The smoking article of claim 22, wherein the article comprises a reservoir that is distinct from the holding member, and wherein the aerosol precursor composition is retained by the reservoir.

29. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising a heater.

30. The smoking article of claim 29, wherein the heater comprises a resistance heating wire.

31. The smoking article of claim 30, wherein the heating wire is at least partially intertwined with the filaments of the wick.

32. The smoking article of claim 30, wherein the heating wire is woven into the filaments of the wick.

33. The smoking article of claim 30, wherein the heater comprises a plurality of resistance heating wires.

34. The smoking article of claim 33, wherein a first heater wire is in contact with a first segment of the wick and wherein a second heater wire in contact with a second segment of the wick.

35. The smoking article of claim 34, wherein the first segment of the wick is adapted to transport a first aerosol precursor material and the second segment of the wick is adapted to transport a second aerosol precursor material.

36. The smoking article of claim 34, wherein the first heater wire and the second heater wire provide differing heating modes.

37. The smoking article of claim 36, wherein the heating modes comprise one or more of heating temperature, heating rate, and total heating time.

38. The smoking article of claim 3, comprising a wick positioned within the hollow shell so as to transport an aerosol precursor material inward from an exterior wall of the hollow shell toward a central axis extending the length of the hollow shell.

39. The smoking article of claim 3, comprising a wick positioned within the hollow shell so as to transport an aerosol precursor material outward from a central axis extending the length of the hollow shell toward an exterior wall of the hollow shell.

40. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising an electrical power source.

41. The smoking article of claim 40, further comprising a control component.

42. The smoking article of claim 41, wherein the control component comprises a puff-actuated sensor.

43. The smoking article of claim 41, wherein the control component comprises a capacitive sensor.

44. A method of forming an aerosol in a smoking article, the method comprising initiating current flow from an electrical power source within the smoking article to a resistance heating wire within the smoking article, the heating wire being intertwined with a wick formed of a plurality of individual filaments aligned in a brush-like configuration so as to cause heating of the heating wire and an aerosol precursor composition transported by the wick.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the smoking article comprises a plurality of heating wires.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein two or more of the heating wires are simultaneously heated.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the aerosol precursor composition comprises two or more separate components, and wherein the separate components of the aerosol precursor composition are separately heated by the simultaneously heated heating wires.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the simultaneously heated heating wires receive current flow from the electrical power source under different conditions such that the heating wires are heated to different temperatures or are heated for different amounts of time.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein two or more of the heating wires are heated in a defined sequence or pattern.