ELECTRONIC SMOKING ARTICLE

• US 20140238424A1
• Filed: 02/20/2014
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Altria Client Services, Inc. (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Macko, Jason Andrew, Skapars, James Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 9,986,760 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 40/44 Wicks
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/46 Shape or structure of electric heating means

Abstract

An electronic smoking article includes a liquid supply region including liquid material and a heater-wick element operable to wick liquid material and heat the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form an aerosol. The heater-wick element comprises a plurality of fused metal beads or particles.

Claims

1. An electronic smoking article having a heater-wick element comprising a plurality of metal beads or particles, said heater-wick element in communication with a liquid supply region including liquid material such that the liquid material travels along the heater-wick element through interstices and voids between the plurality of metal beads or particles and the heater-wick element is operative to volatilize liquid material to produce an aerosol.

2. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of metal beads or particles are formed of an electrically resistive material.

3. The electronic smoking article of claim 2, wherein the electrically resistive material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, copper, copper alloys, ceramic materials coated with film resistive material, nickel-chromium alloys, and combinations thereof.

4. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of metal beads or particles has a diameter of less than about 1 mm.

5. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element has a length ranging from about 10 mm to about 15 mm and a width ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 2.0 mm.

6. The electronic smoking article of claim 5, wherein the heater-wick element is in the form of a rod, a spiral, a block, a cylinder or a ribbon.

7. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element includes a heatable portion and at least one wicking portion.

8. The electronic smoking article of claim 7, wherein the heatable portion is formed between two brazed connection regions.

9. The electronic smoking article of claim 7, wherein the heatable portion is positioned within a central air channel.

10. The electronic smoking article of claim 7, wherein the at least one wicking portion extends into the liquid supply region.

11. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element is formed of a material capable of withstanding temperatures in excess of about 600°

C.

12. The electronic smoking article of claim 7, further comprising:

an outer tube extending in a longitudinal direction; and

an inner tube within the outer tube, the inner tube including a pair of opposing slots through which the heater-wick element extends and the inner tube defines a central air passage,

wherein the liquid supply region is contained in an outer annulus between the outer tube and the inner tube and wherein the heatable portion extends across the central air passage and the at least one wicking portion extends into the liquid supply region.

13. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein each bead or particle is of a sub-millimeter diameter.

14. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element is in the form of a rod, a spiral, a block, a cylinder or a ribbon.

15. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element is rigid.

16. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element is U-shaped or H-shaped.

17. The electronic smoking article of claim 7, wherein the heater-wick element is substantially uniform in cross-section along a length of the heatable portion so as to promote even heating of the heatable portion.

18. The electronic smoking article of claim 7, wherein the heater-wick element varies in cross-section along a length thereof.

19. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the metal beads or particles are capable of withstanding repeated heating up to at least about 600°

C.

20. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein each of the metal beads or particles has a diameter of less than about 1 mm and wherein the metal beads or particles are substantially uniform in size or vary in size.

21. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element has a ribbon-shape with a length in the range of about 10 mm to about 15 mm and a width in the range of about 0.5 mm to about 2.0 mm.

22. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element has an electrical resistance ranging from about 0.3 Ohm to about 10 Ohms.

23. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element has a porosity of from about 20% to about 80%.

24. The electronic smoking article of claim 7, wherein the heatable portion is formed between two electrical leads sintered to the heater-wick element.

25. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element further includes a plurality of ceramic beads or particles.

26. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element is ceramic-free.

27. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of metal beads are fused together or glued together.

28. A method of producing an aerosol in an electronic smoking article comprising:

retaining a liquid in a portion of said electronic smoking article;

directing electrical current through a heatable portion of a heater-wick element formed of a frit; and

drawing said liquid to said heatable portion with a wicking portion of said heater-wick element by communicating said wicking portion with a liquid supply region of the electronic smoking article, said heatable portion and said wicking portion having been integrally formed.