ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE WITH SEALED CARTRIDGE

• US 20150040929A1
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fontem Ventures BV (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Fontem Holdings 1 BV (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Inventors: Hon, Lik
• Granted Patent: US 9,737,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/329
• 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 40/46 Shape or structure of electric heating means

Abstract

In an electronic cigarette, separate cartridge and vaporizer units are provided. The cartridge unit may have a cartridge tube containing a liquid with a seal sealing the liquid within the cartridge tube. The vaporizer unit may have a piercer and a heater, with the front side of the vaporizer unit moveable into engagement with the cartridge unit, causing the piercer to pierce the seal in preparation for use of the electronic cigarette. A battery may be connected to a back side of the vaporizer unit. The vaporizer unit may also have and an electronic circuit electrically connected to the heater and to an inhalation sensor.

Claims

1. An electronic cigarette, comprising:

a cartridge unit including cartridge tube containing a liquid, and a seal on the cartridge tube sealing the liquid within the cartridge tube; and

a vaporizer unit having a piercer and a heater, with the vaporizer unit moveable into engagement with the cartridge unit, causing the piercer to pierce the seal.

2. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 further comprising a battery connected to the vaporizer unit.

3. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 with the vaporizer unit further including an electronic circuit electrically connected to the heater and to an inhalation sensor.

4. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 with the heater comprising a fiber heater tube and a wire coil around the heater tube.

5. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 with the vaporizer unit including arms attached to a base, with the arms having wedging tips for engaging the cartridge unit.

6. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 with the vaporizer unit having a base, with the piercer and the heater on a front side of the base, and a connector on the back side of the base, with the connector adapted to connect with a battery.

7. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 with the cartridge tube inside of an overtube and a flow path formed between the cartridge tube and the overtube, with the flow path leading to an outlet at a front end of the over tube.

8. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 further including a chamber tube extending into a ring chamber in the arm base, for trapping liquid.

9. An electronic cigarette, comprising:

a cartridge unit including cartridge tube containing a liquid, and a seal on the cartridge tube sealing the liquid within the cartridge tube;

a vaporizer unit having a piercer, a heater coil around a heater tube, and an electronic circuit electrically connected to the heater coil and to an inhalation sensor, with the vaporizer unit moveable from a first detent position wherein the heater tube is spaced apart from the seal, to a second detent position, wherein the heater tube is moved through the seal and into the cartridge unit; and

a connector attached to the vaporizer unit.

10. A cartridge unit for use with an electronic cigarette, comprising:

an overtube including an outlet at a front end of the overtube;

a cartridge tube within the overtube, the cartridge tube having a closed front end and an open back end;

a liquid saturated material within the cartridge tube;

a seal at the back end of the cartridge tube sealing the liquid saturated material within the cartridge tube; and

at least one air flow pathway between the overtube and the cartridge tube.

11. The cartridge unit of claim 10 with the material comprising fibers saturated with a nicotine solution.

12. A vaporizing unit for use in an electronic cigarette, comprising:

an arm base;

two or more arms on a front side of the base;

a heater between the arms; and

a piercer between the arms extending forward of the heater.

13. The vaporizing unit of claim 12 further including a circuit board on the base electrically linked to the heater.

14. The vaporizing unit of claim 13 further including a hole in the circuit board aligned with the heater, and further including a flow sensor positioned to sense air flow past the heater.

15. The vaporizing unit of claim 14 further comprising a socket on a back side of the base adapted to connect with a battery.

16. The vaporizing unit of claim 12 further including a fiber heater tube supported on the piercer, and with the heater surrounding the heater tube.

17. The vaporizing unit of claim 12 further including a chamber tube extending into a ring chamber in the arm base, for trapping liquid.