ELECTRONIC VAPING DEVICE AND COMPONENTS THEREOF

• US 20150245669A1
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Published: 09/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Altria Client Services, Inc. (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: CADIEUX, Edmond J., BURTON, Douglas A., SMITH, Barry S., LIPOWICZ, Peter, COBLER, Patrick J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,888,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 40/465 specially adapted for induction heating
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes

Abstract

A liquid reservoir component of an electronic vaping device includes an outer casing extending in a longitudinal direction, an air inlet, and a vapor outlet. An inner tube is within the outer casing defining a central air passage communicates with the inlet and the outlet. A liquid reservoir is in an annular space between the outer casing and the inner tube. A susceptor is adjacent the central air passage, and a wick is in communication with the liquid reservoir and in thermal communication with the susceptor such that the susceptor is operable to heat the liquid material to a temperature to vaporize the liquid material and form a vapor in the central air passage. The liquid reservoir component is configured to connect with a power supply component such that an induction source is operable to generate an inductive field to heat the susceptor when powered by the power source.

Claims

1. A liquid reservoir component of an electronic vaping (e-vaping) device comprising:

an outer casing extending in a longitudinal direction;

an air inlet;

a vapor outlet;

an inner tube within the outer casing defining a central air passage communicating with the air inlet and the vapor outlet;

a liquid reservoir configured to contain a liquid material, the liquid reservoir in an annular space between the outer casing and the inner tube;

a susceptor located adjacent the central air passage; and

a wick extending across the central air passage in communication with the liquid reservoir and configured to be in thermal communication with the susceptor such that the susceptor is operable to heat the liquid material to a temperature to vaporize the liquid material and form a vapor in the central air passage,

the liquid reservoir component being configured to connect with a power supply component, the power supply component containing a power source in electrical communication with an induction source, the induction source being axially spaced from the susceptor by a distance if the liquid reservoir component is attached to the power supply component such that the induction source is operable to generate an inductive field to heat the susceptor if powered by the power source.

2-16. -16. (canceled)

17. An electronic vaping (e-vaping) device comprising:

a liquid reservoir component connectable to a power supply component, the liquid reservoir component including,

an outer casing extending in a longitudinal direction,

an air inlet,

a vapor outlet,

an inner tube within the outer casing defining a central air passage communicating with the air inlet and the vapor outlet,

a liquid reservoir configured to contain a liquid material, the liquid reservoir being in an annular space between the outer casing and the inner tube,

a susceptor located adjacent the central air passage, and

a wick in communication with the liquid reservoir and configured to be in thermal communication with the susceptor such that the susceptor is operable to heat the liquid material to a temperature to vaporize the liquid material; and

the power supply component including,

an outer casing extending in a longitudinal direction including a power source in electrical communication with an induction source, the induction source being axially spaced from the susceptor by a distance if the power supply component is attached to the liquid reservoir component such that the induction source is operable to generate an inductive field to heat the susceptor if powered by the power source such that the susceptor heats the liquid material to a temperature to vaporize the liquid material.

18. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the induction source includes an inductive coil at an end thereof proximate to the susceptor of the liquid reservoir component, and the inductive coil is configured to generate the inductive field to heat the susceptor.

19. The e-vaping device of claim 18, wherein the inductive coil comprises a helix extending in the longitudinal direction of the outer casing.

20. The e-vaping device of claim 18, wherein the inductive coil comprises a planar coil.

21. The e-vaping device of claim 18, wherein the inductive coil comprises a helix extending in a transverse direction to the longitudinal direction of the outer casing.

22. The e-vaping device of claim 18, wherein the induction source further includes a cylindrical core comprising a ferrite material, the inductive coil is wound about the core and the core extends in one of the longitudinal direction of the outer casing and in a transverse direction to the longitudinal direction of the outer casing.

23. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the susceptor is wound about the wick, and the susceptor is a coil heater.

24. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the susceptor is wound about the wick, the susceptor is a ribbon of mesh material, and the mesh material is at least one of electrically resistive and electrically conductive.

25. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the susceptor is integrated with the wick, and the susceptor is at least one conductive filament.

26. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the susceptor is integrated with the wick, and the susceptor is a conductive rod extending through filaments of the wick.

27. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the susceptor is integrated with the wick, the susceptor is conductive flakes, and the conductive flakes are in the wick.

28. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the susceptor is integrated with the wick and the susceptor is a portion of a conductive mesh in the inductive field.

29. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the susceptor is a conductive plate in contact with a portion of the wick.

30. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the susceptor is a conductive mesh in contact with a portion of the wick.

31. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the susceptor comprises at least one of stainless steel, copper, copper alloys, ceramic material coated with film resistive material, nickel chromium alloys, and combinations thereof.

32. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the liquid reservoir component further includes a mouth end insert and the mouth end insert is in communication with the air inlet.

33. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the susceptor is axially spaced from a proximate end of the induction source by about 0.01 to 2 mm if the liquid reservoir component is connected to the power supply component.

34. The e-vaping device of claim 33, wherein

a portion of the power supply component is in the liquid reservoir component if the power supply component and the liquid reservoir component are connected and the susceptor is axially spaced from the proximate end of the induction source, or

a portion of the liquid reservoir component is in the power supply component if the power supply component and the liquid reservoir component are connected and the susceptor is axially spaced from a proximate end of the induction source.

35. The e-vaping device of claim 17, wherein the power supply component further comprises control circuitry including a puff sensor, and the puff sensor is configured to sense air flow and initiate generation of the inductive field from the induction source in electrical communication with the power source.

36-71. -71. (canceled)