ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICE AND CAPSULE

• US 20170215485A1
• Filed: 10/12/2015
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fontem Ventures BV (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Fontem Holdings 1 BV (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Inventors: ZITZKE, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 10,321,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 40/53 Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0035 Piercing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0085 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/02 with activated or ionised fluids, e.g. electrohydrodynamic [EHD] or electrostatic devices; Ozone-inhalators with radioactive tagged particles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0015 inhalation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated

Abstract

A capsule (6) contains a liquid (28) to be supplied to an atomizer (20) and is mounted on or in an electronic smoking device (1). The capsule (6) has a controller (40) including a memory, which receives data from and transmits data to control electronics (14) of the electronic smoking device (1). A capacitor in the capsule (6) is charged by the electronic smoking device (1) and powers the controller (40) during intermediate intervals. Electrical contacts (26, 48) of the capsule are connected to electrical contacts (24, 46) of the electronic smoking device (1) to charge the capacitor and exchange data.

Claims

1. A capsule (6) for use with an electronic smoking device (1) having control electronics (14) and an atomizer (20) to atomize a liquid (28), comprising:

first and second electrical contacts (26, 48), which are adapted to be connected to electrical contacts (24, 46) provided at the electronic smoking device (1);

a controller (40) including a memory, wherein said controller (40) is operable to exchange data with the control electronics (14) of an electronic smoking device (1) via said first and second electrical contacts (26,48) when said first and second electrical contacts (26, 48) are connected to electrical contacts (24, 46) provided at the electronic smoking device (1); and

a capacitor (C) electrically connected to the controller and to the first and second electrical contacts (26,48), adapted to be charged by the electronic smoking device (1) when the first and second electrical contacts (26, 48) are connected to electrical contacts (24, 46) provided at the electronic smoking device (1) and to power the controller (40) during intermediate intervals.

2. The capsule (6) of claim 1, wherein the memory of the controller (40) is adapted to store the number of puffs detected by a puff detector (18) of an electronic smoking device (1) whilst the capsule (6) is mounted to the electronic smoking device (1).

3. The capsule (6) of claim 1, wherein the memory of the controller (40) is adapted to store an authenticity code.

4. The capsule (6) of claim 1, wherein the capsule (6) comprises a diode (D), which is adapted to prevent discharging of the capacitor (C) when the capacitor (C) powers the controller (40).

5. The capsule (6) of claim 1, wherein the controller (40) includes a timer.

6. The capsule (6) of claim 5, wherein the first and second electrical contacts (26, 48) of the capsule (6) are adapted to contact a ground contact (24) and a signal contact (46) of an electronic device (1) when the capsule is mounted to the device (1) and to receive and transmit data between the control electronics (14) of the electronic smoking device (1) and the controller (40) of the capsule (6) encoded as a sequence of voltage levels.

7. The capsule (6) of claim 6, wherein the data comprises binary encoded as zero bits and one bits and in that the control electronics (14) of the electronic smoking device (1) and the controller (40) of the capsule (6) are adapted to transfer a zero bit as a ground level signal for a preselected period and to transfer a one bit as a ground level signal for a different preselected period, wherein these ground level signals are separated by respective high level signals.

8. The capsule (6) of claim 6, wherein the capacitor (C) of the capsule (6) is adapted to be charged when the voltage level at a signal contact (48) is at high level and is adapted to power the controller (40) when the voltage level at the signal contact (48) is at ground level.

9. The capsule (6) of claim 6, wherein the controller (40) of the capsule (6) comprises a FET (52) controlled by the controller (40) and adapted to switch a signal contact (48) to the ground contact (26) when the voltage level is to be ground level.

10. The capsule (6) of claim 1, wherein the capsule (6) comprises a shell having an end side providing an access port, wherein the access port is covered by a pierceable membrane (26).

11. The capsule (6) of claim 10, wherein the membrane (26) comprises a metal foil and the metal foil serves as one of the first and second electrical contacts (26, 48) of the capsule (6).

12. The capsule (6) of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first and second electrical contacts (48) of the capsule (6) is provided at an outer face of the shell.

13. The capsule (6) of claim 1, wherein the controller (40) and the capacitor (C) of the capsule (6) are accommodated in an inner space of the capsule (6), separate from a reservoir which is operable to accommodate liquid (28) for atomisation.

14. The capsule (6) of claim 1, further comprising an electrically heatable atomizer (20) integrally provided with the capsule and operable to atomize a liquid (28) supplied from a reservoir in an inner space of the capsule (6) which is operable to accommodate liquid (28) for atomisation.

15. An electronic smoking system comprising:

an electronic smoking (1) device comprising;

a housing (2) adapted to accommodate a battery (10) for powering an electrically heatable atomizer (20);

control electronics (14) adapted to control an atomizer (20) for atomising liquid (28) supplied from a capsule (6) mounted to the device (1); and

a puff detector (18) adapted to indicate an aerosol inhaling puff to the control electronics (14) of the electronic smoking device (1);

the capsule including;

first and second electrical contacts (26, 48) adapted to be connected to device electrical contacts (24, 46) on or in the electronic smoking device (1);

a controller (40) having a memory, wherein the controller (40) is operable to exchange data with the control electronics (14) of the electronic smoking device (1) via the first and second electrical contacts (26,48) when the first and second electrical contacts (26, 48) are connected to the device electrical contacts (24, 46); and

a capacitor (C) electrically connected to the controller and to the first and second electrical contacts (26,48), the capacitor adapted to be charged by the electronic smoking device (1) when the first and second electrical contacts (26, 48) are connected to device electrical contacts (24, 46 and to power the controller (40) at intervals.

16. A capsule for use with an electronic smoking device, comprising:

a capsule housing;

a liquid supply and capsule electronics in the housing, with the capsule electronic including a controller (40) having a memory, and a rechargeable power source; and

electrical contacts on the housing for electrically connecting the capsule with electronic control circuitry in an electronic smoking device.

17. The capsule of claim 16 with the liquid sealed off from the electronics.

18. The capsule of claim 16 wherein the capsule is a non-refillable single use container including a frangible or pierceable seal sealing the liquid into the capsule.

19. The capsule of claim 16 wherein the smoking device is an electronic cigarette having a housing with diameter of 10 mm or less and a length of 120 mm or less, and with the capsule dimensioned to fit in the electronic cigarette housing.

20-22. -22. (canceled)