Electronic cigarette

• US 9,320,300 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2014
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Michael H
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHU HOANG
• Application Number:
  US14/307,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20140305453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/40 Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/42 Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/44 Wicks
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/46 Shape or structure of electric heating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/041 using heaters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0024 with an on-off output signal, e.g. from a switch
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/0014 Devices wherein the heating current flows through particular resistances
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/06 Heater elements structurally combined with coupling elements or holders

Abstract

An electronic cigarette has a power device (1), a sensor (2), an atomizing core component and a liquid storage component (3). The atomizing core component includes an electric heater (5) and a liquid permeating component (6). The electric heater (5) has a through hole (51), the liquid storage component (3) has a channel (31), and the sensor (2) is connected with the through hole (51) and the channel (31) to form an airflow loop by the auxiliary air inlet. The liquid permeating component (6) is directly sleeved on the electric heater (5), so that the cigarette can adequately heat gasified smoke with uniform small drops. The electric heater (5) and the liquid storage component (3) are connected with the through hole (51) and the channel (31), so that the vapor generated by the atomizing process can be cooled.

Claims

1. An electronic cigarette, comprising:

a housing;

a battery, and a liquid storage component containing liquid, within the housing;

a wire coil electrically connectable to the battery for atomizing liquid from the liquid storage component, with the wire coil surrounded by the liquid storage component;

a channel extending centrally through the liquid storage component, with the wire coil in the channel and having a diameter less than the channel; and

the channel forming part of an airflow path within the housing providing a continuous passageway from the wire coil to an inhalation port, and the channel having a uniform diameter between the wire coil and the inhalation port.

2. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 further including a porous component surrounding and in contact with the wire coil, and the liquid storage component surrounding the porous component.

3. The electronic cigarette of claim 2 with the porous component longer than the wire coil.

4. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 with the channel having internal surfaces wetted via the liquid, for cooling vapor flowing through the channel.

5. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 with the airflow path centrally located within the housing.

6. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 with the liquid storage component comprising a fiber material.

7. The electronic cigarette of claim 6 with the channel formed as an opening through the fiber material.

8. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 with the liquid storage component comprising a hollow elongated cylinder having an annular cross section co-axial with the channel.

9. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 wherein the channel is cylindrical.

10. An electronic cigarette, comprising:

a housing having an inhalation port;

a battery and a liquid storage component within the housing, with the liquid storage component comprising a fiber material and holding a liquid;

an electric heater comprising a wire coil in the housing connectable to the battery for creating vapor from liquid provided from the liquid storage component; and

an open cylindrical channel through the fiber material of the liquid storage component from a first end of the liquid storage component to a second end of the liquid storage component, the channel having surfaces wetted via the liquid, and with the wire coil in the channel and the wire coil having a diameter less than the channel, and the channel providing a continuous passageway from the wire coil to the inhalation port.

11. The electronic cigarette of claim 10 with the channel having a uniform diameter between the wire coil to the inhalation port.

12. The electronic cigarette of claim 10 with the wetted internal surfaces of the channel cooling vapor flowing through the channel.

13. The electronic cigarette of claim 12 with the liquid storage component comprising a fiber material.

14. The electronic cigarette of claim 10 with the liquid storage component comprising a hollow elongated cylinder having an annular cross section.

15. An electronic cigarette, comprising:

a housing;

a battery, and a liquid storage component holding a liquid, within the housing, and the liquid storage component comprising a hollow elongated cylinder having an annular cross section;

a wire coil electrically connected to the battery for atomizing liquid from the liquid storage component, with the wire coil surrounded by the liquid storage component;

a cylindrical central channel through the liquid storage component having surfaces wetted via the liquid, with the wire coil in the channel and having a diameter less than the channel; and

the channel forming part of an airflow path within the housing, and the channel providing a continuous and open passageway from the wire coil to an inhalation port, and the channel having a uniform diameter between the wire coil and the inhalation port.

16. The electronic cigarette of claim 15 with the liquid storage component comprising a fiber material.