Electronic vaping article

• US 9,326,547 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tucker, Christopher S., Jordan, Geoffrey Brandon, Smith, Barry S., Rostami, Ali A., Mullins, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Michael H
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAYES, DIONNE WALLS
• Application Number:
  US13/741,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20130192619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• 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 40/44 Wicks
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/485 Valves; Apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/70 Manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/001 Particle size control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/003 by passing the aerosol trough sieves or filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/04 operated by the vapour pressure of the liquid to be sprayed or atomised air-humidification, e.g. "room humidifiers" F24F6/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/002 with air flow regulating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0018 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0016 by the smell sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8268 Fuel storage cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/02 Equipment for testing the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/0421 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 17/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing resistors providing fillings for housings or enclosures H01C1/02; reducing insulation surrounding a resistor to powder H01C1/03; manufacture of thermally variable resistors H01C7/02, H01C7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0244 Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/021 : Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/0014 : Devices wherein the heating current flows through particular resistances
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/10 : Heating elements characterised by the composition or nature of the materials or by the arrangement of the conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/12 : characterised by the composition or nature of the conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/16 : the conductor being mounted on an insulating base
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/42 : non-flexible
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/44 : heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 : Heater type

Abstract

An electronic smoking article includes an outer tube extending in a longitudinal direction, an inner tube within the outer tube and including a pair of opposing slots, a liquid supply comprising a liquid material, a coil heater, a wick and a mouth end insert. The coil heater is located in the inner tube. The coil heater is formed of an iron-free, nickel-chromium alloy and has substantially uniformly spaced windings. The wick is surrounded by the coil heater such that the wick delivers liquid material to the coil heater and the coil heater heats the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form an aerosol in the inner tube.

Claims

1. An electronic vaping article comprising:

an outer tube extending in a longitudinal direction;

an inner tube within the outer tube, the inner tube including a pair of opposing slots;

a liquid supply comprising a liquid material, the liquid supply contained in an outer annulus between the outer tube and the inner tube;

a coil heater located in the inner tube, end portions of the coil heater extending through the opposing slots in the inner tube, the coil heater being formed of an iron-free alloy and having substantially uniformly spaced windings in an essentially unbowed condition;

a wick in communication with the liquid supply and surrounded by the coil heater such that the wick delivers the liquid material to the coil heater and the coil heater heats the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form a vapor in the inner tube; and

a mouth-end insert at a mouth-end of the outer tube.

2. The electronic vaping article of claim 1, wherein each of the opposing slots has dimensions sufficient to provide clearance between inner peripheries of the slots and the coil heater.

3. The electronic vaping article of claim 2, wherein the inner tube has a diameter of about 4 mm and each of the opposing slots has major and minor dimensions of about 2 mm by about 4 mm.

4. The electronic vaping article of claim 1, wherein the electronic vaping article comprises a first section attachable to a second section and wherein the wick, the liquid supply and the mouth-end insert are contained in the first section and a power supply connectable to leads of the coil heater and operable to apply a voltage across the coil heater is contained in the second section.

5. The electronic vaping article of claim 1, further including a closure ring including an edge at an upstream end thereof, the closure ring being positioned such that the edge is proximate to portions of the wick outside the inner tube, the closure ring being operable to close portions of the opposing slots in the inner tube.

6. The electronic vaping article of claim 5, wherein said closure ring is positioned relative to the portions of the wick and the coil heater remains essentially in an unbowed condition.

7. The electronic vaping article of claim 5, wherein the inner tube and the closure ring are each formed of woven fiberglass material.

8. The electronic vaping article of claim 1, wherein the electronic vaping article comprises a single outer tube and wherein the wick, the liquid supply, the mouth-end insert and a power supply connected to the coil heater and operable to apply a voltage across the coil heater are contained in the outer tube.

9. The electronic vaping article of claim 1, wherein the coil heater comprises 3 to 8 uniformly spaced windings.

10. The electronic vaping article of claim 1, wherein the iron-free alloy is a chromium alloy.

11. The electronic vaping article of claim 1, wherein the iron-free alloy is a nickel chromium alloy.

12. An electronic vaping article comprising:

an outer tube extending in a longitudinal direction;

an inner tube within the outer tube, the inner tube including a pair of opposing slots;

a liquid supply comprising a liquid material, the liquid supply contained in an outer annulus between the outer tube and the inner tube;

a coil heater located in the inner tube, end portions of the coil heater extending through the opposing slots in the inner tube, the coil heater being formed of an iron-free alloy and having substantially uniformly spaced windings in an essentially unbowed condition;

a wick in communication with the liquid supply and surrounded by the coil heater such that the wick delivers the liquid material to the coil heater and the coil heater heats the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form a vapor in the inner tube;

a mouth-end insert at a mouth-end of the outer tube;

a closure ring including an edge at an upstream end thereof, the closure ring being positioned such that the edge is proximate to portions of the wick outside the inner tube, the closure ring being operable to close portions of the opposing slots in the inner tube,

wherein said closure ring is positioned relative to the portions of the wick and the coil heater remains essentially in an unbowed condition, and

wherein each of the opposing slots has dimensions sufficient to provide clearance between inner peripheries of the slots and the coil heater.