Electronic cigarette

• US 9,456,635 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2016
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• 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: Mullins, Michael J., Tucker, Christopher S., Jordan, Geoffrey Brandon, Smith, Barry S., Rostami, Ali A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Michael H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mayes, Dionne W
• Application Number:
  US15/051,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20160165957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 224 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 article comprising:

an outer tube extending in a longitudinal direction, the outer tube defining a portion of a liquid supply region configured to store a liquid material;

an inner tube within the outer tube, the inner tube including a pair of opposing slots, the liquid supply region between the outer tube and the inner tube;

a coil heater in the inner tube, end portions of the coil heater extending through the opposing slots in the inner tube;

a wick in communication with the liquid supply region and surrounded by the coil heater; and

a mouth-end insert at a mouth-end of the outer tube, the mouth-end insert including at least two outlets.

2. The electronic article of claim 1, wherein the coil heater is formed of a nickel-chromium alloy.

3. The electronic article of claim 2, wherein the nickel-chromium alloy is essentially iron-free.

4. The electronic article of claim 1, wherein the coil heater has substantially uniformly spaced windings.

5. The electronic article of claim 4, wherein the coil heater comprises 3 to 8 substantially uniformly spaced windings.

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

7. The electronic article of claim 1, 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.

8. The electronic article of claim 1, wherein the electronic article comprises a single outer tube.

9. The electronic article of claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply electrically connected to the coil heater.

10. The electronic article of claim 1, wherein the inner tube is formed of a woven fiberglass material.

11. The electronic article of claim 1, wherein the wick includes a plurality of filaments.

12. The electronic article of claim 1, further comprising:

a closure ring including an edge at an end thereof, the closure ring being positioned such that the edge is proximate to portions of the wick outside the inner tube.