Control body for an electronic smoking article

• US 9,839,238 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Worm, Steven L., Galloway, Michael Ryan, Ampolini, Frederic Philippe, McKnight, Randy Lee, Christopherson, David Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): Del Sole, Joseph S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed Ali, Mohamed K
• Application Number:
  US14/193,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20150245658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 131329
• 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 40/485 Valves; Apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/51 Arrangement of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/60 Devices with integrated user interfaces

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a control body adapted for use in an electronic smoking article. The control body includes a shell and a coupler that is adapted to connect the control body to a cartridge of an electronic smoking article. The coupler further is adapted to communicate a pressure reduction within the coupler to a pressure reduction space in the shell. Also positioned within the shell is an electronic circuit board having a pressure sensor attached thereto. The electronic circuit board can be positioned to be parallel to a central axis of the shell. A first end of the pressure sensor can be isolated within the pressure reduction space, and a second end of the pressure sensor can be in communication with a normal pressure space within the shell. One or more light emitting diodes can be attached to the electronic circuit board. At least a portion of the coupler can be light transmissive so that light from the LED is visible through the coupler.

Claims

1. A control body for an electronic smoking article, the control body comprising:

an elongated shell with an interior, a proximal end, and an opposing distal end;

a coupler having a body end in engagement with the proximal end of the shell and having an opposing connector end configured to releasably engage a cartridge;

an electrical power source;

an electronic circuit board positioned within the shell interior between the electrical power source and the coupler; and

an air pressure sensor attached to the electronic circuit board;

wherein the shell has a central axis therethrough from the proximal end to the distal end, and wherein the electronic circuit board is oriented substantially parallel to the central axis of the shell;

wherein the shell interior includes a normal air pressure space and a pressure reduction space, and wherein a first end of the pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the pressure reduction space and a second end of the pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the normal air pressure space; and

wherein the body end of the coupler forms a wall, the opposing connector end of the coupler has a cavity, and the coupler includes a pressure channel extending between a first end that is in fluid communication with the cavity and a second end that opens through the wall at the body end of the coupler to be in fluid communication with the pressure reduction space.

2. The control body according to claim 1, wherein the pressure channel is integrally formed in the coupler.

3. The control body according to claim 1, comprising a sealing member configured to form an air tight seal around the air pressure sensor and the second end of the pressure channel and thus define the pressure reduction space that encompasses the opening at the second end of the pressure channel and the first end of the pressure sensor.

4. The control body according to claim 3, wherein the sealing member is in physical contact with an inner surface of the shell.

5. The control body according to claim 1, wherein the coupler includes an air inlet channel in fluid communication with the cavity.

6. The control body according to claim 5, wherein the air inlet channel is formed entirely within the coupler body.

7. The control body according to claim 5, comprising an air inlet aperture in the exterior surface of the coupler in fluid communication with the air inlet.

8. The control body according to claim 5, wherein the coupler has a longitudinal axis extending from the body end to the opposing connector end, and wherein the first end of the pressure channel is spatially separated from the air inlet channel relative to the longitudinal axis of the coupler.

9. The control body according to claim 8, wherein the first end of the pressure channel is spatially separated from the air inlet channel so as to be relatively nearer the connector end of the coupler.

10. The control body according to claim 1, comprising an ambient air flow pathway extending from the exterior of the coupler, through the coupler body, and through the cavity.

11. The control body according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit board includes a microprocessor, and wherein the microprocessor is configured to establish electrical current flow from the electrical power source when the air pressure sensor detects a reduced pressure in the pressure reduction space relative to the air pressure in the normal air pressure space.

12. The control body according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit board is positioned entirely within the normal air pressure space.

13. The control body according to claim 1, comprising at least one light emitting diode (LED) attached to the electronic circuit board.

14. The control body according to claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the coupler is light transmissive such that light from the LED is visible through the coupler.

15. The control body according to claim 13, wherein the control circuit is configured to cause the at least one LED to emit a defined lighting signal that corresponds to a status of the electronic smoking article.

16. The control body according to claim 15, comprising an input element, and wherein the control circuit is configured to cause the at least one LED to emit the defined lighting signal in response to an input from the input element.

17. The control body according to claim 16, wherein the input element is at least partially light transmissive.

18. An electronic smoking article comprising a control body according to claim 1 and a cartridge comprising an aerosol precursor composition and a heater adapted to vaporize the aerosol precursor composition.

19. A control body for an electronic smoking article, the control body comprising:

an elongated shell with an interior, a proximal end, and an opposing distal end;

a coupler formed of an elongated body having a first end that forms a wall and that engages the proximal end of the shell and a second end that comprises a cavity configured to releasably engage a cartridge, wherein the coupler includes a pressure channel extending between a first end that is in fluid communication with the cavity and a second end that opens through the wall at the first end of the coupler, wherein the coupler includes an air inlet channel in fluid communication with the cavity and an air inlet aperture in an exterior surface of the coupler, and wherein the coupler has a longitudinal axis extending from the first end to the second end, and the first end of the pressure channel is spatially separated from the air inlet channel relative to the longitudinal axis of the coupler; and

a microprocessor.

20. The coupler according to claim 19, wherein the first end of the pressure channel is spatially separated from the air inlet channel so as to be relatively nearer the second end of the coupler.

21. An electronic smoking article comprising a control body according to claim 19 and a cartridge comprising an aerosol precursor composition and a heater adapted to vaporize the aerosol precursor composition.