Dosing control for an electronic smoking device

• US 9,907,338 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fontem Ventures BV (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Fontem Holdings 4 B.V. (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Inventors: Alarcon, Ramon, Healy, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): DANIELS, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US14/529,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20150059779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/46 Shape or structure of electric heating means
• 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 40/65 Devices with integrated communication means, e.g. wireless communication means
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/90 Arrangements or methods specially adapted for charging batteries thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/95 structurally associated with cases
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 47/00 Smokers' requisites not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/30 designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages B05B11/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling dosing of an electronic smoking device. An electronic smoking device comprises a body through which a flow path at least partially extends, an air inlet in the body that is fluidly connected to the flow path, a liquid compartment for storing a liquid within the body, a vaporizer positioned in the body and configured to receive liquid from the liquid compartment and air from the flow path to generate vaporized liquid, an outlet in the body configured to receive vaporized liquid from the vaporizer, and circuitry connected to the vaporizer and configured to control dosage of vaporized liquid. A method for controlling dosage in an electronic smoking device comprises sensing an airflow, releasing a liquid into the airflow, activating a vaporizer to generate vaporized liquid, and controlling flow of airflow, liquid or vaporized liquid to control dosage.

Claims

1. An electronic smoking device comprising the following:

a body through which a flow path at least partially extends;

an air inlet in the body that is fluidly connected to the flow path;

a liquid compartment for storing a liquid within the body;

a vaporizer positioned in the body and configured to receive liquid from the liquid compartment and air from the flow path to generate vaporized liquid;

an outlet in the body configured to receive vaporized liquid from the vaporizer;

an airflow sensor configured to detect a flow of air through the flow path indicative of a user action;

an active dispensing device configured to control flow from the liquid compartment;

controller circuitry connected to the vaporizer, the airflow sensor, and the active dispensing device, the controller circuitry configured to activate the active dispensing device in response to a signal from the airflow sensor indicative of the user action, and thereby control dosage of vaporized liquid, wherein the circuitry is further configured to transmit a disabling signal to the airflow sensor, and the airflow sensor is further configured, in response to the disabling signal from the controller circuitry, to stop airflow through the flow path.

2. The electronic smoking device of claim 1, wherein the controller circuitry is configured to control the dosage for any given period of time.

3. The electronic smoking device of claim 2, wherein the controller circuitry is configured to control the dosage per unit time.

4. The electronic smoking device of claim 2, wherein the controller circuitry is configured to control the dosage for a cumulative period of time.

5. The electronic smoking device of claim 1, wherein the controller circuitry is configured to control the dosage by dispensing a predetermined amount of liquid per user action.

6. The electronic smoking device of claim 5 wherein the predetermined amount of liquid is consistently dispensed as the same amount.

7. The electronic smoking device of claim 1, wherein dosage is controlled by varying flow between the air inlet to the outlet.

8. The electronic smoking device of claim 7, wherein dosage is further controlled by varying the amount of liquid mixed with air before vaporization.

9. The electronic smoking device of claim 8, wherein the controller circuitry is capable of controlling the active dispensing device to control liquid flow from the liquid compartment to the vaporizer.

10. The electronic smoking device of claim 7, wherein dosage is further controlled by varying the amount of vaporized liquid in the air.

11. The electronic smoking device of claim 10, wherein the amount of vaporized liquid in the air is controlled by activation of the vaporizer.

12. The electronic smoking device of claim 7, wherein dosage is controlled by limiting flow of air through the body.

13. The electronic smoking device of claim 1, wherein the active dispensing device is configured to dispense a predetermined amount of liquid.

14. The electronic smoking device of claim 13, wherein the active dispensing device is configured to consistently dispense the same amount of liquid each time activated.

15. The electronic smoking device of claim 1, further comprising a controller comprising the controller circuitry, wherein the controller determines a limit for dosage per unit time that may be delivered.

16. The electronic smoking device of claim 15, further comprising a sensor configured to detect a user action, wherein the controller is responsive to time that the sensor is activated in order to control the vaporizer.

17. The electronic smoking device of claim 16, further comprising memory connected to the controller, wherein the memory includes a time limit for which the vaporizer can be activated.

18. The electronic smoking device of claim 17, wherein the time limit corresponds to a total time that the vaporizer can be activated for a life of the electronic smoking device.

19. The electronic smoking device of claim 1, further comprising a vaporizing compartment connected to the liquid compartment and the flow path, wherein the vaporizer is disposed in the vaporizing compartment and the outlet is fluidly coupled to the vaporizing compartment.