Charger for an aerosol delivery device

• US 10,206,431 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Sur, Rajesh, Sears, Stephen B., Hunt, Eric T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hyeon, Hae Moon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leigh, Peter G
• Application Number:
  US15/355,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20180140010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 131328, 131329
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/90 Arrangements or methods specially adapted for charging batteries thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/465 with solar battery as charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/50 Energy storage in industry with an added climate change mitigation effect

Abstract

A charger for an aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device includes a control body equipped with a power source, and a cartridge equipped with a heating element and containing an aerosol precursor composition. The control body is coupled or coupleable with the cartridge to form the aerosol delivery device. The charger comprises a housing, a connector and a power supply from which the power source is rechargeable when the charger is engaged with the control body. The connector is coupled to the housing and configured to engage the charger with the control body. The power supply comprises a photovoltaic cell configured to convert light energy to electrical energy and generate a corresponding voltage output, and a buck converter configured to step down the corresponding voltage output to a lower voltage from which the power source is rechargeable.

Claims

1. A charger for an aerosol delivery device including a control body equipped with a power source, and a cartridge equipped with a heating element and containing an aerosol precursor composition, the charger comprising:

a housing;

a connector coupled to the housing and configured to engage the charger with the control body coupled or coupleable with the cartridge to form the aerosol delivery device;

a power supply from which the power source is rechargeable when the charger is engaged with the control body, the power supply comprising;

a photovoltaic cell configured to convert light energy to electrical energy and generate a corresponding voltage output; and

a buck converter configured to step down the corresponding voltage output to a lower voltage from which the power source is rechargeable; and

an input device including a capacitive sensor configured to detect a user input indicating a selected voltage, the power supply being configured to adjust the corresponding voltage output to the selected voltage in response to the user input so detected.

2. The charger of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor is a zero-, one-, or two-dimensional capacitive sensor configured to implement respectively a button, slider or wheel, or touchscreen or touchpad.

3. The charger of claim 1, wherein the selected voltage is of a plurality of selectable voltages for which the buck converter includes a corresponding plurality of output terminals, and the power supply further comprises a plurality of arrays of resistors each array of which is operatively coupled to a respective one of the corresponding plurality of output terminals and whose resistance is directly proportional to a respective one of the plurality of selectable voltages.

4. The charger of claim 1, wherein the buck converter has a quiescent current of one milliamp (1 mA).

5. The charger of claim 1, wherein the voltage output from the photovoltaic cell is between 14 to 22 volts (V), and the lower voltage output from the buck converter is between 2.7V and 8.4V.

6. The charger of claim 1, wherein the power source rechargeable from the power supply is or includes at least one of a supercapacitor or thin-film solid state battery.

7. The charger of claim 1, wherein the power source rechargeable from the power supply is or includes a supercapacitor, and the lower voltage is sufficient to cause the supercapacitor to reach or exceed an end-of-charge voltage threshold within one (1) minute of recharging.

8. The charger of claim 1, wherein the power source rechargeable from the power supply is or includes a thin-film solid state battery, and the lower voltage is sufficient to cause the thin-film solid state battery to reach or exceed an end-of-charge voltage threshold within five (5) minutes of recharging.

9. A method of charging an aerosol delivery device including a control body equipped with a power source, and a cartridge equipped with a heating element and containing an aerosol precursor composition, a charger including a housing, a connector coupled to the housing, and a power supply from which the power source is rechargeable when the charger is engaged with the control body, the method comprising at the charger:

engaging, using the connector, the charger with the control body coupled or coupleable with the cartridge to form the aerosol delivery device;

converting, using a photovoltaic cell of the power supply, light energy to electrical energy and generating a corresponding voltage output; and

stepping down, using a buck converter of the power supply, the corresponding voltage output to a lower voltage from which the power source is rechargeable, and thereby providing power to recharge the power source, wherein the charger further includes an input device comprising a capacitive sensor, and the method further comprises;

detecting, using the capacitive sensor, a user input indicating a selected voltage, and adjusting using the power supply, the corresponding voltage output to the selected voltage in response to the user input so detected.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the capacitive sensor is a zero-, one-, or two-dimensional capacitive sensor configured to implement respectively a button, slider or wheel, or touchscreen or touchpad.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected voltage is of a plurality of selectable voltages for which the buck converter includes a corresponding plurality of output terminals, and the power supply further comprises a plurality of arrays of resistors each array of which is operatively coupled to a respective one of the corresponding plurality of output terminals and whose resistance is directly proportional to a respective one of the plurality of selectable voltages.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the buck converter has a quiescent current of one milliamp (1 mA).

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the voltage output from the photovoltaic cell is between 14 to 22 volts (V), and the lower voltage output from the buck converter is between 2.7V and 8.4V.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the power source rechargeable from the power supply is or includes at least one of a supercapacitor or thin-film solid state battery.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the power source rechargeable from the power supply is or includes the supercapacitor, and the lower voltage is sufficient to cause the supercapacitor to reach or exceed an end-of-charge voltage threshold within one (1) minute of recharging.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the power source rechargeable from the power supply is or includes the thin-film solid state battery, and the lower voltage is sufficient to cause the thin-film solid state battery to reach or exceed an end-of-charge voltage threshold within five (5) minutes of recharging.