No-heat, no-burn smoking article

• US 10,349,674 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2017
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Phuong K
• Application Number:
  US15/651,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20190014819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 131328-329
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/167 in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/05 Devices without heating means
• 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 40/48 Fluid transfer means, e.g. pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0085 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/276 preventing unwanted use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8237 Charging means
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0646 Vibrating plates, i.e. plates being directly subjected to the vibrations, e.g. having a piezoelectric transducer attached thereto
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0669 Excitation frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0676 Feeding means

Abstract

An aerosol delivery device is provided that includes at least one housing, a nozzle and a control component. The housing encloses a reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition. The nozzle is coupled to the housing to discharge aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir, and the nozzle includes a piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material surrounding a mesh. The control component includes a microprocessor coupled to and configured to drive the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material to vibrate and cause a discharge of components of the aerosol precursor composition through the mesh and thereby produce an aerosol for inhalation by a user, with the components of the aerosol precursor composition discharged through the mesh having a diameter of less than one micrometer.

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising:

at least one housing enclosing a reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition;

a nozzle coupled to the housing to discharge aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir, the nozzle including a piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material surrounding a mesh; and

a control component including a microprocessor coupled to and configured to drive the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material to vibrate and cause a discharge of components of the aerosol precursor composition through the mesh and thereby produce an aerosol for inhalation by a user, the components of the aerosol precursor composition discharged through the mesh having a diameter of less than one micrometer.

2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material has a resonant frequency of up to 400 megahertz.

3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material has a resonant frequency of 1,000 kilohertz, and the mesh is a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device.

4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material has a resonant frequency of 130 kilohertz, and the mesh is a stainless steel mesh.

5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the mesh has a curved surface.

6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 further comprising:

a power source configured to generate a voltage output, the power source being a rechargeable battery having a nominal voltage between 3.7 and 4.1 volts,

wherein the control component further includes a boost regulator between the power source and an electrical load that includes the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material, the boost regulator being configured to step up the voltage output of the power source to a higher voltage, and

wherein the microprocessor being configured to drive the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material includes being configured to drive the boost regulator to output the higher voltage to power the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material to vibrate.

7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the control component further includes an electronic oscillator coupled to and between the microprocessor and piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material, and

wherein the microprocessor being configured to drive the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material includes being configured to drive the electronic oscillator to produce a periodic, oscillating electronic signal to drive the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material at a resonant frequency thereof.

8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 7, wherein the microprocessor is configured to output a pulsing signal to drive the electronic oscillator to produce the periodic, oscillating electronic signal, the pulsing signal having a programmable duty cycle.

9. The aerosol delivery device of claim 7, wherein the microprocessor is configured to control the electronic oscillator to produce the periodic, oscillating electronic signal having a frequency of 1,000 kilohertz that corresponds to the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material.

10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 7, wherein the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material is piezoelectric material, and the electronic oscillator is electrically coupled to the piezoelectric material and configured to produce the periodic, oscillating electronic signal to drive the piezoelectric material to vibrate.

11. The aerosol delivery device of claim 7, wherein the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material is piezomagnetic material, and the control component further includes:

a pair of magnets on either side of the piezomagnetic material; and

a phase splitter configured to receive the periodic, oscillating electronic signal and produce a pair of periodic, oscillating electronic signals that are antiphase, the phase splitter being configured to produce the pair of periodic, oscillating electronic signals to drive the pair of magnets to produce periodic, oscillating magnetic fields that are antiphase and thereby drive the piezomagnetic material to vibrate.

12. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the control component further includes:

a boost regulator between a power source and an electrical load that includes the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material, the boost regulator being configured to step up a voltage output of the power source to a higher voltage; and

an electronic oscillator coupled to and between the boost regulator and piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material,

wherein the microprocessor being configured to drive the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material includes being configured to drive the boost regulator to output the higher voltage to power the electronic oscillator to produce a periodic, oscillating electronic signal to drive the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material to vibrate at a resonant frequency thereof.

13. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12, wherein the microprocessor is configured to output a pulsing signal to drive the boost regular and thereby the electronic oscillator to produce the periodic, oscillating electronic signal, the pulsing signal having a programmable duty cycle.

14. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12, wherein the microprocessor is configured to control the electronic oscillator to produce the periodic, oscillating electronic signal having a frequency of 1,000 kilohertz that corresponds to the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material.

15. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12, wherein the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material is piezomagnetic material, and the control component further includes:

a pair of magnets on either side of the piezomagnetic material; and

a phase splitter configured to receive the periodic, oscillating electronic signal and produce a pair of periodic, oscillating electronic signals that are antiphase, the phase splitter being configured to produce the pair of periodic, oscillating electronic signals to drive the pair of magnets to produce periodic, oscillating magnetic fields that are antiphase and thereby drive the piezomagnetic material to vibrate.

16. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12 further comprising the power source configured to generate the voltage output, the power source being a rechargeable battery having a nominal voltage between 3.7 and 4.1 volts.

17. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 further comprising a current sensor configured to measure electric current through the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material,

wherein the microprocessor is configured to control operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device in response to the electric current so measured.

18. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 further comprising a micro pump proximate a reservoir side of the mesh to deliver aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir to the mesh for discharge of components thereof.

19. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein aerosol precursor composition is delivered from the reservoir to the mesh for discharge of components thereof, and

wherein the aerosol delivery device further comprises a micro filter proximate a reservoir side of the mesh to filter the aerosol precursor composition delivered from the reservoir to the mesh for discharge of components thereof.

20. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 further comprising:

a micro pump proximate a reservoir side of the mesh to deliver aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir to the mesh for discharge of components thereof; and

a micro filter between the micro pump and the mesh to filter the aerosol precursor composition delivered from the reservoir to the mesh.

21. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol precursor composition comprises glycerin and nicotine.