Methods to add menthol, botanic materials, and/or non-botanic materials to a cartridge, and/or an electronic vaping device including the cartridge

• US 10,433,580 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kobal, Gerd, Li, San, Lipowicz, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell, Thor S
• Application Number:
  US15/059,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20170251723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/00 Chemical features or treatment of tobacco; Tobacco substitutes, e.g. in liquid form A24B3/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/16 of tobacco substitutes
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/167 in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/303 Plant extracts other than tobacco
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/34 containing a carbocyclic ring other than a six-membered aromatic ring
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/42 by organic and inorganic substances A24B15/281 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/20 Devices using solid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/30 Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/42 Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors

Abstract

A cartridge may include a housing, a liquid supply reservoir in the housing and configured to store a pre-vapor formulation, a vaporizer, and a porous plug. The vaporizer may be in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir. The vaporizer may be configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre-vapor formulation. The porous plug may be connected to the housing and separated from the liquid supply reservoir. The porous plug may be permeable to the vapor. The porous plug may enclose a flavoring additive contacting a storage material. The flavoring additive may be configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material if the vapor flows through the porous plug. An e-vaping device may include the cartridge.

Claims

1. A cartridge, comprising:

a housing including a first end opposite a second end;

a liquid supply reservoir in the housing and configured to store a pre-vapor formulation;

a vaporizer in the housing and in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir, the vaporizer being configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre-vapor formulation;

gauze in the housing between the vaporizer and the first end, the gauze defining an air channel, the gauze including a notch; and

a porous plug inside the housing and separated from the liquid supply reservoir,

the porous plug being adjacent to the vaporizer,

the porous plug being spaced apart from the first end,

the porous plug being permeable to the vapor,

the porous plug enclosing a flavoring additive contacting a storage material,

the porous plug including a bag containing the flavoring additive and the storage material,

the flavoring additive configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material if the vapor flows through the porous plug, and

the porous plug extending into the notch of the gauze.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

the flavoring additive includes one of menthol, limonene, benzaldehyde, ethyl vanoline, or a combination thereof, and

the storage material includes one of a botanic material, a non-botanic material, or a combination thereof.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the flavoring additive includes menthol.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

the storage material includes one of a botanic material a non-botanic material, or a combination thereof, and

the botanic material includes one of menthol crystal, mint leaves, tea leaves, coffee powder, dry flowers, lemon grass, orange peels, star anise, clove, or a combination thereof, and

the non-botanic material includes one of paper, cellulose, zeolite, cellulose acetate with acid, cellulose acetate without acid, a polymer, or a combination thereof.

5. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

a material of the bag includes one of porous aluminum foil, perforated aluminum foil, nylon, filter paper, silk, plastic, cellulose acetate, or a combination thereof.

6. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

the pre-vapor formulation in the liquid supply reservoir, wherein

the pre-vapor formulation includes nicotine and at least one of glycerin (Gly), propylene glycol, or a combination thereof, and

the flavoring additive is configured to adsorb to the storage material or absorb in the storage material.

7. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

a volume ratio of the liquid supply reservoir to the porous plug is in a range of about 10:

90 (liquid supply volume;

porous plug volume) to about 90;

10 (liquid supply volume;

porous plug volume).

8. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

a weight ratio of the flavoring additive to the storage material ranges from about 1:

99 (flavoring additive;

storage material) to 80;

20 (flavoring additive;

storage material).

9. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a tip structure connected to the first end of the housing, wherein the tip structure is outside the housing.

10. The cartridge of claim 5, wherein

the material of the porous plug includes one of perforated aluminum foil, porous aluminum foil, nylon, silk, plastic, cellulose acetate, or a combination thereof, and

the flavoring additive is adsorbed onto the storage material or absorbed in the storage material.

11. A method of making an e-vaping device, comprising:

connecting the cartridge of claim 1 to a battery section such that the battery section and cartridge are removably coupled to each other, wherein

the battery section includes a power supply, and

the power supply is configured to provide power to the vaporizer for the vaporizer generating the vapor from the pre-vapor formulation.

12. A method of making a cartridge, the method comprising:

forming a liquid supply reservoir and a vaporizer in a housing,

the liquid supply reservoir being configured to store a pre-vapor formulation,

the vaporizer being in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir,

the vaporizer being configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre-vapor formulation;

arranging gauze inside the housing between the vaporizer and a first end of the housing, the gauze defining an air channel, the gauze including a notch; and

arranging a porous plug inside the housing and separated from the liquid supply reservoir,

the porous plug being adjacent to the vaporizer,

the porous plug being spaced apart from the first end

the porous plug being permeable to the vapor,

the porous plug enclosing a flavoring additive contacting a storage material,

the porous plug including a bag containing the flavoring additive and the storage material,

the flavoring additive being configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material if the vapor flows through the porous plug, and

the porous plug extending into the notch of the gauze.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein

the storage material includes one of a botanic material, a non-botanic material, or a combination thereof,

the botanic material includes one of menthol crystal, mint leaves, tea leaves, coffee powder, dry flowers, or a combination thereof, and

the non-botanic material includes one of paper, cellulose, zeolite, a polymer, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the flavoring additive includes one of menthol, limonene, benzaldehyde, ethyl vanoline, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein

a material of the bag includes one of aluminum foil, nylon, filter paper, silk, plastic, cellulose acetate, or a combination thereof.

16. An e-vaping device comprising:

a housing;

a liquid supply reservoir in the housing and configured to store a pre-vapor formulation;

a vaporizer in the housing and in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir, the vaporizer being configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre-vapor formulation;

gauze in the housing between the vaporizer and a first end of the housing, the gauze defining an air channel, the gauze including a notch;

a porous plug inside the housing and separated from the liquid supply reservoir,

the porous plug being adjacent to the vaporizer,

the porous plug being spaced apart from the first end,

the porous plug being permeable to the vapor,

the porous plug enclosing a flavoring additive contacting a storage material,

the porous plug including a bag containing the flavoring additive and the storage material,

the flavoring additive being configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material if the vapor flows through the porous plug

the porous plug extending into the notch of the gauze; and

a power supply configured to selectively supply power to the vaporizer.

17. The e-vaping device of claim 16, further comprising:

a cartridge; and

a battery section configured to be removably coupled to the cartridge, wherein

the cartridge includes the housing, the liquid supply reservoir, the vaporizer, and the porous plug,

the battery section includes the power supply, and

the battery section is configured to provide power to the vaporizer if the battery section senses a negative pressure being applied to a first end of the cartridge.