Electronic cigarette and method

• US 10,780,236 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2017
• Issued: 09/22/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tucker, Christopher S., Jordan, Geoffrey Brandon, Smith, Barry S., Rostami, Ali A., Mullins, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yaary, Eric
• Application Number:
  US15/857,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20180116296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• 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 40/44 Wicks
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/485 Valves; Apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/70 Manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/001 Particle size control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/003 by passing the aerosol trough sieves or filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/04 operated by the vapour pressure of the liquid to be sprayed or atomised air-humidification, e.g. "room humidifiers" F24F6/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/002 with air flow regulating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0018 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0016 by the smell sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8268 Fuel storage cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/02 Equipment for testing the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/0421 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 17/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing resistors providing fillings for housings or enclosures H01C1/02; reducing insulation surrounding a resistor to powder H01C1/03; manufacture of thermally variable resistors H01C7/02, H01C7/04
• 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: H05B 3/0014 : Devices wherein the heating current flows through particular resistances
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/10 : Heating elements characterised by the composition or nature of the materials or by the arrangement of the conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/12 : characterised by the composition or nature of the conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/16 : the conductor being mounted on an insulating base
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/42 : non-flexible
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/44 : heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 : Heater type

Abstract

An electronic smoking article includes a liquid supply including liquid material, a heater operable to heat the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form an aerosol, a wick in communication with the liquid material and in communication with the heater such that the wick delivers the liquid material to the heater, and at least one air inlet operable to establish a predetermined resistance to draw under a prescribed test of said smoking article.

Claims

1. A method of improving a plurality of electronic smoking articles, the method comprising:

forming an air inlet in a metal plate insert prior to placement of the metal plate insert into an electronic smoking article, the air inlet being sized and configured to provide the electronic smoking article with a predetermined resistance to draw; and

subjecting the air inlet to a test of resistance-to-draw during manufacture of the electronic smoking article.

2. The method of claim 1, further including affixing the metal plate insert to an inner surface or an outer surface of an outer tube of the electronic smoking article.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subjecting includes establishing a benign test configuration.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the establishing includes using a release connection between components of the benign test configuration, the release connection conducive to automated machine handling.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

protecting the air inlet with a removable tape prior after the subjecting.

6. A method of achieving a consistent resistance to draw amongst a plurality of electronic cigarettes, said method comprising:

determining a dimension of a critical orifice in an outer tube of an electronic cigarette that provides a desired resistance-to-draw;

for each electronic cigarette, establishing the critical orifice by precision drilling the critical orifice in a wall of the outer tube of the electronic cigarette according to said determined dimensions and by selecting a material conducive to said precision drilling and having a capacity to retain said dimension; and

testing each established critical orifice for providing said desired resistance to draw and rejecting any established critical orifice failing said test.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the testing includes testing a critical orifice established on a piece separate of the electronic cigarette.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the desired resistance-to-draw is in a range of about 60 mm water to about 150 mm water.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the desired resistance-to-draw is in the range of about 60 mm water to about 150 mm water.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the desired resistance-to draw is in the range of about 90 mm water to about 110 mm water.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the testing includes monitoring the results of testing to detect trends away from said dimension of the critical orifice.