Power supply for an aerosol delivery device

• US 10,918,134 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Issued: 02/16/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2015
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jennison, Brian W
• Application Number:
  US14/918,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20170112191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• Field of Search: 392404
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/90 Arrangements or methods specially adapted for charging batteries thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• 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 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0033 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/82 Internal energy supply devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8212 with means or measures taken for minimising energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8262 connectable to external power source, e.g. connecting to automobile battery through the cigarette lighter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0202 Switches
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/0014 Devices wherein the heating current flows through particular resistances

Abstract

A control body is coupled or coupleable with a cartridge to form an aerosol delivery device, with the cartridge being equipped with a heating element. The control body includes a power source and a microprocessor. The power source is connected to an electrical load that includes the heater when the control body is coupled with the cartridge, and includes a supercapacitor configured to provide power to the electrical load. The microprocessor is configured to operate in an active mode in which the control body is coupled with the cartridge. In the active mode, the microprocessor is configured to direct power from the supercapacitor to the heating element to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition.

Claims

1. A control body coupleable with a cartridge to form an aerosol delivery device, the cartridge being equipped with a heating element and containing an aerosol precursor composition, the control body being coupleable with the cartridge to form the aerosol delivery device in which the heating element is configured to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition, the control body comprising:

a power source connected to an electrical load that includes the heating element when the control body is coupled with the cartridge, the power source comprising;

a supercapacitor configured to provide power to the electrical load, wherein the supercapacitor is a hybrid capacitor;

a DC-to-DC;

converter connected to the supercapacitor, between the supercapacitor and electrical load; and

a snubber circuit connected in parallel with the supercapacitor and thereby forming a parallel combination, the DC-to-DC converter being connected in series with the parallel combination of the snubber circuit and supercapacitor; and

a microprocessor configured to operate in an active mode in which the control body is coupled with the cartridge, the microprocessor in the active mode being configured to direct power from the supercapacitor to the heating element to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition.

2. The control body of claim 1, wherein the power source further comprises a diode connected to the electrical load, between the supercapacitor and electrical load.

3. The control body of claim 1, wherein the power source further comprises:

a diode connected to, and between, the DC-to-DC converter and electrical load.

4. The control body of claim 3, wherein the DC-to-DC converter has an input and output, and the diode has an anode and a cathode, and

wherein the input and output of the DC-to-DC converter are connected to respectively the supercapacitor and the anode of the diode, and the cathode of the diode is connected to the electrical load.

5. The control body of claim 1, wherein the power source further comprises terminals connectable with a source of energy from which the supercapacitor is chargeable.

6. The control body of claim 5, wherein the power source further comprises the source of energy, and the source of energy is or includes a solid-state battery.

7. The control body of claim 5, wherein the power source further comprises the source of energy, and the source of energy is or includes a lithium-ion battery.

8. The control body of claim 5, wherein the power source further comprises a diode connected to the source of energy, between the source of energy and supercapacitor.

9. The control body of claim 5, wherein the power source further comprises:

a diode connected to, and between, the source of energy and DC-to-DC converter.

10. The control body of claim 9, wherein the DC-to-DC converter has an input and output, and the diode has an anode and a cathode, and

wherein the input and output of the DC-to-DC converter are connected to respectively the supercapacitor and the cathode of the diode, and the anode of the diode is connected to the source of energy.