Load-based detection of an aerosol delivery device in an assembled arrangement

• US 10,966,460 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Issued: 04/06/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Frisbee, Mark, Stapleton, Paul, Carawan, Milton G., Ampolini, Frederic Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Tu B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rosario-Aponte, Alba T
• Application Number:
  US14/802,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20170013879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,090 Days
• Field of Search: 392386, 392390, 392394, 392395, 392396, 392397, 392398
• 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 40/50 Control or monitoring
• 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 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3334 Measuring or controlling the flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6027 Electric-conductive bridges closing detection circuits, with or without identifying elements, e.g. resistances, zener-diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0202 Switches
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0244 Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/0014 Devices wherein the heating current flows through particular resistances

Abstract

A control body is coupleable with a cartridge to form an aerosol delivery device, with the cartridge being equipped with a heating element. The control body includes first and second positive conductors connectable with respectively a power supply and the heating element. The control body includes a series pull-up resistor and switch connected to and between the first and second positive conductors. A microprocessor is configured to operate the switch in a closed state in a standby mode in which the pull-up resistor causes a logical high level of voltage at the second positive conductor when the control body and cartridge are uncoupled, and in which the heating element is unpowered causes a logical low level of the voltage when the control body and cartridge are coupled. The microprocessor is configured to measure the voltage and control operation of functional element(s) of the aerosol delivery device based thereon.

Claims

1. A control body coupleable with a cartridge that is equipped with a heating element and contains an aerosol precursor composition, the control body being coupleable with the cartridge to form an 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 first positive conductor connectable with a power supply;

a second positive conductor connectable with the heating element;

a series pull-up resistor and switch connected to and between the first positive conductor and second positive conductor, the switch being connected to and between the pull-up resistor and second positive conductor; and

a microprocessor configured to operate the switch in a closed state in a standby mode in which the pull-up resistor is configured to cause a logical high level of voltage at the second positive conductor when the control body is uncoupled with the cartridge, and in which the heating element is unpowered and causes a logical low level of the voltage at the second positive conductor when the control body is coupled with the cartridge,

wherein the microprocessor is configured to measure the voltage at the second positive conductor and control operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device based thereon.

2. The control body of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor being configured to control operation of the at least one functional element includes being configured to control operation of the at least one functional element in response to a coupling of the control body with the cartridge that causes the voltage at the second positive conductor to decrease from the logical high level to the logical low level.

3. The control body of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor being configured to control operation of the at least one functional element includes being configured to control operation of the at least one functional element in response to an uncoupling of the control body with the cartridge that causes the voltage at the second positive conductor to increase from the logical low level to the logical high level.

4. The control body of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor being configured to control operation of at least one functional element includes being configured to control operation of at least one visual, audio or haptic indicator.

5. The control body of claim 1 further comprising a voltage divider connected to and between the second positive conductor and microprocessor, referenced to ground, and from which the microprocessor is configured to measure the voltage at the second positive conductor.

6. The control body of claim 5 further comprising a second switch connected to and between the voltage divider and ground, the microprocessor being configured to operate the second switch in an open state in the standby mode.

7. The control body of claim 5, wherein the voltage divider includes an output connected to the microprocessor and from which the microprocessor is configured to measure the voltage at the second positive conductor, and the control body further comprises a capacitor connected to and between the output and ground.

8. The control body of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to operate the switch in an open state in an active mode in which the control body is coupled with the cartridge, the microprocessor is configured to direct power to the heating element to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition, and in which the voltage at the second positive conductor corresponds to a positive heating element voltage, and

wherein in the active mode, the microprocessor is configured to measure the positive heating element voltage and control the power directed to the heating element based thereon.

9. The control body of claim 8 further comprising:

a voltage divider connected to and between the second positive conductor and microprocessor, referenced to ground, and from which the microprocessor is configured to measure the positive heating element voltage; and

a second switch connected to and between the voltage divider and ground, the microprocessor being configured to operate the second switch in a closed state in the active mode.

10. The control body of claim 8, wherein the microprocessor being configured to direct power to the heating element and control the power directed to the heating element includes being configured to at least:

direct power from the power source to turn the heating element on and commensurately initiate a heating time period; and

at a periodic rate until expiration of the heating time period,

determine a moving window of measurements of instantaneous actual power directed to the heating element, each measurement of the window of measurements being determined as a product of the positive heating element voltage and a current through the heating element;

calculate a simple moving average power directed to the heating element based on the moving window of measurements of instantaneous actual power;

compare the simple moving average power to a selected power set point associated with the power source; and

adjust the power directed to the heating element so as to turn the heating element off or on at the periodic rate at each instance in which the simple moving average power is respectively above or below the selected power set point.