Charge circuitry for an aerosol delivery device

• US 11,094,993 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2018
• Issued: 08/17/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2018
• 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): Campbell, Thor S
• Application Number:
  US16/100,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20200046021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/20 Devices using solid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/90 Arrangements or methods specially adapted for charging batteries thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1582 Buck-boost converters H02M3/1584 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0244 Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0291 Tubular elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An aerosol delivery device is provided that includes a housing structured to retain an aerosol precursor composition, a heating element configured to convert electricity to heat and thereby vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition, a power source including one or more batteries or battery cells coupled to and configured to power a load including the heating element, and charge circuitry coupled to and configured to controllably charge the power source. The charge circuitry includes an electrical connector configured to connect the charge circuitry to a power supply from which the power source is chargeable, and a buck-boost charge controller coupled to and between the power source and power supply. The buck-boost charge controller is configured to regulate output voltage and output current from the power supply to the power source, selectively in one of a plurality of modes based on a condition of the power supply.

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising:

a housing structured to retain an aerosol precursor composition;

a power source including one or more batteries or battery cells coupled to and configured to power a load to cause the aerosol delivery device to produce an aerosol from the aerosol precursor composition;

a non-inverting unity gain operational amplifier coupled to the load and configured to output a constant power to the load; and

charge circuitry coupled to and configured to controllably charge the power source, the charge circuitry including;

an electrical connector configured to connect the charge circuitry to a power supply from which the power source is chargeable; and

a buck-boost charge controller coupled to and between the power source and power supply, and configured to regulate output voltage and output current from the power supply to the power source, selectively in one of a plurality of modes based on a condition of the power supply.

2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the power source includes a plurality of batteries or battery cells.

3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of batteries or battery cells are connected to form a plurality of paths for the output current from the power supply to flow through such that the output current is a sum of currents through each path of the plurality of paths.

4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the one or more batteries or battery cells include one or more lithium-ion, lithium iron phosphate or solid-state batteries or battery cells.

5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the power supply includes one or more lithium-ion or solid-state batteries, or lithium-ion or hybrid lithium-ion capacitors, and the buck-boost charge controller being configured to regulate the output voltage and output current from the power supply includes being configured to regulate the output voltage and output current from the one or more lithium-ion or solid-state batteries, or lithium-ion or hybrid lithium-ion capacitors.

6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the charge circuitry further includes a protection circuit coupled to and between the electrical connector and the power source, and configured to protect the power source from an overcurrent condition in the power supply when the electrical connector is coupled to the power supply.

7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 6, wherein the protection circuit includes a switch configured to interrupt the output current from the power supply to the power source when the power supply is in the overcurrent condition.

8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the buck-boost charge controller being configured to regulate the output voltage and output current includes being configured to limit the output current to a maximum current when a terminal voltage of the power source falls below a threshold voltage when the power source is charged from the power supply.

9. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol precursor composition is a liquid, or a solid or semi-solid.

10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the load includes an atomizer configured to produce the aerosol from the aerosol precursor composition.

11. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of modes includes two or more of a buck mode, a boost mode or a buck-boost mode.

12. A control body for an aerosol delivery device, the control body comprising:

a power source including one or more batteries or battery cells coupled to and configured to power a load to cause the aerosol delivery device to produce an aerosol from the aerosol precursor composition;

a non-inverting unity gain operational amplifier coupled to the load and configured to output a constant power to the load; and

charge circuitry coupled to and configured to controllably charge the power source, the charge circuitry including;

an electrical connector configured to connect the charge circuitry to a power supply from which the power source is chargeable; and

a buck-boost charge controller coupled to and between the power source and power supply, and configured to regulate output voltage and output current from the power supply to the power source, selectively in one of a plurality of modes based on a condition of the power supply.

13. The control body of claim 12, wherein the power source includes a plurality of batteries or battery cells.

14. The control body of claim 13, wherein the plurality of batteries or battery cells are connected to form a plurality of paths for the output current from the power supply to flow through such that the output current is a sum of currents through each path of the plurality of paths.

15. The control body of claim 12, wherein the one or more batteries or battery cells include one or more lithium-ion, lithium iron phosphate or solid-state batteries or battery cells.

16. The control body of claim 12, wherein the power supply includes one or more lithium-ion or solid-state batteries, or lithium-ion or hybrid lithium-ion capacitors, and the buck-boost charge controller being configured to regulate the output voltage and output current from the power supply includes being configured to regulate the output voltage and output current from the one or more lithium-ion or solid-state batteries, or lithium-ion or hybrid lithium-ion capacitors.

17. The control body of claim 12, wherein the charge circuitry further includes a protection circuit coupled to and between the electrical connector and the power source, and configured to protect the power source from an overcurrent condition in the power supply when the electrical connector is coupled to the power supply.

18. The control body of claim 17, wherein the protection circuit includes a switch configured to interrupt the output current from the power supply to the power source when the power supply is in the overcurrent condition.

19. The control body of claim 12, wherein the buck-boost charge controller being configured to regulate the output voltage and output current includes being configured to limit the output current to a maximum current when a terminal voltage of the power source falls below a threshold voltage when the power source is charged from the power supply.

20. The control body of claim 12, wherein the aerosol precursor composition is a liquid, or a solid or semi-solid.

21. The control body of claim 12, wherein the plurality of modes includes two or more of a buck mode, a boost mode or a buck-boost mode.

22. The control body of claim 12, wherein the load includes an atomizer or terminals configured to connect the atomizer to the control body, the atomizer being configured to produce the aerosol from the aerosol precursor composition.