ELECTRONIC SMOKING ARTICLE

• US 20140238423A1
• Filed: 02/20/2014
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Altria Client Services, Inc. (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tucker, Christopher S., Jordan, Geoffrey Brandon
• Granted Patent: US 9,993,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/328
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/44 Wicks
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/46 Shape or structure of electric heating means

Abstract

An electronic smoking article includes a liquid supply region including liquid material and a heater-wick element operable to wick liquid material and heat the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form an aerosol. The heater-wick element comprises two or more layers of electrically resistive mesh material.

Claims

1. An electronic smoking article comprising:

a heater-wick element comprising at least two layers of electrically resistive mesh material; and

a liquid supply region including liquid material,

wherein said heater-wick element is in communication with the liquid supply region the heater-wick element is operative to volatilize liquid material to produce an aerosol.

2. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the electrically resistive mesh material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, copper, copper alloys, ceramic materials coated with film resistive material, nickel-chromium alloys, and combinations thereof.

3. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the electrically resistive mesh material is about 200 to about 600 mesh.

4. The electronic smoking article of claim 3, wherein the electrically resistive mesh material is about 400 mesh.

5. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the electrically resistive mesh material is formed with 0.001 inch diameter wire.

6. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element has a length ranging from about 10 mm to about 15 mm and a width ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 2.0 mm.

7. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the each layer of mesh material is elongate and planar.

8. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the at least two layers of electrically resistive mesh material are connected along a length thereof.

9. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element includes a heatable portion and at least one wicking portion.

10. The electronic smoking article of claim 9, wherein the heatable portion is formed between two conductive connection regions connected to a power supply.

11. The electronic smoking article of claim 9, wherein the heatable portion is contained within a central air channel.

12. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater-wick element comprises three or more layers of electrically resistive mesh material.

13. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the electrically resistive mesh material has an electrical resistance ranging from about 0.3 Ohm to about 10 Ohms.

14. The electronic cigarette of claim 1, wherein the electrically resistive mesh material is formed with wire having a diameter of greater than about 0.001 inch.

15. A method of improving aerosolization in an electronic smoking article, the method comprising the steps of:

supplying liquid material to at least one wicking portion of a heater-wick element, the heater-wick element comprising at least two layers of electrically resistive mesh material; and

heating a heatable portion of the heater-wick element to volatilize liquid material contained in the heater-wick element and form the aerosol.