ELECTRONIC SMOKING ARTICLE

• US 20150027456A1
• Filed: 07/22/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Altria Client Services, Inc. (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Janardhan, Srinivasan, Karles, Georgios D., Pithawalla, Yezdi B., Simpson, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,905,159 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 40/40 Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/48 Fluid transfer means, e.g. pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/485 Valves; Apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/57 Temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/002 by flow deviation causing inertial separation of transported particles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/008 by squeezing, e.g. using a flexible bottle or a bulb
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/002 with air flow regulating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0021 Mouthpieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/202 electrically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3606 cooled
• 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 2206/14 Static flow deviators in tubes disturbing laminar flow in tubes, e.g. archimedes screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/16 Rotating swirling helical flow, e.g. by tangential inflows

Abstract

An electronic smoking article includes an aerosol generator and a mouth end insert. The mouth end insert includes a mechanical aerosol converter surface having the capacity to improve characteristics of aerosol produced by the aerosol generator, including sensory attributes.

Claims

1. An electronic smoking article comprising:

an outer tube extending in a longitudinal direction;

a liquid aerosol formulation;

a heater operable to heat the liquid aerosol formulation to a temperature sufficient to volatilize the liquid aerosol formulation and form an aerosol; and

a mouth end insert including (a) a downstream end wall having at least one diverging outlet passage extending therethrough, (b) a mechanical aerosol converter (MAC) portion upstream of the end wall and including at least one air passage extending therethrough, and (c) an internal cavity arranged between the downstream end wall and the MAC portion, the internal cavity in fluid communication with the at least one air passage and the at least one diverging outlet passage, the MAC portion operable to reduce the size of particles in the aerosol and cool the aerosol produced by the electronic smoking article.

2. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein said MAC portion comprises 2 to 40 air passages disposed about the MAC portion.

3. The electronic smoking article of claim 2, wherein the plurality of air passages are disposed radially outward of a central portion of the MAC portion.

4. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, further comprising:

an inner tube within the outer tube, the heater being located in the inner tube; and

a filamentary wick in communication with a reservoir and surrounded by the heater such that the filamentary wick delivers liquid aerosol formulation to the heater, wherein the reservoir is contained in an outer annulus between the outer tube and the inner tube.

5. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the MAC portion is porous and particles of a predetermined size are retained on the MAC portion.

6. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein said at least one diverging outlet passage is angled at about 5°

to about 60°

in relation to a longitudinal axis of the electronic smoking article.

7. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, further including a hollow cylindrical tube extending from the downstream end wall in the longitudinal direction, wherein the MAC portion comprises at least one bar extending across an open upstream end of the hollow cylindrical tube.

8. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the at least one air passage has (a) a diameter or (b) a length and a width in the transverse direction ranging from about 0.25 mm to about 1.25 mm.

9. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the MAC portion is formed of plastic or metal.

10. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the MAC portion is gear-shaped and includes an annular row of trapezoidal openings therethrough at an outer periphery of the MAC portion.

11. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater is a coil heater in communication with a filamentary wick which draws the liquid aerosol formulation via capillary action.

12. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the heater comprises a capillary in fluid communication with a reservoir.

13. The electronic smoking article of claim 12, wherein the reservoir is pressurized and includes a mechanically or electrically operated valve at an outlet of the reservoir.

14. The electronic smoking article of claim 12, wherein the reservoir is compressible such that the liquid aerosol formulation is manually pumped to the capillary.

15. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the MAC portion is recessed within the outer tube.

16. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the MAC portion is flush with a downstream edge of the outer tube.

17. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the internal cavity has a length ranging from about 1.0 mm to about 5.0 mm.

18. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the MAC portion has a thickness ranging from about 0.25 mm to about 1.25 mm.

19. The electronic smoking article of claim 1, wherein the mouth end insert is operable to reduce a temperature of an aerosol produced by the electronic smoking article by at least about 10°

C. or more.

20. A method of improving organoleptic characteristics of an aerosol produced by an electronic smoking article comprising:

producing an aerosol with an aerosolizer of an electronic smoking article; and

cooling the aerosol by passing the aerosol through a mechanical aerosol converter disposed upstream of a multi-port mouth end insert.

21. The method of claim 20, further including breaking larger particles of the aerosol by impacting the larger particles with the mechanical aerosol converter.