METHODS TO ADD MENTHOL, BOTANIC MATERIALS, AND/OR NON-BOTANIC MATERIALS TO A CARTRIDGE, AND/OR AN ELECTRONIC VAPING DEVICE INCLUDING THE CARTRIDGE

• US 20170251723A1
• Filed: 03/03/2016
• Published: 09/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: KOBAL, GERD, Li, San, Lipowicz, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 10,433,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/00 Chemical features or treatment of tobacco; Tobacco substitutes, e.g. in liquid form A24B3/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/16 of tobacco substitutes
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/167 in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/303 Plant extracts other than tobacco
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/34 containing a carbocyclic ring other than a six-membered aromatic ring
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/42 by organic and inorganic substances A24B15/281 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/20 Devices using solid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/30 Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/42 Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors

Abstract

A cartridge may include a housing, a liquid supply reservoir in the housing and configured to store a pre-vapor formulation, a vaporizer, and a porous plug. The vaporizer may be in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir. The vaporizer may be configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre-vapor formulation. The porous plug may be connected to the housing and separated from the liquid supply reservoir. The porous plug may be permeable to the vapor. The porous plug may enclose a flavoring additive contacting a storage material. The flavoring additive may be configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material if the vapor flows through the porous plug. An e-vaping device may include the cartridge.

Claims

1. A cartridge comprising:

a housing including a first end opposite a second end;

a liquid supply reservoir in the housing and configured to store a pre-vapor formulation;

a vaporizer in the housing and in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir, the vaporizer being configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre-vapor formulation; and

a porous plug connected to the housing and separated from the liquid supply reservoir,

the porous plug being permeable to the vapor,

the porous plug enclosing a flavoring additive contacting a storage material, and

the flavoring additive configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material if the vapor flows through the porous plug.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

the flavoring additive includes one of menthol, limonene, benzaldehyde, ethyl vanoline, and

the storage material includes one of a botanic material and a non-botanic material.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the flavoring additive includes menthol.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

the storage material includes one of a botanic material and a non-botanic material, and

the botanic material includes one of menthol crystal, mint leaves, tea leaves, coffee powder, dry flowers, lemon grass, orange peels, star anise, and clove, and the non-botanic material includes one of paper, cellulose, zerolite, cellulose acetate with acid, cellulose acetate without acid, and a polymer.

5. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

the porous plug is a bag containing the flavoring additive and the storage material, and

a material of the bag includes one of porous aluminum foil, perforated aluminum foil, nylon, filter paper, silk, plastic, and cellulose acetate.

6. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

the pre-vapor formulation in the liquid supply reservoir, wherein

the pre-vapor formulation includes nicotine and at least one of glycerin (Gly) and propylene glycol, and

the flavoring additive is configured to adsorb to the storage material or absorb in the storage material.

7. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

the porous plug is inside the housing, and

a volume ratio of the liquid supply reservoir to the porous plug is in a range of about 10:

90 (liquid supply volume;

porous plug volume) to about 90;

10 (liquid supply volume;

porous plug volume).

8. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

the porous plug is inside the housing, and

a weight ratio of the flavoring additive to the storage material ranges from about 1:

99 (flavoring additive;

storage material) to 80;

20 (flavoring additive;

storage material).

9. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

the porous plug is inside the housing,

the porous plug is spaced apart from the vaporizer, and

the porous plug is adjacent to the first end.

10. The cartridge of claim 9, further comprising:

a mouth-end insert in the housing at the first end; and

an inner gasket in the housing, wherein

the porous plug is between the inner gasket and the mouth-end insert.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

the porous plug is inside the housing,

the porous plug is adjacent to the vaporizer,

the porous plug is spaced apart from the first end.

12. The cartridge of claim 11, further comprising:

gauze in the housing between the vaporizer and the first end, wherein

the gauze defines an air channel,

the gauze includes a notch, and

the porous plug extends into the notch of the gauze.

13. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a tip structure connected to the first end of the housing, wherein

the tip structure is outside the housing, and

the porous plug is in the tip structure.

14. A method of making an e-vaping device, comprising:

connecting the cartridge of claim 1 to a battery section such that the battery section and cartridge are removably coupled to each other, wherein

the battery section includes a power supply, and

the power supply is configured to provide power to the vaporizer for the vaporizer generating the vapor from the pre-vapor formulation.

15. A cartridge comprising:

a housing including first and second ends that are opposite each other and in fluid communication with each other through a channel;

a liquid supply reservoir in the housing and configured to store pre-vapor formulation;

a vaporizer in the housing and in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir,

the vaporizer being configured to generate a vapor from the pre-vapor formulation; and

a porous plug separated from the liquid supply reservoir,

the porous plug enclosing a flavoring additive and at least one of a botanic material and a non-botanic material,

the porous plug being permeable to the vapor,

the porous plug being one of

in the housing adjacent to the vaporizer between the first end and the vaporizer,

in the housing adjacent to the first end, and connected to the first end of the housing.

16. The cartridge of claim 15, wherein

the botanic material includes one of menthol crystal, mint leaves, tea leaves, coffee powder, dry flowers, lemon grass, orange peels, star anise, and clove, and

the non-botanic material includes one of paper, cellulose, zerolite, cellulose acetate with acid, cellulose acetate without acid, and a polymer.

17. The cartridge of claim 15, wherein

the porous plug is a bag containing the flavoring additive and the storage material,

a material of the porous plug includes one of perforated aluminum foil, porous aluminum foil, nylon, filter paper, silk, plastic, and cellulose acetate, and

the flavoring additive is adsorbed onto the storage material or absorbed in the storage material.

18. A porous plug, comprising:

a porous containment structure configured to be permeable to a vapor generated from a pre-vapor formulation, the pre-vapor formulation including nicotine and a vapor former;

a storage material enclosed by the porous containment structure, the storage material including one of a botanic material and a non-botanic material; and

a flavoring additive enclosed in the porous containment structure and contacting the storage material, the flavoring additive being configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material if the vapor flows through the porous containment structure.

19. The porous plug of claim 18, wherein

a material of the porous containment structure includes one of porous aluminum foil, perforated aluminum foil, nylon, filter paper, silk, plastic, and cellulose acetate, and

the flavoring additive includes one of menthol,limonene, benzaldehyde, and ethyl vanoline.

20. The porous plug of claim 18, wherein

the botanic material includes one of menthol crystal, mint leaves, tea leaves, coffee powder, dry flowers, lemon grass, orange peels, star anise, and clove, and

the non-botanic material includes one of paper, cellulose, zerolite, cellulose acetate with acid, cellulose acetate without acid, and a polymer.

21. A method of making a cartridge, the method comprising:

forming a liquid supply reservoir and a vaporizer in a housing,

the liquid supply reservoir being configured to store a pre-vapor formulation,

the vaporizer being in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir,

the vaporizer being configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre-vapor formulation; and

arranging a porous plug connected to the housing and separated from the liquid supply reservoir,

the porous plug being permeable to the vapor,

the porous plug enclosing a flavoring additive contacting a storage material,

the flavoring additive being configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material if the vapor flows through the porous plug.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein

the storage material includes one of a botanic material and a non-botanic material,

the botanic material includes one of menthol crystal., mint leaves, tea leaves, coffee powder, and dry flowers, and

the non-botanic material includes one of paper, cellulose, zerolite, and a polymer.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the flavoring additive includes one of menthol, limonene, benzaldehyde, and ethyl vanoline.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein.

the porous plug is a hag containing the flavoring additive and the storage material, and

a material of the bag includes one of aluminum foil, nylon, filter paper, silk, plastic, and cellulose acetate.

25. An e-vaping device comprising:

a housing;

a liquid supply reservoir in the housing and configured to store a pre-vapor fore anon;

a vaporizer in the housing and in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir, the vaporizer being configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre--vapor formulation;

a porous plug connected to the housing and separated from the liquid supply reservoir,

the porous plug being permeable to the vapor,

the porous plug enclosing a flavoring additive contacting a storage material,

the flavoring additive being configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material if the vapor flows through the porous plug; and

a power supply configured to selectively supply power to the vaporizer.

26. The e-vaping device of claim 25, further comprising:

a cartridge; and

a battery section configured to be removably coupled to the cartridge, wherein

the cartridge includes the housing, the liquid supply reservoir, the vaporizer, and the porous plug,

the battery section includes the power supply, and

the battery section is configured to provide power to the vaporizer if the battery section senses a negative pressure being applied to a first end of the cartridge.