RESERVOIR FOR AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICES

• US 20190116882A1
• Filed: 07/30/2018
• Published: 04/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Ampolini, Frederic, Silveira, Frank S., DePiano, John, Demarest, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 10,349,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/42 Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0297 Heating of fluids for non specified applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/0014 Devices wherein the heating current flows through particular resistances

Abstract

An aerosol delivery device or electronic cigarette generates an aerosol or vapor for consumption by a consumer. The device may include a cartridge holding an aerosol precursor substance or fluid that is turned into the aerosol or vapor. The fluid may be stored in reservoir that allows for the fluid to be passed to an atomizer for generating the aerosol. The reservoir may be a flexible bladder that equalizes pressure inside the cartridge to reduce leakage, such as with an internal valve to activate fluid transfer. Alternatively, the reservoir may include one or more capsules that can be broken or melted to release the fluid.

Claims

1. An electronic cigarette comprising:

a mouthpiece configured to receive air with vapor;

a soft fluid bladder storing a fluid and configured to prevent excess air in the bladder by collapsing as the fluid is removed;

a member configured to support the soft fluid bladder;

a porous material coupled with the soft fluid bladder and configured to transfer a portion of the fluid; and

an atomizer configured to receive the portion of the fluid transferred from the porous material, wherein the atomizer is configured to generate the vapor by heating the transferred fluid.

2. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 wherein the porous material comprises a wick configured to receive the fluid.

3. The electronic cigarette of claim 2 wherein the atomizer comprises a heating element configured to heat the fluid from the wick.

4. The electronic cigarette of claim 3 wherein the heating element comprises a heating wire wrapped around the wick.

5. The electronic cigarette of claim 3 further comprising a battery configured to provide power to the heating element.

6. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 wherein the soft fluid bladder comprises a latex or thin plastic and the porous material cap comprises a porous ceramic material.

7. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 wherein the porous material comprises a porous ceramic material.

8. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 wherein the porous material comprises a cap configured for sealing the soft fluid bladder.

9. The electronic cigarette of claim 8 wherein the cap seals the soft fluid bladder by creating a compression fit of the soft fluid bladder.

10. The electronic cigarette of claim 1 wherein the member comprises a cylindrical tube configured to hold the soft fluid bladder.

11. An aerosol delivery device comprising:

a container storing an aerosol precursor substance;

a moveable mechanism configured to move relative to the container to release the aerosol precursor substance; and

a vaporizer configured to receive the aerosol precursor substance after the moveable mechanism causes the releasing, wherein the vaporizer generates an aerosol by vaporizing the aerosol precursor substance.

12. The aerosol delivery device of claim 11 further comprising:

a wick configured to transport the released aerosol precursor substance; and

a heating element adjacent the wick configured to heat the released aerosol precursor substance as part of the vaporizing.

13. The aerosol delivery device of claim 12 wherein the container comprises one or more capsules.

14. The aerosol delivery device of claim 13 wherein the movement relative the container comprises the moveable mechanism breaking the one or more capsules to release the aerosol precursor substance.

15. The aerosol delivery device of claim 13 wherein the moveable mechanism comprises the heating element that is configured to melt at least a portion of the one or more capsules.

16. The aerosol delivery device of claim 13 wherein the capsules are stored and released near the heating element and the wick.

17. A vaporization device comprising:

a battery portion; and

a cartridge configured to receive power from the battery portion and to store a fluid, the cartridge comprising;

a flexible bladder configured to hold the fluid that equalizes a pressure inside the flexible bladder to control leakage caused by pressure changes, wherein the equalization of pressure is due to a shape of the flexible bladder collapsing as the fluid is removed;

a porous material coupled with the flexible bladder that is configured to transfer at least a portion of the fluid from the flexible bladder; and

a heating element configured to generate vapor from the fluid.

18. The vaporization device of claim 17, wherein the cartridge further comprises a wick configured to receive the at least a portion of the fluid from the porous material, wherein the heating element comprises a wire wrapped around the wick.

19. The vaporization device of claim 18, wherein the porous material comprises a porous ceramic.

20. The vaporization device of claim 17, wherein the cartridge further comprises a tube configured to support the flexible bladder and the porous material comprises a cap that seals the flexible bladder.