Permeable electric thermal resistor foil for vaporizing fluids from single-use mouthpieces with vaporizer membranes

• US 9,814,265 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris Products SA (Philip Morris Limited)
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris Products SA (Philip Morris Limited)
• Inventors: Rinker, Arno, Litzenberger, Philipp
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenlang, Alison L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed Ali, Mohamed K
• Application Number:
  US14/344,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20140305454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 12820221, 128 17, 131329, 338294
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/46 Shape or structure of electric heating means
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/485 Valves; Apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/013 Heaters using resistive films or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/26 heating conductor mounted on insulating base for transparent areas H05B3/84, H05B3/86

Abstract

A vaporizer device for vaporizing substances is provided, containing active and/or aroma materials, including a mouthpiece with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, and including: a heating device with a thermal resistor being a metallic foil or a thin sheet configured as a dual coil and/or sinuous line with two ends and dimensions of the cross-section of a cigarette or a small cigar, wherein the interspaces of the dual coil and/or sinuous line allow fluid flow therethrough, contact tabs are connected to respective opposed ends of the dual coil and/or sinuous line and are not in direct contact with one another, and at least one permeable and wettable vaporizer membrane in large-area contact with the thermal resistor, wherein the thermal resistor and the at least one vaporizer membrane are arranged orthogonally or at an angle to the direction of the fluids passing through the mouthpiece.

Claims

1. A vaporizer device for vaporizing a substance containing at least one active and/or aroma material, comprising:

a mouthpiece, having at least one fluid inlet and at least one fluid outlet; and

a heating device, configured to be connected to the mouthpiece, comprising;

a thermal resistor comprising a metallic foil or a thin sheet in a shape of a dual coil and/or sinuous line, having two ends and dimensions substantially the same as a cross-section of a cigarette or a cigar,

wherein interspaces of the shape are configured to allow a flow of fluid therethrough;

at least one contact tab including a first contact tab and a second contact tab being connected to respective opposed ends of the dual coil and/or sinuous line of the thermal resistor, the first contact tab and the second contact tab not being in direct contact with each other; and

at least one vaporizer membrane disposed in contact with the thermal resistor and being permeable to the flow of fluid, and which is wetted or can be wetted with the substance containing the at least one active and/or aroma material,

wherein the thermal resistor and the at least one vaporizer membrane are arranged orthogonally or at an angle to a direction of the flow of fluid in the mouthpiece.

2. The vaporizer device according to claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece has a shape of a hollow cylinder.

3. The vaporizer device according to claim 1, wherein the thermal resistor and the at least one contact tab are formed of at least one piece of the metallic foil or the thin sheet.

4. The vaporizer device according to claim 1, wherein the thermal resistor and the at least one contact tab are formed of different materials.

5. The vaporizer device according claim 1, wherein the thermal resistor and the at least one contact tab are formed of a same material.

6. The vaporizer device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage cartridge configured to be filled with the substance containing the at least one active and/or aroma material, wherein the heating device further comprises at least one pointed and/or sharp-edged opening tab configured to puncture or cut open the storage cartridge.

7. The vaporizer device according to claim 6, wherein the thermal resistor, the at least one contact tab, and the at least one opening tab are formed of at least one piece of the metallic foil or the thin sheet.

8. The vaporizer device according to claim 1, wherein the metallic foil or the thin sheet, or the metallic foil and the thin sheet, are aluminum, an aluminum-manganese alloy, or a stainless steel, or a combination thereof.

9. The vaporizer device according to claim 1, wherein the thermal resistor is coated with an insulating layer.

10. The vaporizer device according to claim 9, wherein the insulating layer is polyimide, micanite, or silicone, or a combination thereof.

11. The vaporizer device according to claim 1, wherein the thermal resistor includes a fuse formed of at least one constricted region in the dual coil and/or sinuous line.

12. The vaporizer device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage source having two poles and configured to be removably connected to the mouthpiece and the heating device; and

a flange disposed on an inner surface of the mouthpiece and partially extending beyond an edge of the inner surface, the flange being configured to releasably connect the two poles to the heater device,

wherein, via the flange, the first contact tab is configured to electrically connect to one of the two poles and the second contact tab is configured to electrically connect to the other of the two poles.

13. The vaporizer device according to claim 12, wherein the voltage source is a controlled or a regulated voltage source.

14. The vaporizer device according to claim 12,

wherein the mouthpiece further comprises a storage cartridge filled with the substance containing the at least one active and/or aroma material,

wherein the heating device further comprises at least one pointed and/or sharp-edged opening tab formed of the metallic foil or the thin sheet and being configured to puncture or cut open the storage cartridge, the at least one pointed and/or sharp-edged opening tab extending from the thermal resistor toward the flange, and

wherein the at least one pointed and/or sharp-edged opening tab is configured to puncture and/or cut open the storage cartridge at a sealing foil when the mouthpiece and the heating device are brought into contact.

15. The vaporizer device according to claim 12,

wherein an insulation foil covers at least the first contact tab and the second contact tab and extends in a direction towards a region of the flange on an inner surface of the hollow cylinder of the mouthpiece,

wherein, in the region of the flange on the inner surface, the insulation foil includes at least two separated contact openings configured such that one of the at least two separated contact openings exposes the first contact tab and the other of the at least two separated contact openings exposes the second contact tab,

wherein the two poles are two axially displaced rings, and

wherein, in a connected condition of the mouthpiece, the heating device, and the voltage source, one of the two poles contacts the first contact tab via one of the at least two separated contact openings, and the other of the two poles contacts the second contact tab via the other of the at least two separated contact openings.

16. The vaporizer device according to claim 15,

wherein the first contact tab and the second contact tab, and/or the region of the flange, include at least one locating groove and/or locating projection having a complementary counterpart at least one locating groove and/or locating projection on the first pole and the second pole of the voltage source, and

wherein, in the connected condition of the mouthpiece, the heating device, and the voltage source,

one of the at least one locating groove and/or locating projection on one pole of the two poles contacts a complementary counterpart one of the at least one locating groove and/or locating projection on the first contact tab via one of the at least two separated contact openings, and

the other of the at least one locating groove and/or locating projection on the other pole of the two poles contacts a complementary counterpart other one of the at least one locating groove and/or locating projection on the second contact tab via the other of the at least two separated contact openings.

17. A vaporizer device for vaporizing a substance containing at least one active and/or aroma material, comprising:

a mouthpiece, having at least one fluid inlet and at least one fluid outlet; and

a heating device, configured to be connected to the mouthpiece, comprising;

a thermal resistor comprising a metallic foil or a thin sheet in a shape of a dual coil and/or sinuous line, having two ends and dimensions substantially the same as a cross-section of a cigarette or a cigar,

wherein interspaces of the shape are configured to allow a flow of fluid therethrough;

at least one contact tab including a first contact tab and a second contact tab being connected to respective opposed ends of the dual coil and/or sinuous line of the thermal resistor, the first contact tab and the second contact tab not being in direct contact with each other; and

at least one vaporizer membrane disposed in contact with the thermal resistor and being permeable to the flow of fluid, and which is wetted or can be wetted with the substance containing the at least one active and/or aroma material,

wherein the thermal resistor and the at least one vaporizer membrane are disposed perpendicular, to a direction of the flow of fluid across the thermal resistor and/or the at least one vaporizer membrane.