Aerosol delivery device including a moveable cartridge and related assembly method

• US 9,913,493 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Worm, Steven L., Christopherson, David Glen, Parchman, Robert Adam, Henry, Jr., Raymond Charles, Bengtsson, Bruce Alan, Ampolini, Frederic Philippe, Rogers, James William
• Primary Examiner(s): CALANDRA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US14/465,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20160050975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 15/01 specially adapted for simulated smoking devices or cigarettes therefor battery charging means structurally associated with the case A24F40/95
• 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 40/42 Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/95 structurally associated with cases
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/16 Closures of the roller-blind type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices. The aerosol delivery devices may include a housing and a cartridge including an atomizer and a reservoir configured to contain an aerosol precursor composition. The cartridge may be configured to move relative to at least a portion of the housing between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration. Related assembly methods are also provided.

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery device, comprising:

a housing;

a power source within the housing;

a connector moveably attached to the housing; and

a cartridge comprising an outer body with a mouthpiece configured for passage of an aerosol therethrough, the cartridge being engaged with the connector so as to be moveable relative to at least a portion of the housing; and

a controller within the housing electrically connected with the cartridge and configured to direct electrical power from the power source to the cartridge to heat an aerosol precursor composition retained in a reservoir of the cartridge with an atomizer in the cartridge to produce the aerosol, wherein the connector is configured to form the electrical connection between the cartridge and the controller.

2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the cartridge comprises a reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition.

3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the cartridge comprises an atomizer.

4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the cartridge is removably engaged with the connector and replaceable.

5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, further comprising an actuator coupled to the connector and configured to move the cartridge between an extended configuration in which the mouthpiece is exposed and a retracted configuration in which the mouthpiece is relatively closer to the housing than in the extended configuration.

6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 5, wherein the actuator comprises a slider.

7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 6, wherein the slider is configured to cover an opening defined in the housing when the cartridge is in the retracted configuration such that the cartridge is substantially enclosed in the housing and further configured to retract from at least a portion of the opening to allow the cartridge to extend through the opening in the extended configuration.

8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 5, wherein the actuator comprises a spring and a button, the spring being configured to move the cartridge from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration upon actuation of the button.

9. The aerosol delivery device of claim 5, wherein the housing comprises a moveable portion pivotably connected to a main body portion, and

wherein the actuator comprises a connecting mechanism configured to move the cartridge from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration during opening of the moveable portion and configured to move the cartridge from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration during closing of the moveable portion.

10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the cartridge is configured to pivot with respect to the housing.

11. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece is positioned inside the housing in the retracted configuration.

12. A method for assembling an aerosol delivery device, the method comprising:

providing a housing, a power source, and a connector configured to engage a cartridge comprising an outer body with a mouthpiece configured for passage of an aerosol therethrough;

positioning the power source within the housing;

moveably attaching the connector to the housing such that the connector is configured to move the cartridge relative to at least a portion of the housing;

forming, by the connector, an electrical connection between the cartridge and a controller within the housing; and

directing electrical power from the power source to the cartridge by the controller in electrical communication with the cartridge in order to heat an aerosol precursor composition retained in a reservoir of the cartridge with an atomizer in the cartridge to produce the aerosol.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising engaging the cartridge with the connector.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising coupling the connector to an actuator, the actuator being configured to move the cartridge between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising assembling the actuator, wherein assembling the actuator comprises engaging a slider with a track.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein assembling the actuator further comprises coupling an external engagement member to the slider, the external engagement member being configured for engagement by a user to move the slider.