RU2657683C2 - Electronic smoking article - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: tobacco industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to an electronic smoking article which comprises an outer housing extending in a longitudinal direction, a capillary wick for holding liquid material, a micro pump system configured to pump a liquid material contained within said reservoir through an outlet of the reservoir to the capillary wick, a heating arrangement operable to heat a portion of the capillary wick to a temperature sufficient to at least partially vaporise the liquid material held within the capillary wick; a power supply operable to apply voltage to the micro pump system to generate a gas to pump the liquid material from the liquid reservoir into the capillary wick, and a controller for controlling the particle size of the vaporised liquid by controlling the voltage.

EFFECT: technical result consists in providing aerosol supply to the user.

14 cl, 2 dwg

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides embodiments of new smoking articles such as electronic cigarettes / cigars and aerosol generators. These devices may contain a capillary swab designed to supply a liquid substance from a liquid container to a heater. These devices can be powered by the consumer, drawn on the mouthpiece end of the smoking article to supply aerosols to the user. The ideas of the present invention include the use of a micropump-based gas element as a device for supplying a fluid to an aerosol-based smoke supply device.

In one example embodiment, an electronic smoking article is provided comprising: an outer casing extending in a longitudinal direction; a capillary swab for retaining a liquid substance; a micropump system for pumping a liquid substance contained in a liquid supply container through an outlet of the supply container to a tampon having a capillarity; a heating device that allows at least a portion of the capillary tampon to be heated to a temperature sufficient to at least partially vaporize the liquid substance held in the capillary tampon; a power source designed to supply voltage to the gas element of the micropump to generate gas for pumping liquid material from the tank for supplying liquid to a tampon having a capillarity; at least one air inlet; and thereby the air is mixed with the vaporized substance to form an aerosol.

In one example embodiment, an electronic smoking article is provided, the electronic smoking article comprises: a liquid supply container containing a liquid substance; and a micropump system comprising: an expandable gas chamber having a movable wall of an expandable gas chamber and a wall of a container for supplying liquid; a gas element of a micropump for generating gas and directing gas into an expandable gas chamber for expanding an expandable gas chamber and a tampon having a capillarity, the expansion of an expandable gas chamber moving a wall for distributing liquid material from a liquid supply tank to a capillary tampon.

In one example embodiment, a method for producing aerosols from an electronic smoking article is provided, the method comprising: transferring a liquid substance to a capillary tampon using a micropump system to pump the liquid substance from a liquid container to a capillary tampon; and supplying electric energy from a power source to a heater acting at least on a portion of the capillary tampon, the capillary tampon unloading the liquid transferred to the capillary tampon in at least partially vaporized state to the mixing chamber.

In one example of an embodiment, a method for improved fluid recovery from an electronic smoking article container is provided, the method comprising: retaining liquid in a pulp container; and compressing the pulp by interacting the outlet of the micropump of the gas chamber with the flexible wall of the tank.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention is further explained with reference to examples of embodiments shown in the drawings. In the drawings:

in FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an electronic smoking article according to one example embodiment; and

in FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electronic smoking article with a micropump system and a capillary swab according to one example embodiment.

Detailed description

In one example embodiment, an electronic smoking article, such as an electronic cigarette or electronic cigar, comprises a micropump system that pushes a column of liquid material through a capillary tampon. In one example embodiment, the micropump system comprises a battery pack and a micropump gas element that generates gas as it is discharged to push a piston or movable structure that drives fluid from a fluid reservoir at a constant flow rate into a tampon with capillarity .

In FIG. 1 shows an electronic cigarette 100 according to one example embodiment. In FIG. 1, an electronic cigarette 100 comprises a housing 110 with a mouthpiece end 112 and an end 114 of a main body. At the end 114 of the main part, an electric power source is provided in the form of a battery 120 and an electric circuit in the form of a circuit 122 and a puff registration system 130. The cigarette 100 comprises a micropump system 200 that delivers a liquid substance 242 (FIG. 2) from a liquid supply container (or a fluid container) 240 to a capillary tampon 210 for holding liquid material. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the capillary tampon 210 is adjacent to (or surrounded by) the heater 144. In one example embodiment, one end of the capillary tampon 210 is in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir 240 of the micropump system 200. The area at the other end of the capillary tampon 210 is heated by heater 144. Heater 144 is connected to circuitry 122 via several connections (not shown). The housing 110 also includes an air inlet 160, an air outlet 162 at the mouth end 112, and an aerosol generating chamber 170.

In use, the fluid 242 is advanced by the micropump system 200 from the fluid reservoir 240 to a capillary swab 210, as shown in FIG. 1. When the user is inhaled by the electronic cigarette 100 at the air outlet 162, ambient air is drawn in through the air inlet 160. In one example embodiment, the electronic cigarette 100 may include a puff detection system 130 that detects puffs and drives a micropump system 200 and a heater 144. Battery 120 pulses energy to a heater 144 to heat an end portion of a capillary tampon 210 adjacent to the heater 144 The liquid substance 242 in the capillary swab 210 is vaporized by a heater 144 to produce a supersaturated vapor. In this case, the evaporated liquid substance 242 is displaced by the additional liquid substance 242 moving along the capillary tampon 210 under the influence (in response to) pumping of the micropump system 200.

In one example embodiment, the resulting supersaturated vapor is mixed with air and carried in the air stream from the air inlet 160. In the aerosol forming chamber 170, steam condenses to form an inhalation aerosol that is drawn in through the outlet 162 of the article when puffed. As shown in FIG. 1, circuit 122 and puff detection system 130 are preferably programmed. In one example embodiment, circuit 122 and puff detection system 130 may be used to control the operation of an electronic cigarette. In one exemplary embodiment, the micropump system 200 in combination with the design of the electronic cigarette 100 can help control particle size in the aerosol.

In use, when the capillary tampon 210 is heated, the liquid substance contained in and / or held within the heated portion of the capillary tampon 210 is vaporized and mixed with air and forms an aerosol in the mixing chamber 170. The electronic cigarette 100 also has at least one air inlet 160 for supplying air to the mixing chamber 170. The air inlets 160 to the mixing chamber 170 may be located downstream of the capillary swab 210 to minimize air traction along the capillary swab and thereby avoid cooling of the capillary swab 210 during heating cycles. In an example of one embodiment, the at least one air inlet 160 includes one or two air inlets 160. In an alternative embodiment, the air inlets 160 may be three, four, or five or more. In one exemplary embodiment, the size and number of air inlets 160 may also contribute to the pull resistance of the electronic cigarette 100.

The battery 120 may be a lithium ion battery or one of its variants, for example a lithium polymer battery. Alternatively, the battery 120 may be a hybrid nickel battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a lithium manganese battery, a lithium cobalt battery, or a fuel cell. In one example embodiment, the electronic cigarette 100 is used by smokers until the energy of the power source is depleted. Alternatively, the battery 120 may be rechargeable and include a circuit (not shown) that allows the battery to be charged by an external charger. For example, the circuit, when it is charged, supplies power for a predetermined number of puffs, after which the circuit must be reconnected to an external charger.

The electronic cigarette 100 also includes a control circuit 122, which may be a printed circuit board. When the switch 180 is pressed, the power source is activated, and power is supplied to the micropump system 200 and the heater 144. The control circuit 122 may also include a heater indicator light (not shown) that lights when the heater 144 is turned on. The control circuit 122 may also include a timer for limiting the time during which power is supplied to the micropump system 200 and the heater 144. The time period for applying electric current to the micropump system 200 and the heater 144 may be pre-set depending on the amount of fluid that is needed to evaporate. For example, control circuit 122 may be programmed for this purpose.

In one example embodiment, when the heater 144 is turned on, it heats the portion of the capillary tampon 210 for less than about 10 seconds, more preferably less than about 7 seconds. Thus, the power cycle (or the maximum tightening time) can be a period in the range from about 1 to about 10 seconds.

In FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of an electronic cigarette 100 with a micropump system 200 according to one example embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the micropump system 200 may include a micropump gas element 220, a piston 230, a fluid supply container 240, and a capillary tampon 210. In one example embodiment, the micropump system 200 is for pumping fluid 242 from a fluid reservoir 240 through an outlet 244 into a capillary tampon 210. In one embodiment, the capillary tampon 210 extends into a container for supplying fluid through an outlet 244.

In one example embodiment, a battery power source 120 is provided to apply voltage to a heater 144 used to heat a tampon 210 having capillarity to a temperature sufficient to at least partially vaporize the liquid material 242 contained within the tampon 210 having capillarity. Source The power supply is also designed to apply voltage to the gas element 220 of the micropump to generate gas 224. The pressure of the generated gas 224 moves the piston 230 along a linear path and within the micropump system 200 for driving or pumping liquid material 242 from a container 240 for supplying liquid to a capillary swab 210.

As shown in FIG. 2, the micropump system 200 is designed to pump liquid material 242 from a liquid supply container 240 through an outlet 244 into a capillary tampon 210. In one example embodiment, the liquid supply container 240 comprises a liquid substance 242 that evaporates when heated and forms an aerosol.

In one example embodiment, a battery power source 120 is provided to apply voltage to a heater 144 used to heat a tampon 210 having capillarity to a temperature sufficient to at least partially vaporize the liquid material 242 contained within the tampon 210 having capillarity. Battery 120 may also be designed to apply voltage to the gas element 220 of the micropump to generate gas 224. The resulting gas 224 moves the piston 230 along the forward direction units along a linear path within the micropump system 200 for driving a fluid substance 242 from a reservoir 240 for supplying fluid.

Instead or in addition to the piston 230, the container 240 may comprise a flexible wall or chamber, when the gas outlet of the gas element 220 of the micropump must compress the flexible wall or chamber to pump fluid from the container.

In one example embodiment, the gas pump element 220 of the micropump forms the first wall of the expandable gas chamber 222, and the movable piston 230 forms the second wall of the expandable gas chamber 222. The piston 230 also forms the movable wall of the fluid reservoir 240. In use, the gas element of the micropump generates gas 224 upon request and directs the gas 224 to the expandable gas chamber 222 to expand the expandable gas chamber 222, the expansion of the expandable gas chamber 222 causing the piston 230 to move forward along a linear path to reduce the volume of the fluid reservoir 240 which dispenses or pushes the liquid material 242 from the fluid container 240 into a capillary tampon 210.

Simultaneously, to supply the liquid substance 242 to the capillary tampon 210, the power supply 120 is driven and the capillary tampon 210 is heated to form a heated section in which the liquid substance 242 evaporates.

In one example embodiment, a capillary tampon 210 may be made of various fibrous porous or capillary materials and preferably has a known predetermined capillarity. Examples include ceramic or graphite materials in the form of fibers or sintered powder. Swabs with different capillarity can be used to hold liquids with different physical properties, such as density, viscosity, surface tension and vapor pressure. In one example embodiment, the tampon 210 may be provided such that the required amount of liquid material 242 can be supplied to the heater 144.

In one example embodiment, the electronic cigarette 100 is about the same size as a conventional cigarette. In some embodiments, the electronic cigarette 100 may have a length of from about 80 to about 88 mm and a diameter of from about 7 to about 8 mm. For example, in one example embodiment, the electronic cigarette 100 has a length of about 84 mm and a diameter of about 7.8 mm.

The outer cylindrical body 110 of the electronic cigarette 100 may be formed from any suitable material or combination of materials. Examples of suitable materials include metals, alloys, plastics, or composite materials containing one or more of these materials, or thermoplastics that are suitable for food or pharmaceutical applications, such as polypropylene, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), ceramic, and polyethylene.

In one example embodiment, the vaporized material formed as described above may at least partially condense to form an aerosol containing particles. Particles contained in vapors and / or aerosol have a size in the range from about 0.5 to about 4 microns, for example from about 1 to about 4 microns. In one example embodiment, the vapors and / or aerosol have a particle size of about 3.3 microns or less. In addition, the particles can be substantially uniformly distributed in vapors and / or aerosol.

In one example embodiment, the liquid substance 242 includes a tobacco-containing material containing volatile tobacco flavor compounds that are released from the liquid when heated. The fluid 242 may also be a tobacco flavoring or nicotine-containing material. Alternatively or additionally, the liquid substance 242 may contain non-tobacco material. For example, the liquid substance 242 may contain water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, and natural or artificial flavors. Preferably, the liquid substance further comprises an aerosol forming substance. Examples of suitable aerosol forming substances are glycerin and propylene glycol.

The heater 144 preferably comprises an electric heating element. The heater 144 preferably contains an electrically resistive substance. Suitable electrically resistive materials include, but are not limited to: semiconductors such as doped ceramics, electrically "conductive" ceramics (such as, for example, molybdenum disilicide), carbon, graphite, metals, metal alloys, and composite materials made of ceramic material and metal material. Such composite materials may include alloyed or pure ceramic.

Examples of suitable doped ceramics include doped silicon carbides. Examples of suitable metals include titanium, zirconium, tantalum and platinum metals. Examples of suitable metal alloys include stainless steel, constantan, nickel, cobalt, chromium, aluminum, titanium zirconium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, and iron-containing alloys and heavy-duty alloys based on nickel, iron, cobalt, stainless steel, Timetal® (timetal) and alloys based on iron-manganese-aluminum. Timetal® is a registered trademark of Titanium Metals Corporation, 1999 Broadway Suite 4110, Denver, Colorado. In composite materials, an electrical resistive material may optionally be embedded in, encapsulated, or coated with an insulating material, or vice versa, depending on the kinetics of energy transfer and the required external physicochemical properties.

Heater 144 may be of any suitable shape. For example, heater 144 may be in the form of a heating paddle. Alternatively, heater 144 may be in the form of a casing or substrate with portions of different electrical conductivity or a metal tube having electrical resistance. Alternatively, the heater 144 may be in the form of a disk (end) heater or a combination of a disk heater with heating needles or rods. Alternatively, heater 144 may be in the form of a pickled metal foil with insulation between two layers of inert material. In this case, the inert material may include Kapton, all polyimides or a mica foil. Alternatively, heater 144 may be in the form of a sheet of material that can be twisted around at least a portion of a tampon having capillarity. Alternatively, heater 144 may be in the form of an etched foil bent around at least a portion of the tampon having capillarity. The etched foil may include a sheet of metal cut off by a laser or by an electrochemical method. The sheet may be made of any suitable material, for example, an alloy based on iron-aluminum, an alloy based on iron-manganese-aluminum, or Timetal®. The sheet may be rectangular in shape or may have a shape in a pattern that can form a spiral-like structure when twisted around a tampon with a capillarity. Other alternatives include a heating wire or thread, for example, nickel-chromium (Ni-Cr), platinum, tungsten or alloy wire.

In one example embodiment, the heater 144 comprises a coil of wire at least partially surrounding a capillary tampon 210. In one example of an embodiment, heater 144 is a metal wire and / or metal alloy wire. The heater 144 may be a spiral that may extend fully or partially along the length of the capillary swab 210. The spiral may extend fully or partially around the periphery of the capillary swab 210. In another embodiment, the spiral does not come into contact with the capillary swab 210, which allows the heating spiral heat a tampon 210 with capillarity, but reduce losses without causing evaporation of the liquid more than necessary. It also reduces the amount of fluid that condenses on the inner walls, thereby reducing cleaning requirements.

The electronic cigarette 100 may include a puff indicator (not shown) for indicating actuation of the heater 144. In an embodiment, when the electronic circuit includes a puff sensor, the indicator may be activated when the sensor detects an air flow, which indicates a puff by the user. In an embodiment in which the circuitry includes a manually operated switch, the indicator may be driven by a switch.

In one example embodiment, an electronic cigarette 100 with a micropump system 200, as shown in FIG. 1 and 2 may be designed to supply a fluid 242 at a constant flow rate of from about 1 to 5 microliters / second. In one example embodiment, the micropump system 200 is designed to displace a total of about 0.5 to 2.0 milliliters of liquid material 242 during the life of the system with the same cycles. For example, an electronic cigarette 100 with a 200 micropump system may have a life of about 250 cycles with a cycle duration of up to about 5 seconds and a time between cycles of about 1 second or more. In one example embodiment, the outer diameter of the micropump system 200 may be correlated based on its performance and size, for example, less than 8 mm in one example embodiment. In addition, the micropump system 200 is preferably isolated from the fluid 242 and the external environment.

Other details of suitable gas element micropumps are presented in US patents US 8,113,390 and 8,353,426, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

It is also apparent that the fluid supply container 240 may contain pulp or gauze to hold the fluid and that the gas element pump is used to move the movable wall of the container to compress the gauze. Such an arrangement, if necessary, can be used to provide a more complete and appropriate extraction of fluid from gauze.

The principles of this document are applicable to all forms of electronic smoking products, such as electronic cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookahs and others, regardless of their size and shape.

When the word “about” is used in this description in combination with a numerical value, it is understood that the corresponding numerical value has a tolerance of ± 10% from the set numerical value.

Furthermore, when the words “mainly” and “essentially” are used in connection with geometric shapes, it is understood that the accuracy of the geometric shape is not required, but that the range for this shape falls within the scope of the present invention. When used with geometric terms, it is understood that the words “substantially” and “substantially” encompass not only features that fit the exact definition, but also features that properly approximate the exact definitions.

It will be obvious that in this description a new, improved and non-obvious electronic cigarette is described in sufficient detail for understanding by specialists in this field. In addition, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there are various modifications, changes, substitutions, and equivalents for features of an electronic cigarette that do not substantially depart from the essence and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is expressly implied that all such modifications, changes, substitutions and equivalents that fall within the essence and scope of the present invention defined by the claimed claims will be covered by the claimed claims.

Claims (43)

1. An electronic smoking article comprising an outer casing located in the longitudinal direction, a capillary swab intended for a liquid substance, a micropump system for pumping a liquid substance contained in said container into a tampon having capillarity through an outlet in said container, a heating device for heating a portion of said tampon to a temperature sufficient to at least partially vaporize a liquid substance contained in said tampon; a power source for supplying voltage to the micropump system for generating gas for pumping a liquid substance from said container to said tampon, and a controller for adjusting the particle size of the evaporated liquid substance by adjusting the voltage. 2. An electronic smoking article according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains a mixing chamber located downstream of said tampon, and a mouthpiece having at least one outlet and communicating with the mixing chamber. 3. The electronic smoking article according to claim 1, characterized in that the micropump system comprises an expandable gas chamber provided with a piston, which at least partially limits the expandable gas chamber and at least partially limits the capacity for supplying liquid, while the micropump system is designed to supply gas to the expandable gas chamber and linear movement of the piston. 4. An electronic smoking article according to claim 3, characterized in that to a micropump system is connected to a power source, and the controller is configured to initiate a micropump system supplying a liquid substance at a constant speed from about 0.5 to about 2.0 microliters / second. 5. The electronic smoking article according to claim 1, characterized in that the power source contains a battery. 6. The electronic smoking article according to claim 1, characterized in that the controller is configured to control the supply of power to the heater of the heating device. 7. An electronic smoking article according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains at least one air inlet located downstream of the tampon having capillarity. 8. An electronic smoking article according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains a heater and a switch that responds to pressure and is configured to simultaneously actuate the heater and the micropump system. 9. An electronic smoking article comprising a container for supplying liquid, and micropump system including an expandable gas chamber provided with a movable wall defining an expandable gas chamber and a liquid supply tank, a micropump gas element for generating gas and directing gas into the expandable gas chamber to expand the expandable gas chamber so that the expansion of the expandable gas chamber moves the wall, a capillary tampon intended for a liquid substance in fluid communication with a liquid supply container, and a controller for adjusting the particle size of the evaporated liquid substance by adjusting the voltage supplied to the gas element of the micropump. 10. The electronic smoking article according to claim 9, characterized in that it contains a power source connected to the gas element of the micropump. 11. An electronic smoking article according to claim 10, characterized in that it contains a switch connected to a power source and designed to actuate the controller to initiate the supply of a liquid substance by the gas element of the micropump at a constant speed of from about 0.5 to 2.0 microliters / second. 12. A method of producing steam using an electronic smoking article, comprising the steps of: supplying a liquid substance to a tampon having a capillarity using a micropump system for pumping a liquid substance from a liquid supply tank, the supply of electrical energy from the power source to the heater, acting at least on a portion of the capillary tampon that releases the liquid transferred to the capillary tampon in at least partially vaporized state into the mixing chamber, and adjusting the particle size of the evaporated liquid substance by adjusting the voltage on the micropump system. 13. The method according to p. 12, characterized in that it includes the generation of gas by a micropump system, and supplying the obtained gas to the liquid supply tank for moving the liquid substance from the liquid supply tank to a capillary tampon. 14. A method for improved extraction of fluid from a container of an electronic smoking article, comprising the steps of: fluid retention in a container with pulp, compressing the pulp by interacting the outlet of the micropump system with a flexible wall of the container, and changing the amount of compression by changing the voltage supplied to the micropump system.

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