UA115901C2 - Electronic smoking article - Google Patents

Abstract

A smoking article such as an electronic cigarette is disclosed, which includes 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 a liquid supply reservoir through an outlet of the supply reservoir to the capillary wick; a heating arrangement operable to heat at least a portion of the capillary wick to a temperature sufficient to at least initially volatilize the liquid material held within the capillary wick; a power supply operable to apply voltage to the micro pump gas cell to generate a gas to pump the liquid material from the liquid supply reservoir into the capillary wick; at least one air inlet; and whereby air is mixed with the volatilized material to form an aerosol.

Description

The essence of the invention

In accordance with this invention, there are proposed implementation options for new smoking products, such as electronic cigarettes/cigars and aerosol generators. These devices may contain a capillarity tampon designed to supply a liquid substance from a liquid container to a heater. These devices can be actuated by the consumer pulling on the mouthpiece end of the smoking product to deliver an aerosol to the user. The ideas of the present invention include the use of a gas element based on a micropump as a device for supplying a liquid medium to an aerosol-based smoke supply device.

According to one exemplary embodiment, an electronic smoking product is provided, comprising: an outer casing extending in the longitudinal direction; a tampon with capillarity to hold a liquid substance; a micropump system designed to pump a liquid substance contained in a liquid supply container through the outlet of the supply container into a capillarity tampon; a heating device that allows heating at least a portion of the tampon having capillarity to a temperature sufficient for at least partial evaporation of the liquid substance contained in the tampon having capillarity; a power source designed to supply voltage to the gas element of a micropump for generating gas for pumping a liquid substance from a container for supplying liquid to a swab having capillarity; at least one air inlet; and, thereby, the air mixes with the vaporized substance to form an aerosol.

In one example embodiment, an electronic smoking product is provided, the electronic smoking product includes: a liquid supply container containing a liquid substance; and a micropump system containing: an expandable gas chamber having a movable wall of the expandable gas chamber and a wall of a container for supplying liquid; a micropump gas element for generating gas and directing the gas into an expandable gas chamber to expand the expandable gas chamber and capillarity tampon, wherein the expansion of the expandable gas chamber moves the liquid distribution wall from the liquid supply container to the capillarity tampon.

In one example embodiment, a method of obtaining an aerosol from an electronic smoking product is provided, the method includes: transferring a liquid substance to a tampon, which

Zo possesses capillarity, with the help of a micropump system to pump the liquid substance from the liquid container into the tampon possessing capillarity; and applying electrical energy from the power source to a heater acting on at least a portion of the capillarity swab, wherein the capillarity swab discharges the liquid transferred to the capillarity swab in at least a partially vaporized state into the mixing chamber.

In one example embodiment, a method of improved extraction of liquid from the container of an electronic smoking product is proposed, the method includes: keeping the liquid in a container with a fibrous mass; and compression of the fibrous mass by interaction of the micropump outlet of the gas chamber with the flexible wall of the container.

Brief description of the drawings

Next, the invention is explained with reference to examples of embodiments shown in the drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a sectional view of an electronic smoking product according to one example of an implementation option; and Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a section of an electronic smoking product with a micropump system and a tampon with capillarity, according to one example of a variant of implementation.

Detailed description

In one exemplary embodiment, an electronic smoking product, such as an electronic cigarette or electronic cigar, includes a micropump system that pushes a column of liquid through a capillary tampon. In one example embodiment, the micropump system includes a power source in the form of a battery and a micropump gas element that generates gas as it is discharged to propel a piston or movable structure that propels liquid from a liquid container at a constant flow rate into a tampon that has capillarity.

Figure 1 shows an electronic cigarette 100 according to one example embodiment. On

Fig. 1 electronic cigarette 100 includes a body 110 with a mouthpiece end 112 and end 114 of the main part. At the end 114 of the main part, an electrical power source in the form of a battery 120 and an electrical circuit in the form of a circuit 122 and a tightening registration system 130 are provided. The cigarette 100 contains a system 200 of a micropump, which supplies a liquid substance 242 (Fig. 2) from a container for supplying liquid (or a container with a liquid medium) 240 to a tampon, which has capillarity, 210, designed to hold a liquid substance. In one embodiment, at least a capillarity portion of the tampon 210 is adjacent to (or surrounded by) the heater 144. In one exemplary embodiment, one end of the capillarity tampon 210 is in fluid flow communication with the fluid reservoir 240 of the micropump system 200 . The area from the other end of the capillarity tampon 210 is heated by the heater 144. The heater 144 is connected to the electrical circuit 122 by means of several connections (not shown). The housing 110 also includes an air inlet 160, an air outlet 162 at the mouthpiece end 112, and an aerosol generation chamber 170.

When used, the liquid substance 242 is advanced by the micropump system 200 from the container 240 with a liquid medium into the tampon, which has capillarity, 210, as shown in Fig.1. When the user puffs on the electronic cigarette 100 at the air outlet 162 , ambient air is drawn in through the air inlet 160 . In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic cigarette 100 may include a puff detection system 130 that detects the puff and actuates the micropump system 200 and the heater 144. The battery 120 pulses power to the heater 144 to heat the end portion of the capillarity tampon 210, which adjacent to the heater 144. The liquid substance 242 in the capillarity swab 210 is vaporized by the heater 144 to produce supersaturated vapor.

At the same time, the vaporized liquid substance 242 is displaced by additional liquid substance 242 moving along the capillarity tampon 210 under the action of (in response to) pumping by the micropump system 200.

In one exemplary embodiment, the resulting supersaturated vapor is mixed with air and carried in the air flow from the air inlet 160 . In the chamber 170 for the formation of an aerosol, the vapor condenses to form an aerosol for inhalation, which is drawn through the outlet 162 of the product when tightened. As shown in Fig. 1, circuit 122 and system 130 detection of tightening are preferably programmable. In one exemplary embodiment, circuit 122 and puff detection system 130 may be used to control the operation of an electronic cigarette. In one example embodiment, the micropump system 200 in combination with the design of the electronic cigarette 100 can help control the size of the particles in the aerosol.

In use, when the capillarity tampon 210 is heated, the liquid substance contained in and/or held within the heated portion of the capillarity tampon 210 vaporizes and mixes with air to form 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 capillarity swab 210 to minimize air drag along the capillarity swab and thereby avoid cooling of the capillarity swab 210 during heating cycles. In an exemplary embodiment, at least one air inlet 160 includes one or two air inlets 160. Alternatively, the air inlets 160 may be three, four, or five, or more. In one example embodiment, the size and number of air inlets 160 may also contribute to the drag resistance of the electronic cigarette 100 .

The battery 120 can be a lithium ion battery or one of its variants, for example, a lithium polymer battery. In an alternative embodiment, 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 the smoker until the power source is depleted. Alternatively, the battery 120 may be rechargeable and include circuitry (not shown) that allows the battery to be charged using an external charger.

For example, a circuit, when charged, supplies power for a predetermined number of pulls, 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 illuminates when the heater 144 is turned on.

The control circuit 122 may also include a timer to limit the amount of time that power is supplied to the micropump system 200 and heater 144. The time period for supplying electrical current to the micropump system 200 and heater 144 may be pre-set depending on the amount of liquid to be vaporized. . 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 capillarity portion of the tampon 210 for less than about 10 seconds, preferably less than about 7 seconds. Thus, the power cycle (or maximum draw duration) may be in the range of about 1 to about 10 seconds.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a section of an electronic cigarette 100 with a micropump system 200 according to one example embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the micropump system 200 may include a micropump gas element 220, a piston 230, a liquid supply container 240, and a capillarity tampon 210. In one exemplary embodiment, the micropump system 200 is designed to pump a liquid substance 242 from a container 240 for supplying fluid through the outlet 244 into the capillarity tampon 210. In one embodiment, the capillarity tampon 210 extends into the container for the supply of fluid through the outlet 244.

In one exemplary embodiment, a power source in the form of a battery 120 is configured to energize a heater 144 used to heat the capillarity swab 210 to a temperature sufficient to at least partially vaporize the liquid substance 242 contained within the capillarity swab. 210. The power source is also adapted 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 within the micropump system 200 to drive or pump the liquid 242 from the container 240 to supply the liquid to the swab , possessing capillarity, 210.

As shown in Figure 2, a micropump system 200 is designed to pump a liquid substance 242 from a liquid supply container 240 through an outlet 244 into a capillarity tampon 210. In one exemplary embodiment, the liquid supply container 240 contains a liquid substance 242, which evaporates when heated and forms an aerosol.

In one exemplary embodiment, a power source in the form of a battery 120 is configured to energize a heater 144 used to heat the capillarity swab 210 to a temperature sufficient to at least partially

From the evaporation of the liquid substance 242 contained within the capillarity tampon 210. The battery 120 may also be configured to energize the gas element 220 of the micropump to generate the gas 224. The generated gas 224 moves the piston 230 in a forward linear direction. path inside the micropump system 200 for driving the liquid substance 242 from the container 240 for supplying liquid.

Instead of or in addition to the piston 230, the container 240 may contain a flexible wall or chamber, when the gas release 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 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 container 240 for the fluid medium. In use, the gas element of the micropump generates gas 224 on demand and directs the gas 224 into the expandable gas chamber 222 to expand the expandable gas chamber 222, wherein the expansion of the expandable gas chamber 222 causes the piston 230 to move forward along a linear path to reduce the volume of the container 240 to a fluid medium that distributes or pushes the liquid substance 242 from the fluid medium container 240 into the capillarity tampon 210.

At the same time, the power source 120 is actuated to supply the liquid substance 242 to the capillary tampon 210, and the capillary tampon 210 is heated to form a heated section in which the liquid substance 242 evaporates.

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

In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic cigarette 100 has approximately the same size as a conventional cigarette. In some embodiments, the electronic cigarette 100 may 60 have a length of about 80 to about 88 mm and a diameter of about 7 to about 8 mm. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, electronic cigarette 100 is approximately 84 mm long and approximately 7.8 mm in diameter.

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 suitable for applications in the food or pharmaceutical industry, such as polypropylene, polyetheretherketone (REEK), ceramics and polyethylene.

In one exemplary embodiment, the vaporized substance formed as described above may at least partially condense to form an aerosol containing particles. The particles contained in the vapor and/or aerosol have a size in the range of about 0.5 to about 4 microns, for example, about 1 to about 4 microns. In one exemplary embodiment, the vapor and/or aerosol has a particle size of about 3.3 microns or less. In addition, the particles may be essentially uniformly distributed in the vapor and/or aerosol.

In one exemplary embodiment, the liquid substance 242 includes a tobacco-containing material containing volatile tobacco-flavored compounds that are released from the liquid upon heating. The liquid substance 242 can also be a material containing tobacco flavoring or a nicotine-containing material. Alternatively, the additional liquid substance 242 may contain a non-tobacco material. For example, liquid substance 242 may contain water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, and natural or artificial flavors. A preferred liquid substance additionally contains an aerosol-forming substance. Examples of suitable aerosol-forming substances are glycerol and propylene glycol.

The heater 144 preferably includes an electric heating element. The heater 144 preferably contains a substance having electrical resistance. 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

From doped or pure ceramics.

Examples of suitable doped ceramics include doped silicon carbides. Examples of suitable metals include titanium, zirconium, tantalum and platinum group 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 high-strength alloys based on nickel, iron, cobalt, stainless steel, Titheia|v (timetal) and alloys based on iron-manganese-aluminum. Titeiakyu is a registered trademark of TiapichtMeiaiIzSogrogaiiop, 1999 Vgoadulauziye 4110,

Denver, Colorado. In composite materials, a substance with electrical resistance can optionally be embedded in, encapsulated or covered with an insulating material or vice versa, depending on the kinetics of energy transfer and the required external physicochemical properties.

The heater 144 may be of any suitable shape. For example, the heater 144 may be in the form of a heating blade. Alternatively, the heater 144 may be in the form of a jacket or substrate with areas 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 be a combination of a disk heater with heating needles or rods. Alternatively, the heater 144 may be in the form of a metal etched foil with insulation between two layers of inert material. In this case, the inert material may include Caryope (kapton), all polyimides, or mica foil. Alternatively, the heater 144 may be in the form of a sheet of material that may be wound around at least the capillarity portion of the tampon. Alternatively, the heater 144 may be in the form of an etched foil bent around at least the capillarity portion of the tampon. Etched foil may include a sheet of metal cut by a laser or by an electrochemical method. The sheet may be made of any suitable material such as iron-aluminum alloy, iron-manganese-aluminum alloy or Titheiac.' The sheet can be rectangular in shape or can be shaped according to a template that can form a spiral-like structure when twisted around a capillary tampon. Other alternatives include a heating wire or filament, such as nickel-chromium (Mi-Sg), platinum, tungsten, or (516) alloy wire.

In one exemplary embodiment, the heater 144 includes a coil of wire that at least partially surrounds the capillarity tampon 210. In one exemplary embodiment, the heater 144 is a metal wire and/or a metal alloy wire. The heater 144 may be a coil that may extend in whole or in part along the length of the capillarity tampon 210. The coil may extend in whole or in part around the periphery of the capillarity tampon 210. In another embodiment, the coil does not contact the capillarity tampon. capillarity, 210, which allows the heating coil to heat the tampon having capillarity, 210, but reduces losses without causing more liquid to evaporate than necessary. It also reduces the amount of liquid that condenses on the interior walls, thereby reducing cleaning requirements.

The electronic cigarette 100 may include a puff indicator (not shown) to indicate activation of the heater 144. In an embodiment, when the electronic circuit includes a tightening sensor, the indicator can be actuated when the sensor detects an air flow indicating a tightening by the user. In an embodiment in which the electrical circuit includes a controlled manual switch, the indicator can be actuated by the switch.

In one exemplary embodiment, an electronic cigarette 100 with a micropump system 200, as shown in FIG. 1 and 2, may be designed to supply fluid 242 at a constant flow rate of approximately 1 to 5 microliters/second. In one example embodiment, the micropump system 200 is designed to displace only about 0.5 to 2.0 milliliters of liquid substance 242 over the life of the system with equal cycles. For example, an electronic cigarette 100 with a micropump system 200 may have a life of about 250 cycles with a cycle time 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 liquid substance 242 and the external environment.

Other details of suitable gas cell micropumps are presented in US Patents 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 fibrous mass or gauze

C0 to hold the liquid and that the gas element pump is used to move the movable wall of the gauze compression container. If necessary, this arrangement can be used to ensure a more complete and appropriate extraction of liquid from the 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 "approximately" is used in this description in conjunction with a numerical value, it is intended that the corresponding numerical value has a tolerance of "510 95" from the established numerical value.

In addition, when the words "basically" and "essentially" are used in connection with geometric shapes, it is meant that the precision of the geometric shape is not required, but that the range for that shape falls within the scope of the present invention. When used with geometrical terms, it is intended that the words "mainly" and "essentially" encompass not only features that correspond to the precise definition, but also features that adequately approximate the precise definitions.

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

Claims (14)

FORMULA OF THE INVENTION 1. An electronic smoking product comprising an outer casing located in a longitudinal direction, a tampon having capillarity and designed for a liquid substance, a micropump system designed to pump a liquid substance contained in said container into a tampon having capillarity , through an outlet in said container, a heating device designed to heat a portion of said tampon to a temperature sufficient to at least partially vaporize the liquid substance 60 contained in said tampon; a power source designed to supply voltage to the gas generating micropump system for pumping liquid from said container into said tampon, and a controller designed to adjust the particle size of the vaporized liquid by adjusting the voltage. 2. An electronic smoking product according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a mixing chamber located downstream of said tampon, and a mouthpiece end having at least one outlet opening and communicating with the mixing chamber. C. The electronic smoking product of claim 1, wherein the micropump system comprises an expandable gas chamber provided with a piston that at least partially confines the expandable gas chamber and at least partially confines the fluid supply capacity, wherein the micropump system is configured to supply gas to the expandable gas chamber. gas chamber and linear movement of the piston. 4. The electronic smoking product according to claim 3, characterized in that a power source is connected to the micropump system, and the controller is made with the possibility of initiating the micropump system to supply a liquid substance at a constant rate of from about 0.5 to about 2.0 microliters/second. 5. Electronic smoking product according to claim 1, characterized in that the power source contains a battery. 6. Electronic smoking product according to claim 1, which is characterized by the fact that the controller is made with the possibility of controlling the power supply to the heater of the heating device. 7. The electronic smoking product according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains at least one air inlet located downstream of the tampon having capillarity. 8. The electronic smoking product according to claim 1, which is characterized by the fact that it contains a heater and a switch that responds to pressure and is made with the possibility of simultaneously activating the heater and the micropump system. 9. An electronic smoking product containing a liquid supply container and a micropump system including an expandable gas chamber provided with a movable wall delimiting the expandable gas chamber and liquid supply container; a micropump gas element designed to generate gas and direct the gas into the expandable gas chamber to expand the expandable gas chamber such that the expansion of the expandable gas chamber moves the wall; a tampon having capillarity and designed for a liquid substance, which communicates through the flow of a fluid medium with a container for supplying liquid, and a controller designed to adjust the particle size of the vaporized liquid substance by adjusting the voltage applied to the gas element of the micropump. 10. The electronic smoking product according to claim 9, which is characterized by the fact that it contains a power source connected to the gas element of the micropump. 11. The electronic smoking product according to claim 10, characterized in that it includes a switch connected to a power source and designed to actuate a controller to initiate the supply of liquid by the micropump gas element at a constant rate of about 0.5 to 2.0 microliters/ a second 12. A method of obtaining steam using an electronic smoking product, which includes the following steps: supply of a liquid substance to a tampon having capillarity, using a micropump system for pumping a liquid substance from a container for supplying liquid; applying electrical energy from the power source to a heater affecting at least a portion of the capillarity swab, which releases the liquid transferred to the capillarity swab in at least a partially vaporized state into the mixing chamber, and controlling the particle size of the vaporized liquid by voltage regulation on the micropump system. 13. The method according to claim 12, which is characterized by the fact that it includes generating gas with a micropump system and supplying the resulting gas to a liquid supply container to move a liquid substance from the liquid supply container to a tampon having capillarity. 14. The method of improved extraction of liquid from the container of an electronic smoking product, containing (516) stages: (c; holding liquid in a container with a fibrous mass, compressing the fibrous mass by interacting the outlet of the micropump system with the flexible wall of the container, and changing the amount of compression by changing the voltage applied to the micropump system. pu y te y Tezh - sv v ny st osooooopsotttsososrstt paskEps v ttstotsttsttti: vno suschy i She SHE I VE rele her h Eh sv ini pn vni v inv poni pivnnnivn lih y zo ko 144 me h. iyu m Fig 1 200 224 E B | sy -ADA Y -244 / MA m y 120 220. 722 246 240 242 Fig. 2