WO2020258148A1

WO2020258148A1 - Personal vaporiser

Info

Publication number: WO2020258148A1
Application number: PCT/CN2019/093243
Authority: WO
Inventors: Winghan WONG
Original assignee: Hang Shun Hing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Hang Shun Hing Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-06-27
Filing date: 2019-06-27
Publication date: 2020-12-30
Anticipated expiration: 2021-12-27

Abstract

A personal vaporizer (10) comprising: a housing (21) enclosing an air passage (27); a reservoir (28)disposed within the housing (21) for holding a liquid; a vaporizer (29) comprising a heating element (41) embedded in a body of porous material permeable to the liquid, the body of porous material having an inner surface (46) and an opposing outer surface (35), the inner surface (46) bounding at least a portion of the air passage; a bulkhead (30) that closes an axial end of the reservoir (28); a liquid pathway through the bulkhead (30) connecting the reservoir (28) to the outer surface (35) of the body of porous material; a flow control device in the liquid pathway for regulating flow of the liquid. The personal vaporizer (10) can prevent liquid leakage and accidental suction of liquid into a user's mouth.

Description

Personal vaporiser

Technical Field

The present invention relates to personal vaporisers.

Background of the Invention

A personal vaporiser is a cordless hand-held device that vaporises a liquid for inhalation. A personal vaporiser used for nicotine delivery is also sometimes referred to as an electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette, but personal vaporisers are also used for medicinal inhalation.

One of the challenged faced by designers of personal vaporisers is maintaining optimum efficiency of the vaporiser which, among other things, requires that a proper flow of liquid to the vaporiser is maintained regardless of the orientation of the device, and particularly avoiding the possibility of the nicotine or medicinal liquid passing to the user in liquid form. For instance, a personal vaporiser is described in US20170325510A1 and includes a vaporiser with a porous ceramic is supplied with the liquid directly from reservoir. It is an object of the present invention to address the need to better maintaining vaporiser efficiency, or more generally, to provide an improved personal vaporiser.

Disclosure of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided a personal vaporiser, comprising a housing enclosing an air passage communicating with a mouthpiece through which a vapour is inhaled;

a reservoir disposed within the housing for holding a liquid;

a vaporiser comprising a heating element embedded in a body of porous material permeable to the liquid, the body of porous material having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface, the inner surface bounding at least a portion of the air passage;

a bulkhead that closes an axial end of the reservoir;

a liquid pathway through the bulkhead connecting the reservoir to the outer surface of the body of porous material;

a flow control device in the liquid pathway for regulating flow of the liquid; and

a power source disposed within the housing for providing power to the heating element.

Preferably the flow control device is a wick with a first major surface abutting the bulkhead and a second major surface abutting the outer surface of the body of porous material, and the liquid pathway comprises an aperture in the bulkhead. Alternatively, the flow control device may comprise one or more metering orifices.

Preferably the wick is substantially flat, with the first and second major surfaces disposed on opposing sides, a first planar interface on the bulkhead abuts the first major surface, a second planar interface on the body of porous material abuts the second major face.

Preferably the air passage passes through the body of porous material.

Preferably the body of porous material comprises a tubular portion through which the air passage passes and a flange portion integral with the tubular portion, the flange portion comprising the second planar interface.

Preferably the flange portion projects from an external surface of the tubular portion and is axially coextensive with the tubular portion.

Preferably the electric heating element is wound in a helix substantially coaxial with an axis of the tubular portion.

Alternatively the vaporiser comprises a pair of parallel flange portions joined by a flat web portion to bound the air passage on three sides. The electric heating element may be embedded in the flat web portion and wound in a flat spiral. The web portion is linearly aligned with the air inlet.

Preferably the housing is an assembly, comprising a first elongate housing part holding a vaporiser sub-assembly and an second elongate housing part connected end-to-end, wherein the first elongate housing part comprises the reservoir and vaporiser and the second elongate housing part comprises the power source.

Preferably an air inlet and the mouthpiece are generally coaxial, and disposed at longitudinally opposing ends of the first elongate housing part.

Preferably the first elongate housing part defines a cavity that tapers longitudinally to narrow from a first end to an opposing second end, wherein the first end is closed by the bulkhead to define the reservoir, and a hollow section of the first elongate housing part extends axially through the cavity to define a first axial length of the air passage.

Preferably the mouthpiece is formed by a cap extending over the first elongate housing part, and wherein

a first transverse length of the air passage extends from an outlet end of the first axial length of the air passage and is bounded between the first elongate housing part and the mouthpiece, and

a second transverse length of the air passage extends through the vaporiser to join an inlet end of the first axial length of the air passage, such that the air passage comprises a first dogleg between the first transverse length and the first axial length, a second dogleg between the first axial length and the second transverse length, and a third dogleg between the second transverse length and the air inlet.

Preferably a lower portion of the vaporising assembly comprises a magnet for removably connecting the vaporising assembly to the a battery module.

Preferably the vaporiser further comprises a check valve in the air passage that permits air to be drawn into the air passage and prevents a reverse flow of the liquid from the air passage. The check valve may be a duckbill valve. The porous material may be a ceramic.

This invention provides an personal vaporiser which can effectively prevent liquid leakage out of the personal vaporiser, and moreover it has a simple and compact overall design which minimizes manufacturing costs.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an personal vaporiser according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the personal vaporiser of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a vaporising assembly of the personal vaporiser of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the vaporising assembly of the personal vaporiser of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an exploded view of a vaporiser according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 6 is an exploded view of a vaporiser according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a personal vaporiser 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a vaporiser sub-assembly 11 connected to one longitudinal end of a battery module 16. A coupling connecting the vaporiser sub-assembly 11 and battery module 16 end-to-end in this manner may comprise

magnets

12, 13 fixed in one end of a housing part 21 of the sub-assembly 11, opposite the mouthpiece 26, for engagement with a ferromagnetic counter strip fixed in the battery module 16. This coupling facilitates ready exchange of the vaporising sub-assemblies 11. The battery module 16 may comprises a chassis 19 that supports a circuit board 63 and battery 52 which are together enclosed by a cooperating housing part 17 and end cap 20.

The housing part 21 of the vaporiser sub-assembly 11 is elongate and serves to hold the vaporiser and define the internal air passageway that extends from an air inlet 22 to an air outlet 23 in the mouthpiece 26. The air inlet 22 and air outlet 23 are generally coaxial and disposed at longitudinally opposing

ends

24, 25 of the first elongate housing part 21. The mouthpiece 26 is mounted over the first elongate housing part 21.

The vaporiser sub-assembly 11 further comprises a reservoir 28, partially within the housing part 21, for holding a liquid such as a nicotine-containing e-liquid, and a vaporiser 29 for vaporising the liquid. A bulkhead 30 closes an axial end 31 of the reservoir 28, and a wick 32 liquid flow control device is sandwiched between the bulkhead 30 and the vaporiser 29. A check valve 33 in the air passage 27 permits air to be drawn into the air passage 27 and prevents a reverse flow of the liquid from the air passage 27 (i.e. liquid leakage) . The check valve 33 may be a duckbill valve disposed at the air outlet 23.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the vaporiser 29 comprises an electric heating element 41 embedded in a body of porous material permeable to the liquid. The two ends 42, 43 of the heating element 41 engage with

respective contacts

44, 45 of the battery module 16. The air passage 27 passes through the body of porous material of vaporiser 29, and may surround at least a portion of the air passage 27, with an inner surface 46 of the vaporiser 29 being thereby exposed to the air stream. The porous material, which preferably a ceramic, allows permeation of the liquid from the outer surface 35 to wet the inner surface 46 exposed to the air stream.

The bulkhead 30 extends generally transversely and comprises apertures 34 that provide a liquid pathway connecting the reservoir 28 and an outer surface 35 of the vaporiser 29. The bulkhead 30 may further comprise an opening 36 that defines a portion of the air passage 27.

Next to the bulkhead 30 is the wick 32 which, in preferred embodiments, comprises a flat textile with opposing

major surfaces

37, 38. The regular construction of the wick, its packing density, and the relatively small through through-thickness dimension, regulate the liquid flow rate to the vaporiser 29 within a close range that is largely unaffected by the orientation of the personal vaporiser. With such arrangement, a first planar interface 39 is provided between the bulkhead 30 and the wick 32, and a second planar interface 40 is provided between the wick 32 and the outer surface 35 of the vaporiser 29 and the four edges of the wick 32 are bounded within the housing part 21. The axially-stacked arrangement of the bulkhead in the housing part 21, the wick 32 on the bulkhead 30 and the vaporiser 29 on the wick provides a simple assembly technique but also provides a compact device.

In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the vaporiser 29 may comprise a tubular portion 47 through which the air passage 27 extends, as with the axis of the tubular portion 47 extending transversely relative to the axis of the housing part 21. The vaporiser 29 further comprises a flange portion 48 on which the outer surface 35 is disposed, and which is integral with the tubular portion. The flange portion 48 may have a generally rectangular prismatic form extending tangentially to the tubular portion 47 to projects from an external surface of the tubular portion 47 while being axially coextensive with the tubular portion 47.

The electric heating element 41 is embedded in the tubular portion 47 and is wound in a helix coaxial with an axis of the tubular portion 47. The outer surface 35 of the flange portion 48 is arranged to abut the major face 38 of the wick 32. Advantageously, the outer surface 35 provides a large contact surface to receive and absorb the liquid from the wick 32. Good vaporisation efficiency is achieved by the relatively large area that is at elevated temperature, exposed to the air stream and wetted.

In another embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the vaporiser 29 comprises a pair of parallel flange portions 49 joined by a flat web portion 50 which is linearly aligned with the air inlet 22. The inner surfaces 46 of the parallel flange portions 49 and the flat web portion 50 define a portion of the air passage 27. The electric heating element 41 is embedded in the flat web portion 50 and is wound in a flat spiral. The two ends 42, 43 of the electric heating element 41 extend from the inner surface 46 of the flat web portion 50 to connect to the

respective electrodes

44, 45.

Referring back to Figure 3, the first elongate housing part 21 may define a cavity 51 with a closed end 52 and an axially opposing end 53, wherein the closed end 52 is closed by the bulkhead 30 to form the reservoir. A hollow section of the first elongate housing part 21 may extend axially through the cavity 51 to define a first axial length 54 of the air passage 27 adjacent the reservoir 28. The air passage 27 may comprise a first transverse length 55 extending from an outlet end 56 of the first axial length 54 and is bounded between the first elongate housing part 21 and the mouthpiece 26, and a second transverse length 57 extending through the vaporiser 29 to join an inlet end 58 of the first axial length 54, such that the air passage 27 comprises a first dogleg 59 between the first transverse length 55 and the first axial length 54, a second dogleg 60 between the first axial length 54 and the second transverse length 57, and a third dogleg 61 between the second transverse length 57 and the air inlet 22. Advantageously, the doglegs in the air passage 27 provide a tortuous passage that slows and disperses the liquid over the internal surfaces as it travels toward the mouthpiece, ensuring the user cannot draw in any amount of escaped liquid while it remains in liquid form.

Referring back to Figures 1 and 2, the a battery module 16 may comprises a rechargeable battery 62 for providing power to heat up the electric heating element 41. An inlet extension member 65 may be disposed on one side of the a battery module 16 to provide an extended air passage 64 between the atmosphere and the air inlet 22. The extended air passage 64 is in fluid communication with the air passage 27 in the vaporiser sub-assembly 11. An outlet 66 of the inlet extension member 65 is connected to the air inlet 22 on the vaporiser sub-assembly 11. An inlet 67 of the inlet extension member 65 is arranged in a plane perpendicular to a plane of the air inlet 22, and may comprises an air switch 68 to switch on the personal vaporiser 10 upon inhalation by the user. The extended air passage 64 in this embodiment is configured to guide incoming air through four turnings before entering the air inlet 22. Advantageously, such configuration helps to lengthen the time of the incoming air staying in the extended air passage 64 so that the incoming air can be warmed up by the heat producing from the power source 62 and the electric heating element 41. This helps to improve the experience of the user especially when the personal vaporiser 10 is used under cold weather.

In use, the user inhales air by his mouth through the air outlet 23 on the mouthpiece 26 on the personal vaporiser 10. This creates a negative pressure in the air passage 27 and the extended air passage 64, which triggers the air switch 68 to switch on the personal vaporiser 10 to heat up the electric heating element 41. The heat produced by the electric heating element 41 vaporises the liquid that permeates the porous structure of the body of the vaporiser 29 to form liquid vapour. The inhalation action of the user draws incoming air from the inlet 67 of the inlet extension member 65, through the check valve 33 and to the vaporiser 29, where the incoming air mixes with the liquid vapour. The air mixed with liquid vapour then travels through the air passage 27 upstream the vaporiser 29 and finally expels through the air outlet 23 on the mouthpiece 26. The flow of air from the inlet 67 to the air outlet 23 of the personal vaporiser 10 is shown by arrows in Figure 1.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

A personal vaporiser, comprising:

a housing enclosing an air passage communicating with a mouthpiece through which a vapour is inhaled;

a reservoir disposed within the housing for holding a liquid;

a vaporiser comprising a heating element embedded in a body of porous material permeable to the liquid, the body of porous material having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface, the inner surface bounding at least a portion of the air passage;

a bulkhead that closes an axial end of the reservoir;

a liquid pathway through the bulkhead connecting the reservoir to the outer surface of the body of porous material;

a flow control device in the liquid pathway for regulating flow of the liquid; and

a power source disposed within the housing for providing power to the heating element.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 1, wherein the flow control device is a wick with a first major surface abutting the bulkhead and a second major surface abutting the outer surface of the body of porous material, and the liquid pathway comprises an aperture in the bulkhead.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 2, wherein the wick is substantially flat, with the first and second major surfaces disposed on opposing sides, a first planar interface on the bulkhead abuts the first major surface, a second planar interface on the body of porous material abuts the second major face.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the air passage passes through the body of porous material.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 4, wherein the body of porous material comprises a tubular portion through which the air passage passes and a flange portion integral with the tubular portion, the flange portion comprising the second planar interface.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 5, wherein the flange portion projects from an external surface of the tubular portion and is axially coextensive with the tubular portion.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 6, wherein the electric heating element is wound in a helix substantially coaxial with an axis of the tubular portion.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 4, wherein the vaporiser comprises a pair of parallel flange portions joined by a flat web portion to bound the air passage on three sides.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 8, wherein the electric heating element is embedded in the flat web portion and is wound in a flat spiral.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 9, wherein the web portion is linearly aligned with the air inlet.
The personal vaporiser according to any one of proceeding claims, wherein the housing is an assembly, comprising a first elongate housing part holding a vaporiser sub-assembly and an second elongate housing part connected end-to-end, wherein the first elongate housing part comprises the reservoir and vaporiser and the second elongate housing part comprises the power source.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 11, wherein an air inlet and the mouthpiece are generally coaxial, and disposed at longitudinally opposing ends of the first elongate housing part.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 12, wherein the first elongate housing part defines a cavity that tapers longitudinally to narrow from a first end to an opposing second end, wherein the first end is closed by the bulkhead to define the reservoir, and a hollow section of the first elongate housing part extends axially through the cavity to define a first axial length of the air passage.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 12, wherein the mouthpiece is formed by a cap extending over the first elongate housing part, and wherein

a first transverse length of the air passage extends from an outlet end of the first axial length of the air passage and is bounded between the first elongate housing part and the mouthpiece, and

a second transverse length of the air passage extends through the vaporiser to join an inlet end of the first axial length of the air passage, such that the air passage comprises a first dogleg between the first transverse length and the first axial length, a second dogleg between the first axial length and the second transverse length, and a third dogleg between the second transverse length and the air inlet.
The personal vaporiser according to any one of the proceeding claims, wherein a lower portion of the vaporising assembly comprises a magnet for removably connecting the vaporising assembly to the a battery module.
The personal vaporiser according to any one of the proceeding claims, further comprising a check valve in the air passage that permits air to be drawn into the air passage and prevents a reverse flow of the liquid from the air passage.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 16, wherein the check valve is a duckbill valve.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 1, wherein the porous material is a ceramic.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 1, wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery.
The personal vaporiser according to claim 1, wherein the a battery module further comprises an inlet extension member providing an air passage between the air inlet and atmosphere.