CN114096169A

CN114096169A - Liquid cartridge for personal vaporization device

Info

Publication number: CN114096169A
Application number: CN202080050571.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: S.霍尔罗伊德; C.J.罗韦
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2019-07-25
Filing date: 2020-06-19
Publication date: 2022-02-25
Also published as: US20220279845A1

Abstract

A cartridge for use in a personal vaporisation device, in particular an electronic cigarette, comprises a housing enclosing a reservoir for storing a liquid to be vaporised in the personal vaporisation device, in particular an electronic cigarette, the housing having an opening. The cartridge further includes at least one permeable member disposed within the housing, the permeable member configured to transport liquid from the reservoir to the opening in the housing by capillary action. At least one membrane compartment is disposed in an opening in a top portion of the housing. The at least one permeable member is disposed in the at least one compartment.

Description

Liquid cartridge for personal vaporization device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cartridge for a personal vaporisation device, such as an electronic smoking article, and a personal vaporisation device comprising or capable of receiving such a cartridge.

Background

Personal vaporization devices (such as e-cigarettes, electrically operated cigarettes or simply "e-cigarettes") have gained popularity over the past decade as a replacement for traditional smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars, and cigarillos. The development of the design and configuration of such vaporization devices is constantly improving their performance and their reliability, as well as their ease of production and their cost of production.

Electrically operated cigarettes typically comprise a heater powered by a power source and a reservoir of liquid containing a flavoured or flavourless liquid which can be volatilised by use of the heater and delivered in an airflow through a mouthpiece of the electronic cigarette to a user of the electronic cigarette. Such electrically operated cigarettes are known, for example, from document US 2013/0160764 a 1. Documents WO 2016/079155 a1 and US 2013/0319438 a1 disclose cartridges for electrically operated cigarettes.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the foregoing, it is an idea of the present invention to provide a new and improved reservoir or canister for use in a personal vaporization device, such as an electronic cigarette. In particular, it would be desirable to provide a new and improved liquid storage container for a personal vaporization device in the form of an easily and quickly replaceable cartridge. Furthermore, it is an idea of the present invention to provide an improved consumable that reduces consumer contact with aerosol-forming liquids and prevents the consumer from refilling an empty container with possibly incompatible liquids.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a cartridge for use in a personal vaporisation device, in particular an electronic cigarette, comprises a housing enclosing a reservoir for storing a liquid to be vaporised in the personal vaporisation device, in particular an electronic cigarette, the housing having an opening. The cartridge further includes at least one permeable member disposed within the housing, the permeable member configured to transport liquid from the reservoir to the opening in the housing by capillary action. At least one membrane compartment is disposed in an opening in a top portion of the housing. The at least one permeable member is disposed in the at least one compartment.

In some embodiments of the cartridge according to the first aspect, the at least one membrane compartment may be attached to an inner wall of the casing.

In some other embodiments of the cartridge according to the first aspect, the at least one permeable membrane element may be held in the membrane compartment. In some embodiments, the permeable membrane element can be configured to transport liquid from a reservoir to an opening in a top portion of the housing by capillary action.

In some other embodiments of the cartridge according to the first aspect, the cartridge may further comprise an airflow channel extending through the reservoir along a central axis of symmetry of the housing. In some embodiments, the reservoir may be separated from the airflow channel by an airflow channel inner wall.

In some other embodiments of the cartridge according to the first aspect, the housing may have an axially longitudinally extending cylindrical shape. The housing may have a first distal end and a second distal end. The opening may be located at the first distal end or the second distal end.

In some other embodiments of the cartridge according to the first aspect, the at least one membrane compartment may comprise a compartment wall having a plurality of compartment openings. In some embodiments, those compartment openings may form a sieve structure.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a cartridge for use in a personal vaporisation device, in particular in an electronic cigarette, comprises a housing enclosing a reservoir in which a liquid to be vaporised is stored. The housing has an opening in a top portion. A compartment is disposed in an opening in a top portion of the housing and attached to an inner wall of the housing. A permeable member retained in the compartment is configured to transport liquid from the reservoir to an opening in a top portion of the housing by capillary action.

In some embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, the compartment may comprise a compartment wall having a plurality of compartment openings. In some embodiments, those compartment openings may form a sieve structure. In some embodiments, the compartment wall of the compartment having the plurality of compartment openings may be one or a combination of a side wall and a bottom wall.

In some other embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, the permeable member may be formed of a wicking material selected from one or a combination of the following group: open cell polymeric foams, natural fiber textiles, synthetic textiles, porous ceramics, ceramic wool, silica strings, silica braids, stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous materials having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular porous structure.

In some other embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, the upper surface of the permeable member may be flush with the top edge of the shell.

In some other embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, the upper surface of the permeable member may be recessed within the housing by a setback distance relative to the top edge of the housing. In some embodiments, the cartridge may further comprise a tear-off film disposed on the top edge of the housing. The tearable membrane can seal the permeable member within the cartridge in a liquid-tight manner.

In some other embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, a tearable membrane may be disposed on the top edge of the housing and seal the permeable member within the cartridge in a liquid-tight manner. In some embodiments, a seal may be attached to the back side of the tear away membrane, the seal having a thickness corresponding to the setback distance of the upper surface of the permeable member.

In some other embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, a liquid-entrapment barrier may be arranged within the reservoir. In some embodiments, the liquid-entrapping barrier may prevent at least a portion of the amount of liquid in the upper portion of the reservoir from flowing back into the lower portion of the reservoir.

In some other embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, the housing may be substantially tubular in shape. In some embodiments, the compartment may be disposed in a circular opening concentric with the circular cross-section of the tubular housing. In some embodiments, the permeable member may be a disc shape having a diameter between 50% to 90% of the diameter of the tubular housing.

In some other embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, the shell may be made of a thermoplastic material, in particular one of the following: polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, and polyethylene.

According to a third aspect of the invention, an electronic cigarette comprises a removable cartridge according to the first aspect of the invention, a body, and a permeable member. The body has a cartridge body configured to receive the removable cartridge, and an atomizer having a heater and a fluid transfer element connected to the heater. The permeable member is configured to transport liquid from the liquid reservoir of the cartridge to the opening in the cartridge by capillary action such that when the fluid transfer element is in contact with the permeable member, liquid is transported from the liquid reservoir to the atomizer.

In some embodiments of the electronic cigarette according to the third aspect, the fluid transfer element may be configured to be in direct contact with a permeable member of the cartridge when the cartridge is placed in the cartridge receptacle of the body. In some embodiments thereof, the fluid transfer element may be configured to compress the permeable member such that the fluid transfer element at least partially protrudes into the cartridge.

In some embodiments of the electronic cigarette according to the third aspect, the electronic cigarette may further comprise a mouthpiece removably attached to the body and enclosing the cartridge body. The mouthpiece may be configured to pass vaporized liquid from the atomizer through an airflow channel extending through the cartridge reservoir along a central axis of symmetry of the body to a mouthpiece opening and then to a user of the electronic cigarette.

In some embodiments of the electronic cigarette according to the third aspect, the fluid transfer element may be arranged at a bottom portion of the cartridge body.

In some embodiments of the electronic cigarette according to the third aspect, the fluid transfer element may be formed of a wicking material selected from one or a combination of the following group: silica strings, silica braids, cotton, stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous materials having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular porous structure.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a personal vaporization device (such as an electronic cigarette) includes a vaporizer housing having a hollow chamber formed as a receptacle for a cartridge having a permeable membrane element. The permeable membrane element is configured to transport liquid from the liquid reservoir of the cartridge to the opening in the top portion of the cartridge by capillary action. The personal vaporization device of the fourth aspect of the present invention further includes an atomizer section having a heating device configured to vaporize liquid delivered from the liquid reservoir of the cartridge into the personal vaporization device, and a suction nozzle connected to the vaporizer housing. The nozzle is configured to deliver vaporized liquid from the atomizer section through the nozzle opening to a user of the personal vaporization device.

In some embodiments of the personal vaporization device of the fourth aspect, the personal vaporization device may further comprise a vaporizer rear portion configured to be removably attached to the vaporizer housing, thereby enclosing the receiver for the cartridge. In some embodiments, the vaporizer rear portion may include a battery compartment for an electrical energy storage device.

In some other embodiments of the personal vaporization device according to the fourth aspect, the heating device of the cartomizer section may be configured to be in direct contact with the permeable membrane element of the cartridge when the cartridge is placed into the receptacle of the vaporizer housing.

In some other embodiments of the personal vaporization device according to the fourth aspect, the atomizer section may further comprise a wick to which the heating device is connected, the wick having a wick contact surface configured to be in direct contact with the permeable membrane element of the cartridge when the cartridge is placed into the receptacle of the vaporizer housing. In some embodiments, the wick may be formed of a wicking material selected from one or a combination of the following: silica strings, silica braids, cotton, stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous materials having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular porous structure.

In some other embodiments of the personal vaporization device of the fourth aspect, the personal vaporization device may further comprise an electrical energy storage device configured to deliver electrical energy to the heating device, the heating device being a resistive metal coil wound on the wick.

In some further embodiments of the personal vaporization device according to the fourth aspect, the atomizer section may be arranged between a vaporizer housing and a mouthpiece of the personal vaporization device. In some embodiments, the mouthpiece may be connected to the vaporizer housing in a manner such that the air inlet of the atomizer section is arranged between the vaporizer housing and the mouthpiece of the personal vaporizing device.

In this way, the present invention provides a cartridge for a vaporisation unit of an electronic cigarette in which a heating element is intimately associated with and/or integrated with a liquid delivery device. This not only provides an optimized construction for easy assembly of the parts of the vaporizing unit, but also allows for the most efficient transport or delivery of the liquid to be vaporized to the heating element. Thus, the personal vaporization device or e-cigarette will typically have a heating system including a heating element of the vaporization unit. The heating system is preferably electrically powered by a power source, such as a battery, in the personal vaporization device or the e-cigarette.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a personal vaporization device (in particular an electronic cigarette) comprises a cartridge according to any of the above aspects or embodiments. The cartridge may in particular be replaceable and/or disposable when the aerosol-forming liquid initially contained therein is fully or at least partially depleted. For example, the cartridge may be held in an internal receiver or cartridge holder of the e-cigarette, which may be accessed by reversibly disassembling an external component or housing portion of the e-cigarette, such that an old (spent) cartridge may be removed from the internal receiver or cartridge holder, and a new (liquid-filled) cartridge may be placed inside the e-cigarette instead.

Drawings

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments depicted in the appended drawings.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments of the present invention and many of the intended advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as they become better understood by reference to the following detailed description. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. Like reference numerals designate corresponding similar parts.

Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a liquid cartridge for use in an electronic cigarette according to some embodiments;

figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a liquid cartridge for use in an electronic cigarette according to some other embodiments;

figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an end of a liquid cartridge placed in an electronic cigarette near an atomizer, according to some other embodiments;

figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an open electronic cigarette into which a liquid cartridge is being inserted, in accordance with some other embodiments;

figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a closed electronic cigarette having a liquid cartridge inserted therein according to some other embodiments;

figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a liquid cartridge for use in an electronic cigarette according to some other embodiments;

figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a liquid cartridge for use in an electronic cigarette according to some other embodiments;

figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an open electronic cigarette into which a liquid cartridge is being inserted, in accordance with some other embodiments; and is

Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a closed electronic cigarette having a liquid cartridge inserted therein according to some other embodiments.

It is to be understood that common and/or well-understood elements that may be useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are not necessarily depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these embodiments. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps in the method embodiments may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used in the specification have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

Detailed Description

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In general, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. In the present invention, a personal vaporization device is mentioned. Such personal vaporization devices may also be referred to as aerosol generators, aerosol generating devices, or e-cigarettes, and are generally intended to include any device capable of converting electrical and/or combustion energy into heat and subsequently heating and thereby volatilizing particles in a vaporizable material (e.g., a liquid or gaseous composition contained in a container portion of a personal vaporization device/e-cigarette). In particular, the personal vaporization device or e-cigarette of the present disclosure may have a replaceable container portion designed as a consumable. Personal vaporization devices and e-cigarettes within the meaning of the present disclosure can deliver volatilized particles in an airflow through the vaporization device to a user of the vaporization device, who can activate or deactivate aerosol generation by a sucking or inhaling action, and control the duration, speed, and volume of the airflow. A personal vaporization device within the meaning of the present invention is capable of producing a variable amount of aerosol depending on the rate and duration of heat transfer from a heating element in the vaporization device to the vaporizable material.

Wicking materials within the meaning of the present disclosure may generally be comprised of porous and/or fibrous materials. The bulk porous and/or fibrous material may be shaped as desired to form a wick or permeable membrane. The porous and/or fibrous materials that may be used for the wicking material may be natural materials as well as man-made materials. In particular, the porous and/or fibrous material within the meaning of the present invention may comprise one or a combination of the following: open-cell polymeric foams, natural fiber textiles (such as wool, cotton, or felt), synthetic textiles, ceramics (such as porous solid or ceramic wool), silica strings, silica braids, stainless steel mesh, or nanoporous materials having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular porous structure. Such porous and/or fibrous materials may include uniformly sized pores, openings, or apertures that are uniform and/or each exhibit a certain capillary action and permeability for a particular substance (such as fluids and liquids).

Referring to figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a cartridge 10 in the form of a replaceable reservoir. The cartridge 10 is configured for use in a personal vaporization device 20, such as an electronic cigarette, an electrically operated cigarette, or an "e-cigarette," as exemplarily illustrated in fig. 4 and 5 and explained below. The cartridge 10 is designed as a consumable product, i.e., a single use product, which can be discarded or replaced when the liquid contained therein is fully or at least partially depleted.

The cartridge 10 comprises a housing 1 having a housing outer wall 1a enclosing a liquid reservoir 4. The liquid reservoir 4 is used to store liquid 5 to be vapourised in the e-cigarette 20. The liquid reservoir 4 may, for example, be embodied or formed as a buffer, or may comprise a buffer therein. In general, the reservoir 4 may be a liquid container containing the liquid 5 to be directly vaporized, or may serve as a buffer for transferring the liquid 5 to be vaporized to a vaporizing member.

The housing 1 may, for example, be of generally tubular shape, i.e. the housing outer wall 1a defines a cylindrical lateral surface defining an outer shell of the housing 1 around the reservoir 4. A housing base wall 1b (exemplarily shown on the right side of fig. 1) forms the base plane of the tubular housing, giving the housing 1a right cylindrical shape with an axial longitudinal extension. A first distal end (exemplarily shown on the left side of fig. 1) opposite to a second distal end where the housing base wall 1b is located is formed with an opening of the housing.

The housing 1 may for example be made of a thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyethylene or even a combination thereof. The air flow channel 7 may extend through the reservoir 4 along a central symmetry axis of the housing 1. The air flow channel 7 may be defined by the housing inner wall 1d, as best shown in fig. 3. The gas flow channel 7 may also be tubular in shape, such that the reservoir 4 between the gas flow channel 7 and the housing outer wall 1a has a hollow right circular cylindrical shape, wherein a substantially constant distance between the gas flow channel 7 and the housing outer wall 1a, perpendicular to the surface of the housing outer wall 1a, defines a hollow cylindrical volume which may contain the liquid 5.

As best shown in fig. 2 and 3, at least one compartment 2a may be provided in the opening, the compartment having the shape of a ring or ring segment. The exemplary illustrations in fig. 2 and 3 show three substantially congruent and evenly distributed compartment openings 2b of annular shape on the top side of the housing 1 around the opening between the air flow channel 7 and the housing outer wall 1 a. The housing 1 generally comprises a housing rim 1c at the side comprising the compartment wall with the plurality of compartment openings 2 b. The compartment openings 2b may be arranged symmetrically about a central symmetry axis of the housing 1 as a whole, in particular about an air flow channel 7 extending along the central symmetry axis. The number of compartment openings 2b is generally not limited and may in particular be more or less than three, as exemplarily shown in fig. 2 and 3. If there is a single annular compartment opening 2b, there may be a single material bridge across the opening from the central airflow channel 7 to the housing outer wall 1a in order to mechanically stabilize the central airflow channel 7 in the center of the reservoir portion 4. If there are two or more compartment openings 2b, these compartment openings 2b may be separated by gaps 2d between the respective compartment walls, these gaps 2d being formed by thin bridges of material spanning the opening from the central air flow channel 7 to the housing outer wall 1 a.

In particular, the compartment openings may be membrane compartments 2a for holding a permeable member 3, e.g. a membrane element formed of a wicking material selected from one or a combination of the following group: open cell polymeric foams, natural fiber textiles, synthetic textiles, porous ceramics, ceramic wool, silica strings, silica braids, stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous materials having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular porous structure. The permeable member 3 may have a ring or ring section external shape of a predetermined thickness such that the permeable member 3 may be flush with the compartment opening 2 b.

Depending on the number of compartment openings 2b, one or more permeable members 3 may be arranged within the housing 1. The permeable member 3 is configured for transporting the liquid 5 from inside the reservoir 4 to and through an opening in the housing 1 by capillary action. By choosing a suitable thickness for the sheet of the permeable member 3, the upper surface of the permeable member 3 may be arranged flush with the top edge 1c of the housing 1. Alternatively, a deeper compartment opening 2b or a thinner permeable member 3 may be formed such that the upper surface of the permeable member 3 is recessed within the housing 1 by a set back distance relative to the top edge 1c of the housing 1.

As shown in fig. 1, the permeable member 3 may be sealed in a liquid-tight manner within the cartridge 10, for example by providing a tearable membrane 6 arranged on the top edge 1c of the housing 1. The tear-off film 6 may be adhered to the top edge 1c, for example by a plastic film, by a mechanically removable adhesive. The tear-off membrane 6 may have a generally circular shape with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the opening in the housing 1 so as to completely cover the opening. A pull tab may be formed at one side of the tear-off film 6 for grasping by a user to facilitate removal of the tear-off film 6 prior to use of the cartridge 10 in the e-cigarette 20.

Figure 3 shows a detailed view of the top portion of the cartridge of figures 1 and 2 in contact with the atomizer or vaporization member. The cartridge 10 may be removably retained in a cartridge receptacle of a body of an electronic cigarette. The electronic cigarette includes an atomizer having a heater 14 formed, for example, as a resistance wire or a wire-like member, and a fluid transfer member 14a connected to the heater 14. The heater 14 may be centrally and substantially placed on the top opening 7a of the airflow channel 7 extending through the cartridge 10. The fluid transfer element 14a may be located on the compartment opening(s) 2b and may in particular be in contact with the permeable member(s) 3 provided in the compartment opening(s) 2 b.

The fluid transfer element 14a may be formed of a wicking material selected from one or a combination of the following groups: silica strings, silica braids, cotton, stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous materials having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular porous structure. The fluid transfer element 14a may be arranged such that it is in direct contact with the permeable member(s) 3 of the cartridge 10 when the cartridge 10 is placed into the cartridge receptacle of the body. In particular, the fluid transfer element 14a may be formed in a manner such that the permeable member(s) 3 are compressed into their respective compartment opening(s) 2b, thereby allowing the fluid transfer element 14a to at least partially protrude into the cartridge 10. For example, the fluid transfer element 14a may be a linear element having a flexible bulge or curvature that is directed towards the area of the cartridge where the compartment opening(s) 2b are located after insertion of the cartridge 10 into the electronic cigarette 20.

Figures 4 and 5 show cross-sectional views of the e-cigarette 20 with the removable cartridge 10 inserted therein. The e-cigarette 20 has a body 15 with a receiver portion 15a that encloses a cartridge body 16. The cartridge holder 16 is sized to receive the removable cartridge 10 therein. The fluid transfer element 14a of the atomizer may be located in the bottom portion of the cartridge body 16. The atomizer may have a heater 14 coupled to a fluid transfer element 14 a. The heater 14 may, for example, comprise a coil of electrically resistive metal wound around the atomizer wick 13.

The cartridge 10 inserted into the cartridge body 16 includes one or more permeable members 3 configured to transport liquid 5 from the liquid reservoir 4 of the cartridge 10 to an opening in the cartridge 10 by capillary action. The opening is in the vicinity of the heater 14 where the liquid 5 is first transported from the liquid reservoir 4 to the permeable member(s) 3, then onto the fluid transfer element 14a in contact with the permeable member(s) 3, and from there to the heater 14. Contact between the fluid transfer element 14a and the permeable member(s) 3 is completed after removal of the tear-off film 6 of the cartridge 10 and then placement of the cartridge 10 in the cartridge receptacle 16 with the opening facing the fluid transfer element 14 a.

The mouthpiece 11 is removably attached to the body 15 and encloses a cartridge body 16. The mouthpiece 11 allows the vaporized liquid 5 to pass from the atomizer through the air flow channel 7 in the housing of the cartridge 10. The body passage 15b extends through the reservoir 4 of the cartridge 10 along the central axis of symmetry of the body 15 coaxially with the air flow passage 7 to the mouthpiece opening 12 and then to the user of the e-cigarette 20. An air inlet 15c in the outer wall 15a of the body 15 allows air from outside the e-cigarette 20 to reach the heater 14 of the atomizer where the liquid 5 is vaporized and the air/liquid mixture is conveyed in the body channel 15b to a mouthpiece air channel 12a in the mouthpiece 11 leading to the mouthpiece opening 12.

The heater 14 is energised by electrical energy from an electrical energy storage device 19a located in the bottom portion 18 of the body 15 of the e-cigarette 20. The electrical energy storage device 19a may also be configured to deliver electrical energy to a control device 19b, such as a microcontroller, of the e-cigarette 20, which controls the operation of the e-cigarette 20 and its electrical components.

Fig. 6 and 7 show possible configurations of cartridges 10 for use in a personal vaporization device 20, such as an e-cigarette 20, as exemplarily shown and explained in connection with fig. 8 and 9. The cartridge 10 comprises a housing 1 enclosing a reservoir 4 for storing a liquid 5 to be vapourised in an electronic cigarette 20. The housing 1 has an opening at the top portion (shown on the left side in the illustrations of fig. 6 and 7). The housing 1 can be made, for example, of a thermoplastic material, in particular one of the following: polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, and polyethylene. The housing 1 may be, for example, substantially tubular in shape.

One or more compartments 2a provided in an opening in the top part of the housing 1. The compartment 2a is attached to the inner wall 1d of the housing 1. For a tubular housing 1, the compartment 2a may be arranged in a circular opening concentric with the circular cross-section of the housing 1. One or more permeable members 3, such as permeable membrane elements, are held in the compartment 2 a. These permeable membrane elements are designed to transport liquid 5 from inside the reservoir 4 to the opening in the top part of the housing 1 by capillary action. The compartment 2a may for example comprise a compartment wall with a plurality of compartment openings 2 b. In this way, the plurality of compartment openings 2b are distributed around the bottom wall and/or the side walls of the compartment 2a to form a screen structure 2c, i.e. a structure with smaller openings bridged by thin material bridges. Liquid can permeate through the screen structure 2c, but the larger permeable membrane element can be held tightly in place within the compartment 2 a.

The permeable membrane element(s) that can be held in the compartment 2a can for example be formed of a wicking material, such as open-cell polymer foam, natural fiber textiles, synthetic textiles, porous ceramics, ceramic fleece, silica strings, silica braids, stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous materials having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular porous structure. For example, the shape of the permeable membrane element may be designed to conform to the hollow shape of the compartment 2a such that the upper surface of the permeable membrane element is flush with the top rim 1c of the housing 1. Alternatively, a thinner permeable membrane element may be formed such that the upper surface of the permeable membrane element sinks into the housing 1a set back distance relative to the top edge 1c of the housing 1. For a substantially tubular shaped housing 1, the permeable membrane element may be formed in a disc shape having a diameter between about 50% and 90% of the diameter of the tubular housing 1.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the permeable membrane element may be sealed in a liquid-tight manner within the cartridge 10, for example by providing a tear-off membrane 6 arranged on the top edge 1c of the housing 1. The tear-off film 6 may be adhered to the top edge 1c, for example by a plastic film, by a mechanically removable adhesive. The tear-off membrane 6 may have a generally circular shape with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the opening in the housing 1 so as to completely cover the opening. A pull tab may be formed at one side of the tear-off film 6 for grasping by a user to facilitate removal of the tear-off film 6 prior to use of the cartridge 10 in the e-cigarette 20.

In the case where the upper surface of the permeable membrane element sinks (as exemplarily shown in fig. 7), a seal 6a may be attached to the back surface of the tear-off membrane 6. Such a seal 6a may have a thickness corresponding to the setback distance of the upper surface of the permeable membrane element within the housing 1, such that the seal 6a holds the permeable membrane element in place during transport and transportation of the cartridge 10.

The cartridge 10 may also be equipped with a liquid-entrapping

barrier

4a, 4b arranged within the reservoir 4. Such

liquid entrapment barriers

4a, 4b prevent, completely or partially, liquid in the upper portion of the reservoir 4 from flowing back into the lower portion of the reservoir 4.

As shown in fig. 8 and 9, a personal vaporization device 20, such as an e-cigarette 20, may include a body having a housing 15. The housing may include a cartridge receptacle or cartridge receiver 16 for the cartridge 10 shown in fig. 6 and 7. The atomizer within the body 15 includes a heater 14 and a fluid transfer element 13 a. The heater 14 may be coupled to the fluid transfer element 14 a. The heater 14 may, for example, comprise a coil of electrically resistive metal wound around the atomizer wick 13.

The cartridge 10 inserted into the cartridge receptacle 16 includes one or more permeable members 3 or permeable membrane elements 3 configured to transport the liquid 5 from the liquid reservoir 4 of the cartridge 10 to an opening in the cartridge 10 by capillary action. The opening is in the vicinity of the heater 14 where the liquid 5 is first transported from the liquid reservoir 4 to the permeable member(s) 3, then onto the fluid transfer element 13a in contact with the permeable member(s) 3, and from there to the heater 14. Contact between the fluid transfer element 14a and the permeable member(s) 3 is completed after removal of the tear-off film 6 of the cartridge 10 and then placement of the cartridge 10 in the cartridge receptacle 16 with the opening facing the fluid transfer element 13 a. The fluid transfer element 13a may be specifically formed as a wick-contacting surface 13a of the atomizer wick 13.

The mouthpiece 11 is removably attached to the body 15 and encloses a cartridge body 16. The mouthpiece 11 allows the vaporized liquid 5 to pass from the atomizer through the air flow channel 7 in the housing of the cartridge 10. An air inlet 15c in the outer wall 15a of the body 15 passes air from outside the e-cigarette 20 to the heater 14 of the atomizer where the liquid 5 is vaporised and the air/liquid mixture is delivered to a mouthpiece air channel within the mouthpiece 11 leading to the mouthpiece opening 12. The air/liquid mixture may then be expelled (indicated by reference character a) at the mouthpiece opening 12 and inhaled by the user.

The heater 14 is energized by electrical energy from an electrical energy storage device located in the bottom portion 18 of the body 15 of the e-cigarette 20. The electrical energy storage device may also be configured to deliver electrical energy to a control device, such as a microcontroller, of the e-cigarette 20 that controls operation of the e-cigarette 20 and its electrical components. The bottom portion 18 may specifically be the rear of the e-cigarette 20 that is configured to be removably attached to the vaporizer housing 15, such as by a screwing or closing action S, to interlock female threads 17 formed in the inner wall of the cartridge receiver 16 with male threads 19 formed on the outer wall of the rear portion 18. The rear portion 18 can thus be detached from the cartridge receiver 16, the cartridge 10 inserted by the pushing action P, and the cartridge receiver 16 enclosed by reattaching the rear portion 18.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations exist. It should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents. In general, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein.

It will be further understood that, in this document, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes/including," "contains/containing," "has/having," and any variations thereof, are intended to be interpreted in an inclusive (i.e., non-exclusive) sense such that the processes, methods, apparatus, devices, or systems described herein are not limited to the listed features or components or steps, but may include other features, components, or steps that are not expressly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, articles, or devices. Furthermore, the term "a" as used herein is intended to be understood to mean one or more, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and the like are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements or to establish an order of importance on their objects.

List of reference numerals

1 casing

1a outer wall of the housing

1b base wall of the housing

1c Top edge of housing

2a Compartment

2b compartment opening

2c sieve structure

2d Compartment gap

3 permeable Member

4 liquid reservoir

4a/4b liquid entrapment barrier

5 liquid

6 tear-off film

6a gasket

7 air flow channel

7a passage opening

7b passage opening

10 liquid cigarette cartridge

11 suction nozzle

12 nozzle opening

13 atomizer wick

13a wick contact surface

14 atomizer heater

14a fluid transfer element

15 main body

15a main body case

15b body passage

15c air inlet

16 cigarette case body

17 female thread

18 rear part of carburettor

19 Male thread

20 electronic cigarette

21 atomizer

A gas flow

P push direction

S closing direction

Claims

1. A cartridge (10) for use in an electronic cigarette (20), the cartridge (10) comprising:

a housing (1) enclosing a reservoir (4) for storing a liquid (5) to be vapourised in the electronic cigarette (20), the housing (1) having an opening;

at least one permeable member (3) arranged within the housing and configured for transporting liquid (5) from the reservoir (4) to an opening in the housing (1) by capillary action, at least one compartment (2a) being provided in the opening in the top portion of the housing (1), the at least one permeable member (3) being arranged in the at least one compartment (2 a).

2. The cartridge (10) of claim 1, further comprising:

an air flow channel (7) extending through the reservoir (4) along a central symmetry axis of the housing (1).

3. The cartridge (10) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing (1) has an axially longitudinally extending cylindrical shape, a first distal end and a second distal end, the opening being located at the first distal end or the second distal end.

4. The cartridge (10) of one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one compartment (2a) comprises a compartment wall having a plurality of compartment openings (2 b).

5. The cartridge (10) of one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one permeable member (3) is formed of a wicking material selected from one or a combination of the following group: open cell polymeric foams, natural fiber textiles, synthetic textiles, porous ceramics, ceramic wool, silica strings, silica braids, stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous materials having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular porous structure.

6. The cartridge (10) of one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an upper surface of the at least one permeable member (3) is flush with the top edge (1c) of the casing (1).

7. The cartridge (10) of one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the upper surface of the at least one permeable member (3) is recessed within the housing (1) by a set back distance with respect to the top edge (1c) of the housing (1).

8. The cartridge (10) of claim 5 or 6, further comprising:

a tear-off membrane (6) arranged on the top edge (1c) of the casing (1) and sealing the at least one permeable member (3) within the cartridge (10) in a liquid-tight manner.

9. The cartridge (10) of one of claims 1 to 8, the at least one compartment (2a) comprising at least two compartments (2a) arranged symmetrically about a central symmetry axis of the casing (1).

10. The cartridge (10) of claim 9, wherein the at least two compartments (2a) are separated by a gap (2d) between the respective compartment walls.

11. The cartridge (10) of one of claims 9 and 10, wherein the housing (1) is substantially tubular in shape, the at least one compartment (2a) having the shape of a ring or a ring segment.

12. The cartridge (10) of one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the housing (1) is made of a thermoplastic material, in particular one of the following: polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, and polyethylene.

13. An electronic cigarette (20), comprising:

the removable cartridge (10) of one of claims 1 to 12;

a body (15), the body (15) having a cartridge receptacle (16) configured to receive the removable cartridge (10), and an atomizer having a heater (14) and a fluid transfer element (14a) connected to the heater (14),

the at least one permeable member (3) is configured to transport liquid (5) from the reservoir (4) of the cartridge (10) to an opening in the cartridge (10) by capillary action such that when the fluid transfer element (14a) is in contact with the at least one permeable member (3), liquid (5) is transported from the reservoir (4) to the atomizer.

14. The electronic cigarette (20) of claim 13, wherein the fluid transfer element (14a) is configured to be in direct contact with a permeable member (3) of the cartridge (10) when the cartridge (10) is placed in the cartridge seat (16) of the body (15).

15. The electronic cigarette (20) of claim 14, wherein the fluid transfer element (14a) is configured to compress the permeable member (3) such that the fluid transfer element (14a) at least partially protrudes into the cartridge (10).

16. The electronic cigarette (20) of one of claims 13 to 15, further comprising:

a mouthpiece (11) removably attached to the body (15) and enclosing the cartridge holder body (16), the mouthpiece (11) being configured for passing the vaporized liquid (5) from the atomizer through an air flow channel (7; 15b) extending through the reservoir (4) of the cartridge (10) along a central symmetry axis of the body (15), to a mouthpiece opening (12), and then to a user of the electronic cigarette (20).

17. The electronic cigarette (20) of one of the claims 13 to 16, wherein the fluid transfer element (14a) is arranged at a bottom portion of the cartridge body (16).

18. The electronic cigarette (20) of one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the fluid transfer element (14a) is formed of a wicking material selected from one or a combination of the following: silica strings, silica braids, cotton, stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous materials having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular porous structure.