GB2534236A

GB2534236A - Mouthpiece for an electronic smoking device

Info

Publication number: GB2534236A
Application number: GB1503126.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tong Xinliang; Sheng Min
Original assignee: Fontem Holdings 2 BV
Current assignee: Fontem Ventures BV
Priority date: 2015-01-13
Filing date: 2015-02-25
Publication date: 2016-07-20
Also published as: GB201503126D0; TW201632090A; WO2016112491A1

Abstract

A mouthpiece 3 suitable for an electronic smoking device 1 comprising: a body; a hollow channel formed in the body 9; an opening 13 formed in a terminal portion of the body 9 and being arranged to expose the hollow channel; and a coating 14 at least partially covering an outer portion of the body 9, wherein the coating 14 comprises at least one selected from the group of silver, zinc, polytetrafluoroethylene, fluorinated ethylene propylene, perfluoroalkoxy alkane and ethylene tetrafluoroethylene. Preferably the coating 14 comprises nanoparticles and in one embodiment the coating 14 comprises a mixture of zinc oxide nanoparticles and silver nanoparticles. Also claimed is an electronic cigarette 1 comprising the mouthpiece 3.

Description

MOUTHPIECE FOR AN ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICE

Electronic smoking devices, such as electronic cigarettes, have become well-known products. Generally, an electronic cigarette has a mouthpiece arranged at one end of a housing. An electric power source, such as a rechargeable battery, an electrically heatable atomizer and control electronics including an inhalation sensor are typically included within the housing. When the sensor detects a user inhaling on the mouth piece, the control electronics switches on a heater in the atomizer which heats a liquid to create vapour which is inhaled by the user.

The natural interaction between a user and an electronic smoking device is puffing on the device where a user contacts the mouthpiece. However, the mouthpiece may become insanitary due to repeated use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a mouthpiece is disclosed that is adapted to be used in an electronic smoking device. The mouthpiece comprises a body and a hollow channel formed in the body and exposed by a terminal opening through which a user inhales an aerosol generated by the electronic smoking device. The hollow channel forms a part of a flow path for the aerosol between an atomizer and the terminal opening from which the aerosol exits the electronic smoking device. An outer portion of the mouthpiece body is at least partially covered by a coating comprising at least one selected from the group of silver, silver chloride, silver nitrate, silver oxide silver sulphide, silver sulphate, zinc, zinc oxide, zinc nitrate, zinc chloride, a mixture thereof or a fluoropolymer, preferably at least one selected from the group of silver, zinc oxide, polytetrafluoroethylene, fluorinated ethylene propylene, perfluoroalkoxy alkane and ethylene tetrafluoroethylene.

An advantage of the mouthpiece for an electronic smoking device according to the present invention is that it effectively prevents unwanted contamination of the mouthpiece thereby enhancing its hygienic properties.

The characteristics, features and advantages of this invention and the manner in which they are obtained as described above, will become more apparent and be more clearly understood in connection with the following description of exemplary embodiments, which are explained with reference to the accompanied drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, same element numbers indicate same elements in each of the views: Figure 1 is a schematic cross sectional view of an electronic smoking device according to the present invention with a detached mouthpiece in a schematic perspective view, Figure 2 is a schematic cross sectional view of a mouthpiece of a first embodiment according to the present invention in a detached state, Figure 3 is a schematic cross sectional view of a mouthpiece of a second embodiment according to the present invention in a detached state, and Figure 4 is a schematic cross sectional view of an electronic smoking device according to the present invention with an integrally formed mouthpiece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a schematic cross sectional view of an electronic smoking device according to the present invention with a detached mouthpiece in a schematic perspective view. The electronic smoking device 1 is designed as an electronic cigarette and comprises a mouthpiece 3 which is attached to a first end of a housing 2 of the electronic smoking device 1. In Figure 1, the mouthpiece 3 is shown in a detached state for the sake of clarity. The mouthpiece 3 is a part of the electronic smoking device 1 and represents an end section of the same.

In this embodiment the mouthpiece 3 has the form of a cone and is attachable to the housing 2 of the electronic smoking device 1 which has a substantially cylindrical shape in this embodiment. The housing 2 accommodates a heating element 6 3 5 functioning as an atomizer and a reservoir 4 for storing a liquid 5 therein, wherein the heating element 6 is adapted to vaporize the liquid 5 supplied from the reservoir 4. In this embodiment, the heating element 6 is exemplarily realized as a heating coil, which is arranged adjacent to a side portion of the housing 2. However, the present invention is not limited to such heating coils and it is possible to realize other embodiments of the electronic smoking device 1 with an atomizer 6 that differs from the embodiment shown in the Figure 1 of the application.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the reservoir 4 comprises a capsule which is arranged adjacent to the heating element 6 and which is filled with a liquid 5.

However, the reservoir 4 also may be realized as any other kind of receptacle that can have an arbitrary form or shape and also be located in another position inside the housing 2. In this embodiment of the present invention, the liquid 5 exemplarily comprises a mixture of glycerol and a vanilla extract. However, the liquid 5 is not limited thereto and it is possible to realize electronic smoking devices 1 with other liquids e.g. propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, polyhydric alcohol, tetraethylene glycol, aliphatic ester of carboxylic acid, such as methyl stearate, dimethyl dodecanedioate, dimethyl tetradecanedioate, water and the like.

Furthermore, flavoured materials may be added to the liquid 5, for example esters, such as isoamyl acetate, linalyl acetate, isoamyl propionate, linalyl butyrate and the like or natural essential oils as plant essential oils, such as spearmint, peppermint, cassia, jasmine and the like or animal essential oils, such as musk, amber, civet, castor and the like or simple flavouring materials, such as anethole, limonene, linalool, eugenol and the like or hydrophilic flavour components such as a leaf tobacco extract or natural 2 5 plant flavouring materials such as licorice, St. John's wort, a plum extract, a peach extract and the like or acids such as a malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid and the like or sugars such as glucose, fructose, isomerized sugar and the like or polyhydric alcohols such as propylene glycol, glycerol, sorbitol and the like. Furthermore, it also possible to combine different flavoured materials as mentioned above into new flavoured 3 0 materials. Moreover, it is possible to adsorb any flavour onto a solid material and to use this material as flavoured material within an electronic smoking device 1 according to the present invention.

When triggered by a user of the electronic smoking device 1, liquid 5 is released from 3 5 the reservoir 4 and provided to the heating element 6 where it is vaporized. However, the present invention is not limited to such vaporized liquids and it is possible to realize other embodiments of the electronic smoking device 1 which e.g. generate an aerosol from a solid material.

The electronic smoking device 1 comprises a flow path located inside the housing 2 extending from the heating element 6 to the mouthpiece 3. In this first embodiment of the present invention, an opening 8 is arranged at an upper portion of the housing 2 which represents an outlet for vaporized liquid 7 towards the mouthpiece 3 and which defines a cross section of the flow path 8. The housing 2 may accommodate one or more guiding elements such as a separation wall or a deflection member which define or determine the course of the flow path inside the housing 2 of the electronic smoking device 1. Such guiding elements may be positioned between an outlet of the reservoir 4 and the opening 8 of the housing 2 and are adapted to guide the vaporized liquid 7 to stream along a predefined flow path. In this sense, the opening 8 of the housing 2 also functions as a guiding element which determines the course of the flow path inside the housing 2.

Figure 2 shows a schematic cross sectional view of a mouthpiece of a first embodiment according to the present invention. The mouthpiece 3 comprises a body portion 9 which is formed as a hollow cylinder. The hollow cylinder 9 is formed of plastics and comprises a first end 12 functioning as a terminal portion of the mouthpiece 3 and having an opening 13 through which a user inhales an aerosol generated by the electronic smoking device 1. In Figure 2, the mouthpiece 3 is shown to be detached from the housing 2 for the sake of illustration. However, the mouthpiece 3 is fixed to the 2 5 housing 2 for operation. In this first embodiment of the present invention, the mouthpiece 3 is fixed to the housing 2 by fixing means 16 arranged at a second end 17 of the hollow cylinder 9 (opposite to the first end 12) and fixing means 15 arranged in the housing 2 at a location corresponding to the fixing means 16. The fixing means 15, 16 may be formed as screws, nuts, bolts and the like. In this embodiment, an opening 8 of the housing 2 corresponds to an opening 11 arranged in the second end 17 of the hollow cylinder 9 such to define a flow path from the heating element 6 (located inside the housing 2 and shown in Figure 1) to the opening 13 of the terminal end 12 of the mouthpiece 3. However, the present invention is not limited to such fixing means and it is possible to realize embodiments in which mouthpiece 3 and housing 2 are integrally formed as one piece or in which the mouthpiece 3 is fixed to the housing 2 by an adhesive or the like.

In Figure 2, an inner portion of the mouthpiece body 9 defines a chamber confined by inner surfaces portions of the first end 12, the second end 17 and the side walls 18 thereby forming a hollow channel 10 through which an aerosol such as vaporized liquid 7 flows when a user puffs on the device.

According to the present invention, the mouthpiece 3 has a coating 14 which comprises silver, silver chloride, silver nitrate, silver oxide, silver sulphide, silver sulphate, zinc, zinc oxide, zinc nitrate, zinc chloride, a mixture thereof or a fluoropolymer, preferably at least one selected from the group of silver, zinc oxide, polytetrafluoroethylene, fluorinated ethylene propylene, perfluoroalkoxy alkane (perfluoroether) and ethylene tetrafluoroethylene. The coating 14 may advantageously prevent unwanted contamination of the mouthpiece 3 due to repeated use. In this first embodiment of the present invention, the coating 14 covers an outer portion 21 of the terminal end 12 and an outer portion of the side walls 18 of the mouthpiece body 9. However, the present invention is not limited to such arrangements of the coating 14 and it is possible to realize other embodiments which will be described in the following in more detail.

Preferably, the hygienic protection coating 14 is only arranged at an outer surface of the electronic smoking device 1. In more detail, the coating 14 may be arranged at an outer surface of the mouthpiece body 9 and/or at an outer surface of the housing 2. That is, the coating 14 is preferably neither arranged at any inner surfaces of 2 5 mouthpiece body 9 (except the terminal end 12) nor at any inner surfaces of the housing 2. More preferably, the coating 14 is only arranged at an outer surface of the mouthpiece 3 (not the housing 2), as well as at an inner surface of the terminal end 12. Such an arrangement may effectively prevent unwanted contamination while reducing a material consumption for the coating 14.

Preferably, the hygienic protection coating 14 is arranged such to adjoin the opening 13 of the terminal end 12. In the sense of the present invention, the opening 13 is formed as a via hole in the terminal end 12 of the mouthpiece 9, wherein an inner surface (inner wall) 19 defining the via hole (opening 13) is arranged between an outer portion 21 of the terminal end 12 and an inner portion 20 of the terminal end 12. In order to adjoin the opening 13 of the terminal end 12 it is sufficient that the coating 14 is (only) arranged on the outer portion 21 of the terminal end 12 and extending such to adjoin an outermost point of the inner surface 19 of the opening 13 as shown in Figure 2. In other words, the coating 14 is arranged such to directly contact (the outermost portion of) the opening 13 of the terminal end 12. That is, the coating 14 is arranged such to completely cover the terminal end 12 of the mouthpiece 3. Such an arrangement may effectively prevent unwanted contamination while further reducing a material consumption for the coating 14.

However, the present invention is not limited to such arrangements of the coating 14 and it is possible to realize other embodiments in which the coating 14 is additionally arranged such to cover (at least part of) the inner surface 19 of the opening 13. It is also possible that the coating 14 is additionally arranged such to cover the inner surface 19 of the opening 13 as well as (at least part of) inner surface 20 of the terminal end 12. In such cases however, it is preferred that the coating 14 is not arranged at the inner side wall 18 of the mouthpiece body 9. Such an arrangement may still more effectively prevent unwanted contamination while reducing a material consumption for the coating 14.

Preferably, the coating 14 is formed such to be symmetrical with respect to an axis which extends through the opening 13. In many cases, said axis is identical to a longitudinal axis of the electronic smoking device 1. The coating 14 preferably covers the whole circumference of the outer terminal portion 12 of the mouthpiece 3. The mouthpiece 3 preferably comprises an outer terminal portion 12 with a rotationally symmetrical shape. In other words, the coating 14 extends from the opening 13 of the mouthpiece 3 in all radial directions in the same way.

In this first embodiment of the present invention, the coating 14 extends towards a second end 17 of mouthpiece 3 facing towards the housing 2. However, the present invention is not limited to such arrangements of the coating 14 and it is possible to realize other embodiments in which the coating 14 only extends over a part of the side surfaces 18 of the mouthpiece body 9.

Preferably, the mouthpiece body 9 is formed of a non-deformable material having the coating 14 to be directly applied on its outer surface. Preferably, the mouthpiece body 9 is integrally formed from the non-deformable material which may be hard plastics. Preferably, the coating 14 covers at least 50% of the outer surface of the mouthpiece body 9, more preferably at least 65% of the outer surface of the mouthpiece body 9 and still more preferably at least 80% of the outer surface of the mouthpiece body 9.

In this first embodiment of the present invention, the coating 14 comprises nanoparticles being spread over the mouthpiece body 9. However, the present invention is not limited to such arrangements of the coating 14 and it is possible to realize other embodiments in which the coating 14 is formed as a continuous layer.

Preferably, the nanoparticles are randomly distributed over a portion of the mouthpiece body 9 to be covered by the coating 14 (see above for preferred areas to be covered). That is, the nanoparticles may be formed as colloids which are randomly distributed on the outer surface of the mouthpiece body 9 and the nanoparticles (colloids) are separated from each other. The average size of the nanoparticles (colloids) preferably ranges between 1 nm and 500nm, more preferably between 1 nm and 50nm and still more preferably between inm and lOnm. The preferred average size results in more effective prevention of unwanted contamination.

2 0 In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, silver nanoparticles are used for the coating 14 that effectively prevent unwanted contamination with a comparatively low silver consumption for the coating 14. Due to the fact that released silver ions are responsible for the anti-microbial effect of silver nanoparticles the concentration of the silver nanoparticles on the (outer) surface of the mouthpiece body 2 5 9 should be chosen so that the concentration of the silver ions ranges between 25 ppm and 300 ppm, more preferably between 80 ppm and 150 ppm. Such concentrations of silver ions are suitable to inhibit microbial activity on the coating of the mouthpiece.

The coating 14 is according to another preferred embodiment of the invention applied 3 0 onto the mouthpiece body 9 by application of a silver nanoparticle suspension with a concentration of silver nanoparticles ranging between 20 and 500 ppm, more preferably between 120 and 300 ppm and still more preferably between 180 and 250 ppm. Such concentration of silver nanoparticles in said suspension effectively prevents unwanted contamination while further reducing a material consumption for the coating 14.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles are used for the coating 14 that effectively prevent unwanted contamination with a still lower material consumption (in terms of costs) for the coating 14. A preferred concentration of the ZnO nanoparticles on the (outer) surface of the mouthpiece body 9 ranges between 0,000001 and 25 percent by mass, more preferably between 0,00001 and 20 percent by mass and still more preferably between 0,001 and 15 percent by mass. The coating 14 is preferably applied onto the mouthpiece body 9 by application of a ZnO nanoparticle suspension that possesses such a concentration of ZnO nanoparticles that the coating 14 shows a concentration of ZnO nanoparticles as described above. Such concentration of ZnO nanoparticles may effectively prevent unwanted contamination while further reducing a material consumption for the coating 14.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, a mixture of silver nanoparticles and ZnO nanoparticles are used for the coating 14 which effectively prevent unwanted contamination and further prevent colour change of the coating 14 due to exposure to UV light. A ratio between silver nanoparticles and ZnO nanoparticles preferably ranges between 0.1 to 10, more preferably between 0.2 to 5, 2 0 and still more preferably between 0.5 to 2. Using such ratio of ZnO/silver nanoparticles may effectively prevent unwanted contamination and colour change while further reducing a material consumption for the coating 14.

In the above-mentioned preferred embodiments, the density of the nanoparticles can 2 5 be increased such that the coating 14 is as a continuous layer being formed from the nanoparticles (colloids).

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coating 14 is formed of a fluoropolymer. Preferably, the coating 14 is formed from one selected of the group of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA) and ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE). Among perfluoroalkoxy alkanes, perfluoroether is preferably used. It is furthermore preferred that the coating 14 is formed as a continuous layer in this preferred embodiment. Preferably, the continuous layer of the coating 14 has a uniform thickness ranging between 1 and 500 pm, more preferably between 20 and 400 pm and still more preferably between 50 and pm. If the continuous layer becomes too thin, it may easily break while a material consumption is rather high if the continuous layer becomes too thick.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross sectional view of a mouthpiece of a second embodiment according to the present invention in a detached state. Similarly to the first embodiment shown in Figure 2, the mouthpiece 3 is shown to be detached from the housing 2 for the sake of illustration. However, the mouthpiece 3 is fixed to the housing 2 for operation. The second embodiment of the present invention is substantially identical to the first embodiment of the electronic smoking device 1 as shown in Fig. 2 and as described hereinbefore. However, some of the components of the second embodiment of the present invention differ from the respective components with the same reference signs of the first embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the differences of the second embodiment in comparison to the first embodiment will be described hereinafter.

In this second embodiment of the present invention, the mouthpiece body 9 is not formed as a hollow cylinder but as a cone which tapers towards the terminal end 12. Similarly to the first embodiment shown in Figure 2, the hygienic protection coating 14 as described above in more detail extends from outermost portion of the inner wall 19 defining the opening 13 (through which a user inhales an aerosol during operation) towards the housing 2 of the electronic smoking device 1. However, contrary to the first embodiment shown in Figure 2, the coating 14 only extends over a part of the (rotationally symmetric) side wall 18 and therefore neither adjoins nor covers the second end 17 of mouthpiece 3 which connects to the housing 2 of the electronic smoking device 1. In this embodiment, the coating 14 is only formed (from the terminal end 12) over 50% to 95% (more preferably 75% to 95%) of the length of the mouthpiece 3 along the longitudinal axis 22 of the mouthpiece 3. Such arrangement of the coating 14 may further reduce the material consumption for the coating 14 while effectively preventing unwanted contamination in the most frequented contact area 3 0 located close to the opening 13.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic cross sectional view of an electronic smoking device 1 according to the present invention with an integrally formed mouthpiece 3. The third embodiment of the present invention is substantially identical to the first embodiment of the electronic smoking device 1 as shown in Fig. 2 and as described hereinbefore.

However, some of the components of the second embodiment of the present invention differ from the respective components with the same reference signs of the first embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the differences of the second embodiment in comparison to the first embodiment will be described hereinafter.

In this third embodiment of the present invention, the housing 2 and the mouthpiece 3 are integrally formed and not to be detachable as shown in Figures 2 and 3. That is, the mouthpiece body 9 and the housing 2 are integrally formed as one solid member. Accordingly, fixing members 15, 16 can be avoided. The electronic smoking device 1 may nevertheless comprise an opening formed in the housing 2 (not shown) for accessing the liquid reservoir 4 for refilling or the like. Furthermore, openings 8 and 11 as shown in Figures 2 and 3 can be avoided thereby further simplifying the electronic smoking device 1. Nevertheless, the electronic smoking device 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention may include one or more guiding elements (not shown) adapted to define a course of the flow path inside the housing 2. In this sense, the opening 13 of the housing 2 also functions as a guiding element which restricts the cross section of the flow path.

Similarly to the first embodiment shown in Figure 2, the hygienic protection coating 14 as described above in more detail extends from outermost portion of the inner wall 19 defining the opening 13 along the outer portion 21 of the terminal end 12 towards an opposite end of the electronic smoking device 1. However, contrary to the first embodiment shown in Figure 2, the coating 14 additionally extends along the complete portion of inner wall 19 of the opening 13. In this embodiment, the coating 14 is only 2 5 formed (from the terminal end 12) over 3% to 40% (more preferably 5% to 25% and still more preferably 10% to 20%) of the length of the electronic smoking device 1 along the longitudinal axis 22. In this case, the longitudinal axis 22 extending through the opening 13 coincides with the longitudinal axis of the electronic smoking device 1. The preferred range at which the coating 14 is provided reflects the most frequented contact area of a user located close to the opening 13 that can effectively prevent unwanted contamination and may further reduce the material consumption for the coating 14.

As described above, the present invention discloses a coating 14 which is located at an outer portion of the mouthpiece 3 and which may in addition be located at (a part of) an inner portion of the mouthpiece 3 as shown in Figure 4. According to the present invention, the coating 14 is preferably formed at an outermost portion of the mouthpiece 3 with respect to a longitudinal axis 22 of the electronic smoking device 1. Such outermost portion preferably comprises a surface extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis 22 and the coating 14 preferably completely covers this outermost surface. As described above, the coating 14 according to the present invention may be formed of randomly spread nanoparticles or as a continuous layer. According to the present invention it is preferred that said coating 14 is formed as continuous portion, i.e. as single continuous layer or as a single continuous area being spread with nanoparticles. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coating 14 comprises a rotationally symmetrical shape.

Although in the above embodiments electronic smoking devices have been described in which liquid is atomised by being heated by an electric heater, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments other means for generating a vapour such as the use of piezo-electric elements could be used.

It will also be appreciated that although in some embodiments a puff detector for detecting a user puffing on a device could be provided and the puff detector could be arranged to initiate the activation of an atomizer when a user puffed on the device, in 2 0 some embodiments the puff detector could be replaced by a push button and a user could be cause an atomizer to activate by pressing on the button. In other embodiments other means for activating the device could be provided.

While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently 2 5 considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A mouthpiece for an electronic smoking device, comprising: a body, a hollow channel formed in the body, an opening formed in a terminal portion of the body and being arranged to expose the hollow channel, and a coating at least partially covering an outer portion of the body, wherein the coating comprises at least one selected from the group of silver, zinc, polytetrafluoroethylene, fluorinated ethylene propylene, perfluoroalkoxy alkane and ethylene tetrafluoroethylene.

The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the coating is arranged to adjoin the opening of the terminal portion.

The mouthpiece of any of the preceding claims, wherein the coating comprises nanoparticles.

The mouthpiece of claim 3, wherein the nanoparticles are randomly distributed over at least a part of the outer portion of the body.

The mouthpiece of any one of claims 3 and 4, wherein the nanoparticles have an average size ranging between 1 nm and 50nm.

The mouthpiece of any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the coating comprises a mixture of zinc oxide nanoparticles and silver nanoparticles.

The mouthpiece of any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the coating is formed as a continuous layer.

The mouthpiece of any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the continuous layer of the coating has a uniform thickness ranging between 1 and 500 pm.

The mouthpiece of any preceding claim, wherein the body is formed of a non-deformable material.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. The mouthpiece of any preceding claim, wherein the body is integrally formed.
11. The mouthpiece of any preceding claim, wherein the body is formed of plastics and the coating directly contacts the body.
12. The mouthpiece of any preceding claim, wherein the coating covers at least 50% of the outer surface of the body.
13. An electronic smoking device comprising: the mouthpiece of any preceding claim, an atomizer, a reservoir, wherein the atomizer is adapted to vaporize a base material supplied from the reservoir to generate an aerosol, and a housing accommodating the atomizer and the reservoir.
14. The electronic smoking device of claim 13, wherein the coating is only arranged on the mouthpiece.
15. The electronic smoking device of any one of claims 13 and 14, further comprising means adapted to detachably fix the mouthpiece to the housing.
16. An electronic smoking device as herein described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.