RU2654393C2 - One-way valve for cartomizer section of electronic cigarettes - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: smoking accessories.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a first section of an electronic smoking article that is intended to be connected to a battery section of said electronic smoking article, comprising: a heating element, a liquid reservoir operable to store liquid material, a one-way valve between the liquid reservoir and the heating element and operable to seal an end of the section in fluid communication with the liquid reservoir, wherein the one-way valve is configured to allow one directional air flow towards a user's mouth during a draw on the electronic smoking article and prevent back flow of vapour produced during operation of the electronic smoking article.

EFFECT: technical result is to eliminate condensation in the battery section.

20 cl, 11 dwg

Description

Cross reference to related application

This application claims priority according to 35 U.S.C. §119 (e) of provisional application No. 61 / 827,998 for the grant of a US patent, which was filed May 28, 2013 and the entire contents of which are incorporated here by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application relates to a device and method for preventing the backflow of liquid and vapor from the cartomizer section to the battery section of an electronic cigarette and to an improved method of sealing the cartomizer section during storage by using a one-way valve in the cartomizer section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electronic cigarettes are becoming a popular alternative to tobacco smoking because they offer significant benefits. One of the main reasons for the growing popularity of electronic cigarettes is their similarity to real tobacco smoking. In fact, the closer electronic cigarettes reproduce the sensations of a traditional cigarette, the more likely they will be accepted on the market.

One example of an electronic cigarette is a “two-component” (hereinafter referred to as “two-section”) device having a first battery section B and a second cartomizer section A, where the cartomizer section A is detachable from the battery section B (hereinafter “electronic cigarette” or “E” -cigarette"). An example of one of such electronic cigarettes is shown in FIG. 1 and 2. In some embodiments, the battery section comprises a battery (battery), a chipset (i.e., a control circuit), and an air flow sensor. In some embodiments, the cartomizer section A has a heating element and a container (reservoir) of electronic liquid (“e-liquid”) that contains flavors and an evaporative base such as glycol (hereinafter referred to as “cartomizer”). The battery section and the cartomizer section can be physically and electrically connected via a threaded connection. In some embodiments, the battery section has an external thread section ("male"), and the cartomizer section has an internal thread section ("female"), as shown in FIG. 2.

Previously, E-cigarettes had one or more slots at the tip of the battery section through which air could be drawn in. Air should enter from the tip, go through the entire battery section and then continue to go through the cartomizer section, through the part of the E-cigarette where the vapor generation takes place, and enter the smoker's mouth through the hole in the mouthpiece of the cartomizer section. When a typical smoker is inhaled by an electronic cigarette, he can inadvertently or intentionally exhale air into the cigarette, creating a backflow of vapor from his mouth to the cigarette. These vapors often condense and eventually accumulate inside the battery section, causing damage to the airflow sensor, chipset, and / or lithium battery.

To avoid damage of this kind, electronic cigarettes were designed with ventilation holes on the side. When the user takes a breath, air enters the cigarette through the side openings located between the cartomizer section and the battery section. Similarly, when a smoker exhales into an E-cigarette, vapor from the smoker's mouth moves in the opposite direction and exits through the side vents. In this design, a minimum amount of air passes through the battery section. However, a hole in the battery section is still necessary to allow the airflow sensor inside the cigarette to detect puffs and activate the heating coil. An example of an electronic cigarette with side vents is described in WO 2012/142293, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Thus, E-cigarettes having side vents allowing most of the vapor to escape through these side vents during exhalation still have an opening through which the vapor passes into the battery section, thereby exposing the components in the battery section to the harmful effects of the vapor. Therefore, it is preferable to prevent the escape of vapors from the cartomizer section and their passage in the direction of the components located in the battery section to avoid damaging effects on these components of the battery section.

In contrast to two-component cigarettes, there are E-cigarettes in which the battery section and the cartomizer section are enclosed in one integral housing, which reduces production costs and eliminates the need to assemble a cigarette before using it. Such electronic cigarettes are often referred to as “single component devices” or “disposable cigarettes” (hereinafter referred to simply as “disposable”).

Although disposable cigarettes are user-friendly, they present difficulties in terms of long-term storage and shelf life. Disposable cigarettes do not have some of the benefits that bicomponent cigarettes have. For example, when the cartomizer section is separated from the battery section, the ends of this cartomizer section may be tightly closed with caps or caps. Sealing the two ends of the cartomizer section prevents the absorption of moisture from the environment by e-liquid, which (absorption) often leads to a decrease in the viscosity of e-liquid and may cause e-liquid to leak into the mouth of the user while smoking. Sealing also prevents the evaporation or dripping of e-liquid or nicotine from the cartomizer section.

Disposable cigarettes usually do not have a tight seal between the cartomizer section and the battery section, so if e-liquid leaks into the air channel, it can easily penetrate “up” against the air flow into the battery section, damaging the air flow sensor, chipset and / or a lithium battery located in the battery section. In addition, if there is no tight seal between the cartomizer and battery sections, the e-liquid will eventually evaporate, as well as nicotine, which will greatly and adversely affect the effectiveness of the e-liquid, as well as the user's sensations. In addition, the lack of a tight seal will allow moisture from the ambient air to enter the cartomizer section, where this moisture is easily adsorbed by the hydrophilic e-liquid, increasing the volume of this e-liquid and reducing its viscosity, which leads to the leakage of excess e-liquid.

Therefore, it is desirable to have a method of preventing the leakage of e-liquid in the cartomizer section into the battery section, as well as preventing the ingress of moisture from the air in the battery section into the cartomizer section when not using a cigarette.

Summary of the invention

A cartomizer section of an electronic cigarette is described herein, which can be connected to a battery section of an electronic cigarette. The cartomizer section contains a fluid reservoir retaining the liquid material and a one-way valve. A single-acting valve is used to seal the end of the cartomizer section, which is in communication with the fluid reservoir. This one-way valve serves to seal the end of the cartomizer section in communication with the fluid reservoir. A one-way valve lets air pass in one direction into the user's mouth while puffing with an electronic cigarette and prevents the backflow of vapors generated during operation of the electronic cigarette into the battery section of the cigarette.

Description

Here we consider a single-acting valve, which can be part of the cartomizer section of an electronic cigarette and allows air flow in only one direction — into the user's mouth, preventing the backflow of vapor or e-liquid in the direction of the battery section of the electronic cigarette. Accordingly, during long-term storage, this single-acting valve creates a tight seal for the cartomizer section, preventing the e-liquid from the cartomizer section from entering the battery section, and significantly reducing the evaporation of e-liquid and nicotine from the cartomizer sections. In addition, the single-acting valve prevents the absorption of moisture from the surrounding air by e-liquid, while maintaining its viscosity and preventing leakage.

In another embodiment, the sealing properties of the single-acting valve allow the storage of disposable electronic cigarettes for a longer time with minimal loss of e-liquid and potential nicotine supply, significantly increasing the shelf life. In addition, since a one-way valve prevents excess e-liquid from flowing into the battery section, there is no longer any restriction on the orientation of disposable cigarettes during transport or storage. Although previously it was necessary to store and transport disposable cigarettes in an upright position, so that the battery section should always be located above the cartomizer section to avoid e-liquid leaking into the battery section, the options offered here allow you to store and transport disposable cigarettes in any orientation.

The one-way valve increases the durability of the electronic cigarette by preventing the backflow of vapor in the direction of the battery section, thereby eliminating damage to the components of the battery section, usually caused by vapor.

In addition, the one-way valve creates a tight seal between the cartomizer section and the battery section, which can prolong the existence of e-liquid in an electronic cigarette between smoking sessions. The presence of a one-way valve prevents leakage of liquid and evaporation of e-liquid from the far end of the cartomizer section. A cap may be used to seal the liner facing the mouth of the user (mouthpiece) of the cartomizer section or to seal the disposable cigarette between cycles of use.

FIG. 3A-D and FIG. 4A-C illustrate variations of the one-way valve 300 discussed herein. In one embodiment, the single-acting valve 300 may have a generally cylindrical shape forming an elongated portion 320, one whose lockable end forms the front wall 305 of the valve. The valve front wall 305 may have a cutout or slot 310 on the surface. This cutout or slot 310 may intersect the entire valve front wall 305 (in diameter). On the opposite sides of the slit 310 two wings 315a, b are formed. Under normal storage conditions or between puffs, these two wings 315a, b on opposite sides of slot 310 can be flush with each other to form a tight seal that is free of air and e-liquid.

Alternatively, the valve front wall 305 may have more than one slit, so that these slots can be created by making 3 or 4 (cross-shaped) symmetrical slots in the valve front wall 305, thereby creating 3 or 4 wings, respectively. Alternatively, slots 310 do not have to be straight or symmetrical. They can have a wavy, sawtooth or virtually any shape that can be imagined.

The one-way valve 300 should preferably be made of flexible and / or extensible material, such as rubber or silicone polymer material, so that when a smoker takes a breath, a negative pressure is created above the surface of the valve front wall 305. This negative pressure pulls the wings 315a, b on opposite sides of the slit 310 and forces them to bend up and away from one another, opening the way for air to flow towards the mouth of the user. If the user exhales or blows into the e-cigarette, positive pressure is applied to the front wall 305 of the valve, causing the wings 315a, b to revert back to their original shape and block the backflow of vapor. In alternative embodiments, the single-acting valve may be made of a single material or a composition of materials and does not necessarily have universally uniform flexibility and elasticity. For example, the wings 315 a, b may have edges or “lips” 316a, b (see FIG. 4B) along the slit 310, which may be stiffer than the wings 315a, b themselves, so that the movement opening the valve can occur in places where these “jaws” 316a, b meet one another at the ends of slit 310.

In FIG. 5 schematically shows a cutout region in a cartomizer section 500 comprising a one-way valve 300. Some components of the cartomizer section are removed here to simplify the drawing. The cartomizer section 500 may have a fluid reservoir, a heating coil, an air duct (i.e., an air flow path), and other components, as shown in WO 2012/142293. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the cartomizer section 500 may be generally cylindrical in shape and may have a central chamber 505. In this central chamber 505 there may be a metal or plastic “pin” 510, which may protrude in the axial direction of the cartomizer section 500 toward the mouthpiece 650 (see FIG. . 6). The single-acting valve 300 may be dimensioned so that it can be tightly seated on the pin 510 of the cartomizer section 500. Preferably, when the single-acting valve 300 is fitted on the pin 510, the length of the cylindrical portion of this single-acting valve 300 should be such that the front the valve wall 305 either “sat” directly on the end surface of the pin 510 (to prevent the valve wings from opening in the wrong direction), or protruded at least slightly above this end surface Tew pin 510 (to 3 mm).

The valve front wall 305 should preferably be axially spaced apart from the heating coil 620 (see FIG. 6) so that this wall does not melt or warp under the influence of intense heat flux from the heater. Therefore, it is also recommended to make the valve, preferably from a heat-resistant material, such as, for example, silicone polymer material.

In FIG. 6 shows a cut-out region of an electronic cigarette 600 and also shows a one-way valve 300 mounted on a pin 510 in the cartomizer section 601. The electronic cigarette 601 may include a separate cartomizer section 601, which is disposable, and a separate battery section 602, which is reusable, or alternatively, the cartomizer section 601 and the battery section 602 form a single component, so that the entire electronic cigarette 600 is disposable. As shown in FIG. 6, the front wall 305 of the single-acting valve 300 is located between the end surface of the pin 510 and the heating coil 620. The battery section 602 may include an air flow sensor, a battery, or other components, as shown in WO 2012/142293.

Although the elongated portion 320 of the one-way valve 300 is typically cylindrical, it may alternatively have a square, rectangular, or virtually any suitable shape in cross section. In fact, the presence of an elongated portion 320 of a one-way valve 300 is not necessary at all, and in fact, for the operation of the one-way valve 300, only the valve front wall 305 is sufficient. As seen in FIG. 3A-D and 4A-C, the valve front wall 305 may be flat (see FIG. 4A-C) or shaped and protruding (see FIG. 3A-D). For example, as shown in FIG. 3A and 3B, the front wall 305 of the single acting valve may protrude outward, or, alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3D, the front wall 305 of the single-acting valve 300 can be profiled, so that a slit 310 in this front wall of the valve 305 can be cut in the recess of the wall.

It should be understood that the options discussed here are given only as examples and that specialists in this field can find other modifications and changes without deviating from the scope of the options described here.

Claims (35)

1. The first section of an electronic smoking article for connecting to a battery section of this electronic smoking article, comprising: heating element; a liquid tank for storing liquid material, a check valve located between the fluid reservoir and the heating element and designed to seal the end of the first section in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir, wherein said check valve is capable of passing an air flow in only one direction towards the smoker's mouth during puffing an electronic smoking article and preventing the backflow of vapors generated during the operation of the electronic smoking article. 2. The first section according to claim 1, characterized in that the non-return valve comprises an elongated portion having a front wall at the end, in which a slot is cut having a wing on each side, which are configured to form a tight seal that does not allow air and liquid to pass through, located in the reservoir for the liquid, while these wings are made with the possibility of opening and forming a path for air. 3. The first section according to claim 1, characterized in that the check valve contains rubber or silicone polymer material. 4. The first section according to claim 1, characterized in that the check valve comprises an elastic material. 5. The first section according to claim 2, characterized in that each wing is provided with a rigid rim extending along a slit in the front wall of the valve. 6. The first section according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains mouth liner (mouthpiece) at the end of the section, a pin located in the central chamber of the first section and protruding in the axial direction of the first section towards the mouthpiece, the check valve being located on the pin so that the front wall of the valve is on the end surface of the far end of the pin or protrudes from this far end of the pin. 7. The first section according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains  a heater designed to heat the fluid entering it to form vapors in the air channel of the first section and separated from the front the walls of the check valve in the axial direction by a gap. 8. The first section according to claim 2, characterized in that the front wall of the valve is flat, profiled or protruding. 9. An electronic smoking article comprising the first section and the second section, while the first section includes: heating element; a liquid tank for storing liquid material, a non-return valve located between the fluid reservoir and the heating element and configured to seal the end of the first section in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir and to allow air to flow in only one direction towards the smoker’s mouth while being puffed with an electronic smoking article and preventing the return flow of vapors generated by the electronic smoking article, a second section containing a battery. 10. The electronic smoking article of claim 9, wherein the non-return valve comprises an elongated portion having a valve front wall at its end, in which a slot is cut having a wing on each side, the wings being able to form a tight seal that does not allow air and liquid stored in the liquid tank; and discrepancies and paths for air. 11. The electronic smoking article of claim 9, wherein the check valve comprises rubber or silicone polymer material. 12. The electronic smoking article of claim 9, wherein the check valve comprises an elastic material. 13. The electronic smoking article of claim 10, wherein each wing is provided with a rigid rim extending along a slit in the front wall of the valve. 14. The electronic smoking article of claim 10, wherein the first section comprises: a mouthpiece located at the end of the section, a pin located in the central chamber of the first section and protruding in the axial direction of the first section toward the mouthpiece, the check valve being located on the pin so that the front wall of the valve is on the end surface of the far end of the pin or protrudes from this far end of the pin. 15. The electronic smoking article of claim 9, wherein the first section comprises: a heater designed to heat the fluid supplied to it in order to generate vapor in the air channel of the first section and separated by a gap from the front wall of the check valve in the axial direction. 16. The electronic smoking article according to claim 10, characterized in that the front wall of the valve is flat, profiled or protruding. 17. The electronic smoking article according to claim 9, characterized in that the second section is designed to provide power to the heater as part of the first section. 18. The electronic smoking article of claim 17, wherein the second section comprises a control circuit and an air flow sensor configured to initiate a battery supply to the heater when an air flow through the electronic smoking article is detected. 19. The electronic smoking article of claim 17, wherein the first section is disposable and the second section is reusable. 20. The electronic smoking article of claim 17, wherein the first section and the second section form a single component, wherein the entire electronic smoking article is disposable.

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