EP-4738990-A2 - AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICE WITH IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY, AIRFLOW, AND AEROSOL PATHS

EP4738990A2EP 4738990 A2EP4738990 A2EP 4738990A2EP-4738990-A2

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an aerosol delivery device and a cartridge for an aerosol delivery device. In various implementations, the aerosol delivery device comprises a control device that includes an outer housing defining a cartridge receiving chamber, and further includes a power source and a control component, and a cartridge that includes a mouthpiece, a tank, a heating assembly, and a bottom cap. The mouthpiece defines an exit portal in an end thereof, and the tank is configured to contain a liquid composition therein. The cartridge is configured to be removably coupled with the receiving chamber of the control device, and the heating assembly defines a vaporization chamber and is configured to heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol. An inlet airflow is defined by a gap between the cartridge and the control device that originates at an interface between an outer peripheral surface the mouthpiece and control device.

Inventors

NOVAK, CHARLES JACOB
DAUGHERTY, SEAN A.
ALLER, Jared
GALLOWAY, Michael Ryan
HOLT, Justin
NETTENSTROM, Matthew Joel
SCHENNUM, STEVEN MICHAEL

Assignees

RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20191011

Claims (12)

An aerosol delivery device comprising: a control device that includes an outer housing defining an outer wall and having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the control device defining a receiving chamber, the control device further including a power source and a control component; and a cartridge that includes a mouthpiece, a tank, a heating assembly, and a bottom cap, the mouthpiece having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the mouthpiece having an exit portal defined therethrough, the tank defining a proximal end and a distal end and being configured to contain a liquid composition, the mouthpiece being configured to engage the proximal end of the tank, and the bottom cap being configured to engage the distal end of the tank, wherein the cartridge is configured to be removably coupled with the receiving chamber of the control device, wherein the heating assembly defines a vaporization chamber and is configured to heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, wherein an inlet airflow is defined by a gap between the cartridge and the control device, wherein an aerosol path is defined through the tank and the exit portal of the mouthpiece, and wherein the gap originates at an interface between an outer peripheral surface the mouthpiece and the control device.
The aerosol delivery device of Claim 1, wherein the interface is located proximate an outer peripheral surface of the mouthpiece and a top edge of the outer wall of the housing.
The aerosol delivery device of Claim 1, wherein the inlet airflow enters the cartridge through a single inlet channel located in an approximate center of a bottom surface of the bottom cap.
The aerosol delivery device of Claim 1, wherein the gap between the cartridge and the control device is established by a plurality of protuberances located on the control device.
The aerosol delivery device of Claim 4, wherein the plurality of protuberances comprises a plurality of raised elongate bosses located on an upper frame of the control device.
The aerosol delivery device of Claim 1, wherein the gap between the cartridge and the control device is established between the outer housing and upper frame of the control device and the mouthpiece, tank, and bottom cap of the cartridge.
The aerosol delivery device of Claim 6, wherein the gap between the cartridge and the control device is further established between a recessed surface of the upper frame of the control device and a bottom surface of the bottom cap of the cartridge.
The aerosol delivery device of Claim 1, wherein the tank further defines a reservoir cavity configured to hold the liquid composition.
The aerosol delivery device of Claim 8, wherein the aerosol path is defined by a pair of flow tubes located in the tank, and wherein at least a portion of the flow tubes are located on opposite sides of the reservoir cavity.
The aerosol delivery device of Claim 1, wherein the control device includes a pressure sensor, and wherein the cartridge and the control device include a pressure path configured to signal a negative pressure to the pressure sensor.
The aerosol delivery device of Claim 2, wherein the top edge of the outer wall of the housing defines an opening that is greater in size than the outer peripheral surface of the mouthpiece such that a maximum perimeter of the cartridge is wholly received within the receiving chamber.
The aerosol delivery device of Claim 2, wherein when coupled to the control device, a portion of the mouthpiece extends below the top edge of the outer wall of the housing and into the receiving chamber.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Patent Application No. 16/598,496, titled Aerosol Delivery Device with Improved Connectivity, Airflow, and Aerosol Paths, filed on October 10, 2019, and U.S. Patent Application No. 16/598,575, titled Aerosol Delivery Device with Improved Connectivity, Airflow, and Aerosol Paths, filed on October 10, 2019, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/744,978, titled Aerosol Forming Device, filed on October 12, 2018, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/911,519, titled Aerosol Delivery Device with Improved Connectivity, Airflow, and Aerosol Paths, filed on October 7, 2019, each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. TECHNOLOGY FIELD The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices such as smoking articles, and more particularly to aerosol delivery devices that may utilize electrically generated heat for the production of aerosol (e.g., smoking articles commonly referred to as electronic cigarettes). The smoking articles may be configured to heat an aerosol precursor, which may incorporate materials that may be made or derived from tobacco or otherwise incorporate tobacco, the precursor being capable of forming an inhalable substance for human consumption. BACKGROUND Many smoking devices have been proposed through the years as improvements upon, or alternatives to, smoking products that require combusting tobacco for use. Many of those devices purportedly have been designed to provide the sensations associated with cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking, but without delivering considerable quantities of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products that result from the burning of tobacco. To this end, there have been proposed numerous smoking products, flavor generators, and medicinal inhalers that utilize electrical energy to vaporize or heat a volatile material, or attempt to provide the sensations of cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking without burning tobacco to a significant degree. See, for example, the various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and heat generating sources set forth in the background art described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2013/0255702 to Griffith Jr. et al., and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0096781 to Sears et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. See also, for example, the various types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electrically powered heat generating sources referenced by brand name and commercial source in U.S. Pat. App. Ser. No. 14/170,838 to Bless et al., filed February 3, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. It would be desirable to provide an aerosol delivery device with advantageous usability features. BRIEF SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices, methods of forming such devices, and elements of such devices. The disclosure particularly relates to an aerosol delivery device and a cartridge for use in an aerosol delivery device. In this regard, various embodiments of the disclosure provide an aerosol delivery device and/or a cartridge with advantageous usability features. The present disclosure includes, without limitation, the following example implementations: Example Implementation 1: An aerosol delivery device comprising a control device that includes an outer housing defining an outer wall and having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the control device defining a receiving chamber, the control device further including a power source and a control component, and a cartridge that includes a mouthpiece, a tank, a heating assembly, and a bottom cap, the mouthpiece having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the mouthpiece having an exit portal defined therethrough, the tank defining a proximal end and a distal end and being configured to contain a liquid composition, the mouthpiece being configured to engage the proximal end of the tank, and the bottom cap being configured to engage the distal end of the tank, wherein the cartridge is configured to be removably coupled with the receiving chamber of the control device, wherein the heating assembly defines a vaporization chamber and is configured to heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, wherein an inlet airflow is defined by a gap between the cartridge and the control device, wherein an aerosol path is defined through the tank and the exit portal of the mouthpiece, and wherein the gap originates at an interface between an outer peripheral surface the mouthpiece and the control device.Example Implementation 2: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding example implementation, or any combination of any preceding example implementations, wherein the interface is located proximate an outer peripheral surface of the mouthpiece and a top edge of the outer wall of the housing.Exam