The application requires according to United States code the 35th volume the 119th article (e) priority enjoying in the U.S. Provisional Application 61/798,010 that on March 15th, 2013 submits to, and its full content is incorporated to herein by reference.
Multiple embodiment disclosed herein comprises the electrical smoking utensil of the Capillary Gas fog generator with heating.The capillary of this heating such as makes to evaporate by United States Patent (USP) 5,743,251 mode of instructing, and its full content is incorporated to herein by reference.
Electrical smoking utensil, comprise the first Capillary Gas fog generator, it produces the first aerosol comprising the first liquid material of aroma materials, and the second Capillary Gas fog generator, it produces the second aerosol of second liquid material, and this second liquid material comprises nicotine.This first aerosol has the first size distribution, and the second aerosol has the second size distribution.
Form the method with the aerosol of two kinds of size distribution, comprise the first liquid containing aroma materials to the first capillary supply, the second liquid of nicotine is contained to the second capillary supply, heat the first capillary and the second capillary to being enough to make first liquid and second liquid volatilization with the temperature forming the first steam and the second steam simultaneously, the first steam is made to mix with air to produce the first aerosol, make the second steam mix with air to produce the second aerosol, and the first aerosol and the second aerosol are combined in hybrid chamber.To the heating of the first capillary with occur in the aerosol spraying cycle (puffcycle) the heating of the second capillary, and within this aerosol spraying cycle not in the same time.And, to the heating of the first capillary with occur in the aerosol spraying cycle the heating of the second capillary, and reach different temperature within this aerosol spraying cycle.
Detailed description of the invention
There is described herein the electrical smoking utensil of such as electronic cigarette or electronics cigar, which create the aerosol with two kinds of different grain size distributions.First size distribution utilizes the first Capillary Gas fog generator to be formed, and this first Capillary Gas fog generator has the first liquid supply container containing fluent material.Second size distribution utilizes the second Capillary Gas fog generator to be formed, and this second Capillary Gas fog generator has the second liquid supply container containing fluent material.First liquid material can comprise aroma materials, and second liquid material can comprise nicotine.First liquid supply container and second liquid supply container can comprise the liquid with different viscosities.
Advantageously, by providing the aerosol with two kinds of different grain size distributions, aerosol can be adjusted to (tailoredto) and the flavor compositions and/or therapeutic agent compositions wanting to obtain are provided.Such as, flavor compositions can have larger median particle diameter, to be deposited in mouth and throat, and functional composition, such as nicotine or therapeutic agent compositions can have less granularity, particle to be sent to the more depths in lower respiratory tract.
As shown in Figure 1, electrical smoking utensil 60 comprises interchangeable cigarette bullet (or Part I) 70 and reusable holder (or Part II) 72, these two parts link together at nipple 74 place, or by other parts connections easily such as such as tight fit, fastening, ratchet, clamp and/or hook etc.
Part I 70 can accommodating suction nozzle end insert 20, two capillaries (18a, 18b), for heating at least partially two heaters (19a, 19b) of each capillary (18a, 18b) (its capillary 18a, 18b itself can comprise heatable section 19a, 19b), and two liquid supply containers (14a, 14b).Part II 72 can accommodating power supply 12, control circuit 11 and puff sensor 16.When the threaded portion of part 72 not to be connected on Part I 70 for use, can be connected on battery charger to charge the battery.
Preferably, Part I 70 and Part II 72 comprise along the length of electrical smoking utensil 60 cylinder blanket 22 extending longitudinally.Preferably, outer tube 6 is formed by metal, and outer tube 6 is parts of circuit.In other embodiments, outer tube 6 can be formed with the combination of any suitable material or material.The example of suitable material comprises: metal, alloy, plastics or the one or more of composite comprised in these materials, or be applicable to the thermoplastic of food or pharmaceutical product use, such as polypropylene, polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK), pottery, and polyethylene.Preferably, material is light and non-friable.
In one embodiment, Part I 70 is disposable, and Part II 72 is reusable.In another embodiment, both Part I 70 and Part II 72 are all disposable.Part 70,72 engages by threaded joints.
In a preferred embodiment, each liquid supply container 14a, 14b are the elongate tubular bodies preserving predeterminable quantity of liquid material.Preferably, each liquid supply container 14a, 14b are all pressurized, to make fluent material wherein be under constant pressure.As shown in Figure 2, it is such as pressue device 50a, 50b of contained spring or external springs that each liquid supply container 14a, 14b all can comprise, and continues to execute stressed plate-like devices to each liquid supply container 14a, 14b.Such as, each liquid supply container 14a, 14b all can be compressed and be disposed between two plate bodys being connected by spring.Alternatively, each liquid supply container 14a, 14b all can be compressed and are disposed between shell and plate body, and plate body can be connected by spring with shell, make plate body can apply pressure to each liquid supply container 14a, 14b.
Preferably, each liquid supply container 14a, 14b all have outlet 16a, 16b of being communicated with capillary 18a, 18b fluid.Outlet 16a, 16b are connected respectively on respective capillary 18a, 18b by valve 40a, 40b, to be prevented the flowing of fluent material when electrical smoking utensil 60 does not use.When valve 40a, 40b all open, liquid supply container 14a, 14b can respectively to transmit a certain amount of fluent material to one of them capillary 18a, 18b.At transmission liquid in the process of capillary 18a, 18b, power supply 12 is activated and each capillary 18a, 18b are all heated to be formed as bringing-up section (heatedsection), and fluent material wherein can volatilize.When discharging in capillary 18a, the 18b from heating, two strands of volatile material streams are mixed with the air entered in electrical smoking utensil 60 by air intake 44, and are formed in the two strands of aerosols combined in hybrid chamber 46.
Preferably, each liquid supply container 14a, 14b longitudinally extend in the cylinder blanket 22 of Part I 70.And, can volatilize when each liquid supply container 14a, 14b can be included in heating and form the different fluent material of aerosol.Per share aerosol can have identical or different size distribution.Such as, liquid supply container 14a can comprise aroma materials, and liquid supply container 14b can comprise tobacco extract component, such as nicotine.
In a preferred embodiment, capillary 18a, 18b comprise arrival end 62a, 62b of being communicated with outlet 16a, 16b fluid of liquid supply container 14a, 14b respectively, and can be used to the port of export 63a, 63b of the fluent material of discharging volatilization from each capillary 18a, 18b.In certain embodiments, what one or two in capillary 18a, 18b can comprise the port of export 63a, 63b place being positioned at capillary 18a, 18b narrows end 101a (as shown in Figure 3).Although do not wish to be bound by theory, generally believe that increase narrows the cross-sectional area that end can reduce the port of export at the port of export place of capillary, can produce enough high shear forces to break up thick drop, this can improve fluent material to short grained conversion.
Preferably, capillary 18a, 18b have different internal diameters respectively, to help lend some impetus to the formation of the aerosol with specified particle size distribution.Such as, capillary 18a, 18b can have 0.01mm to 10mm respectively, is preferably 0.05mm to 1mm and is more preferably the internal diameter of 0.05mm to 0.4mm.Such as, capillary 18a can have the internal diameter of about 0.05mm, and capillary 18b can have the internal diameter of about 0.4mm.The capillary of small diameter provide more efficiently heat trnasfer to fluid because shorter apart from the distance at fluid center, make to evaporate required energy and the time also less.
Also preferably, capillary 18a, 18b can have about 5mm to about 72mm, respectively more preferably for about 10mm to about 60mm or about 20mm is to the length of about 50mm.Such as, the length of each capillary 18a, 18b can be about 50mm, and be such as furnished with downstream portion, it is the part of the about 40mm length of capillary 18a, 18b, can form spiral heating part, and be furnished with upstream portion, it is the part of the about 10mm length of capillary 18a, 18b, when heater 19a, 19b are activated, upstream portion keeps relatively not heated.
In one embodiment, each capillary 18a, 18b are substantially straight.In other embodiments, one or two in capillary 18a, 18b is spiral and/or comprises one or more bend wherein to save space.
In a preferred embodiment, each capillary 18a, 18b are formed by conductive material, therefore by making electric current pass through to manage as himself heater 19a, 19b.Capillary 18a, 18b can be any conductive materials that can carry out resistance-type heating that can keep necessary structural intergrity under the operating temperature stood at capillary 18a, 18b, and it does not react with fluent material.For the formation of capillary 18a, 18b be applicable to material be selected from by stainless steel, copper, copper alloy, be coated with film resistor material porous ceramic film material, can from SpecialMetalsCorporation buy(it is nichrome), inconel (it is also nichrome), and the group that their combination is formed.
In one embodiment, each capillary 18a, 18b are stainless steel capillary 18a, 18b, and its part is used as heater 19a, 19b.Heater 19a, 19b be formed at electrical lead 26a, 26b and adjacent capillaries 18a, 18b the port of export 63a, 63b electrical connection section 110 between.Therefore, direct current or alternating current flow through to form heater 19a, 19b along the length direction of capillary 18a, 18b.First capillary and the second capillary can in series be electrically connected, so that the first capillary and the second capillary can by from power supply along the first capillary flow, electrical connection section by making the first capillary and the second capillary be connected to each other, and along the current flow heats that the second capillary flows through, make electric current can effectively heated capillary to the temperature being enough to make the fluent material volatilization comprised within it, as United States Patent (USP) 6, described by 715,487 (its full content is incorporated to herein by reference).In an interchangeable embodiment, capillary 18a, 18b can be connected in parallel.
Therefore, stainless steel capillary 18a, 18b is heated by resistance heated.The cross section of stainless steel capillary 18a, 18b is preferably circular.Capillary 18a, 18b can be the pipes being suitable for use as the entry needle with multiple footpath number.Such as, capillary 18a, 18b can comprise and have No. 32 syringe needles of 0.11mm internal diameter and No. 26 syringe needles of 0.26mm internal diameter.
In another embodiment, capillary 18a, 18b can be non-metallic pipe, such as glass tube.In this type of embodiment, heater 19a, 19b are formed by the conductive material that can carry out resistance heated, such as stainless steel, nichrome or platinum filament, and it is arranged along glass tube.When the heater arranged along glass tube is heated, the fluent material in capillary 18a, 18b can be heated to the temperature being enough to the fluent material in capillary 18a, 18b is volatilized at least in part.In other examples, a capillary 18a can be stainless, and a capillary 18b can be glass tube.
Preferably, as shown in Figure 2, electrical lead 26a, 26b and electrical connection section 110 are incorporated on metal capillary 18a, 18b.In a preferred embodiment, electrical lead 26a, 26b is brazed on capillary 18a, 18b.Preferably, as shown in Figure 2, electrical lead 26a be brazed into the first capillary 18a first, in upstream portion, and another root electrical lead 26b is brazed in the upstream portion of the second capillary 18b.
In use, once each capillary 18a, 18b are heated, the fluent material be included in the heating part of each capillary 18a, 18b can volatilize, and from outlet 63a, 63b ejection, it expands herein and mixes with the air entered from one or more air intake 44, in hybrid chamber 46, form aerosol.
Preferably, electrical smoking utensil 60 comprises and can grasp for transmitting air at least one air intake 44 in hybrid chamber 46.Preferably, air intake 44 to hybrid chamber 46 is arranged in the downstream of capillary 18a, 18b, so that make the air drawn along capillary minimize, and therefore avoids cooling capillary 18a, 18b in the process of heat cycles.In use, the material of volatilization expands out from each capillary 18a, 18b, and enters into hybrid chamber 46, and it can mix to form aerosol with air herein, aerosol and then be sucked out by suction nozzle end insert 20.In a preferred embodiment, at least one air intake 44 comprises one or two air intake.Alternatively, the air intake 44 of three, four, five or more can be had.The size of change air intake 44 and quantity also can contribute to the inspiratory resistance forming electrical smoking utensil 60.
In a preferred embodiment, each liquid supply container 14a, 14b can comprise electric operating or manually operated valve 40a, 40b, as shown in Figure 2.Each valve 40a, 40b can operate for making fluent material remain in liquid supply department, but when electrical smoking utensil 60 is activated, valve 40a, 40b open.Preferably, electrical smoking utensil is manually activated by pressing button (pressure switch) 100 (as shown in Figure 1), and it is opened valve 40a, 40b and activates heater 19a, 19b simultaneously.In other examples, valve 40a, 40b and heater 19a, 19b can activate by aerosol spraying, and make when smoker is on electrical smoking utensil 60 during air-breathing, puff sensor 16 communicates with control circuit 11, to activate heater 19a, 19b, and open valve 40a, 40b.
Preferably, if button 100 is for manually active electron smoking apparatus 60, then when reaching critical minimum pressure, valve 40a, 40b will open, to avoid fluent material inadvertently discharge from liquid supply container 14a, 14b or activate heater 19a, 19b.Preferably, the pressure of pressing needed for button 100 is sufficiently high, makes to avoid unexpected heating.Layout like this can be avoided not having liquid pumping by activating heater 19a, 19b during capillary.
Advantageously, use valve 40a, 40b also contribute to the pressure of release action in liquid supply container 14 (with or switch 44) the limit amount of liquid of returning from each capillary.At the end of aerosol spraying (or activation), wish that liquid is return from capillary.When the beginning of new puff cycle, there is remaining liquid in capillary and liquid can be caused to occur undesired splash from the capillary of heating when activating and starting.Valve 40a, 40b can be configured to allow to occur that want, limited amount returning, make liquid return generation time do not have air to be inhaled in liquid supply container 14a, 14b.
Advantageously, once smoker stops from electrical smoking utensil 60 air-breathing or stops promoting button 100, each capillary 18a, 18b can be cleaned, because any liquid remained in pipe all can be discharged (volatilization) in the process of heating.
In a preferred embodiment, power supply 12 comprises the battery be arranged in electrical smoking utensil 60.Heater 19a, 19b can be connected on battery by electrical lead 26a, 26b.According to the power cycle of predetermined period of time, the cycle of such as 2 to 10 seconds, or last till that pressure is applied to the time cycle on button (pressure switch) 100, power supply 12 can be used to and apply voltage on heater 19a, 19b of being connected with capillary 18a, 18b, and the fluent material contained in capillary 18a, 18b is volatilized.Control circuit 11 is programmable, and can comprise the microprocessor that program turns to the function performing such as heated capillary and/or operating valve.In other embodiments, control circuit 11 can comprise special IC (ASIC).
Preferably, be high connductivity and heat-resisting at heater 19a, 19b and the electrical contacts between electrical lead 26a, 26b or electrical connection section, and heatable section 19a, 19b of capillary 18a, 18b are high-resistance, heat mainly can be produced along heater 19a, 19b, and can not produce at contact site place.
Battery can be lithium ion battery or its distortion in one, such as lithium ion polymer battery.Alternatively, battery can be Ni-MH battery, nickel-cadmium cell, lithium-manganese cell, lithium cobalt battery or fuel cell.In this case, preferably, smoker can use electrical smoking utensil 60 until the electricity of power supply is depleted.Alternatively, power supply 12 can be chargeable, and comprises and allow battery to be carried out the circuit that charges by external charging equipment.In this case, preferably, after charging, the aerosol spraying that circuit can be predetermined quantity provides electricity, and circuit must reconnect on external charging equipment after this.
Preferably, electrical smoking utensil 60 also comprises the control circuit that can be positioned on printed circuit board (PCB) 11.Once button 100 (pressure switch) is pressed, then power supply 12 is activated and provides electricity to heater 19a, 19b.Control circuit 11 can also comprise heat activation lamp 27, and when heater 19a, 19b are activated, heat activation lamp 27 can be used to luminescence.Preferably, heat activation lamp 27 comprises at least one LED and is positioned at the upstream extremity 5 (as shown in Figure 1) of electrical smoking utensil 60, so that heat activation lamp 27 occurs coal-fired the same outward appearance in aerosol spraying process.And, heat activation lamp 27 can be arranged to smoker visible.In addition, heat activation lamp 27 can be used for smoking apparatus system diagnostics.Lamp 27 can also be configured so that smoker can activate and/or extinguish lamp 27 when needed, can not activate lamp 27 in smoking process when needing.
Preferably, when activating, a part of heater 19a, 19b heated capillary 18a, 18b is less than about 10 seconds, is more preferably less than about 7 seconds.Therefore, power cycle (or maximum aerosol spraying length) can be defined in from about 2 seconds to about 10 seconds the scope of (such as about 3 seconds to about 9 seconds, about 4 seconds to about 8 seconds or about 5 seconds to about 7 seconds).
In a preferred embodiment, liquid supply container 14a, 14b comprise the fluent material with the boiling point be suitable in electrical smoking utensil 60 respectively.If boiling point is too high, then heater 19a, 19b can not make evaporating in capillary 18a, 18b.But if boiling point is too low, then heater 19a, 19b is not activated and liquid also can volatilize.
Preferably, liquid supply container 14a, 14b comprise the different fluent material with different viscosities respectively.First liquid supply container 14a can comprise at least one aroma materials.Second liquid supply container 14b can comprise at least one tobacco extract component, such as nicotine.Preferably, the fluent material in second liquid supply container 14b is at room temperature larger than the fluent material viscosity in first liquid supply container 14a.And preferably, the capillary 18b be connected with second liquid supply container 14b has larger internal diameter than the capillary 18a be connected with first liquid supply container 14a.Therefore, depend on and be included in aroma materials in liquid supply container 14a and viscosity thereof, the aerosol that the first capillary 18a produces has the particle of the size be in about 0.4 micron to about 2 micrometer ranges.The aerosol that second capillary 18b produces has the particle of the size be in about 0.5 micron to about 1 micrometer range.Advantageously, if necessary, electrical smoking utensil can be configured to form first aerosol with larger particles, and to be sent in mouth, and formation has more short grained second aerosol, to be sent to lower respiratory tract.
Second liquid supply container 14b can comprise nicotine.First liquid supply container 14a can comprise aroma materials, non-tobacco material and/or can be nicotine-free.Such as, the fluent material in first liquid supply container 14a can comprise water, organic solvent, ethanol, plant extracts and natural or artificial flavors.Preferably, first liquid supply container 14a and second liquid supply container 14b each in liquid can comprise aerosol agents.The example of suitable aerosol agents has glycerine and propane diols.
As shown in Figure 2, electrical smoking utensil 60 comprises suction nozzle end insert 20 further, its have at least two off-axis, be preferably scattered outlet 21.Preferably, suction nozzle end insert 20 is communicated with hybrid chamber 46 fluid, and suction nozzle end insert 20 comprises at least two scattered outlets 21 (such as 3,4,5, or be preferably 6 to 10, or more an outlet).Preferably, the outlet 21 of suction nozzle end insert 20 is positioned at the end of off-axis passage 23, and outwards (namely disperses to turn up the soil) in inclination angle relative to the longitudinal direction of electrical smoking utensil 60.As used herein, term " off-axis " represents that with the longitudinal direction of electrical smoking utensil 60 be an angle.Also preferably, suction nozzle end insert (or drainage part) 20 comprises around equally distributed four outlets of suction nozzle end insert 20, so that in use make aerosol substantially be evenly distributed in the mouth of smoker.Therefore, when aerosol is sent in the mouth of smoker, aerosol enters into mouth, and move with different directions, so that provide full mouthfeel, in contrast, axis has the electrical smoking utensil in single hole, aerosol can only be imported position single in smoker's mouth.
In addition, the passage 23 of outlet 21 and off-axis is arranged so that the non-atomized drop be entrained in aerosol clashes into the inner surface 25 of suction nozzle end insert 20, and/or the inner surface of the passage 23 of shock off-axis, makes these drops be removed or break up.In a preferred embodiment, the outlet 21 of suction nozzle end insert 20 is positioned at the end of the passage 23 of off-axis, and relative to the angle that the central longitudinal axis of electrical smoking utensil 60 is 5 ° to 60 °, so that in use make aerosol fully be distributed in the whole mouth of smoker, and be convenient to remove drop.
Preferably, each outlet 21 has the diameter of about 0.015 inch to about 0.090 inch (such as about 0.020 inch to about 0.040 inch, or about 0.028 inch to about 0.038 inch).If necessary, can select together with the quantity of outlet 21 size of the passage 23 of outlet 21 and off-axis, to adjust the inspiratory resistance (RTD) of electrical smoking utensil 60.
Preferably, suction nozzle end insert 20 is attached within the cylinder blanket 22 of cigarette bullet 70.
In a preferred embodiment, electrical smoking utensil 60 has roughly the same size with common cigarette.In certain embodiments, electrical smoking utensil 60 can be that about 80mm to about 110mm is long, and preferably about 80mm to about 100mm is long, and diameter is for about 7mm is to being about 8mm.Such as, in one embodiment, electrical smoking utensil is about 84mm length and the diameter had for about 7.8mm.
The cylinder blanket 22 of electrical smoking utensil 60 can being combined to form by any suitable material or material.Preferably, cylinder blanket 22 is formed by metal.The example of the material be suitable for comprises: metal, alloy, plastics or the one or more of composite comprised in these materials, or be applicable to the thermoplastic of food or pharmaceutical product use, such as polypropylene, polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK), pottery, low density polyethylene (LDPE) (LDPE), and high density polyethylene (HDPE) (HDPE).Preferably, this material is light and non-friable.Cylinder blanket 22 can be any applicable color and/or can comprise printing figure thereon or other marks.
In this article, when term " about " and a numerical value are used in conjunction, its numerical value meaning to be correlated with includes around this predetermined value ± tolerance of 10%.And when being mentioned to percentage in this manual, it means these percentages based on weight, i.e. percentage by weight.
And, as term " roughly " and " substantially " and geometry is used in conjunction time, it means the precision not requiring geometry, but the boundary of its shape is within disclosed scope.When using geometric terminology, " roughly " and " substantially " is intended to not only comprise the feature meeting strict regulations, also comprises considerably close to the feature of these strict regulations.
Now can be clear, describe in this manual a kind of newly, improve, non-obvious electrical smoking utensil, which disclose enough details with can understand by those of ordinary skill in the art.And, for a person skilled in the art it is apparent that for electronic cigarette feature have substantive depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention many amendments, change, substitute and equivalent.Therefore, can conclusively show, all these fall into amendment in the spirit and scope of the present invention that claims limit, change, substitute and equivalent and are included in appended claims.