CARTOMISER

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cartomizer for an aerosol-generating device such as a vaping device.

BACKGROUND

A vaping device may comprise a main housing which contains a power source and control electronics and a replaceable or refillable cartomizer which plugs in to the top end of the main housing.

A cartomizer is used to heat a liquid to produce an aerosol. The liquid may be stored in a reservoir of the cartomizer and a vaporizer with a combined wicking and heating function may be used to wick liquid from the reservoir and to heat the wicked liquid to produce the aerosol, which exits via a mouthpiece at the top end of the cartomizer. The vaporizer may be powered by the power source (e.g. a battery) of the main housing via electrical connections which are made across the interface between the top end of the main housing and the bottom end of the cartomizer. When the liquid in the reservoir has been used up, the cartomizer may be refilled by refilling the reservoir of the cartomizer, and this typically involves unplugging the cartomizer from the main housing, filling the reservoir with new liquid, and then plugging the cartomizer back in to the top end of the main housing. Alternatively, the old (empty) cartomizer may be unplugged and be disposed of or recycled, and a new (full) cartomizer may be plugged in to the main housing.

SUMMARY

In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a cartomizer for an aerosol-generating device, wherein the cartomizer has a top end and a bottom end which are spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the cartomizer; a vaporizer has a combined wicking and heating function; the vaporizer is elongate along a longitudinal axis and has a central portion and first and second end portions; and the vaporizer is positioned below a reservoir of the cartomizer and the end portions of the vaporizer sit flat on top of a lower support unit such that the longitudinal axis of the vaporizer is positioned transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cartomizer.

In some embodiments, the central portion of the vaporizer is planar with the end portions of the vaporizer and extends across an air passage of the lower support unit.

In some embodiments, when the vaporizer is a planar vaporizer, it may be in the form of a plate.

Thus, in accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a cartomizer for an aerosol-generating device, wherein the cartomizer has a top end and a bottom end which are spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the cartomizer, and a planar vaporizer is in the form of a plate having a combined wicking and heating function and is positioned transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cartomizer.

In some embodiments, the plane of the vaporizer is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartomizer.

In some embodiments, planar upper and lower major surfaces of the planar vaporizer are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartomizer.

In some embodiments, the planar vaporizer has the shape of a strip with parallel or concave sides.

In some embodiments, the central portion of the vaporizer is non-planar with the end portions of the vaporizer and extends across an air passage of the lower support unit.

In some embodiments, the central portion of the vaporizer is corrugated or lies in a plane which is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the vaporizer relative to a plane of the end portions of the vaporizer.

In some embodiments, when the vaporizer is in the form of a strip, the strip may be transversely corrugated or twisted at the central portion.

In some embodiments, the lower support unit has a top surface which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartomizer and on which the end portions of the vaporizer are seated.

In some embodiments, the end portions of the vaporizer are exposed to wells at the bottom of the reservoir.

In some embodiments, the cartomizer includes an upper clamping unit which sits on top of the lower support unit with the vaporizer sandwiched between the lower support unit and the upper clamping unit. Thus, in some embodiments, the end portions of the vaporizer are clamped in position and the central portion of the vaporizer is unclamped.

In some embodiments, the central portion of the vaporizer extends across a bottom end of an air passage of the upper clamping unit.

In some embodiments, a top surface of the lower support unit or a bottom surface of the upper clamping unit has a recess in which the end portions of the vaporizer are seated.

In some embodiments, the cartomizer includes an outer housing and at the top end of the cartomizer the outer housing includes a mouthpiece, the vaporizer is positioned inside the outer housing at the bottom end of the cartomizer; and the reservoir is positioned inside the outer housing between the mouthpiece and the vaporizer.

In some embodiments, the lower support unit and the upper clamping unit form a plug which closes a bottom end of the outer housing and a bottom end of the reservoir.

In some embodiments, the upper clamping unit includes an upwardly extending air tube which extends towards the mouthpiece.

In some embodiments, the reservoir of the cartomizer may be an annular reservoir extending around the air tube.

In some embodiments, the lower support unit has first and second through holes each leading from a bottom surface of the lower support unit to a respective one of the end portions of the vaporizer.

In some embodiments, each through hole is tapered from having a wider width at the bottom surface of the lower support unit to having a narrower width at the top surface of the lower support unit.

In some embodiments, the lower support unit includes first and second co-molded contact pads each for providing electrical contact between a power-supply pin and a respective one of the end portions of the vaporizer.

In some embodiments, relative to the longitudinal axis of the cartomizer, the wells are inboard of the first and second through holes of the lower support unit or the first and second co-molded contact pads of the lower support unit.

In some embodiments, the ratio of length to (maximum) width of the vaporizer is at least 5:1, or at least 6:1, or at least 7:1, or at least 8:1.

In some embodiments, the planar vaporizer has a length of 10 mm or less and the central portion is in the form of a central neck with a width of 1 mm or less.

In some embodiments, the vaporizer has a resistance of 0.5 to 0.6 Ohms.

In some embodiments, the central portion is in the form of a narrow central part for generating aerosol from wicked reservoir liquid and the first and second end portions are in the form of first and second wider ends which are in fluid communication with the reservoir. The narrow central part may be used for the purpose of aerosol generation, by forming an aerosol generation zone. The two wider ends may form wicking zones for receiving liquid from the reservoir of the cartomizer.

In some embodiments, each end portion of the planar vaporizer tapers in width in the direction of the narrow central part.

The narrow central part may have parallel sides. For example, the width of the narrow central part may be 1 mm (or less).

Overall, the planar vaporizer may have a bow-tie shape in plan view.

In some embodiments, the combined wicking and heating function of the vaporizer arises because the vaporizer is made of a porous and electrically conductive material, such as sintered metal fibers.

In some embodiments, the vaporizer is formed from sintered fibers having a mean diameter of 12 microns or less, or 10 microns or less, or 8 microns or less.

In some embodiments, the lower support unit engages a bottom end of a side wall of the outer housing thereby locking the lower support unit in position relative to the outer housing.

The connection between the lower support unit and the side wall of the outer housing may be a snap-fit type connection.

In some embodiments, a bottom surface of the lower support unit provides a bottom surface of the cartomizer.

In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol-generating device comprising said cartomizer.

In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a vaping device comprising a main housing which contains a power source and control electronics, and said cartomizer.

In accordance with some embodiments described herein, the configuration is such that the vaporizer may pick up liquid at its two end portions from the reservoir, and by capillary action the liquid travels to the central portion of the vaporizer. A current that is passed along the vaporizer may heat up the central portion, and the current causes the liquid to turn into an aerosol, which may be passed up a central air tube and out of a mouthpiece at the top end of the cartomizer.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating liquid is not a requirement.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

In some embodiments, the or each aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavors, one or more aerosol-former materials, and/or one or more other functional materials.

The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.

As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term “botanical” includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibers, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like. Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v.,Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v.,Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Memtha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is tobacco.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel.

As used herein, the terms “flavor” and “flavorant” refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavor materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavor enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form.

In some embodiments, the flavor comprises menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted from cannabis.

In some embodiments, the flavor may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.

The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, coloring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.

An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the aerosol generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavor, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosol-modifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component, that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent.

The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a flavorant, a colorant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material.

In addition to the above disclosure, there is also disclosed herein, as an independent invention, a cartomizer for an aerosol-generating device, comprising:

- (i) an outer housing having a top end with an orifice;
- (ii) an intermediate component with a foot and an upwardly projecting air tube;
- (iii) a vaporizer; and
- (iv) a lower support unit;
- wherein the foot fits into a bottom end of the outer housing to define a reservoir therein for a liquid;
- the vaporizer is positioned between the foot and the lower support unit at a bottom end of the air tube; and
- a bottom surface of the lower support unit provides a bottom end of the cartomizer.

In this second independent inventive concept, the focus is on the reduced component count of the cartomizer (i.e. the four main sub-components (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) which are assembled together) and the type and orientation of the vaporizer are not limited to an elongate (e.g. planar) vaporizer which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartomizer. Preferred features of the first inventive concept may be applied, mutatis mutandis, to the second inventive concept.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vaping device.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a first type of cartomizer suitable for use in the vaping device of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are overhead and underneath perspective views of the first type of cartomizer, with some components omitted for clarity of depiction.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are vertical sectional and perspective sectional views of the first type of cartomizer.

FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C are respectively side, upper perspective and lower perspective views of an upper clamping unit of the first type of cartomizer.

FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C are respectively an upper perspective view (with the block shown as being transparent, so as to illustrate some hidden features), an upper perspective view (without transparency) and a lower perspective view of a lower support unit of the first type of cartomizer.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a second type of cartomizer suitable for use in the vaping device of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C are respectively a vertical sectional view, an enlarged sectional view portion and a side view of the second type of cartomizer.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic depiction of some dimensions of components of a variant of the second type of cartomizer.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic depiction of air flow paths in a variant of the second type of cartomizer.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a third type of cartomizer, one that is suitable for use in a vaping device similar to the vaping device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a fourth type of cartomizer, one that is suitable for use in a vaping device similar to the vaping device of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are perspective views of two versions of the planar vaporizer.

FIGS. 17, 18A and 18B are perspective views and an end view of two versions of a vaporizer having a central portion which is non-planar with the two end portions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a vaping device 1 comprising a main housing 2 and a cartomizer 3. The main housing 2 is in the form of a power pack because it contains a rechargeable battery, as well as control electronics. The cartomizer 3 plugs in to a top end 21 of the main housing 2 and may be unplugged therefrom when the cartomizer 3 needs to be re-filled with liquid or replaced with a new cartomizer upon depletion of the liquid in the original cartomizer. This plugging and unplugging occurs along a longitudinal axis L1 of the vaping device 1.

FIGS. 2 to 8 show an embodiment of a first type of cartomizer 3A suitable for use in the vaping device of FIG. 1. From the exploded view of FIG. 2, it may be seen that the cartomizer 3A is assembled from a stack of components: an outer housing 4, an upper clamping unit 5, a planar vaporizer 6, a lower support unit 7 and an end cap 8.

In the exploded views of FIGS. 3 and 4, the planar vaporizer 6 and the end cap 8 are omitted to improve the clarity of depiction of the components that are shown.

All of the components are shown assembled together in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The cartomizer 3A has a top end 31 and a bottom end 32 which are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis L1, which is the longitudinal axis of the cartomizer as well as being the longitudinal axis of the vaping device 1. The top end 31 of the cartomizer defines a mouthpiece end of the vaping device, and the mouthpiece 33 includes a mouthpiece orifice 41 which is provided at the top end 42 of the outer housing 4 in the center of a top face 43.

The outer housing 4 includes a circumferential side wall 44 which leads down from the top end 42 to a bottom end 45 of the outer housing 4 and which defines an internal reservoir 46. Prior to assembly of the cartomizer 3A, the bottom end 45 of the outer housing is open, but upon assembly the bottom end 45 is closed by a plug formed by the upper clamping unit 5 and the lower support unit 7 which are stacked together with the planar vaporizer 6 sandwiched therebetween.

The upper clamping unit 5 is an intermediate component of the stack of components and is shown in detail in FIGS. 7A to 7C. The upper clamping unit 5 includes a foot 51 in the form of a block and an upwardly extending air tube 52. On each side of the air tube 52, the foot 51 includes a well 53 which descends from a flat top surface 54 to a flat bottom surface 55 of the foot 51. At the bottom surface 55, each well 53 is open (see FIG. 7C) and, specifically, opens into an elongate recess 56 formed in the bottom surface 55, with the depth of the recess 56 matching the thickness of the planar vaporizer 6. The foot 51 includes two circumferential capillary breaks 57 for reducing or preventing leakage of liquid from the reservoir 46. The air tube 52 extends up from the bottom of the wells 53 and an internal air passage 58 of the air tube 52 has a bottom end 581 at a central portion of the recess 56 and a top end 582 at the top of the air tube 52. From FIG. 5, it may be seen that the top of the air tube 52 fits onto the bottom end 471 of an air tube 47 which extends downwards from the mouthpiece orifice 41 in the top face 43 of the outer housing 4. Thus, the air passage 58 is connected to an air passage 48 of the air tube 47.

The lower support unit 7 is shown in detail in FIGS. 8A to 8C and is in the form of a block having a flat top surface 71 and a flat bottom surface 72. A central air passage 73 extends upwardly from the bottom surface 72 to the top surface 71. On each side of the air passage 73, the block of the lower support unit 7 includes a through hole 74 which is shown empty in FIGS. 8A to 8C, but which in practice (see, for example, FIGS. 5 and 6) includes a co-molded contact pad 75 in the form of a pin. Each contact pad 75 is a press fit in its respective through hole 74. Each contact pad 75 provides an electrical connection path from the bottom surface 72 to a respective end portion of the planar vaporizer 6 when the planar vaporizer 6 is sandwiched between the top surface 71 of the lower support unit 7 and the recess 56 of the bottom surface 55 of the upper clamping unit 5 (see, for example, FIG. 5).

The block of the lower support unit 7 includes two circumferential capillary breaks 76 for reducing or preventing leakage of liquid from the reservoir 46. The foot 51 of the upper clamping unit 5 and the lower support unit 7 (with its block-like form) combine together to form a plug which seals the bottom end of the reservoir 46 (see FIG. 5) and in total four circumferential capillary breaks 57, 76 are present for reducing or preventing leakage of liquid from the reservoir 46.

When the components of the cartomizer 3A have been assembled together, an overall air passage 34 exists from the bottom end 32 to the top end 31 of the cartomizer 3A and it is formed by the air passage 73 leading to the air passage 58 which, in turn, leads to the air passage 48 and the mouthpiece orifice 41. Where the air passage 73 meets the air passage 58, the air flow bifurcates as it passes around the side edges of the planar vaporizer 6.

The version of the vaporizer 6 used in the cartomizer 3A is planar and is in the form of a plate and is elongate in the direction of a longitudinal axis L2. The planar vaporizer 6 has the shape of a strip and has parallel sides, and it is shown in more detail in FIG. 15. The planar vaporizer 6 has parallel upper and lower major (planar) surfaces 61, 62 and parallel side surfaces 63, 64 and parallel end surfaces 65, 66. The length of the planar vaporizer 6 is 10 mm. Its width is 1 mm, and its thickness is 0.12 mm. The planar vaporizer has a resistance of 0.5 to 0.6 Ohms. The small size of the planar vaporizer 6 enables it to take less time to reach a desired operating temperature compared with a large-size vaporizer, and less energy is used in doing so. The small size of the planar vaporizer 6 enables the overall size of the cartomizer to be reduced and the overall mass of the components of the cartomizer to be reduced.

Along the longitudinal axis L2, the vaporizer 6 has a central portion 67 and first and second end portions 68, 69. In FIG. 15, the length of the central portion 67 (relative to the lengths of the end portions 68, 69) has been exaggerated for reasons of visual clarity. When the vaporizer is in situ in the cartomizer, the central portion 67 is positioned in the air passage 34 as is shown in, for example, FIGS. 5 and 6. The central portion 67 extends across the top end of the air passage 73 of the lower support unit 7, and across the bottom end 581 of the air passage 58 of the upper clamping unit 5. The end portions 68, 69 are clamped between the upper clamping unit 5 and the lower support unit 4.

The end portions 68, 69 are connected in to a heater current circuit from below, by virtue of being seated on the contact pads 75. The end portions 68, 69 are also configured to receive liquid from the reservoir 46 from above, by virtue of being positioned beneath the wells 53 of the upper clamping unit 5. Relative to the longitudinal axis L1, the wells 53 are inboard of the contact pads 75, as may be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The vaporizer 6 is made of a porous and electrically conductive material. For example, it is formed from sintered metal fibers having a mean diameter of 12 microns or less. The material may be a 316L stainless steel non-woven sintered mesh. The density of fibers may be between 100 g/m²and 500 g/m². The mesh thickness may be 0.10 mm to 1 mm. The sintering temperature range may be 850° C. to 1400° C. under a weighted mass of between 0.5 kg and 25 kg. A vacuum and an inert gas such as nitrogen may be used, with a cycle time ranging from 2 hours to 16 hours. The resultant mesh is then compressed to the required thickness using a powered press. The mesh is then cut through to the required shape using mechanical cutting or laser cutting. Other metals may be used, such as Hastalloy or nickel chrome.

When the planar vaporizer 6 is clamped in position inside the cartomizer 3A, the longitudinal axis L2 of the planar vaporizer 6 is transverse to the longitudinal axis L1 of the cartomizer 3A. The plane of the plate-like planar vaporizer 6 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L1. The end portions 68, 69 of the vaporizer sit flat on top of the lower support unit 7 on the top surface 71 thereof. The thickness dimension of the planar vaporizer is typically small (e.g. the thickness of 0.12 mm already mentioned) and the orientation of the planar vaporizer is such that the planar vaporizer barely contributes to the overall height of the components making up the cartomizer compared with a cartomizer in which the planar vaporizer is upright (with the planar vaporizer extending in the longitudinal direction of the cartomizer). Also, the liquid storage volume of the reservoir 46 does not have to be reduced as a result of the planar vaporizer projecting up into the reservoir.

Because the planar vaporizer 6 is seated in the recess 56, it may be considered that the presence of the planar vaporizer does not itself contribute any height at all to the overall height of the stack of internal components of the cartomizer (the lower support unit, the vaporizer and the upper clamping unit).

The top end 21 of the main housing 2 includes an air inlet hole 22 on each side of the main housing 2 (with one of the two air inlet holes 22 being visible in FIG. 1). Air can enter the air inlet holes 22 and flow transversely inwards to the longitudinal axis L1 so as to enter the bottom end of the air passage 73 of the lower support unit 7 and to start to flow in the direction of the longitudinal axis L1 towards the mouthpiece 33. The main housing 2 has two power supply pins (not shown) which make contact with the bottom ends of the contact pads 75. The top ends of the contact pads 75 are in electrical contact with the end portions 68, 69 of the planar vaporizer 6. The end portions 68, 69 of the planar vaporizer 6 are exposed at the bottom of the wells 53 to the liquid in the reservoir 46, and the wicking characteristic of the porous planar vaporizer 6 transports a supply of the liquid to the central portion 67 of the planar vaporizer 6 which is exposed to the air flow along the air passage 34 (the air passage 73, the air passage 58 and the air passage 48). The current supplied by the contact pads 75 from the power source (e.g. the battery) of the main housing 2 causes the central portion 67 of the planar vaporizer 6 to heat up. The wicked liquid in the planar vaporizer 6 at the central portion 67 thereof becomes an aerosol and becomes entrained in the air flow along the air passage 34. The aerosol travels up the air passage 34 and out of the mouthpiece orifice 41 and is breathed in by the user of the vaping device 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cartomizer 3A includes an end cap 8 at its bottom end. The end cap 8 is made of metal and serves to assist with retaining the cartomizer 3A in the main housing 2 when the cartomizer 3A is plugged in to the top end of the main housing 2, because the main housing 2 is provided with magnets which are attracted to the metal of the end cap 8. The end cap 8 has a bottom wall 81 with a central opening 82 (see FIG. 5) which conforms to the shape of the raised central portion of the bottom surface 72 of the lower support unit 7. The end cap 8 also has a circumferential side wall 83 which has two opposed cut-outs 84 which latch onto corresponding projections 49 on the outer surface of the bottom end of the side wall 44 of the outer housing 4, so that the end cap 8 has a snap-fit type connection onto the bottom end of the outer housing 4. When the end cap 8 has been fitted in position, it holds in position the lower support unit 7, the upper clamping unit 5 and the planar vaporizer 6 which is sandwiched between the lower support unit 7 and the upper clamping unit 5.

It would be possible to omit the end cap 8 (in order to reduce the component count) by arranging for the lower support unit 7 to form a snap-fit type connection with the bottom end of the side wall 44 of the outer housing 4. Additionally, the cartomizer 3A could be provided with indentations which engage with projections at the top end 21 of the main housing 2, so that a releasable connection is provided between the cartomizer and the main housing.

FIGS. 9 to 12 show an embodiment of a second type of cartomizer 3B suitable for use in the vaping device of FIG. 1. The cartomizer 3B is generally the same as the cartomizer 3A and thus only the differences relative thereto will be discussed herein.

The cartomizer 3B does not have the two contact pads 75 of the cartomizer 3A. Instead, in the cartomizer 3B, the through holes 74 of the of the lower support unit 7 are designed to receive power-supply pins 23 of the main housing 2 which are longer than the power-supply pins of the main housing that would be used with the cartomizer 3A. The additional length corresponds approximately to the height of the lower support unit 7. The power-supply pins are spring-loaded (also known as pogo pins).

In FIGS. 10A and 10B, the top end 231 of each power-supply pin 23 is shown as touching the undersurface (the lower surface 62) of a respective one of the end portions 68, 69 of the planar vaporizer 6 so as to form an electrical connection therewith. There is also shown an annular gap between the top end 231 and the side wall of the through hole 74. This annular gap may be omitted if, for example, the through hole 74 is given a taper and the top end 231 of the power-supply pin 23 is given a corresponding taper so that, when the power-supply pin 23 is fully inserted, the top end 231 seals against the side wall of the through hole 74. This can assist with preventing leakage of liquid down the two through holes 74. In relation to the tapering of each through hole 74, it involves the hole having a slightly wider width at the bottom surface 72 of the lower support unit 7 and a slightly narrower width at the top surface 71 of the lower support unit 7.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic depiction of some dimensions of components of a variant of the second type of cartomizer 3B. In this variant, the height of the upper clamping unit 5 and the height of the lower support unit 7 have been reduced, compared to the cartomizer 3B. Also, the end cap 8 of cartomizer 3B has been omitted. In FIG. 11, a friction fit and/or an adhesive and/or a weld may be used to secure the upper clamping unit 5 and the lower support unit 7 in the bottom end 45 of the outer housing 4.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic depiction of the air flow paths in said variant of the second type of cartomizer 3B. The arrows A1 represent air flow that has entered the vaping device 1 through the air inlet holes 22 of the main housing 2 and is travelling transversely towards the central (longitudinal) axis of the vaping device. The arrows A2 represent air flow that is turning from the horizontal to the vertical ready to enter the air passage 73 of the lower support unit 7. The arrow A3 represents air flow that is approaching the lower surface 62 of the planar vaporizer 6 and is getting ready to bifurcate ready to pass around the sides of the planar vaporizer. The arrow A4 represents air flow that has entrained the aerosol produced by the heating of the planar vaporizer 6 by the electric current passing therealong.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a third type of cartomizer 3C, one that is suitable for use in a vaping device similar to the vaping device of FIG. 1. The differences relative to the cartomizer 3A will be discussed. In the cartomizer 3C, the interface line 35 between the cartomizer and the main housing (into which the cartomizer is intended to be plugged) is V-shaped in FIG. 13, instead of horizontal as for the cartomizer 3A as shown in FIG. 2.

The cartomizer 3C does not have an end cap 8. Instead, the side wall 77 of the lower support unit 7 has four projections 78 (two of which are visible in FIG. 13) which latch into complementary recesses 410 in the bottom end 45 of the side wall 44 of the outer housing 4.

The air tube 52 of the upper clamping unit 5 is longer in cartomizer 3C, compared with in cartomizer 3A. This enables the air tube 47 inside the reservoir 46 of the outer housing 4 to be shortened.

In the cartomizer 3C, the planar vaporizer 6A has a shape which is shown in more detail in FIG. 16. The side surfaces 63A, 64A are concave, instead of parallel. The length of the planar vaporizer 6A is 10 mm, and its thickness is 0.12 mm. In relation to the width of the planar vaporizer 6A, it varies. The central portion 67 is in the form of a central neck portion which has parallel side surfaces and has a width of 1 mm. The first and second end portions 68, 69 are wider than the central neck portion 67, and they increase in width as they extend towards the end surfaces 65, 66. Overall, in plan view, the planar vaporizer 6A has a bow-tie shape. Because the end portions 68, 69 are wider in the vaporizer 6A than in the rectangular vaporizer 6 of FIG. 15, the vaporizer 6A benefits in that a larger surface area of the upper surface of the vaporizer is available for being exposed to liquid from the reservoir 46 at the bottom of the wells 53, thus offering faster wicking and reducing the risk of dry-out of the central portion 67 and increasing the rate of aerosol generation at the central portion 67. Also, a larger surface area of the lower surface of the vaporizer is available for making contact with the electrical contact pads or the power-supply pins (the pogo pins), thus offering lower contact resistance and allowing for a higher heating current.

The absence of an end cap reduces the component count of the cartomizer 3C, and thus saves on cost. The absence of an end cap means that the bottom surface of the cartomizer 3C is provided by the bottom surface 72 of the lower support unit 7.

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a fourth type of cartomizer 3D, one that is suitable for use in a vaping device similar to the vaping device of FIG. 1. The differences between the cartomizer 3D and the cartomizer 3B are the same differences as discussed above as existing between the cartomizer 3C and the cartomizer 3A.

The vaporizers 6 and 6A are planar vaporizers which are in the form of a flat plate. Thus, the central portion of the vaporizer is planar with the end portions of the vaporizer. An alternative would be for the central portion of the vaporizer to be non-planar with the end portions of the vaporizer.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a first version of a vaporizer 6B having a central portion which is non-planar with the two end portions. The length of the central portion 67 relative to the lengths of the end portions 68, 69 has been exaggerated for clarity of depiction of the corrugated (pleated) nature of the central portion. The vaporizer 6B is in the form of a strip which has been given transverse corrugations 610 at the central portion 67. The end portions 68, 69 are planar with one another, and they are the parts of the vaporizer that would be clamped between the upper clamping unit 5 and the lower support unit 7. The central portion 67 with its corrugations 610 would be positioned in the air passage 34, and thus the existence of the corrugations would not contribute to an increase in the overall height of the stack of components (lower support unit, vaporizer and upper clamping unit) compared with the overall height associated with the vaporizer 6 of FIG. 15. The corrugated nature of the central portion 67 of the vaporizer 6B (compared with the vaporizer 6 or 6A) means that an increased surface area of the vaporizer is present in the air flow passing along the air passage 34, thus increasing the rate of aerosol generation. In effect, the corrugations mean that an increased length of the vaporizer strip can be present in the air passage 34.

FIGS. 18A and 18B are perspective and end views respectively of a second version of a vaporizer 6C having a central portion which is non-planar with the two end portions. Again, the length of the central portion 67 relative to the lengths of the end portions 68, 69 has been exaggerated, for clarity of depiction of the rotated (twisted) nature of the central portion. The vaporizer 6C is in the form of a strip which has been given twists 611 at the junctions between the central portion 67 and the end portions 68, 69. The twists 611 are such that the plane of the central portion 67 is perpendicular to the plane of the end portions 68, 69. Thus, when the vaporizer 6C is in situ, the twisted central portion 67 would be positioned in the air passage 34, with the plane of the central portion 67 being parallel to the air flow along the air passage 34. Consequently, the vaporizer 6C offers a reduced airflow resistance compared with the vaporizer 6 or 6A whilst still offering the same surface area of evaporation for the wicked liquid. The vaporizer 6C may be produced by rotating the central portion of the vaporizer strip about the longitudinal axis L2 by 90° relative to the plane of the end portions of the vaporizer.

The vaporizers 6, 6A, 6B and 6C discussed above are shown in the Figures as having side surfaces 63, 64 which do not incorporate slits. The side edges may incorporate slits, which are alternately present on the opposite side edges, so that, in use, the vaporizer provides a serpentine current flow path (when viewed from above or below) for the heater current, instead of a current flow path that is generally parallel to the direction of the longitudinal axis L2.

In the embodiments described above, the orientation of the vaporizer means that the contribution of the vaporizer to the height of the components making up the cartomizer is reduced compared with a cartomizer in which the vaporizer is upright (with the elongate vaporizer extending in the longitudinal direction of the cartomizer).

The height of the lower support unit and the vaporizer is less than for a lower support unit which has an elongate vaporizer which extends upright from (is perpendicular to) the lower support unit.

In relation to the reservoir which is positioned above the vaporizer, the liquid storage volume of the reservoir does not have to be reduced as a result of the vaporizer projecting up into the reservoir.

Corrugations of the central portion of the vaporizer increase an effective length of the central portion that is exposed to an air flow of the air passage, and this may provide an increased rate of evaporation from the central portion. When the central portion is rotated (twisted), this may reduce the air flow resistance imparted by the presence of the central portion in the air passage, whilst still maintaining the surface area of evaporation provided by the central portion.

This arrangement of the upper clamping unit so it sits on top of the lower support unit may securely hold the (planar) vaporizer in position, and the orientation of the vaporizer minimises the contribution of the vaporizer to the overall height of the stack of components (lower support unit, vaporizer and upper clamping unit).

The provision of the recess may assist with assembling the components of the cartomizer, because the recesss provides a destination location in which the vaporizer is to be positioned. If the depth of the recess is the same as or greater than the thickness of the end portions of the vaporizer, the vaporizer does not itself contribute any height to the overall height of the stack of components (lower support unit, vaporizer and upper clamping unit).

The plug (formed by the lower support unit and the upper clamping unit) which closes the bottom end of the outer housing also serves a second purpose of closing the reservoir which is defined inside the outer housing.

The first and second through holes of the lower support unit enable power supply pins, of the main housing, when the cartomizer is plugged into the main housing, to directly contact the end portions of the vaporizer.

The tapering of the holes may enable the holes to seal against correspondingly tapered power supply pins, which may help with reducing leakage of liquid from the reservoir of the cartomizer.

The co-molded contact pads may be used as an alternative to the through holes. The co-molded contact pads may provide a more-secure means of reducing leakage of liquid from the reservoir of the cartomizer, compared with sealing the tapered through holes with tapered power supply pins which are repeatedly inserted into and removed from the tapered through holes as the cartomizer is plugged into and unplugged from the main housing.

By positioning the wells inboard of the first and second through holes of the lower support unit or the first and second co-molded contact pads of the lower support unit, it is ensured that, in use, the reservoir liquid is wicked along heated portions of the vaporizer as the wicked liquid migrates to the central portion of the vaporizer.

A small size of the vaporizer enables it to take less time to reach a desired operating temperature compared with a large-size vaporizer, and less energy is used in doing so. A small size of the vaporizer enables the overall size of the cartomizer to be reduced and the overall mass of the components of the cartomizer to be reduced.

By having a narrow central part instead of a uniform width along the length of a planar vaporizer, the rate of aerosol generation may be increased, and the aerosol particle size may be reduced, for example to an average of about 0.5 microns.

By using the lower support unit to provide the bottom surface of the cartomizer, the component count of the cartomizer may be reduced. For example, there is no need to provide a bottom end cap (e.g. a metal end cap) which clips onto the other components at the bottom end of the cartomizer. If the number of components of the cartomizer is reduced, the cost of the cartomizer is reduced.

The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc, other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

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