Liquid Cartridge for a Personal Vaporizer Device

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cartridge for a personal vaporizer device, such as an electronic smoking article, and to a personal vaporizer device which includes or is capable of accommodating such a cartridge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Personal vaporizer devices, such as electronic cigarettes, electrically operated cigarettes or—in short—“e-cigarettes”, have gained in popularity over the past ten years as an alternative to traditional smoking articles, like cigarettes, cigars, and cigarillos. Developments in the design and configuration of such vaporizer devices are on-going to improve their performance and their reliability, as well as their ease of production and their production costs.

Electrically operated cigarettes usually include a heater powered by an electrical power source and a liquid reservoir containing flavoured or unflavoured liquids that can be volatilized using the heater and transferred to a user of the e-cigarette in an airflow through a mouthpiece of the e-cigarette. Such an electrically operated cigarette is for example known from the document US 2013/0160764 A1.

Documents WO 2016/079155 A1 and US 2013/0319438 A1 disclose cartridges for electronically operated cigarettes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, one of the ideas of the invention is to provide a new and improved liquid-holding container or tank for use in a personal vaporizer device, like an electronic cigarette. In particular, it would be desirable to provide such a new and improved liquid-holding container in the form of an easily and quickly replaceable cartridge for a personal vaporizer device. Moreover, one of the ideas of the invention is to provide for an improved consumable that can reduce consumer exposure to aerosol forming liquids and discourages consumers from refilling empty containers with potentially incompatible liquids.

According to a first aspect of the present invention a cartridge for use in a personal vaporizer device, especially for use in an electronic cigarette, includes a housing enclosing a reservoir for storing a liquid to be vaporized in the personal vaporizer device, specifically in an electronic cigarette, the housing having an opening. The cartridge further includes at least one permeable member arranged within the housing, the permeable member being configured to convey liquid from the reservoir to the opening in the housing by capillary action. At least one membrane compartment is set into the opening in a top portion of the housing. The at least one permeable member is arranged in the at least one compartment.

In some embodiments of the cartridge according to the first aspect, the at least one membrane compartment may be attached to the inner walls of the housing.

In some further embodiments of the cartridge according to the first aspect, at least one permeable membrane element may be held in the membrane compartment. In some embodiments, this permeable membrane element may be configured to convey liquid from the reservoir to the opening in the top portion of the housing by capillary action.

In some further embodiments of the cartridge according to the first aspect, the cartridge may further comprise an airflow channel running extending along a central axis of symmetry of the housing through the reservoir. In some embodiments, this reservoir may be separated from the airflow channel by inner airflow channel walls.

In some further embodiments of the cartridge according to the first aspect, the housing may have a cylindrical shape with an axial longitudinal extension. The housing may have a first distal end and a second distal end. The opening may be located at the first distal end or at the second distal end.

In some further embodiments of the cartridge according to the first aspect, the at least one membrane compartment may comprise a compartment wall having a plurality of compartment openings. In some embodiments, those compartment openings may form a sieve structure.

According to a second aspect of the present invention a cartridge for use in a personal vaporizer device, especially for use in an electronic cigarette, includes a housing enclosing a reservoir for storing a liquid to be vaporized in the electronic cigarette. The housing has an opening in the top portion. A compartment is set into the opening in the top portion of the housing and attached to the inner walls of the housing. A permeable member held in the compartment is configured to convey liquid from the reservoir to an opening in the top portion of the housing by capillary action.

In some embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, the compartment may comprise a compartment wall having a plurality of compartment openings. In some embodiments, those compartment openings may form a sieve structure. In some embodiments, the compartment wall of the compartment with a plurality of compartment openings may be one of or a combination of a side wall and a bottom wall.

In some further embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, the permeable member may be formed of a wicking material selected from one of or a combination of the group of an open cell polymer foam, a natural fibrous textile, a synthetic textile, porous ceramics, ceramic wools, silica twines, silica braids, a stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous material having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular, porous structure.

In some further embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, the upper surface of the permeable member may be flush with the top rim of the housing.

In some further embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, the upper surface of the permeable member may be sunk within the housing by a setback distance with respect to the top rim of the housing. In some embodiments, the cartridge may further comprise a tear-off film arranged over this top rim of the housing. This tear-off film may seal the permeable member within the cartridge in a liquid-tight manner.

In some further embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, a tear-off film may be arranged over the top rim of the housing, sealing the permeable member within the cartridge in a liquid-tight manner. In some embodiments, a sealing pad may be attached to the back of this tear-off film, the sealing pad having a thickness corresponding to the setback distance of the upper surface of the permeable member.

In some further embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, a liquid retention barrier may be arranged within the reservoir. In some embodiments, this liquid retention barrier may prevent at least a partial amount of liquid in the upper portion of the reservoir from flowing back into the lower portion of the reservoir.

In some further embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, the housing may be substantially tubular in shape. In some embodiments, the compartment may be set into a circular opening concentric with the circular cross-section of this tubular housing. In some embodiments, the permeable member may be disc-shaped having a diameter between 50% and 90% of the diameter of this tubular housing.

In some further embodiments of the cartridge according to the second aspect, the housing may be made from a thermoplastic, particularly one of polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyethylene.

According to a third aspect of the present invention an electronic cigarette comprises a removable cartridge according to the first aspect of the invention, a main body and a permeable member. The main body has a cartridge seating configured to receive the removable cartridge and an atomizer having a heater and a fluid transfer element connected to the heater. The permeable member is configured to convey liquid by capillary action from a liquid reservoir of the cartridge to an opening in the cartridge, so that liquid is conveyed from the liquid reservoir to the atomizer when the fluid transfer element is brought into contact with the permeable member.

In some embodiments of the electronic cigarette according to the third aspect, the fluid transfer element may be configured to be in direct contact with the permeable member of the cartridge upon placing the cartridge into the cartridge seating of the main body. In some embodiments thereof, the fluid transfer element may be configured to compress the permeable member such that the fluid transfer element at least partially protrudes into the cartridge.

In some embodiments of the electronic cigarette according to the third aspect, the electronic cigarette may further comprise a mouthpiece removably attached to the main body and enclosing the cartridge seating. The mouthpiece may be configured to transfer vaporized liquid from the atomizer through an airflow channel running along a central axis of symmetry of the main body through the reservoir of the cartridge to a mouthpiece opening and then to a user of the electronic cigarette.

In some embodiments of the electronic cigarette according to the third aspect, the fluid transfer element may be arranged at a bottom portion of the cartridge seating.

In some embodiments of the electronic cigarette according to the third aspect, the fluid transfer element may be formed of a wicking material selected from one of or a combination of the group of silica twines, silica braids, cotton, a stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous material having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular, porous structure.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention a personal vaporizer device, such as an electronic cigarette, comprises a vaporizer housing having a hollow chamber formed as a receptacle for a cartridge with a permeable membrane element. The permeable membrane element is configured to convey liquid from a liquid reservoir of the cartridge to an opening in the top portion of the cartridge by capillary action. The personal vaporizer device of the fourth aspect of the present invention further comprises an atomizer section having a heating device configured to vaporize liquid conveyed from the liquid reservoir of the cartridge into the personal vaporizer device, and a mouthpiece connected to vaporizer housing. The mouthpiece is configured to transfer vaporized liquid from the atomizer section through a mouthpiece opening to a user of the personal vaporizer device.

In some embodiments of the personal vaporizer device according to the fourth aspect, the personal vaporizer device may further comprise a vaporizer rear part configured to be removably attached to the vaporizer housing, thereby enclosing the receptacle for the cartridge. In some embodiments, this vaporizer rear part may include a battery compartment for an electric energy storage.

In some further embodiments of the personal vaporizer device according to the fourth aspect, the heating device of the atomizer section may be configured to be in direct contact with the permeable membrane element of the cartridge upon placing the cartridge into the receptacle of the vaporizer housing.

In some further embodiments of the personal vaporizer device according to the fourth aspect, the atomizer section may further include a wick to which the heating device is connected, the wick having a wick contact surface being configured to be in direct contact with the permeable membrane element of the cartridge upon placing the cartridge into the receptacle of the vaporizer housing. In some embodiments, this wick may be formed of a wicking material selected from one of or a combination of the group of silica twines, silica braids, cotton, a stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous material having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular, porous structure.

In some further embodiments of the personal vaporizer device according to the fourth aspect, the personal vaporizer device may further comprise an electrical energy storage configured to deliver electric energy to the heating device, the heating device being an electrically resistive metal coil wound around the wick.

In some further embodiments of the personal vaporizer device according to the fourth aspect, the atomizer section may be arranged between the vaporizer housing and the mouthpiece of the personal vaporizer device. In some embodiments, the mouthpiece may be connected to the vaporizer housing in such a way that air inlets to the atomizer section are arranged between the vaporizer housing and the mouthpiece of the personal vaporizer device.

In this way, the present invention provides a cartridge for a vaporizer unit of an electronic cigarette in which the heating element is intimately associated and/or integrated with the liquid delivery means. This provides not only an optimized construction for easy assembly of the parts of the vaporizer unit but also a most efficient transmission or delivery of the liquid to be vaporized to the heating element. The personal vaporizer device or electronic cigarette will therefore typically have a heating system that includes the heating element of the vaporizer unit. The heating system is preferably electrically driven by a power source, such as a battery, in the personal vaporizer device or electronic cigarette.

According to fifth aspect of the present invention a personal vaporizer device, especially an electronic cigarette, comprises a cartridge according to any one of the aspects or embodiments described above. The cartridge may in particular be replaceable and/or disposable upon full or at least partial depletion of the aerosol forming liquid initially contained therein. For example, the cartridge may be held in an interior receptacle or cartridge seating of the electronic cigarette which may be accessed by reversibly detaching outer components or housing parts of the electronic cigarette so that the old (depleted) cartridge may be removed from the interior receptacle or cartridge seating and a new (liquid filled) cartridge may be placed inside the electronic cigarette instead.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be explained in greater detail with reference to exemplary embodiments depicted in the drawings as appended.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate the embodiments of the present invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments of the present invention and many of the intended advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as they become better understood by reference to the following detailed description. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. Like reference numerals designate corresponding similar parts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a liquid cartridge for use in an electronic cigarette according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a liquid cartridge for use in an electronic cigarette according to some further embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an end portion of a liquid cartridge placed in an electronic cigarette in the vicinity of an atomizer according to some further embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an opened electronic cigarette in which a liquid cartridge is being inserted according to some further embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a closed electronic cigarette in which a liquid cartridge has been inserted according to some further embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a liquid cartridge for use in an electronic cigarette according to some further embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of liquid cartridge for use in an electronic cigarette according to some further embodiments;

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an opened electronic cigarette in which a liquid cartridge is being inserted according to some further embodiments; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a closed electronic cigarette in which a liquid cartridge has been inserted according to some further embodiments.

It will be appreciated that common and/or well understood elements that may be useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are not necessarily depicted in order to facilitate a more abstracted view of the embodiments. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily illustrated to scale relative to each other. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps in an embodiment of a method may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrences while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used in the present specification have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study, except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Generally, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. In the present invention, reference is made to personal vaporizer devices. Such personal vaporizer devices may also be termed aerosol generators, aerosol generating devices or electronic cigarettes and are generally intended to comprise any apparatus capable of converting electric energy and/or combustion energy into heat and subsequently heating and thereby volatilizing particles in a vaporisable material, for example, a liquid or gaseous composition contained within a container part of the personal vaporizer device/electronic cigarette. Particularly, the personal vaporizer devices or electronic cigarettes of the present disclosure may have a replaceable container part designed as consumable good. Personal vaporizer devices and electronic cigarettes within the meaning of the present disclosure may transport the volatilized particles in an airflow through the vaporizer device to a user of the vaporizer device, the user of the vaporizer device being able to activate or deactivate the generation of aerosol and to control the duration, velocity and volume of the airflow by means of puffing or inhaling action. Personal vaporizer devices within the meaning of the present invention are capable of generating aerosol in variable amounts, depending on the rate and duration of heat transfer from a heating element in the vaporizer device to the vaporisable material.

Wicking materials within the meaning of the present disclosure may generally consist of porous and/or fibrous material. The bulk porous and/or fibrous material may be shaped as desired to form a wick or a permeable membrane. Porous and/or fibrous materials that may be used for a wicking material may be natural materials as well as artificially manufactured materials. Particularly, porous and/or fibrous materials within the meaning of the invention may comprise one of or a combination of open cell polymer foams, natural fibrous textiles such as wool, cotton or felt, synthetic textiles, ceramics such as porous solids or ceramic wools, silica twines, silica braids, stainless steel meshes, or nanoporous materials having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular, porous structure. Such porous and/or fibrous materials may include consistently sized pores, openings or apertures that, collectively and/or individually, exhibit a certain capillarity and permeability with regard to specific substances, such as fluids and liquids.

With reference FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a cartridge 10 in the form of a replaceable liquid-holding container is shown. The cartridge 10 is configured for use in a personal vaporizer device 20, such as an electronic cigarette, electrically operating cigarette or “e-cigarette”, as exemplarily illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 and explained hereinbelow. The cartridge 10 is designed as a consumable product, i.e. a one-time use product that may be discarded or replaced upon full or at least partial depletion of the liquid contained therein.

The cartridge 10 includes a housing 1 having an outer housing wall la enclosing a liquid reservoir 4. The liquid reservoir 4 is used to store a liquid 5 to be vaporized in the electronic cigarette 20. The liquid reservoir 4 may for example be implemented or formed as a buffer or may include a buffer therein. Generally spoken, the reservoir 4 may be a liquid container containing liquid 5 to be vaporized directly or may act as a buffer for transferring liquid 5 to be vaporized to a vaporization member.

The housing 1 may for example be substantially tubular in shape, i.e. the outer housing wall la defines a cylindrical lateral surface defining a shell of the housing 1 around the reservoir 4. A base housing wall 1 b (exemplarily shown at the right hand side in FIG. 1) forms a base plane of the tubular housing, thereby giving the housing 1 a right circular cylindrical shape with an axial longitudinal extension. A first distal end (exemplarily shown at the left hand side in FIG. 1), opposite to a second distal end at which the base housing wall 1 b is located, is formed with an opening of the housing.

The housing 1 may for example be made from a thermoplastic, such as polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyethylene or even combinations thereof. An airflow channel 7 may extend along a central axis of symmetry of the housing 1 through the reservoir 4. The airflow channel 7 may be bounded by inner housing walls 1d, as best illustrated in FIG. 3. The airflow channel 7 may also be tubular in shape so that the reservoir 4 between the airflow channel 7 and the outer housing wall la has the shape of a hollow right circular cylinder, with the substantially constant distance between the airflow channel 7 and the outer housing wall la perpendicularly to the surface of the outer housing wall 1a defining the volume of the hollow cylinder in which liquid 5 may be held.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, at least one compartment 2a may be set in the opening, having the shape of a ring or a ring segment. The exemplary illustration in FIGS. 2 and 3 shows three substantially congruent and equally distributed compartment openings 2b around the ring shape of the opening between the airflow channel 7 and the outer housing wall la on the top side of the housing 1. The housing 1 generally includes a housing rim 1c on that side comprises a compartment wall having a plurality of compartment openings 2b. The compartment openings 2b may generally be arranged symmetrically around a central axis of symmetry of the housing 1, particularly around the airflow channel 7 extending along that central axis of symmetry. The number of compartment openings 2b is generally not limited and may in particular be larger or smaller than three, as exemplarily illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. If there is a single compartment opening 2b in a ring shape, there may be a single material bridge spanning the opening from the central airflow channel 7 to the outer housing wall 1a in order to mechanically stabilize the central airflow channel 7 within the center of the reservoir portion 4. If there are two or more compartment openings 2b, those compartment openings 2b may be separated by gaps 2d between the respective compartment walls, the gaps 2d being formed by thin material bridges spanning the opening from the central airflow channel 7 to the outer housing wall 1a.

The compartment openings may in particular be membrane compartments 2a that are used to hold permeable members 3, for example membrane elements formed of a wicking material selected from one of or a combination of the group of an open cell polymer foam, a natural fibrous textile, a synthetic textile, porous ceramics, ceramic wools, silica twines, silica braids, a stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous material having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular, porous structure. The permeable members 3 may have an outer shape of a ring or ring segment with a predefined thickness so that the permeable members 3 may be let in flush with the compartment openings 2b.

Depending on the number of compartment openings 2b there may be one or more permeable members 3 that are arranged within the housing 1. The permeable members 3 are configured to convey liquid 5 from the inside of the reservoir 4 to and through the opening in the housing 1 by capillary action. By choosing an appropriate thickness for the slabs of the permeable members 3, the upper surfaces of the permeable members 3 may be arranged flush with the top rim 1c of the housing 1. Alternatively, it may be possible to form deeper compartment openings 2b or thinner permeable members 3 so that the upper surfaces of the permeable members 3 are recessed within the housing 1 by a setback distance with respect to the top rim 1c of the housing 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the permeable members 3 may be sealed in within the cartridge 10 in a liquid-tight manner, for example by providing a tear-off film 6 that is arranged over the top rim 1c of the housing 1. The tear-off film 6 may for example by plastic film adhered to the top rim 1c by mechanically removable adhesives. The tear-off film 6 may have a generally circular shape that has a slightly larger diameter than the diameter of the opening in the housing 1 in order to fully cover the opening. A pull-off tab may be formed at one side of the tear-off film 6 for a user to grip, facilitating removal of the tear-off film 6 before use of the cartridge 10 in an electronic cigarette 20.

FIG. 3 illustrates a detail view of the top portion of the cartridge of FIGS. 1 and 2 in contact with an atomizer or vaporization member. The cartridge 10 may be removably held in a cartridge seating of a main body of an electronic cigarette. The electronic cigarette includes an atomizer which has a heater 14, for example formed as an electrically resistive wire or wirelike element, and a fluid transfer element 14a connected to the heater 14. The heater 14 may be placed centrally and substantially over a top opening 7a of the airflow channel 7 running through the cartridge 10. The fluid transfer element 14a may be located over the compartment opening(s) 2b and may in particular be in contact with the permeable member(s) 3 set in the compartment opening(s) 2b.

The fluid transfer element 14a may be formed of a wicking material selected from one of or a combination of the group of silica twines, silica braids, cotton, a stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous material having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular, porous structure. The fluid transfer element 14a can be arranged such that it is in direct contact with the permeable member(s) 3 of the cartridge 10 when the cartridge 10 is placed into the cartridge seating of the main body. Specifically, it may be possible to form the fluid transfer element 14a in such a manner that the permeable member(s) 3 are compressed into their respective compartment opening(s) 2b, thereby allowing the fluid transfer element 14a to at least partially protrude into the cartridge 10. For example, the fluid transfer element 14a may be a linear element having a flexible bulge or curvature that points towards the region in which the compartment opening(s) 2b of the cartridge 10 will be lying once inserted into the electronic cigarette 20.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show sectional views of an electronic cigarette 20 with a removable cartridge 10 inserted therein. The electronic cigarette 20 has a main body 15 with a receptacle portion 15a enclosing a cartridge seating 16. The cartridge seating 16 is dimensioned to receive the removable cartridge 10 therein. In the bottom portion of the cartridge seating 16 the fluid transfer element 14a of the atomizer may be located. The atomizer may have a heater 14 coupled to the fluid transfer element 14a. The heater 14 may for example include an electrically resistive metal coil wound around an atomizer wick 13.

The cartridge 10 inserted into the cartridge seating 16 includes one or more permeable members 3 which are configured to convey liquid 5 by capillary action from the liquid reservoir 4 of the cartridge 10 to an opening in the cartridge 10. This opening is in vicinity of the heater 14 where liquid 5 is first conveyed from the liquid reservoir 4 to the permeable member(s) 3, then on to the fluid transfer element 14a in contact with the permeable member(s) 3 and from there to the heater 14. The contact between the fluid transfer element 14a and the permeable member(s) 3 is made upon removing the tear-off film 6 of the cartridge 10 and then placing the cartridge 10 into the cartridge seating 16 with the opening facing towards the fluid transfer element 14a.

A mouthpiece 11 is removably attached to the main body 15 and encloses the cartridge seating 16. The mouthpiece 11 allows transfer of vaporized liquid 5 from the atomizer through the airflow channel 7 within the housing of the cartridge 10. Coaxially with the airflow channel 7 a main body channel 15b runs along a central axis of symmetry of the main body 15 through the reservoir 4 of the cartridge 10 to a mouthpiece opening 12 and then to a user of the electronic cigarette 20. Air inlets 15c in the outer walls 15a of the main body 15 let air pass from the outside of the electronic cigarette 20 to the heater 14 of the atomizer where the liquid 5 is vaporized and an air/liquid mixture is transported in the main body channel 15b to a mouthpiece air channel 12a within the mouthpiece 11 leading to the mouthpiece opening 12.

The heater 14 is energized by electrical energy from an electrical energy storage 19a located in a bottom portion 18 of the main body 15 of the electronic cigarette 20. The electrical energy storage 19a may also be configured to deliver electric energy to a control device 19b, such as a microcontroller, of the electronic cigarette 20 that controls the operation of the electronic cigarette 20 and its electric components.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show possible configurations for a cartridge 10 to be used in a personal vaporizer device 20, such as an electronic cigarette 20 as exemplarily illustrated and explained in conjunction with FIGS. 8 and 9. The cartridge 10 includes a housing 1 enclosing a reservoir 4 for storing a liquid 5 to be vaporized in the electronic cigarette 20. The housing 1 has an opening in the top portion (shown on the left hand side in the illustrations of FIGS. 6 and 7). The housing 1 may for example be made from a thermoplastic, particularly one of polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyethylene. The housing 1 may for example be substantially tubular in shape.

One or more compartments 2a are set into the opening in the top portion of the housing 1. This compartment 2a is attached to the inner walls 1d of the housing 1. For a tubular housing 1, the compartment 2a can be set into a circular opening concentric with the circular cross-section of the housing 1. One or more permeable members 3, for example permeable membrane elements, are held in the compartment 2a. The permeable membrane elements are designed to convey liquid 5 from the inside of the reservoir 4 to the opening in the top portion of the housing 1 by capillary action. The compartment 2a may for example have a compartment wall having a plurality of compartment openings 2b. In this manner, the plurality of compartment openings 2b are distributed about the bottom wall and/or side walls of the compartment 2a to form a sieve structure 2c, i.e. a structure with smaller openings bridged by thin material bridges. Liquid may permeate through this sieve structure 2c, but a larger permeable membrane element may be tightly held in place within the compartment 2a.

Permeable membrane element(s) that may be held in the compartment 2a may for example be formed of a wicking material such as an open cell polymer foam, a natural fibrous textile, a synthetic textile, porous ceramics, ceramic wools, silica twines, silica braids, a stainless steel mesh, and nanoporous material having an organic or inorganic framework supporting a regular, porous structure. The shape of the permeable membrane element may for example be designed such that it conforms to the shape of the hollow of the compartment 2a so that the upper surface of the permeable membrane element is flush with a top rim 1c of the housing 1. Alternatively, it may be possible to form a thinner permeable membrane element so that its upper surface is sunk within the housing 1 by a setback distance with respect to the top rim 1c of the housing 1. For housings 1 of substantially tubular shape, the permeable membrane element can be formed in a disc shape with a diameter between about 50% and 90% of the diameter of the tubular housing 1.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the permeable membrane element may be sealed in within the cartridge 10 in a liquid-tight manner, for example by providing a tear-off film 6 that is arranged over the top rim 1c of the housing 1. The tear-off film 6 may for example by plastic film adhered to the top rim 1c by mechanically removable adhesives. The tear-off film 6 may have a generally circular shape that has a slightly larger diameter than the diameter of the opening in the housing 1 in order to fully cover the opening. A pull-off tab may be formed at one side of the tear-off film 6 for a user to grip, facilitating removal of the tear-off film 6 before use of the cartridge 10 in an electronic cigarette 20.

For the case of a sunk upper surface of the permeable membrane element (as exemplarily illustrated in FIG. 7), a sealing pad 6a may be attached to the back of the tear-off film 6. Such a sealing pad 6a may have a thickness corresponding to the setback distance of the upper surface of the permeable membrane element within the housing 1 so that the sealing pad 6a holds the permeable membrane element in place during transportation and shipping of the cartridge 10.

The cartridge 10 may further be equipped with a liquid retention barrier 4a, 4b that is arranged within the reservoir 4. Such liquid retention barriers 4a, 4b entirely or partially prevent liquid in the upper portion of the reservoir 4 to flowing back into the lower portion of the reservoir 4.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 a personal vaporizer device 20 such as an electronic cigarette 20 may include a main body with a housing 15. This housing can include a cartridge seating or cartridge receptacle 16 for a cartridge 10 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. An atomizer within the main body 15 includes a heater 14 and a fluid transfer element 13a. The heater 14 may be coupled to the fluid transfer element 14a. The heater 14 may for example include an electrically resistive metal coil wound around an atomizer wick 13.

The cartridge 10 inserted into the cartridge seating 16 includes one or more permeable members 3 or permeable membrane elements 3 which are configured to convey liquid 5 by capillary action from the liquid reservoir 4 of the cartridge 10 to an opening in the cartridge 10. This opening is in vicinity of the heater 14 where liquid 5 is first conveyed from the liquid reservoir 4 to the permeable member(s) 3, then on to the fluid transfer element 13a in contact with the permeable member(s) 3 and from there to the heater 14. The contact between the fluid transfer element 13a and the permeable member(s) 3 is made upon removing the tear-off film 6 of the cartridge 10 and then placing the cartridge 10 into the cartridge seating 16 with the opening facing towards the fluid transfer element 14a. The fluid transfer element 13a may in particular be formed as a wick contact surface 13a of the atomizer wick 13.

A mouthpiece 11 is removably attached to the main body 15 and encloses the cartridge seating 16. The mouthpiece 11 allows transfer of vaporized liquid 5 from the atomizer through the airflow channel 7 within the housing of the cartridge 10. Air inlets 15c in the outer walls 15a of the main body 15 let air pass from the outside of the electronic cigarette 20 to the heater 14 of the atomizer where the liquid 5 is vaporized and an air/liquid mixture is transported to a mouthpiece air channel within the mouthpiece 11 leading to the mouthpiece opening 12. The air/liquid mixture may then be expelled at the mouthpiece opening 12 (indicated by reference sign A) and inhaled by a user.

The heater 14 is energized by electrical energy from an electrical energy storage located in a bottom portion 18 of the main body 15 of the electronic cigarette 20.

The electrical energy storage may also be configured to deliver electric energy to a control device, such as a microcontroller, of the electronic cigarette 20 that controls the operation of the electronic cigarette 20 and its electric components. The bottom portion 18 may in particular be a rear part of the electronic cigarette 20 that is configured to be removably attached to the vaporizer housing 15, for example by a screwing or shutting action S to interlock a female thread 17 formed in the inside walls of the cartridge receptacle 16 with a male thread 19 formed on the outside walls of the rear part 18. The rear part 18 can thus be detached from the cartridge receptacle 16, a cartridge 10 be inserted by a pushing action P and the cartridge receptacle 16 enclosed by re-attaching the rear part 18 again.

Although specific embodiments of the invention are illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations exist. It should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Generally, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein.

It will also be appreciated that in this document the terms “comprise”, “comprising”, “include”, “including”, “contain”, “containing”, “have”, “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to be understood in an inclusive (i.e. non-exclusive) sense, such that the process, method, device, apparatus or system described herein is not limited to those features or parts or elements or steps recited but may include other elements, features, parts or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Furthermore, the terms “a” and “an” used herein are intended to be understood as meaning one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise. Moreover, the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on or to establish a certain ranking of importance of their objects.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

1 Housing

1
a Outer housing wall

1
b Base housing wall

1
c Top housing rim

2
a Compartment

2
b Compartment opening

2
c Sieve structure

2
d Compartment gaps

3 Permeable member

4 Liquid reservoir

4
a/4b Liquid retention barrier

5 Liquid

6 Tear-off film

6
a Sealing pad

7 Airflow channel

7
a Channel opening

7
b Channel opening

10 Liquid cartridge

11 Mouthpiece

12 Mouthpiece opening

13 Atomizer wick

13
a Wick contact surface

14 Atomizer heater

14
a Fluid transfer element

15 Main body

15
a Main body housing

15
b Main body channel

15
c Air inlet

16 Cartridge seating

17 Female thread

18 Vaporizer rear part

19 Male thread

20 Electronic cigarette

21 Atomizer

A Airflow

P Pushing direction

S Shutting direction

Liquid Cartridge for a Personal Vaporizer Device

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