阅读说明：本技术 具有出口端照明的电子蒸汽烟装置 (Electronic steam cigarette device with outlet end illumination ) 是由 M·卡帕雷里 P·黛安娜 N·特朗 C·S·塔克 于 2018-12-24 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于电子蒸汽烟装置(10)的筒(15)包括：壳体(30),其沿着所述筒(15)的纵轴延伸；和出口端插入物(35),其联接到所述壳体(30)的出口端。所述壳体(30)至少部分地包封所述筒(15)的蒸汽前制剂贮存器(34)和蒸汽发生器(40),并且被构造成经由内部反射将光输送穿过所述壳体(30)的内部。所述出口端插入物(35)包括与所述蒸汽发生器(40)流动连通的出口(36),被构造成通过所述出口(36)将由所述蒸汽发生器(40)生成的蒸汽从所述筒(15)引出,并且还被构造成发射通过所述壳体(30)的所述内部输送的所述光。可以控制所述光的一个或多个特性。(A cartridge (15) for an e-vaping device (10) comprising: a housing (30) extending along a longitudinal axis of the barrel (15); and an outlet end insert (35) coupled to the outlet end of the housing (30). The housing (30) at least partially encloses a pre-vapor formulation reservoir (34) and a vapor generator (40) of the cartridge (15) and is configured to deliver light through the interior of the housing (30) via internal reflection. The outlet end insert (35) includes an outlet (36) in flow communication with the steam generator (40), is configured to direct steam generated by the steam generator (40) out of the cartridge (15) through the outlet (36), and is further configured to emit the light delivered through the interior of the housing (30). One or more characteristics of the light may be controlled.)

1. A cartridge for an e-vaping device, the cartridge comprising:

a structural element at least partially defining a reservoir configured to hold a vapor precursor;

a steam generator configured to draw the pre-vapor formulation from the reservoir and heat the drawn pre-vapor formulation to form a generated steam;

a housing extending along a longitudinal axis of the cartridge, the housing at least partially enclosing the reservoir and the steam generator, the housing having a tip and an outlet end, the housing configured to transport light from the tip of the housing to the outlet end of the housing via internal reflection through an interior of the housing; and

an outlet end insert coupled to the outlet end of the housing, the outlet end insert including at least one outlet in flow communication with the steam generator, the outlet end insert configured to direct the generated steam out of the cartridge through the at least one outlet, the outlet end insert further configured to emit the delivered light.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein

The housing is configured to receive light at the tip of the housing, the light being emitted from a light source external to the cartridge through an opening at the tip of the cartridge.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a light source at the tip of the barrel configured to emit at least a portion of the received light.

4. The cartridge of claim 3, wherein the light source is configured to emit light having a selected color of a plurality of colors.

5. A cartridge according to any preceding claim, wherein

The outlet end insert is configured to deliver the delivered light substantially exclusively through an outlet end surface of the outlet end insert, the outlet end surface extending substantially orthogonally to a longitudinal axis of the cartridge.

6. A cartridge according to any preceding claim, wherein

The housing and the outlet end insert are comprised in a single integral element.

7. A cartridge according to any preceding claim, wherein

At least the housing is transparent to visible light in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge.

8. An electronic vaping device, comprising:

a cartridge, the cartridge comprising:

a structural element at least partially defining a reservoir configured to hold a vapor pre-formulation,

a steam generator configured to draw the pre-vapor formulation from the reservoir and heat the drawn pre-vapor formulation to form a generated steam,

a housing extending along a longitudinal axis of the cartridge, the housing at least partially enclosing the reservoir and the steam generator, the housing having a tip and an outlet end, the housing configured to transport light from the tip of the housing to the outlet end of the housing via internal reflection through an interior of the housing, and

an outlet end insert coupled to the outlet end of the housing, the outlet end insert including at least one outlet in flow communication with the steam generator, the outlet end insert configured to direct the generated steam out of the cartridge through the at least one outlet, the outlet end insert further configured to emit the delivered light; and

a power section configured to supply power to the cartridge to cause the steam generator to form the generated steam.

9. The e-vaping device of claim 8, further comprising:

a light source included in one of the barrel and the power section, the light source configured to emit light based on power received from the power section, the housing configured to receive at least a portion of the light emitted by the light source at the tip of the housing.

10. The e-vaping device of claim 9, further comprising:

a control circuit configured to activate the light source based on a determination that air is being drawn through at least a portion of the e-vaping device, the control circuit further configured to maintain activation of the light source for at least a particular elapsed period of time after cessation of air drawing through at least the portion of the e-vaping device.

11. The e-vaping device of claim 10, wherein the electronic vaping device includes a heater, and a heater

The light source is configured to emit light having a specific characteristic, the specific characteristic being at least one of a color of the light and a brightness of the light; and is

The control circuit is further configured to control the particular characteristic of the light emitted by the light source based on at least one of:

determining that the light source has been emitting light for at least a threshold elapsed period of time;

a determined amount of a vapor precursor retained in the reservoir;

a determined amount of charge held in the power supply section; and

an amount of generated steam generated by the steam generator.

12. The e-vaping device of any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the e-vaping device is a combination of a vapor generator and a heater

The outlet end insert is configured to deliver the delivered light substantially exclusively through an outlet end surface extending at least partially orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the cartridge.

13. The e-vaping device of any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the e-vaping device is a combination of a vapor generator and a heater

The housing and the outlet end insert are comprised in a single integral element.

14. The e-vaping device of any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the e-vaping device is a combination of a vapor generator and a heater

At least the housing is transparent to visible light in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge.

15. The e-vaping device of any one of claims 8 to 14, wherein the e-vaping device is a combination of a vapor generator and a heater

At least the power supply section includes a housing that is opaque to visible light.

16. The e-vaping device of any one of claims 8-15, wherein the power section and the cartridge are configured to be removably coupled together.

17. The e-vaping device of any one of claims 8 to 16, wherein the power supply section includes a rechargeable battery.

18. A method for operating an e-vaping device, the method comprising the steps of:

determining that at least a threshold flow of air is being drawn through at least an outlet end insert of the e-vaping device; and

controlling a light source of the e-vaping device to emit light through an interior of the e-vaping device based on the determination such that

The light is transmitted through an interior of a housing of the e-vaping device to the outlet-end insert, and

the outlet end insert emits the delivered light.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein

The light source is configured to emit light having a specific characteristic, the specific characteristic being at least one of a color of the light and a brightness of the light; and is

The control includes: controlling the particular characteristic of the light emitted by the light source based on at least one of:

determining that the light source has been emitting light for at least a threshold elapsed period of time;

a determined amount of a vapor precursor held in a reservoir of the e-vaping device;

a determined amount of charge maintained in a power section of the e-vaping device; and

a magnitude of generated vapor generated by a heating element of the e-vaping device.

20. The method of claim 18 or 19, wherein

The outlet end insert is configured to convey the conveyed light substantially exclusively through an outlet end surface extending at least partially orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the e-vaping device.

21. A method as claimed in claim 18, 19 or 20, wherein

The housing and the outlet end insert are comprised in a single integral element.

22. The method of any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein

At least the housing is transparent to visible light in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the e-vaping device.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an e-vaping device, and a non-combustible vaping device.

Background

The e-vaping device includes a heater element that vaporizes a vapor precursor to generate "vapor," sometimes referred to herein as "generated vapor.

The e-vaping device includes a power source, such as a rechargeable battery, disposed in the device. The battery is electrically connected to the steam generator such that the heater element therein heats to a temperature sufficient to convert the pre-vapor formulation to the generated steam. The generated vapor exits the e-vaping device through an outlet end insert that includes an outlet.

Disclosure of Invention

According to some example embodiments, a cartridge for an e-vaping device may comprise: a structural element at least partially defining a reservoir configured to hold a vapor precursor; a steam generator configured to draw pre-vapor formulation from the reservoir and heat the drawn pre-vapor formulation to form a generated steam; a housing extending along a longitudinal axis of the barrel; and an outlet end insert coupled to the housing. The housing may at least partially enclose the reservoir and the steam generator. The housing may have a tip and an outlet end. The housing may be configured to transport light from the tip of the housing to the exit end of the housing via internal reflection through the interior of the housing. An outlet end insert may be coupled to the outlet end of the housing. The outlet end insert may include at least one outlet in flow communication with the steam generator. The outlet end insert may be configured to direct the generated steam out of the cartridge through the at least one outlet. The exit end insert may also be configured to emit the delivered light.

The housing may be configured to receive light at a tip of the housing, the light being emitted from a light source external to the cartridge through an opening at the tip of the cartridge.

The cartridge may also include a light source at the tip of the cartridge. The light source may be configured to emit at least a portion of the received light.

The light source may be configured to emit light having a selected color of a plurality of colors.

The exit end insert may be configured to convey the conveyed light substantially exclusively through an exit end surface of the exit end insert. The outlet end surface may extend substantially orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the barrel.

The housing and outlet end insert may be included in a single unitary element.

At least the housing may be transparent to visible light in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge.

According to some example embodiments, an e-vaping device may include a canister and a power supply section. The cartridge may comprise: a structural element at least partially defining a reservoir configured to hold a vapor precursor; a steam generator configured to draw pre-vapor formulation from the reservoir and heat the drawn pre-vapor formulation to form a generated steam; a housing extending along a longitudinal axis of the barrel; and an outlet end insert coupled to the housing. The housing may at least partially enclose the reservoir and the steam generator. The housing may have a tip and an outlet end. The housing may be configured to transport light from the tip of the housing to the exit end of the housing via internal reflection through the interior of the housing. An outlet end insert may be coupled to the outlet end of the housing. The outlet end insert may include at least one outlet in flow communication with the steam generator. The outlet end insert may be configured to direct the generated steam out of the cartridge through the at least one outlet. The exit end insert may also be configured to emit the delivered light. The power section may be configured to supply power to the cartridge to cause the steam generator to form the generated steam.

The e-vaping device may also include a light source included in one of the cartridge and the power supply section. The light source may be configured to emit light based on power received from the power supply section. The housing may be configured to receive at least a portion of the light emitted by the light source at a tip of the housing.

The electronic vaping device may also include control circuitry configured to activate the light source based on a determination that air is being drawn through at least a portion of the electronic vaping device. The control circuitry may be further configured to maintain the light source activated for at least a particular elapsed period of time after ceasing the drawing of air through at least a portion of the e-vaping device.

The light source may be configured to emit light having particular characteristics. The specific characteristic may be at least one of a color of the light and a brightness of the light. The control circuit may be further configured to control a particular characteristic of light emitted by the light source based on an elapsed time period that determines that the light source has illuminated at least a threshold value, a determined amount of vapor pre-formulation retained in the reservoir, a determined amount of charge retained in the power supply section, an amount of generated vapor generated by the vapor generator, and combinations thereof.

The outlet end insert may be configured to deliver the delivered light substantially exclusively through an outlet end surface extending at least partially orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the cartridge.

The housing and outlet end insert may be included in a single unitary element.

At least the housing may be transparent to visible light in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge.

At least the power supply section may comprise a housing which is opaque to visible light.

The power section and the cartridge may be configured to be removably coupled together.

The power supply section may include a rechargeable battery.

According to some example embodiments, a method for operating an e-vaping device may comprise the steps of: determining that at least a threshold flow of air is being drawn through at least an outlet end insert of an e-vaping device; and controlling a light source of the e-vaping device to emit light through an interior of the e-vaping device based on the determination, such that the light is transmitted through the interior of the housing of the e-vaping device to the outlet-end insert, and the outlet-end insert emits the delivered light.

The light source may be configured to emit light having particular characteristics. The specific characteristic may be at least one of a color of the light and a brightness of the light. The controlling may include: controlling a particular characteristic of light emitted by the light source based on determining that the light source has illuminated for at least a threshold elapsed period of time, a determined amount of pre-vapor formulation retained in a reservoir of the electronic vaping device, a determined amount of charge retained in a power supply section of the electronic vaping device, an amount of generated vapor generated by a heating element of the electronic vaping device, and combinations thereof.

The outlet end insert may be configured to convey the conveyed light substantially exclusively through an outlet end surface extending at least partially orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the e-vaping device.

The housing and outlet end insert may be included in a single unitary element.

At least the housing may be transparent to visible light in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the e-vaping device.

Drawings

Various features and advantages of the non-limiting embodiments herein may be more readily understood upon review of the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed to limit the scope of the claims. The drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted. Various dimensions of the drawings may have been exaggerated for clarity.

Figure 1A is a side view of an e-vaping device according to some example embodiments;

FIG. 1B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line IB-IB' of the e-vaping device of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is an orthogonal cross-sectional view along line IC-IC' of the e-vaping device of FIG. 1A;

figure 1D is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an outlet end of an e-vaping device according to some example embodiments;

figure 1E is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a portion of an E-vaping device according to some example embodiments; and

fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating operations that may be performed according to some example embodiments.

Detailed Description

Some detailed example embodiments are disclosed herein. However, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments. However, the example embodiments may be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only the example embodiments set forth herein.

Accordingly, while example embodiments are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, example embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit example embodiments to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, example embodiments are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of example embodiments. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description of the figures.

It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "connected to," "coupled to," or "covering" another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected to, coupled to, or covering the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the specification.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms (e.g., "under," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," etc.) may be used herein to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated for ease of description. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the term "below … …" can include both an orientation of "above … …" and "below … …". The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing various example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or groups thereof.

Example embodiments are described herein with reference to cross-sectional illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the example embodiments. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, example embodiments should not be construed as limited to the shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

When the word "about" or "substantially" is used in this specification in connection with a numerical value, it is intended that the relevant numerical value includes a tolerance of ± 10% around the numerical value. Further, when percentages are mentioned in the present specification, it is meant that those percentages are based on weight, i.e. weight percentages. The expression "up to" includes amounts from zero to the upper expressed limit and all values in between. When ranges are specified, the ranges include all values therebetween, such as increments of 0.1%. Moreover, when the words "generally" and "substantially" are used in conjunction with a geometric shape, it is intended that the precision of the geometric shape is not required, but rather that the latitude of the shape is within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the tubular elements of the embodiments may be cylindrical, other tubular cross-sectional shapes are contemplated, such as square, rectangular, oval, triangular, and the like.

Fig. 1A is a side view of an e-vaping device 10 according to some example embodiments. Figure 1B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line IB-IB' of the e-vaping device 10 of figure 1A. Figure 1C is an orthogonal cross-sectional view along line IC-IC' of the e-vaping device 10 of figure 1A.

In at least one example embodiment, as shown in fig. 1A-1B, an e-vaping device (e-vaping device) 10 may include a replaceable cartridge (or first section) 15 (sometimes referred to herein as an "e-vaping canister") and a reusable battery section (or second section, also referred to herein as a power section) 20 that may be coupled together at respective interfaces 25A, 25B. Interfaces 25A, 25B may be configured to be removably coupled together such that first segment 15 and second segment 20 are configured to be removably coupled together. It should be appreciated that each of the interfaces 25A, 25B (also referred to herein as a connector) may be any type of interface, including at least one of a snug fit, a detent, a clip, a bayonet, and a snap ring. In the example embodiment shown in fig. 1A-1C, air inlet 27 extends through a portion of interface 25B. It should be appreciated that in some example embodiments, the air inlet 27 may extend through a separate portion of the e-vaping device 10, including, for example, the interface 25A.

In some example embodiments, the at least one air inlet 27 may be formed in at least one of the first housing 30, the second housing 30', the interface 25A, and the interface 25B. In some example embodiments, the air inlets 27 may be machined with precision machining tools such that their diameters are tightly controlled during manufacturing and are replicated from one e-vaping device 10 to the next.

In some example embodiments, the air inlet 27 may be drilled with a cemented carbide drill bit or other high precision tool or technique. In some example embodiments, one or both of the outer housings 30, 30' may be formed at least partially from a metal or metal alloy such that the size and shape of the air inlet 27 does not change during manufacturing operations, packaging, and vapor smoke draw. Thus, the air inlet 27 may provide a consistent resistance to draw ("RTD"). In some example embodiments, the air inlet 27 may be sized and configured such that the e-vaping device 10 has an H of from about 60mm₂O to about 150mm H₂RTD in the range of O.

In some example embodiments, one or more of the interfaces 25A, 25B may be a connector described in U.S. application No. 15/154,439 filed on 5/13/2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. As described in U.S. application No. 15/154,439, one of the interfaces 25A, 25B may be formed by a deep drawing process.

In some example embodiments, the first section 15 may include a first housing 30 and the second section 20 may include a second housing 30'. The e-vaping device 10 includes an outlet end insert 35 at a first end. As referred to herein, the first end of the e-vaping device 10 may be referred to as the outlet end 45 of the e-vaping device 10. In some example embodiments, the outlet end insert 35 and the first housing 30 may be transparent to visible light in one or more directions. The outlet end insert 35 and the first housing 30 may at least partially comprise a transparent material including one or more of a transparent plastic material, a transparent glass material, some combination thereof, and the like.

Referring to fig. 1A-1B, in some example embodiments, the first section 15 may include: a structural element (also referred to herein as an inner tube 32) at least partially defining a reservoir 34 configured to hold a vapor precursor; a steam generator 40 configured to draw pre-vapor formulation from the reservoir 34 and heat the drawn pre-vapor formulation to form a generated steam; a first housing 30 extending along a longitudinal axis of the barrel 15; and an outlet end insert 35 coupled to the outlet end 31B of the first housing 30. The first housing 30 may at least partially enclose the reservoir 34 and the steam generator 40. The first housing 30 has a tip 31A and an outlet end 31B. The outlet end insert 35 may comprise a cavity 35A and at least one air outlet 36 in fluid communication with the steam generator 40 via at least the cavity 35A. The outlet end insert 35 may be configured to direct generated steam generated at the steam generator 40 out of the first section 15 through the at least one air outlet 36.

In some example embodiments, at least one of the first housing 30 and the second housing 30' is transparent to visible light in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the first section 15. In some example embodiments, at least one of the second housing 30' and the first housing 30 may be opaque to visible light.

As described further below, the first housing 30 may be configured to convey light through the interior of the first housing 30 via internal reflection. For example, as shown in fig. 1B, the first housing 30 may receive light 92 at the tip 31A of the first housing 30, and the light 92 may be conveyed through the interior of the first housing 30 from the tip 31A of the first housing to the exit end 31B thereof as internally reflected light 94 based on internal reflection of the internally reflected light 94 between surfaces of the first housing 30.

As shown in fig. 1B, the first housing 30 may include a tip portion 33 configured to receive light 92 into the interior of the first housing 30 at the tip 31A of the first housing 30. As shown, the tip portion 33 is configured to enable light 92 to enter the interior of the first housing 30 such that the light is internally reflected through the first housing 30 from the tip 31A of the first housing 30 to the exit end 31B of the first housing as internally reflected light 94.

As described further below, the internally reflected light 94 may be directed ("emitted") from the outlet end 31B of the first housing 30 to the outlet end insert 35, where the light may be further conveyed through the outlet end insert 35 to be emitted from the e-vaping device 10 as emitted light 96. As shown in fig. 1B, the emitted light 96 may be at least partially emitted from the outlet end surface 35B of the outlet end insert 35, wherein the outlet end surface 35B extends at least partially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the first section.

Referring back to fig. 1A-1B, the first section 15 may include an inner tube 32 defining an inner longitudinal boundary of an annular cylindrical reservoir 34 in the first section 15, and the first housing 30 may define an outer longitudinal boundary of the reservoir 34. As further shown in fig. 1B, outlet end insert 35 may define an outlet end boundary of reservoir 34, and first section 15 may include a transfer pad 38 defining a tip of reservoir 34. In some example embodiments, the first section 15 may include a gasket assembly (not shown in fig. 1A-1C) that defines the outlet end of the reservoir 34 such that the gasket assembly is between the reservoir 34 and the outlet end insert 35.

The inner tube 32 may define at least a portion of a passage 42 extending through the first section 15. As shown in fig. 1B, the tip of inner tube 32 is coupled with transfer pad 38 such that the tip of inner tube 32 extends through transfer pad 38, and inner tube 32 defines a channel 42 in fluid communication with a catheter 41A, described further below. As further shown in fig. 1B, the outlet end of inner tube 32 is coupled to outlet end insert 35 at cavity 35A, and air outlet 36 is in fluid communication with cavity 35A such that inner tube 32 defines a channel 42 in fluid communication with air outlet 36.

The reservoir 34 may be refilled via the reservoir opening using any commercially available pre-vapor formulation in order to continuously reuse the first section 15. In some example embodiments, a reservoir opening is included in the outlet end insert and enables access to the reservoir 34 from outside the first section 15.

As shown in fig. 1B, transfer pad 38 provides a seal with housing 30 and is also configured to transport the vapor precursor from between reservoir 34 and the opposing (outlet and end) surfaces of transfer pad 38 to a dispense interface 41 described further below.

In some example embodiments, transfer pad 38 may include a plurality of fibers, each fiber of the plurality of fibers may be substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of e-vaping device 10. transfer pad 38 may be formed from at least one of polypropylene and polyester. transfer pad 38 may be formed by meltblowing, which is a process of forming at least one of microfibers and nanofibers from at least one polymer that is melted and extruded through small nozzles surrounded by high velocity blowing gas or air.

In some exemplary embodiments, transfer pad 38 includes an outer sidewall. The outer sidewall may have a coating thereon that helps reduce leakage or form a seal between the transfer pad 38 and the inner surface of the first housing 30. In some exemplary embodiments, transfer pad 38 includes a plurality of channels. Each channel of the plurality of channels is between adjacent fibers of the plurality of fibers.

In some example embodiments, about 50% to about 100% (e.g., about 55% to about 95%, about 60% to about 90%, about 65% to about 85%, or about 70% to about 75%) of the plurality of fibers extend substantially along the longitudinal axis of the e-vaping device 10. In some exemplary embodiments, about 75% to about 95% (e.g., about 80% to about 90% or about 82% to about 88%) of the plurality of fibers extend substantially along the longitudinal axis.

Transfer pad 38 may be generally cylindrical or disc-shaped, but transfer pads are not limited to cylindrical or disc-shaped forms, and the shape of the transfer pad may depend on the shape of the reservoir and the housing. The outer diameter of the transfer pad 38 may be in the range of about 3.0mm to about 20.0mm (e.g., about 5.0mm to about 18.0mm, about 7.0mm to about 15.0mm, about 9.0mm to about 13.0mm, or about 10.0mm to about 12.0 mm).

In some example embodiments, the transfer pad 38 is oriented such that the channel is largely transverse to the longitudinal axis of the first housing 30 (where the longitudinal axis of the first housing 30 may be the longitudinal axis of the e-vaping device 10). In some exemplary embodiments, transfer pad 38 is oriented such that the channel does not extend transverse to the longitudinal axis of first housing 30.

While not wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the vapor precursor travels through the channel and the diameter of the channel causes the liquid surface tension and pressurization within the reservoir to move and keep the vapor precursor leak-free within the channel.

Based on the Hargen-Poiseuille equation and the capillary action principle, it is believed that the flow of the vapor precursor through the channel is proportional to the channel pore size and the liquid surface tension. Furthermore, it is believed that the flow rate of the vapor precursor through the channel is inversely proportional to the viscosity of the liquid and the length of the channel.

In some exemplary embodiments, the transfer pad 38 has a density in the range of about 0.08g/cc to about 0.3g/cc (e.g., about 0.01g/cc to about 0.25g/cc or about 0.1g/cc to about 0.2 g/cc). The transfer pad 38 has a length in a range of about 0.5 millimeters (mm) to about 10.0mm (e.g., about 1.0mm to about 9.0mm, about 2.0mm to about 8.0mm, about 3.0mm to about 7.0mm, or about 4.0mm to about 6.0 mm). In some exemplary embodiments, the length of the transfer pad decreases as the density of the transfer pad 38 increases. Thus, a transfer pad 38 having a lower density within the above-referenced range may be longer than a transfer pad 38 having a higher density.

In some exemplary embodiments, the transfer pad 38 has a length of about 5.0mm to about 10.0mm and a density of about 0.08g/cc to about 0.1 g/cc.

In some exemplary embodiments, the transfer pad 38 has a length of about 0.5mm to about 5.0mm and a density of about 0.1g/cc to about 0.3 g/cc.

In some example embodiments, at least one of the density and the length of transfer pad 38 is selected based on the viscosity of the liquid flowing therethrough. Also, the density of the transfer pad 38 is selected based on the desired vapor quality, the desired flow rate in the pre-vapor formulation flow rate, and the like.

As shown in fig. 1B, the steam generator 40 includes: a dispense interface 41 configured to draw pre-vapor formulation from the reservoir 34; and a heating element 43 configured to vaporize the aspirated vapor precursor to form a generated vapor.

Dispense interface 41 is coupled to transfer pad 38 such that dispense interface 41 can extend laterally across at least a portion of the tip side of transfer pad 38. As described above, transfer pad 38 is configured to transport the pre-vapor formulation from reservoir 34 to the tip side of transfer pad 38. Thus, dispense interface 41 is in fluid communication with reservoir 34 via transfer pad 38. Thus, the dispense interface 41 is configured to transport the pre-vapor formulation from the reservoir 34 through the transfer pad 38 to the heating element 43.

The heating element 43 is configured to generate heat. As shown in fig. 1B, heating element 43 is coupled to the tip side of dispense interface 41 and may extend along a surface of the tip side of dispense interface 41.

The dispense interface 41 is configured to draw the vapor precursor from the transfer pad 38 such that the vapor precursor can be evaporated from the dispense interface 41 based on heating of the dispense interface 41 by the heating element 43.

During vaping of the vapor, the pre-vapor formulation may be transferred from at least one of the reservoir 34 and/or the storage medium to the vicinity of the heating element 43 via capillary action of the dispensing interface 41. As shown, the heating element 43 may extend at least partially along the tip side of the dispense interface 41 such that when the heating element 43 is activated to generate heat, the vapor precursor in the portion of the dispense interface 41 proximate the tip side of the dispense interface 41 may be vaporized by the heating element 43 to form the generated vapor.

As shown in fig. 1B, the dispense interface includes a conduit 41A that extends through the dispense interface 41 and is in fluid communication with the channel 42 of the inner tube 32.

Still referring to fig. 1B, the first section 15 includes an interior space 44 at a rear (tip) portion of the steam generator 40. The interior space 44 is at least partially defined by the first housing 30, the interface 25A, and the steam generator 40. The interior space 44 ensures communication between the channel 42 and one or more air inlets 27, which air inlets 27 may extend between the interior space 44 and the exterior of the e-vaping device 10. Thus, the conduit 41A establishes fluid communication between the air inlet 27 and the channel 42 via the interior space 44, thereby enabling air to be drawn from the air inlet 27 into the channel 42.

In some example embodiments, generated steam generated by the steam generator 40 based on the heating element 43 that vaporizes at least some of the pre-vapor formulation drawn from the reservoir 34 into the dispense interface 41 may be at least partially entrained in the air drawn into the channel 42 from the air inlet 27. Thus, the generated steam may be drawn through the passage 42 to the cavity 35A. The generated vapor may then be drawn from the e-vaping device via the air outlet 36 in the outlet end insert 35.

Referring to fig. 1A-1C, first section 15 includes an outlet end insert 35 coupled to first housing 30 and inner tube 32 such that outlet end insert 35 both defines an outlet end side of reservoir 34 and establishes fluid communication with channel 42 between cavity 35A and air outlet 36 of outlet end insert 35. In some example embodiments, the first section 15 may further include a gasket assembly between the outlet end insert 35 and the inner tube 32, such that the outlet end insert 35 is connected to the first housing 30 and is in fluid communication with the passage 42 via one or more conduits extending through the gasket assembly.

As shown in fig. 1A-1C, the outlet end insert 35 includes one or more air outlets 36 that extend at least partially through the outlet end insert 35. As further shown, outlet end insert 35 may include a cavity 35A connected to air outlet 36. As shown, outlet end insert 35 may be coupled to inner tube 32 such that the cavity is in direct fluid communication with the outlet end of passage 42, thereby establishing fluid communication between air outlet 36 and passage 42 via cavity 35A. Accordingly, air drawn through the passageway 42 towards the outlet end of the e-vaping device 10 may be drawn from the e-vaping device via the cavity 35A and the one or more air outlets 36.

Still referring to fig. 1A-1C, the exit end insert 35 may be configured to receive internally reflected light 94 conveyed through the interior of the first housing 30, convey the received light through at least a portion of the interior of the exit end insert 35, and emit the conveyed light as emitted light 96 through at least one surface of the exit end insert 35.

For example, as shown in fig. 1B, the outlet end insert 35 may receive internally reflected light 94 from the first housing 30 at an interface between the outlet end insert 35 and the outlet end 31B of the first housing 30. The exit end insert 35 may also deliver received light to the exit end surface 35B of the exit end insert 35 based on one or more of internal reflection, refraction, transmission, etc., thereby enabling the light to be emitted as emitted light 96 such that the light 96 is emitted in one or more directions that are orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the exit end surface 35B. In some example embodiments, light may be at least partially emitted through one or more exterior sidewalls of the exit end insert 35. In some example embodiments, the outlet end insert 35 is configured to convey received light substantially exclusively through an outlet end surface 35B that extends at least partially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the first section 15.

As described further below, an indication of one or more instances of information may be provided to an adult vaper user from the outlet end of the e-vaping device 10 via internally reflected light 94 that is conveyed through the first housing 30 via internal reflection and emitted as emitted light 96 through the surface of the outlet end insert 35. For example, as described further below, the light 92 received by and conveyed through the first housing 30 may be emitted by a light source in the e-vaping device 10 that emits light 92 having one or more particular characteristics associated with particular information, such that the emitted light 96 indicates the particular information to an adult vaper viewing the emitted light 96.

In some example embodiments, the e-vaping device 10 may be configured to be manipulated by an adult vaper such that the outlet end 45 of the e-vaping device 10 is proximal to the adult vaper and the tip 50 is distal to the adult vaper. Since the e-vaping device 10 may be configured to emit emitted light 96 through the surface of the outlet end insert 35 based on internally reflected light 94 being conveyed through the interior of the first housing 30 via internal reflection, the light 96 may be emitted toward an adult vaping user handling the e-vaping device 10.

Thus, where the emitted light 96 is emitted to provide an information indication to an adult vaper, an electronic vaper device 10 configured to emit the light 96 through the outlet end insert 35 may be configured to provide the adult vaper manipulating the electronic vaper device 10 with the information indicating light 96 that improves visibility, thereby improving the ability of the electronic vaper device 10 to communicate information to an adult vaper manipulating the electronic vaper device 10.

In addition, because the e-vaping device 10 is configured to emit light 96 from the outlet end insert 35 of the e-vaping device 10, the e-vaping device 10 is configured to reduce the visibility of the emitted light 96 to other portions of the environment in which the adult vaper is located (e.g., away from the adult vaper).

Accordingly, transmission of the emitted light 96 to the ambient environment may be limited, at least in part, to adult vapers, thereby limiting, at least in part, the recipient of the information conveyed by the emitted light 96 to adult vapers that the outlet end 45 may access. Furthermore, the reduced transmission of the emitted light 96 to the ambient environment may improve the privacy of an adult vaper user, as the observability of the emitted light 96 may be limited, at least in part, to an adult vaper user handling an e-vaping device.

Still referring to fig. 1B, the e-vaping device 10 includes electrical pathways 48A, 48B that may electrically couple at least the heating element 43 to the power source 12 included in the second section 20. The electrical pathways 48A, 48B may include one or more electrical connectors. In some example embodiments, when interfaces 25A, 25B are coupled together, heating element 43 and power source 12 may be electrically coupled together via electrical pathways 48A, 48B.

In some example embodiments, one or more of the interfaces 25A, 25B includes one or more of a cathode connector and an anode connector such that when the interfaces 25A, 25B are coupled together, the coupled interfaces 25A, 25B may electrically couple the heating element 43 and the power source 12 together.

When the interfaces 25A, 25B are coupled together, one or more circuits ("closed") may be established through the first section 15 and the second section 20. The established electrical circuit may comprise at least the heating element 43, the control circuit 11, the power source 12 and the light source 14. The circuitry may include at least one of the electrical pathways 48A, 48B, the interfaces 25A, 25B, and the sensor 13.

Still referring to fig. 1A and 1B, the second section 20 includes: a second housing 30' extending in the longitudinal direction; a sensor 13 responsive to air drawn into the second section 20 via an air inlet 27A adjacent a free end or tip 50 of the e-vaping device 10; at least one power source 12; a control circuit 11; and a light source 14. The power source 12 may include a rechargeable battery. The sensor 13 may be one or more of a pressure sensor, a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensor, or the like.

In some example embodiments, the power source 12 comprises a battery that is disposed in the e-vaping device 10 such that the anode is downstream of the cathode. The connector element included in electrical path 48B may contact the downstream end of the battery. The heating element 43 may be coupled to the power source 12 by at least two spaced apart electrical leads included in at least one of the individual respective electrical pathways 48A, 48B, the interfaces 25A, 25B, the sensor 13, the light source 14, and the control circuit 11.

The power source 12 may be a lithium ion battery or one of its variants (e.g., a lithium ion polymer battery). Alternatively, the power source 12 may be a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, a lithium-manganese battery, a lithium-cobalt battery, or a fuel cell. The e-vaping device 10 may be used by an adult vaper until the energy in the power source 12 is exhausted, or in the case of a lithium polymer battery, a minimum voltage cutoff level is reached.

Further, the power source 12 may be rechargeable and may include circuitry configured to allow the battery to be chargeable by an external charging device. To recharge the e-vaping device 10, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) charger or other suitable charger component may be used.

After the connection between the first section 15 and the second section 20 is completed, the power source 12 may be electrically connected with the heating element 43 of the steam generator 40 upon activation of the sensor 13. Air is drawn into the first section 15 primarily through one or more air inlets 27. One or more air inlets 27 may be located along the first and second housings 30, 30' of the first and second sections 15, 20 or at one or more of the coupling interfaces 25A, 25B.

The sensor 13 may be configured to sense a drop in gas pressure and initiate the application of a voltage from the power supply 12 to the heating element 43 of the steam generator 40. Additionally, the at least one air inlet 27A may be located proximate to the sensor 13 such that the sensor 13 may sense an airflow indicative of steam drawn through the outlet end of the e-vaping device 10. The sensor 13 may activate the power source 12 and the light source 14.

Referring to FIG. 1B, the e-vaping device 10 may include a light source 14 configured to emit light upon activation of the heating element 43, the light source 14 may include a light emitting diode (L ED), as shown, the light source 14 may be positioned proximate an outlet end of the second section 20, for example, the light source 14 may be coupled to the control circuit 11, as shown, the light source 14 may be configured to emit light 92 through an opening at the interface between the interfaces 25A, 25B, such that the light 92 enters the first section 15 through the opening at the tip of the first section 15, passes through the interior space 44, and is received into the first housing 30 via the tip portion at the tip 31A of the first housing 30.

In some example embodiments, the sensor 13 is configured to generate an output indicative of the value and direction of the airflow in the e-vaping device 10. The control circuit 11 receives the output of the sensor 13 and determines whether (1) the direction of airflow in flow communication with the sensor 13 indicates that suction on the mouth-end insert 35 (e.g., flow from the passage 42 toward the exterior of the e-vaping device 10 through the mouth-end insert 35) and blowing air (e.g., flow from the exterior of the e-vaping device 10 toward the passage 42 through the mouth-end insert 35) and (2) the magnitude of the suction (e.g., flow rate, volume flow, mass flow, some combination thereof, etc.) exceed a threshold level. When the control circuit 11 determines that the direction of airflow in flow communication with the sensor 13 is indicative of a draw on the mouth-end insert 35 (e.g., a flow from the channel 42 through the mouth-end insert 35 toward the exterior of the e-vaping device 10) and an insufflation (e.g., a flow from the exterior of the e-vaping device 10 through the mouth-end insert 35 toward the channel 42) and a magnitude of the draw (e.g., a flow rate, a volume flow, a mass flow, some combination thereof, etc.) exceeding a threshold level, the control circuit 11 may electrically connect the power source 12 to the heating element 43, thereby activating the steam generator 40. That is, the control circuit 11 may selectively electrically connect the electrical paths 48A, 48B in the closed circuit (e.g., by activating a heater power control circuit included in the control circuit 11) such that the heating element 43 becomes electrically connected to the power source 12. In some example embodiments, the sensor 13 may indicate a pressure drop, and the control circuit 11 may activate the steam generator 40 in response thereto.

In some example embodiments, the control circuit 11 may include a time period limiter. In some example embodiments, the control circuit 11 may include a manually operable switch for the adult vaper to initiate heating. The period of time during which the current is supplied to the heating element 43 of the steam generator 40 may be set or preset depending on the amount of pre-vapor formulation to be evaporated. In some example embodiments, the sensor 13 may detect a voltage drop and the control circuit 11 may supply power to the heating element 43 as long as the heater activation condition is met. Such conditions may include: one or more of the sensors 13 detect a pressure drop that at least meets a threshold magnitude, the control circuit 11 determines that the direction of airflow in flow communication with the sensors 13 indicates that suction (e.g., flow from the passage 42 through the outlet end insert 35 toward the exterior of the e-vaping device 10) and insufflation (e.g., flow from the exterior of the e-vaping device 10 through the outlet end insert 35 toward the passage 42) on the mouth-end insert 35 and the magnitude of the suction (e.g., flow rate, volumetric flow, mass flow, some combination thereof, etc.) exceed a threshold level.

In some example embodiments, the control circuit 11 may include a maximum time period limiter. In some example embodiments, the control circuit 11 may include a manually operable switch for an adult vaper to initiate smoking of the vaping. The period of time for which the current is supplied to the heating element 43 (e.g., prior to controlling the supply of power to the heating element 43) may be given or alternatively preset depending on the amount of pre-vapor formulation to be vaporized. In some example embodiments, the control circuit 11 may control the supply of power to the heating element 43 as long as the sensor 13 detects a voltage drop.

Still referring to fig. 1B, in some example embodiments, the control circuitry 11 is configured to control the supply of power to the light source 14 to control one or more particular properties of the light 92 emitted by the light source 14 such that the emitted light 92, when emitted as the emitted light 96, conveys information based on one or more particular characteristics of the emitted light. The one or more particular characteristics of the light may include at least one of a color temperature of the emitted light 92, a brightness of the emitted light 92, and a length of time ("elapsed time period") that the light 92 is emitted by the light source 14. As referred to herein, the "color temperature" of the emitted light may be referred to as the "color" of the emitted light.

The control circuitry 11 may monitor one or more characteristics associated with the e-vaping device 10. For example, the control circuit 11 may determine ("monitor", "track", "calculate", etc.) an amount of pre-vapor formulation held in the reservoir 34, an amount of electrical energy ("charge") held in the power source 12, an amount of generated vapor generated by the vapor generator 40 during one or more individual instances of generating vapor, a flow rate of air through at least a portion of the electronic vaping device 10, some combination thereof, and so forth. Such characteristics associated with the e-vaping device 10 may be referred to herein as "e-vaping device characteristics". The control circuitry 11 may monitor one or more electronic vaping device characteristics based on processing sensor data generated by one or more sensor devices in the electronic vaping device 10, the sensor data including information received through a communication interface of the electronic vaping device 10.

In some example embodiments, the control circuitry 11 may control the supply of power to the light source 14 to control one or more characteristics of the light 92 emitted by the light source 14 such that the emitted light 92 has characteristics corresponding to one or more e-vaping device characteristics monitored by the control circuitry 11. .

As referred to herein, the characteristics of the light 92 can be the same or substantially the same as the characteristics of the emitted light 96 (e.g., the same within manufacturing or material tolerances). Accordingly, the control circuitry 11 may enable the e-vaping device 10 to emit emitted light 96 having one or more characteristics corresponding to the one or more e-vaping device characteristics such that the e-vaping device 10 may communicate information to an adult vaper viewing the outlet end 45 of the first section 15, the information being indicative of the one or more characteristics of the e-vaping device 10.

In an example, the control circuitry 11 may control the supply of power to the light source 14 based on determining to supply power to the heating element 43 such that steam is generated and also determining that the one or more monitored e-vaping device characteristics at least meet the one or more thresholds or are within the one or more ranges such that the light source 14 emits light 92, the light 92 having one or more characteristics determined by the control circuitry 11 to correspond to the one or more e-vaping device characteristics.

The correspondence ("association," "relationship," etc.) between the various light 92 characteristics and the various specific e-vaping device characteristics, including the correspondence between specific values or ranges of values thereof, may be stored in a look-up table, which may further be stored in memory. The memory may be included in the e-vaping device 10, within the control circuit 11. The control circuitry may, after determining a value for a characteristic of the e-vaping device based on the processed data from the sensor device, access a look-up table to determine at least one specific corresponding characteristic value for the light 92 to be emitted by the light source 14. The control circuit 11 may also determine one or more corresponding characteristics of the power to be supplied to the light source 14 to cause the light source 14 to emit light 92 having at least one characteristic identified in the look-up table.

In an example, the control circuit 11 may be configured to cause the light source 14 to emit light 92 having a particular color temperature and brightness based on steam generated by the steam generator 40. The color temperature of the emitted light 92 may be proportional to the amount of charge held in the power supply 12 over a range of color temperatures. The brightness of the light 92 may be proportional to the amount of pre-vapor formulation held in the reservoir 34. Thus, the color temperature and brightness of the emitted light 92, and thus the color temperature and brightness of the emitted light 96, may convey information indicative of both the amount of charge in the power source 12 and the amount of pre-vapor formulation retained in the reservoir 34.

In another example, the control circuit 11 may be configured to cause the light source 14 to emit light 92 having a particular color temperature and brightness based on the steam generated by the steam generator 40. Within the range of color temperatures, the color temperature of the emitted light 92 may correspond to a particular fragrance in a set of fragrances that correspond to individual color temperatures within the range of color temperatures included in the pre-vapor formulation held by the reservoir 34. The brightness of the light 92 may be proportional to the amount of pre-vapor formulation held in the reservoir 34. Thus, the color temperature and brightness of the emitted light 92, and thus the color temperature and brightness of the emitted light 96, may convey information indicative of both the fragrance associated with the vapor pre-formulation held in the reservoir 34 and the amount of the vapor pre-formulation held in the reservoir 34.

In some example embodiments, the characteristic of the light 92 emitted by the light source 14, and thus the characteristic of the emitted light 96 emitted by the surface of the exit end insert 35, may be the elapsed period of time that the light 92 is emitted by the light source 14. For example, the control circuit 11 may be configured to cause the light source 14 to emit light 92 for a particular period of time that is proportional to the amount of charge held in the power source 12, the amount of vapor precursor held in the reservoir 34, some combination thereof, or the like. As used herein, a value that is "proportional" to another value can include various types of relationships between the two values, including "inversely proportional," "directly proportional," and the like.

In some example embodiments, the control circuitry may control the supply of power to both the heating element 43 and the light source 14 simultaneously or according to a control sequence when it is determined that steam is to be generated based on data received from the sensor 13. As described above, the control circuit 11 may control the supply of power to the light source 14 to cause the light source 14 to emit light 92, the light 92 having one or more particular characteristics corresponding to one or more monitored characteristics of the e-vaping device 10. The control circuit 11 may cause the light source 14 to emit light 92 for a certain period of time.

The control circuit 11 may monitor the amount of elapsed time that the light source 14 emits light. In some example embodiments, the control circuit 11 may control the supply of power to the light source 14 to cause the light source 14 to emit a series of lights 92, where each individual instance of the emitted lights 92 has different characteristics according to a control sequence. Accordingly, the control circuitry 11 may control the light source 14 to emit various instances of light 92 that convey various instances of information associated with various e-vaping device characteristics. As referred to herein, a given "instance" of light refers to a particular continuous emission of light having a particular set of characteristics.

The control circuit 11 may control the light source 14 to emit a first instance of light having one or more particular characteristics ("first light") that correspond to one or more characteristic values of a first set of monitored e-vaping device characteristics. The control circuit 11 may cause the light source 14 to emit the first light for a particular elapsed period of time, where the particular elapsed period of time may be associated with the first instance of light or may be a magnitude of elapsed time that is determined based on a determined value of one or more monitored e-vaping device characteristics of the first set of monitored e-vaping device characteristics.

The control circuit 11 may then control the light source 14 to emit one or more additional instances of light having one or more different characteristics ("one or more additional lights") corresponding to one or more additional sets of monitored e-vaping device characteristics. The control circuit 11 may cause the light source 14 to emit additional instances of light for individual specific elapsed time periods, where an individual specific elapsed time period may be associated with an additional instance of light or may be a magnitude of elapsed time that is determined based on the determined values of one or more of the additional sets of monitored e-vaping device characteristics.

Thus, the control circuitry 11 may cause the e-vaping device 10 to communicate a greater range of information by controlling the characteristics of the light 92 emitted by the light source 14.

As described above, the control circuit 11 may associate each instance of light 92 emitted by the light source 14 in a control sequence with a particular amount of elapsed time ("elapsed time period"). As described above, the magnitude of the elapsed time period associated with a particular instance of emitted light may be controlled based on one or more monitored e-vaping device characteristics of the e-vaping device 10, such that, as a result, even the amount of time of the particular instance of emitted light 92 may convey information related to the one or more monitored characteristics.

In controlling the light source 14 to emit a particular instance of the light 92 (e.g., light 92 having one or more particular characteristics), the control circuitry 11 may enable the light source 14 to emit the particular instance of the light 92 for a particular elapsed period of time that is associated with the particular instance of the light 92.

In response to determining that a particular elapsed time period associated with the emitted instance of light has elapsed, the control circuit 11 may control the light source 14 to emit different instances of light having different characteristics (e.g., at least one of color temperature or brightness) corresponding to a different set of monitored electronic vaping device characteristics of the electronic vaping device 10 over different elapsed time periods associated with the different instances of light. The control circuit 11 may cause the light source 14 to be deactivated when controlling the light source 14 to emit all instances of light in the control sequence for the associated elapsed period of time.

In an example, based on receiving data from the sensor 13 indicating that steam is to be generated, the control circuit 11 may control the light source 14 to sequentially emit two separate instances of light, wherein a first instance of the emitted light 92 emitted within a first time period proportional to the amount of the steam pre-formulation in the reservoir 34 has a color corresponding to the determined fragrance included in the steam pre-formulation and has a brightness corresponding to the amount of steam generated in response to the received data.

Continuing with this example, after determining that the first time period has elapsed, the control circuit 11 may control the light source 14 to switch from emitting the first instance of light 92 to emitting a second instance of light 92 for a second time period that is fixed (e.g., a constant that is independent of any monitored e-vaping device characteristics), wherein the color temperature and brightness of the second instance of light 92 are both proportional to the determined amount of charge in the power source 12. In response to determining that the second time period has elapsed, the control circuit 11 may deactivate the light source 14.

To control the supply of electrical power to at least one of the heating element 43 and the light source 14, the control circuit 11 may execute one or more instances of computer executable program code. The control circuit 11 may include a processor and a memory. The memory may be a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable code.

Control circuit 11 may include processing circuitry including, but not limited to, a processor, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (a L U), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a system on a chip (SoC), a programmable logic unit, a microprocessor, or any other device capable of responding to and executing instructions in a defined manner.

The control circuit 11 may be configured as a special purpose machine by executing computer readable program code stored on a storage device. The program code may include at least one of a program or computer-readable instructions, software elements, software modules, data files, data structures, etc., which may be implemented by one or more hardware devices, such as one or more instances of control circuitry 11 described above. Examples of program code include machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and higher level program code, such as executed using an interpreter.

The control circuit 11 may comprise one or more memory devices. The one or more storage devices may be a tangible or non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as at least one of a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), a permanent mass storage device (such as a disk drive), a solid state (e.g., NAND flash) device, and any other similar data storage mechanism capable of storing and recording data. The one or more storage devices may be configured to store computer programs, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof for one or more operating systems or for implementing the example embodiments described herein. The computer program, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof, may also be loaded from a separate computer-readable storage medium into one or more storage devices or one or more computer processing devices using a drive mechanism. Such separate computer-readable storage media may include at least one of a USB flash drive, a memory stick, a blu-ray/DVD/CD-ROM drive, a memory card, and other similar computer-readable storage media. The computer program, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof, may be loaded from a remote data storage device into one or more storage devices or one or more computer processing devices via a network interface rather than via a local computer-readable storage medium. In addition, the computer program, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof, may be loaded onto one or more storage devices or one or more processors from a remote computing system that is configured to transmit, distribute, or both transmit and distribute the computer program, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof, over a network. The remote computing system may transmit, distribute, or both transmit and distribute the computer programs, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof via a wired interface, an air interface, or any other similar medium.

The control circuit 11 may be a dedicated machine configured to execute computer executable code to control the supply of electrical power to at least one of the heating element 43 and the light source 14. Controlling the supply of electrical power to the heating element 43 is interchangeably referred to herein as activating the heating element 43. Controlling the supply of power to the light sources 14 is interchangeably referred to herein as activating the light sources 14.

As used herein, the term "flavorant" is used to describe a compound or combination of compounds that can provide at least one of flavor and aroma to an adult vaper. In some example embodiments, the flavorant is configured to interact with at least one adult vaper sensory receptor. The fragrance can be configured to interact with the sensory receptor via at least one of a pre-nasal stimulus and a post-nasal stimulus. The aroma may include one or more volatile flavors.

The at least one fragrance may comprise one or more of a natural fragrance or an artificial ("synthetic") fragrance. The at least one flavorant may include one or more plant extract materials. In some exemplary embodiments, the at least one flavor is one or more of a tobacco flavor, menthol, wintergreen, peppermint, herbal flavor, fruit flavor, nut flavor, wine flavor, and combinations thereof. In some exemplary embodiments, the fragrance is included in the plant material. The plant material may comprise material of one or more plants. The plant material may include one or more herbs, spices, fruits, roots, leaves, grasses, and the like. For example, the plant material may include orange peel material and vanilla material. In another example, the plant material may comprise tobacco material. In some exemplary embodiments, the flavor as a tobacco flavor ("tobacco flavor") comprises at least one of a synthetic material and a plant extract material. The plant extract material included in the tobacco flavor can be an extract from one or more tobacco materials.

In some example embodiments, the first and second housings 30, 30' may have a generally cylindrical cross-section. In some example embodiments, the housings 30 and 30' may have a generally triangular cross-section along one or more of the first and second sections 15 and 20. Further, the housings 30 and 30' may have the same or different cross-sectional shapes, or the same or different sizes. As discussed herein, the housing 30, 30' may also be referred to as an outer housing or main housing.

In some example embodiments, the first and second housings 30, 30' may be a single tube housing both the first and second sections 15, 20, and the entire e-vaping device 10 may be disposable.

For example, the pre-vapor formulation may include those described in U.S. patent application publication No. 2015/0020823 to L ipowicz et al, filed on 16/7/2014, and U.S. patent application publication No. 2015/0313275 to Anderson et al, filed on 21/1/2015, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In some exemplary embodiments, the vapor precursor is one or more of propylene glycol, glycerin, and combinations thereof.

The pre-vapor formulation may include nicotine or may not include nicotine. The pre-vapor formulation may include one or more tobacco flavors. The pre-vapor formulation may include one or more flavors separate from the one or more flavors for tobacco.

In some exemplary embodiments, the pre-vapor formulation comprising nicotine may further comprise one or more acids. The one or more acids can be one or more of pyruvic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, glycolic acid, acetic acid, isovaleric acid, valeric acid, propionic acid, caprylic acid, lactic acid, levulinic acid, sorbic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, citric acid, benzoic acid, oleic acid, aconitic acid, butyric acid, cinnamic acid, capric acid, 3, 7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 1-glutamic acid, heptanoic acid, hexanoic acid, 3-ethenoic acid, trans-2-ethenoic acid, isobutyric acid, lauric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, 2-methylvaleric acid, myristic acid, nonanoic acid, palmitic acid, 4-pentenoic acid, phenylacetic acid, 3-phenylpropionic acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and combinations thereof.

In some example embodiments, the reservoir 34 may include a storage medium that may hold a pre-vapor formulation. The storage medium may be a fibrous material comprising at least one of cotton, polyethylene, polyester, rayon, and combinations thereof. The fibers can have diameters ranging in size from about 6 microns to about 15 microns (e.g., about 8 microns to about 12 microns or about 9 microns to about 11 microns). The storage medium may be a sintered, porous or foamed material. Also, the fibers may be sized to be non-absorbable and may have a Y-shaped, cross-shaped, clover-shaped, or any other suitable shape in cross-section. When the reservoir 34 includes a storage medium, light may be at least partially prevented from propagating through the reservoir 34 such that external viewing of the vapor precursor in the reservoir 34 may be at least partially prevented, and the light 92 may be limited to being emitted through the surface of the outlet end insert 35 to the environment external to the e-vaping device 10 as emitted light 96. In some example embodiments, the reservoir 23 may comprise a filled canister without any storage medium and containing only the pre-vapor formulation. When the reservoir 34 is free of any storage medium, light transmission through the reservoir 34 may be at least partially enabled such that external viewing of the vapor precursor in the reservoir 34 may be at least partially enabled and at least some light 92 may be emitted through at least a portion of the reservoir 34 to an environment external to the e-vaping device as emitted light 96. For example, at least a portion of the light 92 may be directed through the vapor precursor held in the reservoir 34 and out into the external environment via the first housing 30 such that the vapor precursor held in the reservoir 34 is illuminated for external viewing.

The reservoir 34 may be sized and configured to hold sufficient pre-vapor formulation such that the e-vaping device 10 may be configured for smoking of vaping for at least about 1000 seconds. The e-vaping device 10 may be configured to allow each puff to last for up to about 10 seconds.

The dispense interface 41 may comprise a wick. The dispense interface 41 may comprise a filament (or wire) having the ability to aspirate the pre-vapor formulation. For example, dispense interface 41 can be a wick that is a bundle of glass (or ceramic) filaments, a bundle that includes a set of windings of glass filaments, or the like, all of which are capable of drawing the pre-vapor formulation through the interstices between the filaments by capillary action. The filaments may be aligned substantially in a direction perpendicular (transverse) to the longitudinal axis of the e-vaping device 10.

The dispense interface 41 may comprise any suitable material or combination of materials, also referred to herein as a wicking material. Examples of suitable materials may be, but are not limited to, glass, ceramic or graphite based materials. The dispense interface 41 may have any suitable capillary suction to accommodate pre-vapor formulations having different physical properties, such as density, viscosity, surface tension, and vapor pressure.

In some example embodiments, the heating element 43 may comprise a wire element. As shown in fig. 1B, heating element 43 may extend at least partially on the tip side of dispense interface 41 and may at least partially surround the bore of conduit 41A extending through dispense interface 41. The line elements may be metal lines. In some example embodiments, the line elements may be isolated from direct contact with the distribution interface 41.

In some example embodiments, the heating element 43 includes a stamped structure, a cut structure, an etched structure, some combination thereof, or the like. The cutting structure may be a laser cutting structure, a chemical cutting structure, a mechanical cutting structure, some combination thereof, or the like. The etched structure may be a chemically etched structure, a laser etched structure, a mechanically etched structure, some combination thereof, or the like.

The heating element 43 may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material ("may at least partially include the electrically resistive material"). Examples of suitable resistive materials may include, but are not limited to, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, and metals from the platinum group. Examples of suitable metal alloys include, but are not limited to, stainless steel, nickel-containing, cobalt-containing, chromium-containing, aluminum-titanium-zirconium-containing, hafnium-containing, niobium-containing, molybdenum-containing, tantalum-containing, tungsten-containing, tin-containing, gallium-containing, manganese-containing, and iron-containing alloys, as well as superalloys based on nickel, iron, cobalt, stainless steel. For example, depending on the kinetics of energy transfer and the desired external physicochemical properties, the heating element 43 may be formed of nickel aluminide, a material having an aluminum oxide layer on the surface, iron aluminide, and other composite materials, and the resistive material may optionally be embedded in, encapsulated in, or coated with an insulating material, or vice versa. The heating element 43 may include at least one material selected from the group consisting of: stainless steel, copper alloys, nickel-chromium alloys, superalloys, and combinations thereof. In some example embodiments, the heating element 43 may be formed from a nickel-chromium alloy or an iron-chromium alloy. In some example embodiments, the heating element 43 may be a ceramic heater having a resistive layer on its outer surface.

The heating element 43 may heat the vapor precursor in the dispense interface 41 by thermal conduction. Alternatively, heat from the heating element 43 may be conducted through the thermally conductive element to the pre-vapor formulation, or the heating element 43 may transfer heat to incoming ambient air drawn through the e-vaping device 10 during smoking of a vap, which in turn heats the pre-vapor formulation by convection.

It should be understood that instead of using the dispense interface 41, the steam generator 40 may comprise a heating element 43, said heating element 43 being a porous material incorporating a resistive heater formed of a material with a high electrical resistance capable of rapidly generating heat.

In some example embodiments, the e-vaping device 10 may be about 80mm to about 110mm long and may be about 7mm to about 8mm in diameter. For example, in some example embodiments, the e-vaping device 10 may be about 84mm long and may have a diameter of about 7.8 mm.

Figure 1D is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an outlet end of an e-vaping device according to some example embodiments. Figure 1E is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a portion of an E-vaping device according to some example embodiments.

Referring to fig. 1D, in some example embodiments, the outlet end insert 35 and the first housing 30 may be integral with one another and thus included in a separate integral element as the first housing 30. Thus, as shown in fig. 1, the first housing 30 may extend over the outlet end 45 of the first section 15, and thus may define an outlet end of the reservoir 34 and an outlet end of the passage 42. As shown in fig. 1D, the first housing 30 may further include a cavity 35A and an air outlet 36 extending from the cavity 35A to the outlet end 31B of the first housing 30, wherein the outlet end 31B of the first housing 30 is also common with the outlet end surface 35B. Accordingly, the air outlet 36 may be in fluid communication with the channel 42 through the cavity 35A, and the generated steam drawn through the channel 42 may be further drawn from the e-vaping device 10 through the cavity 35A and the one or more air outlets 36 in the first housing 30.

Still referring to FIG. 1D, the first housing 30 may include a cylindrical portion extending along the longitudinal axis of the first section 15 to the outlet end 45, wherein the first housing 30 further includes a disk portion through which the one or more air outlets 36 extend. As shown in fig. 1D, internally reflected light 94 conveyed by the cylindrical portion of the first housing 30 may propagate through the disc portion of the first housing 30 to the outlet end surface 35B at the outlet end 31B of the first housing 30 to be emitted from the e-vaping device 10 as emitted light 96.

By including the outlet end insert 35 and the first housing 30 in a single integral element, the first section 15 may be configured to reduce the number of parts of the first section 15, and may also enable a reduction in the time, effort, cost, and expenditure of various resources to assemble, maintain, or both assemble and maintain the first section 15 of the e-vaping device 10.

Referring now to fig. 1E, in some example embodiments, the tip portion 33 of the first housing 30 may be integral with the interface 25A such that the tip portion 33 of the first housing 30 is configured to receive the light 92 into the interior of the first housing 30 and is further configured to interface with the interface 25B to couple the first section 15 to the second section 20.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating operations that may be performed according to some example embodiments. The operations illustrated in figure 2 may be implemented at least in part by any of the example embodiments of the e-vaping device 10 included herein, including any of the example embodiments of the control circuit 11.

At S202, at least the control circuit 11 of the e-vaping device 10 may detect at least a threshold amount of airflow in the e-vaping device 10 based on sensor data generated by the sensor 13. The control circuit 11 may detect airflow based on air drawn into the e-vaping device 10 via one or more of the air inlet 27 and the air inlet 27A.

At S204 and S206, the control circuit 11 may control the steam generator 40 to generate steam based on the detection at S202 (S204), and may further control the light source 14 to emit the first instance of the light 92 (S206). Operations S204 and S206 may be performed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously (e.g., in parallel). Operations S204 and S206 may be sequentially performed according to a series of operations.

Controlling the steam generator 40 in operation S204 may include: the supply of power from the power source 12 to the heating element 43 is controlled to cause the heating element 43 to generate heat to vaporize at least a portion of the vapor precursor held in the dispense interface 41. The supply of electrical power may be controlled to supply a specific amount of electrical power to the heating element 43 for a specific period of time, resulting in a specific amount of steam being generated.

Controlling the light source 14 at operation S206 may include: such that the light source emits light 92 having one or more particular characteristics over a particular elapsed period of time. For example, the light source 14 may be controlled to emit light having at least one of a particular brightness and color temperature for a particular elapsed period of time. The elapsed period of time may extend from a point in time when the detected draw of air through at least a portion of the e-vaping device ceases or falls below a threshold flow value (referred to herein as ceasing drawing of air through at least a portion of the e-vaping device). The one or more particular characteristics of the first instance of light may be selected based on one or more values of a set of one or more monitored e-vaping device characteristics of the e-vaping device 10. Such one or more e-vaping characteristics may include: a determined amount of pre-vapor formulation held in reservoir 34, a determined amount of charge held in the power supply section, an amount of generated vapor generated by vapor generator 40 at operation S204, and combinations thereof.

As described above, controlling the light source 14 in operation S206 may include causing the light source to emit the first light for a first elapsed period of time. The first elapsed period of time may be an elapsed period of time extending from the time the light source 14 first emits the first light at operation 206 to a first threshold of elapsed time.

At S208, based on determining that the light source 14 has emitted the first light for at least a first elapsed period of time (e.g., an elapsed period of time extending from the time the light source 14 first emitted the first light at operation 206 to at least a first threshold of elapsed time), the control circuit 11 may determine whether the light source 14 will emit additional instances of light (e.g., light having one or more characteristics different from the first instance of light). If not, at S216, the control circuit 11 may deactivate the light source 14.

At S212, if it is determined at S210 that the light source 14 is to emit at least one additional instance of light having one or more characteristics associated with an additional set of monitored e-vaping device characteristics, the control circuitry 11 may control the light source 14 to emit an additional instance of light 92 for an additional elapsed period of time, the instance having one or more characteristics different from the first instance of light 92 and the characteristics corresponding to the additional set of monitored e-vaping device characteristics. At S214, after determining that the additional elapsed time period has elapsed, the control circuit 11 may control the light source 14 to emit further additional instances of light at S210 and S212, or may deactivate the light source 14 at S216.

Although a number of example embodiments have been disclosed herein, it should be understood that other variations are possible. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.