Electronic smoking article having a vapor-enhancing apparatus and associated method

Abstract

A vapor-enhancing apparatus is provided for an electronic vapor smoking article. Such an apparatus includes a filter material and a tubular housing defining a lumen. The lumen has a mouth-engaging end and a longitudinally-opposed component-engaging end, and is configured to receive the filter material therein. The component-engaging end is adapted to operably engage a control body portion associated with the electronic vapor smoking article and to receive a vapor therethrough. A vapor-enhancing element is operably engaged with the filter material and is configured to enhance the vapor drawn through the filter material within the lumen, and through the mouth-engaging end, by application of suction to the mouth-engaging end of the housing. An associated method is also provided.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE[0001]1. Field of the Disclosure[0002]The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery articles and uses thereof, and in particular to articles that can be considered to be smoking articles for purposes of yielding components of tobacco and other materials in an inhalable form. Highly preferred components of such articles are made or derived from tobacco, or those articles can be characterized as otherwise incorporating tobacco for human consumption.[0003]2. Description of Related Art[0004]Many smoking devices have been proposed through the years as improvements upon, or alternatives to, smoking products that require combusting tobacco for use. Many of those devices purportedly have been designed to provide the sensations associated with cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking, but without delivering considerable quantities of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products that result from the burning of tobacco. To this end, there have been proposed numerous s...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example embodiment of an electronic vapor smoking article according to the disclosure, wherein a portion of an outer shell of the article is cut away to reveal the interior components thereof;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example embodiment of an electronic vapor smoking article according to the disclosure, wherein the article comprises a control body and a cartridge that are attachable and detachable with respect to each other;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section of an example embodiment of an electronic vapor smoking article according to another aspect of the disclosure, wherein the article comprises a control body and a cartridge that are attachable and detachable with respect to each other;

[0014]FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an example embodiment of an electronic vapor smoking article according to the disclosure, wherein the article comprises a control body and a cartridge that are attachable and detachable with respect to each other, and wherein a vapor-enhancing aspect is engaged with a mouth-end portion of the electronic vapor smoking article;

[0015]FIG. 4B is a perspective view of an example embodiment of an electronic vapor smoking article according to the disclosure, wherein the article comprises a control body and a cartridge that are attachable and detachable with respect to each other, and wherein a vapor-enhancing aspect is disengaged from a mouth-end portion of the electronic vapor smoking article; and

[0016]FIG. 5 is a schematic of a method of enhancing a vapor produced by an electronic vapor smoking article, according to one aspect of the disclosure.

Problems solved by technology

Many of those devices purportedly have been designed to provide the sensations associated with cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking, but without delivering considerable quantities of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products that result from the burning of tobacco.

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