Electronic cigarette

Abstract

An electronic cigarette is provided in two or three sections. One section is a reusable barrel containing the electrical components, including a rechargeable battery and a heater or atomizer. Another section may include the atomizer and a replaceable and disposable cartridge having the desired volatile substance, such as nicotine, a medicament, and / or a flavoring agent.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 750,081 entitled ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE, filed on Jan. 8, 2013, by David R. Johnson, et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a battery-operated electronic cigarette for supplying vaporized nicotine or other materials to a user simulating the act of smoking.[0003]There exists a variety of proposed electrical cigarettes to simulate the act of smoking but reducing and / or eliminating the harmful chemicals associated with actual cigarettes. Such efforts are illustrated in the following U.S. patents and published applications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,205,622; 8,091,558; 7,845,359; 7,726,320; 6,443,146; 6,196,218; 5,894,841; 5,865,185; 5,666,977; 5,564,442; 5,505,214; 5,249,586; 4,947,875; 4,947,874; 4,945,931; 4,945,928; 4,922,901; 4,907,606; 4,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an electronic cigarette is provided in two or three sections. One section is a reusable barrel containing the electrical components, including a rechargeable battery and a heater. Another section may include a replaceable and disposable cartridge having the desired volatile substance therein. In some designs, an atomizer is in a second section followed by a disposable cartridge section. The sections are sealably coupled to each other to form the completed electronic cigarette. In one embodiment of the invention, a first section provides heated air when the user draws air through a mouthpiece at the end of the disposable cartridge. The heated air flows through the volatile substance, providing visible smoke and vaporized nicotine or other inhalant for consumption by the user. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first section includes a heater coupled to the battery supply through an electrical control circuit controlled by a flow sensor, such that the heater is actuated upon inhaling by the user. By providing a heated air source separate from the volatile containing cartridge, the cost of manufacturing the replaceable cartridge is greatly reduced, and the quality and efficiency of the of the resultant product is improved.

Problems solved by technology

Although some of the proposals have met with moderate success in the marketplace, the cost and reliability of such prior electrical cigarettes is questionable.

Moreover, such prior art devices frequently expose nicotine in liquid form to direct contact with a heating or other vaporizing element resulting in contamination of the heating or vaporizing element.

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