Heaters and liquid transport components for aerosol delivery systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aerosol delivery device. In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may include a control device and a cartridge, the cartridge having a mouthpiece portion and a tank portion having a corresponding proximal end and distal end, the tank portion being configured to contain a liquid composition, and the cartridge also includes a liquid delivery element and an atomizing member. At least a portion of the liquid delivery element may be positioned near the atomizing member, and at least a portion of the atomizing member may be positioned near the distal end of the mouthpiece portion. In other embodiments, at least a portion of the atomizing member may be positioned above the proximal end of the tank portion. In yet other embodiments, at least a portion of the atomizing member may be positioned between the proximal end of the tank portion and the distal end of the tank portion.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 598,505, filed on October 10, 2019, entitled “Heater and Liquid Transport foran Aerosol Delivery System,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 744,978, filed on October 12, 2018, entitled “Aerosol Forming Device,” the entire text of each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices such as smoking articles, and more particularly to aerosol delivery devices that can use electricity to generate an aerosol (e.g., smoking articles commonly referred to as electronic cigarettes). The smoking article can be configured to vaporize an aerosol precursor, which can include a material that can be made or derived from tobacco or can otherwise include tobacco, which precursor can form an inhalable substance for human ingestion. Background Art

[0004] In recent years, many smoking devices have been proposed as improvements or substitutes for smoking products that need to burn tobacco. It is said that many of the above-mentioned devices have been designed to provide the sensation associated with smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes, but do not deliver a large amount of incomplete combustion products and pyrolysis products produced due to the burning of tobacco. For this reason, it has been proposed to adopt electric energy to evaporate or heat volatile materials or to attempt to provide the sensation of smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes without burning tobacco to a significant degree of many cigarette products, flavor generators and medicated inhalers. For example, referring to the various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices and heating sources described in the background technology described in the U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 of Robinson et al., the U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013 / 0255702 of Griffith Jr. et al. and the U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0096781 of Sears et al., the above-mentioned document is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. See, for example, U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 170,838, filed by Bless et al. on February 3, 2014, for various types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electrically powered heat sources by reference to trade names and commercial sources, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. It would be desirable to provide an aerosol delivery device with advantageous usability features. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices, methods of forming such devices, and elements of such devices. The present disclosure particularly relates to an aerosol delivery device. In this regard, various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an aerosol delivery device with advantageous usability characteristics. The present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following exemplary embodiments:

[0006] Exemplary embodiment 1: An aerosol delivery device, the device comprising: a control device, the control device comprising an outer shell defining an outer wall and having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the control device defining a cartridge receiving chamber, the control device further comprising a power supply and a control component, and a cartridge, the cartridge comprising a mouthpiece portion and a tank portion, the mouthpiece portion and the tank portion having respective proximal ends and distal ends, the tank portion being configured to contain a liquid composition, the cartridge further comprising an atomizing member and a liquid delivery element, wherein a portion of the cartridge is configured to be removably connected to the cartridge receiving chamber of the control device, wherein at least a portion of the liquid delivery element is located near the atomizing member, wherein the atomizing member is configured to evaporate the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and wherein at least a portion of the atomizing member is positioned above the proximal end of the tank portion.

[0007] Exemplary embodiment 2: The aerosol delivery device as any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the atomizing member comprises a heating member, and wherein the heating member is configured to heat the liquid composition to generate the aerosol.

[0008] Exemplary embodiment 3: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of the preceding exemplary embodiments, the cartridge further comprising a second liquid delivery element, and wherein the second liquid delivery element is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element.

[0009] Exemplary embodiment 4: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein at least a portion of the heating member is positioned between the distal end of the mouthpiece portion and the proximal end of the reservoir portion.

[0010] Exemplary embodiment 5: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the cartridge further comprises a collar portion disposed between the mouthpiece portion and the tank portion, and wherein at least a portion of the heating member is located within the collar portion.

[0011] Exemplary embodiment 6: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a flat heating member mounted along a curved orientation, wherein the second liquid delivery element defines a longitudinal portion that intersects the curved lateral portion, and wherein the length of the longitudinal portion of the second liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the lateral portion.

[0012] Exemplary embodiment 7: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, further comprising a curved shield feature, wherein the curvature of the shield feature is opposite to the curvature of the heating member.

[0013] Exemplary embodiment 8: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a flat heating member mounted along a curved orientation, wherein the second liquid delivery element defines a longitudinal portion that intersects the curved lateral portion, and wherein the length of the lateral portion of the second liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the longitudinal portion.

[0014] Exemplary embodiment 9: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, further comprising a curved shield feature, wherein the curvature of the shield feature is opposite to the curvature of the heating member.

[0015] Exemplary embodiment 10: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a coil heating member, wherein the first liquid delivery element has a U-shape defining a central portion and two opposing legs, wherein a portion of the heating member is wrapped around at least the central portion of the first liquid delivery element, wherein the second liquid delivery element defines a longitudinal portion that intersects the transverse portion, and wherein the length of the longitudinal portion of the second delivery element is longer than the length of the transverse portion.

[0016] Exemplary embodiment 11: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a coil heating member, wherein the first liquid delivery element has a U-shape defining a central portion and two opposing legs, wherein a portion of the heating member is wrapped around at least the central portion of the first liquid delivery element, wherein the second liquid delivery element surrounds the two legs of the first liquid delivery element, and wherein the length of the legs of the first liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the central portion of the first liquid delivery element.

[0017] Exemplary embodiment 12: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a coil heating member, wherein the first liquid delivery element has a cylindrical shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the barrel, wherein a portion of the heating member is wrapped around at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element, and wherein the second liquid delivery element has a cylindrical shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the barrel.

[0018] Exemplary embodiment 13: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the second liquid delivery element is substantially solid, and wherein the length of the second liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the first liquid delivery element portion.

[0019] Exemplary embodiment 14: An aerosol delivery device as in any of the preceding exemplary embodiments or a combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the second liquid delivery element is hollow, wherein the second liquid delivery element surrounds at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element, and wherein the length of the first liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the second liquid delivery element.

[0020] Exemplary embodiment 15: The aerosol delivery device as in any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first liquid transport element is hollow and comprises a ceramic material.

[0021] Exemplary embodiment 16: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first liquid transport element comprises at least one of a cotton material and a silicon dioxide material.

[0022] Exemplary embodiment 17: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a coil heating member, wherein the first liquid delivery element has a cylindrical shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the barrel, wherein a portion of the heating member is embedded in at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element, and wherein the second liquid delivery element has a cylindrical shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the barrel.

[0023] Exemplary embodiment 18: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the second liquid delivery element is substantially solid, and wherein the length of the second liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the first liquid delivery element portion.

[0024] Exemplary embodiment 19: An aerosol delivery device as in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or a combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the second liquid delivery element is hollow, wherein the second liquid delivery element surrounds at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element, and wherein the length of the first liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the second liquid delivery element.

[0025] Exemplary embodiment 20: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member comprises a flat heating member, wherein the second liquid delivery element comprises a plurality of capillaries, wherein the heating member and the first liquid delivery element are substantially aligned with the transverse axis of the barrel, and wherein the plurality of capillaries are substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the barrel.

[0026] Exemplary Embodiment 21: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the plurality of capillaries comprises a pair of spaced-apart capillaries.

[0027] Exemplary Embodiment 22: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the plurality of capillaries comprises five spaced apart capillaries arranged in a cross pattern.

[0028] Exemplary embodiment 23: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a flat heating member, wherein the second liquid delivery element is defined by a longitudinal portion that intersects with the transverse portion, and wherein the length of the longitudinal portion of the second liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the transverse portion.

[0029] Exemplary Embodiment 24: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the cartridge further comprises a collar portion disposed between the mouthpiece portion and the reservoir portion.

[0030] Exemplary Embodiment 25: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the atomizing member is at least partially located within the collar portion.

[0031] Exemplary embodiment 26: An aerosol delivery device as in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or a combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the atomizing component includes a heating component, and wherein the heating component is configured to heat the liquid composition to produce an aerosol, and further comprising a shield feature positioned proximate the heating component, wherein the shield feature is at least partially located within the mouthpiece portion.

[0032] Exemplary embodiment 27: An aerosol delivery device comprising:

[0033] A control device including an outer housing defining an outer wall and having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the control device defining a cartridge receiving chamber, a power source and a control component, and

[0034] A cartridge comprising a mouthpiece portion and a reservoir portion, the mouthpiece portion and the reservoir portion having respective proximal and distal ends, the reservoir portion being configured to contain a liquid composition, the cartridge further comprising a first liquid delivery element, a second liquid delivery element, and an atomizing member,

[0035] wherein a portion of the cartridge is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a control device, wherein the atomizing member is configured to evaporate a liquid composition to generate an aerosol, wherein at least a portion of the atomizing member is positioned between a proximal end of the reservoir portion and a distal end of the reservoir portion, wherein at least a portion of a first liquid delivery element is positioned below the atomizing member, wherein a second liquid delivery element is disposed below the first liquid delivery element, and wherein the second liquid delivery element is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element.

[0036] Exemplary embodiment 28: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the atomizing member comprises a heating member, and wherein the heating member is configured to heat the liquid composition to generate the aerosol.

[0037] Exemplary Embodiment 29: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member comprises a flat heating member, and wherein the heating member is positioned near the distal end of the reservoir portion.

[0038] Exemplary embodiment 30: An aerosol delivery device comprising:

[0039] A control device including an outer housing defining an outer wall and having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the control device defining a cartridge receiving chamber, a power source and a control component, and

[0040] A cartridge comprising a mouthpiece portion and a reservoir portion, the mouthpiece portion and the reservoir portion having respective proximal and distal ends, the reservoir portion being configured to contain a liquid composition, the cartridge further comprising an atomizing member and a liquid delivery element,

[0041] wherein a portion of the cartridge is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a control device, wherein at least a portion of the liquid delivery element is located proximate an atomizing member, wherein the atomizing member is configured to vaporize a liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and wherein at least a portion of the atomizing member is positioned proximate a distal end of the mouthpiece portion.

[0042] Exemplary embodiment 31: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the atomizing member comprises a heating member, and wherein the heating member is configured to heat the liquid composition to generate the aerosol.

[0043] Exemplary embodiment 32: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of the preceding exemplary embodiments, the cartridge further comprising a second liquid delivery element, and wherein the second liquid delivery element is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element.

[0044] Exemplary embodiment 33: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a flat heating member mounted along a curved orientation, wherein the second liquid delivery element defines a longitudinal portion that intersects the curved lateral portion, and wherein the length of the longitudinal portion of the second liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the lateral portion.

[0045] Exemplary Embodiment 34: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, further comprising a curved shield feature, wherein the curvature of the shield feature is opposite to the curvature of the heating member.

[0046] Exemplary embodiment 35: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member comprises a flat heating member mounted in a curved orientation, wherein the second liquid delivery element defines a longitudinal portion that intersects the curved lateral portion, and wherein the length of the lateral portion of the second liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the longitudinal portion.

[0047] Exemplary Embodiment 36: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, further comprising a curved shield feature, wherein the curvature of the shield feature is opposite to the curvature of the heating member.

[0048] Exemplary embodiment 37: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a coil heating member, wherein the first liquid delivery element has a U-shape defining a central portion and two opposing legs, wherein a portion of the heating member is wrapped around at least the central portion of the first liquid delivery element, wherein the second liquid delivery element defines a longitudinal portion that intersects the transverse portion, and wherein the length of the longitudinal portion of the second delivery element is longer than the length of the transverse portion.

[0049] Exemplary embodiment 38: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a coil heating member, wherein the first liquid delivery element has a U-shape defining a central portion and two opposing legs, wherein a portion of the heating member is wrapped around at least the central portion of the first liquid delivery element, wherein the second liquid delivery element surrounds the two legs of the first liquid delivery element, and wherein the length of the legs of the first liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the central portion of the first liquid delivery element.

[0050] Exemplary embodiment 39: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a coil heating member, wherein the first liquid delivery element has a cylindrical shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the barrel, wherein a portion of the heating member is wrapped around at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element, and wherein the second liquid delivery element has a cylindrical shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the barrel.

[0051] Exemplary embodiment 40: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the second liquid delivery element is substantially solid, and wherein the length of the second liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the first liquid delivery element portion.

[0052] Exemplary embodiment 41: An aerosol delivery device as in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or a combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the second liquid delivery element is hollow, wherein the second liquid delivery element surrounds at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element, and wherein the length of the first liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the second liquid delivery element.

[0053] Exemplary Embodiment 42: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first liquid transport element is hollow and comprises a ceramic material.

[0054] Exemplary Embodiment 43: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the first liquid transport element comprises at least one of a cotton material and a silicon dioxide material.

[0055] Exemplary embodiment 44: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a coil heating member, wherein the first liquid delivery element has a cylindrical shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the barrel, wherein a portion of the heating member is embedded in at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element, and wherein the second liquid delivery element has a cylindrical shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the barrel.

[0056] Exemplary embodiment 45: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the second liquid delivery element is substantially solid, and wherein the length of the second liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the first liquid delivery element portion.

[0057] Exemplary embodiment 46: An aerosol delivery device as in any of the preceding exemplary embodiments or a combination of any of the preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the second liquid delivery element is hollow, wherein the second liquid delivery element surrounds at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element, and wherein the length of the first liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the second liquid delivery element.

[0058] Exemplary embodiment 47: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member comprises a flat heating member, wherein the second liquid delivery element comprises a plurality of capillaries, wherein the heating member and the first liquid delivery element are substantially aligned with the transverse axis of the barrel, and wherein the plurality of capillaries are substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the barrel.

[0059] Exemplary Embodiment 48: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the plurality of capillaries comprises a pair of spaced-apart capillaries.

[0060] Exemplary Embodiment 49: The aerosol delivery device of any preceding exemplary embodiment or any combination of any preceding exemplary embodiments, wherein the plurality of capillaries comprises five spaced apart capillaries arranged in a cross pattern.

[0061] Exemplary embodiment 50: An aerosol delivery device as described in any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments or any combination of any of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, wherein the heating member includes a flat heating member, wherein the second liquid delivery element is defined by a longitudinal portion that intersects with the transverse portion, and wherein the length of the longitudinal portion of the second liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the transverse portion.

[0062] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become clear by reading the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings briefly described below. The present invention includes any combination of two, three, four or more of the above-mentioned embodiments set forth in the present disclosure and any combination of two, three, four or more features or elements, whether or not these features or elements are explicitly combined in the specific embodiment description herein. Unless otherwise expressly provided in the context, the present disclosure is intended to be read as a whole, so that any separable features or elements of the present disclosure invention in any of its various aspects and embodiments should be regarded as intended to be combined. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] Having generally described the present disclosure in the foregoing, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0064] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0065] Figure 2 The exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 1 a partial front cross-sectional view of a control device of the illustrated aerosol delivery device;

[0066] Figure 3A shows a perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0067] Figure 3B shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0068] Figure 4 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0069] Figure 5A shows a partial side cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0070] Figure 5B shows a partial enlarged side cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0071] Figure 6 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0072] Fig. 7A shows a partial side cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0073] Figure 7B shows a partial enlarged side cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0074] Figure 8 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0075] Fig. 9 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0076] Fig.10 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0077] Fig.11 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0078] Fig.12 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0079] Fig.13 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0080] Fig.14 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0081] Fig.15 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0082] Fig.16 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0083] Fig.17 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0084] Fig.18 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0085] Fig.19 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0086] Fig. 20 shows a partial perspective cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0087] Fig.21 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0088] Fig. 22 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0089] Fig.23 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0090] Fig.24 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0091] Fig.25 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0092] Fig.26 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0093] Fig. 27 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0094] Fig.28 shows a partial perspective cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0095] Fig.29 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0096] Fig.30 shows a partial perspective cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0097] Fig.31 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0098] Fig.32 shows a partial perspective cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0099] Fig.33 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0100] Fig.34 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0101] Fig.35 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0102] Fig.36 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0103] Fig.37 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0104] Fig.38 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0105] Fig.39 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0106] Fig.40 shows a partial perspective cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0107] Fig.41 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0108] Fig.42 shows a partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0109] Fig.43 shows a partial perspective cutaway view of a portion of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0110] Fig.44 A partial perspective view showing a portion of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0111] Fig.45 A partial front cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0112] The present disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. These exemplary embodiments are described so that the present disclosure will be detailed and complete, and the scope of the present disclosure will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. In fact, the present disclosure can be implemented in many forms and should not be understood as being limited to the embodiments described herein; on the contrary, these embodiments are presented so that the disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Unless otherwise clearly stated herein, the singular forms "a", "one / kind", and "the" used in this specification and the appended claims include indications of the plural.

[0113] As described below, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to aerosol delivery devices or vaporization devices, which terms are used interchangeably herein. Aerosol delivery systems according to the present disclosure use electrical energy to vaporize (e.g., atomize, aerosolize, etc.) materials (preferably, without burning the materials to any significant extent and / or without significant chemical changes in the materials) to form inhalable substances; and the components of such devices are in the form of articles, most preferably, the manufactured products are compact enough to be considered as handheld devices. That is, the use of the components of the preferred aerosol delivery devices does not result in the generation of smoke, i.e., the generation of smoke from the byproducts of the combustion or pyrolysis of tobacco, while the use of those preferred systems results in the generation of vapor, which is caused by the volatilization or evaporation of the aerosol precursor composition. In preferred embodiments, the components of the aerosol delivery device can be characterized as electronic cigarettes, and those electronic cigarettes are most preferably combined with tobacco and / or components derived from tobacco, and thus deliver tobacco-derived components in the form of aerosols.

[0114] Certain preferred aerosol delivery devices can provide many of the sensations of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe (e.g., the inhalation and exhalation habits, the types of flavors or aromas, the sensory effects, the physical sensations, the usage habits, the visual cues provided by the visible aerosol, etc.), without burning any of the components therein to a significant degree. For example, a user of the disclosed aerosol delivery device can hold and use the device like a smoker using a conventional type of smoking article, inhale on one end of the device to inhale the aerosol produced by the device, and take puffs or inhales at selected time intervals, etc.

[0115] Aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure can also be characterized as steam generation article or medicament delivery article.Therefore, this article or device can be modified, thereby one or more substances (for example, flavoring agent and / or pharmaceutical active ingredient) are provided in a form or state that can be inhaled.For example, inhalable substance can be in the form of steam (that is, the material in gas phase at a temperature below the critical point).Alternately, inhalable substance can be in the form of aerosol (that is, fine solid particles or droplet suspension in gas).For the purpose of simplification, the term "aerosol" used herein is intended to include steam, gas or aerosol in a form or type suitable for human body inhalation, whether visible or not, whether or not it can be considered as a smoke-like form.

[0116] Most preferably, the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure includes some combination of the following components: a power source (i.e., a power supply); at least one control component (e.g., a device for actuating, controlling, regulating, and stopping the power for generating heat, such as by controlling the current flowing from the power source to other components of the article - i.e., a microcontroller or microprocessor); an atomizing member (a piezoelectric vibrating element or a heating member, such as, for example, a resistive heating element or other component, which element or component alone or in combination with one or more additional elements may generally be referred to as an "atomizer"); a liquid composition (e.g., an aerosol precursor composition liquid such as ingredients commonly referred to as "smoke juice", "electronic liquid", and "electronic juice" that are generally capable of generating an aerosol when sufficient heat or other energy is applied); and a mouthpiece or mouth end area that allows inhalation on the aerosol delivery device to inhale the aerosol (e.g., a defined airflow path through the article so that the generated aerosol can be drawn out of the airflow path during inhalation).

[0117] The more specific forms, configurations, and arrangements of the components within the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure will be apparent from the further disclosure provided below. In addition, the selection and arrangement of the components of different aerosol delivery devices can be understood by considering the commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, such as those representative products cited in the background section of the present disclosure.

[0118] In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device and a cartridge for an aerosol delivery device, comprising one or more components configured to vaporize a liquid composition and one or more components configured to deliver a liquid to the one or more components configured to vaporize the liquid. In various embodiments, the one or more vaporization components and the one or more liquid delivery components may be positioned at various locations within the cartridge.

[0119] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of an aerosol delivery device 100 according to the present disclosure is shown. As shown, the aerosol delivery device 100 includes a control device 200 and a removable cartridge 300. Although only one cartridge is shown in the depicted embodiment, it should be understood that in various embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include an interchangeable system. For example, in one or more embodiments, a single control device can be used with multiple different cartridges. Likewise, in one or more embodiments, a single cartridge can be used with multiple different control devices.

[0120] In various embodiments, the control device 200 includes an outer housing 202 defining an outer wall 204 including a distal end 206 and a proximal end 208. The aerosol delivery device 100 of the depicted embodiment also includes an indicator window 240 defined in the outer housing 202. However, it should be noted that in some embodiments, there may be no indicator window. Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of a control device 200 of an aerosol delivery device 100. As shown, the control device 200 also includes an inner frame 215, which includes a cartridge receiving chamber 212 defined by an inner frame wall 214. The control device 200 also includes a battery 216 positioned within the outer shell 202, and also includes an external connection element 218. In the depicted embodiment, the external connection element 218 is positioned at the distal end 206 of the outer shell 202. The various components of an aerosol delivery device according to the present disclosure can be selected from components described in the prior art and commercially available components. Examples of batteries that can be used according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0028766 to Peckerar et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0121] In various embodiments, the control device 200 may further include a light source 230 and at least one hole 232 defined in the outer wall 204 of the control device 200 (see Figure 1 ), and light from the light source 230 can be seen through the hole 232. In some embodiments, the light source 230 may include, for example, at least one light emitting diode (LED) capable of providing light of one or more colors. In some embodiments, the light source may be configured to illuminate only one color, while in other embodiments, the light source may be configured to illuminate in a variety of different colors. In other embodiments, the light source may be configured to provide white light. Figure 2As shown, the light source 230 can be positioned directly on the control component 234 (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)), on which additional control components (e.g., a microcontroller and / or a memory component) can be included. In various embodiments, the hole 232 can be configured in any desired shape and can be specifically positioned near the distal end 206 of the control device 200. In some embodiments, the hole 232 can be completely open or can be filled with a light-conducting material, or can be covered with a transparent or translucent member (e.g., glass or plastic, or another material such as a fibrous polymer sheet) on one or both of the inner and outer surfaces of the outer wall 204 of the control device 200. The aerosol delivery device 100 can also include a control mechanism for controlling the amount of electrical power to the atomizing member during inhalation. Representative electronic components, their structures and constructions, their features, and general descriptions of their methods of operation are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,622 to Pan; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009 / 0230117 to Fernando et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0060554 to Collet et al. and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0270727 to Ampolini et al.; and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015 / 0257445 to Henry et al.; the foregoing documents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0122] The electrical connector 220 can be positioned in the cartridge receiving chamber 212 and in the depicted embodiment is present on both sides of the inner frame wall 214. In various embodiments, the electrical connector 220 can be operatively connected to the battery (e.g., directly or through the control component 234). The electrical connector can have a variety of forms and can be positioned in various other locations of the inner frame 215. Figure 2 As shown, the proximal end 208 of the outer housing 202 includes an opening 210 that provides access to a cartridge receiving chamber 212 defined by an inner frame 215. It should be noted that for purposes of this disclosure, the terms "connected" and "operatively connected" should be interpreted broadly to encompass components that are directly connected and / or connected via one or more additional components.

[0123] In various embodiments, other indicators (e.g., tactile feedback components, audio feedback components, etc.) may be included in addition to or in place of the light source. Additional representative types of components or indicators that produce visual cues, such as light emitting diode (LED) components, and their construction and uses are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al.; U.S. Patent No. 8,499,766 to Newton and U.S. Patent No. 8,539,959 to Scatterday; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0020825 to Galloway et al.; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216233 to Sears et al.; the entire texts of the above documents are incorporated herein by reference. It should be understood that not all of the elements shown are required. For example, the LED may not be present, or may be replaced by other indicators such as a vibration indicator.

[0124] In various embodiments, an air flow sensor, a pressure sensor, or the like may be included in the device. Figure 2 As shown, the control device 200 may include a sensor 236 on the control component 234. For example, the construction of a printed circuit board and a pressure sensor is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0245658 of Worm et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In various embodiments, the sensor 236 may be positioned anywhere within the control device 200, thereby being affected by airflow and / or pressure changes, which may signal the inhalation on the device, and thus cause the battery 216 to deliver power to the atomizing member in the cartridge 300. In addition, in the absence of an airflow sensor, the atomizing member may be manually activated, such as via a button that may be located on the control body 200 and / or the cartridge 300. Additional representative types of sensing or detection mechanisms, their structure and construction, their components, and general descriptions of their methods of operation are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al.; and PCT WO 2010 / 003480 to Flick, the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0125] In some embodiments, an input element may be included in the aerosol delivery device (and may replace or supplement an airflow sensor or pressure sensor). An input portion may be included to allow a user to control various functions of the device and / or output information to the user. Any component or combination of components may be used as an input for controlling the functions of the device 100. For example, as described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015 / 0245658 to Worm et al., one or more buttons may be used, which is incorporated herein by reference. Similarly, as described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 643,626 filed on March 10, 2015 by Sears et al., a touch screen may be used, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As a further example, a component suitable for gesture recognition based on a specified movement of the aerosol delivery device may be used as an input portion. See U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016 / 0158782 to Henry et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0126] In some embodiments, the input may include a computer or computing device such as a smart phone or tablet computer. Specifically, the aerosol delivery device may be connected to a computer or other device, such as by using a USB cable or similar protocol wiring. The aerosol delivery device may also communicate with a computer or other device used as an input via wireless communication. For example, see the system and method for controlling the device via a read request as described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016 / 0007561 to Ampolini et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In such an embodiment, an application or other computer program can be used in conjunction with a computer or other computing device to input control instructions to the aerosol delivery device, such control instructions including, for example, the ability to form an aerosol of a specific composition by selecting a nicotine content and / or the content of additionally included flavorings.

[0127] Although other embodiments may vary, in the depicted embodiment, the inner frame 215 is separate from the outer shell 202. In this way, the inner frame 215 defining the cartridge receiving chamber 212 can exist independently of the outer shell 202. The opening of the chamber can coincide with the opening at the proximal end 208 of the outer shell 202. Thus, in the depicted embodiment, the inner frame wall 214 can be a completely different element attached to the outer shell 202; however, in other embodiments, the inner frame wall and the outer shell can be continuously formed. In either case, the sidewalls forming the inner frame wall exist inside the outer shell and are separate from the outer shell.

[0128] In various embodiments, the outer shell 202 may be formed of any suitable material, such as metal, plastic, ceramic, glass or the like. In some embodiments, the inner frame 215 may be formed of a material different from that used to form the outer shell 202. For example, in some embodiments, the outer shell may be composed of a metal material, and the inner frame may be composed of a plastic material. In other embodiments, the same material may be used. As described above, the choice of material may also extend to the outer shell for any additional (one or more) control devices included in the device. For example, in some embodiments, the outer shell and the inner frame may be composed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate and combinations thereof). In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be composed of other materials, including, for example, metal materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials and / or any combination thereof.

[0129] Figure 3A and 3B An exemplary embodiment of a cartridge 300 for use in an aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Figure 3A is a perspective view of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 3B 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the barrel shown in FIG. Figure 3A and 3B As shown, the cartridge 300 includes a tank portion 302, which is defined by an outer tank wall 304, the outer tank wall including a proximal end 306 and a distal end 308, and the distal end is closed. Therefore, the tank portion 302 is characterized in that the tank wall 304 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 308 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 302 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 324 (e.g., an electronic liquid or an aerosol precursor composition) for evaporation, which can be configured as other aspects described herein. The cartridge 300 also includes a mouthpiece portion 310, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 312, the outer mouthpiece wall including a proximal end 314 and a distal end 316, the proximal end is defined with an outlet port 315, and the distal end cooperates with the proximal end 306 of the tank portion 302.

[0130] For the aerosol delivery system characterized as an electronic cigarette, the aerosol precursor composition may include tobacco or a component derived from tobacco. On the one hand, tobacco can be provided as several parts or several pieces of tobacco, such as finely ground, ground or powdered tobacco flakes. It can include tobacco beads, pellets or other solid forms such as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0335070 of Sears et al., and its disclosure is generally incorporated herein by reference. On the other hand, tobacco can be provided in the form of an extract, such as a spray-dried extract, which contains many water-soluble components of tobacco. Alternatively, tobacco extracts can have the form of an extract with a relatively high nicotine content, and the extract also contains a small amount of components from other extracts of tobacco. On the other hand, components derived from tobacco can be provided in relatively pure form, such as some flavorings derived from tobacco. On the one hand, the component derived from tobacco and that can be used in a highly purified or substantially pure form is nicotine (e.g., pharmaceutical grade nicotine).

[0131] In the depicted embodiments, the liquid composition, sometimes referred to as an aerosol precursor composition, a vapor precursor composition, or an "e-liquid," may include a variety of components, including, for example, a polyol (e.g., glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture thereof), nicotine, tobacco, tobacco extracts, and / or flavorants. Representative types of aerosol precursor components and compositions are also described and characterized in U.S. Pat. No. 7,217,320 to Robinson et al., U.S. Pat. Publication No. 2013 / 0008457 to Zheng et al., U.S. Pat. Publication No. 2013 / 0213417 to Chong et al., U.S. Pat. Publication No. 2014 / 0060554 to Collett et al., U.S. Application Publication No. 2015 / 0030823 to Lipowicz et al., and U.S. Application Publication No. 2015 / 0020830 to Koller, and WO 2014 / 182736 to Bowen et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Other aerosol precursors that may be used include those contained in the following products: products; BLUTM products from Fontem Ventures; MISTIC MENTHOL products from Mistic Ecigs; MARK TEN products from Nu Mark LLC; JUUL products from Juul Labs; and VYPE products from CN Creative Ltd. Also contemplated are so-called "tobacco juices" for electronic cigarettes, which are already available from Johnson Creek Ltd. Additional exemplary aerosol precursor compositions are sold under the following trade names: BLACK NOTE, COSMIC FOG, MILKMAN E-LIQUID, FIVEPAWNS, VAPOR CHEF, VAPE WILD, BOOSTED, THE STEAM FACTORY, MECH SAUCE, CASEY JONESMAINLINE RESERVE, DR. CRIMMY'S V-LIQUID, SMILEY E LIQUID, BEANTOWN VAPOR, CUTTWOOD, CYCLOPS VAPOR, SICBOY, GOOD LIFE VAPOR, TELEOS, PINUP VAPORS, SPACE JAM, MT. BAKER VAPOR, and JIMMY THE JUICE MAN.

[0132] The amount of the aerosol precursor combined in the aerosol delivery system makes the aerosol generating device provide acceptable sensory and desired performance characteristics.For example, preferably a sufficient amount of aerosol forming materials such as glycerol and / or propylene glycol can be used to ensure that the visible mainstream aerosol similar to the appearance of tobacco smoke is produced in many aspects.The amount of the aerosol precursor in the aerosol generating system can depend on factors such as the desired number of puffs.In one or more embodiments, an aerosol precursor composition of about 1 milliliter or more, about 2 milliliters or more, about 5 milliliters or more or about 10 milliliters or more can be included.

[0133] In some embodiments, liquid composition 324 may include one or more spices. As used herein, the "spice" mentioned refers to a compound or component that can be aerosolized and delivered to a user and gives sensory experience in terms of taste and / or aroma. Exemplary spices include, but are not limited to, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, cheese, tea, coffee, fruit (e.g., apple, cherry, strawberry, peach and citrus flavors, including lime and lemon), maple, menthol, mint, peppermint, spearmint, holly, nutmeg, cloves, lavender, cardamom, ginger, honey, fennel, sage, rosemary, hibiscus, rose hip, mate, holly tea, honey tree tea, rooibos tea, Paraguayan tea, bacopa, ginkgo leaf, somnol, cinnamon, sandalwood, jasmine, West Indian bittersweet tree, cocoa beans, licorice; and condiments and seasoning packages traditionally used as the flavoring type and characteristic of cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco. Syrups such as high fructose corn syrup may also be used. Suitable exemplary plant-derived compositions are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 9,107,453 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0152265 of Dube et al., and the disclosures thereof are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Based on factors such as the organoleptic properties required for smoking articles, the selection of these additional components is variable, and the disclosure is intended to encompass any such additional components that are apparent to those skilled in the art of tobacco and tobacco-related or tobacco-derived products. See, for example, "Tobacco Flavoring Substances and Methods (tobacco flavoring substances and methods)" (1972) of Gutcho of Noyes Data Corp. and "Tobacco Flavoring for Smoking Products (tobacco flavoring for smoking products)" (1972) of Leffingwell et al., and the disclosures thereof are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. It should be noted that reference to spices should not be limited to any single spice as described above, and in fact may represent a combination of one or more spices.

[0134] In various embodiments, the integral cartridge 300 and / or the mouthpiece portion 310 and / or the reservoir portion 302 may be defined relative to a longitudinal axis (L), a first transverse axis (T1) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a second transverse axis (T2) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and perpendicular to the first transverse axis. Figure 3BAs shown, the cartridge 300 also includes an atomizing member, which is configured to evaporate the liquid composition. In the depicted embodiment, the atomizing member includes a heating member 320. Although the atomizing member of the depicted embodiment includes a heating member configured to heat the liquid composition to evaporate the composition to form an aerosol, in other embodiments, the atomizing member may include any device, element or assembly configured to evaporate (e.g., atomize, aerosolize, etc.) the liquid composition to form an aerosol, including, for example, an atomizing nozzle device and a piezoelectric device, such as a device configured to subject the liquid composition to vibration (e.g., ultrasonic vibration), which evaporates the composition to form an aerosol. In various embodiments, such devices can utilize the power from a power supply to produce an aerosol. Some examples of piezoelectric vibration devices are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0319404 of Amir et al., which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.

[0135] The cartridge also includes a liquid delivery element 321, at least a portion of which is positioned proximate to (e.g., directly adjacent to, adjacent to, in close proximity to, or in relatively close proximity to) the heating member 320. The liquid delivery element 321 of the depicted embodiment extends between the heating member 320 and the liquid composition 324 contained within the reservoir portion 302. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of the heating member 320 is located above the proximal end 306 of the reservoir portion 302. For purposes of this disclosure, it should be understood that the term "above" in this particular context should be interpreted to mean in a direction substantially along the longitudinal axis (L) toward the proximal end 314 of the mouthpiece portion 310, as shown in FIG. Figure 3B shown.

[0136] In various embodiments, the heating member 320 and the liquid delivery element 321 may be configured as separate elements connected to the fluid or may be configured as a combined element. In addition, the heating member 320 and the liquid delivery element 321 may be formed by any configuration as described in other aspects herein. The cartridge 300 also includes one or more electrical contacts 325, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 320 to the battery 216 and / or the control component 234 of the control device 200. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the heating member and the liquid delivery element may be combined into a single component. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member may be integrated into the liquid delivery element. Some examples of such components are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,833,364 granted to Buchberger and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0203057 of Buchberger, and each document is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0137] In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element 321 may be composed of one or more materials, which are configured to deliver liquid, for example, by capillary action. In some embodiments, the liquid delivery element may be formed by materials such as fiber materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. The liquid delivery element 321 may also be any material comprising an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected holes so that fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fiber delivery elements. Thus, fiber delivery elements may be explicitly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber delivery elements and non-fiber delivery elements may be used. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within specific types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the fluid transport element 321 may be formed partially or entirely of a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, etc. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a wick that is substantially solid (e.g., not hollow).

[0138] In various embodiments, the heating member 320 may include one or more different materials configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied therethrough. In some embodiments, the heating member 320 may be a wire coil. Exemplary materials that may form a wire coil include, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloy, Kanthal (Kanthal) (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloy, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide (Mo(Si, Al)2) interspersed with aluminum, titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite, and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member 320 may be formed by conductive ink, boron-doped silicon dioxide, and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). Other types of heaters may also be used, such as laser diodes or micro heaters. The laser diode may be configured to deliver electromagnetic radiation at a specific wavelength or wavelength band, which may be tuned for evaporation of an aerosol precursor composition and / or tuned for heating a liquid delivery element, via which an aerosol precursor composition may be provided for evaporation. The laser diode may be particularly positioned so that electromagnetic radiation is delivered within a chamber, and the chamber may be configured to be radiation-capturing (e.g., a black body or a white body). Suitable micro-heaters are described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,881,737 to Collett et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For example, a micro-heater may include a substrate (e.g., quartz, silicon dioxide) having a heater trace (e.g., a resistive element, such as silver, palladium, titanium, platinum, platinum / titanium, boron-doped silicon or other metal or metal alloy) thereon, the heater trace being printed or otherwise applied to the substrate. A passivation layer (e.g., aluminum oxide or silicon dioxide) may be provided on the heater trace. Specifically, the heating member 320 may be configured to be substantially flat. Some examples of such heaters are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0345633 to DePiano et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0139] In the depicted embodiment, the outer tank wall 304 is configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 324 contained therein is visible externally. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 304 can be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 304 can be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall can be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 304 or a portion thereof can be substantially opaque, and a strip (e.g., about 1 mm wide to about 20 mm wide or about 2 mm wide to about 18 mm wide or about 5 mm wide to about 15 mm wide) extending from the proximal end 306 of the tank portion 302 to the distal end 308 of the tank can be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 304 can be colored. In some embodiments, the color can be configured so that the liquid composition 324 within the tank portion 302 is still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank wall can be configured so that the outer tank wall 304 has a substantially opaque color.

[0140] In some embodiments, the control device 200 may be configured such that at least a portion of the tank portion 302 is visible when the cartridge 300 is mated with the control device 200. As described above, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the outer tank wall 304 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 324 contained therein is visible from the outside, and the outer wall 204 of the control device 200 may be configured to include an indicator window 240 (see Figure 1 and 2 ), when the cartridge 300 is mated with the control device 200, a portion of the outer tank wall 304 and any liquid composition 324 present in the tank portion 302 can be visible through the indicator window 240.

[0141] In one or more embodiments, the cartridge 300 can be configured such that the mouthpiece wall 312 includes a flange positioned between the proximal end 314 and the distal end 316 thereof. Figure 3A and 3B , the mouthpiece 310 includes a flange 350 that extends from the mouthpiece wall 312 around substantially the entire circumference of the mouthpiece 310. In some embodiments, the distance that the flange 350 extends from the mouthpiece wall 310 can be substantially uniform around the entire circumference of the mouthpiece 310. In other embodiments, such as the one depicted, the distance that the flange 350 extends from the mouthpiece wall 312 can vary at one or more points around the circumference of the mouthpiece 310. Still other embodiments may not include a flange.

[0142] In various embodiments, when present in the mouthpiece wall 312, the electrical contact 325 can be longitudinally positioned between the flange 350 and the distal end 316 of the mouthpiece portion 310. Further, in some embodiments, the flange 350 can be substantially aligned with the interior upper wall 332. Thus, the flange 350 can be substantially parallel to the interior upper wall 332 and / or can be substantially in the same horizontal plane. In some embodiments, the flange 350 can be positioned above the evaporation chamber 340 and above the heating member 320 along the longitudinal axis (L) of the mouthpiece portion 310.

[0143] In various embodiments, the flange 350 can interact with a corresponding lip on the control device 200 to ensure proper connection of the cartridge 300 to the control device 200. For example, referring to Figure 2 , the control device 200 can be configured such that the opening 210 at its proximal end 208 includes a recess having an inwardly protruding first lip 221. Thus, the recess can include a rim wall 222 that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device 100. The rim wall 222 can extend downward from the proximal end 208 for a short distance that can substantially correspond to the thickness of the flange 350 of the cartridge 300 and / or the thickness of additional elements that may be present near the flange. For example, in some embodiments, the rim wall 222 that forms the downwardly extending recess can have a height of about 1 mm to about 8 mm, about 1 mm to about 6 mm, or about 1 mm to about 5 mm (i.e., measured from the top surface of the inwardly protruding lip 221 to the first device proximal end 208). The inwardly protruding lip 221 can have a width of about 1 mm to about 8 mm, about 1 mm to about 6 mm, or about 1 mm to about 5 mm (i.e., the distance that the lip extends inwardly from the rim wall 222 to the end). In some embodiments, the inwardly protruding lip 221 can have a substantially constant width around the entire perimeter of the opening 210. In other embodiments, the inwardly extending lip 221 can be discontinuous and thus can be formed by one or more inwardly extending lips spaced apart around the opening 210. In various embodiments, the flange 350 of the mouthpiece portion 310 is configured to be at least partially received within the recess formed by the rim wall 222 to contact the inwardly protruding lip 221. Thus, the bottom surface of the flange 350 can be substantially in contact with the inwardly protruding lip 221, and the outer edge of the flange can be substantially adjacent to the rim wall 222.

[0144] In some embodiments, the flange 350 and / or the inwardly protruding lip 221 can be configured to bias the cartridge 300 into connection with the control device 200. For example, a magnetic connection can be used. Figure 3BAs shown, the cartridge 300 may include a magnet 352 positioned adjacent to the bottom surface of the first flange 350. In various embodiments, the magnet 352 may extend substantially completely around the periphery of the mouthpiece portion 310, or may be discontinuous so as to be configured as one or more discrete magnets. In various embodiments, the magnet 352 may be adhered to the mouthpiece wall 312, may be adhered to the flange 350, or may be adhered to both the mouthpiece wall 312 and the flange 350. The inwardly protruding lip 221 may be formed of metal or other material, and the magnet 352 will be magnetically attracted thereto. In other embodiments, the magnet 352 may be positioned on the control device 200. Specifically, the magnet 352 may be adhered to the inwardly extending lip 221. In such an embodiment, the flange 350 may be formed of metal or other material, and the magnet 352 will be magnetically attracted thereto. In other embodiments, the magnet 300 may be present on the cartridge 300 as well as the control device 200. Thus, a magnet adjacent to the lower surface of the flange 350 present on the cartridge 300 may be magnetically attracted to a magnet adjacent to the upper surface of the inwardly protruding lip 221 present on the control device 200. When a magnet is present on the mouthpiece portion 310, preferably the combined thickness of the magnet and flange 350 is substantially the same as the height of the rim wall 222 on the control device 200, so that when the cartridge and device are mated, the upper surface of the flange is substantially flush with the proximal end 208 of the device.

[0145] In various embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 100 and / or the control device 200 of the aerosol delivery device 100 may also include an external connector configured to electrically contact each of the device external connection elements (e.g., the device external connection elements 218). The external connector may include a first connector end and a second connector end interconnected by a joint, which may be, for example, a rope of variable length. In various embodiments, the first connector end may be configured to be electrically connected to the control device and optionally mechanically connected. Specifically, the first connector end may include an insertion wall that may be received in a well present at the distal end 206 of the control device 200. The external connector may include a plurality of electrical pins inside the insertion wall that are configured to be connected to the device external connection elements 218 for charging and / or information transmission. In some embodiments, the control device 200 may include a mechanical connector (e.g., a mechanical connector 242) adjacent to the control device external connection elements 218. In some embodiments, the mechanical connector 242 may be a magnet or a metal (or similar element) suitable for magnetic attraction to a magnet. The first connector end of the external connection may then also include a mechanical connection element that can be positioned between the insertion wall and the electrical pin. In various embodiments, the mechanical connection element can be a magnet or a metal (or similar element) suitable for magnetic attraction to the magnet. The second connector end can be configured to connect to a computer or similar electronic device or to a power source. For example, the second connector end may have a universal serial bus (USB) connection; however, different connections may also be provided and / or an adapter (e.g., a USB / AC adapter) may also be included. For example, an adapter is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261495 to Novak et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0146] Nos. 5,967,148 to Harris et al.; 5,934,289 to Watkins et al.; 5,954,979 to Counts et al.; 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al.; 8,365,742 to Hon; 8,402,976 to Fernando et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0163063 to Fernando et al.; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0163063 to Tucker et al. Other features, controllers or components that may be incorporated into the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 3 / 0192623 to Leven et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0298905 to Leven et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0180553 to Kim et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0000638 to Sebastian et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261495 to Novak et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261408 to DePiano et al., and the entire text of the above documents is incorporated herein by reference.

[0147] In various embodiments, the mouthpiece portion 310 of the cartridge 300 can be configured to mate with the reservoir portion 302. For example, Figure 3B As shown, the distal end 316 of the mouthpiece portion 310 may include a rim wall 330 at least partially inserted from the outer mouthpiece wall 312. The rim wall 330 may be configured to fit within the proximal end 306 of the outer tank wall 304. In some embodiments, the length of the rim wall 330 may be about 1 mm to about 20 mm, about 2 mm to about 18 mm, or about 5 mm to about 15 mm, but other configurations are possible. In some embodiments, the rim wall 330 may fit the outer tank wall 304 via a friction fit alone, or the rim wall may be substantially permanently attached to the outer tank wall, such as by welding or by bonding with one or more adhesives.

[0148] In some embodiments, the mouthpiece portion 310 can define an open interior space through which formed vapor can combine with air to form an aerosol for output through an outlet port 315 of the mouthpiece portion 310. In one or more embodiments, the mouthpiece 310 can include one or more additional interior walls that can be arranged to define one or more compartments within the mouthpiece. For example, the mouthpiece can include an interior upper wall between the proximal end and the distal end of the mouthpiece, and also include an interior lower wall between the interior upper wall and the proximal end of the mouthpiece. More specifically, as Figure 3BAs shown, the mouthpiece portion 310 may include an inner upper wall 332 between the proximal end 314 and the distal end 316 of the mouthpiece portion 310. Further, the mouthpiece portion 310 may include an inner lower wall 334 between the inner upper wall 332 and the distal end 316 of the mouthpiece portion 310.

[0149] In various embodiments, two or more walls in the mouthpiece may be configured to define a vaporization chamber in which the heating member 320 may be positioned. Figure 3B As shown, the outer mouthpiece wall 312, the inner upper wall 332 and the inner lower wall 334 define a vaporization chamber 340 in which the heating member 320 is positioned. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts 325 may be positioned within the portion of the outer mouthpiece wall 312 that defines the vaporization chamber 340; however, it should be understood that one or more electrical leads may extend from the heating member 320 to one or more electrical contacts positioned at different portions of the outer mouthpiece wall or positioned in the outer tank wall 304. One or more walls of the mouthpiece may also include one or more openings for passing one or more additional elements of the cartridge 300 or for passing the formed vapor / aerosol. For example, the inner upper wall 332 may include a vapor opening 336 through which vapor formed in the vaporization chamber 340 may pass toward the first outlet port 315. In some embodiments, the vapor opening 336 in the inner upper wall 332 may be substantially centered therein and may be substantially aligned with the heating member 320 along the longitudinal axis of the cartridge 300. As a further example, the interior lower wall 334 may include a wicking hole 338 through which the first liquid transport element 321 (eg, a wicking portion) may pass between the heating member 320 and the liquid composition 324 in the reservoir portion 302 .

[0150] In various embodiments, two or more walls in the mouthpiece may be configured to define a cooling chamber in which the formed aerosol may be allowed to expand and / or cool before passing through the outlet port. Figure 3B As shown, the outer mouthpiece wall 312 and the inner upper wall 332 define a cooling chamber 342, which receives the formed vapor / aerosol from the evaporation chamber 340. Thus, the vapor / aerosol formed by the heating member 320 passes from the evaporation chamber 340 through the vapor opening 336 and enters the cooling chamber 342. In some embodiments, the evaporation chamber 340 and the cooling chamber 342 can be configured to have a defined relative volume ratio. For example, in some embodiments, the volume ratio of the evaporation chamber 340 to the cooling chamber 342 can be about 2:1 to about 1:4, about 1:1 to about 1:4, or about 1:1.5 to about 1:3, although other configurations are also possible.

[0151] If desired, the mouthpiece 310 may also include one or more elements configured to reduce or prevent leakage of condensed liquid therefrom. For example, in some embodiments, all or a portion of the interior of the mouthpiece wall 312 and / or the interior upper wall 332 defining the cooling chamber 342 may be configured to be formed of or include an absorbent or adsorbent material that retains liquid. Alternatively or additionally, all or a portion of the interior of the mouthpiece wall 312 and / or the interior upper wall 332 defining the cooling chamber 342 may be configured to direct liquid back to the evaporation chamber 340, such as by adding microchannels or the like.

[0152] In some embodiments, the entire cartridge 300 and / or mouthpiece 310 may thus be defined with respect to an overall length along the longitudinal axis (L), an overall width along the first transverse axis (T1), and an overall depth along the second longitudinal axis (T2). The length may be greater than the width, which in turn may be greater than the depth. The distance that the flange 350 extends away from the mouthpiece wall 312 may be greater along the second transverse axis (T2) than along the first transverse axis (T1). Thus, in some embodiments, the total distance between the opposing outer edges of the flange 350 across the mouthpiece 310 along the first transverse axis (T1) may be greater than the total distance (T2) between the opposing edges of the flange across the mouthpiece along the second transverse axis; the total distance between the opposing outer edges of the flange 350 across the mouthpiece 310 along the first transverse axis (T1) may be substantially equal to the total distance between the opposing edges of the flange across the mouthpiece along the second transverse axis (T2); or the total distance between the opposing outer edges of the flange 350 across the mouthpiece 310 along the first transverse axis (T1) may be less than the total distance between the opposing edges of the flange across the mouthpiece along the second transverse axis (T2). In a specific embodiment, the distance (d2) between the mouthpiece wall 312 and the outer edge of the flange 350 measured along the second transverse axis (T2) may be greater than the distance between the mouthpiece wall and the outer edge of the flange measured along the first transverse axis (T1). The distance may in particular be measured at approximately the midpoint of each of the first transverse axis (T1) and the second transverse axis (T2).

[0153] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 310 and the tank portion 302 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., alumina, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof. In the depicted embodiment, the mouthpiece portion 310 is configured to be connected to the tank portion 302 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat smelting / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0154] Figure 4 , 5A 5B shows a cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Figure 4 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge 500 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5A A partial cross-sectional view of the cartridge 500 is shown, and Figure 5B A partial close-up cross-sectional view of the cartridge 500 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 500 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 500 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the cartridge 300 and the control device 200 described above and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations), which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0155] Reference Figure 4, the cartridge 500 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 502, which is defined by an outer tank wall 504, which includes a proximal end 506 and a distal end 508. Therefore, the tank portion 502 is characterized in that the tank wall 504 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 508 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 502 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 524 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or an aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 500 also includes a mouthpiece portion 510, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 512, which includes a distal end 516 and a proximal end 514, and the proximal end has an outlet port 315 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 500 also includes a collar portion 560 positioned between the mouthpiece portion 510 and the tank portion 502. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 560 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 510 and the tank portion 502 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat staking / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0156] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 504 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 524 contained therein is visible outside. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 504 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 504 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 504 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 506 of the tank 502 to the distal end 508 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 504 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 524 in the tank 502 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank wall may be configured to make the outer tank wall 504 have a substantially opaque color.

[0157] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 502, the collar portion 560, and the reservoir portion 502 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0158] like Figure 4 As shown, the cartridge 500 also includes a heating member 520 and a pair of electrical contacts 525A, 525B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 520 to the control components of the battery and / or the control device. In the depicted embodiment, the contacts 525A, 525B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 500 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 560. Although in the depicted embodiment, the contacts 525A, 525B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 560 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or via insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, the electrical contacts 525A, 525B are made of conductive materials. The example of conductive materials includes, but is not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic materials and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be constructed of one conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0159] In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 520 may be made of a metal material, such as a stainless steel material, including but not limited to 304, 304L, 316 or 316L stainless steel. In other embodiments, the heating member may be made of different materials, such as, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloy, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloy, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member, or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 520 may be integrated with a first liquid delivery element 521. As described above, other types of heating members (e.g., laser diodes, micro heaters, etc.) may also be used.

[0160] The cartridge 500 of the depicted embodiment also includes a pair of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 500 includes a first liquid delivery element 521 and a second liquid delivery element 522. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 521 is configured to be located near the heating member 520. In addition, the second liquid delivery element 522 of the depicted embodiment is configured to extend between the first liquid delivery element 521 and the liquid composition 524 contained in the storage tank 502, so that the second liquid delivery element 522 is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element 521. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 522 has a T-shape, which has a transverse portion 527 intersecting with a longitudinal portion 529. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the length of the longitudinal portion 529 is longer than the length of the transverse portion 527.

[0161] like Figure 5A and 5BAs shown, the first liquid delivery element 521 and the heating member 520 are located in the collar portion 560 of the cartridge 500. When installed in the cartridge, the heating member 520 of the illustrated embodiment has a curved or arched shape. In addition, when installed in the cartridge, the liquid delivery member 521 of the depicted embodiment also has a curved or arched shape. Specifically, the heating member 520 of the depicted embodiment includes a flat heating element, which has a curved or arched shape corresponding to (e.g., similar or approximately the same) the curved shape of the top surface of the first liquid delivery element 521 when installed in the cartridge 500 (or, in some embodiments, vice versa). In this way, the heating member 520 in the installed position contacts the top surface of the first liquid delivery element 521. In the depicted embodiment, the curved form of the flat heating member 520 can provide a large cross-sectional flow area and a ratio of the length of the flow path through the first liquid delivery element 521. When installed, the curvature of the heating member 520 can provide a compressive force against the first liquid delivery element 521. The mounting curvature of the heating member 520 can also bias the deflection of the heating member 520, which can occur with thermal expansion toward the first liquid delivery element 521, thereby helping to maintain thermal contact between the heating member 520 and the first liquid delivery element 521. In addition, when installed in the cartridge 500, the lateral portion 527 of the second liquid delivery element 522 also has a curved or arcuate shape that corresponds to (e.g., is similar to or approximately the same as) the curvature of the bottom surface of the first liquid delivery element 521. In this way, the top surface of the lateral portion 527 of the second liquid delivery element 522 contacts the bottom surface of the first liquid delivery element 521. Thus, one or more of these features can provide improved performance with respect to delivering the liquid composition to the first liquid delivery element 521.

[0162] In various embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 521 and the second liquid delivery element 522 may be composed of one or more materials, which are configured to transport liquids such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed by materials such as fiber materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 521 includes a fiber material and the second liquid delivery element 522 includes a semi-rigid material. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 522 is configured to be pressed into the collar portion 560, but other attachment methods are also possible. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element can also be any material containing an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores so that a fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fiber delivery elements. Thus, fiber delivery elements can be clearly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber transport elements and non-fiber transport elements may be employed. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al.; the entireties of the foregoing documents are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within particular types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al.; the entirety of the document is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be formed partially or completely from a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, or the like. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a wick that is substantially solid (e.g., not hollow).

[0163] In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 500 also includes a shield feature 562 (which is a curved shield feature in the depicted embodiment), a portion of which is configured to be located above (e.g., downstream) the heating member 520 and within the collar portion 560. In the depicted embodiment, the shield feature 562 is configured to direct aerosol, collect condensate, and / or prevent liquid and high temperatures from directly exiting the cartridge 500. In the depicted embodiment, the shield feature 562 can be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, the shield feature may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., alumina, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof. The shield feature 562 of the depicted embodiment has a curvature that is opposite to the curvature of the heating member 520. For example, in the depicted embodiment, the heating member 520 has a concave curvature (relative to the curvature of the heating member 520). Figure 3A 510 ), while the shield feature 562 has a convex curvature. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 520 and the shield feature 562 define at least a portion of the evaporation chamber 540. As described above, when the heating member 520 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid delivery element 521, an aerosol is generated in the evaporation chamber 540. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, the aerosol from the evaporation chamber 540 can be diverted by the shield feature 562 and delivered to the user via the outlet port 515 of the mouthpiece portion 510.

[0164] Figure 6 , 7A 7B and 7B show a cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Figure 6 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge 700 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 7A A partial cross-sectional view of the cartridge 700 is shown, and Figure 7B A partial close-up cross-sectional view of the cartridge 700 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 700 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 700 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the cartridge 300 and control device 200 described above and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations) thereof, which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0165] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cartridge 700 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 702, which is defined by an outer tank wall 704, which includes a proximal end 706 and a distal end 708. Therefore, the tank portion 702 is characterized in that the tank wall 704 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 708 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 702 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 724 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or an aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 700 also includes a mouthpiece portion 710, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 712, which includes a distal end 716 and a proximal end 714, and the proximal end has an outlet port 715 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 700 also includes a collar portion 760 positioned between the mouthpiece portion 710 and the tank portion 702. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 760 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 710 and the tank portion 702 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat staking / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0166] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 704 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 724 contained therein is visible outside. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 704 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 704 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 704 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 706 of the tank 702 to the distal end 708 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 704 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 724 in the tank 702 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank wall may be configured to make the outer tank wall 704 have a substantially opaque color.

[0167] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 710, the collar portion 760, and the reservoir portion 702 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0168] like Figure 6 As shown, the cartridge 700 also includes a heating member 720 and a pair of electrical contacts 725A, 725B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 720 to the control components of the battery and / or the control device. In the depicted embodiment, contacts 725A, 725B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 700 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 760. Although in the depicted embodiment, contacts 725A, 725B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 760 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or via insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, electrical contacts 725A, 725B are made of conductive material. The example of conductive material includes, but is not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic material and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be constructed of one conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0169] In various embodiments, the heating member may include one or more different materials that are configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied therethrough. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 720 may be composed of a metallic material, such as a stainless steel material, including but not limited to 304, 304L, 316 or 316L stainless steel. In other embodiments, the heating member may be composed of different materials, such as, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloy, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloy, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide (Mo(Si,Al)2) mixed with aluminum, titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 720 may be integrated with a first liquid delivery element 721. As mentioned above, other types of heating components may also be used.

[0170] The cartridge 700 of the depicted embodiment also includes a pair of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 700 includes a first liquid delivery element 721 and a second liquid delivery element 722. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 721 is configured to be located near the heating member 720. In addition, the second liquid delivery element 722 of the depicted embodiment is configured to extend between the first liquid delivery element 721 and the liquid composition 724 contained in the storage tank 702, so that the second liquid delivery element 722 is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element 721. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 722 has a T-shape, which has a transverse portion 727 intersecting with the longitudinal portion 729. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the length of the transverse portion 727 is longer than the length of the longitudinal portion 729.

[0171] like Fig. 7A and 7BAs shown, the first liquid delivery element 721, the second liquid delivery element 722 and the heating member 720 are located in the collar portion 760 of the cartridge 700. When installed in the cartridge, the heating member 720 of the illustrated embodiment has a curved or arched shape. In addition, when installed in the cartridge, the liquid delivery member 721 of the depicted embodiment also has a curved or arched shape. Specifically, the heating member 720 of the depicted embodiment includes a flat heating element, which has a curved or arched shape corresponding to (e.g., similar or approximately the same) the curved shape of the top surface of the first liquid delivery element 721 when installed in the cartridge 700 (or, in some embodiments, vice versa). In this way, the heating member 720 in the installed position contacts the top surface of the first liquid delivery element 721. In the depicted embodiment, the curved form of the flat heating member 720 can provide a large cross-sectional flow area and a ratio of the flow path length through the first liquid delivery element 721. When installed, the curvature of the heating member 720 can provide a compressive force against the first liquid delivery element 721. The installation curvature of the heating member 720 can also bias the deflection of the heating member 720, which can occur with thermal expansion toward the first liquid delivery element 721, thereby helping to maintain thermal contact between the heating member 720 and the first liquid delivery element 721. In addition, when installed in the cartridge 700, the lateral portion 727 of the second liquid delivery element 722 also has a curved or arcuate shape that corresponds to (e.g., is similar to or approximately the same as) the curvature of the bottom surface of the first liquid delivery element 721. In this way, the top surface of the lateral portion 727 of the second liquid delivery element 722 contacts the bottom surface of the first liquid delivery element 721. Thus, one or more of these features can provide improved performance with respect to delivering the liquid composition to the first liquid delivery element 721.

[0172] In various embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 721 and the second liquid delivery element 722 may be composed of one or more materials, which are configured to transport liquids such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed by materials such as fiber materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 721 includes a fiber material and the second liquid delivery element 722 includes a semi-rigid material. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 722 is configured to be pressed into the collar portion 760, but other attachment methods are also possible. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element can also be any material containing an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores so that a fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fiber delivery elements. Thus, fiber delivery elements can be clearly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber transport elements and non-fiber transport elements may be employed. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al.; the entireties of the foregoing documents are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within particular types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al.; the entirety of the document is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be formed partially or completely from a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, or the like. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid wicking portion.

[0173] In the depicted embodiment, the barrel 700 also includes a shield feature 762 (which is a curved shield feature in the depicted embodiment), a portion of which is configured to be located above the heating member 720 and within the collar portion 760. In the depicted embodiment, the shield feature 762 can be composed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are also possible. In other embodiments, the shield feature can be composed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof. The shield feature 762 of the depicted embodiment has a curvature that is opposite to the curvature of the heating member 720. For example, in the depicted embodiment, the heating member 720 has a concave curvature (relative to Figure 3A 762 has a convex curvature. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 720 and the shroud feature 762 define at least a portion of the evaporation chamber 740. As described above, when the heating member 720 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid delivery element 721, an aerosol is generated in the evaporation chamber 740. In the depicted embodiment, the shroud feature 762 is configured to guide the aerosol, collect condensate, and / or prevent liquid and high temperature from directly leaving the cartridge 700. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, an aerosol from the evaporation chamber 740 can be delivered to the user via the outlet port 715 of the mouthpiece portion 710.

[0174] Figure 8 and 9 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Figure 8 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge 900 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 9 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 900 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 900 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 900 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the cartridge 300 and control device 200 described above and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations) thereof, which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0175] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cartridge 900 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 902, which is defined by an outer tank wall 904, which includes a proximal end 906 and a distal end 908. Therefore, the tank portion 902 is characterized in that the tank wall 904 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 908 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 902 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 924 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or an aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 900 also includes a mouthpiece portion 910, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 912, which includes a distal end 916 and a proximal end 914, and the proximal end has an outlet port 915 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 900 also includes a collar portion 960 positioned between the mouthpiece portion 910 and the tank portion 902. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 960 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 910 and the tank portion 902 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat staking / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0176] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 904 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 924 contained therein is visible externally. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 904 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 904 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 904 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 906 of the tank 902 to the distal end 908 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 904 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 924 in the tank 902 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank wall may be configured to make the outer tank wall 904 have a substantially opaque color.

[0177] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 910, the collar portion 960, and the reservoir portion 902 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0178] As shown, cartridge 900 also includes heating member 920 and a pair of electrical contacts 925A, 925B, which are configured to electrically connect heating member 920 to the control unit of battery and / or control device. In the depicted embodiment, contacts 925A, 925B are located at the opposite side of cartridge 900 and are configured to be attached to collar portion 960. Although in the depicted embodiment, contacts 925A, 925B are configured to be attached to collar portion 960 via press fit or snap fit attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or via insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, electrical contacts 925A, 925B are made of conductive material. The example of conductive material includes but is not limited to copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic material and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be constructed of one conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0179] In various embodiments, the heating member may include one or more different materials that are configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied therethrough. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 920 includes a wire coil. Exemplary materials that can form the wire coil include, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloys, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloys, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite, and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heater 920 may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica, and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member, or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 920 may be integrated with a first liquid delivery element 921. As described above, other types of heating members (e.g., laser diodes, micro heaters, etc.) may also be used.

[0180] The cartridge 900 of the depicted embodiment also includes a pair of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 900 includes a first liquid delivery element 921 and a second liquid delivery element 922. In the depicted embodiment, a portion of the heating member 920 is configured to wrap around a portion of the first liquid delivery element 921. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 922 is configured to extend between the first liquid delivery element 921 and the liquid composition 924 contained in the tank 902, so that the second liquid delivery element 922 is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element 921. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 922 has a T-shape with a transverse portion 929 intersecting the longitudinal portion 927. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the length of the longitudinal portion 929 is longer than the length of the transverse portion 927. The second liquid delivery element 922 of the depicted embodiment is also used to seal the collar portion 960 with the liquid composition 924.

[0181] In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 900 also includes an upper frame portion 931, which may include various features configured to hold at least a portion of the heating member 920 and the first liquid delivery element 921. In the depicted embodiment, the upper frame portion 931 is composed of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or silicone material, but other materials are also possible. The upper frame portion 931 of the depicted embodiment is also configured to facilitate connecting the ends of the heating member 920 (such as, for example, by pressing together) to the corresponding electrical contacts 925A, 925B. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of one or more of the upper frame portion 931, the heating member 920, the first liquid delivery element 921 and the electrical contacts 925A, 925B is contained in the collar portion 960. When installed in the cartridge, the first liquid delivery element 921 has a U-shape, which includes a lateral central portion 933 and two longitudinal legs 935A, 935B that intersect with the central portion 933 and extend downward from the central portion 933. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the length of the lateral central portion 933 is longer than the length of the longitudinal legs 935A, 935B. In the depicted embodiment, the respective ends of the legs 935A, 935B contact the top surface of the side 927 of the second liquid delivery element 922. In this manner, the second liquid delivery element 922 can facilitate the delivery of the liquid composition 924 toward the first liquid delivery element 921.

[0182] In various embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 921 and the second liquid delivery element 922 may be composed of one or more materials, which are configured to transport liquids such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed by materials such as fiber materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 921 includes a fiber material and the second liquid delivery element 922 includes a semi-rigid material. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 922 is configured to be pressed into the collar portion 960, but other attachment methods are also possible. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element can also be any material containing an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores so that a fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fiber delivery elements. Thus, fiber delivery elements can be explicitly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber transport elements and non-fiber transport elements may be employed. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al.; the entireties of the foregoing documents are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within particular types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al.; the entirety of the document is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be formed partially or completely from a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, or the like. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid wicking portion.

[0183] As shown, at least a portion of the heating member 920 is wrapped around a lateral central portion 933 of the first liquid delivery element 921. In the depicted embodiment, the vaporization chamber 940 is located in an area around the first liquid delivery element 921, over which the heating member 920 is wrapped, and is at least partially defined by the upper frame portion 931 and the second liquid delivery element 922. As described above, when the heating member 920 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid delivery element 921, an aerosol is generated in the vaporization chamber 940. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, an aerosol from the vaporization chamber 940 can be delivered to the user via the outlet port 910 of the mouthpiece portion 915.

[0184] Fig.10 and 11 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig.10 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge 1100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig.11 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 1100 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 1100 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 1100 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the above-described cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations), which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0185] Referring to the drawings, the cartridge 1100 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 1102, which is defined by an outer tank wall 1104 and includes a proximal end 1106 and a distal end 1108. Thus, the tank portion 1102 is characterized in that the tank wall 1104 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 1108 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 1102 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 1124 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 1100 also includes a mouthpiece portion 1110, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 1112 and includes a distal end 1116 and a proximal end 1114, the proximal end having an outlet port 1115 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 1100 also includes a collar portion 1160 positioned between the mouthpiece portion 1110 and the tank portion 1102. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 1160 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 1110 and the tank portion 1102 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat staking / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0186] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 1104 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 1124 contained therein is visible outside. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 1104 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 1104 may be transparent or translucent, and the remainder of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 1104 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 1106 of the tank 1102 to the distal end 1108 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 1104 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 1124 in the tank 1102 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank walls may be configured such that the outer tank wall 1104 has a substantially opaque color.

[0187] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 1110, the collar portion 1160, and the reservoir portion 1102 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0188] As shown, the cartridge 1100 also includes a heating member 1120 and a pair of electrical contacts 1125A, 1125B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 1120 to the control components of a battery and / or a control device. In the depicted embodiment, contacts 1125A, 1125B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 1100 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 1160. Although in the depicted embodiment, contacts 1125A, 1125B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 1160 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or via insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, electrical contacts 1125A, 1125B are made of conductive material. The example of conductive material includes, but is not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic material and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be constructed of one conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0189] In various embodiments, the heating member may include one or more different materials that are configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied therethrough. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 1120 includes a wire coil. Exemplary materials that can form the wire coil include, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloys, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloys, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite, and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heater 1120 may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica, and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member, or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 1120 may be integrated with a first liquid delivery element 1121. As described above, other types of heating members (e.g., laser diodes, micro heaters, etc.) may also be used.

[0190] The cartridge 1100 of the depicted embodiment also includes a pair of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 1100 includes a first liquid delivery element 1121 and a second liquid delivery element 1122. In the depicted embodiment, a portion of the heating member 1120 is configured to wrap around a portion of the first liquid delivery element 1121. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 1122 is configured to be disposed below the first liquid delivery element 1121 and wrap around at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 1121. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 1122 has a relatively flat shape.

[0191] In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 1100 also includes an upper frame portion 1131 that includes various features configured to hold at least a portion of the heating member 1120 and the first liquid delivery element 1121. In the depicted embodiment, the upper frame portion 1131 is made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or silicone material, but other materials are also possible. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of one or more of the upper frame portion 1131, the heating member 1120, the first liquid delivery element 1121, the second liquid delivery element 1122, and the electrical contacts 1125A, 1125B are contained within the collar portion 1160. When installed in the cartridge, the first liquid delivery element 1121 has a U-shape that includes a lateral central portion 1133 and two longitudinal legs 1135A, 1135B extending downward from the central portion 1133. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the length of the longitudinal legs is longer than the length of the transverse central portion. In the depicted embodiment, the respective ends of the legs 1135A, 1135B extend downwardly into the reservoir portion 1102 such that they extend into the liquid composition 1124. In the depicted embodiment, the ends of the longitudinal legs 1135A, 1135B extend to (e.g., proximate to) the bottom wall of the reservoir portion 1102, although other configurations are possible.

[0192] In various embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 1121 and the second liquid delivery element 1122 may be composed of one or more materials, which are configured to transport liquids such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed by materials such as fiber materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1121 includes a fiber material and the second liquid delivery element 1122 includes a semi-rigid material. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 1122 is configured to be pressed into the collar portion 1160, but other attachment methods are also possible. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element can also be any material containing an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores so that a fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fiber delivery elements. Thus, fiber delivery elements can be explicitly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber transport elements and non-fiber transport elements may be employed. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al.; the entireties of the foregoing documents are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within particular types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al.; the entirety of the document is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be formed partially or completely from a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, or the like. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid core.

[0193] As shown, at least a portion of the heating member 1120 is wrapped around a lateral central portion 1133 of the first liquid delivery element 1121. In the depicted embodiment, the vaporization chamber 1140 is located in an area around the first liquid delivery element 1121, over which the heating member 1120 is wrapped, and is at least partially defined by the upper frame portion 1131 and the second liquid delivery element 1122. As described above, when the heating member 1120 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid delivery element 1121, an aerosol is generated in the vaporization chamber 1140. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, an aerosol from the vaporization chamber 1140 can be delivered to the user via the outlet port 1110 of the mouthpiece portion 1115.

[0194] Fig.12 and 13 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig.12 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge 1300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig.13 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 1300 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 1300 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 1300 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the above-described cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations), which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0195] Referring to the drawings, the cartridge 1300 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 1302, which is defined by an outer tank wall 1304, which includes a proximal end 1306 and a distal end 1308. Thus, the tank portion 1302 is characterized in that the tank wall 1304 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 1308 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 1302 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 1324 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 1300 also includes a mouthpiece portion 1310, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 1312, which includes a distal end 1316 and a proximal end 1314, and the proximal end has one or more outlet ports 1315 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 1300 also includes a collar portion 1360 positioned between the mouthpiece portion 1310 and the tank portion 1302. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 1360 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 1310 and the tank portion 1302 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat staking / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0196] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 1304 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 1324 contained therein is visible externally. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 1304 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 1304 may be transparent or translucent, and the remainder of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 1304 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 1306 of the tank 1302 to the distal end 1308 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 1304 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 1324 in the tank 1302 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank walls may be configured such that the outer tank wall 1304 has a substantially opaque color.

[0197] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 1310, the collar portion 1360, and the reservoir portion 1302 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0198] As shown, the cartridge 1300 also includes a heating member 1320 and a pair of electrical contacts 1325A, 1325B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 1320 to the control components of a battery and / or a control device. In the depicted embodiment, contacts 1325A, 1325B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 1300 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 1360. Although in the depicted embodiment, contacts 1325A, 1325B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 1360 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or via insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, electrical contacts 1325A, 1325B are made of conductive material. The example of conductive material includes, but is not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic material and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be constructed of one conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0199] In various embodiments, the heating member may include one or more different materials that are configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied therethrough. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 1320 includes a wire coil. Exemplary materials that can form the wire coil include, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloys, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloys, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite, and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heater 1320 may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica, and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member, or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 1320 may be integrated with a first liquid delivery element 1321. As described above, other types of heating members (e.g., laser diodes, micro heaters, etc.) may also be used.

[0200] The cartridge 1300 of the depicted embodiment also includes a pair of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 1300 includes a first liquid delivery element 1321 and a second liquid delivery element 1322. In the depicted embodiment, a part of the heating member 1320 is configured to wind around a part of the first liquid delivery element 1321. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 1322 is configured to extend between the first liquid delivery element 1321 and the liquid composition 1324 contained in the tank 1302, so that the second liquid delivery element 1322 is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element 1321. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1321 and the second liquid delivery element 1322 have a substantially solid (e.g., non-hollow) cylindrical shape and are substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cartridge. Although other configurations are possible, in the described embodiment, the outer diameter of the second liquid delivery element 1322 is greater than the outer diameter of the first liquid delivery element 1321, and the length of the second liquid delivery element is longer than the length of the first liquid delivery element 1321. The second liquid delivery element 1322 of the depicted embodiment also serves to seal the collar portion 1360 with the liquid composition 1324 .

[0201] In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 1300 also includes an upper frame portion 1331, which may include various features configured to hold at least a portion of the heating member 1320 and the first liquid delivery element 1321. In the depicted embodiment, the upper frame portion 1331 is composed of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or silicone material, but other materials are also possible. The upper frame portion 1331 of the depicted embodiment is also configured to facilitate connecting the ends of the heating member 1320 (such as, for example, by pressing together) to the corresponding electrical contacts 1325A, 1325B. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of one or more of the upper frame portion 1331, the heating member 1320, the first liquid delivery element 1321 and the electrical contacts 1325A, 1325B is contained within the collar portion 1360. In the depicted embodiment, the distal end of the first liquid delivery element 1321 contacts the proximal end of the second liquid delivery element 1322. In this manner, the second liquid transport element 1322 can facilitate delivery of the liquid composition 1324 toward the first liquid transport element 1321 , as described above.

[0202] In various embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 1321 and the second liquid delivery element 1322 may be composed of one or more materials that are configured to transport liquids, such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed of materials such as fibrous materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, fiberglass), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1321 includes a ceramic material and the second liquid delivery element 1322 includes a semi-rigid material. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1321 is configured to be captured between the mouthpiece portion 1310 and the collar portion 1360. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1321 and the second liquid delivery element 1322 are configured to be press-fit into the collar portion 1360, but other attachment methods are also possible. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element may also be any material comprising an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores such that a fluid may flow through the element from one pore to another pore in multiple directions). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fibrous delivery elements. Thus, fibrous delivery elements may be expressly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fibrous delivery elements and non-fibrous delivery elements may be employed. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al.; the entire texts of the above documents are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within certain types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al.; the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be formed partially or completely from a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, or the like. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid core.

[0203] As shown, at least a portion of the heating member 1320 is wrapped around a portion of the first liquid delivery element 1321. In the depicted embodiment, the vaporization chamber 1340 is located in the area around the first liquid delivery element 1321, over which the heating member 1320 is wrapped, and is at least partially defined by the upper frame member 1331. As described above, when the heating member 1320 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid delivery element 1321, an aerosol is generated in the vaporization chamber 1340. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, an aerosol from the vaporization chamber 1340 can be delivered to the user via the outlet port 1310 of the mouthpiece portion 1315.

[0204] Fig.14 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig.14 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 1500 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 1500 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 1500 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the above-mentioned cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations) thereof, which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0205] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cartridge 1500 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 1502, which is defined by an outer tank wall 1504, which includes a proximal end 1506 and a distal end 1508. Therefore, the tank portion 1502 is characterized in that the tank wall 1504 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 1508 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 1502 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 1524 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or an aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 1500 also includes a mouthpiece portion 1510, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 1512, which includes a distal end 1516 and a proximal end 1514, and the proximal end has one or more outlet ports 1515 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 1500 also includes a collar portion 1560 positioned between the mouthpiece portion 1510 and the tank portion 1502. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 1560 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 1510 and the tank portion 1502 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat staking / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0206] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 1504 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 1524 contained therein is visible externally. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 1504 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 1504 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 1504 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 1506 of the tank 1502 to the distal end 1508 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 1504 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 1524 in the tank 1502 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank walls may be configured such that the outer tank wall 1504 has a substantially opaque color.

[0207] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 1510, the collar portion 1560, and the reservoir portion 1502 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0208] As shown, the cartridge 1500 also includes a heating member 1520 and a pair of electrical contacts 1525A, 1525B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 1520 to the control components of a battery and / or a control device. In the depicted embodiment, contacts 1525A, 1525B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 1500 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 1560. Although in the depicted embodiment, contacts 1525A, 1525B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 1560 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or via insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, electrical contacts 1525A, 1525B are made of conductive materials. The example of conductive materials includes, but is not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic materials and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be constructed of one conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0209] In various embodiments, the heating member may include one or more different materials that are configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied therethrough. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 1520 includes a wire coil. Exemplary materials that can form the wire coil include, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloys, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloys, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite, and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member 1520 may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica, and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member, or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 1520 may be integrated with a first liquid delivery element 1521. As described above, other types of heating members (e.g., laser diodes, micro heaters, etc.) may also be used.

[0210] The cartridge 1500 of the depicted embodiment also includes a pair of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 1500 includes a first liquid delivery element 1521 and a second liquid delivery element 1522. In the depicted embodiment, a portion of the heating member 1520 is configured to wind around a portion of the first liquid delivery element 1521. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 1522 has a substantially hollow cylindrical shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cartridge. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1321 has a substantially solid (e.g., non-hollow) cylindrical shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cartridge. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1521 extends through the second liquid delivery element 1522, so that the first liquid delivery element 1521 and the second liquid delivery element 1522 both extend to the bottom of the tank portion 1502. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 1522 is configured to surround at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 1521 and extend between the collar portion 1560 and the liquid composition 1524 contained within the reservoir 1502, such that the second liquid delivery element 1522 is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element 1521. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the outer diameter of the second liquid delivery element 1522 is greater than the outer diameter of the first liquid delivery element 1521, and the length of the first liquid delivery element 1521 is longer than the length of the second liquid delivery element 1522. The second liquid delivery element 1522 of the depicted embodiment is also used to seal the collar portion 1560 with the liquid composition 1524.

[0211] In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 1500 also includes an upper frame portion 1531, which may include various features configured to hold at least a portion of the heating member 1520 and the first liquid delivery element 1521. In the depicted embodiment, the upper frame portion 1531 is constructed of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or silicone material, but other materials are also possible. The upper frame portion 1531 of the depicted embodiment is also configured to facilitate connecting the ends of the heating member 1520 (such as, for example, by pressing together) to the corresponding electrical contacts 1525A, 1525B. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of one or more of the upper frame portion 1531, the heating member 1520, the first liquid delivery element 1521, and the electrical contacts 1525A, 1525B is contained within the collar portion 1560.

[0212] In various embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 1521 and the second liquid delivery element 1522 may be composed of one or more materials that are configured to transport liquids, such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed of materials such as fibrous materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, fiberglass), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1521 includes a ceramic material and the second liquid delivery element 1522 includes a semi-rigid material. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1521 is configured to be captured between the mouthpiece portion 1510 and the collar portion 1560. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1521 and the second liquid delivery element 1522 are configured to be press-fit into the collar portion 1560, but other attachment methods are also possible. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element may also be any material comprising an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores such that a fluid may flow through the element from one pore to another pore in multiple directions). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fibrous delivery elements. Thus, fibrous delivery elements may be expressly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fibrous delivery elements and non-fibrous delivery elements may be employed. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al.; the entire texts of the above documents are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within certain types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al.; the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be formed partially or completely from a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, or the like. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid core.

[0213] As shown, at least a portion of the heating member 1520 is wrapped around a portion of the first liquid delivery element 1521. In the depicted embodiment, the vaporization chamber 1540 is located in the area around the first liquid delivery element 1521, over which the heating member 1520 is wrapped, and is at least partially defined by the upper frame portion 1531. As described above, when the heating member 1520 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid delivery element 1521, an aerosol is generated in the vaporization chamber 1540. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, the aerosol from the vaporization chamber 1540 can be delivered to the user via the outlet port 1510 of the mouthpiece portion 1515.

[0214] Fig.15 and 16 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig.15 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge 1700 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig.16 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 1700 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 1700 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 1700 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the cartridge 300 and control device 200 described above and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations) thereof, which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0215] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cartridge 1700 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 1702, which is defined by an outer tank wall 1704, which includes a proximal end 1706 and a distal end 1708. Therefore, the tank portion 1702 is characterized in that the tank wall 1704 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 1708 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 1702 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 1724 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or an aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 1700 also includes a mouthpiece portion 1710, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 1712, which includes a distal end 1716 and a proximal end 1714, and the proximal end has an outlet port 1715 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 1700 also includes a collar portion 1760 positioned between the mouthpiece portion 1710 and the tank portion 1702. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 1760 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 1710 and the tank portion 1702 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat staking / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0216] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 1704 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 1724 contained therein is visible externally. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 1704 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 1704 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 1704 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 1706 of the tank 1702 to the distal end 1708 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 1704 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 1724 in the tank 1702 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank walls may be configured such that the outer tank wall 1704 has a substantially opaque color.

[0217] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 1710, the collar portion 1760, and the reservoir portion 1702 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0218] As shown, the cartridge 1700 also includes a heating member 1720 and a pair of electrical contacts 1725A, 1725B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 1720 to the control components of a battery and / or a control device. In the depicted embodiment, contacts 1725A, 1725B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 1700 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 1760. Although in the depicted embodiment, contacts 1725A, 1725B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 1760 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or via insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, electrical contacts 1725A, 1725B are made of conductive materials. The example of conductive materials includes, but is not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic materials and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be constructed of one conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0219] In various embodiments, the heating member may include one or more different materials that are configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied therethrough. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 1720 includes a wire coil. Exemplary materials that can form a wire coil include, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloy, Kanthal (Kanthal) (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloy, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide (Mo(Si,Al)2) mixed with aluminum, titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member 1720 can be formed by conductive ink, boron-doped silicon dioxide and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). As described above, other types of heating members (e.g., laser diodes, micro heaters, etc.) may also be used.

[0220] The cartridge 1700 of the depicted embodiment also includes a pair of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 1700 includes a first liquid delivery element 1721 and a second liquid delivery element 1722. In the depicted embodiment, a portion of the heating member 1720 is configured to be embedded in at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 1721. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 1722 is configured to extend between the first liquid delivery element 1721 and the liquid composition 1724 contained in the tank 1702, so that the second liquid delivery element 1722 is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element 1721. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element has a cylindrical shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cartridge. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 1722 has a substantially solid cylindrical shape and is also substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cartridge. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the outer diameter of the second liquid delivery element 1722 is greater than the outer diameter of the first liquid delivery element 1721, and the length of the second liquid delivery element 1722 is longer than the length of the first liquid delivery element 1721. The second liquid delivery element 1722 of the depicted embodiment is also used to seal the collar portion 1760 with the liquid composition 1724.

[0221] In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 1700 also includes an upper frame portion 1731, which may include various features configured to hold at least a portion of the heating member 1720 and the first liquid delivery element 1721. In the depicted embodiment, the upper frame portion 1731 is composed of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or silicone material, but other materials are also possible. The upper frame portion 1731 of the depicted embodiment is also configured to facilitate connecting the ends of the heating member 1720 (such as, for example, by pressing together) to the corresponding electrical contacts 1725A, 1725B. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of one or more of the upper frame portion 1731, the heating member 1720, the first liquid delivery element 1721 and the electrical contacts 1725A, 1725B is contained within the collar portion 1760. In the depicted embodiment, the distal end of the first liquid delivery element 1721 contacts the proximal end of the second liquid delivery element 1722. In this manner, the second liquid transport element 1722 can facilitate delivery of the liquid composition 1724 toward the first liquid transport element 1721 .

[0222] In various embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 1721 and the second liquid delivery element 1722 may be composed of one or more materials that are configured to transport liquids, such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed of materials such as fibrous materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, fiberglass), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1721 includes a ceramic material and the second liquid delivery element 1722 includes a semi-rigid material. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1721 is configured to be captured between the mouthpiece portion 1710 and the collar portion 1760. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1721 and the second liquid delivery element 1722 are configured to be press-fit into the collar portion 1760, but other attachment methods are also possible. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element may also be any material comprising an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores such that a fluid may flow through the element from one pore to another pore in multiple directions). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fibrous delivery elements. Thus, fibrous delivery elements may be expressly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fibrous delivery elements and non-fibrous delivery elements may be employed. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al.; the entire texts of the above documents are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within particular types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al.; the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be formed partially or completely from a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, or the like. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid wicking portion.

[0223] As shown, at least a portion of the heating member 1720 is embedded within at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 1721. In the depicted embodiment, the vaporization chamber 1740 is located in an area inside the first liquid delivery element 1721 and in an area surrounding the first liquid delivery element 1721 near the heating member 1720. The vaporization chamber 1740 may also be at least partially defined by the upper frame portion 1731. As described above, when the heating member 1720 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid delivery element 1721, an aerosol is generated in the vaporization chamber 1740. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, the aerosol from the vaporization chamber 1740 can be delivered to the user via the outlet port 1710 of the mouthpiece portion 1715.

[0224] Fig.17 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig.17 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 1900 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 1900 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many respects, the cartridge 1900 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations and may include configurations similar to the above-mentioned cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations) thereof, which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0225] Reference Fig.17 , the cartridge 1900 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 1902, which is defined by an outer tank wall 1904, which includes a proximal end 1906 and a distal end 1908. Thus, the tank portion 1902 is characterized in that the tank wall 1904 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 1908 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 1902 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 1924 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or an aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 1900 also includes a mouthpiece portion 1910, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 1912, which includes a distal end 1916 and a proximal end 1914, the proximal end having an outlet port 1915 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 1900 also includes a collar portion 1960 positioned between the mouthpiece portion 1910 and the tank portion 1902. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 1960 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 1910 and the tank portion 1902 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat staking / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0226] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 1904 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 1924 contained therein is visible from the outside. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 1904 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 1904 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 1904 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 1906 of the tank 1902 to the distal end 1908 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 1904 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 1924 in the tank 1902 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank walls may be configured such that the outer tank wall 1904 has a substantially opaque color.

[0227] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 1910, the collar portion 1960, and the reservoir portion 1902 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0228] As shown, the cartridge 1900 also includes a heating member 1920 and a pair of electrical contacts 1925A, 1925B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 1920 to the control components of the battery and / or the control device. In the depicted embodiment, contacts 1925A, 1925B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 1900 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 1960. Although in the depicted embodiment, contacts 1925A, 1925B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 1560 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or via insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, electrical contacts 1925A, 1925B are made of conductive materials. The example of conductive materials includes, but is not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic materials and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be constructed of one conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0229] In various embodiments, the heating member may include one or more different materials that are configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied therethrough. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 1920 includes a wire coil. Exemplary materials that can form a wire coil include, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloy, Kanthal (Kanthal) (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloy, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide (Mo(Si,Al)2) mixed with aluminum, titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member 1920 can be formed by conductive ink, boron-doped silicon dioxide and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). As described above, other types of heating members (e.g., laser diodes, micro heaters, etc.) may also be used.

[0230] The cartridge 1900 of the depicted embodiment also includes a pair of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 1900 includes a first liquid delivery element 1921 and a second liquid delivery element 1922. In the depicted embodiment, a portion of the heating member 1920 is configured to be embedded in at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 1921. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 1922 has a substantially hollow cylindrical shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cartridge. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1921 extends through the second liquid delivery element 1922, so that the first liquid delivery element 1921 and the second liquid delivery element 1922 extend to the bottom of the tank portion 1902. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 1922 is configured to surround at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 1921, and extends between the collar portion 1960 and the liquid composition 1924 contained in the tank 1902, so that the second liquid delivery element 1921 is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element 1921. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the outer diameter of the second liquid delivery element 1922 is greater than the outer diameter of the first liquid delivery element 1921, and the length of the first liquid delivery element 1921 is longer than the length of the second liquid delivery element 1922. The second liquid delivery element 1922 of the depicted embodiment is also used to seal the collar portion 1960 with the liquid composition 1924.

[0231] In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 1900 also includes an upper frame portion 1931, which may include various features configured to hold at least a portion of the heating member 1920 and the first liquid delivery element 1921. In the depicted embodiment, the upper frame portion 1931 is constructed of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or silicone material, but other materials are also possible. The upper frame portion 1931 of the depicted embodiment is also configured to facilitate connecting the ends of the heating member 1920 (such as, for example, by pressing together) to the corresponding electrical contacts 1925A, 1925B. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of one or more of the upper frame portion 1931, the heating member 1920, the first liquid delivery element 1921, and the electrical contacts 1925A, 1925B is contained within the collar portion 1960.

[0232] In various embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 1921 and the second liquid delivery element 1922 may be composed of one or more materials that are configured to transport liquids, such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed of materials such as fibrous materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, fiberglass), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1921 includes a ceramic material and the second liquid delivery element 1922 includes a semi-rigid material. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1921 is configured to be captured between the mouthpiece portion 1910 and the collar portion 1960. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 1921 and the second liquid delivery element 1922 are configured to be press-fit into the collar portion 1960, but other attachment methods are also possible. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element may also be any material comprising an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores such that a fluid may flow through the element from one pore to another pore in multiple directions). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fibrous delivery elements. Thus, fibrous delivery elements may be expressly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fibrous delivery elements and non-fibrous delivery elements may be employed. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al.; the entire texts of the above documents are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within particular types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al.; the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be formed partially or completely from a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, or the like. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid wicking portion.

[0233] As shown, at least a portion of the heating member 1920 is embedded within at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 1921. In the depicted embodiment, the vaporization chamber 1940 is located in an area inside the first liquid delivery element 1921 and in an area around the first liquid delivery element 1921 near the heating member 1920. The vaporization chamber 1740 may also be at least partially defined by the upper frame portion 1931. As described above, when the heating member 1920 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid delivery element 1921, an aerosol is generated in the vaporization chamber 1940. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, the aerosol from the vaporization chamber 1940 can be delivered to the user via the outlet port 1910 of the mouthpiece portion 1915.

[0234] Fig.18 and 19 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig.18 2 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge 2100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.19 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 2100 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 2100 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 2100 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the above-described cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations), which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0235] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cartridge 2100 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 2102, which is defined by an outer tank wall 2104, which includes a proximal end 2106 and a distal end 2108. Therefore, the tank portion 2102 is characterized in that the tank wall 2104 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 2108 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 2102 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 2124 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 2100 also includes a mouthpiece portion 2110, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 2112, which includes a distal end 2116 and a proximal end 2114, and the proximal end has an outlet port 2115 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 2100 also includes a collar portion 2160, at least a portion of which is positioned between the mouthpiece portion 2110 and the tank portion 2102. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 2160 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 2110 and the tank portion 2102 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat staking / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0236] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 2104 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 2124 contained therein is visible externally. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 2104 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 2104 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 2104 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 2106 of the tank 2102 to the distal end 2108 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 2104 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 2124 in the tank 2102 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank walls may be configured such that the outer tank wall 2104 has a substantially opaque color.

[0237] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 2110, the collar portion 2160, and the reservoir portion 2102 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0238] As shown, the cartridge 2100 also includes a heating member 2120 and a pair of electrical contacts 2125A, 2125B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 2120 to the control components of the battery and / or control device. In the depicted embodiment, contacts 2125A, 2125B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 2100 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 2160. Although in the depicted embodiment, contacts 2125A, 2125B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 2160 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or via insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2120 is located near the distal end 2108 of the tank portion 2102. Thus, electrical contacts 2125A, 2125B extend downward so that their corresponding ends contact with the heating member 2120. In various embodiments, the heating member 2120 may be retained by the collar portion 2160 via a press fit or snap fit attachment, but other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via an adhesive or via an insert molding process or by the collar portion 2160 being captured against the bottom of the reservoir portion 2102 (e.g., captured between the collar portion 2160, one or more liquid delivery elements, and the bottom of the reservoir portion 2102). In the depicted embodiment, the electrical contacts 2125A, 2125B are comprised of a conductive material. Examples of conductive materials include, but are not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic materials, and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be comprised of a conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0239] In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2120 includes a substantially flat heating member and may be made of a metallic material, such as a stainless steel material, including but not limited to 304, 304L, 316 or 316L stainless steel. In other embodiments, the heating member may be made of different materials, such as, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloy, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloy, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 2120 may be integrated with the first liquid delivery element 2121. As described above, other types of heating members may also be used.

[0240] The cartridge 2100 of the depicted embodiment also includes a pair of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 2100 includes a first liquid delivery element 2121 and a second liquid delivery element 2122. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 2121 is configured to be located near the heating member 2120. In addition, the second liquid delivery element 2122 of the depicted embodiment is configured to extend between the first liquid delivery element 2121 and the bottom within the tank portion 2102, so that the second liquid delivery element 2121 is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element 521. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 2121 and the second liquid delivery element 2122 have a flat shape, wherein the first liquid delivery element 2121 is configured below the heating member 2120, and the second liquid delivery element 2122 is configured below the first liquid delivery element 2121.

[0241] As shown, the collar portion 2160 of the depicted embodiment extends downwardly such that a portion of the collar portion 2160 is located near the distal end 2108 of the reservoir portion 2102 and is configured to hold the heating member 2120, the first liquid delivery element 2121, and at least a portion of the second liquid delivery element 2122. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2120 is in contact with the top surface of the first liquid delivery element 2121 in the installed position, and the top surface of the second liquid delivery element 2122 is in contact with the bottom surface of the first liquid delivery element 2121. Thus, one or more of these features can provide improved performance with respect to delivering the liquid composition to the first liquid delivery element 2121.

[0242] In various embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 2121 and the second liquid delivery element 2122 may be composed of one or more materials, which are configured to transport liquids such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed by the following materials: for example, fiber materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element can also be any material containing an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores so that fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fiber delivery elements. Thus, fiber delivery elements can be explicitly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber delivery elements and non-fiber delivery elements can be adopted. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within specific types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be formed partially or completely from a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, or the like. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid core.

[0243] In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 2100 also includes a shield feature 2162 that is configured to be located near the distal end 2116 of the mouthpiece portion 2110. In the depicted embodiment, the shield feature 2162 can be composed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are also possible. In other embodiments, the shield feature can be composed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., alumina, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof. The shield feature 2162 of the depicted embodiment has a block-like shape with a solid top surface and openings defined in the bottom surface and side surfaces. In the depicted embodiment, the vaporization chamber 2140 is located above the heating member 2120 and is at least partially defined by the collar portion 2160. The collar portion 2160 of the depicted embodiment also defines a vapor channel 2145 that originates near the vaporization chamber 2140 and extends upward to the shield feature 2162. As described above, when the heating member 2120 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid delivery element 2121, an aerosol is generated in the vaporization chamber 2140. In the depicted embodiment, the shield feature 2162 is configured to guide the aerosol, collect condensate, and / or prevent liquid and high temperature from directly leaving the cartridge 2100. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, the aerosol from the vaporization chamber 2140 can travel through the vapor channel 2145, be diverted by the shield feature 2162, and be delivered to the user via the outlet port 2115 of the mouthpiece portion 2110.

[0244] Fig. 20 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig. 20 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 2300 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 2300 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 2300 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the above-described cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations), which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0245] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cartridge 2300 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 2302, which is defined by an outer tank wall 2304, which includes a proximal end 2306 and a distal end 2308. Therefore, the tank portion 2302 is characterized in that the tank wall 2304 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 2308 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 2302 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 2324 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 2300 also includes a mouthpiece portion 2310, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 2312, which includes a distal end 2316 and a proximal end 2314, and the proximal end has an outlet port 2315 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 2300 also includes a collar portion 2360, at least a portion of which is positioned between the mouthpiece portion 2310 and the tank portion 2302. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 2360 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 2310 and the tank portion 2302 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat smelting / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0246] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 2304 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 2324 contained therein is visible outside. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 2304 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 2304 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 2304 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 2306 of the tank 2302 to the distal end 2308 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 2304 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 2324 in the tank 2302 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank walls may be configured such that the outer tank wall 2304 has a substantially opaque color.

[0247] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 2310, the collar portion 2360, and the reservoir portion 2302 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0248] As shown, the cartridge 2300 also includes a heating member 2320 and a pair of electrical contacts 2325A, 2325B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 2320 to the control components of the battery and / or control device. In the depicted embodiment, contacts 2325A, 2325B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 2300 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 2360. Although in the depicted embodiment, contacts 2325A, 2325B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 2360 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or via insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2320 is located near the distal end 2308 of the tank portion 2302. Thus, electrical contacts 2325A, 2325B extend downward so that their corresponding ends contact with the heating member 2320. In various embodiments, the heating member 2320 may be retained by the collar portion 2360 via a press fit or snap fit attachment, but other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via an adhesive or via an insert molding process or being captured by the collar portion 2360 against the bottom of the reservoir portion 2302 (e.g., captured between the collar portion 2360, one or more liquid delivery elements, and the bottom of the reservoir portion 2302). In the depicted embodiment, the electrical contacts 2325A, 2325B are made of a conductive material. Examples of conductive materials include, but are not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic materials, and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be made of a conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0249] In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2320 includes a substantially flat heating member and may be made of a metallic material, such as a stainless steel material, including but not limited to 304, 304L, 316 or 316L stainless steel. In other embodiments, the heating member may be made of different materials, such as, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloy, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloy, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member, or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 2320 may be integrated with the first liquid delivery element 2321. As described above, other types of heating members may also be used.

[0250] The cartridge 2300 of the depicted embodiment also includes a pair of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 2300 includes a first liquid delivery element 2321 and a second liquid delivery element 2322. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 2321 is configured to be located near the heating member 2320. In addition, the second liquid delivery element 2322 of the depicted embodiment is configured to extend between the first liquid delivery element 2321 and the bottom of the tank portion 2302, so that the second liquid delivery element 2322 is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element 2321. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 2321 has a flat shape, wherein the first liquid delivery element 2321 is configured below the heating member 2320, and the second liquid delivery element 2322 is configured below the first liquid delivery element 2121.

[0251] As shown, the collar portion 2360 of the depicted embodiment extends downwardly so that a portion of the collar portion 2360 is located between the proximal end 2306 and the distal end 2308 of the reservoir portion 2302. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 2360 is configured to hold the heating member 2320, the first liquid delivery element 2321, and at least a portion of the second liquid delivery element 2322. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2320 is located between the proximal end 2306 and the distal end 2308 of the reservoir portion 2302, and specifically, in the middle third along the length of the reservoir portion 2302. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2320 is in contact with the top surface of the first liquid delivery element 2322 in the installed position, and the top surface of the second liquid delivery element 2322 is in contact with the bottom surface of the first liquid delivery element 2321. Thus, one or more of these features can provide improved performance with respect to delivering the liquid composition to the first liquid delivery element 2321.

[0252] In various embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 2321 and the second liquid delivery element 2322 may be composed of one or more materials, which are configured to transport liquids such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed by the following materials: for example, fiber materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element can also be any material containing an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores so that fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fiber delivery elements. Thus, fiber delivery elements can be clearly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber delivery elements and non-fiber delivery elements can be adopted. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within specific types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be formed partially or completely from a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, or the like. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid wicking portion.

[0253] In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 2300 also includes a shield feature 2362 that is configured to be located at the bottom of the mouthpiece portion 2310. In the depicted embodiment, the shield feature 2362 can be composed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are also possible. In other embodiments, the shield feature can be composed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., alumina, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof. The shield feature 2362 of the depicted embodiment has a block-like shape with a solid top surface and openings defined in the bottom surface and side surfaces. In the depicted embodiment, the evaporation chamber 2340 is located above the heating member 2320 and is at least partially defined by the collar portion 2360. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 2360 defines a vapor channel 2345 that originates near the evaporation chamber 2140 and extends upward to the shield feature 2362. As described above, when the heating member 2320 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid delivery element 2321, an aerosol is generated in the evaporation chamber 2340. In the depicted embodiment, the shield feature 2362 is configured to guide the aerosol, collect condensate, and / or prevent liquid and high temperature from directly leaving the cartridge 2300. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, the aerosol from the evaporation chamber 2340 can travel through the vapor channel 2345, be diverted by the shield feature 2362, and be delivered to the user via the outlet port 2315 of the mouthpiece portion 2310.

[0254] Fig.21 and 22 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig.21 2 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge 2500 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 22 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 2500 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 2500 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 2500 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the above-described cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations), which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0255] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cartridge 2500 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 2502, which is defined by an outer tank wall 2504, which includes a proximal end 2506 and a distal end 2508. Therefore, the tank portion 2502 is characterized in that the tank wall 2504 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 2508 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 2502 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 2524 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 2500 also includes a mouthpiece portion 2510, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 2512, which includes a distal end 2516 and a proximal end 2514, and the proximal end has an outlet port 2515 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 2500 also includes a collar portion 2560, at least a portion of which is positioned between the mouthpiece portion 2510 and the tank portion 2502. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 2560 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 2510 and the tank portion 2502 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat staking / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0256] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 2504 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 2524 contained therein is visible externally. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 2504 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 2504 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 2504 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 2506 of the tank 2502 to the distal end 2508 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 2504 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 2524 in the tank 2502 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank walls may be configured such that the outer tank wall 2504 has a substantially opaque color.

[0257] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 2510, the collar portion 2560, and the reservoir portion 2502 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0258] As shown, the cartridge 2500 also includes a heating member 2520 and a pair of electrical contacts 2525A, 2525B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 2520 to the control components of the battery and / or the control device. In the depicted embodiment, the contacts 2525A, 2525B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 2500 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 2560. Although in the depicted embodiment, the contacts 2525A, 2525B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 2560 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or via insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2520 is located near the distal end 2508 of the tank portion 2502. Thus, the electrical contacts 2525A, 2525B extend downward so that their corresponding ends contact the heating member 2520. In various embodiments, the heating member 2520 may be retained by the collar portion 2560 via a press fit or snap fit attachment, but other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via an adhesive or via an insert molding process or captured by the collar portion 2560 against the bottom of the tank portion 2502. In the depicted embodiment, the electrical contacts 2525A, 2525B are comprised of a conductive material. Examples of conductive materials include, but are not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic materials, and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be comprised of a conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0259] In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2520 includes a substantially flat heating member and may be constructed of a metallic material, such as a stainless steel material, including but not limited to 304, 304L, 316 or 316L stainless steel. In other embodiments, the heating member may be constructed of different materials, such as, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloy, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloy, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 2520 may be integrated with a liquid delivery element 2521. As described above, other types of heating members may also be used.

[0260] The cartridge 2500 of the depicted embodiment also includes a liquid delivery element 2521. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of the liquid delivery element 2521 is configured to be located near the heating member 2520. In the depicted embodiment, the liquid delivery element 2521 is disposed below the heating member 2520 and extends between the heating member 2520 and the bottom of the reservoir portion 2502. As shown, the collar portion 2560 of the depicted embodiment extends downwardly so that a portion of the collar portion 2560 is located near the distal end 2508 of the reservoir portion 2502 and is configured to retain the heating member 2520 and at least a portion of the liquid delivery element 2521. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2520 in the installed position contacts the top surface of the liquid delivery element 2521.

[0261] In various embodiments, liquid delivery element 2521 may be composed of one or more materials, and the liquid delivery element is configured to deliver liquid, for example, by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed by the following materials: for example, fibrous materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element may also be any material comprising an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores, so that fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fiber delivery elements. Thus, fiber delivery elements may be explicitly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber delivery elements and non-fiber delivery elements may be adopted. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within specific types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the fluid transport element may be formed partially or entirely of a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, etc. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid wicking portion.

[0262] In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 2500 also includes a shield feature 2562 that is configured to be located at the bottom of the mouthpiece portion 2510. In the depicted embodiment, the shield feature 2562 can be composed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are also possible. In other embodiments, the shield feature can be composed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., alumina, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof. The shield feature 2562 of the depicted embodiment has a block-like shape with a solid top surface and openings defined in the bottom surface and side surfaces. In the depicted embodiment, the evaporation chamber 2540 is located above the heating member 2520 and is at least partially defined by the collar portion 2560. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 2560 also defines a vapor channel 2545 that originates near the evaporation chamber 2540 and extends upward to the shield feature 2562. As described above, when the heating member 2520 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the liquid delivery element 2521, an aerosol is generated in the evaporation chamber 2540. In the depicted embodiment, the shield feature 2562 is configured to guide the aerosol, collect condensate, and / or prevent liquid and high temperature from directly leaving the cartridge 2500. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, the aerosol from the evaporation chamber 2540 can travel through the vapor channel 2545, be diverted by the shield feature 2562, and be delivered to the user via the outlet port 2515 of the mouthpiece portion 2510.

[0263] Fig.23 and 24 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig.23 27 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge 2700 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.24 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 2700 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 2700 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 2700 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the above-described cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations), which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0264] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cartridge 2700 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 2702, which is defined by an outer tank wall 2704, which includes a proximal end 2706 and a distal end 2708. Therefore, the tank portion 2702 is characterized in that the tank wall 2704 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 2708 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 2702 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 2724 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 2700 also includes a mouthpiece portion 2710, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 2712, which includes a distal end 2716 and a proximal end 2714, and the proximal end has an outlet port 2715 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 2700 also includes a collar portion 2760, at least a portion of which is positioned between the mouthpiece portion 2710 and the tank portion 2702. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 2760 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 2710 and the tank portion 2702 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat staking / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0265] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 2710, the collar portion 2760, and the reservoir portion 2702 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0266] As shown, the cartridge 2700 also includes a heating member 2720 and a pair of electrical contacts 2725A, 2725B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 2720 to the control components of the battery and / or the control device. In the depicted embodiment, the contacts 2725A, 2725B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 2700 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 2760. Although in the depicted embodiment, the contacts 2725A, 2725B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 2760 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or via insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2720 is located near the distal end 2708 of the tank portion 2702. Thus, the electrical contacts 2725A, 2725B extend downward so that their corresponding ends contact the heating member 2720. In various embodiments, the heating member 2720 may be retained by the collar portion 2760 via a press fit or snap fit attachment, but other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via an adhesive or via an insert molding process or captured by the collar portion 2760 (e.g., captured between the collar portion 2760 and one or more liquid delivery elements). In the depicted embodiment, the electrical contacts 2725A, 2725B are comprised of a conductive material. Examples of conductive materials include, but are not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic materials, and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be comprised of a conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0267] In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2720 includes a substantially flat heating member and may be constructed of a metallic material, such as a stainless steel material, including but not limited to 304, 304L, 316 or 316L stainless steel. In other embodiments, the heating member may be constructed of different materials, such as, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloy, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloy, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member, or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 2720 may be integrated with a liquid delivery element 2721. As described above, other types of heating members may also be used.

[0268] The cartridge 2700 of the depicted embodiment also includes a liquid delivery element 2721. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of the liquid delivery element 2721 is configured to be located near the heating member 2720. In the depicted embodiment, the liquid delivery element 2721 is configured to extend above the heating member 2720 and between the heating member 2720 and the metering plate 2735. The metering plate 2735 of the depicted embodiment includes a flat feature that includes a plurality of openings. In the depicted embodiment, the metering plate 2735 can be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are also possible. In other embodiments, the metering plate may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., alumina, silica, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0269] In the installed position, the heating member 2720 of the depicted embodiment is in contact with the top surface of the liquid delivery element 2721, and the top surface of the liquid delivery element 2721 is in contact with the bottom surface of the metering plate 2735. In the depicted embodiment, the metering plate 2735 is disposed in the reservoir 2702 and below the liquid composition 2724. Thus, the metering plate 2735 is configured to deliver the liquid composition from the reservoir 2702 to the liquid delivery element 2721. As shown, the collar portion 2760 of the depicted embodiment extends downwardly so that a portion of the collar portion 2760 is located near the distal end 2708 of the reservoir portion 2702 and is configured to hold the heating member 2720, the liquid delivery element 2721, and the metering plate 2735. In addition, when installed, a gap 2747 is formed between the collar portion 2760 and the inner surface of the reservoir portion 2702, which gap is configured as an aerosol path.

[0270] In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element 2721 may be composed of one or more materials, and the liquid delivery element is configured to deliver liquid, for example, by capillary action. In some embodiments, the liquid delivery element may be formed by the following materials: for example, fibrous materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element can also be any material containing an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores so that the fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fiber delivery elements. Thus, fiber delivery elements can be clearly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber delivery elements and non-fiber delivery elements can be adopted. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within specific types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the fluid transport element may be formed partially or entirely of a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, etc. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid wicking portion.

[0271] In the depicted embodiment, the vaporization chamber 2740 is formed below the heating member 2720 and near the distal end 2708 of the reservoir portion 2702. Specifically, the vaporization chamber 2740 is at least partially defined by the collar portion 2760 and the distal end 2708 of the reservoir portion 2702. As described above, when the heating member 2720 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the liquid delivery element 2721, an aerosol is generated in the vaporization chamber 2740. Based on the features of the cartridge 2700, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, the aerosol formed in the vaporization chamber 2740 extends outward and then passes through the aerosol path between the collar portion 2760 and the reservoir portion 2702, where it is delivered to the user via the outlet port 2715 of the mouthpiece portion 2710.

[0272] Fig.25 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig.25 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 2900 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 2900 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 2900 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the above-described cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations), which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0273] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cartridge 2900 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 2902, which is defined by an outer tank wall 2904, which includes a proximal end 2906 and a distal end 2908. Thus, the tank portion 2902 may be characterized in that the tank wall 2904 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 2908 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 2902 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 2924 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 2900 also includes a mouthpiece portion 2910, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 2912, which includes a distal end 2916 and a proximal end 2914, and the proximal end has one or more outlet ports 2915 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 2900 also includes a collar portion 2960 positioned between the mouthpiece portion 2910 and the tank portion 2902. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 2960 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 2910 and the tank portion 2902 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat staking / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0274] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 2904 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 2924 contained therein is visible externally. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 2904 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 2904 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 2904 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 2906 of the tank 2902 to the distal end 2908 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 2904 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 2924 in the tank 2902 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank walls may be configured such that the outer tank wall 2904 has a substantially opaque color.

[0275] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 2910, the collar portion 2960, and the reservoir portion 2902 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0276] As shown, the cartridge 2900 also includes a heating member 2920 and a pair of electrical contacts 2925A, 2925B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 2920 to the control components of the battery and / or the control device. In the depicted embodiment, the contacts 2925A, 2925B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 2900 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 2960. Although in the depicted embodiment, the contacts 2925A, 2925B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 2960 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or by insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, the electrical contacts 2925A, 2925B are made of conductive materials. The example of conductive materials includes, but is not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic materials and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be constructed of one conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0277] In various embodiments, the heating member may include one or more different materials that are configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied therethrough. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 2920 includes a wire coil. Exemplary materials that can form the wire coil include, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloys, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloys, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite, and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member 2920 may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica, and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member, or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 2920 may be integrated with a first liquid delivery element 2921. As described above, other types of heating members (e.g., laser diodes, micro heaters, etc.) may also be used.

[0278] The cartridge 2900 of the depicted embodiment also includes a pair of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 2900 includes a first liquid delivery element 2921 and a second liquid delivery element 2922. In the depicted embodiment, a portion of the heating member 2920 is configured to wind around a portion of the first liquid delivery element 2921 in the region of the collar portion 2960. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 2922 has a relatively flat shape, including an opening configured to surround a portion of the first liquid delivery element 2921, so that the second liquid delivery element 2922 forms a sealing portion around the first liquid delivery element 2921. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 2921 has a substantially cylindrical and hollow shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cartridge. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 2921 extends through the second liquid delivery element 2922 and the liquid composition 2924, reaching the bottom of the tank portion 2902. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the outer diameter of the second liquid delivery element 2922 is greater than the outer diameter of the first liquid delivery element 2921 , and the length of the first liquid delivery element 2921 is longer than the length of the second liquid delivery element 2922 .

[0279] In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 2900 also includes an upper frame portion 2931, which may include various features configured to hold the heating member 2920 and at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 2921. In the depicted embodiment, the upper frame portion 2931 is composed of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or silicone material, but other materials are also possible. The upper frame portion 2931 of the depicted embodiment is also configured to facilitate connecting the ends of the heating member 2920 (such as, for example, by pressing together) to the corresponding electrical contacts 2925A, 2925B. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of one or more of the upper frame portion 2931, the heating member 2920, the first liquid delivery element 2921, the second liquid delivery element 2922, and the electrical contacts 2925A, 2925B is contained within the collar portion 2960.

[0280] In various embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 2921 and the second liquid delivery element 2922 may be composed of one or more materials, which are configured to transport liquids such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed by materials such as fiber materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 2921 includes a ceramic material and the second liquid delivery element 2922 includes a semi-rigid material. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 2921 and the second liquid delivery element 2922 are configured to be pressed into the collar portion 2960, but other attachment methods are also possible. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element can also be any material containing an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores so that a fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fiber delivery elements. Thus, fiber transport elements are expressly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber transport elements and non-fiber transport elements may be employed. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al.; the entire text of the above documents is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within specific types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al.; the entire text of the document is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be partially or completely formed of a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, etc. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid wicking portion.

[0281] As shown, at least a portion of the heating member 2920 is wrapped around a portion of the first liquid delivery element 2921. In the depicted embodiment, the vaporization chamber 2940 is located in the area around the first liquid delivery element 2921, over which the heating member 2920 is wrapped, and is at least partially defined by the upper frame portion 2931. As described above, when the heating member 2920 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid delivery element 2921, an aerosol is generated in the vaporization chamber 2940. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, an aerosol from the vaporization chamber 2940 can be delivered to the user via the outlet port 2915 of the mouthpiece portion 2910.

[0282] Fig.26 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig.26 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 3100 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 3100 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 3100 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the above-described cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations), which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0283] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cartridge 3100 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 3102, which is defined by an outer tank wall 3104, which includes a proximal end 3106 and a distal end 3108. Therefore, the tank portion 3102 may be characterized in that the tank wall 3104 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 3108 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 3102 is also configured to contain a liquid composition 3124 configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or an aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 3100 also includes a mouthpiece portion 3110, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 3112, which includes a distal end 3116 and a proximal end 3114, and the proximal end has one or more outlet ports 3115 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 3100 also includes a collar portion 3160 positioned between the mouthpiece portion 3110 and the tank portion 3102. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 3160 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 3110 and the tank portion 3102 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat melt / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0284] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 3104 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition 3124 contained therein is visible outside. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 3104 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 3104 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 3104 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 3106 of the tank 3102 to the distal end 3108 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 3104 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition 3124 in the tank 3102 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank walls may be configured such that the outer tank wall 3104 has a substantially opaque color.

[0285] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 3110, the collar portion 3160, and the reservoir portion 3102 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0286] As shown, the cartridge 3100 also includes a heating member 3120 and a pair of electrical contacts 3125A, 3125B, which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 3120 to the control components of a battery and / or a control device. In the depicted embodiment, contacts 3125A, 3125B are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 3100 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 3160. Although in the depicted embodiment, contacts 3125A, 3125B are configured to be attached to the collar portion 3160 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via adhesive or by insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, electrical contacts 3125A, 3125B are made of conductive materials. The example of conductive materials includes, but is not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic materials and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be constructed of one conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0287] In various embodiments, the heating member may include one or more different materials that are configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied therethrough. In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 3120 includes a wire coil. Exemplary materials that can form the wire coil include, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloys, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloys, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite, and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member 3120 may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica, and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member, or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 3120 may be integrated with a first liquid delivery element 3121. As described above, other types of heating members (e.g., laser diodes, micro heaters, etc.) may also be used.

[0288] The cartridge 3100 of the depicted embodiment also includes a pair of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 3100 includes a first liquid delivery element 3121 and a second liquid delivery element 3122. In the depicted embodiment, a part of the heating member 3120 is configured to wind around a part of the first liquid delivery element 3121 in the region of the collar portion 3160. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 3122 has a relatively flat shape, including an opening configured to surround a part of the first liquid delivery element 3121, so that the second liquid delivery element 3122 forms a sealing portion around the first liquid delivery element 3121. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 3121 has a substantially cylindrical and solid (e.g., non-hollow) shape and is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cartridge. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 3121 extends through the second liquid delivery element 3122 and the liquid composition 3124 to reach the bottom of the tank portion 3102. Specifically, one end of the first liquid delivery element 3121 is attached to the mouthpiece portion 3110 via a retaining ring 3137, and the other end of the first liquid delivery element 3121 extends to the bottom of the tank portion 3102. Although other configurations are possible, in the described embodiment, the outer diameter of the second liquid delivery element 3122 is greater than the outer diameter of the first liquid delivery element 2921, and the length of the first liquid delivery element 3121 is longer than the length of the second liquid delivery element 3122.

[0289] In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 3100 also includes an upper frame portion 3131, which may include various features configured to hold the heating member 3120 and at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 3121. In the depicted embodiment, the upper frame portion 3131 is composed of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or silicone material, but other materials are also possible. The upper frame portion 3131 of the depicted embodiment is also configured to facilitate connecting the ends of the heating member 3120 (such as, for example, by pressing together) to the corresponding electrical contacts 3125A, 3125B. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of one or more of the upper frame portion 3131, the heating member 3120, the first liquid delivery element 3121, the second liquid delivery element 3122, and the electrical contacts 3125A, 3125B is contained within the collar portion 3160.

[0290] In various embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 3121 and the second liquid delivery element 3122 may be composed of one or more materials, which are configured to transport liquids such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed by materials such as fiber materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 3121 includes a fiber material and the second liquid delivery element 3122 includes a semi-rigid material. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 3122 and the retaining ring 3137 are configured to be pressed into the collar portion 3160, but other attachment methods are also possible. In various embodiments, the liquid delivery element can also be any material containing an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores so that a fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fiber delivery elements. Thus, fiber transport elements are expressly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber transport elements and non-fiber transport elements may be employed. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al.; the entire text of the above documents is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within specific types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al.; the entire text of the document is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be partially or completely formed of a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, etc. For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid wicking portion.

[0291] As shown, at least a portion of the heating member 3120 is wrapped around a portion of the first liquid delivery element 3121. In the depicted embodiment, the vaporization chamber 3140 is located in the area around the first liquid delivery element 3121, over which the heating member 3120 is wrapped, and is at least partially defined by the upper frame portion 3131. As described above, when the heating member 3120 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid delivery element 3121, an aerosol is generated in the vaporization chamber 3140. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, an aerosol from the vaporization chamber 3140 can be delivered to the user via the outlet port 3115 of the mouthpiece portion 3110.

[0292] Fig. 27 and 28 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig. 27 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge 3300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig.28 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 3300 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 3300 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 3300 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the above-described cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations), which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0293] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cartridge 3300 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 3302, which is defined by an outer tank wall 3304, which includes a proximal end 3306 and a distal end 3308. Thus, the tank portion 3302 may be characterized in that the tank wall 3304 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 3308 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 3302 is also configured to contain a liquid composition configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or an aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 3300 also includes a mouthpiece portion 3310, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 3312, which includes a distal end 3316 and a proximal end 3314, and the proximal end has one or more outlet ports 3315 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 3300 also includes a collar portion 3360 positioned between the mouthpiece portion 3310 and the tank portion 3302. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 3360 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 3310 and the tank portion 3302 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat melt / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0294] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 3304 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition contained therein is visible outside. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 3304 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 3304 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 3304 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 3306 of the tank 3302 to the distal end 3308 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 3304 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition in the tank 3302 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank wall may be configured to make the outer tank wall 3304 have a substantially opaque color.

[0295] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 3302, the collar portion 3360, and the reservoir portion 3302 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0296] As shown, the cartridge 3300 also includes a heating member 3320 and a pair of electrical contacts (not shown), which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 3320 to the control components of the battery and / or the control device. In the depicted embodiment, the contacts are located on the opposite side of the cartridge 3300 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 3360. Although in the depicted embodiment, the contacts are configured to be attached to the collar portion 3360 via press-fit or snap-fit ​​attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via an adhesive or by an insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, the electrical contacts are made of conductive materials. Examples of conductive materials include, but are not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic materials and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be made of a conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0297] In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 3320 may be made of a metal material, such as a stainless steel material, including but not limited to 304, 304L, 316 or 316L stainless steel. In other embodiments, the heating member may be made of different materials, such as, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloy, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloy, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member, or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 3320 may be integrated with the first liquid delivery element 3321. As described above, other types of heating members (e.g., laser diodes, micro heaters, etc.) may also be used.

[0298] The cartridge 3300 of the depicted embodiment also includes a plurality of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 3300 includes a first liquid delivery element 3321 and a pair of second liquid delivery elements 3322A, 3322B. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 3321 is configured to be located near the heating member 3320. In addition, the second liquid delivery elements 3322A, 3322B of the depicted embodiment are configured to extend between the first liquid delivery element 3321 and the bottom of the tank portion 3302. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery elements 3322A, 3322B include capillaries that are configured to deliver the liquid composition to the first liquid delivery element 3321 by capillary action. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery elements 3322A, 3322B have a substantially cylindrical and hollow shape, but other configurations are also possible.

[0299] As shown, the first liquid delivery element 3321 and the heating member 3320 are located in the collar portion 3360 of the cartridge 3300. The heating member 3320 of the depicted embodiment includes a flat heating element, and the first liquid delivery element 3321 includes a relatively flat element with a substantially block shape. Although other configurations are possible, in the described embodiment, the length and width of the first liquid delivery element 3321 are greater than its thickness. In this way, the heating member 3320 in the mounting position contacts the top surface of the first liquid delivery element 3321. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 3322A, 3322B is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cartridge and is spaced apart from each other, so that the top surface of the second liquid delivery element 3322A, 3322B contacts the bottom surface of the first liquid delivery element 3321, and the bottom surface of the second liquid delivery element 3322A, 3322B is close to (and slightly away from) the bottom of the tank portion 3302 in the depicted embodiment.

[0300] In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 3321 may include a fibrous material, and the second liquid delivery element 3322A, 3322B may be composed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate and combinations thereof), but other materials are also possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be composed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials and / or any combination thereof. In yet other embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 3321 and the second liquid delivery element 3322A, 3322B may be composed of one or more materials that are configured to transport liquids such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements may be formed of materials such as fibrous materials (e.g., organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, fiberglass), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 3322A, 3322B is configured to be press-fitted into the collar portion 3360. In some embodiments, the liquid delivery element may also be any material containing an open pore network (i.e., a plurality of interconnected pores so that a fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fibrous delivery elements. Thus, fiber delivery elements may be explicitly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber delivery elements and non-fibrous delivery elements may be employed. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within specific types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be formed partially or completely from a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, or the like.For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid wicking portion.

[0301] As shown, at least a portion of the heating member 3320 is located in the collar portion 3360. In the depicted embodiment, the vaporization chamber 3340 is located in the area above the heating member 3320 and is at least partially defined by the mouthpiece portion 3310. As described above, when the heating member 3320 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid transport element 3321, an aerosol is generated in the vaporization chamber 3340. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, the aerosol from the vaporization chamber 3340 can be delivered to the user via the outlet port 3315 of the mouthpiece portion 3310.

[0302] Fig.29 and 30 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig.29 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge 3500 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig.30 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 3500 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 3500 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 3500 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the above-described cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations), which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0303] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cartridge 3500 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 3502, which is defined by an outer tank wall 3504, which includes a proximal end 3506 and a distal end 3508. Therefore, the tank portion 3502 may be characterized in that the tank wall 3504 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 3508 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 3502 is also configured to contain a liquid composition configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or an aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 3500 also includes a mouthpiece portion 3510, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 3512, which includes a distal end 3516 and a proximal end 3514, and the proximal end has an outlet port 3515 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 3500 also includes a collar portion 3560 positioned between the mouthpiece portion 3510 and the tank portion 3502. In the depicted embodiment, the collar portion 3560 is configured to be connected to the mouthpiece portion 3510 and the tank portion 3502 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat melt / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0304] In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 3504 may be configured to be at least partially transparent or translucent so that the liquid composition contained therein is visible externally. Therefore, in some embodiments, the entire outer tank wall 3504 may be transparent or translucent. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only one side or a portion (or multiple portions) of one or more sides of the outer tank wall 3504 may be transparent or translucent, and the rest of the outer tank wall may be substantially opaque. In some embodiments, the outer tank wall 3504 or a portion thereof may be substantially opaque, and the strip extending from the proximal end 3506 of the tank 3502 to the distal end 3508 of the tank may be transparent or translucent. In other embodiments, the outer tank wall 3504 may be colored. In some embodiments, the color may be configured to make the liquid composition in the tank 3502 still visible, such as by using a transparent or translucent outer tank wall. In other embodiments, the tank wall may be configured to make the outer tank wall 3504 have a substantially opaque color.

[0305] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 3510, the collar portion 3560, and the reservoir portion 3502 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof.

[0306] The cartridge 3500 also includes a heating member 3520 and a pair of electrical contacts (not shown), which are configured to electrically connect the heating member 3520 to the control components of the battery and / or the control device. In the depicted embodiment, the contacts are located on opposite sides of the cartridge 3500 and are configured to be attached to the collar portion 3560. Although in the depicted embodiment, the contacts are configured to be attached to the collar portion 3560 via a press fit or snap fit attachment, in other embodiments, other forms of attachment are possible, including, for example, via an adhesive or by an insert molding process. In the depicted embodiment, the electrical contacts are made of conductive materials. Examples of conductive materials include, but are not limited to, copper, beryllium copper, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, iron, steel, brass, bronze, graphite, conductive ceramic materials, and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more electrical contacts may be made of a conductive material and may be plated with another conductive material, such as, for example, nickel and / or gold.

[0307] In the depicted embodiment, the heating member 3520 may be made of a metal material, such as a stainless steel material, including but not limited to 304, 304L, 316 or 316L stainless steel. In other embodiments, the heating member may be made of different materials, such as, for example, stainless steel, pure nickel, nickel-iron alloy, Kanthal (FeCrAl), nickel-chromium alloy, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)2), titanium, platinum, silver, palladium, alloys of silver and palladium, graphite and graphite-based materials. In other embodiments, the heating member may be formed of conductive ink, boron-doped silica and / or ceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics). In other embodiments, the heating member may be printed on a porous member, embedded in a porous member, or otherwise integrated with a porous member. For example, in some embodiments, the heating member 3520 may be integrated with the first liquid delivery element 3521. As described above, other types of heating members (e.g., laser diodes, micro heaters, etc.) may also be used.

[0308] The cartridge 3500 of the depicted embodiment also includes a plurality of liquid delivery elements. Specifically, the cartridge 3500 includes a first liquid delivery element 3521 and a plurality of second liquid delivery elements. Although other configurations are possible, the depicted embodiment includes five second liquid delivery elements 3522A, 3522B, 3522C, 3522D, 3522E. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element 3521 is configured to be located near the heating member 3520. In addition, the second liquid delivery elements 3522A, 3522B, 3522C, 3522D, 3522E of the depicted embodiment are configured to extend between the first liquid delivery element 3521 and the bottom of the storage tank portion 3502. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid transport element 3522A, 3522B, 3522C, 3522D, 3522E comprises a capillary configured to deliver the liquid composition to the first liquid transport element 3521 by capillary action. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid transport element 3522A, 3522B, 3522C, 3522D, 3522E has a substantially cylindrical and hollow shape, but other configurations are possible.

[0309] As shown, the first liquid delivery element 3521 and the heating member 3520 are located in the collar portion 3560 of the cartridge 3500. The heating member 3520 of the depicted embodiment comprises a flat heating element, and the first liquid delivery element 3521 comprises a relatively flat element having a substantially block shape. Although other configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment, the length and width of the first liquid delivery element 3521 are greater than its thickness. In this way, the heating member 3520 in the installed position contacts the top surface of the first liquid delivery element 3521. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery elements 3522A, 3522B, 3522C, 3522D, 3522E are substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cartridge and spaced apart from one another such that the top surfaces of the second liquid delivery elements 3522A, 3522B, 3522C, 3522D, 3522E contact the bottom surface of the first liquid delivery element 3521 and the bottom surfaces of the second liquid delivery elements 3522A, 3522B, 3522C, 3522D, 3522E are close to (and slightly away from, in the depicted embodiment) the bottom of the tank portion 3502.

[0310] In the depicted embodiment, the first liquid delivery element 3521 may include a fibrous material, and the second liquid delivery elements 3522A, 3522B, 3522C, 3522D, 3522E may be composed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are also possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be composed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass materials, ceramic materials (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, etc.), composite materials, and / or any combination thereof. In other embodiments, one or both of the first liquid delivery element 3521 and the second liquid delivery element 3522A, 3522B, 3522C, 3522D, 3522E can be made of one or more materials, which are configured to transport liquids such as by capillary action. In some embodiments, one or both of the liquid delivery elements can be formed by the following materials: for example, fiber materials (such as organic cotton, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose fabric, glass fiber), porous ceramics, porous carbon, graphite, porous glass, sintered glass beads, sintered ceramic beads, capillaries, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the second liquid delivery element 3522A, 3522B, 3522C, 3522D, 3522E is configured to be pressed into the collar portion 3560. In some embodiments, the liquid delivery element can also be any material containing an open pore network (that is, a plurality of interconnected pores so that fluid can flow from one pore to another pore in multiple directions through the element). As further discussed herein, some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically relate to the use of non-fibrous transport elements. Thus, fiber transport elements may be expressly excluded. Alternatively, a combination of fiber transport elements and non-fibrous transport elements may be employed. Representative types of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 to Newton; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 to Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 00597800 to Davis et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0216232 to Bless et al.; the entire text of the above documents is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, various wicking materials, as well as the construction and operation of those wicking materials within specific types of electronic cigarettes, are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,910,640 to Sears et al.; the entire text of the document is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, one or both of the fluid transport elements may be partially or completely formed of a porous monomer such as a porous ceramic, porous glass, etc.For example, exemplary monomer materials that may be suitable for use in embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 988,109 filed on January 5, 2016 and U.S. Patent No. 2014 / 0123989 to LaMothe, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some embodiments, the porous monomer may form a substantially solid wicking portion.

[0311] As shown, at least a portion of the heating member 3520 is located in the collar portion 3560. In the depicted embodiment, the vaporization chamber 3540 is located in the area above the heating member 3520 and is at least partially defined by the mouthpiece portion 3510. As described above, when the heating member 3520 heats at least a portion of the liquid composition contained in the first liquid transport element 3521, an aerosol is generated in the vaporization chamber 3540. Thus, when a user inhales on the aerosol delivery device, the aerosol from the vaporization chamber 3540 can be delivered to the user via the outlet port 3515 of the mouthpiece portion 3510.

[0312] Fig.31 and 32 A cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Fig.31 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a cartridge 3700 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig.32 A partial cross-sectional view of a cartridge 3700 is shown. In various embodiments, a portion of the cartridge 3700 is configured to be removably coupled to a cartridge receiving chamber of a corresponding control device. In many aspects, the cartridge 3700 and the corresponding control device may have some similar configurations to the above-described cartridge 300 and control device 200 and may include those similar components (and some similar configurations and component variations), which will not be described in detail herein. Therefore, reference is made to the relevant discussion of these configurations and components (and configurations and component variations).

[0313] Referring to the drawings, the cartridge 3700 of the depicted embodiment includes a tank portion 3702 defined by an outer tank wall 3704, the outer tank wall including a proximal end 3706 and a distal end 3708. Thus, the tank portion 3702 may be characterized in that the tank wall 3704 is a continuous side wall around the tank, and the distal end 3708 is defined by a bottom wall. The tank portion 3702 is also configured to contain a liquid composition configured for evaporation (e.g., an electronic liquid or an aerosol precursor composition as described above). The cartridge 3700 also includes a mouthpiece portion 3710, which is defined by an outer mouthpiece wall 3712, the outer mouthpiece wall including a distal end 3716 and a proximal end 3714, the proximal end having an outlet port 3715 defined therein. In the depicted embodiment, the cartridge 3700 also includes an inner frame member 3764 positioned below the distal end 3716 of the mouthpiece portion 3710 and between the proximal end 3706 and the distal end 3708 of the reservoir portion 3702. In the depicted embodiment, the inner frame member 3764 includes a main portion 3765 and a sealing portion 3767. In the depicted embodiment, the mouthpiece portion 3710 and the reservoir portion 3702 are configured to be attached to each other via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat smelting / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.). Likewise, in the depicted embodiment, the inner frame member 3764 is configured to be attached to the reservoir portion 3702 via a press fit or snap connection; however, in other embodiments, other attachment methods or any combination thereof are possible (e.g., via adhesives, heat smelting / welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.).

[0314] In the depicted embodiment, one or more of the mouthpiece portion 3710 and the tank portion 3702 may be constructed of a molded polymer material, such as, for example, a molded plastic material (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, copolymers, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof), but other materials are possible. In other embodiments, one or more of these components may be constructed of other materials, including, for example, metallic materials (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloys, etc.), glass mate...

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery device, comprising: a control device, the control device comprising an outer housing defining an outer wall and having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the control device defining a cartridge receiving chamber, the control device further comprising a power source and a control component; as well as A cartridge comprising a mouthpiece portion and a reservoir portion, the mouthpiece portion and the reservoir portion having respective proximal and distal ends, the reservoir portion being configured to contain a liquid composition, the cartridge further comprising a first liquid delivery element, a second liquid delivery element, and an atomizing member, wherein a portion of the cartridge is configured to be removably coupled to the cartridge receiving chamber of the control device, wherein the atomizing member is configured to vaporize the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, wherein at least a portion of the atomizing member is positioned between a proximal end of the reservoir portion and a distal end of the reservoir portion, wherein at least a portion of the first liquid delivery element is positioned below the atomizing member, wherein the second liquid delivery element is disposed below the first liquid delivery element, and wherein the second liquid delivery element is configured to deliver liquid to the first liquid delivery element, wherein the atomizing means comprises a heating means, and wherein the heating means is configured to heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and wherein the heating member comprises a flat heating member mounted in a curved orientation, and The atomizing member includes a shield feature near the heating member, the shield feature being configured to prevent liquid and high temperature from directly leaving the cartridge, wherein the curvature of the shield feature is opposite to the curvature of the heating member, so that the heating member and the shield feature define at least a portion of a vaporization chamber.

2. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that At least a portion of the heating member is positioned between the distal end of the mouthpiece portion and the proximal end of the reservoir portion.

3. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that The cartridge further includes a collar portion disposed between the mouthpiece portion and the reservoir portion, and wherein at least a portion of the heating member is located within the collar portion.

4. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that The second fluid delivery element defines a longitudinal portion that intersects the curved transverse portion, and wherein the longitudinal portion of the second fluid delivery element has a length that is longer than a length of the transverse portion.

5. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that The second fluid delivery element defines a longitudinal portion that intersects the curved transverse portion, and wherein the transverse portion of the second fluid delivery element has a length that is longer than the longitudinal portion.

6. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that At least a portion of the curved shroud feature is located above the heating member.

7. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that The second fluid delivery element defines a longitudinal portion intersecting a curved transverse portion.

8. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that The heating member has a concave curvature relative to the mouthpiece end of the cartridge and the shield feature has a convex curvature relative to the mouthpiece end of the cartridge.

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