Non-nicotine electronic vaping devices having dryness detection function

Abstract

To provide a dry puff and auto shutdown control system configured to control one or more elements of a non-nicotine electronic vaping device to maintain the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within operational limits defined for different parameters.SOLUTION: The non-nicotine electronic vaping device includes processing circuitry configured to: determine a plurality of resistance values for a heater during a time window; calculate a percent change in resistance of the heater between a first resistance value of the plurality of resistance values and a second resistance value of the plurality of resistance values; determine whether the percent change in resistance of the heater exceeds a threshold of the percent change in resistance; and disable power to the heater in response to determining that the percent change in resistance of the heater exceeds the threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 31

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One or more exemplary embodiments relate to non-nicotine e-vaping devices.

Background Art

[0002] A non-nicotine e-vaping device (or non-nicotine e-vaping device) includes a heater that vaporizes a non-nicotine pre-vaporizer formulation material to produce a vapor. Non-nicotine e-vaping devices may include several non-nicotine e-vaping elements including a power source, a non-nicotine cartridge or non-nicotine e-vaping tank containing a heater, and a non-nicotine reservoir capable of holding a non-nicotine pre-vaporizer formulation material.

[0003] [Summary] One or more exemplary embodiments provide a dry puff and automatic shutdown control system configured to control one or more elements of a non-nicotine e-vaping device to maintain the non-nicotine e-vaping device within defined operating limits for different parameters.

[0004] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the parameters of the non-nicotine e-vaping device may include the temperature of the heater, the rate of change of the resistance value of the heater, combinations thereof, or the like. In one or more exemplary embodiments, the automatic shutdown control system may automatically shut down or deactivate one or more subsystems or elements of the non-nicotine e-vaping device in response to detecting the presence of dry puff conditions in the non-nicotine e-vaping device. After shutdown or deactivation, reactivation or re-enabling of one or more subsystems or elements may require corrective action (e.g., by an adult vaper).

[0005] At least one exemplary embodiment provides a method of controlling the operation of a non-nicotine electronic vaping device including a heater, the method including determining a plurality of resistance values of the heater during a time window, calculating a rate of change of the resistance value of the heater between a first resistance value among the plurality of resistance values and a second resistance value among the plurality of resistance values, determining whether the rate of change of the resistance value of the heater exceeds a rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value, and disabling power to the heater in response to determining that the rate of change of the resistance value of the heater exceeds the rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value.

[0006] At least one other exemplary embodiment provides a non-nicotine electronic vaping device including a processing circuit configured as follows: determining a plurality of resistance values of the heater during a time window, calculating a rate of change of the resistance value of the heater between a first resistance value among the plurality of resistance values and a second resistance value among the plurality of resistance values, determining whether the rate of change of the resistance value of the heater exceeds a rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value, and disabling power to the heater in response to determining that the rate of change of the resistance value of the heater exceeds the rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value.

[0007] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, the plurality of resistance values for the heater may be stored in a first-in first-out (FIFO) memory. The first resistance value among the plurality of resistance values for the heater may be the oldest resistance value stored in the FIFO memory, and the second resistance value among the plurality of resistance values for the heater may be the latest resistance value stored in the FIFO memory.

[0008] The rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value can be obtained from a memory of a non-nicotine pod assembly of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

[0009] Whether the resistance value of the heater has stabilized may be detected based on the current flowing through the heater. The plurality of resistance values for the heater during the time window may be determined in response to detecting that the resistance value of the heater has stabilized.

[0010] Whether the resistance value of the heater is stable can be determined from the current flowing through the heater and the threshold value of the wet current.

[0011] In response to determining that the change rate of the resistance value of the heater exceeds the change rate threshold value of the resistance value, a display of the dry puff state in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device may be output.

[0012] After the non-nicotine pod assembly disables the power to the heater, the non-nicotine electronic vaping device may turn off the power in response to determining that it has not been removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the first threshold time interval.

[0013] After the non-nicotine pod assembly disables the power to the heater, in response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the first threshold time interval, the non-nicotine electronic vaping device may return to the operating mode by clearing a fault related to the dry puff state in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

[0014] The vape in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device may be enabled in response to determining that another non-nicotine pod assembly has been inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after the non-nicotine electronic vaping device returns to the operating mode.

[0015] After the non-nicotine electronic vaping device returns to the operating mode, the non-nicotine electronic vaping device may turn off the power in response to determining that another non-nicotine pod assembly has not been inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vape device within the second threshold time interval.

[0016] At least one other exemplary embodiment provides a method for controlling a non-nicotine electronic vaping device including a heater, the method including: determining a plurality of resistance values of the heater during a time window; calculating a rate of change of the resistance value of the heater between a first resistance value among the plurality of resistance values and a second resistance value among the plurality of resistance values; determining whether the rate of change of the resistance value of the heater exceeds a rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value; and outputting a display of the state of the dry puff of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that the rate of change of the resistance value of the heater exceeds the rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value.

[0017] At least one other exemplary embodiment provides a non-nicotine electronic vaping device including a processing circuit configured to cause the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to: determine a plurality of resistance values of the heater during a time window; calculate a rate of change of the resistance value of the heater between a first resistance value among the plurality of resistance values and a second resistance value among the plurality of resistance values; determine whether the rate of change of the resistance value of the heater exceeds a rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value; and output a display of the state of the dry puff in the non-nicotine electronic vape device in response to determining that the rate of change of the resistance value of the heater exceeds the rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value.

[0018] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, the plurality of resistance values for the heater may be stored in a first-in first-out (FIFO) memory. The first resistance value among the plurality of resistance values for the heater may be the oldest resistance value stored in the FIFO memory, and the second resistance value among the plurality of resistance values for the heater may be the latest resistance value stored in the FIFO memory.

[0019] The rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value can be obtained from the memory of the non-nicotine pod assembly of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

[0020] Whether the resistance value of the heater is stable may be determined based on the current flowing through the heater, and in response to determining that the resistance value of the heater is stable, a plurality of resistance values of the heater during the time window may be determined.

[0021] Whether the resistance value of the heater has stabilized can be determined from the current flowing through the heater and the threshold value of the wet current.

[0022] After the non-nicotine electronic vaping device outputs a display of the dry puff state, in response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has not been removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the first threshold time interval, the power supply may be turned off.

[0023] The power to the heater may be invalidated in response to detecting that the rate of change of the resistance value of the heater exceeds the rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device can return to the operating mode by clearing a malfunction related to the dry puff state in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the first threshold time interval after the power to the heater has been invalidated.

[0024] The vape in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device may be enabled in response to determining that another non-nicotine pod assembly has been inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after the non-nicotine electronic vaping device has returned to the operating mode.

[0025] After the non-nicotine electronic vaping device returns to the operating mode, in response to determining that another non-nicotine pod assembly has not been inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval, the power supply may be turned off.

[0026] At least one other exemplary embodiment provides a method for controlling a non-nicotine electronic vaping device, the method comprising, after detecting a dry puff state in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device, determining whether the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed before a first time interval has elapsed, and in response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed before the first time interval has elapsed, clearing a fault associated with the dry puff state in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device and returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to an operating mode.

[0027] At least one other example embodiment provides a non-nicotine electronic vaping device including a processing circuit configured to return to an operating mode by clearing a fault associated with a dry puff condition in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed before a first time interval has elapsed, after detecting the dry puff condition in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

[0028] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, it may be determined whether another non-nicotine pod assembly has been inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a second threshold time interval after returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to the operating mode, and vaping in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device may be enabled in response to determining that another non-nicotine pod assembly has been inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to the operating mode.

[0029] The dry puff state in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device may be detected based on whether a rate of change of a resistance value of a heater in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device exceeds a rate of change of resistance value threshold. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The various features and advantages of the non-limiting embodiments of this specification will become more apparent by considering the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the claims. The accompanying drawings should not be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted. For clarity, various dimensions in the drawings may be exaggerated.

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[0072] Some detailed exemplary embodiments are disclosed herein. However, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments. However, the exemplary embodiments may be embodied in many alternative forms and should not be construed as limited to only the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0073] Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are capable of various changes and alternative forms, but the exemplary embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it is to be understood that there is no intention to limit the exemplary embodiments to the particular forms disclosed, and on the contrary, the exemplary embodiments are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives thereof. Throughout the description of the figures, like numbers refer to like elements.

[0074] When an element or layer is said to be "on," "connected to," "coupled to," "attached to," "adjacent to," or "covering" another element or layer, it should be understood that it may be directly on, connected to, coupled to, attached to, adjacent to, or covering the other element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. On the other hand, when an element is said to be "directly on," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers. In this specification, the same number means the same element. In this specification, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations or sub-combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0075] In this specification, terms such as first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements, regions, layers, and / or sections, but it should be understood that these elements, regions, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, region, layer, or section from another region, layer, or section. Thus, the first element, region, layer, or section described below could be referred to as the second element, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0076] In this specification, for ease of explanation, spatially relative terms (such as "beneath", "below", "lower", "above", "upper", etc.) are used to describe the relationship between one element or function and another element or function as shown in the figures. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device during use and operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figure is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features will be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the term "below" can potentially encompass both upward and downward orientations. Also, the device may be oriented in other directions (it may be rotated 90 degrees or oriented in other directions), and the spatially relative descriptors used in this specification will be interpreted accordingly.

[0077] The terms used in this specification are for the purpose of describing various exemplary embodiments only and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. The singular forms "a", "an", and "the" used in this specification are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "includes", "including", "comprises", and / or "comprising" as used in this specification identify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, and / or elements, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or groups thereof.

[0078] In this specification, when the words "about" and "substantially" are used in relation to a numerical value, unless otherwise explicitly defined, the associated numerical value is intended to include a tolerance of ±10% around the stated numerical value.

[0079] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which exemplary embodiments belong. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the relevant art and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly so defined herein.

[0080] As used herein, the term "non-nicotine electronic vaping device" or "non-nicotine e-vaping device" may sometimes be referred to and considered synonymous with a non-nicotine e-vapor apparatus and / or a non-nicotine e-vaping apparatus.

[0081] FIG. 1 is a front view of a non-nicotine electronic vaping device according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device of FIG. 1. Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 includes a device body 100 configured to receive a non-nicotine pod assembly 300. The non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is a modular article configured to hold a non-nicotine pre-vaper formulation. A "non-nicotine pre-vaper formulation" is a material or combination of materials that can be converted into vapor. For example, the non-nicotine pre-vaper formulation may be a liquid, solid, and / or gel formulation including water, beads, solvents, active ingredients, ethanol, plant extracts, natural or artificial flavors, and / or non-nicotine vapor formers such as glycerin and propylene glycol, but is not limited thereto.

[0082] In an exemplary embodiment, the non-nicotine pre-vaper formulation does not contain tobacco and is not derived from tobacco. The non-nicotine compound of the non-nicotine pre-vaper formulation may be part of or contained in a liquid or semi-liquid that includes extracts, oils, alcohols, tinctures, suspensions, dispersions, colloids, common non-neutral (weakly acidic or weakly basic) solutions, or combinations thereof. During the preparation of the non-nicotine pre-vaper formulation, the non-nicotine compound may be injected, mixed, or otherwise combined with other components of the non-nicotine pre-vaper formulation.

[0083] In an exemplary embodiment, the non-nicotine compound undergoes a slow natural decarboxylation process over a long period of time at a relatively low temperature, including room temperature (e.g., 72°F) or below. Further, the non-nicotine compound may undergo a significantly increased decarboxylation process (e.g., 50% or more decarboxylation) when exposed to a high temperature in the range of about 175°F or more for a certain period (minutes or hours), such as at 1 atmosphere pressure. A high temperature of about 240°F or more can cause rapid or instantaneous decarboxylation at a relatively high decarboxylation rate, but further increasing the temperature may cause some or all of the chemical properties of the non-nicotine compound(s) to deteriorate.

[0084] In an exemplary embodiment, the non-nicotine compound may be derived from a medicinal plant (e.g., a naturally occurring component of a plant that provides a medically recognized therapeutic effect). The medicinal plant may be a cannabis plant, and the component may be at least one cannabis-derived component. Cannabinoids (e.g., phytocannabinoids) and terpenes are an example of cannabis-derived components. Cannabinoids interact with receptors in the body and produce various effects. Therefore, cannabinoids are used for various medicinal purposes. Cannabis-derived materials may include leaves and / or flower materials from one or more cannabis plants, or extracts from one or more cannabis plants. For example, one or more species of cannabis plants may include Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. In some exemplary embodiments, the non-nicotine pre-vaper formulation is 60-80% (e.g., 70%) Cannabis sativa and 20-40% (e.g., 30%) Cannabis indica, or includes a mixture of cannabis and / or cannabis-derived components.

[0085] Non-limiting examples of cannabis-derived cannabinoids include tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabinocyclol (CBL), cannabichromene (CBC), and cannabigerol (CBG), among others. Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) is a precursor of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) is a precursor of cannabidiol (CBD). Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) can be converted to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), respectively, via heating. In an exemplary embodiment, heat from a heater may cause decarboxylation to convert tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) in a non-nicotine pre-vaper formulation to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and / or decarboxylation to convert cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) in a non-nicotine pre-vaper formulation to cannabidiol (CBD).

[0086] In examples where both tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are present in a non-nicotine pre-vaporizer formulation, decarboxylation and the resulting conversion will cause a decrease in tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and an increase in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). At least 50% (e.g., at least 87%) of the tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) may be converted to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) via a decarboxylation process during heating of the non-nicotine pre-vaporizer formulation for the purpose of vaporization. Similarly, in examples where both cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and cannabidiol (CBD) are present in a non-nicotine pre-vaporizer formulation, decarboxylation and the resulting conversion will cause a decrease in cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and an increase in cannabidiol (CBD). At least 50% (e.g., at least 87%) of the cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) may be converted to cannabidiol (CBD) via a decarboxylation process during heating of the non-nicotine pre-vaporizer formulation for the purpose of vaporization.

[0087] The non-nicotine pre-vaporizer formulation may include a non-nicotine compound that provides a medically recognized therapeutic effect (e.g., treatment of pain, nausea, epilepsy, mental disorders). Details of the treatment method are described in U.S. Application No. 15 / 845,501, filed on December 18, 2017, entitled "VAPORIZING DEVICES AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING A COMPOUND USING THE SAME", the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0088] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one flavorant is present in an amount in the range of about 0.2% to about 15% (e.g., about 1% to 12%, about 2% to 10%, or about 5% to 8%), based on the total weight of the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation. The at least one flavorant may be at least one of a natural flavorant, an artificial flavorant, or a combination of a natural flavorant and an artificial flavorant. The at least one flavorant may include a volatile cannabinoid (flavonoid) or other flavor compound instead of or in addition to a cannabinoid flavor compound. For example, the at least one flavorant may include menthol, wintergreen, peppermint, cinnamon, clove, combinations thereof, and / or extracts thereof. Additionally, other herb flavors, fruit flavors, nut flavors, liquor flavors, roast flavors, mint flavors, savory flavors, combinations thereof, and any other desired flavors may be provided by including a flavorant.

[0089] During vaping, the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 is configured to heat a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation to generate vapor. As referred to herein, a "non-nicotine vapor" is any substance generated or output from any non-nicotine electronic vaping device according to any of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein.

[0090] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 extends in the longitudinal direction and has a length greater than its width. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the length of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 is also characterized by being greater than its thickness. Further, the width of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 may be greater than its thickness. Assuming an x-y-z orthogonal coordinate system, the length of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 may be measured in the y direction, the width may be measured in the x direction, and the thickness may be measured in the z direction. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 may have a substantially linear form with tapered ends based on its front view, side view, and rear view, although the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0091] The device body 100 includes a front cover 104, a frame 106, and a rear cover 108. The front cover 104, the frame 106, and the rear cover 108 form a device housing that surrounds mechanical elements, electronic elements, and / or circuits related to the operation of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500. For example, the device housing of the device body 100 can surround a power source configured to supply power to the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500, which can include supplying current to the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. The device housing of the device body 100 may also include one or more electrical systems for controlling the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500. The electrical systems according to the exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail later. Further, when assembled, the front cover 104, the frame 106, and the rear cover 108 may constitute most of the visible portion of the device body 100.

[0092] The front cover 104 (e.g., the first cover) defines a primary opening configured to accommodate the bezel structure 112. The primary opening may have other shapes depending on the shape of the bezel structure 112, but may have a rounded rectangular shape. The bezel structure 112 defines a through hole 150 configured to receive the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. The through hole 150 will be discussed in more detail herein, for example, in relation to FIG. 9.

[0093] The front cover 104 also defines a secondary opening configured to accommodate a light guide arrangement. The secondary opening may resemble a slot (e.g., an elongated rectangle having rounded edges), but other shapes are possible depending on the shape of the light guide arrangement. In an exemplary embodiment, the light guide arrangement includes a light guide housing 114 and a button housing 122. The light guide housing 114 is configured to expose a light guide lens 116, and the button housing 122 is configured to expose a first button lens 124 and a second button lens 126 (e.g., FIG. 16). The first button lens 124 and the upstream portion of the button housing 122 may form a first button 118. Similarly, the second button lens 126 and the downstream portion of the button housing 122 may form a second button 120. The button housing 122 may be in the form of a single structure or in the form of two separate structures. In the latter form, the first button 118 and the second button 120 can move with a more independent feel when pressed.

[0094] The operation of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 may be controlled by the first button 118 and the second button 120. For example, the first button 118 may be a power button, and the second button 120 may be an intensity button. Although two buttons are shown in the drawing in relation to the light guide arrangement, it should be understood that more (or fewer) buttons may be provided depending on the available functions and the desired user interface.

[0095] Frame 106 (e.g., a base frame) is a central support structure of the device body 100 (and the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 as a whole). Frame 106 may also be referred to as a chassis. Frame 106 includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a pair of sides between the proximal end and the distal end. The proximal end and the distal end may also be referred to as the downstream end and the upstream end, respectively. In this specification, "proximal" (and conversely "distal") is in relation to an adult vaper in the vape, and "downstream" (and conversely "upstream") is in relation to the flow of vapor. For additional strength and stability, a bridging portion may be provided between opposing inner surfaces of the side sections (e.g., at approximately the middle of the length of frame 106). Frame 106 may be integrally formed to be a monolithic structure.

[0096] Regarding the material of the structure, frame 106 may be formed of an alloy or plastic. The alloy (e.g., die-cast grade, machinable grade) may be an aluminum (Al) alloy or a zinc (Zn) alloy. The plastic may be polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or a combination thereof (PC / ABS). For example, the polycarbonate may be LUPOY SC1004A. Further, frame 106 may be provided with a surface finish for functional and / or aesthetic reasons (e.g., to provide a premium appearance). In an exemplary embodiment, frame 106 (e.g., when formed of an aluminum alloy) may be anodized. In another embodiment, frame 106 (e.g., when formed of a zinc alloy) may be coated with a hard enamel or painted. In another embodiment, frame 106 (e.g., when formed of polycarbonate) may be metallized. In yet another embodiment, frame 106 (e.g., when formed of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) may be electroplated. It should be understood that the material of the structure regarding frame 106 is also applicable to the front cover 104, the rear cover 108, and / or other suitable components of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500.

[0097] The rear cover 108 (e.g., the second cover) also defines an opening configured to accommodate the bezel structure 112. The opening may have other shapes depending on the shape of the bezel structure 112, but may have a rounded rectangular shape. In an exemplary embodiment, the opening of the rear cover 108 is smaller than the primary opening of the front cover 104. Additionally, although not shown, it should be understood that a light guide arrangement (e.g., including buttons) may be provided on the back of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 in addition to (or instead of) the light guide arrangement on the front of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500.

[0098] The front cover 104 and the rear cover 108 may be configured to engage with the frame 106 via a snap-fit arrangement. For example, the front cover 104 and / or the rear cover 108 may include clips configured to interact with corresponding mating members of the frame 106. In a non-limiting embodiment, the clip may be in the form of a tab having an orifice configured to receive a corresponding mating member (e.g., a protrusion having a bevel edge) of the frame 106. Alternatively, the front cover 104 and / or the rear cover 108 may be configured to engage with the frame 106 via an interference fit (sometimes referred to as a press fit or friction fit). However, it should be understood that the front cover 104, the frame 106, and the rear cover 108 may be joined using other suitable arrangements and techniques.

[0099] The device body 100 also includes a mouthpiece 102. The mouthpiece 102 may be fixed to the proximal end of the frame 106. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in an exemplary embodiment where the frame 106 is sandwiched between the front cover 104 and the rear cover 108, the mouthpiece 102 may be adjacent to the front cover 104, the frame 106, and the rear cover 108. Additionally, in a non-limiting embodiment, the mouthpiece 102 may be joined to the device housing via a bayonet connection.

[0100] Figure 4 is a proximal end view of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 4, the outlet surface of the mouthpiece 102 defines a plurality of vapor outlets. In a non-limiting embodiment, the outlet surface of the mouthpiece 102 may be elliptical. Further, the outlet surface of the mouthpiece 102 may include a first crossbar corresponding to the major axis of the elliptical outlet surface and a second crossbar corresponding to the minor axis of the elliptical outlet surface. Further, the first crossbar and the second crossbar may intersect perpendicularly and may be an integrally formed part of the mouthpiece 102. The outlet surface is shown as defining four vapor outlets, but it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the outlet surface may define less than four (e.g., one, two) vapor outlets, or four or more (e.g., six, eight) vapor outlets.

[0101] Figure 5 is a distal end view of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 5, the distal end of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 includes a port 110. The port 110 is configured to receive current from an external power source (e.g., via a USB cable) to charge an internal power source within the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500. Further, the port 110 may also be configured to transmit data to and / or receive data from another non-nicotine electronic vaping device or other electronic device (e.g., a phone, a tablet, a computer) (e.g., via a USB cable). Further, the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 may be configured to wirelessly communicate with another electronic device such as a phone via application software (app) installed on the electronic device. In such an example, the adult vaper may control the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 via the app or otherwise interface (e.g., identify the location of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device, check usage information, change operating parameters).

[0102] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the pod inlet in FIG. 6. Referring to FIGS. 6-7 and as briefly described above, the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 includes a non-nicotine pod assembly 300 configured to hold a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation. The non-nicotine pod assembly 300 has an upstream end (which faces the light guide arrangement) and a downstream end (which faces the mouthpiece 102). In a non-limiting embodiment, the upstream end is the opposing face of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 from the downstream end. The upstream end of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 defines a pod inlet 322. The device body 100 defines a through-hole (e.g., through-hole 150 of FIG. 9) configured to receive the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. In an exemplary embodiment, the bezel structure 112 of the device body 100 defines the through-hole and includes an upstream rim. As particularly shown in FIG. 7, the upstream rim of the bezel structure 112 is angled (e.g., recessed inwardly) such that the pod inlet 322 is exposed when the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is seated within the through-hole of the device body 100.

[0103] For example, rather than following the contour of the front cover 104 (to be relatively flush with the front face of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 and thus make the pod inlet 322 invisible), the upstream rim of the bezel structure 112 is in the form of a scoop configured to direct ambient air to the pod inlet 322. This angled / scoop configuration can help reduce or prevent blockage of the air inlet (e.g., pod inlet 322) of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500. The depth of the scoop may be such that less than half (e.g., less than a quarter) of the upstream end face of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is exposed. Further, in a non-limiting embodiment, the pod inlet 322 is in the form of a slot. Further, if the device body 100 is considered to extend in a first direction, the slot may be considered to extend in a second direction, where the second direction is transverse to the first direction.

[0104] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device of FIG. 6. In FIG. 8, the cross-section is taken along the longitudinal axis of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500. As shown, the device body 100 and the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 include mechanical, electronic, and / or circuit elements related to the operation of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500, which are discussed in more detail herein and / or incorporated herein by reference. For example, the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 may include mechanical elements configured to operate to release a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation from an internal sealed non-nicotine reservoir. The non-nicotine pod assembly 300 may also have a mechanical aspect configured to engage the device body 100 to facilitate insertion and seating of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300.

[0105] Furthermore, the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 may be a "smart pod" that includes electronic elements and / or circuits configured to store, receive, and / or transmit information between the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 and the device body 100. Such information may be used to authenticate the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 for use with the device body 100 (e.g., to prevent the use of unapproved / counterfeit non-nicotine pod assemblies). Additionally, the information may be used to identify the type of non-nicotine pod assembly 300, which is then correlated with a vape profile based on the identified type. The vape profile may be designed to define general parameters for heating the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation and may be adjustable, modified, or otherwise adjusted by an adult vaper before and / or during vaping.

[0106] The non-nicotine pod assembly 300 can also communicate with the device body 100 other information that may be relevant to the operation of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500. Examples of relevant information may include the level of the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation within the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 and / or the length of time elapsed since the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 was inserted into and activated by the device body 100. For example, if the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 was inserted into and activated by the device body 100 more than a certain period ago (e.g., more than 6 months ago), the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 may not permit vaping, and even if the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 still contains a sufficient level of the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation, the adult vaper may be prompted to change to a new non-nicotine pod assembly.

[0107] The device body 100 may include mechanical elements (e.g., complementary structures) configured to engage, hold, and / or operate the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. Further, the device body 100 may include electronic elements and / or circuitry configured to receive a current for charging an internal power source (e.g., a battery) configured to supply power to the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 during vaping. Further, the device body 100 may include electronic elements and / or circuitry configured to communicate with the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, different non-nicotine electronic vaping devices, other electronic devices (e.g., a phone, a tablet, a computer), and / or the adult vaper. The information communicated may include pod-specific data, current vaping details, and / or past vaping patterns / histories. The adult vaper may be notified of such communication by feedback that is tactile (e.g., vibration), auditory (e.g., beep sound), and / or visual (e.g., colored / flashing light). Charging and / or communication of information may be performed using the port 110 (e.g., via a USB cable).

[0108] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the device body of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device of FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 9, the bezel structure 112 of the device body 100 defines a through hole 150. The through hole 150 is configured to receive the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. To facilitate the insertion and seating of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 into the through hole 150, the upstream rim of the bezel structure 112 includes a first upstream protrusion 128a and a second upstream protrusion 128b. The through hole 150 may have a rounded rectangular shape. In an exemplary embodiment, the first upstream protrusion 128a and the second upstream protrusion 128b are integrally formed with the bezel structure 112 and are located at two rounded corners of the upstream rim.

[0109] The downstream sidewall of the bezel structure 112 may define a first downstream opening, a second downstream opening, and a third downstream opening. A retaining structure including a first downstream protrusion 130a and a second downstream protrusion 130b is engaged with the bezel structure 112 such that the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b protrude into the through hole 150 through the first downstream opening and the second downstream opening of the bezel structure 112, respectively. Further, the distal end of the mouthpiece 102 extends into the through hole 150 through the third downstream opening of the bezel structure 112 so as to be between the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b.

[0110] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the device body of FIG. 9. Referring to FIG. 10, the device body 100 includes a device electrical connector 132 disposed on the upstream side of the through hole 150. The device electrical connector 132 of the device body 100 is configured to electrically engage with the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 seated within the through hole 150. As a result, power can be supplied from the device body 100 to the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 through the device electrical connector 132 during vaping. Further, data can be transmitted to and / or received from the device body 100 and the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 through the device electrical connector 132.

[0111] FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the through hole in FIG. 10. Referring to FIG. 11, the first upstream protrusion 128a, the second upstream protrusion 128b, the first downstream protrusion 130a, the second downstream protrusion 130b, and the distal end of the mouthpiece 102 project into the through hole 150. In an exemplary embodiment, the first upstream protrusion 128a and the second upstream protrusion 128b are stationary structures (e.g., stationary pivots), and the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b are retractable structures (e.g., retractable members). For example, the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b may be configured to temporarily transition to a retracted state (and reversibly return to the retracted state) to facilitate insertion of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, and may be configured (e.g., spring-biased) to default to the retracted state.

[0112] In particular, when inserting the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 into the through hole 150 of the device body 100, the recesses on the upstream end face of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 first engage with the first upstream protrusion 128a and the second upstream protrusion 128b, and then the recesses on the downstream end face of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 engage with the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b. A pivoting operation of the non-nicotine pod assembly (around the first upstream protrusion 128a and the second upstream protrusion 128b) may be performed. In such an example, the axis of rotation (during pivoting) of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 may be orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the device body 100. Further, the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b, which may be biased for ease of handling, retract when the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 pivots in the through hole 150 and can elastically extend to engage with the recesses on the downstream end face of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. Further, the engagement between the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b and the recesses on the downstream end face of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 may generate tactile and / or auditory feedback (e.g., an audible click) to notify the adult vaper that the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is properly mounted in the through hole 150 of the device body 100.

[0113] Figure 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the device electrical contact in Figure 10. The device electrical contact of the device body 100 is configured to engage with the pod electrical contact of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 when the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is seated within the through-hole 150 of the device body 100. Referring to Figure 12, the device electrical contact of the device body 100 includes a device electrical connector 132. The device electrical connector 132 includes a power contact and a data contact. The power contact of the device electrical connector 132 is configured to supply power from the device body 100 to the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. As shown, the power contacts of the device electrical connector 132 include a first pair of power contacts and a second pair of power contacts (which are arranged closer to the front cover 104 than the rear cover 108). The first pair of power contacts (e.g., the pair adjacent to the first upstream protrusion 128a) of the power contacts may be a single integral structure different from the second pair of power contacts and, when assembled, includes two protrusions extending into the through-hole 150. Similarly, the second pair of power contacts (e.g., the pair adjacent to the second upstream protrusion 128b) may be a single integral structure different from the first pair of power contacts and, when assembled, includes two protrusions extending into the through-hole 150. The first pair of power contacts and the second pair of power contacts of the device electrical connector 132 are conventionally protruded into the through-hole 150 and are easily handled and attached so as to retract from the through-hole 150 (e.g., independently) when subjected to a force overcoming the bias and may be biased.

[0114] The data contacts of the device electrical connector 132 are configured to transmit data between the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 and the device body 100. As shown, the data contacts of the device electrical connector 132 include a row of five protrusions (which are arranged closer to the rear cover 108 than the front cover 104). The data contacts of the device electrical connector 132 may be a separate structure that extends into the through-hole 150 when assembled. The data contacts of the device electrical connector 132 also default to extend into the through-hole 150 and are easily handled and biased so as to retract from the through-hole 150 (e.g., independently) when subjected to a force overcoming the bias. For example, when the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is inserted into the through-hole 150 of the device body 100, the pod electrical contacts of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 will be pressed against the corresponding device electrical contacts of the device body 100. As a result, the power and data contacts of the device electrical connector 132 retract (e.g., at least partially) into the device body 100, but their resilient arrangement continues to press against the corresponding pod electrical contacts, thereby helping to ensure an appropriate electrical connection between the device body 100 and the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. Further, such a connection can be mechanically secure and have a minimal contact resistance so as to reliably and accurately transfer and / or communicate power and / or signals between the device body 100 and the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. Although various aspects have been discussed in relation to the device electrical contacts of the device body 100, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto and other configurations may be utilized.

[0115] FIG. 13 is an exploded view of a portion including the mouthpiece in FIG. 12. Referring to FIG. 13, the mouthpiece 102 is configured to engage with the device housing via a retaining structure 140. In an exemplary embodiment, the retaining structure 140 is positioned mainly between the frame 106 and the bezel structure 112. As shown, the retaining structure 140 is disposed within the device housing such that the proximal end of the retaining structure 140 extends through the proximal end of the frame 106. The retaining structure 140 may extend slightly beyond the proximal end of the frame 106 or may be substantially even with it. The proximal end of the retaining structure 140 is configured to receive the distal end of the mouthpiece 102. The proximal end of the retaining structure 140 may be a female end, while the distal end of the mouthpiece may be a male end.

[0116] For example, the mouthpiece 102 may be coupled to the retention structure 140 by a bayonet connection (e.g., may be reversibly coupled). In such an example, the female end of the retention structure 140 may define a pair of opposing L-shaped slots, while the male end of the mouthpiece 102 may have opposing radial members 134 (e.g., radial pins) configured to engage the L-shaped slots of the retention structure 140. Each of the L-shaped slots of the retention structure 140 has a longitudinal portion and a circumferential portion. Optionally, the end of the circumferential portion may have a serrated portion that helps reduce or prevent the radial member 134 of the mouthpiece 102 from being inadvertently disengaged. In a non-limiting embodiment, the longitudinal portion of the L-shaped slot extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device body 100, and the circumferential portion of the L-shaped slot extends around the longitudinal axis (e.g., central axis) of the device body 100. As a result, to couple the mouthpiece 102 to the device housing, the mouthpiece 102 shown in FIG. 13 is first rotated 90 degrees to align the radial member 134 with the entrance of the longitudinal portion of the L-shaped slot of the retention structure 140. Then, the mouthpiece 102 is pushed into the retention structure 140 such that the radial member 134 slides along the longitudinal portion of the L-shaped slot until it reaches the junction with each of the circumferential portions. At this point, the mouthpiece 102 is then rotated such that the radial member 134 moves across the circumferential portion until it reaches each respective terminal end. If a serrated portion is present at each terminal end, tactile and / or auditory feedback (e.g., an audible click) may be generated to notify the adult vaporist that the mouthpiece 102 is properly coupled to the device housing.

[0117] The mouthpiece 102 defines a vapor passage 136 through which a non-nicotine vapor flows during vaping. The vapor passage 136 is in fluid communication with a through-hole 150 (where the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 seats within the device body 100). The proximal end of the vapor passage 136 may include a flared portion. Further, the mouthpiece 102 may include an end cover 138. The end cover 138 may taper from its distal end towards its proximal end. The exit surface of the end cover 138 defines a plurality of vapor outlets. Although four vapor outlets are shown in the end cover 138, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0118] FIG. 14 is a partially exploded perspective view including the bezel structure of FIG. 9. FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of the mouthpiece, spring, retaining structure, and bezel structure of FIG. 14. Referring to FIGS. 14-15, the bezel structure 112 includes an upstream sidewall and a downstream sidewall. The upstream sidewall of the bezel structure 112 defines a connector opening 146. The connector opening 146 is configured to expose or receive the device electrical connector 132 of the device body 100. The downstream sidewall of the bezel structure 112 defines a first downstream opening 148a, a second downstream opening 148b, and a third downstream opening 148c. The first downstream opening 148a and the second downstream opening 148b of the bezel structure 112 are each configured to receive a first downstream protrusion 130a and a second downstream protrusion 130b of the retaining structure 140, respectively. The third downstream opening 148c of the bezel structure 112 is configured to receive the distal end portion of the mouthpiece 102.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 14, the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b are on the concave side of the retaining structure 140. As shown in FIG. 15, the first post 142a and the second post 142b are on the opposing convex side of the retaining structure 140. A first spring 144a and a second spring 144b are respectively disposed on the first post 142a and the second post 142b. The first spring 144a and the second spring 144b are configured to bias the retaining structure 140 relative to the bezel structure 112.

[0120] When assembled, the bezel structure 112 may be fixed to the frame 106 via a pair of tabs adjacent to the connector opening 146. Further, the retaining structure 140 will bias the bezel structure 112 such that the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b extend through the first downstream opening 148a and the second downstream opening 148b, respectively. The mouthpiece 102 will be coupled to the retaining structure 140 such that the distal end of the mouthpiece 102 extends through the retaining structure 140 and through the third downstream opening 148c of the bezel structure 112. The first spring 144a and the second spring 144b will be between the frame 106 and the retaining structure 140.

[0121] When the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is inserted into the through hole 150 of the device body 100, the downstream end of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is pressed against the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b of the retaining structure 140. As a result, the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b of the retaining structure 140 elastically yield and retreat from the through hole 150 of the device body 100 (by compression of the first spring 144a and the second spring 144b), thereby allowing the insertion of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 to proceed. In an exemplary embodiment, when the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b are fully retracted from the through hole 150 of the device body 100, displacement of the retaining structure 140 may cause the ends of the first post 142a and the second post 142b to contact the inner end face of the frame 106. Further, since the mouthpiece 102 is coupled to the retaining structure 140, the distal end of the mouthpiece 102 will retract from the through hole 150, and thus the proximal end of the mouthpiece 102 (e.g., the visible portion including the end cover 138) will also move a corresponding distance away from the device housing.

[0122] When the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is fully inserted such that the first downstream recess and the second downstream recess of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 reach positions where they can engage with the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b respectively, due to the stored energy from the compression of the first spring 144a and the second spring 144b, the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b will elastically extend and engage with the first downstream recess and the second downstream recess of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 respectively. Further, the engagement can generate tactile and / or audible feedback (e.g., an audible click) to notify the adult vaper that the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is properly installed within the through-hole 150 of the device body 100.

[0123] FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view including the front cover, frame, and rear cover of FIG. 14. Referring to FIG. 16, various mechanical elements, electronic elements, and / or circuits related to the operation of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 may be fixed to the frame 106. The front cover 104 and the rear cover 108 may be configured to engage with the frame 106 via a snap-fit arrangement. In an exemplary embodiment, the front cover 104 and the rear cover 108 include clips configured to interact with corresponding mating members of the frame 106. The clips may be in the form of tabs having orifices configured to receive corresponding mating members of the frame 106 (e.g., protrusions having chamfered edges). In FIG. 16, the front cover 104 has two rows each having four clips (for a total of eight clips for the front cover 104). Similarly, the rear cover 108 has two rows each having four clips (for a total of eight clips for the rear cover 108). The corresponding mating members of the frame 106 may be on the inner sidewalls of the frame 106. As a result, when the front cover 104 and the rear cover 108 are snapped together, the engaged clips and mating members can be made invisible. Alternatively, the front cover 104 and / or the rear cover 108 may be configured to engage with the frame 106 via an interference fit. However, it should be understood that the front cover 104, the frame 106, and the rear cover 108 may be coupled using other suitable arrangements and techniques.

[0124] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a non-nicotine pod assembly of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device of FIG. 6. FIG. 18 is another perspective view of the non-nicotine pod assembly of FIG. 17. FIG. 19 is another perspective view of the non-nicotine pod assembly of FIG. 18. Referring to FIGS. 17-19, a non-nicotine pod assembly 300 for a non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 includes a pod body configured to hold a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation. The pod body has an upstream end and a downstream end. The upstream end of the pod body defines a cavity 310 (FIG. 20). The downstream end of the pod body defines a pod outlet 304 that is in fluid communication with the cavity 310 of the upstream end. A connector module 320 is configured to seat within the cavity 310 of the pod body. The connector module 320 includes an outer surface and a side surface. The outer surface of the connector module 320 forms the exterior of the pod body.

[0125] The outer surface of the connector module 320 defines a pod inlet 322. The pod inlet 322 (where air enters the vapor) is in fluid communication with the pod outlet 304 (where non-nicotine vapor exits the vapor). The pod inlet 322 is shown in FIG. 19 as being in the form of a slot. However, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto and other forms are possible. When the connector module 320 seats within the cavity 310 of the pod body, the outer surface of the connector module 320 remains visible, but the side surface of the connector module 320 is mostly hidden such that it is only partially visible through the pod inlet 322 based on a predetermined angle.

[0126] The outer surface of the connector module 320 includes at least one electrical contact. The at least one electrical contact may include a plurality of power contacts. For example, the plurality of power contacts may include a first power contact 324a and a second power contact 324b. The first power contact 324a of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is configured to be electrically connected to a pair of first power contacts of the device electrical connector 132 of the device body 100 (for example, the pair adjacent to the first upstream protrusion 128a in FIG. 12). Similarly, the second power contact 324b of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is configured to be electrically connected to a pair of second power contacts of the device electrical connector 132 of the device body 100 (for example, the pair adjacent to the second upstream protrusion 128b in FIG. 12). Further, the at least one electrical contact of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 includes a plurality of data contacts 326. The plurality of data contacts 326 of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 are configured to be electrically connected to the data contacts of the device electrical connector 132 (for example, the row of five protrusions in FIG. 12). Although two power contacts and five data contacts are shown in connection with the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, it should be understood that other variations are possible depending on the design of the device body 100.

[0127] In an exemplary embodiment, the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 includes a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, a first side surface between the front surface and the rear surface, a second side surface opposite the first side surface, an upstream end surface, and a downstream end surface opposite the upstream end surface. The corners of the side surfaces and the end surfaces (e.g., the corner between the first side surface and the upstream end surface, the corner between the upstream end surface and the second side surface, the corner between the second side surface and the downstream end surface, the corner between the downstream end surface and the first side surface) may be rounded. However, in some cases, the corners may be angled. Further, the periphery of the front surface may be in the form of a ledge. The outer surface of the connector module 320 can be regarded as a part of the upstream end surface of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. The front surface of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 may be wider and longer than the rear surface. In such an example, the surfaces of the first side surface and the second side surface may be angled inwardly with respect to each other. The upstream end surface and the downstream end surface may also be angled inwardly with respect to each other. Due to having angled surfaces, the insertion of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is configured to be performed in one direction (e.g., from the front side of the device body 100 (the side related to the front cover 104)). As a result, the possibility of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 being improperly inserted into the device body 100 can be reduced or prevented.

[0128] As illustrated, the pod body of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 includes a first housing portion 302 and a second housing portion 308. The first housing portion 302 has a downstream end that defines a pod outlet 304. The edge of the pod outlet 304 may optionally be a recessed or indented area. In such an example, this area may resemble a cove, the side of the rim adjacent to the rear of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 may be open, and the side of the rim adjacent to the front may be surrounded by a raised portion of the downstream end of the first housing portion 302. The raised portion may function as a stopper for the distal end of the mouthpiece 102. As a result, this configuration for the pod outlet 304 facilitates the receipt and alignment of the distal end of the mouthpiece 102 (e.g., FIG. 11) through the open side of the rim and subsequent seating against the raised portion of the downstream end of the first housing portion 302. In a non-limiting embodiment, the distal end of the mouthpiece 102 can also include (or be formed from) an elastic material to help create a seal around the pod outlet 304 when the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is properly inserted into the through hole 150 of the device body 100.

[0129] The downstream end of the first housing portion 302 further defines at least one downstream recess. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one downstream recess is in the form of a first downstream recess 306a and a second downstream recess 306b. The pod outlet 304 may be between the first downstream recess 306a and the second downstream recess 306b. The first downstream recess 306a and the second downstream recess 306b are configured to engage with a first downstream protrusion 130a and a second downstream protrusion 130b of the device body 100, respectively. As shown in FIG. 11, the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b of the device body 100 may be disposed at adjacent corners of the downstream sidewall of the through hole 150. Also, each of the first downstream recess 306a and the second downstream recess 306b may be in the form of a V-shaped notch. In such an example, each of the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b of the device body 100 may be in the form of a wedge-shaped structure configured to engage with the corresponding V-shaped notch of the first downstream recess 306a and the second downstream recess 306b. The first downstream recess 306a may be in contact with the corner of the downstream end face and the first side face, and the second downstream recess 306b may be in contact with the corner of the downstream end face and the second side face. As a result, the ends of the first downstream recess 306a and the second downstream recess 306b adjacent to the first side face and the second side face may be open, respectively. In such an example, as shown in FIG. 18, each of the first downstream recess 306a and the second downstream recess 306b may be a three-sided recess.

[0130] The second housing part 308 has an upstream end that defines a cavity 310 (FIG. 20). The cavity 310 is configured to receive a connector module 320 (FIG. 21). Further, the upstream end of the second housing part 308 defines at least one upstream recess. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one upstream recess is in the form of a first upstream recess 312a and a second upstream recess 312b. The pod inlet 322 may be between the first upstream recess 312a and the second upstream recess 312b. The first upstream recess 312a and the second upstream recess 312b are each configured to engage with a first upstream protrusion 128a and a second upstream protrusion 128b of the device body 100, respectively. As shown in FIG. 12, the first upstream protrusion 128a and the second upstream protrusion 128b of the device body 100 may be disposed at adjacent corners of the upstream sidewall of the through hole 150. The depth of each of the first upstream recess 312a and the second upstream recess 312b may be greater than the depth of each of the first downstream recess 306a and the second downstream recess 306b. Also, the end of each of the first upstream recess 312a and the second upstream recess 312b may be more rounded than the end of each of the first downstream recess 306a and the second downstream recess 306b. For example, each of the first upstream recess 312a and the second upstream recess 312b may be in the form of a U-shaped depression. In such an example, each of the first upstream protrusion 128a and the second upstream protrusion 128b of the device body 100 may be in the form of a rounded knob configured to engage with the corresponding U-shaped depression of the first upstream recess 312a and the second upstream recess 312b. The first upstream recess 312a may substantially coincide with the corner of the upstream side end face and the first side face, and the second upstream recess 312b may substantially coincide with the corner of the upstream side end face and the second side face. As a result, the ends of the first upstream recess 312a and the second upstream recess 312b adjacent to the first side face and the second side face may each be open.

[0131] The first housing portion 302 may define therein a non-nicotine reservoir configured to hold a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation. The non-nicotine reservoir may be configured to seal the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation until the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is activated to release the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation from the non-nicotine reservoir. As a result of the sealing, the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation may be isolated not only from the environment but also from internal elements of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 that may potentially react with the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation, thereby reducing or preventing the possibility of an adverse effect on the shelf life and / or sensory characteristics (e.g., flavor) of the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation. The second housing portion 308 may include a structure configured to activate the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 and receive and heat the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation released from the non-nicotine reservoir after activation.

[0132] The non-nicotine pod assembly 300 may be manually actuated by an adult vaporizer prior to insertion of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 into the device body 100. Alternatively, the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 may be activated as part of the insertion of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 into the device body 100. In an exemplary embodiment, the second housing portion 308 of the pod body includes a perforator configured to release the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation from the non-nicotine reservoir during activation of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. The perforator may be in the form of a first activation pin 314a and a second activation pin 314b and will be discussed in more detail herein.

[0133] To manually activate the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, an adult vaper may press the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b inward (e.g., simultaneously or sequentially) before inserting the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 into the through-hole 150 of the device body 100. For example, the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b may be manually pressed until their ends are substantially flush with the upstream end face of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. In an exemplary embodiment, the inward movement of the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b perforates or otherwise breaches the seal of the non-nicotine reservoir to release the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation therefrom.

[0134] Alternatively, to activate the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 as part of inserting the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 into the device body 100, the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is initially positioned (e.g., upstream engagement) such that the first upstream recess 312a and the second upstream recess 312b engage the first upstream protrusion 128a and the second upstream protrusion 128b, respectively. Each of the first upstream protrusion 128a and the second upstream protrusion 128b of the device body 100 may be in the form of a rounded knob configured to engage the corresponding U-shaped recesses of the first upstream recess 312a and the second upstream recess 312b, so that the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 can subsequently be rotated relatively easily about the first upstream protrusion 128a and the second upstream protrusion 128b and inserted into the through-hole 150 of the device body 100.

[0135] Regarding the pivotal movement of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, the axis of rotation can be considered to extend through the first upstream protrusion 128a and the second upstream protrusion 128b and to be oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device body 100. During the initial positioning and subsequent pivotal movement of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b contact the upstream sidewall of the through-hole 150, and when the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 advances into the through-hole 150, the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b are pushed into the second housing portion 308 (e.g., simultaneously), transitioning from the extended state to the retracted state. When the downstream end of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 reaches near the downstream sidewall of the through-hole 150 and contacts the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b, and the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b retreat and elastically extend (e.g., spring back), due to the positioning of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b of the device body 100 engage with the first downstream recess 306a and the second downstream recess 306b of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, respectively (e.g., downstream-side engagement).

[0136] As described above, according to an exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece 102 is fixed to a retaining structure 140 (of which the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b are part). In such an example, the retraction of the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b from the through-hole 150 will cause a simultaneous movement of the mouthpiece 102 by a distance corresponding to the same direction (e.g., the downstream direction). Conversely, when the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is fully inserted and downstream engagement is facilitated, the mouthpiece 102 springs back simultaneously with the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b. In addition to the elastic engagement by the first downstream protrusion 130a and the second downstream protrusion 130b, the distal end of the mouthpiece 102 is also configured to bias against the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 (and align with the pod outlet 304 to form a relatively vapor-tight seal) when the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is properly seated within the through-hole 150 of the device body 100.

[0137] Furthermore, the downstream engagement may generate an audible click and / or tactile feedback to indicate that the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is properly seated within the through-hole 150 of the device body 100. When properly seated, the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 will be mechanically, electrically, and fluidly connected to the device body 100. In non-limiting embodiments of the present specification, the upstream engagement of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is described as occurring before the downstream engagement, but it should be understood that appropriate fitting, activation, and / or electrical arrangements may be reversed such that the downstream engagement occurs before the upstream engagement.

[0138] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the non-nicotine pod assembly of FIG. 19 without the connector module. Referring to FIG. 20, the upstream end of the second housing portion 308 defines a cavity 310. As described above, the cavity 310 is configured to receive the connector module 320 (e.g., via interference fit). In an exemplary embodiment, the cavity 310 is located between a first upstream recess 312a and a second upstream recess 312b and is also located between a first activation pin 314a and a second activation pin 314b. In the absence of the connector module 320, the insert 342 (FIG. 24) and the absorbent material 346 (FIG. 25) are visible through the recess opening of the cavity 310. The insert 342 is configured to hold the absorbent material 346. The absorbent material 346 is configured to absorb and hold the amount of non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation released from the non-nicotine reservoir when the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is actuated. The insert 342 and the absorbent material 346 are discussed in more detail herein.

[0139] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the connector module of FIG. 19. FIG. 22 is another perspective view of the connector module of FIG. 21. Referring to FIGS. 21-22, the general framework of the connector module 320 includes a module housing 354 and a faceplate 366. Further, the connector module 320 has a plurality of faces including an outer face and side faces, and the outer face is adjacent to the side faces. In an exemplary embodiment, the outer face of the connector module 320 is constituted by the faceplate 366, the first power contact 324a, the second power contact 324b, and the upstream face of the data contact 326. The side faces of the connector module 320 are part of the module housing 354. The side faces of the connector module 320 define a first module inlet 330 and a second module inlet 332. Further, two side faces adjacent to the side faces (which are also part of the module housing 354) may include a rib structure (e.g., a crush rib) configured to facilitate an interference fit when the connector module 320 is seated within the cavity 310 of the pod body. For example, each of the two side faces may include a pair of rib structures that taper in a direction away from the faceplate 366. As a result, when the connector module 320 is pushed into the cavity 310 of the pod body, the module housing 354 will encounter increased resistance through the friction of the rib structure against the side wall of the cavity 310. When the connector module 320 is seated within the cavity 310, the faceplate 366 may be substantially coplanar with the upstream end of the second housing portion 308. Also, the side faces of the connector module 320 (defining the first module inlet 330 and the second module inlet 332) will face the side walls of the cavity 310.

[0140] The faceplate 366 of the connector module 320 may have a grooved edge 328 that, in combination with the corresponding side of the cavity 310, defines the pod inlet 322. However, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the faceplate 366 of the connector module 320 may alternatively be configured to completely define the pod inlet 322. The side of the connector module 320 (defining the first module inlet 330 and the second module inlet 332) and the side of the cavity 310 (facing the side) define an intermediate space therebetween. The intermediate space is downstream of the pod inlet 322 and upstream of the first module inlet 330 and the second module inlet 332. Thus, in the exemplary embodiment, the pod inlet 322 is in fluid communication with both the first module inlet 330 and the second module inlet 332 via the intermediate space. The first module inlet 330 may be larger than the second module inlet 332. In such an example, when air flowing into the pod inlet 322 in the vape is received, the first module inlet 330 may receive the primary flow of the incoming air (e.g., the larger flow), while the second module inlet 332 may receive the secondary flow of the incoming air (e.g., the smaller flow).

[0141] As shown in FIG. 22, the connector module 320 includes a wick 338 configured to transfer a non-nicotine pre-vaporizer formulation to the heater 336. The heater 336 is configured to heat the non-nicotine pre-vaporizer formulation in the vapor to generate steam. The heater 336 may be mounted on the connector module 320 via the contact core 334. The heater 336 is electrically connected to at least one electrical contact of the connector module 320. For example, one end (e.g., the first end) of the heater 336 may be connected to the first power contact 324a, and the other end (e.g., the second end) of the heater 336 may be connected to the second power contact 324b. In an exemplary embodiment, the heater 336 includes a folded heating element. In such an example, the wick 338 may have a planar configuration configured to be held by the folded heating element. When the connector module 320 is seated within the cavity 310 of the pod body, the wick 338 is configured to be in fluid communication with the absorbent material 346 such that the non-nicotine pre-vaporizer formulation (when the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is activated) within the absorbent material 346 migrates to the wick 338 via capillary action.

[0142] FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view including the wick, heater, electrical leads, and contact core of FIG. 22. Referring to FIG. 23, the wick 338 may be a fibrous pad or other structure having pores / gaps designed for capillary action. Further, the wick 338 may have an irregular hexagonal shape, although the exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto. The wick 338 may be manufactured in a hexagonal shape or cut from a larger sheet-like material into this shape. The lower portion of the wick 338 tapers towards the winding portion of the heater 336, which can reduce or avoid the possibility that the non-nicotine pre-vaporizer formulation is in a portion that continuously avoids vaporization (due to the distance from the heater 336) of the wick 338.

[0143] In an exemplary embodiment, the heater 336 is configured to undergo Joule heating (which is also known as ohmic / resistive heating) when an electric current is applied thereto. More specifically, the heater 336 may be formed of one or more conductors and is configured to generate heat when an electric current passes therethrough. The electric current may be supplied from a power source (e.g., a battery) within the device body 100 and transmitted to the heater 336 via the first power contact 324a and the first electrical lead 340a (or via the second power contact 324b and the second electrical lead 340b).

[0144] Examples of conductors suitable for the heater 336 include iron-based alloys (e.g., stainless steel) and / or nickel-based alloys (e.g., nichrome). The heater 336 may be manufactured from a conductive sheet (e.g., a metal, an alloy) that is die-cut to cut out a winding pattern therefrom. The winding pattern may have curved segments alternately arranged with horizontal segments such that the horizontal segments extend parallel while moving in a zigzag pattern back and forth. Further, the width of each of the horizontal segments of the winding pattern may be substantially equal to the spacing between adjacent horizontal segments of the winding pattern, although the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. To obtain the form of the heater 336 shown in the drawings, the winding pattern may be folded to grip the wick 338.

[0145] The heater 336 may be fixed to the contact core 334 by the first electrical lead 340a and the second electrical lead 340b. The contact core 334 is formed of an insulating material and configured to electrically isolate the first electrical lead 340a from the second electrical lead 340b. In an exemplary embodiment, the first electrical lead 340a and the second electrical lead 340b each define a female opening configured to engage a corresponding male member of the contact core 334. Once engaged, the first end and the second end of the heater 336 may be fixed to the first electrical lead 340a and the second electrical lead 340b, respectively (e.g., by welding, soldering, brazing). Thereafter, the contact core 334 may be mounted (e.g., via an interference fit) within a corresponding socket of the module housing 354. When the assembly of the connector module 320 is complete, the first electrical lead 340a electrically connects the first end of the heater 336 to the first power contact 324a, while the second electrical lead 340b electrically connects the second end of the heater 336 to the second power contact 324b. The heater and related structures are described in more detail in U.S. Application No. 15 / 729,909, filed October 11, 2017, entitled "Folded Heater For Non-nicotine electronic vaping device" (Atty. Dkt. No. 24000-000371-US), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0146] FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view including a first housing portion of the non-nicotine pod assembly of FIG. 17. Referring to FIG. 24, the first housing portion 302 includes a vapor channel 316. The vapor channel 316 is configured to receive non-nicotine vapor generated by a heater 336 and is in fluid communication with a pod outlet 304. In an exemplary embodiment, the vapor channel 316 may gradually increase in size (e.g., diameter) as it extends toward the pod outlet 304. Further, the vapor channel 316 may be integrally formed with the first housing portion 302. A wrap 318, an insert 342, and a seal 344 are disposed at an upstream end of the first housing portion 302 and define a non-nicotine reservoir of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. For example, the wrap 318 may be disposed on a rim of the first housing portion 302. The insert 342 seats within the first housing portion 302 along the rim such that an interface between a circumferential surface of the insert 342 and an inner surface of the first housing portion 302 is liquid-tight (e.g., liquid-tight and / or air-tight). Further, the seal 344 is attached upstream of the insert 342 to provide a fluid-tight (e.g., liquid-tight and / or air-tight) containment of a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation within the non-nicotine reservoir and closes an outlet of the non-nicotine reservoir within the insert 342.

[0147] In an exemplary embodiment, the insert 342 includes a holder portion that protrudes from the upstream side (as shown in FIG. 24) and a connector portion that protrudes from the downstream side (not visible in FIG. 24). The holder portion of the insert 342 is configured to hold the absorbent material 346, and the connector portion of the insert 342 is configured to engage with the vapor channel 316 of the first housing portion 302. The connector portion of the insert 342 may be configured to seat within the vapor channel 316 and thus may be configured to engage with the interior of the vapor channel 316. Alternatively, the connector portion of the insert 342 may be configured to receive the vapor channel 316 and thus may be configured to engage with the exterior of the vapor channel 316. The insert 342 also defines a vapor conduit that extends through the holder portion and the connector portion. As a result, when the insert 342 seats within the first housing portion 302, the vapor conduit of the insert 342 aligns with and is in fluid communication with the vapor channel 316 to form a continuous path for non-nicotine vapor generated by the heater 336 in the vape through the non-nicotine reservoir to the pod outlet 304. The holder portion and the connector portion of the insert 342 may be between non-nicotine reservoir outlets (e.g., the first and second non-nicotine reservoir outlets), although the exemplary embodiment is not limited to this. Further, when the seal 344 is punctured (as shown in FIG. 24) during operation of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, the insert 342 defines a non-nicotine reservoir outlet through which the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation flows.

[0148] Seal 344 is attached upstream of insert 342 so as to cover the non-nicotine reservoir outlet within insert 342. In an exemplary embodiment, seal 344 defines an opening (e.g., a central opening) configured to provide adequate clearance for receiving a holder portion (projecting upstream of insert 342) when seal 344 is attached to insert 342. In FIG. 24, it should be understood that seal 344 is shown in a punctured state. In particular, when punctured by the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b of non-nicotine pod assembly 300, two punctured portions of seal 344 are pushed into the non-nicotine reservoir as flaps (as shown in FIG. 24), thus forming two puncture openings (e.g., one on each side of the central opening) in seal 344. The size and shape of the perforated opening in seal 344 may correspond to the size and shape of the outlet of the non-nicotine reservoir in insert 342. In contrast, when not punctured, seal 344 has a planar form and will have only one opening (e.g., a central opening). Seal 344 is designed to be strong enough to remain intact during normal movement and / or handling of non-nicotine pod assembly 300 to avoid premature / accidental breakage. For example, seal 344 may be a coated foil (e.g., Tritan lined with aluminum).

[0149] Figure 25 is a partially exploded perspective view including the second housing portion of the non-nicotine pod assembly of FIG. 17. Referring to FIG. 25, the second housing portion 308 is structured to include various elements configured to release, receive, and heat a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation. For example, the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b are configured to puncture a non-nicotine reservoir within the first housing portion 302 to release a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation. Each of the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b has a distal end that extends through a corresponding opening of the second housing portion 308. In an exemplary embodiment, the distal ends of the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b are visible after assembly (e.g., FIG. 17), but the remaining portions of the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b are hidden from view within the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. Further, each of the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b has a proximal end that is disposed adjacent to and upstream of the seal 344 prior to activation of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. When the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b are pushed into the second housing portion 308 to activate the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, the proximal end of each of the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b will travel through the insert 342, as a result, creating a hole in the seal 344 and releasing the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation from the non-nicotine reservoir. The movement of the first activation pin 314a may be independent of the movement of the second activation pin 314b (and vice versa). The first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b are described in more detail herein.

[0150] The absorbent material 346 is configured to engage with a holder portion of the insert 342 (projecting from the upstream side of the insert 342 as shown in FIG. 24). The absorbent material 346 may have an annular form, although exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. As depicted in FIG. 25, the absorbent material 346 may resemble a hollow cylinder. In such an example, the outer diameter of the absorbent material 346 may be substantially equal to (or slightly larger than) the length of the wick 338. The inner diameter of the absorbent material 346 may be smaller than the average outer diameter of the holder portion of the insert 342 to provide an interference fit. To facilitate engagement with the absorbent material 346, the tip of the holder portion of the insert 342 may be tapered. Further, although not visible in FIG. 25, the downstream side of the second housing portion 308 may define a recess configured to receive and support the absorbent material 346. An example of such a recess may be a circular chamber in fluid communication with the cavity 310 and downstream of the cavity 310. The absorbent material 346 is configured to receive and hold the amount of non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation released from the non-nicotine reservoir when the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is activated.

[0151] The wick 338 is disposed within the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 in fluid communication with the absorbent material 346 such that non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation can be drawn from the absorbent material 346 to the heater 336 by capillary action. The wick 338 may physically contact the upstream side of the absorbent material 346 (e.g., the bottom of the absorbent material 346 based on the view shown in FIG. 25). Further, the wick 338 may be aligned with the diameter of the absorbent material 346, although exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0152] As shown in FIG. 25 (similar to the previous FIG. 23), the heater 336 may have a folded configuration so as to grip the opposing surface of the wick 338 to establish thermal contact. The heater 336 is configured to heat the wick 338 in the vape to generate vapor. To facilitate such heating, the first end of the heater 336 may be electrically connected to the first power contact 324a via the first electrical lead 340a, while the second end of the heater 336 may be electrically connected to the second power contact 324b via the second electrical lead 340b. As a result, current may be supplied from a power source (e.g., a battery) within the device body 100 and transmitted to the heater 336 via the first power contact 324a and the first electrical lead 340a (or via the second power contact 324b and the second electrical lead 340b). Note that the first electrical lead 340a and the second electrical lead 340b (shown separately in FIG. 23) may be engaged with the contact core 334 (as shown in FIG. 25). For the relevant details of other aspects of the connector module 320 configured to seat within the cavity 310 of the second housing portion 308, reference has been made above (e.g., in connection with FIGS. 21-22), and for the sake of brevity, this section will not repeat them. In the vape, the non-nicotine vapor generated by the heater 336 passes through the vapor conduit of the insert 342, through the vapor channel 316 of the first housing portion 302, exits from the pod outlet 304 of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, and is drawn out to the vapor outlet(s) through the vapor passage 136 of the mouthpiece 102.

[0153] FIG. 26 is an exploded perspective view of the activation pin of FIG. 25. Referring to FIG. 26, the activation pin may be in the form of a first activation pin 314a and a second activation pin 314b. Although two activation pins are shown and discussed in relation to non-limiting embodiments of the present specification, it should be understood that alternatively, the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 may include only one activation pin. In FIG. 26, the first activation pin 314a may include a first blade 348a, a first actuator 350a, and a first O-ring 352a. Similarly, the second activation pin 314b may include a second blade 348b, a second actuator 350b, and a second O-ring 352b.

[0154] In an exemplary embodiment, the first blade 348a and the second blade 348b are each configured to be attached or attachable to an upper portion (e.g., proximal portion) of the first actuator 350a and the second actuator 350b, respectively. The attachment or attachment may be achieved via a snap-fit connection, an interference fit (e.g., friction fit) connection, an adhesive, or other suitable joining techniques. Each upper portion of the first blade 348a and the second blade 348b may have one or more curved or concave edges that taper upwardly towards a pointed tip. For example, each of the first blade 348a and the second blade 348b may have two pointed tips with a concave edge therebetween and a curved edge adjacent to each pointed tip. The radius of curvature of the concave edge and the curved edge may be the same, but the arc lengths of those arcs may be different. The first blade 348a and the second blade 348b may be formed of sheet metal (e.g., stainless steel) that is cut or otherwise shaped to have a desired profile and bent into its final form. In another example, the first blade 348a and the second blade 348b may be formed of plastic.

[0155] Based on the plan view, the size and shape of the first blade 348a, the second blade 348b, and the portions of the first actuator 350a and the second actuator 350b to which they are attached may correspond to the size and shape of the non-nicotine reservoir outlet within the insert 342. Further, as shown in FIG. 26, the first actuator 350a and the second actuator 350b may include a raised edge (e.g., curved inner lips facing each other) configured to push the two punctured portions of the seal 344 into the non-nicotine reservoir when the first blade 348a and the second blade 348b advance into the non-nicotine reservoir. In a non-limiting embodiment, when the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b are fully inserted into the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, the two flaps (from the two punctured portions of the seal 344, as shown in FIG. 24) may be located between the curved sidewalls of the outlet of the non-nicotine reservoir of the insert 342 and the corresponding curvature of the raised edges of the first actuator 350a and the second actuator 350b. As a result, the likelihood that the two punctured openings of the seal 344 are blocked (by the two flaps from the two punctured portions) can be reduced or prevented. Further, the first actuator 350a and the second actuator 350b may be configured to guide the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation from the non-nicotine reservoir towards the absorbent material 346.

[0156] The lower part (e.g., distal portion) of each of the first actuator 350a and the second actuator 350b is configured to extend through the bottom (e.g., upstream end) of the second housing portion 308. The rod-like portion of each of the first actuator 350a and the second actuator 350b may also be referred to as a shaft. The first O-ring 352a and the second O-ring 352b may seat in annular grooves provided in the respective shafts of the first actuator 350a and the second actuator 350b. The first O-ring 352a and the second O-ring 352b are configured to engage the inner surfaces of the shafts of the first actuator 350a and the second actuator 350b, as well as the corresponding openings of the second housing portion 308, to provide a fluid-tight seal. As a result, when the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b are pushed inward to activate the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, the first O-ring 352a and the second O-ring 352b can move with the respective shafts of the first actuator 350a and the second actuator 350b within the corresponding openings of the second housing portion 308 while maintaining their respective seals. Thereby, it helps to reduce or prevent leakage of the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation through the openings in the second housing portion 308 by the first activation pin 314a and the second activation pin 314b. The first O-ring 352a and the second O-ring 352b may be formed of silicone.

[0157] FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the connector module of FIG. 22 excluding the wick, heater, electrical leads, and contact core. FIG. 28 is an exploded perspective view of the connector module of FIG. 27. Referring to FIGS. 27-28, the module housing 354 and the faceplate 366 generally form the outer framework of the connector module 320. The module housing 354 defines a first module inlet 330 and a grooved edge 356. The grooved edge 356 of the module housing 354 exposes a second module inlet 332 (which is defined by the bypass structure 358). However, it should be understood that the grooved edge 356 can also be considered to define a module inlet (e.g., in combination with the faceplate 366). The faceplate 366 has a grooved edge 328 that defines the pod inlet 322 together with the corresponding side surface of the cavity 310 of the second housing portion 308. Further, the faceplate 366 defines a first contact opening, a second contact opening, and a third contact opening. The first contact opening and the second contact opening may be square-shaped and configured to expose a first power contact 324a and a second power contact 324b, respectively, and the third contact opening is rectangular-shaped and configured to expose a plurality of data contacts 326, but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0158] The first power contact 324a, the second power contact 324b, the printed circuit board (PCB) 362, and the bypass structure 358 are disposed within the outer frame formed by the module housing 354 and the faceplate 366. The printed circuit board (PCB) 362 includes a plurality of data contacts 326 on its upstream side (hidden in FIG. 28) and a sensor 364 on its downstream side. The bypass structure 358 defines a second module inlet 332 and a bypass outlet 360.

[0159] During assembly, the first power contact 324a and the second power contact 324b are positioned so as to be respectively visible through the first contact opening and the second contact opening of the faceplate 366. Further, the printed circuit board (PCB) 362 is positioned such that a plurality of its upstream data contacts 326 are visible through the third contact opening of the faceplate 366. The printed circuit board (PCB) 362 may overlap the rear surfaces of the first power contact 324a and the second power contact 324b. The bypass structure 358 is disposed on the printed circuit board (PCB) 362 such that the sensor 364 is within the air flow path defined by the second module inlet 332 and the bypass outlet 360. When assembled, the bypass structure 358 and the printed circuit board (PCB) 362 can be regarded as being surrounded on at least four sides by the meandering structure of the first power contact 324a and the second power contact 324b. In an exemplary embodiment, the branched ends of the first power contact 324a and the second power contact 324b are configured to be electrically connected to the first electrical lead 340a and the second electrical lead 340b.

[0160] When the incoming air is received by the pod inlet 322 during vape, the first module inlet 330 may receive the primary flow (e.g., the larger flow) of the incoming air, while the second module inlet 332 may receive the secondary flow (e.g., the smaller flow) of the incoming air. The secondary flow of the incoming air can improve the sensitivity of the sensor 364. After exiting the bypass structure 358 through the bypass outlet 360, the secondary flow recombines with the primary flow and is drawn into the contact core 334 to encounter the heater 336 and the wick 338, forming a combined flow therethrough. In a non-limiting embodiment, the primary flow may be 60 - 95% (e.g., 80 - 90%) of the incoming air, while the secondary flow may be 5 - 40% (e.g., 10 - 20%) of the incoming air.

[0161] The first module inlet 330 may be a resistance-to-draw (RTD) port, and the second module inlet 332 may be a bypass port. In such a configuration, the draw resistance of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 may be adjusted by changing the size of the first module inlet 330 (rather than changing the size of the pod inlet 322). In an exemplary embodiment, the size of the first module inlet 330 may be selected such that the draw resistance is between 25 and 100 mmH 2 O (for example, between 30 and 50 mmH 2 O). For example, if the diameter of the first module inlet 330 is 1.0 mm, a draw resistance of 88.3 mmH 2 O can be provided. In another example, a diameter of 1.1 mm for the first module inlet 330 may result in a draw resistance of 73.6 mmH 2 O. In another example, a diameter of 1.2 mm for the first module inlet 330 may result in a draw resistance of 58.7 mmH 2 O. In yet another example, a diameter of 1.3 mm for the first module inlet 330 may result in a draw resistance of 43.8 mmH 2 O. It should be noted that the size of the first module inlet 330 can be adjusted for its internal layout without affecting the external aesthetics of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300, thereby enabling a more standard product design for pod assemblies with various RTD (resistance-to-draw) while reducing the possibility of accidental blockage of the incoming air.

[0162] FIG. 29 is a diagram showing the electrical system of the device body and the non-nicotine pod assembly of a non-nicotine electronic vaping device according to one or more exemplary embodiments.

[0163] Referring to FIG. 29, the electrical system includes a device body electrical system 2100 and a non-nicotine pod assembly electrical system 2200. The device body electrical system 2100 may be included in the device body 100, and the non-nicotine pod assembly electrical system 2200 may be included in the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 described above with respect to FIGS. 1-28.

[0164] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 29, the non-nicotine pod assembly electrical system 2200 includes a heater 336, one or more pod sensors 2220, and a non-volatile memory (NVM) 2205. The NVM 2205 may be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) integrated circuit (IC). The one or more pod sensors 2220 may include temperature sensing transducers.

[0165] The non-nicotine pod assembly electrical system 2200 may further include a body electrical / data interface (not shown) for transferring power and / or data between the device body 100 and the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, for example, the electrical contacts 324a, 324b, and 326 shown in FIG. 17 may function as the body electrical / data interface.

[0166] The device body electrical system 2100 includes a controller 2105, a power supply 2110, a device sensor or measurement circuit 2125, a heating engine control circuit (also called a heating engine stop circuit) 2127, a vapor indicator 2135, an on-product control 2150 (e.g., buttons 118 and 120 shown in FIG. 1), a memory 2130, and a clock circuit 2128. The device body electrical system 2100 may further include a pod electrical / data interface (not shown) for transferring power and / or data between the device body 100 and the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, for example, the device electrical connector 132 shown in FIG. 12 may function as the pod electrical / data interface.

[0167] The power supply 2110 may be an internal power supply for supplying power to the device body 100 of the nicotine-free electronic vaping device 500 and the nicotine-free pod assembly 300. The supply of power from the power supply 2110 may be controlled by the controller 2105 via a power control circuit (not shown). The power control circuit may include one or more switches or transistors for adjusting the power output from the power supply 2110. The power supply 2110 may be a lithium-ion battery or a variant thereof (e.g., a lithium-ion polymer battery).

[0168] The controller 2105 may be configured to control the overall operation of the nicotine-free electronic vaping device 500. According to at least some exemplary embodiments, the controller 2105 may include a processing circuit such as hardware including a logic circuit; a combination of hardware / software such as a processor that executes software; or a combination thereof. For example, the processing circuit may more specifically be a central processing unit (CPU), an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a system on chip (SoC), a programmable logic unit, a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0169] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 29, the controller 2105 is illustrated as a microcontroller including input / output (I / O) interfaces such as general purpose input / output (GPIO), an integrated circuit (I 2 C) interface, a serial peripheral interface bus (SPI) interface, a multi-channel analog / digital converter (ADC), and a clock input terminal. However, the exemplary embodiments should not be limited to this example. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the controller 2105 may be a microprocessor.

[0170] The controller 2105 is communicatively coupled to the device sensor 2125, the heating engine control circuit 2127, the vapor indicator 2135, the memory 2130, the on-product control 2150, the clock circuit 2128, and the power supply 2110.

[0171] The heating engine control circuit 2127 is connected to the controller 2105 via a GPIO pin. The memory 2130 is connected to the controller 2105 via an SPI pin. The clock circuit 2128 is connected to the clock input terminal of the controller 2105. The vapor indicator 2135 is connected to the controller 2105 via I 2 C interface pins and GPIO pins. The device sensor 2125 is connected to the controller 2105 via respective pins of a multi-channel ADC.

[0172] The clock circuit 2128 may be a timing mechanism such as an oscillation circuit to enable the controller 2105 to track the idle time, the vape length, the combination of the idle time and the vape length, etc. of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500. The clock circuit 2128 may also include a dedicated external clock crystal configured to generate the system clock of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500.

[0173] The memory 2130 may be a non-volatile memory configured to store one or more shutdown logs. In one example, the memory 2130 may store one or more shutdown logs in one or more tables. The memory 2130 and the one or more shutdown logs stored therein will be described in more detail later. In one example, the memory 2130 may be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) such as flash memory.

[0174] Still referring to FIG. 29, the device sensor 2125 may include a plurality of sensors or measurement circuits configured to provide a signal indicating sensor or measurement information to the controller 2105. In the example shown in FIG. 29, the device sensor 2125 includes a heater current measurement circuit 21258, a heater voltage measurement circuit 21252, and a pod temperature measurement circuit 21250.

[0175] The heater current measurement circuit 21258 may be configured to output a signal (e.g., voltage) indicative of the current passing through the heater 336. An exemplary embodiment of the heater current measurement circuit 21258 will be described in more detail with respect to FIG. 35.

[0176] The heater voltage measurement circuit 21252 may be configured to output a signal (e.g., voltage) indicative of the voltage across the heater 336. An exemplary embodiment of the heater voltage measurement circuit 21252 will be described in more detail with respect to FIG. 34.

[0177] The pod temperature measurement circuit 21250 may be configured to output a signal (e.g., voltage) indicative of the resistance and / or temperature of one or more elements of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. An exemplary embodiment of the pod temperature measurement circuit 21250 will be described in more detail with respect to FIGS. 36 and 37.

[0178] As described above, the pod temperature measurement circuit 21250, the heater current measurement circuit 21258, and the heater voltage measurement circuit 21252 are connected to the controller 2105 via the pins of a multi-channel ADC. To measure the characteristics and / or parameters of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 (e.g., the voltage, current, resistance, temperature, etc. of the heater 336), the multi-channel ADC of the controller 2105 may sample the output signals from the device sensor 2125 at a sampling rate suitable for the predetermined characteristics and / or parameters measured by each device sensor.

[0179] Although not shown in FIG. 29, the pod sensor 2220 may also include the sensor 364 shown in FIG. 28. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the sensor 364 may be a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) flow or pressure sensor, or another type of sensor configured to measure air flow, such as a hot wire anemometer.

[0180] The heating engine control circuit 2127 is connected to the controller 2105 via a GPIO pin. The heating engine control circuit 2127 is configured to control (activate and / or deactivate) the heating engine of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 by controlling the power to the heater 336. As will be described in more detail later, the heating engine control circuit 2127 can deactivate the heating engine based on a control signal (which may also be referred to herein as a device power state signal) from the controller 2105.

[0181] When the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is inserted into the device body 100, the controller 2105 is also communicatively coupled to at least the NVM 2205 and the pod sensor 2220 via an I 2 C interface. In one example, the controller 2105 may obtain the operating parameters of the non-nicotine pod assembly electrical system 2200 from the NVM 2205.

[0182] The controller 2105 may control the vapor indicator 2135 to indicate the status and / or operation of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 to an adult vapor. The vapor indicator 2135 may be at least partially implemented via a light guide (e.g., the light guide arrangement shown in FIG. 1) and may include a power indicator (e.g., an LED) that may operate when the controller 2105 senses a button pressed by an adult vapor. The vapor indicator 2135 may also include a vibrator, a speaker, or other feedback mechanisms and may indicate the current state of the vaping parameters (e.g., the amount of non-nicotine vapor) controlled by the adult vapor.

[0183] Still referring to FIG. 29, the controller 2105 may control the power to the heater 336 to heat the non-nicotine pre-vaporizer formulation according to a heating profile (e.g., heating based on volume, temperature, flavor, etc.). The heating profile may be determined based on empirical data and may be stored in the NVM 2205 of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300.

[0184] FIG. 30 is a simplified block diagram showing a dry puff and automatic shutdown control system 2300 according to an exemplary embodiment. For simplicity, the dry puff and automatic shutdown control system 2300 may be referred to herein as the automatic shutdown control system 2300.

[0185] The automatic shutdown control system 2300 shown in FIG. 30 may be implemented in the controller 2105. In one example, the automatic shutdown control system 2300 may be implemented as part of a device manager finite state machine (FSM) software implementation executed by the controller 2105. In the example shown in FIG. 30, the automatic shutdown control system 2300 includes a dryness detection module 2610. However, it should be understood that the automatic shutdown control system 2300 may include various other subsystem modules.

[0186] Referring to FIG. 30, the automatic shutdown control system 2300, and more generally the controller 2105, may identify dry puff conditions in the non - nicotine electronic vaping device 500 and cause the controller 2105 to control one or more subsystems of the non - nicotine electronic vaping device 500 to perform one or more resultant actions in response to the identification of the dry puff conditions. Dry puff conditions may sometimes be referred to as dry puff faults or dry puff fault conditions. The identification of dry puff conditions may be based on information and / or inputs such as threshold parameters of the non - nicotine pod assembly 300, pod sensor information from one or more pod sensors 2220, sensor information from one or more sensors 2125 of the device body electrical system 2100, and any combination thereof. The dry puff state is an example of a hard pod fault event in the non - nicotine electronic vaping device 500. A hard pod fault event is an event that may require corrective action (e.g., replacement of the non - nicotine pod assembly) to re - enable the vape function in the non - nicotine electronic vaping device 500.

[0187] As will be described in more detail later, the controller 2105 can control one or more subsystems by outputting (or asserting or de - asserting each signal) one or more control signals. In some cases, the control signals output from the controller 2105 may be referred to as device power state signals, device power state commands, or device power control signals. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the controller 2105 may output one or more control signals to the heating engine control circuit 2127 to shut down the vaping function in the non - nicotine electronic vaping device 500 in response to detecting a dry puff state in the non - nicotine electronic vaping device 500.

[0188] According to one or more exemplary embodiments, the resulting action types in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 can be based on the dry puff condition and / or the current operation of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500. The plurality of resulting actions may be continuously executed in response to a fault event such as a dry puff condition. In one example, the resulting actions can include the following. (i) An auto-off operation in which the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 switches to a low power state (e.g., equivalent to turning off the non-nicotine electronic vaping device using the power button). (ii) A heater off operation in which power to the heater 336 is cut off or disabled, ending the current puff but otherwise leaving the vape ready; or (iii) A vape off operation in which the vape subsystem is disabled (e.g., by disabling all power to the heater 336), thereby preventing vape until a corrective action (e.g., replacing the non-nicotine pod assembly) is taken.

[0189] As described above, the automatic shutdown control system 2300 includes a dryness detection subsystem 2610 (also referred to as a dryness detection subsystem module, circuit, or circuitry). Through the dryness detection subsystem 2610, the controller 2105 monitors the wetness (or dryness) of the wick 338 to detect the presence of a dry puff condition in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500. As described above, when a dry puff condition is detected, the controller 2105 can shut down or disable one or more subsystems or elements of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500.

[0190] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the controller 2105 monitors the wettability of the wick 338 based on the rate of change of the resistance of the heater 336 over time during a vape. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the controller 2105 may receive one or more signals indicative of the resistance value of the heater 336 from the pod temperature measurement circuit 21250.

[0191] In another exemplary embodiment, the controller 2105 may calculate the resistance of the heater 336 based on signals from the heater current measurement circuit 21258 and / or the heater voltage measurement circuit 21252.

[0192] According to one or more exemplary embodiments, if the rate of change of the resistance value of the heater 336 over a time window exceeds a rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value, the controller 2105 determines that a dry puff state exists in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 (e.g., the wick 338 is dry). The controller 2105 may obtain the rate-of-change value of the resistance threshold from the NVM 2205 within the non-nicotine pod assembly electrical system 2200. The rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value may be set by the manufacturer of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 based on empirical data, non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation, the structure of the heater 336, combinations thereof, combinations of those, etc. According to at least some exemplary embodiments, the rate-of-change threshold value of the resistance value may be between about 0.1% and 25.5% (in about 0.1% increments). In one example, the rate of change of the resistance value may be about 2.0% for a heater constructed from 316L grade stainless steel.

[0193] In one example, there may be a dry puff state because the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation is not supplied to the wick 338 at a flow rate sufficient to maintain the standard temperature profile of the heater 336. Thus, the rate of change of the resistance can indicate the flow rate of the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation to the wick 338, and the dry puff detection subsystem 2610 can be characterized as being configured to determine whether a dry puff state exists based on the flow rate of the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation to the wick 338. Further, the dry puff state may be due to depletion of the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation within the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. Thus, detection of the dry puff state may also indicate a depleted and / or empty non-nicotine pod assembly.

[0194] The controller 2105 may utilize a sliding measurement window of N samples of the resistance of the heater 336 such that the determination is made over the most recent time slice during which vaping is occurring. This enables the controller 2105 to handle the relatively long application of negative pressure by an adult vaper while also providing for a more rapid detection of the dry puff state in which the resistance of the heater 336 begins to change relatively rapidly while negative pressure is being applied.

[0195] In response to detecting the dry puff state, the controller 2105 may control the heating engine control circuit 2127 to cut off power to the heater 336 (heater off) and / or disable the vape in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 (vape off).

[0196] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, a first-in first-out (FIFO) memory that stores approximately 100 samples (N = 100) may be used to set a sliding measurement window of approximately 100 milliseconds (ms) in which the resistance of the heater 336 is periodically updated (e.g., recalculated) at 1 ms “ticks”. The FIFO memory may be built into the controller 2105 or may be included in the memory 2130 shown in FIG. 29.

[0197] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, the sliding window may not start until the resistance measurement of the heater 336 is relatively stable, otherwise spurious values inserted into the FIFO may cause false positives later in the process. The resistance measurement is considered to be relatively stable when the expected measurement error reaches an operating state where it is less than the rate of change threshold of the resistance. In one example, when the current flowing through the heater 336 exceeds a “wet” current threshold (e.g., approximately 100 milliamperes (mA)), the resistance value of the heater 336 may become relatively stable. The controller 2105 may determine that the “wet” current threshold has been achieved by monitoring the current through the heater 336 based on a signal from the heater current measurement circuit 21258.

[0198] FIG. 31 is a flowchart showing a drying detection method according to an exemplary embodiment. For purposes of illustration, the flowchart shown in FIG. 31 is described with respect to the electrical system shown in FIG. 29. However, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments should not be limited to this example. Rather, the exemplary embodiments are applicable to other non-nicotine electronic vaping devices and their electrical systems. Further, the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 31 is described with respect to operations executed by the controller 2105. However, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments can be similarly described with respect to the automatic shutdown control system 2300 and / or the drying detection subsystem 2610 executing one or more of the functions / operations shown in FIG. 31.

[0199] Referring to FIG. 31, when the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is inserted into the device body 100 and the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 is powered on, at step S2702, the controller 2105 acquires the resistance threshold value (also referred to as the resistance change rate parameter) Δ%R_THRESHOLD stored in the NVM 2205 in the non-nicotine pod assembly electrical system 2200.

[0200] At step S2704, the controller 2105 determines whether vaping conditions exist in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the controller 2105 can determine whether vaping conditions exist in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 based on the output from the sensor 364. In one example, when the output from the sensor 364 indicates the application of a negative pressure exceeding a threshold value at the mouthpiece 102 of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500, the controller 2105 may determine that vaping conditions exist in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500.

[0201] When the controller 2105 detects the vape state in step S2704, in step S2705, the controller 2105 controls the heating engine control circuit 2127 to apply power to the heater 336 for the vape. For the control example of the heating engine control circuit 2127 for applying power to the heater 336, it will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 38 and 39.

[0202] In step S2706, the controller 2105 determines whether the resistance value of the heater 336 has stabilized. As described above, when the current passing through the heater 336 reaches the "wet" current threshold value (for example, about 100 milliamperes (mA)), the controller 2105 may determine that the resistance of the heater 336 has stabilized. The controller 2105 may also determine that the current passing through the heater 336 has reached the "wet" current threshold value based on the output signal from the heater current measurement circuit 21258.

[0203] If it is determined in step S2706 that the resistance value of the heater 336 has stabilized, the controller 2105 starts storing the measured resistance value of the heater 336 in the FIFO memory at 1 ms intervals (1 ms "tick").

[0204] In step S2710, the controller 2105 determines whether the FIFO memory is full (for example, whether a threshold number of samples have been collected). In one example, the FIFO memory may be full when about 100 samples of the resistance of the heater 336 are stored (for example, about 100 ms after it is determined in step S2706 that the resistance of the heater 336 has stabilized).

[0205] If the controller 2105 determines that the FIFO memory is full, in step S2712, it calculates the rate of change Δ%R of the resistance value between the first resistance value R t_0 (at t 0 ) and the last (latest) resistance value R t_N-1 (at t N-1 ) stored in the FIFO memory.

[0206] In step S2714, the controller 2105 compares the calculated change rate of the resistance Δ%R with the change rate threshold of the resistance Δ%R_THRESHOLD obtained from the NVM 2205 in step S2702.

[0207] If the calculated change rate of the resistance Δ%R is greater than the change rate threshold of the resistance Δ%R_THRESHOLD, in step S2716, the controller 2105 controls the heating engine control circuit 2127 to shut down the heater 336 (for example, cut off the power supply). In one example, the controller 2105 may control the heating engine control circuit 2127 to perform a vape-off operation. As described above, the vape-off operation can disable all energy to the heater 336, thereby preventing vapor until corrective measures are taken (for example, by an adult vaper). As will be described in more detail later, the controller 2105 controls the heating engine control circuit 2127 to disable all energy to the heater 336 by outputting a vape shutdown signal COIL_SHDN having a logic high level (Figure 38) and / or by deasserting (or stopping the output of) the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM (Figure 39). In at least one embodiment, at least the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM may be a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal. Exemplary corrective operations will also be described in more detail later.

[0208] Return to step S2714. If the calculated change rate of the resistance Δ%R is less than or equal to the change rate threshold of the resistance Δ%R_THRESHOLD, return to S2708 and continue the process as described above.

[0209] Return to step S2710. If the controller 2105 determines that the FIFO memory is not yet full, the process returns to step S2708 and continues as described above.

[0210] Return to step S2706. If the controller 2105 determines that the resistance value of the heater 336 has not yet stabilized, the controller 2105 continues to monitor the resistance value of the heater 336. When the resistance value of the heater 336 stabilizes, the process proceeds to step S2708 and continues as described above.

[0211] Return to step S2704. If the controller 2105 determines that the vape condition does not yet exist, the controller 2105 continues to monitor the output of the sensor 364 for the vape condition. When the vape condition is detected, the process continues as described above.

[0212] Figure 32 is a diagram showing graphs of resistance versus time for the case where a dry puff state exists at the start of a puff ("Dry Puff"), the case where a dry puff state occurs during a puff ("Drying Puff"), and the case where no dry puff state exists ("standard puff").

[0213] As shown in Figure 32, when a dry puff condition exists at the start of a puff, the resistance increases more rapidly with time. In this example, since the rate of change Δ%R of the resistance value of the heater 336 at the end of the first time interval is greater than the rate of change threshold Δ%R_THRESHOLD of the resistance value, the controller 2105 may shut down the vape function of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 at the end of the first sampling interval (e.g., about 100 ms).

[0214] When a dry puff state begins to exist during a puff, the heater resistance begins to increase more rapidly (the slope of the graph becomes steeper). In this case, the controller 2105 determines the time t when the rate of change Δ%R of the resistance value of the heater 336 between the oldest heater resistance and the newest heater resistance in the FIFO exceeds the rate of change threshold Δ%R_THRESHOLD of the resistance value SHUTOFF and shuts down the vape function at that time.

[0215] If there is no dry puff condition (i.e., there is a standard puff condition), in response to the cessation of the application of negative pressure or after the expiration of a threshold time interval, the puff ends and the power to the heater 336 is cut off. In this case, instead of a vape-off operation, a heater-off operation may be performed.

[0216] As described above, the dry puff state is an example of a hard pod failure event in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500.

[0217] FIG. 33 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation method of a non-nicotine electronic vaping device after the shutdown of the vape function (vape-off operation) in response to detecting a hard pod failure event such as a dry puff condition according to an exemplary embodiment. For illustrative purposes, the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 33 is described with respect to the dry puff condition. However, the exemplary embodiment should not be limited to this example.

[0218] Also, for illustrative purposes, the flowchart shown in FIG. 33 is described with respect to the electrical system shown in FIG. 29. However, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiment should not be limited to this example. Rather, the exemplary embodiment is applicable to other non-nicotine electronic vaping devices and their electrical systems. Further, the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 33 is described with respect to operations performed by the controller 2105. However, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiment may be similarly described with respect to the automatic shutdown control system 2300 and / or the dry detection subsystem 2610 performing one or more of the functions / operations shown in FIG. 33.

[0219] Referring to FIG. 33, at step S3804, the controller 2105 logs the occurrence of the dry puff condition in the memory 2130. In one example, the controller 2105 may store an identifier of the event (dry puff condition or dry puff event) in association with the resulting operation (e.g., vape-off operation) and the time at which the event and the resulting operation occurred.

[0220] In step S3806, the controller 2105 controls the vapor indicator 2135 to output a display indicating that the dry puff state has been detected. In one example, the display may be in the form of sound, visual display, and / or tactile feedback for an adult vapor. For example, the display may be a blinking red LED, a software message including an error code transmitted (e.g., via Bluetooth) to a connected “App” on a remote electronic device, which can then trigger a notification within the App that provides information on corrective measures for the adult vapor, and may be any combination thereof, or the like.

[0221] In step S3808, after indicating the dry puff state to the adult vapor (e.g., in response thereto), the controller 2105 determines whether the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 has been removed from the device body 100 within a removal threshold time interval (before expiration) (corrective measure). In at least one exemplary embodiment, the controller 2105 may determine that the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 has been digitally removed from the device body 100 by verifying that a set of five contacts 326 of the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed. In another example, the controller 2105 may determine that the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed from the device body 100 by sensing that the electrical contacts 324a, 324b, and / or 326 of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 have been removed from the device electrical connector 132 of the device body 100. In at least one example, the controller 2105 may sense that the electrical contacts 324a, 324b, and / or 326 of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 have been disconnected from the device electrical connector 132 of the device body 100 by detecting an infinite resistance between the electrical contacts 324a, 324b, and / or 326 of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 and the device electrical connector 132 of the device body 100.

[0222] After the controller 2105 indicates a dry puff state to the adult vaper (e.g., in response thereto), if the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 is determined to be removed from the device body 100 within the removal threshold time interval, at step S3814, the controller 2105 controls the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 to return to normal operation (non-fault state). In this case, since the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 has been removed, the energy to the heater 336 remains inactive, but the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 is ready to vape in response to the application of negative pressure by the adult vaper when a new non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted.

[0223] At step S3812, after the controller 2105 removes the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 and returns the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 to normal operation at step S3814, it determines whether a new non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the device body 100 within the insertion threshold time interval (before expiration). In at least one example, the insertion threshold time interval may have a length between about 5 minutes and about 120 minutes. The insertion threshold time interval may be set to a length within this range by the adult vaper. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the controller 2105 may determine that a new non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the device body 100 by sensing the resistance of the heater 336 (e.g., between about 0.5 ohm and about 5.0 ohms) between the electrical contacts 324a and 324b of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 and the device electrical connector 132 of the device body 100. In a further exemplary embodiment, the controller 2105 may determine that a new non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the device body 100 by sensing the presence of a pull-up resistor included in the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 between the electrical contact 326 of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 and the device electrical connector 132 of the device body 100.

[0224] When the controller 2105 determines that a new non - nicotine pod assembly has been inserted into the device main body 100 within the insertion threshold time interval, at step S3810, the controller 2105 controls the heating engine control circuit 2127 to re - enable the vape module (for example, enable power application to the heater 336). As will be described in more detail later, the controller 2105 may control the heating engine control circuit 2127 to re - enable the vape module by outputting a vape shutdown signal COIL_SHDN having a logic low level (Figure 38) and / or asserting a vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM (Figure 39).

[0225] Returning to step S3812, when the controller 2105 determines that a new non - nicotine pod assembly has not been inserted into the device main body 100 within the insertion threshold time interval, at step S3816, the controller 2105 outputs one or more other control signals to perform an auto - off operation for the non - nicotine electronic vaping device 500 to turn off or enter a low - power mode. According to at least some exemplary embodiments, in the context of normal software auto - off, the controller 2105 may turn off all or substantially all of the peripheral devices of the non - nicotine electronic vaping device 500 and output a number or a plurality of GPIO control lines (signals) so that the controller 2105 enters a sleep state.

[0226] Returning to step S3808 here, if the non - nicotine pod assembly 300 is not removed within the removal threshold time interval, the process proceeds to step S3816 and continues as described above.

[0227] Figure 34 is a diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the heater voltage measurement circuit 21252.

[0228] Referring to FIG. 34, the heater voltage measurement circuit 21252 includes a resistor 3702 and a resistor 3704 connected in a voltage division configuration between a terminal configured to receive an input voltage signal COIL_OUT and ground. The input voltage signal COIL_OUT is the voltage (at the input terminal) applied to the heater 336. The node N3716 between the resistor 3702 and the resistor 3704 is coupled to the positive input of an operational amplifier (Op-Amp) 3708. A capacitor 3706 is connected between the node N3716 and ground, forming a low-pass filter circuit (R / C filter) for stabilizing the input voltage to the positive input of the operational amplifier 3708. This filter circuit reduces inaccuracies due to switching noise induced by the PWM signal used to energize the heater 336 and can also have the same phase response / group delay for both current and voltage.

[0229] The heater voltage measurement circuit 21252 further includes resistors 3710, 3712 and a capacitor 3714. The resistor 3712 is connected between the node N3718 and a terminal configured to receive an output voltage signal COIL_RTN. The output voltage signal COIL_RTN is the voltage (at the output terminal) output from the heater 336.

[0230] The resistor 3710 and the capacitor 3714 are connected in parallel between the node N3718 and the output of the operational amplifier 3708. Also, the negative input of the operational amplifier 3708 is connected to the node N3718. The resistors 3710, 3712 and the capacitor 3714 are connected in a low-pass filter circuit configuration.

[0231] The heater voltage measurement circuit 21252 uses the operational amplifier 3708 to measure the voltage difference between the input voltage signal COIL_OUT and the output voltage signal COIL_RTN, and outputs a scaled heater voltage measurement signal COIL_VOL representing the voltage across the heater 336. The heater voltage measurement circuit 21252 outputs the scaled heater voltage measurement signal COIL_VOL to the ADC pin of the controller 2105 for digital sampling and measurement by the controller 2105.

[0232] The gain of the operational amplifier 3708 may be set based on surrounding passive electrical components (e.g., resistors and capacitors) to improve the dynamic range of the voltage measurement. In one example, the dynamic range of the operational amplifier 3708 may be achieved by scaling the voltage such that the maximum voltage output matches the maximum input range of the ADC (e.g., about 1.8V). In at least one exemplary embodiment, the scaling may be about 267 mV per 1V, and thus, the heater voltage measurement circuit 21252 may measure up to about 1.8V / 0.267V = 6.74V.

[0233] FIG. 35 is a diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the heater current measurement circuit 21258 shown in FIG. 29.

[0234] Referring to FIG. 35, the output voltage signal COIL_RTN is input to a four-terminal (4T) measurement resistor 3802 connected to ground. The differential voltage across the four-terminal measurement resistor 3802 is scaled by an operational amplifier 3806 and outputs a heater current measurement signal COIL_CUR indicating the current through the heater 336. The heater current measurement signal COIL_CUR is output to the ADC pin of the controller 2105 for digital sampling and measurement of the current through the heater 336 by the controller 2105.

[0235] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 35, the four-terminal measurement resistor 3802 may be used to reduce errors in current measurement using the "Kelvin current measurement" technique. In this example, by separating the current measurement path from the voltage measurement path, the noise in the voltage measurement path can be reduced.

[0236] The gain of the operational amplifier 3806 may be set to improve the dynamic range of the measurement. In this example, the scaling of the operational amplifier 3806 may be about 0.577 V / A, and thus, the heater current measurement circuit 21258 can measure up to approximately as follows at most. JPEG2025084836000002.jpg1035.

[0237] Referring to FIG. 35 in more detail, the first terminal of the four-terminal measuring resistor 3802 is connected to the terminal of the heater 336 to receive the output voltage signal COIL_RTN. The second terminal of the four-terminal measuring resistor 3802 is connected to ground. The third terminal of the four-terminal measuring resistor 3802 is connected to a low-pass filter circuit (R / C filter) including a resistor 3804, a capacitor 3808, and a resistor 3810. The output of the low-pass filter circuit is connected to the positive input of the operational amplifier 3806. The low-pass filter circuit reduces the inaccuracy due to switching noise induced by the PWM signal applied to energize the heater 336, and can have the same phase response / group delay for both current and voltage.

[0238] The heater current measurement circuit 21258 further includes resistors 3812 and 3814 and a capacitor 3816. The resistors 3812, 3814 and the capacitor 3816 are connected in a low-pass filter circuit configuration to the fourth terminal of the four-terminal measuring resistor 3802, the negative input of the operational amplifier 3806, and the output of the operational amplifier 3806, and the output of the low-pass filter circuit is connected to the negative input of the operational amplifier 3806.

[0239] The operational amplifier 3806 outputs a differential voltage as the heater current measurement signal COIL_CUR to the ADC pin of the controller 2105 and is used for sampling and measuring the current flowing through the heater 336 by the controller 2105.

[0240] According to at least this exemplary embodiment, the configuration of the heater current measurement circuit 21258 is similar to the configuration of the heater voltage measurement circuit 21252, except that a low-pass filter circuit including resistors 3804 and 3810 and a capacitor 3808 is connected to the terminals of the four-terminal measuring resistor 3802, and a low-pass filter circuit including resistors 3812 and 3814 and a capacitor 3816 is connected to the other terminals of the four-terminal measuring resistor 3802.

[0241] The controller 2105 may average a plurality of samples (e.g., of voltage) over a time window corresponding to the "tick" time used in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 (e.g., about 1 ms), and convert the average into a mathematical representation of the voltage and current across the heater 336 through the application of a scaling value. The scaling value may be determined based on the gain settings implemented in each of the operational amplifiers, which may be specific to the hardware of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500.

[0242] The controller 2105 may filter the measured values of the voltage and current that have been converted, for example, using a 3-tap moving average filter, to attenuate measurement noise. The controller 2105 may then use the filtered measured values to calculate the following. · The resistance R of the heater 336 HEATER JPEG2025084836000003.jpg1036 · The power P applied to the heater 336 HEATER JPEG2025084836000004.jpg651 · The supply current JPEG2025084836000005.jpg1027 where JPEG2025084836000006.jpg1053. Efficiency is the ratio of the power P supplied to the heater 336 in over all operating conditions. In one example, Efficiency may be at least 85%.

[0243] According to one or more exemplary embodiments, the gain settings of the passive elements of the circuits shown in FIGS. 34 and / or 35 may be adjusted to match the output signal range to the input range of the controller 2105.

[0244] Figures 36 and 37 are diagrams showing a pod temperature measurement circuit according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0245] Referring to FIG. 36, the pod temperature measurement circuit 21250A includes a driver stage 3902A and a measurement stage 3904A. The driver stage 3902A is configured to generate a pod temperature measurement power signal HW_POWER to supply power to the pod sensor 2220 in response to a pod temperature measurement control signal HW_ENB. The pod temperature measurement power signal HW_POWER may be a PWM signal. The measurement stage 3904A is configured to generate a pod temperature measurement output signal HW_SIGNAL based on a DAC comparison signal HW_DAC from a DAC (not shown) in the controller 2105 and a pod sensor signal SP_HW from the pod sensor 2220. The pod temperature measurement output signal HW_SIGNAL may be a differential voltage signal indicating the temperature of one or more elements of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300. The inputs to and outputs from an exemplary embodiment of the pod sensor 2220 will be described in more detail later.

[0246] Describing FIG. 36 in more detail, the driver stage 3902A receives a pod temperature measurement control signal HW_ENB from the controller 2105. In this example, the pod temperature measurement control signal HW_ENB may be a PWM signal having a duty cycle adjusted by the controller 2105 to vary the power based on the pod sensor signal SP_HW from the pod sensor 2220. When the pod temperature measurement control signal HW_ENB is asserted (active), the driver stage 3902A may be enabled to output the pod temperature measurement power signal HW_POWER, or otherwise the output of the driver stage 3902A may be disabled.

[0247] The pod temperature measurement control signal HW_ENB is input to the enable terminal EN of the low dropout voltage regulator (LDO) U10, and converts the pod temperature measurement control signal HW_ENB, which is a low-current drive strength processor signal, into the pod temperature measurement power signal HW_POWER, which is a high-current drive strength PWM signal.

[0248] A resistor R80 is connected as a pull-down resistor between the enable terminal EN of the LDO U10 and the ground so that the output of the driver stage 3902A becomes invalid when the pod temperature measurement control signal HW_ENB is in an indeterminate state.

[0249] The driver stage 3902A further includes capacitors C43 and C44. Capacitor C44 is connected between the input terminal IN of the LDO U10 and the voltage source, provides a non-nicotine reservoir and a filter, and can improve the speed at which the pod temperature measurement power signal HW_POWER reaches its on-voltage. Capacitor C43 is connected between the output terminal and the ground, and provides filtering and a non-nicotine reservoir for the pod temperature measurement power signal HW_POWER.

[0250] Resistors R60 and R61 form a feedback network 39028 in the form of a voltage divider circuit. The feedback network 39028 outputs a feedback voltage to the adjustment or feedback terminal ADJ of the LDO U10. The LDO U10 sets the precise voltage output of the pod temperature measurement power signal HW_POWER based on the feedback voltage input to the feedback terminal ADJ. According to at least some exemplary embodiments, the relationship between the precise voltage output of the pod temperature measurement power signal HW_POWER and the feedback voltage V ADJ The relationship with the output is given by the following equation. JPEG2025084836000007.jpg1048 In this example, the resistance values of resistors R60 and R61 are known, and the voltage V ADJ Is also known based on the type of LDO U10.

[0251] In the measurement stage 3904A, the pod sensor signal SP_HW from the pod sensor 2220 is input to the negative input of the operational amplifier U11A via the resistor R66, and the voltage of the pod sensor signal SP_HW is gain-scaled for measurement by the ADC in the controller 2105. The operational amplifier U11A is an inverting amplifier whose gain is set according to the resistance value of the resistor R66 and the resistance value of the resistor R67 connected between the negative input and the output of the operational amplifier U11A. The capacitor C47 is connected in parallel with the resistor R67 and forms a low-pass filter circuit for removing high-frequency noise from the pod sensor signal SP_HW.

[0252] The DAC comparison signal HW_DAC from the DAC in the controller 2105 is input to the positive input of the operational amplifier U11A via the voltage divider circuit 39042 including the resistors R63 and R64. The DAC comparison signal HW_DAC sets the reference voltage level of the operational amplifier U11A, selects the differential voltage applied to the operational amplifier U11A substantially, and suppresses or prevents the saturation of the operational amplifier U11A. That is, the DAC comparison signal HW_DAC sets the operating point of the operational amplifier U11A for suppressing the saturation of the pod temperature measurement output signal HW_SIGNAL output by the operational amplifier U11A. The voltage divider 39042 reduces the voltage of each step of the DAC to perform more detailed range setting control. The ratio of the resistors R63 and R64 can approximate the balance resistor and the pod sensor 2220 (for example, at its maximum temperature). The capacitor C46 is connected in parallel with the resistor R64 and forms a low-pass filter circuit for filtering the noise from the DAC comparison signal HW_DAC. The resistor R69 is connected between the output of the voltage divider 39042 and the positive input of the operational amplifier U11A.

[0253] The pod sensor signal SP_HW from the pod sensor 2220 may have a relatively small voltage level (e.g., about 2 mV), and thus, the relatively high gain of the operational amplifier U11A may be used to match the pod temperature measurement signal HW_SIGNAL to the dynamic signal range (e.g., about 1.8 V) of the ADC in the controller 2105. Accordingly, the operational amplifier U11A amplifies the pod sensor signal SP_HW and outputs the amplified signal to the ADC for sampling and measurement by the controller 2105 as the pod temperature measurement output signal HW_SIGNAL.

[0254] Referring to FIG. 37, the pod temperature measurement circuit 21250B includes a driver stage 3902B and a measurement stage 3904B. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 37, the driver stage 3902B and the measurement stage 3904B are similar to the driver stage 3902A and the measurement stage 3904A shown in FIG. 36, except that the driver stage 3902B further includes a measurement balancing resistor R93, and the capacitance of the capacitor C43 may be decreased in value to increase the rise / fall time of the pod sensor signal SP_HW. In at least one example, the measurement balancing resistor R93 may have a resistance of about 3 ohms and may be moved from the non-nicotine pod assembly electrical system 2200 to the device body assembly electrical system 2100 to reduce the cost of the non-nicotine pod assembly. Further, at least in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 37, the passive elements may be arranged and adjusted to configure the gain setting such that the output signal range matches the input signal range of the controller 2105.

[0255] FIG. 38 is a circuit diagram showing a heating engine control circuit according to some exemplary embodiments. The heating engine control circuit shown in FIG. 38 is an example of the heating engine control circuit 2127 shown in FIG. 29.

[0256] Referring to FIG. 38, the heating engine control circuit 2127A includes a CMOS charge pump U2 configured to supply a power rail (e.g., an approximately 7V power rail (7V_CP)) to one or more gate driver integrated circuits (ICs) to control a power FET (also referred to as a heating engine drive circuit or circuit, not shown in FIG. 38) that energizes the heater 336 within the non-nicotine pod assembly 300.

[0257] In an operating example, the charge pump U2 is controlled (selectively activated or deactivated) based on a vape shutdown signal COIL_SHDN (also referred to as a device power state signal; vape enable signal) from the controller 2105. In the example shown in FIG. 38, the charge pump U2 is activated in response to an output in which the vape shutdown signal COIL_SHDN has a logic low level and is deactivated in response to an output in which the coil shutdown signal COIL - SHDN has a logic high level. After the power rail 7V_CP stabilizes after activation of the charge pump U2 (e.g., after a settling time interval has elapsed), the controller 2105 may enable the heater activation signal GATE_ON to supply power to the heater power control circuit and the heater 336.

[0258] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, the controller 2105 may output (enable) the vape shutdown signal COIL_SHDN having a logic high level to perform a vape-off operation to disable all power to the heater 336 until the vape shutdown signal COIL_SHDN is disabled (transitions to a logic low level) by the controller 2105.

[0259] In response to detecting the presence of vaping conditions in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500, the controller 2105 may output a heater activation signal GATE_ON (another device power state signal) having a logic high level. In this exemplary embodiment, transistors (e.g., field effect transistors (FETs)) Q5 and Q7A' are activated when the controller 2105 enables the heater activation signal GATE_ON to a logic high level. The controller 2105 may output a heater activation signal GATE_ON having a logic low level to deactivate the power to the heater 336, thereby performing a heater off operation.

[0260] If a power stage failure occurs where transistors Q5 and Q7A' do not respond to the heater activation signal GATE_ON, the controller 2105 may output a vape shutdown signal COIL_SHDN having a logic high level to cut off the power to the gate driver, thereby also cutting off the power to the heater 336 to perform a vape cutoff operation.

[0261] In another example, if the controller 2105 cannot boot properly and as a result the vape shutdown signal COIL_SHDN has an indeterminate state, the heating engine control circuit 2127A automatically pulls the vape shutdown signal COIL_SHDN to a logic high level and automatically cuts off the power to the heater 336.

[0262] Referring to FIG. 38 in more detail, capacitor C9, charge pump U2, and capacitor C10 are connected in a positive voltage doubler configuration. Capacitor C9 is connected between terminals C- and C+ of charge pump U2 and functions as a non-nicotine reservoir for charge pump U2. The input voltage terminal VIN of charge pump U2 is connected to voltage source BATT at node N3801, and capacitor C10 is connected between ground and the output voltage terminal VOUT of charge pump U2 at node N3802. Capacitor C10 provides a filter and a non-nicotine reservoir for the output from charge pump U2, thereby making the voltage output from charge pump U2 more stable.

[0263] Capacitor C11 is connected between node N3801 and ground and serves as a filter and a non-nicotine reservoir for the input voltage to charge pump U2.

[0264] Resistor R10 is connected between the positive voltage source and the shutdown terminal SHDN. Resistor R10 functions as a pull-up resistor that ensures the input to shutdown terminal SHDN is definitely high when the vape shutdown signal COIL_SHDN is in an indeterminate state, thereby disabling the output (VOUT) of charge pump U2 and cutting off the power to heater 336.

[0265] Resistor R43 is connected between ground and the gate of transistor Q7A' at node N3804. Resistor R43 functions as a pull-down resistor that ensures transistor Q7A' is in a high impedance (OFF) state when the heater activation signal GATE_ON is in an indeterminate state, thereby disabling power rail 7V_CP and cutting off the power to heater 336.

[0266] Resistor R41 is connected between nodes N3802 and N3803 between the gate of transistor Q5 and the drain of transistor Q7A'. Resistor R41 functions as a pull-down resistor to ensure that transistor Q5 switches off more reliably.

[0267] Transistor Q5 is configured to selectively isolate the power rail 7V_CP from the VOUT terminal of charge pump U2. The gate of transistor Q5 is connected to node N3803, the drain of transistor Q5 is connected to the output voltage terminal VOUT of charge pump U2 at node N3802, and the source of transistor Q5 functions as the output terminal of power rail 7V_CP. With this configuration, capacitor C10 reaches the operating voltage faster by isolating the load, and a failsafe can be realized in which power cannot be supplied to heater 336 unless both the vapor shutdown signal COIL_SHDN and the heater activation signal GATE_ON are in the correct states.

[0268] Transistor Q7A is configured to control the operation of transistor Q5 based on the heater activation signal GATE_ON. For example, when the heater activation signal GATE_ON is at a logical high level (e.g., ~2V or higher), transistor Q7A is in its low impedance (ON) state, whereby the gate of transistor Q5 is grounded, causing transistor Q5 to transition to the low impedance (ON) state. In this case, the heating engine control circuit 2127A outputs the power rail 7V_CP to a heating engine drive circuit (not shown), thereby enabling power supply to heater 336.

[0269] If the heater activation signal GATE_ON is at a logical low level, transistor Q7A transitions to the high impedance (OFF) state. As a result, the gate of transistor Q5 discharges through resistor R41, causing transistor Q5 to transition to the high impedance (OFF) state. In this case, the power rail 7V_CP is not output, and the power supply to the heating engine drive circuit (and heater 336) is cut off.

[0270] In the example shown in FIG. 38, since the transistor Q5 needs a gate voltage (~7V) comparable to the source voltage in order to be in a high impedance (OFF) state, the controller 2105 does not directly control the transistor Q5. The transistor Q7A provides a mechanism for controlling the transistor Q5 based on a low voltage from the controller 2105.

[0271] FIG. 39 is a circuit diagram showing another heating engine control circuit according to an exemplary embodiment. The heating engine control circuit shown in FIG. 39 is another example of the heating engine control circuit 2127 shown in FIG. 29.

[0272] Referring to FIG. 39, the heating engine control circuit 2127B includes a rail converter circuit 39020 (also referred to as a boost converter circuit) and a gate driver circuit 39040. The rail converter circuit 39020 is configured to output a voltage signal 9V_GATE (also referred to as a power signal or an input voltage signal) for supplying power to the gate driver circuit 39040 based on a vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM (also referred to as a vape shutdown signal). The rail converter circuit 39020 may use the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM to adjust the 9V_GATE output and may be defined in software.

[0273] The gate driver circuit 39040 uses the input voltage signal 9V_GATE from the rail converter circuit 39020 to drive the heating engine drive circuit 3906.

[0274] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 39, the rail converter circuit 39020 generates the input voltage signal 9V_GATE only when the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM is asserted (present). The controller 2105 may disable the 9V rail and cut off the power to the gate driver circuit 39040 by deasserting (stopping or ending) the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM. Similar to the vape shutdown signal COIL_SHDN in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 38, the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM may function as a device state power signal for performing a vape-off operation in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500. In this example, the controller 2105 may perform a vape-off operation by deasserting the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM, thereby disabling all power to the gate driver circuit 39040, the heating engine drive circuit 3906, and the heater 336. Thereafter, the controller 2105 may enable vaping in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500 by reasserting the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM to the rail converter circuit 39020.

[0275] Similar to the heater activation signal GATE_ON in FIG. 38, the controller 2105 may output a first heater enable signal GATE_ENB having a logic high level to enable power to the heating engine drive circuit 3906 and the heater 336 in response to detecting vaping conditions in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device 500. The controller 2105 can execute a heater-off operation by outputting a first heater enable signal GATE_ENB having a logic low level to disable power to the heating engine drive circuit 3906 and the heater 336.

[0276] Referring more specifically to the rail converter circuit 39020 of FIG. 39, a capacitor C36 is connected between the voltage source BATT and ground. The capacitor C36 functions as a non-nicotine reservoir of the rail converter circuit 39020.

[0277] The first terminal of the inductor L1006 is connected to the node Node1 between the voltage source BATT and the capacitor C36. The inductor L1006 functions as the main energy storage element of the rail converter circuit 39020.

[0278] The second terminal of the inductor L1006, the drain of the transistor (e.g., enhancement mode MOSFET) Q1009, and the first terminal of the capacitor C1056 are connected at the node Node2. The source of the transistor Q1009 is connected to ground, and the gate of the transistor Q1009 is configured to receive the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM from the controller 2105.

[0279] In the example shown in FIG. 39, the transistor Q1009 functions as the main switching element of the rail converter circuit 39020.

[0280] A resistor R29 is connected between the gate of the transistor Q1009 and ground to act as a pull-down resistor, so that when the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM is in an uncertain state, the transistor Q1009 can be more surely switched off to prevent the operation of the heater 336.

[0281] The second terminal of the capacitor C1056 is connected at the node Node3 to the cathode of the zener diode D1012 and the anode of the zener diode D1013. The anode of the zener diode D1012 is connected to ground.

[0282] The cathode of the Zener diode D1013 is connected to the terminal of the capacitor C35 and the input of the voltage dividing circuit including the resistors R1087 and R1088 at the node Node4. The other terminal of the capacitor C35 is connected to the ground. Also, the voltage of the node Node4 is the output voltage 9V_GATE output from the rail converter circuit 39020.

[0283] A resistor R1089 is connected to the output of the voltage dividing circuit of the node Node5.

[0284] In an exemplary operation, when the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM is asserted to a logic high level, the transistor Q1009 switches to a low impedance state (ON), thereby allowing current to flow from the voltage source BATT and the capacitor C36 through the inductor L1006 and the transistor Q1009 to the ground. As a result, energy is stored in the inductor L1006, and the current increases linearly with time.

[0285] When the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM is at a logic low level, the transistor Q1009 switches to a high impedance state (OFF). At this time, the inductor L1006 maintains the current flow (decays linearly), and the voltage of the node Node2 rises.

[0286] The duty cycle of the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM determines the amount of voltage rise for a given load. Therefore, the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM is controlled in a closed loop by the controller 2105 using the feedback signal COIL_VGATE_FB output by the voltage dividing circuit of the node Node5 as feedback. The switching described above occurs at a relatively high rate (e.g., about 2 MHz, however, different frequencies may be used depending on the required parameters and element values).

[0287] Still referring to the rail converter circuit 39020 of FIG. 39, capacitor C1056 is an AC coupling capacitor that provides a DC block to remove the DC level. Capacitor C1056 blocks the current flowing from battery BATT through inductor L1006 and diode D1013 to gate driver circuit 39040 when the vape enable signal COIL_VGATE_PWM is low (e.g., when the non - nicotine e - vaping device 500 is in standby mode) to save battery life. The capacitance of capacitor C1056 may be selected to provide a relatively low - impedance path at the switching frequency.

[0288] Zener diode D1012 establishes the ground level of the switching signal. Since capacitor C1056 removes the DC level, the voltage at node Node3 may be normally bipolar. As an example, zener diode D1012 can clamp the negative half - cycle of the signal to a voltage about 0.3V lower than ground.

[0289] Capacitor C35 functions as an output non - nicotine reservoir of the rail converter circuit 39020. Zener diode D1013 blocks the current from capacitor C35 from flowing through capacitor C1056 and transistor Q1009 when transistor Q1009 is ON.

[0290] When the decaying current from inductor L1006 causes a voltage rise at node Node4 between zener diode D1013 and capacitor C35, the current flows into capacitor C35. Capacitor C35 maintains the 9V_GATE voltage while inductor L1006 is storing energy.

[0291] The voltage divider circuit including resistors R1087 and R1088 reduces the voltage to an acceptable level for measurement by the ADC of controller 2105. This reduced voltage signal is output as the feedback signal COIL_VGATE_FB.

[0292] In the circuit shown in FIG. 39, the voltage of the feedback signal COIL_VGATE_FB is scaled by about 0.25 times, and thus the 9V output voltage is reduced to about 2.25V for input to the ADC in the controller 2105.

[0293] The resistor R1089 performs current limiting against overvoltage faults at the output of the rail converter circuit 39020 (e.g., node Node4) to protect the ADC in the controller 2105.

[0294] A 9V output voltage signal 9V_GATE is output from the rail converter circuit 39020 to the gate driver circuit 39040, and power is supplied to the gate driver circuit 39040.

[0295] Referring to the gate driver circuit 39040 in more detail here, the gate driver circuit 39040 includes, among other things, an integrated gate driver U2003 configured to convert a low current signal (s) from the controller 2105 into a high current signal for controlling the switching of transistors (e.g., MOSFETs) in the heating engine drive circuit 3906. The integrated gate driver U2003 is also configured to convert the voltage level from the controller 2105 into the voltage level required by the transistors in the heating engine drive circuit 3906. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 39, the integrated gate driver U2003 is a half-bridge driver. However, the exemplary embodiment should not be limited to this example.

[0296] More specifically, the 9V output voltage from the rail converter circuit 39020 is input to the gate driver circuit 39040 via a filter circuit including the resistor R2012 and the capacitor C2009. The filter circuit including the resistor R2012 and the capacitor C2009 is connected to the VCC terminal (pin 4) of the integrated gate driver U2003 and the anode of the zener diode S2002 at the node Node6. The second terminal of the capacitor C2009 is connected to the ground. The anode of the zener diode D2002 is connected to the first terminal of the capacitor C2007 and the boost terminal BST (pin 1) of the integrated gate driver U2003 at the node Node7. The second terminal of the capacitor C2007 is connected to the switching node terminal SWN (pin 7) of the integrated gate driver U2003 and the heating engine drive circuit 3906 (e.g., between two MOSFETs) at the node Node8. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 39, the zener diode D2002 and the capacitor C2007 form part of a bootstrap charge pump circuit connected between the input voltage terminal VCC and the boost terminal BST of the integrated gate driver U2003. Since the capacitor C2007 is connected to the 9V input voltage signal 9V_GATE from the rail converter circuit 39020, it is charged to a voltage approximately equal to the voltage signal 9V_GATE via the diode D2002.

[0297] Referring to FIG. 39, the high-side gate driver terminal DRVH (pin 8), the low-side gate driver terminal DRVL (pin 5), and the EP terminal (pin 9) of the integrated gate driver U2003 are also connected to the heating engine drive circuit 3906.

[0298] The resistor R2013 and the capacitor C2010 form a filter circuit connected to the input terminal IN (pin 2) of the integrated gate driver U2003. The filter circuit is configured to remove high-frequency noise from the second heater enable signal COIL_Z input to the input terminal. Note that the second heater enable signal COIL_Z may be a PWM signal from the controller 2105.

[0299] The resistor R2014 is connected to the filter circuit and the input terminal IN of the node Node9. The resistor R2014 is used as a pull-down resistor, and if the second heater enable signal COIL_Z is floating (or indeterminate), it is a resistor that holds the input terminal IN of the integrated gate driver U2003 at a logic low level to prevent the operation of the heating engine drive circuit 3906 and the heater 336.

[0300] The first heater enable signal GATE_ENB from the controller 2105 is input to the OD terminal (pin 3) of the integrated gate driver U2003. A resistor R2016 is connected to the OD terminal of the integrated gate driver U2003 as a pull-down resistor, and if the first heater enable signal GATE_ENB from the controller 2105 is floating (or indeterminate), it is configured to hold the OD terminal of the integrated gate driver U2003 at a logic low level to prevent the activation of the heating engine drive circuit 3906 and the heater 336.

[0301] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 39, the heating engine drive circuit 3906 includes a transistor (e.g., MOSFET) circuit including transistors (e.g., MOSFETs) 39062 and 39064 connected in series between a voltage source BATT and ground. The gate of the transistor 39064 is connected to the low-side gate driver terminal DRVL (pin 5) of the integrated gate driver U2003, the drain of the transistor 39064 is connected to the switching node terminal SWN (pin 7) of the integrated gate driver U2003 at the node Node8, and the source of the transistor 39064 is connected to the ground GND.

[0302] When the low-side gate drive signal output from the low-side gate driver terminal DRVL is high, the transistor 39064 is in a low-impedance state (ON), whereby the node Node8 is connected to the ground.

[0303] As described above, since the capacitor C2007 is connected to the 9V input voltage signal 9V_GATE from the rail converter circuit 39020, it is charged to a voltage equal to or substantially equal to the 9V input voltage signal 9V_GATE via the diode D2002.

[0304] When the low-side gate drive signal output from the low-side gate driver terminal DRVL is low, the transistor 39064 switches to a high-impedance state (OFF), and the high-side gate driver terminal DRVH (pin 8) is internally connected to the boost terminal BST in the integrated gate driver U2003. As a result, the transistor 39062 becomes a low-impedance state (ON), whereby the switching node SWN can be connected to the voltage source BATT, and the switching node SWN (Node8) can be pulled to the voltage of the voltage source BATT.

[0305] In this case, the node Node7 is pulled up to the boost voltage V(BST) ≒ V(9V_GATE) + V(BATT), whereby the gate-source voltage of the transistor 39062 can be made the same as or substantially the same as the voltage of the 9V input voltage signal 9V_GATE (e.g., V(9V_GATE)) regardless of (or independently of) the voltage from the voltage source BATT. As a result, the switching node SWN (node 8) provides a high-current switching signal that can be used to generate a voltage output to the heater 336 that is substantially independent of the voltage output from the battery voltage source BATT.

[0306] Figures 40 and 41 are exemplary embodiments of the temperature sensing transducer included in the pod sensor 2220 shown in FIG. 29.

[0307] Referring to FIG. 40, the temperature sensing transducer 3600A includes a resistor R3602 and a sensor transducer R3604. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the resistor R3602 may have a fixed resistance value of about 3 ohms. The sensor transducer R3604 may be a resistor having a variable resistance value that varies with temperature. The resistor R3602 and the sensor transducer R3604 are arranged in a voltage divider circuit such that the voltage across the sensor transducer R3604 (the voltage at the measurement node N3606) is output to the pod temperature measurement circuit 21250 for scaling and then may be used to measure the temperature of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 or one or more elements of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300.

[0308] In an exemplary operation, the driver stage 3902A of the pod temperature measurement circuit 21250A (FIG. 36) applies a pod temperature measurement power signal HW_POWER to the temperature sensing transducer 3600A, and the measurement stage 3904A of the pod temperature measurement circuit 21250A scales the sensed voltage of the pod sensor signal SP_HW at the measurement node N3606 and outputs the scaled voltage to the controller 2105 as a pod temperature measurement output signal HW_SIGNAL. Next, the controller 2105 determines the temperature of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 or one or more elements of the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 based on the pod temperature measurement output signal HW_SIGNAL.

[0309] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the voltage of the pod temperature measurement power signal HW_POWER may be fixed, and thus, since the resistance of the resistor R3602 is a known resistance, the pod temperature measurement circuit 21250A can also calculate the current through the resistors R3602 and R3604.

[0310] Referring to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 41, the temperature sensing transducer 3600B is similar to the temperature sensing transducer 3600A of FIG. 40, except that, as described above with respect to FIG. 37, the resistor R3602 is omitted from the temperature sensing transducer 3600B and relocated to the driver stage 3902B of the pod temperature measurement circuit 21250B of FIG. 37. By relocating the resistor R3602 to the driver stage 3902B of the pod temperature measurement circuit 21250B, the cost of the non-nicotine pod assembly electrical system 2200 and / or the number of terminals required for the interface between the device body 100 and the non-nicotine pod assembly 300 can be reduced. Further, the resistance of the sensor transducer R3606 in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 41 may be greater than the resistance of the sensor transducer R3604 in FIG. 40 in order to reduce the current consumption by the temperature sensing transducer 3600B.

[0311] Although exemplary embodiments are disclosed herein, it should be understood that other variations are possible. Such variations are not to be regarded as departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and all such modifications as would be apparent to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method of controlling operation of a non-nicotine electronic vaping device including a heater, comprising: determining a plurality of resistance values ​​of the heater during a time window; calculating a rate of change in resistance of the heater between a first resistance value of the plurality of resistance values ​​and a second resistance value of the plurality of resistance values; determining whether a rate of change in resistance of the heater exceeds a threshold rate of change in resistance; and disabling power to the heater in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that a rate of change of resistance of the heater exceeds the resistance change rate threshold.

2. 10. The method of claim 1 , storing a plurality of resistance values ​​for the heater in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) memory; the first resistance value among the plurality of resistance values ​​for the heater is the oldest resistance value stored in the FIFO memory; The method of claim 1, wherein the second resistance value of the plurality of resistance values ​​for the heater is the most recent resistance value stored in the FIFO memory.

3. 10. The method of claim 1 , The method further comprises obtaining the resistance value rate of change threshold from a memory of a non-nicotine pod assembly of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

4. 10. The method of claim 1 , Detecting that the resistance value of the heater has stabilized based on a current flowing through the heater; and The method further comprising determining a plurality of resistance values ​​of the heater during the time window in response to detecting that a resistance value of the heater has stabilized.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, The method, wherein the detecting step detects that the resistance of the heater has stabilized based on a current through the heater and a wetting current threshold.

6. 10. The method of claim 1 , In response to determining that a rate of change of resistance of the heater exceeds the threshold rate of change of resistance, outputting an indication of a dry puff state for the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

7. 10. The method of claim 1 , determining whether a non-nicotine pod assembly is removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a first threshold time interval after the disabling step; and The method further comprises the step of powering off the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has not been removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the first threshold time interval after the disabling step.

8. 10. The method of claim 1 , determining whether the non-nicotine pod assembly is removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a first threshold time interval after the disabling step; and In response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the first threshold time interval after the disabling step, the method further comprises the step of returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to an operational mode by clearing a fault associated with a dry puff state of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, determining whether another non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a second threshold time interval after the restoring step; and The method further comprises enabling the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to vape in response to determining that the other non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after the restoring step.

10. 9. The method of claim 8, determining whether another non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a second threshold time interval after the restoring step; and The method further comprises the step of powering off the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that the other non-nicotine pod assembly has not been inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after the restoring step.

11. 1. A method of controlling a non-nicotine electronic vaping device including a heater, comprising: determining a plurality of resistance values ​​of the heater during a time window; calculating a rate of change in resistance of the heater between a first resistance value of the plurality of resistance values ​​and a second resistance value of the plurality of resistance values; detecting whether a rate of change in resistance of the heater exceeds a threshold rate of change in resistance; and in response to detecting that a rate of change of resistance of the heater exceeds the resistance change threshold, outputting an indication of a dry puff state for the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

12. 12. The method of claim 11, storing a plurality of resistance values ​​for the heater in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) memory; the first resistance value of the plurality of resistance values ​​for the heater is the oldest resistance value stored in the FIFO memory; The method of claim 1, wherein the second resistance value of the plurality of resistance values ​​for the heater is the most recent resistance value stored in the FIFO memory.

13. 12. The method of claim 11, The method further comprises obtaining the resistance value rate of change threshold from a memory of a non-nicotine pod assembly of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

14. 12. The method of claim 11, Detecting that the resistance value of the heater has stabilized based on a current flowing through the heater; and The method further comprising determining a plurality of resistance values ​​of the heater during the time window in response to detecting that a resistance value of the heater has stabilized.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, The method, wherein the detecting step detects that the resistance of the heater has stabilized based on a current through the heater and a wetting current threshold.

16. 12. The method of claim 11, determining whether the non-nicotine pod assembly is removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a first threshold time interval after the outputting step; and The method further comprises the step of powering off the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has not been removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the first threshold time interval after the outputting step.

17. 12. The method of claim 11, in response to determining that a rate of change in resistance of the heater exceeds the rate of change in resistance threshold, disabling power to the heater; determining whether a non-nicotine pod assembly is removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a first threshold time interval after the disabling step; and In response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the first threshold time interval after the disabling step, the method further comprises the step of returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to an operational mode by clearing a fault associated with a dry puff state of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

18. 18. The method of claim 17, determining whether another non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a second threshold time interval after the restoring step; and The method further comprises enabling the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to vape in response to determining that the other non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after the restoring step.

19. 18. The method of claim 17, determining whether another non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a second threshold time interval after the restoring step; and The method further comprises the step of powering off the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that the other non-nicotine pod assembly has not been inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after the restoring step.

20. 1. A method of controlling a non-nicotine electronic vaping device, comprising: determining whether a non-nicotine pod assembly is removed before a first time interval has elapsed after detecting a dry puff state in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device; and In response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed before expiration of the first time interval, the method includes returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to an operational mode by clearing a fault associated with the dry puff condition in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

21. 21. The method of claim 20, determining whether another non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a second threshold time interval after the restoring step; and The method further comprises enabling the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to vape in response to determining that the other non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after the restoring step.

22. 21. The method of claim 20, The method further comprises detecting the dry puff state in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device based on whether a rate of change of a resistance of a heater of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device exceeds a threshold rate of change of a resistance.

23. 1. A non-nicotine electronic vaping device, comprising: Determining a plurality of resistance values ​​of the heater during a time window; calculating a rate of change in resistance of the heater between a first resistance value of the plurality of resistance values ​​and a second resistance value of the plurality of resistance values; determining whether a rate of change in resistance of the heater exceeds a threshold rate of change in resistance; 1. A non-nicotine electronic vaping device comprising: a processing circuit configured to disable power to the heater in response to determining that a rate of change of a resistance of the heater has exceeded the resistance change rate threshold.

24. 24. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 23, a first-in, first-out (FIFO) memory configured to store a plurality of resistance values ​​for the heater; the first resistance value among the plurality of resistance values ​​for the heater is the oldest resistance value stored in the FIFO memory; The non-nicotine electronic vaping device, wherein the second resistance value of the plurality of resistance values ​​for the heater is a most recent resistance value stored in the FIFO memory.

25. 24. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 23, a non-nicotine pod assembly including a memory that stores a rate of change of the resistance threshold; A non-nicotine electronic vaping device, wherein the processing circuit is configured to obtain the resistance value rate of change threshold from the memory in the non-nicotine pod assembly.

26. 24. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 23, The processing circuitry includes: detecting that a resistance value of the heater has stabilized based on a current flowing through the heater; and configured to determine a plurality of resistance values ​​of the heater during the time window in response to detecting that a resistance value of the heater has stabilized.

27. 27. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 26, The non-nicotine electronic vaping device, wherein the processing circuit is configured to detect when a resistance of the heater has stabilized based on a current through the heater and a wetting current threshold.

28. 24. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 23, The non-nicotine electronic vaping device, wherein the processing circuit is configured to output an indication of a dry puff state in response to determining that a rate of change of resistance of the heater has exceeded the threshold rate of change of resistance.

29. 24. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 23, The processing circuitry includes: determining whether a non-nicotine pod assembly is removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a first threshold time interval after disabling power to the heater; and configured to power off the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has not been removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the first threshold time interval after disabling power to the heater.

30. 24. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 23, The processing circuitry includes: determining whether a non-nicotine pod assembly is removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a first threshold time interval after disabling power to the heater; a non-nicotine electronic vaping device configured to, in response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the first threshold time interval after disabling power to the heater, return the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to an operational mode by clearing a fault associated with a dry puff condition in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

31. 31. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 30, The processing circuitry includes: determining whether another non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a second threshold time interval after returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to the operational mode; a non-nicotine electronic vaping device configured to enable vaping with the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that another non-nicotine pod assembly has been inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to the operational mode.

32. 31. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 30, The processing circuitry includes: determining whether another non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a second threshold time interval after returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to the operational mode; and configured to power off the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that the other non-nicotine pod assembly has not been inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to the operational mode.

33. 24. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 23, a non-nicotine reservoir configured to store a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation; and The heater is provided, The non-nicotine e-vaping device, wherein the heater is configured to heat the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation drawn from the non-nicotine reservoir.

34. 1. A non-nicotine electronic vaping device, comprising: a processing circuit configured to cause the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to: The processing circuitry includes: Determining a plurality of resistance values ​​of the heater during a time window; calculating a rate of change in resistance of the heater between a first resistance value of the plurality of resistance values ​​and a second resistance value of the plurality of resistance values; Detecting whether a rate of change in resistance of the heater exceeds a threshold rate of change in resistance; 13. A non-nicotine electronic vaping device configured to output an indication of a dry puff state in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to detecting that a rate of change of a resistance of the heater exceeds the threshold rate of change of resistance.

35. 35. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 34, a first-in, first-out (FIFO) memory configured to store a plurality of resistance values ​​of the heater; the first resistance value among the plurality of resistance values ​​for the heater is the oldest resistance value stored in the FIFO memory; and wherein the second resistance value of the plurality of resistance values ​​for the heater is the most recent resistance value stored in the FIFO memory.

36. 35. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 34, a non-nicotine pod assembly including a memory that stores a rate of change of the resistance threshold; A non-nicotine electronic vaping device, wherein the processing circuit is configured to obtain the resistance value rate of change threshold from the memory in the non-nicotine pod assembly.

37. 35. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 34, The processing circuitry includes: detecting that a resistance value of the heater has stabilized based on a current flowing through the heater; and configured to determine a plurality of resistance values ​​of the heater during the time window in response to detecting that a resistance value of the heater has stabilized.

38. 38. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 37, The non-nicotine electronic vaping device, wherein the processing circuit is configured to detect when a resistance of the heater has stabilized based on a current through the heater and a wetting current threshold.

39. 35. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 34, The processing circuitry includes: determining whether a non-nicotine pod assembly is removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a first threshold time interval after outputting the indication of the dry puff condition; and configured to power off the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has not been removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the first threshold time interval after outputting the indication of the dry puff status.

40. 35. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 34, The processing circuitry includes: Disabling power to the heater in response to determining that a rate of change in resistance of the heater has exceeded a threshold rate of change in resistance; determining whether a non-nicotine pod assembly is removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a first threshold time interval after disabling power to the heater; a non-nicotine electronic vaping device configured to, in response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed from the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the first threshold time interval after disabling power to the heater, return the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to an operational mode by clearing a fault associated with the dry puff state in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

41. 41. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 40, The processing circuitry includes: determining whether another non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a second threshold time interval after returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to the operational mode; a non-nicotine electronic vaping device configured to enable vaping with the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that another non-nicotine pod assembly has been inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to the operational mode.

42. 41. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 40, The processing circuitry includes: determining whether another non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a second threshold time interval after returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to the operational mode; the non-nicotine electronic vaping device is configured to power off the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that the other non-nicotine pod assembly has not been inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to the operational mode.

43. 1. A non-nicotine electronic vaping device, comprising: A processing circuit is provided, The processing circuitry includes: determining whether a non-nicotine pod assembly is removed before a first time interval has elapsed after detecting a dry puff state in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device; The non-nicotine electronic vaping device is configured to, in response to determining that the non-nicotine pod assembly has been removed before expiration of the first time interval, return the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to an operational mode by clearing a fault associated with the dry puff condition in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device.

44. 44. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 43, The processing circuitry includes: determining whether another non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within a second threshold time interval after returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to the operational mode; a non-nicotine electronic vaping device configured to enable vaping of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device in response to determining that the other non-nicotine pod assembly is inserted into the non-nicotine electronic vaping device within the second threshold time interval after returning the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to the operational mode.

45. 44. The non-nicotine electronic vaping device of claim 43, The processing circuitry includes: The non-nicotine electronic vaping device is configured to detect the dry puff condition in the non-nicotine electronic vaping device based on whether a rate of change of a resistance of a heater of the non-nicotine electronic vaping device exceeds a threshold rate of change of a resistance.

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