Electronic smoking article with haptic feedback

Abstract

To provide an electronic smoking article adapted to provide haptic feedback to a user.SOLUTION: The smoking article can comprise a housing, which includes a haptic feedback component 101, such as a vibration transducer. The smoking article can be formed of a control body 102 and / or a cartridge 104, and the haptic feedback component may be present in any one or both of the control body and the cartridge. The haptic feedback component is adapted to generate a waveform that defines a status of the electronic smoking article. The disclosure also provides a method for providing haptic feedback in the electronic smoking article.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices, such as smoking articles, and more particularly to means for providing an indication of the status of such devices to users. The smoking articles can be configured to heat a material that may be made from or derived from shredded tobacco or that may otherwise incorporate shredded tobacco to form an inhalable substance for human consumption. [Background technology]

[0002] Many smoking devices have been proposed over the years as an improvement or replacement for smoking products that require the burning of tobacco shreds for use. Many of these devices are intentionally designed to provide the sensation associated with smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes without delivering significant amounts of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products resulting from burning tobacco shreds. To achieve this goal, many smoking products, flavor generators, and pharmaceutical inhalers have been proposed that utilize electrical energy to vaporize or heat volatile substances, or attempt to provide the sensation of smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes without burning significant amounts of tobacco shreds. See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 432,406 filed March 28, 2012, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 536,438 filed June 28, 2012, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 602,871 filed September 4, 2012, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 647,000 filed October 8, 2012, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, for various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and heat-generating sources described in the background art.

[0003] Certain tobacco products that utilize electrical energy to generate heat to form smoke or aerosols, particularly those referred to as e-cigarette products, are commercially available worldwide. Representative products that resemble many of the attributes of traditional cigarettes, cigars, or pipes include ACCORD® by Philip Morris Incorporated, ALPHA™, JOYE 510™, and M4™ by InnoVapor LLC, CIRRUS™ and FLING™ by White Cloud Cigarettes, COHITA™, COLIBRI™, ELITE CLASSIC™, MAGNUM™, PHANTOM™, and SENSE™ by Eupuffer® International Inc., DUOPRO™, STORM™, and VAPORKING™ by Electronic Cigarettes, Inc., EGAR™ by Egar Australia, eGo-C™ and eGo-T™ by Joyetech, ELUSION™ by Elusion UK Ltd, EONSMOKE™ by Eonsmoke LLC, Green Smoke GREEN SMOKE® by Inc.USA, GREENARETTE® by Greenarette LLC, HALLIGAN®, HENDU®, JET®, MAXXQ®, PINK®, and PITBULL® by Smoke Stik®, HEATBAR® by Philip Morris International, Inc., HYDRO IMPERIAL® and LXE® from Crown7, LOGIC® and THE CUBAN® by LOGIC Technology, LUCI® by Luciano Smokes Inc., METRO® by Nicotek, LLC, NJOY® and ONEJOY® by Sottera, Inc., NO. by SS Choice LLC.7™, PREMIUM ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE™ by PremiumEstore LLC, RAPP E-MYSTICK™ by Ruyan America, Inc., RED DRAGON™ by Red Dragon Products, LLC, RUYAN™ by Ruyan Group (Holdings) Ltd., SMART SMOKER™ by The Smart Smoking Electronic Cigarette Company Ltd., SMOKE ASSIST™ by Coastline Products LLC, SMOKING EVERYWHERE™ by Smoking Everywhere, Inc., V2CIGS™ by VMR Products LLC, VAPOR NINE™ by VaporNine LLC, VAPOR4LIFE™ by Vapor 4 Life, Inc., VEPPO™ by E-CigaretteDirect, LLC, and VUSE™ by RJ Reynolds Vapor Company. Still other electrically powered aerosol delivery devices, and specifically devices characterized as so-called e-cigarettes, are sold under the trade names BLU™, COOLER VISIONS™, DIRECT E-CIG™, DRAGONFLY™, EMIST™, EVERSMOKE™, GAMUCCI™, HYBRID FLAME™, KNIGHT STICKS™, ROYAL BLUES™, SMOKETIP™, and SOUTH BEACH SMOKE™.

[0004] It would be desirable to provide a smoking article that utilizes heat generated by electrical energy to provide the sensation of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, without burning significant amounts of tobacco, without requiring a combustion heat source, and without necessarily delivering significant amounts of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products. Further, advances in the manufacture of electronic smoking articles would be desirable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 432,406 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 536,438 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 602,871 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 647,000 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure relates to materials and combinations thereof useful in electronic smoking articles and similar personal devices. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to elements adapted to provide notification of the status of an electronic smoking article. More specifically, the notification can be tactile. Thus, the present smoking articles or similar devices can be adapted to provide a tactile indication of their status. Such tactile indications can be provided in addition to additional indications, such as visual or audio indications. In certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to tactile electronic smoking articles, tactile electronic smoking articles, or vibrating electronic smoking articles.

[0007] In some embodiments, the present disclosure may provide an electronic smoking article comprising a housing including a tactile feedback component. The electronic smoking article may further comprise a microcontroller in electrical communication with the tactile feedback component. Specifically, the microcontroller may be adapted to instruct the tactile feedback component to generate one or more different waveforms that define the state of the electronic smoking article. The instructions from the microcontroller may specifically correspond to an input. Furthermore, the electronic smoking article may comprise a tactile driver in electrical communication with the microcontroller and the tactile feedback component. The tactile driver may be adapted to convert one or more signals from the microcontroller into outputs that instruct the tactile feedback component to generate tactile feedback defined by the waveforms.

[0008] In some embodiments, the tactile feedback component can be a vibratory tactile actuator. For example, the vibratory tactile actuator can include an eccentric rotating mass (ERM) motor. Specifically, the vibratory tactile actuator can be a cylindrical form factor or a coin-shaped form factor. In another non-limiting example, the vibratory tactile actuator can include a linear resonant actuator (LRA). As yet a further example, the vibratory tactile actuator can be adapted for electroactive polymer actuation, piezoelectric actuation, electrostatic actuation, or sonic actuation. In other embodiments, the tactile feedback component can be adapted for reverse-electrovibration.

[0009] In some embodiments, the housing of the electronic smoking article can define a control body. Specifically, the control body can include a tactile feedback component, a microcontroller, and a power source. The control body can further include a flow sensor. The electronic smoking article can also include a cartridge. Specifically, the cartridge can include a housing containing a heater and an aerosol precursor composition. The cartridge can further include a reservoir adapted to contain the aerosol precursor composition. The composition can be within the reservoir or can be absorbed or adsorbed by the reservoir. The cartridge can also include a transport element adapted to transport the aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir to the heater.

[0010] The shape and size of the tactile feedback component may vary. Preferably, the tactile feedback component may be shaped and sized to be contained within a substantially cylindrical housing. In some embodiments, the tactile feedback component may have a width of about 8 mm or less.

[0011] In other embodiments, the present disclosure may relate to a method for providing tactile feedback in an electronic smoking article. In some embodiments, the method may include providing an electronic smoking article with a housing including a tactile feedback component and a microcontroller, generating an input to the microcontroller, delivering a command from the microcontroller to the tactile feedback component, and generating one or more different waveforms from the tactile feedback component. Specifically, the one or more different waveforms may define a state of the electronic smoking article.

[0012] The present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following embodiments.

[0013] Embodiment 1: An electronic smoking article comprising a housing containing a tactile feedback component.

[0014] Embodiment 2: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, further comprising a microcontroller in electrical communication with the tactile feedback component.

[0015] Embodiment 3: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the microcontroller is adapted to instruct the tactile feedback component to generate one or more distinct waveforms that define a state of the electronic smoking article.

[0016] Embodiment 4: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the instruction from the microcontroller corresponds to an input.

[0017] Embodiment 5: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, further comprising a tactile driver in electrical communication with the microcontroller and the tactile feedback component.

[0018] Embodiment 6: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the tactile feedback component is a vibratory tactile actuator.

[0019] Embodiment 7: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the vibratory tactile actuator comprises an eccentric rotating mass (ERM) motor.

[0020] Embodiment 8: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is a cylindrical form factor.

[0021] Embodiment 9: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is a coin-shaped form factor.

[0022] Embodiment 10: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the vibratory tactile actuator comprises a linear resonant actuator (LRA).

[0023] Embodiment 11: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is adapted for electroactive polymer actuation.

[0024] Embodiment 12: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is adapted for piezoelectric actuation.

[0025] Embodiment 13: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is adapted for electrostatic actuation.

[0026] Embodiment 14: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is adapted for sonic actuation.

[0027] Embodiment 15: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is a vibration transducer.

[0028] Embodiment 16: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the tactile feedback component is adapted for inverse electronic vibration.

[0029] Embodiment 17: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the housing defines a control body comprising the tactile feedback component, a microcontroller, and a power source.

[0030] Embodiment 18: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the control body further comprises a flow sensor.

[0031] Embodiment 19: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, further comprising a cartridge adapted for connection to said control body.

[0032] Embodiment 20: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the cartridge comprises a housing containing a heater and an aerosol precursor composition.

[0033] Embodiment 21: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the cartridge further comprises a reservoir adapted to contain the aerosol precursor composition.

[0034] Embodiment 22: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the cartridge further comprises a transport element adapted to transport the aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir to the heater.

[0035] Embodiment 23: The electronic smoking article of any preceding or subsequent embodiment, wherein the tactile feedback component has a width of about 8 mm or less.

[0036] Embodiment 24: A method for providing tactile feedback in an electronic smoking article, comprising: providing the electronic smoking article with a housing including a tactile feedback component and a microcontroller; generating inputs to the microcontroller; delivering commands from the microcontroller to the tactile feedback component; and generating one or more distinct waveforms from the tactile feedback component.

[0037] Embodiment 25: The method of embodiment 24, wherein the one or more different waveforms define a state of the electronic smoking article.

[0038] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from a reading of the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. The present invention includes any combination of two, three, four, or more of the above-described embodiments, as well as any combination of two, three, four, or more features described in this disclosure, regardless of whether such features or elements are explicitly combined in the description of a particular embodiment herein. The present disclosure is intended to be read collectively such that any separable features or elements of the disclosed invention, in any of its various aspects and embodiments, should be considered as intended to be combinable, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] Having now generally described the present disclosure, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale. [Figure 1] 1 shows a cross-sectional view through an electronic smoking article comprising a control body and a cartridge according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view through an electronic smoking article comprising a cartridge and a control body including a tactile feedback component, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof. The exemplary embodiments are described so that this disclosure will be comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Indeed, the disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0041] This disclosure provides a description of mechanisms, components, features, and methods configured to provide tactile feedback. While the mechanisms are described herein with respect to embodiments associated with aerosol delivery devices or smoking articles known as "electronic cigarettes," it should be understood that the mechanisms, components, features, and methods may be embodied in many different forms and associated with a variety of articles.

[0042] In this regard, the present disclosure provides a description of an aerosol delivery device that uses electrical energy to heat a material (preferably without significantly burning the material) to form an inhalable substance, and such an article is most preferably small enough to be considered a "handheld" device. The aerosol delivery device can provide some or all of the sensations of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe (e.g., the act of inhaling and exhaling, the type of taste or flavor, the sensory stimulating effect, the physical feel, the act of use, visual cues such as those provided by a visible aerosol, etc.) without substantially burning any components of the article or device. The aerosol delivery device may not produce smoke in the sense of an aerosol produced by the by-products of combustion or thermal decomposition of cut tobacco; rather, the article or device may produce vapor (including vapor in an aerosol that may be considered a visible aerosol that may be considered to be described as smoky) produced by the volatilization or evaporation of certain components of the article or device. In a highly preferred embodiment, the aerosol delivery device can incorporate cut tobacco and / or components derived from cut tobacco.

[0043] The aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure can also be characterized as a vapor-producing article, a smoking article, or a drug delivery article. Accordingly, such articles or devices can be adapted to provide one or more substances (e.g., flavors and / or pharmaceutically active ingredients) in an inhalable form or state. For example, the inhalable substance may be substantially in vapor form (i.e., a substance that is in the gas phase at a temperature below its critical point). Alternatively, the inhalable substance may be in the form of an aerosol (i.e., a suspension of solid particulates or liquid droplets in a gas). For simplicity, as used herein, the term "aerosol" is meant to include vapors, gases, and aerosols in any form or type suitable for human inhalation, whether visible or not, and whether or not in a form that may be considered smoky.

[0044] In use, the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure may be subjected to many of the physical actions employed by individuals using traditional smoking articles (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, or pipes that are used by lighting and inhaling tobacco). For example, a user of the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure can hold the article similar to a traditional smoking article, draw on one end of the article to inhale the aerosol produced by the article, and take puffs for a selected time interval.

[0045] The aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure generally include multiple components provided within an outer body or shell. The overall design of the outer body or shell may vary, and the appearance or configuration of the outer body, which may define the overall size and shape of the aerosol delivery device, may vary. Typically, an elongated body resembling the shape of a cigarette or cigar may be formed from a single, unitary shell, or the elongated body may be formed from two or more separate components. For example, the aerosol delivery device may be substantially tubular in shape and thus comprise an elongated shell or body resembling the shape of a traditional cigarette or cigar. In one embodiment, all of the components of the aerosol delivery device are contained within a single outer body or shell. Alternatively, the aerosol delivery device may comprise two or more shells that are joined and separable. For example, an aerosol delivery device can have a control body at one end comprising an outer body or shell containing one or more reusable components (e.g., a rechargeable battery and various electronics for controlling the operation of the item), and an outer body or shell at the other end containing disposable components (e.g., a disposable flavor-containing cartridge) removably attached thereto. More specific appearances, configurations, and arrangements within a single-shell unit or within a multi-part, separable-shell unit will become apparent in light of the further disclosure provided herein. Additionally, the design and component arrangements of various aerosol delivery devices can be understood in light of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, such as the representative products listed in the Background section.

[0046] The aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure most preferably includes some combination of a power source (i.e., a power source), at least one control component (e.g., a means for activating, controlling, regulating, and terminating power for heat generation by controlling the current from the power source to other components of the article—e.g., a microcontroller), a heater or heat-generating component (e.g., an electrical resistance heating element, or a component commonly referred to as an “atomizer”), and an aerosol precursor composition (e.g., a liquid that can generally generate an aerosol upon the application of sufficient heat, such as the components commonly referred to as “smoke juice,” “e-liquid,” and “e-juice”), and a mouth-end region or tip (e.g., a defined airflow path through the article from which the generated aerosol can be drawn upon inhalation) that allows the smoking article to be drawn on for aerosol inhalation. Exemplary formulations for aerosol precursor materials that can be used in accordance with the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013 / 0008457 to Zheng et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Devices of the present disclosure also specifically include a tactile feedback component, which can be present in a single-body article, a control body of a multi-body article, or a cartridge of a multi-body article.

[0047] The arrangement of components within the aerosol delivery device can vary. In certain embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition can be located near the end of the article (e.g., within a cartridge, which may be replaceable and disposable in certain circumstances), which may be proximal to the user's mouth to maximize aerosol delivery to the user. However, other configurations are not excluded. Generally, the heating element can be positioned sufficiently close to the aerosol precursor composition so that heat from the heating element volatilizes the aerosol precursor (and one or more flavoring agents, medications, etc., that may also be provided for delivery to the user) and forms an aerosol for delivery to the user. When the heating element heats the aerosol precursor composition, an aerosol is formed, emitted, or generated in a physical form suitable for inhalation by the user. It should be noted that references to release, releasing, releases, or released are meant to be synonymous, including form or generate, forming or generating, forms or generates, and formed or generated. Specifically, the inhalable substance is released in the form of a vapor or an aerosol or a mixture thereof. Furthermore, the selection of various aerosol delivery device components can be understood by considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, such as representative products listed in the Background section of this disclosure.

[0048] The aerosol delivery device incorporates a battery or other power source to provide sufficient current to provide various functionalities to the article, such as resistive heating, powering a control system, powering an indicator, etc. The power source can take a variety of embodiments. Preferably, the power source is capable of delivering sufficient power to rapidly heat the heating element to provide aerosol formation and to power the article throughout a desired period of use. The power source is preferably sized to fit conveniently within the aerosol delivery device so that the aerosol delivery device can be easily handled, and preferred power sources are also lightweight enough so as not to detract from the desired smoking experience.

[0049] An example embodiment of an aerosol delivery device 100 is provided in Figure 1. As seen in the cross section shown in the figure, the aerosol delivery device 100 can include a control body 102 and a cartridge 104 that can be permanently or removably aligned in a functional relationship. While a threaded engagement is shown in Figure 1, it should be understood that additional means of engagement can be used, such as, for example, a press-fit engagement, an interference fit, a magnetic engagement, etc.

[0050] In certain embodiments, one or both of the control body 102 and the cartridge 104 may be referred to as disposable or reusable. For example, the control body may have a replaceable or rechargeable battery and, therefore, may be combined with any type of charging technology, including connection to a typical power outlet, connection to an on-board charger (i.e., cigarette lighter socket), and connection to a computer, such as through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable. For example, an adapter including a USB connector on one end and a control body connector on the opposite end is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 840,264, filed March 15, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cartridge may include a single-use cartridge, as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 603,612, filed September 5, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0051] In the illustrated embodiment, the control body 102 includes a control component 106 (e.g., a microcontroller), a flow sensor 108, and a battery 110, which may be variously arranged, and may also include multiple indicators 112 at the distal end 114 of the outer body 116. The indicators 112 may be provided in various numbers, may take different forms, and may even be openings in the body (such as to emit a sound when such an indicator is present). In the illustrated embodiment, the tactile feedback component 101 is included within the control component 106. Thus, the tactile feedback component may be integrated with one or more components of the smoking article.

[0052] An air inlet 118 can be located on the outer body 116 of the control body 102. A coupler 120 can also be included at a proximal mounting end 122 of the control body 102 and extend into a control body protrusion 124 to facilitate electrical connection with an atomizer or other element thereof, such as a resistive heating element (described below), when the cartridge 104 is attached to the control body. While the air inlet 118 is shown as being provided in the outer body 116, in alternative embodiments, the air inlet can be provided in the coupler, for example, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 841,233, filed March 15, 2013.

[0053] The cartridge 104 includes an outer body 126 having a mouth opening 128 at its mouth end 130 to allow passage of air and entrained vapor (i.e., components of the aerosol precursor composition in inhalable form) from the cartridge to the consumer during inhalation of the aerosol delivery device 100. The aerosol delivery device 100 may, in some embodiments, be substantially rod-shaped, or substantially tubular in shape, or substantially cylindrical in shape. Other embodiments encompass additional shapes and dimensions, such as, for example, rectangular or triangular cross-sections.

[0054] The cartridge 104 further includes an atomizer 132 comprising a resistive heating element 134 (e.g., a wire coil) configured to generate heat and a liquid transport element 136 (e.g., a wick) configured to transport a liquid. Various embodiments of materials configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied therethrough can be used to form the resistive heating element 134. Examples of materials from which the wire coil can be formed include Kanthal (FeCrAl), Nichrome, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), aluminum-doped molybdenum disilicide (Mo(Si,Al)), and ceramics (e.g., positive temperature coefficient ceramics). In addition to the above, exemplary heating elements and materials for use therein are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,093,894 to Deevi et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,224,498 to Deevi et al., and U.S. Patent No. 5,224,498 to Sprinkel et al. No. 5,228,460 to Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,075 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,813 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,936 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,850 to Das, U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,656 to Das, U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,855 to Deevi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,225 to Hajaligol, U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,262 to Hajaligol, U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,692 to Das et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,368 to Fleischhauer et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0055] Electrically conductive heater terminals 138 (e.g., positive and negative terminals) at opposite ends of the heating element 134 are configured to direct electrical current through the heating element and are configured for attachment to appropriate wiring or circuitry (not shown) to form an electrical connection between the heating element and the battery 110 when the cartridge 104 is connected to the control body 102. Specifically, a plug 140 may be located at a distal mounting end 142 of the cartridge 104. When the cartridge 104 is connected to the control body 102, the plug 140 engages the coupler 120 to form an electrical connection such that electrical current controllably flows from the battery 110, through the coupler and plug, and to the heating element 134. The outer body 126 of the cartridge 104 may continue across the distal mounting end 142, such that this end of the cartridge is substantially closed by the plug 140 protruding therefrom.

[0056] The reservoir can utilize a liquid transport element to transport the aerosol precursor composition to the aerosolization region. One such example is shown in FIG. 1. As can be seen in the figure, in this embodiment, the cartridge 104 includes a reservoir 144 comprising a layer of nonwoven fibers formed in the shape of a tube that surrounds the inside of the cartridge outer body 126. The aerosol precursor composition is held in the reservoir 144. The liquid component can be adsorbed and held by the reservoir 144, for example. The reservoir 144 is in fluid communication with a liquid transport element 136. The liquid transport element 136 transports the aerosol precursor composition stored in the reservoir 144 to the aerosolization region 146 of the cartridge 104 by capillary action. In the illustrated embodiment, the liquid transport element 136 is in direct contact with a heating element 134 in the form of a metal wire coil.

[0057] It is understood that aerosol delivery devices that can be manufactured according to the present disclosure can include various combinations of components useful in forming electronic aerosol delivery devices. For example, reference is made to the reservoir and heater for controllable delivery of multiple aerosolizable materials in an electronic smoking article disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 536,438, filed June 28, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Furthermore, U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 602,871, filed September 4, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses an electronic smoking article that includes a microheater.

[0058] In another embodiment, the cartridge may be formed substantially entirely of one or more carbon materials, which may offer advantages in terms of biodegradability and the absence of wires. In this regard, the heating element may include carbon foam, the reservoir may include carbonized fiber, and graphite may be used to form the electrical connection between the battery and the controller. Such carbon cartridges, in some embodiments, may be combined with one or more elements described herein to provide illumination for the cartridge. Example embodiments of carbon-based cartridges are provided in U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 432,406, filed March 28, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0059] In use, when a user draws on article 100, heating element 134 is activated (e.g., by a flow sensor), causing components of the aerosol precursor composition to vaporize within aerosolization region 146. Drawing on mouth end 130 of article 100 forces ambient air into air inlet 118 and through the central opening of connector 120 and the central opening of plug 140. Within cartridge 104, the drawn-in air passes through air passages 148 within vent tube 150 and combines with vapor formed in aerosolization region 146 to form an aerosol. The aerosol is quickly removed from aerosolization region 146, passes through air passages 152 within vent tube 154, and exits mouth opening 128 at mouth end 130 of article 100.

[0060] The various components of the aerosol delivery device according to the present disclosure can be selected from those described in the art and are commercially available. An example of a battery that can be used in accordance with the present disclosure is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0028766, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0061] An exemplary mechanism capable of providing puff activation capability includes the Model 163PC01D36 silicon sensor manufactured by the MicroSwitch division of Honeywell, Inc., Freeport, Ill. Further examples of demand-activated electrical switches that can be used in heating circuits according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Further descriptions of current regulation circuits and other control components, including microcontrollers, that may be useful in the present aerosol delivery devices are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,875, all to Brooks et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0062] The aerosol precursor, sometimes referred to as an aerosol precursor composition or vapor precursor composition, can include one or more different components. For example, the aerosol precursor can include a polyhydric alcohol (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol, or a mixture thereof). Additional representative types of aerosol precursor compositions are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,365 to Sensabaugh, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,839 to Jakob et al., PCT Publication WO 98 / 57556 to Biggs et al., and Chemical and Biological Studies on New Cigarette Prototypes that Heat Instead of Burn Tobacco, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Monograph (1988), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0063] Further components may also be utilized in the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al. discloses an indicator that can be used with a smoking article; U.S. Patent No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, Jr. et al. discloses a piezoelectric sensor that can be associated with the mouth end of the device to detect the movement of the user's lips associated with inhalation and then cause heating; U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al. discloses a puff sensor for controlling energy flow to a heat load array in response to a drop in pressure through the mouthpiece; U.S. Patent No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al. discloses a socket for a smoking device that includes a discriminator that detects non-uniformity in the infrared transmittance of an inserted component and a controller that executes a detection routine when a component is inserted into the socket, and describes predefined viable power cycles with multiple differential phases; U.S. Patent No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al. discloses photonic and optoelectronic components; U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al. discloses means for varying the resistance of draw by a smoking device; U.S. Pat. No. 6,803,545 to Blake et al. discloses certain battery configurations for use in smoking devices; U.S. Pat. No. 7,293,565 to Griffen et al. discloses various charging systems for use with smoking devices; U.S. Pat. No. 8,402,976 to Fernando et al. discloses computer interface means for smoking devices to facilitate charging and enable computer control of the device; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0163063 to Fernando et al. discloses an identification system for smoking devices; and WO 2010 / 003480 to Flick discloses a flow sensing system for indicating puffs in an aerosol generating system, all of the above disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.Further examples of components related to electronic aerosol delivery articles that may be used in the articles of the present invention, and the materials or components disclosed therein, include U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,586 to Morgan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,574 to Ingebrethsen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,977 to Higgins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,176 to Adams et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,287 to White, U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,218 to Voges, U.S. Pat. No. 6,810,883 to Felter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,461 to Nichols, U.S. Pat. No. 7,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 7,513,253 to Kobayashi, U.S. Pat. No. 7,896,006 to Hamano, U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,756 to Shayan, U.S. Pat. No. 8,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 8,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 8,513,253 to Kobayashi, U.S. Pat. No. 8,896,006 to Hamano, U.S. Pat. No. 8,772,756 to Shayan, U.S. Pat. No. 8,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 8,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 8,832,410 to Hon ,156,944, U.S. Patent No. 8,365,742 to Hon, U.S. Patent No. 8,375,957 to Hon, U.S. Patent No. 8,393,331 to Hon, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006 / 0196518 and 2009 / 0188490 to Hon, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009 / 0272379 to Thorens et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009 / 0260641 and 2009 / 0260641 to Monsees et al. 642, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008 / 0149118 and 2010 / 0024834 to Oglesby et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0307518 to Wang, WO 2010 / 091593 to Hon, WO 2013 / 089551 to Foo, and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 841,233, filed March 15, 2013, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Various materials disclosed by the above documents may be incorporated into the devices of the present invention in various embodiments, and all of the above disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0064] Any combination of the elements described above can be used to prepare an aerosol delivery device (particularly, an electronic smoking article) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device thus formed can specifically include a tactile feedback component, which can be an independent component of the device itself or can be combined with one or more additional components of the aerosol delivery device. The combination of the tactile feedback component with one or more additional components can involve one or more additional components in providing tactile feedback.

[0065] An exemplary embodiment of a smoking article 200 according to the present disclosure is shown in Figure 2, where a control body 202 may be formed from a housing 201 that may include a control component 206, which may be variously arranged, a flow sensor 208, a battery 210, an LED 212, and a tactile feedback component 220. A tactile driver 222 may optionally be included.

[0066] Tactile elements present in smoking articles according to the present disclosure can include any component adapted to provide tactile feedback in a form factor that can be combined with the size and shape of the electronic smoking article. The tactile feedback component can specifically be adapted to apply a force, vibration, or movement to a user of the smoking article.

[0067] The tactile feedback component can be in electrical communication with a microcontroller or similar element. Preferably, the microcontroller or similar element can be adapted to instruct the tactile feedback component to generate tactile feedback. For example, the instructions can instruct the tactile feedback component to generate one or more different waveforms that can vary through many different combinations of amplitude, frequency, and duration. Such waveforms may define relatively simple patterns, such as short pulses of constant intensity, or relatively complex patterns, such as pulses of increasing and decreasing intensity.

[0068] The instructions provided to the tactile feedback component can correspond to inputs provided to the microcontroller. Such inputs may be manual inputs from the user or may be inputs resulting from additional functions of the smoking article. For example, the inputs may include activation of a power button or the like by the user, or the inputs may include attachment of a cartridge to the control component. In a further example, the inputs may be signals from sensors or the like, such as those related to the fluid level in the reservoir, power delivery to the heater, or the like. Sensors may be present in addition to flow sensors or as described herein.

[0069] The tactile feedback provided in accordance with the present disclosure can specifically define the status of the smoking article. As a non-limiting example, the tactile feedback can define an operating status, such as heating a heater to form an aerosol, starting the device, or stopping the device. The tactile feedback can define additional device status, such as a low aerosol precursor composition reservoir level, failure of the device to function properly, or proper connection of a control component to the cartridge. In some embodiments, the tactile feedback may be unrelated to the device status. For example, the tactile feedback may be provided to enhance the user experience with the device.

[0070] Considering the form factor of electronic smoking articles, the tactile feedback component may be adapted to function solely using the current delivered by the microcontroller. However, in some embodiments, it may be useful to include a haptic driver, which may optionally be combined with the microcontroller or may be an independent element. More specifically, the driver may be an external differential amplifier or may be integrated with the haptic processor in a single integrated circuit (IC). The haptic driver may incorporate techniques such as, for example, an overdrive device (e.g., the motor is overdriven to reduce the time it takes to reach its nominal vibration level) and active braking (e.g., the motor is decelerated to stop more quickly by applying a reverse voltage for an appropriate length of time). Incorporating such techniques may be particularly useful to allow the haptic processor to automatically handle electrical signal generation.

[0071] The tactile feedback component can include a variety of elements adapted to provide tactile feedback. In some embodiments, the tactile feedback component can be a vibratory tactile actuator—e.g., an element adapted to provide mechanical movement resulting from an input or in response to an electrical stimulus as described herein. Such a component may also be described as a vibration transducer and can encompass any device adapted to convert an electrical input into a vibration output. One example of a vibratory tactile actuator is an eccentric rotating mass (ERM) motor, such as one in which an unbalanced weight rotates about the motor axis, causing a motor displacement that is converted into vibration. Most ERM motors can be advantageously powered by direct current. Electromagnetic vibration motors can also be used. The ERM motor can be adapted for simple vibration or can be coupled to a suitable processor driver IC that can be programmed to vary the motor speed to control the vibration amplitude and frequency and, therefore, the waveform pattern generated by the smoking article.

[0072] In a further embodiment, a vibratory tactile actuator useful in the smoking articles described herein may be a linear resonant actuator (LRA). Such devices typically include an internal magnetic mass and a spring, and current in a voice coil displaces the mass.

[0073] Vibratory haptic actuators, such as ERM motors and LRAs, can be provided in a variety of form factors. For example, the vibratory haptic actuator can be a cylindrical form factor. In some embodiments, the vibratory haptic actuator can be a coin-shaped form factor (i.e., substantially coin-like shaped). Linear form factors are also encompassed.

[0074] In some embodiments, the vibratory tactile actuator can be adapted to substantially vibrate the entire electronic smoking article. In other words, the vibratory tactile actuator may not be coordinate-specific. In other embodiments, the vibratory tactile actuator can be adapted for touch-coordinate-specific response, thus enabling localized haptic effects at specific locations on the electronic smoking article. Thus, vibratory tactile actuators useful in accordance with the present disclosure can include additional technologies that can enable particularly touch-coordinate-specific response. For example, in some embodiments, the vibratory tactile actuator can be adapted for electroactive polymer actuation. In some embodiments, the vibratory tactile actuator can be adapted for piezoelectric actuation. In some embodiments, the vibratory tactile actuator can be adapted for electrostatic actuation. In some embodiments, the vibratory tactile actuator can be adapted for sonic actuation. Exemplary elements for inducing vibrations in a device are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,842 to Ramseyer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,219 to Hess et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,775,459 to Martens, III et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,845,359 to Montaser, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,127,772 to Montaser, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0075] In certain embodiments, haptic feedback components useful in accordance with the present disclosure can be adapted to provide touch coordinate-specific responses and customizable haptic effects, such as defined waveforms, which can be generated, inter alia, through the use of low-latency microcontrollers or ICs.

[0076] In other embodiments, the tactile feedback component can utilize technology that does not require the use of an actuator. For example, the tactile feedback component can be adapted for inverse electronic vibration, where a weak current flows from the device to ground and an oscillating electric field around the skin in contact with the device creates a varying sensation of friction depending on the shape, frequency, and amplitude of the signal. In a further embodiment, the tactile feedback component can be adapted for pressure sensitivity, where the level of force on the smoking article affects the vibration response.

[0077] The tactile feedback component can be sized and dimensioned to fit within a generally cylindrical housing. In some embodiments, the tactile feedback component can have a width or diameter of about 8 mm or less, about 7 mm or less, or about 6 mm or less, e.g., about 2 mm to about 8 mm, about 3 mm to about 7 mm, or about 4 mm to about 6 mm. The tactile feedback component can have a length of about 15 mm or less, about 10 mm or less, or about 5 mm or less, e.g., about 2 mm to about 15 mm, about 3 mm to about 12 mm, or about 4 mm to about 10 mm.

[0078] Returning to FIG. 2 , a smoking article according to the present disclosure may also include a cartridge 204. The cartridge 204 may be formed of a housing 203 enclosing a reservoir 244 in fluid communication with a transport element 236 that accommodates a wick or otherwise transports an aerosol precursor composition stored in the reservoir to a heater 234. An opening 228 may be present in the cartridge housing 203 to allow the formed aerosol to exit the cartridge 204. Such components are representative of those present in a cartridge and are not intended to limit the scope of cartridge components encompassed by the present disclosure. The cartridge 204 may be adapted to engage the control body 202 via a press-fit engagement between the control body protrusion 224 and the cartridge socket 240. Such engagement may facilitate a suitable connection between the control body 202 and the cartridge 204 and may establish an electrical connection between the battery 210, the control component 206 within the control body, and the heater 234 within the cartridge. Cartridge 204 may also include one or more electronic components 250, which may include ICs, memory components, sensors, or the like. Electronic components 250 may be adapted to communicate with and provide input to tactile feedback component 220 and / or control component 206. Additionally, electronic components 250 may comprise tactile feedback components.

[0079] In view of the above, the present disclosure also relates to a method for providing tactile feedback in an electronic smoking article. In some embodiments, the method according to the present disclosure can include providing an electronic smoking article as described herein. Specifically, the electronic smoking article can include a housing including a tactile feedback component and a microcontroller. The method can further include generating an input to the microcontroller. The generating step can be a manual function by a user (e.g., by pressing a button or touching a capacitive screen on the device) or an automatic function resulting from an individual's general use of the device (e.g., heating of a heater when a user draws on the device). The method can also include delivering a command from the microcontroller to the tactile feedback component. A single command can be provided, or the microcontroller can be adapted to provide multiple different commands that can vary based on the provided input. Furthermore, the method can include generating one or more different waveforms from the tactile feedback component. The waveforms can directly correspond to commands from the microcontroller and thus can vary based on the provided input.

[0080] One or more different waveforms may specifically define the state of the electronic smoking article. The state of the electronic smoking article can be related to the function of the device. For example, when a user draws on a smoking article, causing the heater to heat and thus form aerosol, the tactile feedback component may generate a waveform (e.g., a vibration or buzzer effect) that alerts the user to the operating state of the device. Thus, the state defined by the waveform is that the device is functioning properly or is in a heating state. In another example, when a user attaches a cartridge to a control body, the tactile feedback component may generate a waveform (e.g., one or more vibrations whose intensity can vary depending on the duration of the vibration) that alerts the user that the cartridge is in operative connection with the control body and can be used for typical operations.

[0081] The state of an electronic smoking article can also be related to qualitative factors. For example, a smoking article according to the present disclosure may include one or more sensors that can monitor conditions such as the amount of aerosol precursor composition remaining in the reservoir or the remaining battery charge. When the amount of aerosol precursor composition in the reservoir or the remaining battery charge falls below a predetermined level, the tactile feedback component can generate a waveform that alerts the user to the low aerosol precursor composition or low battery condition of the device. Different waveforms may be predetermined to correspond to specific states of the device, allowing the user to quickly identify the state based on the generated waveform.

[0082] Many modifications and other embodiments of the present disclosure will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. It is to be understood, therefore, that the disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. An electronic smoking article comprising a housing containing a tactile feedback component.

2. The electronic smoking article of claim 1 , further comprising a microcontroller in electrical communication with the tactile feedback component.

3. The electronic smoking article of claim 2, wherein the microcontroller is adapted to instruct the tactile feedback component to generate one or more different waveforms that define a state of the electronic smoking article.

4. The electronic smoking article of claim 3 , wherein the command from the microcontroller corresponds to an input.

5. The electronic smoking article of any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising a tactile driver in electrical communication with the microcontroller and the tactile feedback component.

6. The electronic smoking article of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tactile feedback component is a vibratory tactile actuator.

7. The electronic smoking article of claim 6, wherein the vibratory tactile actuator comprises an eccentric rotating mass (ERM) motor.

8. The electronic smoking article of claim 7 , wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is a cylindrical form factor.

9. The electronic smoking article of claim 7 , wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is in a coin-shaped form factor.

10. The electronic smoking article of claim 6 , wherein the vibratory tactile actuator comprises a linear resonant actuator (LRA).

11. The electronic smoking article of claim 6 , wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is adapted for electroactive polymer actuation.

12. The electronic smoking article of claim 6 , wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is adapted for piezoelectric actuation.

13. The electronic smoking article of claim 6 , wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is adapted for electrostatic actuation.

14. The electronic smoking article of claim 6 , wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is adapted for sonic actuation.

15. The electronic smoking article of claim 6 , wherein the vibratory tactile actuator is a vibration transducer.

16. The electronic smoking article of claim 1 , wherein the tactile feedback component is adapted for reverse-electrovibration.

17. The electronic smoking article of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the housing defines a control body comprising the tactile feedback component, a microcontroller, and a power source.

18. The electronic smoking article of claim 17, wherein the control body further comprises a flow sensor.

19. 19. The electronic smoking article of claim 17 or claim 18, further comprising a cartridge adapted for connection to the control body.

20. 20. The electronic smoking article of claim 19, wherein the cartridge comprises a housing containing a heater and an aerosol precursor composition.

21. 21. The electronic smoking article of claim 20, wherein the cartridge further comprises a reservoir adapted to contain the aerosol precursor composition.

22. 22. The electronic smoking article of claim 21, wherein the cartridge further comprises a transport element adapted to transport the aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir to the heater.

23. The electronic smoking article of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the tactile feedback component has a width of about 8 mm or less.

24. 1. A method for providing tactile feedback in an electronic smoking article, comprising: providing the electronic smoking article with a housing containing a tactile feedback component and a microcontroller; generating an input to the microcontroller; Delivering commands from the microcontroller to the haptic feedback component; generating one or more different waveforms from the tactile feedback component.

25. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more different waveforms define a state of the electronic smoking article.

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