Contained liquid system for refilling aerosol delivery devices

Abstract

A containing liquid system for use in a rechargeable aerosol delivery device (100) is provided. The containing liquid system comprises an aerosol delivery device having an adapter therein for receiving an aerosol precursor composition in a reservoir of the aerosol delivery device, and a container (300) of an aerosol precursor composition having a corresponding adapter therein for transferring the aerosol precursor composition from the container. The adapter and the corresponding adapter may be detachably and sealably connected to recharge the aerosol delivery device with the aerosol precursor composition. The adapter is coupled to a valve of the corresponding adapter and has a body having a separate charging port and an air flow port. The charging port transfers the aerosol precursor composition from the container to the aerosol delivery device. The air flow port allows air to flow through at least a portion of the aerosol delivery device when the adapter and the valve are disengaged.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol delivery device, such as a smoking article, capable of utilizing electrically generated heat for the generation of an aerosol (e.g., a smoking article commonly referred to as an electronic cigarette), and more specifically, to a system and method for safely recharging an aerosol delivery device with an aerosol precursor composition. The smoking article may be configured to heat an aerosol precursor that may contain a material that may be manufactured as tobacco or derived from tobacco, or otherwise may contain tobacco, said precursor may form an inhalable substance for human consumption. Background Technology

[0002] Over the years, many smoking devices have been proposed as improvements or alternatives to smoking products that require tobacco combustion for use. The majority of these devices are intentionally designed to provide sensations associated with cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking without emitting significant amounts of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products attributable to tobacco combustion. To this end, numerous smoking products, flavor generators, and medicinal inhalers have been proposed that use electric energy to vaporize or heat volatile substances or to provide the sensations of cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking without significant tobacco combustion. For example, please refer to the various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and heating sources presented in the background art described in U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 by Robinson et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013 / 0255702 by Griffith II et al., and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0096781 by Sears et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. For example, please also refer to the various forms of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electric-powered heating sources referenced by trademark and commercial source in U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 170,838 of Bless et al., dated February 3, 2014, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Additionally, other forms of smoking articles are presented in U.S. Patent No. 5,505,214 of Collins et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,894,841 of Voges, U.S. Patent No. 6,772,756 of Shayan, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006 / 0196518 of Hon, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007 / 0267031 of Hon, and U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 716204 of Minskoff et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0003] Continuous advancements in the field of aerosol delivery devices have consequently provided rechargeable reservoirs for use in aerosol delivery devices containing aerosol precursor compositions, and rechargeable reservoirs are configured to allow the aerosol delivery device to be reused. However, recharging of such reservoirs can often result in dangerous user exposure to the aerosol precursor composition. The problem to be solved

[0004] Therefore, a system and method are required to safely recharge an aerosol delivery device with an aerosol precursor composition. means of solving the problem

[0005] The present invention relates to an aerosol delivery device, a method for forming such a device, and elements of such a device. Accordingly, the present invention includes, without limitation, the following exemplary embodiments.

[0006] Exemplary Example 1: An aerosol delivery device comprising a housing coupled to an adapter and a heating element housed within the housing. The housing has a rechargeable reservoir for storing an aerosol precursor composition. The heating element is configured to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition in response to air flow through at least a portion of the housing, and the air can combine with the vapor thus formed to form an aerosol. The adapter may be detachably and sealably connected to a container to refill the reservoir with the aerosol precursor composition. The adapter is configured to engage with a valve of the container during the refilling of the reservoir. The adapter has a body having separate charging ports and air flow ports. The charging port is intended to transfer the aerosol precursor composition from the container into the reservoir during the coupling of the adapter and the valve, and the air flow port is closed by a valve to prevent the aerosol precursor composition from passing through the air flow port. The above air flow port is intended to allow air to flow through at least a part of the housing when the adapter and the valve are disengaged.

[0007] Exemplary Example 2: In an aerosol delivery device of any prior or subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, the valve comprises a depressible valve body having a first valve member and a second valve member, wherein the first valve member is for opening a passage to an aerosol precursor composition in a container, and the second valve member is for closing an air flow port when the valve body is pressed.

[0008] Exemplary Example 3: In any preceding or any subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, an aerosol delivery device, the air flow port has an internal cavity sized to accommodate at least a matching portion of a second valve member therein.

[0009] Exemplary Example 4: In any prior or any subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, an aerosol delivery device, wherein the body has an adapter protrusion having an air flow port, and the container has a nozzle in which a valve is movably disposed, and the nozzle has a cavity sized to accommodate at least a portion of the valve when the adapter and the valve are disengaged and to accommodate the adapter protrusion when the adapter and the valve are engaged.

[0010] Exemplary Example 5: In any prior or any subsequent exemplary example, or any combination thereof, an aerosol delivery device, the nozzle is provided with a spout for transferring an aerosol precursor composition from a container into a storage tank, and the filling port is sized to accommodate the spout when the adapter and the valve are coupled.

[0011] Exemplary Example 6: In any prior or any subsequent exemplary example, or any combination thereof, an aerosol delivery device, the adapter further comprises a check valve coupled to a charging port and configured to move an aerosol precursor composition from a container into a storage tank.

[0012] Exemplary Example 7: In any prior or any subsequent exemplary example, or any combination thereof, an aerosol delivery device further comprises a mousepiece detachably coupled to a housing over an adapter such that the adapter is exposed when the mousepiece is removed.

[0013] Exemplary Example 8: In any preceding or any subsequent exemplary example, or any combination thereof, an aerosol delivery device, the mouthpiece is a removal-resistant mouthpiece having two tabs, and simultaneous pressurization of the two tabs allows the removal-resistant mouthpiece to rotate and be released from the housing.

[0014] Exemplary Example 9: In any preceding or any subsequent exemplary example, or any combination thereof, an aerosol delivery device, the adapter further comprises a slot that can be engaged with a matching tab of the container to align the adapter with the container and connect it thereto.

[0015] Example 10: A container of an aerosol precursor composition for recharging an aerosol delivery device having a housing having a storage tank for storing an aerosol precursor composition and an adapter coupled to said housing. The adapter may be detachably and sealably connected to the aerosol delivery device so as to recharge the aerosol delivery device with the aerosol precursor composition. The adapter has a valve configured to engage with the aerosol delivery device during recharging of the aerosol delivery device. The aerosol delivery device has a separate charging port and an air flow port, said charging port is for transferring the aerosol precursor composition from the storage tank into the aerosol delivery device during engagement of the valve and the aerosol delivery device, said air flow port is closed by the valve to prevent the aerosol precursor composition from passing through the air flow port, said air flow port is for air to flow through at least a part of the aerosol delivery device when the valve and the aerosol delivery device are disengaged.

[0016] Exemplary Example 11: In some exemplary embodiment of a container of any prior or subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, the valve comprises a pushable valve body having a first valve member and a second valve member, the first valve member is for opening a passage to an aerosol precursor composition in a reservoir, and the second valve member is for closing an air flow port when the valve body is pressed.

[0017] Exemplary Example 12: In any preceding or any subsequent exemplary example, or any combination thereof, of a part of an exemplary example of a container, the air flow port has an internal cavity, the second valve member has a matching portion, and the internal cavity is sized to accommodate at least the matching portion of the second valve member therein.

[0018] Exemplary Example 13: In any prior or any subsequent exemplary example, or any combination thereof, of a container in any exemplary example, the aerosol delivery device has an adapter protrusion having an air flow port, and the container has a nozzle in which a valve is movably disposed, and the nozzle has a cavity sized to accommodate at least a portion of the valve when the adapter and the aerosol delivery device are disengaged and to accommodate the adapter protrusion when the adapter and the aerosol delivery device are engaged.

[0019] Exemplary Example 14: In any preceding or any subsequent exemplary example, or any combination thereof, of a container in any exemplary example, the nozzle is provided with a spout for transferring an aerosol precursor composition from a storage tank into an aerosol delivery device, and the filling port is sized to accommodate the spout when the adapter and the valve are coupled.

[0020] Exemplary Example 15: In any preceding or any subsequent exemplary example, or any combination thereof, of a container in any exemplary example, the nozzle has one or more liquid ports configured to transfer an aerosol precursor composition from a storage tank into an aerosol delivery device.

[0021] Exemplary Example 16: In any preceding or any subsequent exemplary example, or any combination thereof, of a portion of an exemplary example of a container, a cap is additionally included that is detachably coupled to the housing over the adapter so that the adapter is exposed when the cap is removed.

[0022] Exemplary Example 17: In any preceding or any subsequent exemplary example, or any combination thereof, of a container in some exemplary example, the cap is a removal-resistant cap having two tabs, and simultaneous pressure of the two tabs allows the removal-resistant cap to rotate and be removed from the housing.

[0023] Exemplary Example 18: In any preceding or any subsequent exemplary example, or any combination thereof, of a container in any exemplary example, the adapter further comprises a tab that can be engaged with a matching slot of an aerosol delivery device to align the adapter with the aerosol delivery device and connect it thereto.

[0024] Exemplary Example 19: A method for carrying out a liquid-containing system for use in a rechargeable aerosol delivery device. The method comprises the step of detachably and sealably connecting an adapter of an aerosol delivery device to a corresponding adapter of a container to recharge the aerosol delivery device with an aerosol precursor composition, wherein the adapter is coupled to a valve of the corresponding adapter, and the adapter has a body having separate, distinct filling ports and air flow ports, wherein the filling port is for transferring the aerosol precursor composition from the container into the aerosol delivery device during coupling of the adapter and the valve, and the air flow port is closed by a valve to prevent the aerosol precursor composition from passing through the air flow port, and wherein the air flow port is for air to flow through at least a portion of the aerosol delivery device when the adapter and the valve are disengaged. The method also comprises the step of transferring the aerosol precursor composition from the container into the aerosol delivery device.

[0025] Exemplary Example 20: In some exemplary embodiment of the method of any prior or subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, the valve comprises a valve body that is pressed when an adapter is connected to a corresponding adapter, the valve body comprises a first valve member and a second valve member, the first valve member opens a passage to an aerosol precursor composition in a container, and the second valve member closes an air flow port when the valve body is pressed.

[0026] The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by carefully reading the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. The present invention includes any combination of two, three, four, or more features or elements set forth in this specification, regardless of whether such features or elements are explicitly combined or listed in the specific exemplary embodiments described in this specification. The present invention is intended to be interpreted collectively, and therefore any individual feature or element of the present invention should be considered as intended, i.e., combinable, unless otherwise specified in any of the aspects and exemplary embodiments.

[0027] Therefore, it will be understood that this overview is provided solely for the purpose of summarizing some exemplary embodiments to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. Accordingly, it will be understood that the foregoing exemplary embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed in any way as limiting the scope or spirit of the invention. Other exemplary embodiments, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the principles of some of the described exemplary embodiments. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0028] Although the present invention has been described above in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to actual scale. FIG. 1 is a diagram of an aerosol delivery device having a tank coupled to a control body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial cutaway view of an aerosol delivery device that corresponds to the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 1 according to various exemplary embodiments. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a container of an aerosol precursor composition having a storage tank according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4a and 4b are illustrations of an aerosol delivery device having a removal-resistant mouthpiece according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 5A and 5B are illustrations of an adapter for accommodating an aerosol precursor composition within an aerosol delivery device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a partial cutaway view of an adapter for accommodating an aerosol precursor composition within an aerosol delivery device that may correspond to the adapters of FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b according to various exemplary embodiments. FIGS. 7a and 7b are illustrations of an adapter for transferring an aerosol precursor composition from a container according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 8a and 8b are partial cutaway views of an adapter for transferring an aerosol precursor composition from a container that corresponds to the adapters of FIGS. 7a and 7b according to various exemplary embodiments. FIGS. 9 and 10 are bottom perspective views of an adapter for transferring an aerosol precursor composition from a container that may correspond to the adapter of FIGS. 7a and 7b according to various exemplary embodiments. FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a container for recharging an aerosol delivery device having an adapter for transferring an aerosol precursor composition from within a container that corresponds to the container of FIG. 3 and the adapter of FIG. 7a and FIG. 7b according to various exemplary embodiments. FIG. 12 is a diagram of a liquid-containing system for recharging an aerosol delivery device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 13a and 13b are partial cutaway views of a liquid-containing system for recharging an aerosol delivery device that can correspond to the liquid-containing system of FIG. 12 according to various exemplary embodiments. FIG. 14 illustrates various operations in a method for implementing a liquid-containing system for use in a rechargeable aerosol delivery device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0029] The present invention will now be described more faithfully below with reference to exemplary embodiments. These exemplary embodiments are described to ensure that the invention is thorough and complete and faithfully conveys the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In practice, the invention may be embodied in various forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described herein, and these embodiments are provided to satisfy applicable legal requirements. When used in the specification and claims, the singular and definite articles include variations unless otherwise specified.

[0030] As described below, exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to an aerosol delivery system. An aerosol delivery system according to the present invention uses electrical energy to heat a material (preferably without burning the material to any significant degree and / or without significant chemical alteration of the material) to form an inhalable substance; and the components of such a system have the most preferred form of article that are sufficiently compact to be considered as a handle-type device. That is, the use of the components of the preferred aerosol delivery system does not result in the generation of smoke in the sense that the aerosol is primarily due to byproducts of the combustion or thermal decomposition of tobacco, but the use of the preferred system results in the generation of vapor due to the volatilization or evaporation of certain components incorporated therein. In some exemplary embodiments, the components of the aerosol delivery system may be characterized as electronic cigarettes, which most preferably contain tobacco and / or components derived from tobacco and thus deliver tobacco-derived components in aerosol form.

[0031] An aerosol generating piece of a particular desirable aerosol delivery system can provide many of the sensations of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe employed by lighting and burning the tobacco (and inhaling the resulting tobacco smoke) (e.g., breathing act, form of flavor or taste, sensory effect, bodily sensation, act of use, visual cues such as those provided by visible aerosol, etc.) without any significant degree of combustion of any of its components. For example, a user of the aerosol generating piece of the present invention may hold and use the piece in a manner similar to how a smoker uses a traditional form of smoking article, place one end of the piece in the mouth for inhalation of the aerosol generated by the piece, and perform actions such as puffing at selected time intervals.

[0032] The aerosol delivery system of the present invention may also be characterized as being a vapor-generating article or a drug delivery article. Accordingly, such article or device may be configured to provide one or more substances (e.g., flavorings and / or active ingredients of pharmaceuticals) in an inhalable form or state. For example, the inhalable substance may be substantially in the form of vapor (i.e., a substance that is in a gaseous state at temperatures below its critical point). Alternatively, the inhalable substance may be in the form of an aerosol (i.e., a suspension of fine solid particles or droplets in a gas). For simplicity, as used herein, the term “aerosol” is meant to include vapors, gases, and aerosols in a form or type suitable for human inhalation, regardless of whether they are visible or whether they may be considered similar to smoke.

[0033] The aerosol delivery device of the present invention generally comprises a plurality of parts provided within an outer body or shell, which may be referred to as a housing. The overall design of the outer body or shell may be changed, and the format or configuration of the outer body that defines the overall size and shape of the aerosol delivery device may be changed. In some aerosol delivery devices, an elongated body similar in shape to a cigarette or cigar may be formed as a single monolithic housing, or the elongated housing may be formed as two or more separable bodies. For example, the aerosol delivery device may include an elongated shell or body whose shape may be substantially tubular and thus similar in shape to a conventional cigarette or cigar. In one embodiment, all parts of the aerosol delivery device are housed within a single housing. Alternatively, the aerosol delivery device may include two or more housings that can be joined and separated. For example, an aerosol delivery device may have a control body at one end comprising a housing that accommodates one or more reusable parts (e.g., a rechargeable battery and various electronic devices for controlling the operation of said article), and at the other end, an outer body or shell that accommodates one or more aerosol precursor components, such as a flavoring agent and an aerosol forming agent, is detachably attached. In various embodiments, this part may be a disposable part (e.g., a disposable cartridge) or a rechargeable part (e.g., a rechargeable tank).

[0034] The aerosol delivery device of the present invention may be formed with an outer housing or shell that is not substantially tubular in shape but may be formed with substantially larger dimensions. The housing or shell may be configured to have a mouthpiece and / or may be configured to accommodate a separate shell (e.g., cartridge, tank) that may have a consumable element such as a liquid aerosol forming agent and may have a vaporizer.

[0035] The aerosol delivery device of the present invention preferably comprises a power source (i.e., an electric power source), one or more control components (for example, means for operating, controlling, regulating, and stopping power for heating by controlling the flow of current from the power source to other parts of the article, such as a microprocessor, individually or as part of a microcontroller), a heater or heating component (for example, an electric resistance heating element or other component, which may be collectively referred to as a "sprayer," either alone or in combination with one or more additional elements), an aerosol precursor composition (for example, a liquid capable of generating an aerosol when sufficient heat is applied, such as a component collectively referred to as "smoke juice," "e-liquid," and "e-juice"), a mouth end region or tip for enabling the aerosol delivery device to be bitten for aerosol inhalation (for example, an air flow path formed through the article so that the generated aerosol can be drawn out of the article upon biting).

[0036] More specific formats, configurations, and arrangements of the components within the aerosol delivery system of the present invention will become apparent from the additional description provided below. Furthermore, the selection and arrangement of various aerosol delivery system components can be understood by considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, such as the representative products mentioned in the background section of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a side view of an aerosol delivery device (100) comprising a control body (102) and a tank (104) according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates a control body and a tank coupled together. The control body and the tank may be aligned permanently or detachably in a functional relationship. Various mechanisms may connect the tank to the control body, resulting in screw connections, press-fit connections, interference fits, magnetic connections, etc. In some examples, the aerosol delivery device may be substantially rod-shaped, substantially tubular, or substantially cylindrical in some exemplary embodiments when the tank and the control body are in an assembled configuration. In other examples, additional shapes and dimensions are included, for example, rectangular or triangular cross-sections, polyhedral shapes, etc. The tank and the control body may comprise a single housing or outer body or individual housings or outer bodies that may be formed from any number of different materials. The housing may be formed from any combination of suitable, structurally sound materials. In some examples, the housing may be formed from one or more metals or alloys, such as stainless steel, aluminum, etc. Other suitable materials include various plastics (e.g., polycarbonate), metal plating on plastic, glass, etc.

[0038] In some exemplary embodiments, one or both of the control body (102) or tank (104) of the aerosol delivery device (100) may be referred to as disposable or reusable. For example, the control body may have a replaceable battery or a rechargeable battery and thus may be combined with any form of rechargeable technology including connection to a standard AC electrical outlet, connection to a car charger (i.e., cigarette lighter jack), and computer connection via a USB cable or connector, etc. For example, an adapter having a USB connector at one end and a control body connector at the opposite end is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0261495, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, in some exemplary embodiments, the control body may be coupled to a tank comprising a rechargeable reservoir therein. The reservoir may be configured to hold an aerosol precursor composition. In some exemplary embodiments, the storage tank may be formed particularly of a porous material (e.g., a fibrous material) and thus may be referred to as a porous substrate (e.g., a fibrous substrate).

[0039] A fibrous substrate useful as a reservoir in an aerosol delivery device may be a woven or nonwoven material formed of a plurality of fibers or filaments, and may be formed of one or both of natural fibers and synthetic fibers. For example, the fibrous substrate may include glass fiber material. In certain examples, cellulose acetate material may be used. In other exemplary embodiments, carbon material may be used. The reservoir may substantially be in the form of a container and may include a fibrous material contained within the container. In other embodiments, the reservoir may be formed of glass, plastic, or other materials not specified herein.

[0040] In one exemplary embodiment, the control body (102) and the tank (104) forming the aerosol delivery device (100) may be permanently and / or detachably coupled to each other. An example of an aerosol delivery device having first and second outer bodies configured to be disposable or / or permanently coupled is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 170,838 of Bless et al. dated February 3, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In another exemplary embodiment, the tank and the control body may be configured as a single, inseparable form and may include the parts, embodiments, and features disclosed herein. However, in another exemplary embodiment, the control body and the tank may be configured to be detachable, for example, so that the tank can be refilled or replaced.

[0041] FIG. 2 illustrates a more specific example of a suitable aerosol delivery device (200) that may correspond to the aerosol delivery device (100) of FIG. 1 in some embodiments. As shown in the cutaway view illustrated herein, the aerosol delivery device may include a control body (202) and a tank (204) that may correspond to the control body (102) and tank (104) of FIG. 1, respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the control body (202) may be formed of a control body shell (206) that may be equipped with a control component (208) [e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB), an integrated circuit, a memory component, a microprocessor, etc., individually or as part of a microcontroller], a flow sensor (210), a battery (212), and one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) (214), and these components may be variably aligned. Additional indicators (e.g., tactile feedback components, auditory feedback components, etc.) may be provided in addition to or as an alternative to the LED. Additional representative forms of components that produce visual cues or indicators, such as light-emitting diode (LED) components, and their configuration and use are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,154,192 of Sprinkel et al.; No. 8,499,766 of Newton and No. 8,539,959 of Scatterday; and U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 173,266 of Sears et al. dated February 5, 2014, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0042] The tank (204) may be formed by a tank shell (216) surrounding a storage tank (218) that is in fluid communication with a liquid transfer element (220) configured to wick-move or transfer an aerosol precursor composition stored in a storage tank housing to a heater (222) (often referred to as a heating element). In some examples, a valve configured to control the amount of aerosol precursor composition transferred or discharged from the storage tank to the heater may be placed between the storage tank and the heater.

[0043] Various examples of materials configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied may be used to form a heater (222). In these examples, the heater may be a resistive heating element such as a coil. Exemplary materials capable of forming a coil include Kanthal (FeCrAl), nichrome, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), aluminum-doped molybdenum disilicide (Mo(Si,Al)2), graphite and graphite-based materials [e.g., carbon-based foams and yarns], and ceramics (e.g., ceramics with a positive or negative temperature coefficient). Exemplary embodiments of a heater or heating element useful for an aerosol delivery device according to the present invention are further described below and may be incorporated into a device such as that shown in FIG. 2 of this specification.

[0044] A mouthpiece (224) having an opening formed therein may be attached to the tank shell (216) (e.g., at the end of the mouthpiece) to allow the formed aerosol to escape from the tank (204). Such a part represents a part that may exist within the tank and is not intended to limit the range of tank parts covered by the present invention.

[0045] The tank (204) may also be equipped with one or more electronic components (226) that may include an integrated circuit, a memory component, a sensor, etc. The electronic components may be configured to communicate with a control component (208) and / or an external device by wired or wireless means. The electronic components may be placed at any location within the tank or its base (228).

[0046] The control component (208) comprises a plurality of electronic components and, in some examples, may be formed of an electronic or printed circuit board (PCB) that supports and electrically connects the electronic components. The electronic components may comprise a microprocessor or processor core and memory. In some examples, the control component may comprise a microcontroller having an integrated processor core and memory and may additionally comprise one or more integrated input / output peripherals. In some examples, the control component may be coupled to a communication interface to enable wireless communication with one or more networks, computing devices, or other appropriately enabled devices. An example of a suitable communication interface is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 638,562 of Marion et al., filed March 4, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Examples of suitable ways in which an aerosol delivery device may be configured to communicate wirelessly accordingly are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 327,776 of Ampolini et al. of July 10, 2014 and U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 609,032 of Henry II et al. of January 29, 2015, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0047] Although the control component (208) and the flow sensor (210) are depicted separately, it should be noted that the control component and the flow sensor may be combined on a PCB to which, for example, an air flow sensor can be directly attached. Additionally, the PCB may be positioned horizontally with respect to the illustration in FIG. 2, wherein the PCB may be longitudinally parallel to the central axis of the control body. In some examples, the air flow sensor may include its own circuit board or other base element to which it can be attached. In some examples, a flexible circuit board may be used. The flexible circuit board may be configured in various shapes, including substantially tubular shapes. In some examples, the flexible circuit board may be combined with the heater board described below, laminated on top of the heater board, or form part or all of the heater board.

[0048] The control body (202) and the tank (204) may be provided with components configured to facilitate fluid coupling between them. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the control body may be provided with a coupler (230) having a cavity (232) inside. The base (228) of the tank may be configured to be coupled with the coupler and may be provided with a protrusion (234) configured to be fitted into the cavity. This coupling may not only facilitate a stable connection between the control body and the tank, but also establish an electrical connection between the battery (212) and control component (208) inside the control body and the heater (222) inside the tank. Additionally, the control body shell (206) may be provided with an air intake (236) which may be a notch inside the shell, connected to the coupler, thereby allowing ambient air to pass around the coupler and enter the cavity, and the air then passes through the cavity (232) of the coupler and enters the tank through the protrusion (234).

[0049] A useful coupler and base according to the present invention are described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0261495 by Novak et al., the whole of which is incorporated herein by reference. For example, the coupler (230) may have an outer circumference (238) configured to engage with the inner circumference (240) of the base (228), as illustrated in FIG. 2. In one example, the inner circumference of the base may have a radius that is approximately equal to or slightly larger than the radius of the outer circumference of the coupler. Additionally, the coupler may have one or more protrusions (242) on the outer circumference configured to engage with one or more recesses (244) formed in the inner circumference of the base. However, various other examples of structures, shapes, and parts may be used to engage the base with the coupler. In some examples, the connection between the base of the tank (204) and the coupler of the control body (202) may be substantially permanent, whereas in other examples, the connection between them may be released so that the control body can be reused, for example, with one or more additional tanks that may be disposable and / or rechargeable.

[0050] The storage tank (218) illustrated in FIG. 2 may be a container or, as described herein, a storage tank. For example, the storage tank may be substantially formed in the shape of a tube surrounding the interior of the tank shell (216) in this example. An aerosol precursor composition may be held in the storage tank. For example, a liquid component may be held in the storage tank. The storage tank may be in a fluid connection with a liquid transport element (220). The liquid transport element may transport the aerosol precursor composition stored in the storage tank through capillary action to a heater (222), which in this example is in the form of a metal wire coil. Thus, the heater is in a heating arrangement with the liquid transport element. Exemplary embodiments of a storage tank and a transport element useful for an aerosol delivery device according to the present invention are further described below, and such storage tank and / or transport element may be incorporated into a device such as that illustrated in FIG. 2 described herein. In particular, a specific combination of a heating element and a transport element described further below may be incorporated into a device such as that illustrated in FIG. 2 described herein.

[0051] When in use, when the user sucks in the aerosol delivery device (200), the air flow is detected by the flow sensor (210), and the heater (222) is operated to vaporize the components of the aerosol precursor composition. When the mouthpiece (224) of the aerosol delivery device is sucked in, ambient air enters the air intake (236) and passes through the cavity (232) in the coupler (230) and the central opening in the protrusion (234) of the base (228). In the tank (204), the sucked air combines with the formed vapor to form an aerosol. The aerosol is pulled out of the opening in the mouthpiece of the aerosol delivery device from the heater, sucked in, or otherwise withdrawn.

[0052] The aerosol delivery device (200) may be provided with an input element (246). The input element may be provided to allow a user to control the function of the device and / or to output information to the user. For example, a user may use the input element to vaporize an aerosol precursor composition and / or activate an on / off function. Any part or a combination of parts may be used as an input to control the function of the device. For example, one or more push buttons described in U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 193,961 of Worm et al., February 28, 2014, by reference herein may be used. Likewise, a touchscreen described in U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 643,626 of Sears et al., March 10, 2015, by reference herein may be used. As an additional example, a part suitable for gesture recognition based on a specific movement of the aerosol delivery device may be used as an input. Please refer to U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 565,137 of December 9, 2014 by Henry et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0053] In some exemplary embodiments, a computing device, such as a mobile computer (e.g., smartphone, tablet computer), may be used as an input element in addition to or instead of an input element (246) on the aerosol delivery device itself. In particular, the aerosol delivery device (200) may be connected to a computer or other device by means of a USB cord or similar protocol. The aerosol delivery device may also communicate with a computer or other device acting as an input unit via wireless communication. For example, refer to the system and method for controlling a device through a read request, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 327,776 of July 10, 2014, by reference herein. In such embodiments, application software may be used with the computing device to input control commands to the aerosol delivery device, such control commands include the ability to form an aerosol of a specific composition by selecting, for example, the nicotine content and / or the content of additional flavorings to be included.

[0054] In some examples, the aerosol delivery device (200) may include a number of additional hardware-implemented or software-controlled functions. For example, the aerosol delivery device may have a battery protection circuit configured to detect a battery input, a load on the battery terminal, and a charge input. The battery protection circuit may have short-circuit protection and low-voltage cutoff. The aerosol delivery device may also have a component for measuring ambient temperature, and the control component (208) may be configured to control one or more functional elements to prohibit battery charging if the ambient temperature falls below a specific temperature (e.g., 0°C) or exceeds a specific temperature (e.g., 45°C) before or during charging.

[0055] Power output from the battery (212) may be changed during each puffing process for the device (200) according to the power control mechanism. The device may be equipped with a "long puff" safety timer so that if the device continues to attempt puffing by a user or an accidental mechanism, the control component (208) can control one or more functional elements to automatically terminate the puff after a certain period (e.g., 4 seconds). Additionally, the time between puffs for the device may be limited to less than a certain time (e.g., 100 seconds). The safety timer may automatically reset the aerosol delivery device if the control component or the software running thereon becomes unstable and the timer is not repaired within an appropriate time interval (e.g., 8 seconds). Additional safety protection may be provided, such as by permanently neutralizing the aerosol to prevent accidental heating, in the event that the flow sensor (210) becomes defective or fails. If the pressure sensor fails and the device continues to operate without stopping after a maximum puffing time of 4 seconds, the puffing limit switch can disable the device.

[0056] The aerosol delivery device (200) may be equipped with a puff tracking algorithm configured to lock out a heater when a predetermined number of puffs is achieved for an attached tank (based on the number of available puffs calculated in consideration of the e-liquid charge in the tank). In some embodiments, the puff tracking algorithm indirectly counts the number of puffs based on a corresponding number of puff seconds. Thus, the puff tracking algorithm may calculate when a specific number of puffs has occurred and incrementally count the number of puff seconds to shut down the device when the puff seconds are evaluated to be the scheduled number of puffs. For example, if 3 seconds is defined as one "average" puff and the device is configured to stop after 200 average puffs, the device may stop after 600 puff seconds have elapsed in relation to the use of the tank. The puff tracking algorithm can further evaluate the amount of e-liquid used per puff second and can mathematically calculate the e-liquid volume based at least partially on the evaluation of the corresponding puff second.

[0057] The aerosol delivery device (200) may be equipped with sleep, standby, or low-power mode functions, so that power delivery may be automatically cut off after a set period of non-use. Additional safety protection may be provided as all charge / discharge cycles of the battery (212) may be monitored by the control component (208) throughout its lifespan. After the battery has performed a scheduled number of full discharge and full charge cycles (e.g., 200 times), the battery may be declared depleted, and the control component may control one or more functional elements to prevent further charging of the battery.

[0058] Various components of the aerosol delivery device according to the present invention may be selected from components described in the relevant art and commercially available. An example of a battery that may be used according to the present invention is described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010 / 0028766 by Peckerar et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0059] The aerosol delivery device (200) may include a sensor (210) or other sensor or detector to control the power supply to the heater (222) when aerosol generation is required (e.g., when drawing in during use). Thus, for example, a method or manner is provided to cut off the power supply to the heater when the aerosol delivery device is not drawing in during use, and to turn on the power to activate or trigger heat generation by the heater during drawing. Further representative forms of a sensing or detection mechanism, its structure and configuration, its parts, and its general method of operation are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,261,424 of Sprinkel II, U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 of McCafferty et al., and PCT Patent Publication No. WO 2010 / 003480 of Flick, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0060] It is most preferable that the aerosol delivery device (200) includes a control component (208) or other control mechanism for controlling the amount of power to the heater (222) during suction. Representative forms of electronic components, their structure and configuration, their features, and their general method of operation are U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 by Gerth et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,947,874 by Brooks et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 by McCafferty et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 by Fleischhauer et al., and U.S. Patent No. 7,040,314 by Nguyen et al.; U.S. Patent No. 8,205,622 of Pan, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009 / 0230117 of Fernando et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0060554 of Collet et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0270727 of Ampolini et al., and U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 209,191 of Henry et al. dated March 13, 2014, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0061] Representative forms of substrates, reservoirs, or other components for supporting aerosol precursors are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,528,569 of Newton, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0261487 of Chapman et al., U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 011,992 of Davis et al. dated August 28, 2013, and U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 170,838 of Bless et al. dated February 3, 2014, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Additionally, various wick transfer materials, and the composition and operation of these wick materials within specific types of electronic cigarettes, are presented in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0209105 of Sears et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0062] In an aerosol delivery system characterized by electronic cigarettes, it is most preferable that the aerosol precursor composition comprises tobacco or a component derived from tobacco. In one embodiment, the tobacco may be provided as a portion or piece of tobacco, such as finely ground, milled, or powdered tobacco laminar. In another embodiment, the tobacco may be provided in the form of an extract, such as a spray-dried extract containing a majority of the water-soluble components of tobacco. Alternatively, the tobacco extract may have the form of an extract with a relatively high nicotine content, which also contains small amounts of other extracted components derived from tobacco. In another embodiment, the component derived from tobacco may be provided in a relatively pure form, such as a specific flavoring agent derived from tobacco. In one embodiment, the component derived from tobacco and available for use in a high-purity or essentially pure form is nicotine (e.g., pharmaceutical-grade nicotine).

[0063] An aerosol precursor composition, also referred to as a vapor precursor composition, may comprise various components, such as polyhydric alcohols (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof), nicotine, tobacco, tobacco extracts, and / or flavorings, as examples. Various components that may be included in an aerosol precursor composition are described in their entirety in U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 by Robinson et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. Additional representative forms of an aerosol precursor composition are U.S. Patent No. 4,793,365 by Sensabaugh II et al. and U.S. Patent No. 5,101,839 by Jakob et al.; U.S. Patent No. 6,779,531 by Biggs et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013 / 0008457 by Zheng et al., and Chemical and Biological Studies on New Cigarette Prototypes that Heat Instead of Burn Tobacco, RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company Monograph (1988), all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0064] Representative forms of aerosol precursor components and formulations are also presented and characterized in U.S. Patent No. 7,217,320 by Robinson et al., No. 2013 / 0213417 by Chong et al., No. 2014 / 0060554 by Collett et al., No. 2015 / 0020823 by Lipowicz et al., No. 2015 / 0020830 by Koller, as well as WO 2014 / 182736 by Bowen et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Other aerosol precursors that may be used include aerosol precursors incorporated into VUSE® products by RJ Reynolds Vapor Company, BLU™ products by Lorillard Technologies, MISTIC MENTHOL products by Mistic Ecigs, and VYPE products by CN Creative Ltd. Also preferred is the so-called "smoke juice" for electronic cigarettes available from Johnson Creek Enterprises LLC.

[0065] The amount of aerosol precursor incorporated into the aerosol delivery system is set so that the aerosol generating piece provides acceptable sensory and desirable performance characteristics. For example, it is highly desirable to use a sufficient amount of aerosol-forming material (e.g., glycerin and / or propylene glycol) to provide the generation of a visible mainstream aerosol that resembles the appearance of cigarette smoke in many respects. The amount of aerosol precursor within the aerosol generating system may be dependent on factors such as the number of puffs required per aerosol generating piece. Typically, the amount of aerosol precursor incorporated into the aerosol delivery system, particularly within the aerosol generating piece, is about 2 g or less, generally about 1.5 g or less, often about 1 g or less, and commonly about 0.5 g or less.

[0066] Additional representative forms of components that produce visual cues or indicators, such as LEDs and related components, auditory elements (e.g., speakers), and vibrating elements (e.g., vibration motors), may be used in the aerosol delivery device (200). Examples of suitable LED components and their configurations and uses are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,154,192 of Sprinkel et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,499,766 of Newton, U.S. Patent No. 8,539,959 of Scatterday, and U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 173,266 of Sears et al. dated February 5, 2014, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0067] Another feature, control unit, or component that may be integrated into the aerosol delivery device of the present invention is U.S. Patent No. 5,967,148 by Harris et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,934,289 by Watkins et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,954,979 by Counts et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,040,560 by Fleischhauer et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,365,742 by Hon, U.S. Patent No. 8,402,976 by Fernando et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005 / 0016550 by Katase, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010 / 0163063 by Fernando et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013 / 0192623 by Tucker et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013 / 0298905 by Leven et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013 / 0180553 by Kim et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013 / 0180553 by Sebastian et al. As described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0000638, Novak et al., No. 2014 / 0261495, and DePiano et al., No. 2014 / 0261408, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0068] As previously mentioned, the tank (204) may be formed with a tank shell (216) that encloses a storage tank (218) within it. In some exemplary embodiments, the storage tank may be a rechargeable storage tank, and a container of the aerosol precursor composition may be provided to recharge the storage tank. The tank and the container may be detachably and sealably connected to each other so that a sealing connection between the tank and the container can be configured to safely transfer the aerosol precursor composition between the container and the aerosol delivery device.

[0069] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a container (300) of an aerosol precursor composition according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As illustrated, the container comprises a container shell (302) that may include a reservoir (304) configured to contain the aerosol precursor composition, and a cap (306) that may be configured to cover a passage to the reservoir. In particular, FIG. 3 illustrates a container shell and a cap coupled together. The container shell and the cap may be detachably coupled to each other. Various mechanisms may connect the container shell to the cap, resulting in screw coupling, press-fit coupling, interference fit, magnetic coupling, etc. In some examples, the container may be substantially rod-shaped, substantially tubular-shaped, or substantially cylindrical-shaped. In other examples, additional shapes and dimensions are included, such as, for example, rectangular or triangular cross-sections, polyhedral shapes, etc.

[0070] The container (300) may be formed from any of a number of different materials. The container shell (302) and cap (306) may be formed from any combination of suitable, structurally sound materials and may be formed from the same or different materials. In some examples, the container shell and cap may be formed from one or more metals or alloys such as stainless steel, aluminum, etc. Other suitable materials include various plastics (e.g., polycarbonate), metal plating on plastic, glass, etc.

[0071] FIGS. 4a and FIGS. 4b (jointly FIG. 4) illustrate a part of an aerosol delivery device tank (400) that corresponds to the tank (104) of FIG. 1 in some examples [one example of which may be the tank (204) of FIG. 2]. As illustrated, the tank may be equipped with a tank shell (402), a storage tank (404), a heater (406), and a mouthpiece (408) that correspond to the tank shell (216), a storage tank (218), a heater (222), and a mouthpiece (224) of the tank (204) of FIG. 2, respectively. As illustrated more specifically in FIG. 4, the mouthpiece (408) can be detachably coupled to the tank (400) over an adapter (410) (aerosol delivery device adapter) coupled to the tank shell (housing), and can be detachably and sealably connected to a container of the aerosol precursor composition [e.g., container (300)] to safely refill the storage tank with the aerosol precursor composition. In this regard, the mouthpiece can be detachably coupled to the tank shell (housing) and / or the aerosol delivery device adapter, and the aerosol delivery device adapter is subsequently coupled to the tank shell. As illustrated between FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b, the mouthpiece can be positioned over the aerosol delivery device adapter such that the adapter is exposed when the mouthpiece is removed. In some examples, the mousepiece may be a removal-resistant mousepiece having two tabs (408a, 408b), and simultaneous pressing of the two tabs allows the removal-resistant mousepiece to rotate and thus be released from the housing for removal.

[0072] The aerosol delivery device adapter (410) may be configured to be detachably and sealably connected to a suitable container of an aerosol precursor composition [e.g., container (300)] in any of a number of different ways. FIGS. 5a and 5b (jointly FIGS. 5) illustrate a portion of a tank (500) similar to the tank (400) of FIGS. 4 [corresponding to tanks (104, 204)], but in some examples further highlight an example of a suitable aerosol delivery device adapter (510) corresponding to the aerosol delivery device adapter (410) of FIGS. 4. The tank (500) of FIGS. 5 may be equipped with a tank shell (502), a storage tank (504), and a heater (506) corresponding to each of the tank shell (402), storage tank (404), and heater (406) of FIGS. 4.

[0073] As illustrated in FIG. 5b, the aerosol delivery device adapter (510) may have a body (512) having a filling port (514) formed therein and a separate air flow port (516). As used herein, a port may refer to a narrow, long passage through which liquid, air, etc., can be transported. As illustrated, in one exemplary embodiment, the port may be substantially cylindrical to allow for the smooth transport of liquid and / or air. In other exemplary embodiments, additional shapes and dimensions, such as a rectangular or triangular cross section, a polyhedral shape, etc., may be included.

[0074] The charging port (514) may be for transferring an aerosol precursor composition from a container [e.g., container (300)] into a storage tank (504) of an aerosol delivery device tank (500) during the coupling of the aerosol delivery device adapter and the container. The air flow port (516) may be for allowing air to flow through at least a part of the housing of the aerosol delivery device when the aerosol delivery device adapter and the container are uncoupled, for example, during use of the aerosol delivery device.

[0075] As previously described, in some examples, the aerosol delivery device adapter (510) may be positioned below the mouthpiece of the aerosol delivery device [e.g., mouthpiece (408)], and the mouthpiece may be detachably coupled to the aerosol delivery device so that the aerosol delivery device adapter is exposed when the mouthpiece is removed. In some examples, the body (512) of the aerosol delivery device adapter may have an adapter protrusion (518) in which an air flow port (516) may be formed. The adapter protrusion may be positioned below the mouthpiece when the mouthpiece is coupled to the aerosol delivery device. When the mouthpiece is removed to refill the reservoir (504), the adapter protrusion may be directly coupled to at least a portion of the container of the aerosol precursor composition so that the aerosol delivery device and the container interlock with each other.

[0076] FIG. 6 is a partial cutaway view of the aerosol delivery device adapter (510) of FIG. 5. As illustrated, the aerosol delivery device adapter may additionally be provided with a check valve (520) coupled to a charging port (514). The check valve may allow the transfer of the aerosol precursor composition from a container of the aerosol precursor composition into a storage tank (504). In particular, the check valve may restrict the flow of the aerosol precursor composition from the storage tank to the charging port. In this way, the aerosol precursor composition may enter the charging port in only one direction. The aerosol delivery device adapter may also be provided with a seal (522) between the aerosol delivery device adapter and the tank shell (502) to seal the connection between the base of the adapter and the opening of the tank shell. The seal may be formed of any combination of suitable, structurally sound materials. In some examples, the seal may be formed from one or more of the following: gasket material, elastomer material, etc.

[0077] FIG. 7a illustrates a container (700) of an aerosol precursor composition that may correspond to the container (300) of FIG. 3 in some examples. The container comprises a container shell (702) [e.g., container shell (302)] that may include a storage tank (704) [e.g., container storage tank (304)] configured to contain the aerosol precursor composition. The container illustrated in FIG. 7a highlights an adapter (706) (container adapter), further illustrated in FIG. 7b, for transferring the aerosol precursor composition from within the container. The container adapter may be coupled to an opening in the container shell. Thus, the container adapter may have a shape and size to match the opening in the container shell. The container adapter may be configured to be detachably and sealably connected to an aerosol delivery device [e.g., aerosol delivery device (100, 200)] to refill the aerosol delivery device with the aerosol precursor composition. As illustrated in FIG. 7b, the container adapter may be coupled with an aerosol delivery device, and more specifically, may be equipped with a valve (708) for coupling with the aerosol delivery device adapter during recharging of the aerosol delivery device.

[0078] FIGS. 8a and 8b are partial cutaway views of the container adapter (706) of FIGS. 7a and 7b (jointly FIG. 7). As illustrated, the valve (708) may be formed by a pressable body having a first valve member (802a) and a second valve member (802b). The first valve member may open or close a passage (804) to an aerosol precursor composition stored in the container. In particular, the first valve member may have a protrusion sized to be fitted into and / or sealed with the passage and thus further restrict the release of the aerosol precursor composition from the storage tank when the valve is not pressed during coupling with an aerosol delivery device.

[0079] The second valve member can close the air flow port [e.g., air flow port (516)] of the aerosol delivery device when the valve is pressed during coupling with the aerosol delivery device. The container adapter (706) may have a nozzle (806) having a cavity (808) formed therein, and at least a portion of the valve (708) may be movably positioned within the cavity. The cavity may be sized to accommodate at least a portion of the first valve member when the aerosol delivery device adapter and the container adapter are uncoupled. The nozzle may have a spout (810) for transferring an aerosol precursor composition from the container into a storage tank, and within the storage tank, the spout may extend from a passage.

[0080] The adapter (706) may further comprise a nozzle housing (812) configured to be coupled to the nozzle (806) so that the valve is movably positioned between the nozzle and the nozzle housing and to accommodate at least a portion of the valve (708) therein. The nozzle housing may be coupled to the valve via a spring (814), and the spring may be configured to be compressed when the valve is pressed and extended when the valve is not pressed. The spring may be positioned within the spring cavity (816a) of the nozzle and the spring cavity (816b) of the nozzle housing. The nozzle may be positioned over the valve within at least a portion of the nozzle housing so that a sealed connection is provided between the nozzle and the nozzle housing.

[0081] FIGS. 9 and FIGS. 10 are bottom perspective views of the container adapter (706) of FIGS. 7a through 8b. As shown in FIG. 9, the nozzle housing (812) may have one or more liquid ports (902) to allow the aerosol precursor composition to move from the container reservoir through the bottom of the nozzle. The base of the valve may be shaped to enable fluid coupling between the container reservoir [e.g., container reservoir (704)] and the inside of the nozzle so that the aerosol precursor composition moves from the container reservoir through the bottom of the nozzle. As shown in FIG. 10, in some examples, the base of the valve (708) may be cross-shaped so that the aerosol precursor composition can move through the cavity (808) of the nozzle (806).

[0082] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a container (1100) for refilling an aerosol delivery device, which may be an example of the container (300) of FIG. 3. The container may have or / or be coupled with the container adapter (706) of FIG. 7, which has a nozzle (806), a valve (708), a nozzle housing (812), and a spring (814). The nozzle housing (812) may be coupled to an opening of the container housing. The exteriors of the nozzle and the nozzle housing may be threaded to enable a secure sealing connection between the container and the adapter. In some exemplary embodiments, the nozzle and the nozzle housing may be threaded using an ego and / or "510" thread pattern.

[0083] In some exemplary embodiments, the container (1100) may be provided with a cap (1112) [e.g., cap (304)]. The cap may be detachably coupled to the housing of the container and may be positioned over the container adapter so that the adapter is exposed when the cap is removed. In one exemplary embodiment, the cap may be a removal-resistant cap having two tabs, and simultaneous pressure of these tabs allows the removal-resistant cap to rotate and be removed from the housing of the container. In another embodiment, the cap may be a removal-resistant cap configured to be removed from the housing by one or more other fixed removal methods not specified herein. For example, the cap may be configured to be removed from the container housing in response to simultaneous downward pressure and counterclockwise rotation of the cap.

[0084] FIG. 12 illustrates a containing liquid system (1200) for refilling an aerosol delivery device, comprising a portion of a tank (500) having an aerosol delivery device adapter (510) on it and a container of an aerosol precursor composition (700) having a container adapter (706) on it. In this embodiment, the containing liquid system may be configured to safely transfer the aerosol precursor composition between the container and the aerosol delivery device by creating a sealed connection between the two adapters (510, 706). These adapters may have a size and shape to be configured to interlock. In one exemplary embodiment, the adapters may additionally be configured to interlock based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

[0085] FIGS. 13a and 13b further illustrate the containing liquid system (1200) of FIG. 12. As illustrated in FIG. 13a, the transfer of the aerosol precursor composition may be restricted until the adapters (510, 706) are fully connected to each other. The full connection between the adapters may refer to an operational connection that allows the transfer of the aerosol precursor composition from the container to the aerosol delivery device. As illustrated in FIG. 13b, upon the full connection of the adapters, a sealed connection may be formed between the aerosol delivery device and the container (700), and thus the aerosol precursor composition may be safely transferred from the container into the aerosol delivery device through one or more ports and / or passages (514, 804).

[0086] In some exemplary embodiments, the aerosol delivery device adapter (510) may be configured to engage with the valve (708) of the container adapter (706) during the refilling of the aerosol delivery device tank reservoir (504). The filling port (514) may be configured to transfer an aerosol precursor composition received from the container (700) into the reservoir of the aerosol delivery device tank during the engagement of the aerosol delivery device adapter and the valve. The filling port (514) may be sized to accommodate the spout (810) when the aerosol delivery device adapter and the valve are fully engaged.

[0087] During the coupling of the aerosol delivery device adapter (510) and the container adapter (706) for refilling the storage tank, the air flow port (516) may be closed to prevent the aerosol precursor composition from passing through the air flow port. As previously mentioned, the air flow port may be closed by the valve (708) of the container adapter during the coupling of the aerosol delivery device and the container adapter. In particular, the air flow port may have an internal cavity sized to accommodate at least a matching portion of the second valve member (802b) of the valve within it. The second valve member may engage with the air flow port and close it when the body of the valve is pressed.

[0088] In some exemplary embodiments, the aerosol delivery device adapter (510) and the container adapter (706) may have one or more interface features. As illustrated in FIG. 5, for example, the aerosol delivery device adapter may have a slot (524) that can be engaged with a matching tab (818) of the container (700) to align the aerosol delivery device adapter with the container and connect it thereto. In particular, the tab may align the filling port (514) and the spout (810) to ensure proper coupling between each adapter. Likewise, the second valve member (802b) may include a slot (820) that can be engaged with the matching tab (818) so that the valve (708) can be movably positioned within the valve cavity (808) around the tab. The cavity (808) of the container adapter may be sized to accommodate the aerosol delivery device adapter protrusion (518) when the aerosol delivery device adapter and the container adapter are coupled.

[0089] The aerosol delivery device adapter may additionally be provided with one or more seals (526a, 526b) to ensure a connection between the aerosol delivery device adapter and the container adapter. In particular, the first seal (526a) may be placed around the perimeter of the adapter to provide a seal between the nozzle cavity (822) and the aerosol delivery device adapter during coupling with the container adapter. Likewise, the second seal (526b) may be placed around the perimeter of the adapter [below the slot (524)] to provide a seal between the valve cavity (808) and the aerosol delivery device adapter during coupling with the container adapter.

[0090] FIG. 14 illustrates various operations in a method (1400) for implementing a containing liquid system for use in a rechargeable aerosol delivery device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in block (1402), the method may include the step of detachably and sealably connecting an adapter of the aerosol delivery device to a corresponding adapter of a container of an aerosol precursor composition, wherein the adapter may be coupled to a valve of the corresponding adapter. The adapter may have a body having separate filling and air flow ports, and the filling port may be configured to transfer the aerosol precursor composition from the container into the aerosol delivery device during coupling of the adapter and the valve. The air flow port may be closed by a valve to prevent the aerosol precursor composition from passing through the air flow port. The air flow port may also be configured to allow air to flow through at least a portion of the aerosol delivery device when the adapter and the valve are disengaged. As illustrated in block (1404), the method may also include the step of transferring an aerosol precursor composition from a container to an aerosol delivery device.

[0091] The above description of the use of the article(s) may be applied to the various exemplary embodiments described herein with minor modifications that may be obvious to a person skilled in the art in consideration of the additional description provided herein. However, the above description of use is not intended to limit the use of the article and is provided to meet all necessary requirements of the present invention. Any of the elements illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 13b or illustrated in the aforementioned article(s) may be provided in an aerosol delivery device according to the present invention.

[0092] Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention disclosed herein will come to mind to a person skilled in the art who has benefit from the teachings presented in the description and the accompanying drawings. Accordingly, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, it should be understood that while the description and the accompanying drawings describe exemplary embodiments in relation to specific exemplary combinations of elements and / or functions, other combinations of elements and / or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. In this regard, other combinations of elements and / or functions other than those specified above are considered, for example, as may be presented in part of the appended claims. Specific terms are used in this specification, but these terms are used only in a comprehensive and descriptive sense and are not used for a restrictive purpose.

Claims

Claim 1 A container for recharging an aerosol delivery device, comprising: a housing having a storage tank for storing an aerosol precursor composition; and an adapter coupled to the housing and detachably and sealably connected to the aerosol delivery device so as to recharge the aerosol delivery device with the aerosol precursor composition, wherein the adapter comprises a valve configured to engage with the aerosol delivery device during recharging of the aerosol delivery device, and wherein the aerosol delivery device comprises a separate charging port and an air flow port, wherein the charging port is for transferring the aerosol precursor composition from the storage tank into the aerosol delivery device during engagement between the valve and the aerosol delivery device, and wherein the air flow port is closed by the valve to prevent the aerosol precursor composition from passing through the air flow port, and wherein the air flow port is configured to allow air to flow through at least a portion of the aerosol delivery device when the valve and the aerosol delivery device are disengaged. Claim 2 A container according to claim 1, wherein the valve comprises a pushable valve body having a first valve member and a second valve member, wherein the first valve member is for opening and closing a passage, through which an aerosol precursor composition flows from the storage tank to the aerosol delivery device, and the second valve member is for closing an air flow port when the valve body is pressed, and wherein the first valve member includes a protrusion having a size to be sealedly coupled with the passage when the valve is not pressed, thereby blocking the flow of the aerosol precursor composition through the passage. Claim 3 A container according to claim 2, wherein the air flow port has an internal cavity, the second valve member includes a matching portion, and the internal cavity has a size to accommodate at least the matching portion of the second valve member therein. Claim 4 A container according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol delivery device comprises an adapter protrusion having an air flow port, the adapter comprises a nozzle in which a valve is movably disposed, and the nozzle comprises a cavity having a size to accommodate at least a portion of the valve when the adapter and the aerosol delivery device are disengaged and to accommodate the adapter protrusion when the adapter and the aerosol delivery device are coupled. Claim 5 A container according to claim 4, wherein the nozzle is provided with a spout for transferring an aerosol precursor composition from a storage tank into an aerosol delivery device, and the filling port is sized to accommodate the spout when the adapter and the valve are combined. Claim 6 A container according to claim 4, wherein the nozzle is configured to have one or more liquid ports configured to transfer an aerosol precursor composition from a storage tank into an aerosol delivery device. Claim 7 A container according to claim 1, further comprising a cap detachably coupled to a housing over an adapter so as to expose the adapter when the cap is removed. Claim 8 A container according to claim 7, wherein the cap is a removal-resistant cap having two tabs, and the simultaneous pressing of the two tabs enables the removal-resistant cap to rotate and be removed from the housing. Claim 9 A container according to claim 1, wherein the adapter further comprises a tab capable of engaging with a matching slot of an aerosol delivery device to align the adapter with the aerosol delivery device and connect it thereto. Claim 10 A method for implementing a liquid containing system for use in a rechargeable aerosol delivery device, comprising the step of detachably and sealably connecting an adapter of an aerosol delivery device to a corresponding adapter of a container to recharge the aerosol delivery device with an aerosol precursor composition, wherein the adapter is coupled to a valve of the corresponding adapter, and the adapter has a body having a separate charging port and an air flow port, wherein the charging port is for transferring the aerosol precursor composition from the container into the aerosol delivery device during coupling of the adapter and the valve, and the air flow port is closed by the valve to prevent the aerosol precursor composition from passing through the air flow port, and wherein the air flow port is for air to flow through at least a part of the aerosol delivery device when the adapter and the valve are disengaged; A method comprising the step of transferring an aerosol precursor composition from a container into an aerosol delivery device, wherein the valve comprises a pushable valve body having at least a first valve member, the first valve member is for opening and closing a passage, through which the aerosol precursor composition flows from a storage tank of the container to the aerosol delivery device, and the first valve member comprises a protrusion having a size such that it seals with the passage when the valve is not pressed, thereby blocking the flow of the aerosol precursor composition through the passage. Claim 11 A method according to claim 10, wherein the pushable valve body further comprises a second valve member, the second valve member closes an air flow port when the valve body is pressed, and the first valve member is further configured to open the passage to the aerosol precursor composition when the valve body is pressed.

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