Patents by Inventor Huanghai LU

Huanghai LU has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220378105
    Abstract: A smoking substitute apparatus is disclosed, comprising a housing comprising a base portion, a mouthpiece portion, and one or more walls extending longitudinally from the base portion towards the mouthpiece portion. An air inlet is formed in a wall of the housing and spaced longitudinally from the base portion. An outlet is formed in the mouthpiece portion. An airflow path extends from the air inlet to the outlet, the airflow path comprising a first portion downstream of the air inlet and extending longitudinally towards the base portion of the housing, and a transversely extending second portion that is downstream of the first portion. The apparatus has a vaporizer comprising a wick and a heating element for heating a heatable portion of the wick. The heatable portion of the wick is elongated in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of airflow in the second portion of the airflow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin Illidge, Huanghai Lu
  • Publication number: 20220202076
    Abstract: A smoking substitute apparatus is disclosed, having: an air inlet; an outlet; and a flow passage formed therebetween. A vaporization chamber is in communication with the flow passage, the vaporization chamber having an aerosol generator configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor by heating. The aerosol generator comprises a vaporizer element loaded with aerosol precursor, the vaporizer element being heatable by a heater and presenting a vaporizer element surface to air in the vaporization chamber. A vaporizer element region is defined as a volume extending outwardly from the vaporizer element surface to a distance of 1 mm from the vaporizer element surface. The air inlet, flow passage, outlet and the vaporization chamber are configured so that, when the air flow rate inhaled by the user through the apparatus is 1.3 L min?1, the turbulence intensity in the vaporizer element region is not more than 1%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin Illidge, Benjamin ASTBURY, Nikhil AGGARWAL, Huanghai LU, John MCKEON
  • Publication number: 20220202089
    Abstract: Provided is a smoking substitute apparatus comprising an enclosure and an aerosol generator, the enclosure at least partially enclosing the aerosol generator, the aerosol generator comprising a heater and being operable to generate an aerosol by vaporizing an aerosol precursor, wherein at least part of the enclosure adjacent the heater is formed from plastics material, there being provided a heat shield between said part of the enclosure and the heater and there being a heat insulating gap between said part of the enclosure and the heat shield. Also provided is: a smoking substitute system comprising a base unit, and the smoking substitute apparatus, wherein the smoking substitute apparatus is removably engageable with the base unit; and a method of using the smoking substitute apparatus to generate an aerosol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin ILLIDGE, Benjamin Astbury, Huanghai Lu, Nikhil Aggarwal, Matthew Pilkington, James Keefe, Andrew Lacey
  • Publication number: 20220202092
    Abstract: A smoking substitute apparatus is disclosed, having: an air inlet; an outlet; and a flow passage formed therebetween. A vaporization chamber is in communication with the flow passage and has an aerosol generator configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor by heating. The aerosol generator comprises a vaporizer element loaded with aerosol precursor, the vaporizer element being heatable by a heater and presenting a vaporizer element surface to air in the vaporization chamber. A vaporizer element region is defined as a volume extending outwardly from the vaporizer element surface to a distance of 1 mm from the vaporizer element surface. The air inlet, flow passage, outlet and the vaporization chamber are configured so that, when the air flow rate inhaled by the user through the apparatus is 1.3 L min?1, the maximum magnitude of velocity of air in the vaporizer element region is in the range 0-2.0 ms?1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin ILLIDGE, Benjamin ASTBURY, Nikhil AGGARWAL, Huanghai LU, John MCKEON
  • Publication number: 20220202098
    Abstract: A smoking substitute apparatus for generating an aerosol, comprising: a housing; an air inlet and an outlet formed at the housing; a passage extending between the air inlet and outlet, air flowing in use along the passage for inhalation by a user drawing on the apparatus; and an aerosol generation chamber containing an aerosol generator being operable to generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor; wherein the aerosol generator is in fluid communication with a downstream portion of the passage for allowing the aerosol to entrain into an air flow along the passage; wherein the downstream portion of the passage comprises a flow converging section having a curved sidewall tapered towards the outlet, and wherein an upstream end of the flow converging section substantially conforms to a cross sectional profile of the aerosol generation chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin ILLIDGE, Huanghai LU, Benjamin ASTBURY, Nikhil AGGARWAL
  • Publication number: 20220202074
    Abstract: A smoking substitute apparatus. The smoking substitute apparatus comprising at least one air inlet and an air inlet passage, an aerosol generator and an outlet, the aerosol generator comprising a heater and being operable to generate an aerosol by vaporizing a liquid aerosol precursor, air flowing in use through said at least one air inlet and air inlet passage, entraining the aerosol and flowing to the outlet when a user draws on the apparatus. A partition wall is provided between the aerosol generator and air inlet passage, in use the partition wall being heated by the heater of the aerosol generator and thereby heating the air in the air inlet passage before entraining the aerosol. The partition wall is formed at least in part by an electrical contact for the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin Illidge, Benjamin Astbury, Huanghai Lu, Nikhil Aggarwal, Matthew Pilkington, James Keefe, Andrew Lacey
  • Publication number: 20220192260
    Abstract: A smoking substitute apparatus is disclosed, having: an air inlet; an outlet; and a flow passage formed between the air inlet and the outlet. A vaporization chamber is in communication with the flow passage, the vaporization chamber having an aerosol generator configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol precursor by heating. The aerosol generator comprises a vaporizer element loaded with aerosol precursor, the vaporizer element being heatable by a heater and presenting a vaporizer element surface to air in the vaporization chamber. The air inlet, flow passage, outlet and the vaporization chamber are configured so that the cooling rate of the vapor is such that the time taken to cool to 50° C. is not less than 16 ms under certain conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin ILLIDGE, Huanghai LU, Benjamin ASTBURY, Nikhil AGGARWAL, John MCKEON, Stephen JONES
  • Publication number: 20220192268
    Abstract: A smoking substitute apparatus. The smoking substitute apparatus comprising: an air inlet, and a vapor outlet; a vaporization chamber the vaporization chamber including: a first vaporizer, for vaporizing aerosol precursor and providing vaporized precursor; and a second vaporizer, located downstream of the first vaporizer, for vaporizing aerosol precursor and providing vaporized precursor; wherein the smoking substitute apparatus also includes a bypass airflow path, which bypasses the vaporization chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin ILLIDGE, Benjamin Astbury, Nikhil Aggarwal, Huanghai Lu