MICROVAPORIZER MOUTHPIECE WITH FLAVORED FILAMENT

Abstract

A flavored mouthpiece filament for a microvaporizer that can infuse vapor with the flavoring before the vapor is delivered to a user. The mouthpiece filament covers either a substantial portion of the diameter of the mouthpiece opening on the microvaporizer, or covers a partial portion of the mouthpiece opening by having an air channel that extends through the filament.

Description

This invention relates to a mouthpiece filter of a microvaporizer, in particular a filament for a mouthpiece in an electronic cigarette that provides flavoring to the vapor before the vapor is received by a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The commercial electronic cigarette (also called an “e-cigarette”) typically includes a mouthpiece, a tank to store liquid for vaporization (the liquid is also called an “e-liquid”), a heating element to vaporizer the e-liquid, and a battery that powers the heating element. When a user turns on the e-cigarette, the battery provides power to the heating element to vaporizer the e-liquid that is delivered to the heating element, and a user receives the e-liquid vapor through the mouthpiece.

The stored e-liquid in the tank can have nicotine with flavoring, or can have only nicotine without the flavoring. A user may want to change the vapor flavoring of before the e-liquid in the tank is depleted and a new liquid with a different flavoring can be refilled in the tank. It is inconvenient to exchange the different flavored e-liquids from the tank, especially due to difficulties in removing and refilling the e-liquid through the small openings to the tank.

In addition to the inconvenience, it is economically costly to remove unfinished e-liquid from the tank to replace for another e-liquid of a different flavoring. To have a change in flavoring, user would have to buy extra e-liquids before they are depleted. Or, the user would have to wait until the e-liquid is depleted before switching to another flavor. Therefore, there is a desire in the field to further improve the user's convenience and increase the possibility for a user to choose and exchange between vapor flavors before the e-liquid in the tank is depleted while minimizing the cost increase in the process.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The improved mouthpiece with flavored filament increases convenience for a user to change vapor flavoring by putting the flavoring in the mouthpiece filament. To change flavoring, the user can exchange the filament in the mouthpiece portion or can exchange the mouthpiece portion with the filament, which are the end portions of an e-cigarette and easily accessible. By exchanging only the flavored filament, or the mouthpiece portion with the flavored filament, a user can utilize the stored e-liquid to the maximum, and the economic cost increase for exchanging between different flavoring is reduced.

Furthermore, if a user exchanges the flavored filament or the mouthpiece portion before the flavoring is depleted, the user can exchange between different flavoring by reusing the previously-unfinished flavored filaments without having to discard the exchanged mouthpiece portions.

An embodiment of a mouthpiece having a flavored filament as described includes a mouthpiece casing, a delivery opening in the casing, and a filament covering the delivery opening. The filament includes an essence configured to provide flavoring to a vapor. The mouthpiece portion can be disposable.

A microvaporizer, such as an e-cigarette, with the improved mouthpiece as described, includes a mouthpiece, a filament in the mouthpiece, a liquid tank connected to the mouthpiece, a heating element that produces vapor using an e-liquid from the liquid tank, and a battery that operates the heating element. The mouthpiece filament has a flavoring essence that provides flavor to the vapor.

A user obtains flavored vapor from an e-cigarette having the flavored filament in a mouthpiece through the process of delivering fluid to a heating element to produce vapor, producing vapor into a vapor chamber within a mouthpiece of the microvaporizer, inducing a suction pressure to a mouthpiece of the microvaporizer, using the suction pressure, dragging the vapor through a filament in the mouthpiece, diffusing a flavor from the filament into the vapor when the vapor is being dragged through the filament, and receiving a flavor infused vapor after the vapor is dragged through the filament.

The filament in the mouthpiece portion can be a filament that covers the entire diameter of the mouthpiece opening. The filament can also fill only a partial diameter of the mouthpiece opening by having an air channel that extends through the filament from a filament surface on the edge of mouthpiece opening to a filament surface that is exposed to the vapor chamber inside the mouthpiece. The filaments are infused with flavors that can be diffused into the vapor as the vapor is dragged through the filament in the mouthpiece opening by a user's suction action.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of an e-cigarette having a filament in the mouthpiece opening.

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a first embodiment filament that covers the full diameter of the mouthpiece opening.

FIG. 3 depicts the flow of vapor in an e-cigarette that uses the first embodiment filament.

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of a second embodiment filament having an air channel, and the filament covers a partial portion of the diameter of the mouthpiece opening.

FIG. 5 depicts the flow of vapor in an e-cigarette that uses the second embodiment filament.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the mouthpiece opening in FIG. 5, showing a first method of vapor infusion through the second embodiment mouthpiece.

FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the mouthpiece opening in FIG. 5, showing a second method of vapor infusion through the second embodiment mouthpiece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A microvaporizer 100, such as an e-cigarette, is shown in FIG. 1. The microvaporizer 100 includes a mouthpiece 101, a tank 103, and a battery 105. A heating element 111 is placed between the battery 105 and the tank 103. The tank 103 has a storage chamber 109 that stores e-liquid for vaporization. The mouthpiece 101 encloses a vapor chamber 107 between the tank 103 and the mouthpiece opening 113.

The microvaporizer 100 has a filament 115 that is placed in the mouthpiece opening 113, such that the mouthpiece opening is partially covered or fully covered by the filament 115. The filament 115 has a thickness D1 that extends from the edge of the mouthpiece opening Filaments of different material, thickness, and shape can be placed inside the mouthpiece opening. Although filaments in a cylindrical shape are shown in the figures, the filaments can be a cylinder, cuboid, sphere, triangular prism, pyramid, cone, a partial portion of these shapes, or a combination thereof.

A first embodiment filament is shown in FIG. 2. The first embodiment filament fully covers the mouthpiece opening, i.e., the filament covers the entire diameter of the mouthpiece opening. A second embodiment filament partially covers the mouthpiece opening, and is shown in FIG. 3, i.e., the filament covers a partial portion of the diameter of the mouthpiece opening.

The first and second embodiment filaments can be provided with liquid flavor essence that can diffuse into the vapor, or the flavor essence can be embedded in the filament material as solid pieces that release the flavoring as the vapor is drawn through the filament.

When a user provides suction to the mouthpiece to receive vapor, the user directly touches the delivery side of the filament in the mouthpiece opening. The suction pressure draws the vapor through the filament from the vapor chamber on the vapor side towards the user on the delivery side of the filament. As the vapor is drawn through the filament, flavoring from the flavoring essence is released from the solid pieces, or diffused out of the liquid essence, to infuse with the vapor.

The first embodiment filament 205 in FIG. 2 is placed in the mouthpiece opening 211 of mouthpiece 200. Mouthpiece 200 includes a casing 201 that defines a mouthpiece opening 211 and a vapor chamber 203.

In a cylindrical shape, the first embodiment filament has a diameter that is substantially the same as the diameter of the mouthpiece opening, and substantially covers the mouthpiece opening, such as between about 90%-100% and about 95%-98% of the diameter. The first embodiment filament has an axis A provided at the radially center portion along the length of the filament. In shapes other than cylindrical, such as rectangular, circular, conical, hexagonal, or a combination thereof, the filament is provided to cover a substantial diameter, such as between about 90%-100% and about 95%-98% of the diameter of the mouthpiece opening.

The filament 205 has a delivery side 207 that is exposed to the outside environment of the mouthpiece 200, and a vapor side 209 that is exposed to the vapor chamber 203 inside the mouthpiece 200. A thickness D2 of the filament 205 is measured from the delivery side 207, which can abut the external edge of the mouthpiece opening 211, to the vapor side 209 that is exposed to the vapor chamber. The filament thickness D2 is between about 0.01 inches to 0.7 inches, about 0.1 inches to 0.5 inches, and about 0.2 inches to 0.3 inches. The filament thickness D2 can be determined based on how much flavoring is desired to be infused into the vapor when the vapor goes through the filament before reaching the user.

The filament 205 can be made of a porous material that traps flavor essence in the filament, such as synthetic fibers, processed cellulose fibers including paper and cotton, and a combination thereof. The filament 205 can be disposable by itself, such that the filament 205 is removable and exchangeable in a permanent mouthpiece. Alternatively, the mouthpiece 200 can be disposable as a unit that includes the filament 205, and the mouthpiece 200 can be replaceable.

Application of the first embodiment filament 315 in a mouthpiece 300 of an e-cigarette is shown in FIG. 3. The mouthpiece 300, having a mouthpiece casing 301 that defines a mouthpiece opening 323 and a vapor chamber 305, is connected to a tank 303 and a heating element 309. The microvaporizer produces vapor flow 311 by delivering e-liquid stored in the storage chamber 307 of the tank 303 to the heating element 309. The vapor flow 311 flows from the heating element 309 towards the vapor chamber 305, and creates a flow of pre-infusion vapor flow 313 in the vapor chamber 305 prior to exiting the mouthpiece 300.

When a user creates a suction pressure on the outside of the mouthpiece opening 323, the suction pressure draws the pre-infusion vapor flow 313 through the vapor side 317 into the filament 315 to infuse with flavoring essence that is provided in the filament 315. The vapor infusing flow 321 is drawn through the filament 315 along the length of the filament D3, and along the axis A of the filament. When the vapor infusing flow 321 reaches the delivery side 319 of the filament 315, the resulting infused vapor flow 325 is drawn out of the mouthpiece opening 423 towards the user. A substantial amount of the vapor, such as between about 90%-100%, and 95%-98%, that the user receives on the delivery side of the first embodiment filament includes the infused vapor flow 325.

A second embodiment filament 405 is shown in FIG. 4. The filament 405 covers the mouthpiece opening 413 and the vapor chamber 403 that are defined by a casing 401. The second embodiment filament 405 only partially covers the mouthpiece opening 413, i.e., the filament 405 covers a partial diameter of the mouthpiece opening 413.

The filament 405 has a delivery side 409 that is exposed to the outside environment of the mouthpiece 400, and a vapor side 411 that is exposed to the vapor chamber 403 inside the mouthpiece 400. A thickness D4 of the filament 405 is measured from the delivery side 409, which can abut the external edge of the mouthpiece opening 413, to the vapor side 411 that is exposed to the vapor chamber 403. The filament thickness D4 is between about 0.01 inches to 0.7 inches, about 0.1 inches to 0.5 inches, and about 0.2 inches to 0.3 inches. The filament thickness D4 can be determined based on how much flavoring is desired to be infused into the vapor when the vapor goes through the filament before reaching the user.

The second embodiment filament 405 has an air channel 407 that extends from the delivery side 409 to the vapor side 411. The air channel 407 is placed and extended along the axis A of the filament at the radially center portion of the filament 405. For example, the air channel 407 is concentric to the perimeter of the filament 405. In another embodiment, the air channel can be placed at an off-center position that does not align with the axis A.

The air channel 407 has a vapor side opening 417 that opens into the vapor chamber, and a delivery side opening 415 that opens towards the external environment and the user. Although the air channel 407 is shown to be straight, the air channel can alternatively be curved, tapered, spiraled, or having a path that is extended in multiple directions in the filament. The openings 415, 417 and the air channel 407 are shown to have the same diameter, and the diameter is between about 0.01 inches to 0.3 inches, preferably between about 0.05 inches to 0.2 inches.

In another embodiment, the delivery side opening and vapor side opening are the same in diameter, and the air channel has a different diameter from the openings. Alternatively, the delivery side opening, the vapor side opening, and the air channel can all have different diameters. The air channel can also have a non-linear flow path, such that the diameters of different section inside the air channel can be different. Regardless of the shape of the air channel and the diameters of the openings, the air channel fluidly communicates between the external environment of the mouthpiece and the vapor chamber.

In a cylindrical shape, the second embodiment filament has a diameter that is substantially the same as the diameter of the mouthpiece opening, and partially covers the mouthpiece opening, such as between about 30%-90%, about 40%-75%, and about 55-65% of the diameter of the mouthpiece opening, and the air channel delivery side opening at the mouthpiece opening is between about 10%-70%, about 25%-60%, and about 35%-45% of the diameter of the mouthpiece opening. In shapes other than cylindrical, such as rectangular, circular, conical, hexagonal, or a combination thereof, the filament is provided to cover a partial diameter, such as between about 30%-90%, about 40%-75%, and about 55-65% of the diameter of the mouthpiece opening. In the alternative filament shapes, air channel delivery side opening at the mouthpiece opening is between about 10%-70%, about 25%-60%, and about 35%-45% of the diameter of the mouthpiece opening.

The filament 405 can be made of a porous material that traps flavor essence in the filament material, such as synthetic fibers, processed cellulose fibers including paper and cotton, and a combination thereof. The filament 405 can be disposable by itself, such that the filament 405 is removable and exchangeable in a permanent mouthpiece. Alternatively, the mouthpiece 400 can be disposable as a unit, such that the entire mouthpiece 400, including the filament 405, is replaceable.

Application of a second embodiment filament 515 in a mouthpiece 523 of a microvaporizer 500 is depicted in FIG. 5, and two methods of vapor infusion in a second embodiment filament that is placed in a mouthpiece of a microvaporizer, such as filament 515, are shown in further details in FIGS. 6 and 7.

The mouthpiece 523 has a casing 501 that defines the mouthpiece opening 519 and the vapor chamber 505. The mouthpiece 523 is connected to a tank 503 that holds a storage chamber 507 for storing e-liquids, and also connected to a heating element 509. When the heating element 509 produces vapor, the vapor flow 511 exits the heating element 509 towards the vapor chamber 505, and forms a pre-infusion vapor flow 513 in the vapor chamber 505 that can be drawn through the filament 515.

A first method of vapor infusion flow inside a second embodiment filament, shown in FIG. 6, allows vapor flow only through the air channel, and not through the vapor side surface of the filament. The filament 605 having an air channel 611 is provided inside the mouthpiece opening 615 in the mouthpiece 600. The air channel 611 extends through the filament 605 from the vapor side 607 to the delivery side 609 of the filament, and the air channel 611 has a vapor side opening 613 and a delivery side opening 617 that corresponds to the surfaces of the filament 605.

The filament 605 can be made of a porous material. However, the vapor side 607 has a non-porous surface facing the vapor chamber 603, which acts as a barrier to the pre-infused vapor flow 621 such that vapor is not able to go through the surface on the vapor side 607 to enter the filament 605. The material of the surface of the filament 605 on the vapor side 607 and the surface on the delivery side 609 can be different. The delivery side 609 can be either porous or non-porous.

When the filament surface on the vapor side 601 is non-porous, the user's suction pressure applied on the mouthpiece 600 moves a substantial amount of the pre-infused vapor flow 621, produced and circulated in the vapor chamber 603, towards the air channel 611. The pre-infused vapor flow 621 is not able to enter the filament 605 through the surface of the filament 605 on the vapor side 607.

When the vapor flow 621 is drawn through the air channel 611 from the vapor side opening 617 towards the delivery side opening 613, a portion of the flavor essence in the filament 605 is extracted out of the filament to diffuse into the vapor flow 623 in the air channel 611. The extracted flavor essence 625 is drawn out of the filament 605 by a pressure induced by the suction pressure and the movement of the vapor flow 623 in the air channel 611. When the vapor flow 623 reaches the delivery side opening 613 of the air channel 611, the vapor is infused with flavoring. A user providing the suction pressure on the mouthpiece opening 615 receives the resulting flavor infused vapor 627 that includes the pre-infused vapor 621 and the flavor essence provided by the filament 605.

In another method, in which both surfaces on the delivery side and the vapor side of a second embodiment filament are porous, the vapor flow is allowed to flow through both the air channel and the filament directly. FIG. 7 shows an exemplary filament 705 that placed in a mouthpiece opening 715 of a mouthpiece 700 having a casing 701. The filament 705 has a vapor side 707 and a delivery side 709, and an air channel 711 that extends through the filament 705 from the vapor side 707 to the delivery side 709. The vapor side 707 of the filament 705 has a porous surface such that the pre-infused vapor 721 in the vapor chamber 703 can be drawn into the filament through the vapor side 707. The delivery side 709 can have a porous or a non-porous surface.

When a suction pressure is applied on the mouthpiece opening 715, a separate vapor portion 723 of the pre-infused vapor flow 721 is drawn into the filament 705 through the surface of the filament 705 on the vapor side 707, and the other portion of the pre-infused vapor flow 721 enters the vapor side opening 717 of the air channel 711. As the separated vapor portion 723 passes through the filament 705 towards the user, the separated vapor portion 725 is infused with flavoring that is provided in the filament 705, and becomes a flavor infused vapor 725 when the separated vapor portion 723 reaches the surface of the filament 705 on the delivery side 709. The other portion of the pre-infused vapor 721 is drawn directly through the air channel 711 to the delivery side without passing through the filament 705. The pre-infused vapor 721 may only have a minimal amount of flavoring when it exits through the delivery side opening 713 of the air channel 611. The vapor that the user received on the delivery side 709 includes both the pre-infused vapor 721 and the flavor infused vapor 723.

In both of the flavor infusing methods using the second embodiment filament, the user would encounter less resistance from drawing the vapor through the filament than in the method using the first embodiment filament. However, the user would receive a flavor infused vapor from the second embodiment filament that has less flavoring than a flavor infused vapor from the first embodiment filament. By adjusting the diameter of the air channel in the second embodiment filament, the air channel can be used to control the amount of flavoring that a user would receive in the flavor infused vapor.

In addition, both of the first and second embodiment filaments described can be made to only allow a one-direction flow through the filament material, from the vapor side to the delivery side of the filament, to prevent backwashing of vapor and contaminant

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A microvaporizer comprising:

a mouthpiece;

a filament in the mouthpiece;

a liquid tank connected to the mouthpiece;

a heating element configured to receive a liquid from the liquid tank, the heating element produces vapor using the liquid; and

a battery connected to the heating element;

wherein the filament includes a flavoring that is configured to be diffused into the vapor.

2. The microvaporizer of claim 1, wherein the filament is disposable and replaceable from the mouthpiece.

3. The microvaporizer of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece including the filament is disposable.

4. The microvaporizer of claim 1 further comprising a vapor chamber within the mouthpiece, the vapor chamber is upstream of the filament.

5. The microvaporizer of claim 4, wherein the filament includes a vapor side facing the vapor chamber and a delivery side facing the environment, the filament is configured to allow a flow of vapor to flow through the filament from the vapor side to the delivery side.

6. The microvaporizer of claim 5, wherein the filament includes an air channel that extends through the filament from the vapor side to the delivery side.

7. The microvaporizer of claim 1, wherein the filament is made of a porous material and the flavoring is embedded in the material.

8. The microvaporizer of claim 1, wherein the microvaporizer is an electronic cigarette, an electronic cigar, or a combination thereof.

9. An electronic cigarette mouthpiece comprising:

a casing having a vapor end and a delivery end;

a delivery opening on the delivery end of the casing; and

a filament that fills the delivery opening, and the filament includes an essence configured to provide flavoring to a vapor.

10. The electronic cigarette mouthpiece of claim 9, wherein the filament includes a vapor side and a delivery side, the filament is configured to allow a one-direction flow of vapor to flow through the filament from the vapor side to the delivery side.

11. The electronic cigarette mouthpiece of claim 10, wherein the vapor flows through the filament due to an induced suction pressure exerted by a user on the delivery side of the filament.

12. The electronic cigarette mouthpiece of claim 9, wherein the filament is made of a porous material.

13. The electronic cigarette mouthpiece of claim 9, wherein the filament includes a vapor side and a delivery side, the filament includes an air channel that extends through the filament from the vapor side to the delivery side.

14. The electronic cigarette mouthpiece of claim 13, wherein a surface of the filament on the vapor side is non-porous and a surface of the filament on the delivery side is porous.

15. The electronic cigarette mouthpiece of claim 13, wherein the air channel is straight, curved, spiraled, non-linear, or a combination thereof.

16. A method to provide flavoring to a vapor produced by a microvaporizer, comprising

delivering fluid to a heating element of a microvaporizer to produce vapor;

producing vapor into a vapor chamber within a mouthpiece of the microvaporizer;

inducing a suction pressure to a mouthpiece of the microvaporizer;

dragging the vapor through a filament in the mouthpiece using the suction pressure;

diffusing a flavor from the filament into the vapor while the vapor is dragged through the filament; and

receiving a flavor infused vapor after the vapor is dragged through the filament.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the microvaporizer is an electronic cigarette, an electronic cigar, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the suction pressure is induced by a user.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a substantial portion or a partial portion of the vapor is dragged through an air channel in the filament.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the vapor is dragged through the filament by pulling the vapor through a surface of the filament exposed to the vapor chamber towards a surface of the filament exposed to an external environment outside of the microvaporizer.