Nicotine electronic vaping device including a reservoir assembly
A reservoir assembly for a nicotine e-vaping device includes an outer shell, a wick, and a membrane. The outer shell includes a first opening, an inner surface of the outer shell at least partially defining a reservoir configured to hold a nicotine pre-vapor formulation. The wick extends from an interior of the reservoir to an exterior of the reservoir. The wick is configured to draw the nicotine pre-vapor formulation held in the reservoir to the exterior of the reservoir. The first membrane covers the first opening. The first membrane is one or more layers of a fabric that is liquid impermeable and air permeable.
1 . A reservoir assembly for a nicotine e-vaping device, the reservoir assembly comprising:
an outer shell extending in a first direction, the outer shell including a first end and an inner surface, the inner surface of the outer shell defining an interior of the outer shell; and
a plunger extending through the interior of the outer shell in a second direction normal to the first direction, the plunger including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a portion of the inner surface of the outer shell defining a liquid containment area in a portion of the interior of the outer shell between the first surface of the plunger and the first end of the outer shell, the liquid containment area being a reservoir configured to hold nicotine pre-vapor formulation, the plunger configured to move in the first direction within the interior of the outer shell in response to a first force being applied to the first surface of the plunger by a volume of the nicotine pre-vapor formulation contained in the liquid containment area, the nicotine pre-vapor formulation including nicotine.
2 . The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wick extending from the interior of the outer shell to an exterior of the liquid containment area.
3 . The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the outer shell is cylindrical in shape, and
the first direction extends along a longitudinal axis of the outer shell.
4 . The reservoir assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
a conduit extending in the first direction through the interior of the outer shell,
wherein the plunger includes an opening through which the conduit passes.
5 . The reservoir assembly of claim 4 , wherein the wick extends through the opening in the conduit.
6 . The reservoir assembly of claim 2 , wherein the wick extends through an opening in the first end of the outer shell.
7 . The reservoir assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
a passive actuator configured to continuously apply a second force on the second surface of the plunger.
8 . The reservoir assembly of claim 7 , wherein a magnitude of the second force is less than a magnitude of the first force associated with forcing the nicotine pre-vapor formulation to pass through the wick from the liquid containment area to an exterior of the outer shell.
9 . The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plunger is configured to move within the outer shell based only on the first force applied on the first surface of the plunger by the volume of the nicotine pre-vapor formulation contained in the liquid containment area and a third force applied on the second surface of the plunger by atmospheric pressure.
10 . A cartridge, comprising:
the reservoir assembly of claim 1 ; and
a vaporizer assembly including a heater and a wick, the vaporizer assembly configured to generate a nicotine vapor based on heating the nicotine pre-vapor formulation drawn from the interior of the liquid containment area by the wick.