E-cigarette personal vaporizer
A re-fillable and re-chargeable e-cigarette PV in which the PV is locked securely in a heating position by a locking system in a portable case, during which time the PV is heating its atomizer while connected to a power source in the case and, after the PV has been sufficiently heated, is released from the locking system.
1. An e-cigarette system including a re-fillable and re-chargeable e-cigarette PV and a portable case, in which the PV is locked securely in a heating position by a locking system in the portable case, during which time the PV is heating its atomiser whilst connected to a power source in the portable case and, after the PV has been sufficiently heated, is released from the locking system, wherein the PV automatically starts heating its atomiser using its own internal power source only when the PV detects that it is no longer in electrical contact with charging contacts in the portable case in which it was stored.
2. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 in which the PV is automatically released from the locking system and moved to a position which allows it to be readily removed from the case by an end-user, once the PV has been sufficiently heated.
3. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 in which the PV is automatically heated whilst connected to a power source in the case only if a mechanical inter-lock operates to secure the PV in position.
4. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 in which electrical charging contacts in the case are positioned on a sliding contact block that operates as a mechanical inter-lock and that moves from a first position in which it is not physically engaged with the PV and a second position in which it is itself locked in position and also secures the PV in position.
5. The e-cigarette system of claim 4 in which the sliding contact block also includes data transfer contacts that engage directly or indirectly with data transfer contacts in the PV.
6. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 including inductive power transfer coils.
7. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 which can be locked by a mechanical inter-lock to prevent under-age or unauthorised use.
8. The e-cigarette system of claim 7 the mechanical inter-lock can be locked and unlocked using data sent or exchanged with an authorised user's smartphone.
9. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 in which the PV is automatically locked into a secured re-charging position when the case is fully closed for storage and carrying the PV.
10. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 which a heating coil is arranged longitudinally along a long axis of the PV.
11. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 in which the PV includes a rechargeable battery, re-fillable e-liquid reservoir and an atomiser, all contained within a casing, and none of which are removable from, or separable from, any part of the casing in normal use.
12. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 in which the PV designed in normal use to only be re-fillable with e-liquid and re-chargeable when inserted into the case for the PV, the case being specifically adapted to re-fill and re-charge the PV.
13. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 in which the PV has a tip that includes (a) an e-liquid filling aperture that is designed to engage an e-liquid transfer mechanism (b) one or more vapour outlets distributed around the e-liquid filling aperture; and electrical charging contacts spaced apart from the tip.
14. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 in which additional heating of e-liquid is performed by secondary heating elements in a PV e-liquid chamber.
15. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 in which heating of e-liquid to a temperature at which the PV is ready for use can be predicted or inferred with sufficient accuracy because a charge level of a battery in the PV used to provide power to heat the e-liquid is known reliably.
16. The e-cigarette system of claim 15 in which the charge level is known reliably because a sensor directly measures that charge level.
17. The e-cigarette system of claim 15 in which the charge level is known reliably because it can be assumed to be fully charged because the device is stored in the portable case that includes a battery that automatically charges the battery in the device.
18. The e-cigarette system of claim 1 in which an e-liquid includes nicotine and the PV is not a medicinal device but instead a device that in normal use replaces cigarettes, with the e-liquid being vapourised in the PV using a heated element and the vapour inhaled to replicate or replace the experience of smoking a cigarette.