Electronic vaporiser system
A electronic cigarette vaporizer that includes a mechanical valve that is (i) pushed up from its seat to enable automatic filling of the vaporizer with e-liquid from a fluid transfer mechanism and (ii) returns to seal against its seat at other times when the vaporizer is being vaped or inhaled from (e.g. when filling is complete).
1. An electronic cigarette vaporiser system that includes an electronic vaporiser and a user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge, wherein the electronic vaporiser includes a heating element that is not in the user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge but is instead in, or in e-liquid communication with, an e-liquid reservoir in the vaporiser; wherein the electronic vaporiser includes a mechanical valve that is (i) pushed up from its seat to enable automatic filling of the vaporiser with e-liquid from a fluid transfer mechanism in the system and (ii) returns to seal against its seat at other times when the vaporiser is being vaped or inhaled from, in which the fluid transfer mechanism includes an electric or electronic pump that is configured to withdraw e-liquid from the user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge and pump pressurized e-liquid to the e-liquid reservoir in the vaporiser.
2. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 1 in which a nozzle or stem from the user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge is inserted into the vaporiser for filling the vaporiser with e-liquid and this causes the valve to be pushed open or rise up from its seat, moving against the bias force of a small coil spring or other biasing device, so that e-liquid can freely flow from the user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge through the nozzle or stem into the e-liquid reservoir in the vaporiser.
3. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 2 in which, when the nozzle or stem is withdrawn, then the valve automatically closes by resting back on its seat.
4. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the e-liquid reservoir in the vaporiser is filled when the valve is open and the fluid transfer mechanism pumps e-liquid into the vaporiser.
5. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 4 in which the e-liquid reservoir includes a feed pipe that leads into a child reservoir which surrounds an atomising unit and from which e-liquid is drawn into the atomising unit.
6. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 2 in which the stem or nozzle in the user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge engages with the valve in the vaporiser to push it off its seat, and passes through a duckbill valve or a series of two or more duckbill valves; when the vaporiser is withdrawn away from the stem or nozzle then the duckbill wipes any droplets of e-liquid from the stem or nozzle, ensuring that those droplets are not deposited on any surface from where they could be ingested by the user, but are instead retained in a cavity in the vaporiser behind the duckbill valve.
7. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 2 in which the stem or nozzle in the user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge that is inserted into the vaporiser includes a stop valve to shut off any e-liquid when the vaporiser is withdrawn from the stem or nozzle.
8. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser is the same approximate size as a cigarette.
9. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser is the same approximate size as a cigarette and includes no control buttons.
10. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser is automatically activated when it detects that it has been withdrawn from a case that stores the vaporiser.
11. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser has a square or rectangular cross-section with rounded corners and includes a long PCB inserted lengthwise into the vaporiser.
12. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser has a squircle cross-section.
13. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser is only re-fillable from a user-replaceable closed, e-liquid cartridge.
14. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser is refillable with e-liquid only when inserted, whole and intact and not dis-assembled, into a re-fill case that includes the fluid transfer mechanism to transfer e-liquid into the vaporiser from a user-replaceable closed, e-liquid cartridge.
15. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 1 including a case for storing the electronic vaporiser.
16. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 15 in which the case includes the electric or electronic pump.
17. The electronic cigarette vaporiser system of claim 1 in which the electronic vaporiser includes the electric or electronic pump and the user-replaceable cartridge is removably insertable or integral to the vaporiser.