E-cigarette personal vaporizer
An e-cigarette PV that includes an air pressure valve or device so that excess air can escape from an e-liquid reservoir in the PV when that reservoir is being filled under pressure with e-liquid from a parent reservoir. The valve or device is a barrier made of an air-porous material, such as a sintered polymer or metal, coated with or otherwise including a barrier or layer of an air-porous substance that is not porous to e-liquid, such as an oleophobic material or a hydrophobic or super-hydrophobic material. The oleophobic material is one of: sintered phosphor bronze, sintered stainless steel and sintered PU plastic.
1. A vaping system that comprises:
(a) a liquid reservoir that is configured to transfer vaporizable liquid to an atomizer or heating element for a personal vaporizing device;
(b) a liquid re-filling device configured to transfer vaporizable liquid to the liquid reservoir;
(c) a user-replaceable, but non user-refillable, liquid cartridge configured (i) to attach to, or be inserted in, the liquid re-filling device and (ii) to transfer vaporizable liquid to the liquid reservoir;
(d) a pump in or attached to the liquid re-filling device, the pump comprising a movable piston or plunger or other mechanical device in, or associated with, the user-replaceable liquid cartridge to decrease the internal liquid volume of the user-replaceable liquid cartridge, to thereby pump vaporizable liquid from the user-replaceable liquid cartridge to the liquid reservoir.
2. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the user-replaceable liquid cartridge includes the piston, plunger or other mechanical device; and the piston, plunger or other mechanical device is configured (i) to seal against an inner wall of the user-replaceable liquid cartridge and (ii) to move relative to the inner wall to decrease the internal liquid volume of the user-replaceable liquid cartridge and thereby cause vaporizable liquid to be pumped from the user-replaceable liquid cartridge.
3. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the pump is an electrically powered pump configured to cause a pre-defined or variable quantity of vaporizable liquid to be transferred from the user-replaceable liquid cartridge into the liquid reservoir.
4. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the piston, plunger or other mechanical device is configured to be moved by a screw being turned within or against a thread.
5. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the piston, plunger or other mechanical device is configured to be moved by a collar or member that moves along a rotatable screw thread.
6. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the piston, plunger or other mechanical device is configured to be moved by a rack and pinion system.
7. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the piston, plunger or other mechanical device is configured to be moved by a rotary end cap, mounted on a thread external to the liquid cartridge; which, when the end cap is turned, is configured to drive the piston, plunger or other device forwards.
8. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the piston, plunger or other mechanical device is configured to be moved by a rotary cam.
9. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the piston, plunger or other mechanical device is configured to be moved forward inside a tube or other device and to be connected to an outer collar or other device that sits outside of the tube and is moved forward along a slot in the tube.
10. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the liquid re-filling device is a desktop liquid re-filling device.
11. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the liquid re-filling device is a portable case liquid re-filling device.
12. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the liquid reservoir is configured to form part of an atomizing unit for the personal vaporizing device;
and the atomizing unit includes the atomizer or heating element, and is configured to be inserted into, attached to or docked into, the liquid re-filling device.
13. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the personal vaporizing device (i) includes or contains the liquid reservoir and (ii) is configured to dock or engage with the liquid re-filling device to enable the liquid reservoir to be re-filled.
14. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the user-replaceable liquid cartridge has a liquid capacity that is at least three times greater than the liquid capacity of the liquid reservoir.
15. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the liquid re-filling device is configured to transfer vaporizable liquid into the liquid reservoir when that liquid reservoir is oriented with a mouthpiece-facing end of the liquid reservoir facing downwards.
16. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the liquid re-filling device is configured to directly transfer vaporizable liquid into the liquid reservoir.
17. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the liquid re-filling device is configured to transfer vaporizable liquid into the liquid reservoir when that liquid reservoir is oriented with a mouthpiece-facing end of the liquid reservoir facing downwards.
18. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the liquid re-filling device is configured to re-charge a battery in the personal vaporizing device.
19. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the user-replaceable liquid cartridge is a collapsible bellows, bag, pouch, bottle or other collapsible package.
20. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the user-replaceable liquid cartridge includes an air-pressure equalization system.
21. The vaping system of claim 1 in which the user-replaceable liquid cartridge includes an electronic identifier.
22. The vaping system of claim 1 including multiple user-replaceable liquid cartridges, configured to supply a mixture of liquid to the liquid reservoir.
23. The vaping system of claim 22 in which one or more user-replaceable liquid cartridges have different strengths or types or flavours of vaporisable liquids.
24. The vaping system of claim 23 which is configured to enable an end-user to define or choose a specific mixture of vaporisable liquids.
25. The vaping system of claim 24 which is configured to enable an end-user to define or choose a specific mixture of liquids by inputting control data into the liquid re-filling device or using a data device that sends control data to a processor in the liquid re-filling device.
26. The vaping system of claim 25 in which the data device is a smartphone, or a wearable device, or a voice-controlled device.
27. The vaping system of claim 24 which is configured to control the mixture using an electro-mechanical valve system that regulates the volume of liquid flowing through a valve system that is connected to all the user-replaceable liquid cartridges.
28. The vaping system of claim 24 which is configured to enable an end-user to define or choose a specific mixture of liquids for a smoking cessation program that reduces nicotine levels over a period of time.
29. The vaping system of claim 24 which is configured to enable an end-user to define or choose a specific mixture of liquids to make a unique or custom flavour.
30. The vaping system of claim 21 in which the electronic identifier includes an RFID chip.