Granted Patent B2

US 12,336,564 · App. 17/475,213 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Inventors: Walid Abi Aoun (London, GB); Oleg Jurievich Abramov (St. Petersberg, RU); Gary Nicholson (London, GB); Pavel Fimin (St. Petersberg, RU); Helena Digard (London, GB)

Assignee: NICOVENTURES TRADING LIMITED

A24F40/42A24F40/30A61M11/042A61M11/045A61M15/0003A61M15/06F22B1/284H05B3/44A24F40/10A24F40/20A24F40/44A61M16/107A61M2021/0016

Abstract

Claims (48)

1. An apparatus for generating an inhalable medium, the apparatus comprising:

a container for holding a liquid;

a first heater for volatilising the liquid held in the container;

a chamber for receiving a material;

an outlet; and

a second heater for heating the material received in the chamber;

the arrangement being such that in use the liquid volatilised by the first heater passes, in the form of at least one of a vapor and an aerosol, through the material received in the chamber to thereby entrain one or more constituents from the material to produce the inhalable medium which passes out of the outlet.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first heater for volatilising the liquid held in the container is arranged to vaporise the liquid.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , comprising a cooler or cooling zone downstream of the first heater and upstream of the chamber, the cooler or cooling zone being arranged to cool vaporised liquid to form an aerosol of liquid droplets which in use passes through the material received in the chamber.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first heater for volatilising the liquid contained in the container is arranged to heat the liquid to form an aerosol.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber is removable from the apparatus.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber is non-removable from the apparatus.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the container is removable.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the container and the chamber are an integral unit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber contains the material, the material being in solid form.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the material is or comprises tobacco.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the container contains the liquid, the liquid containing nicotine.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the container contains the liquid, the liquid being or comprising glycerol.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the container contains a flavorant.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is battery-operated.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first heater or the second heater is an electrically resistive heater.

16. A method of generating an inhalable medium using an apparatus comprising a container holding a liquid, a first heater for volatilising the liquid, a material, and an outlet, the method comprising:

volatilising the liquid held in the container;

heating the material using a second heater of the apparatus;

entraining one or more constituents from the material in at least one of a vapor and an aerosol formed by the volatilised liquid by passing the at least one of the vapor and the aerosol through the material to generate the inhalable medium; and

passing the inhalable medium out of the outlet.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the heating the liquid held in the container vaporises at least a portion of the liquid.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising passing the vaporised liquid through a cooler or cooling zone of the apparatus to form an aerosol of liquid droplets which passes through the material.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the volatilising the liquid contained in the container heats the liquid to form the aerosol.

20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the material is contained in the apparatus in solid form.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the material is or comprises tobacco.

22. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the liquid contains nicotine.

23. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the liquid is or comprises glycerol.

24. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the liquid is or comprises a flavorant.

25. A cartridge for use with an apparatus for generating an inhalable medium, the cartridge comprising:

a container for holding a liquid;

a receptacle for receiving a solid material;

the cartridge being arranged such that volatilised liquid exiting the container can flow, in the form of at least one of a vapor and an aerosol, through the solid material received by the receptacle in use,

wherein the cartridge further comprises a heater associated with the receptacle for heating the solid material received by the receptacle in use.

26. The cartridge according to claim 25 , comprising a heater associated with the container for volatilising a liquid held in the container in use.

27. The cartridge according to claim 25 , wherein the container has one or more apertures to allow volatilised liquid to exit the container.

28. The cartridge according to claim 25 , wherein the receptacle contains the solid material.

29. The cartridge according to claim 28 , wherein the solid material is or comprises tobacco.

30. The cartridge according to claim 25 , wherein the container holds the liquid.

31. The cartridge according to claim 30 , wherein the liquid contains nicotine.

32. The cartridge according to claim 30 , wherein the liquid is or comprises glycerol.

33. The cartridge according to claim 30 , wherein the liquid is or comprises a flavorant.

34. The cartridge according to claim 25 , wherein the receptacle comprises a chamber.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (348)