IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,213,532
Granted Patent B2
US 12,213,532 · App. 18/329,693 · Granted Feb 4, 2025

Electronic vapor provision system

Inventor: Kenny Otiaba (London, GB)
Assignee: NICOVENTURES TRADING LIMITED
A24F40/50A24F40/90H01M4/5825H01M10/0525H01M10/42H01M10/44H02J7/345A24F40/10A61M11/042A61M15/06H01M2004/028H01M2220/30
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,213,532
App. No.
18/329,693
Granted
Feb 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control unit for an electronic vapor provision system includes a battery for providing electrical power to a heater which is used to produce vapor. The battery is a lithium iron phosphate battery. The battery provides an output voltage which remains at an approximately constant voltage level as the battery is discharged.

Claims (23)

1. A control unit for an electronic vapor provision system, the control unit comprising:

a battery for providing electrical power to a heater and wherein an output voltage of the battery when 80% discharged by successive puffs of the electronic vapor provision system is no more than 0.25V below the output voltage of the battery when fully charged.

2. The control unit of claim 1 , wherein the battery is a lithium iron phosphate battery having a lithium ferrophosphate cathode.

3. The control unit of claim 1 , wherein the battery has a rated capacity in a range of 250-600 mA hours to support at least 100 puffs of the electronic vapor provision system, each puff drawing a current of at least 2.5 A from the battery.

4. The control unit of claim 1 , wherein the control unit further includes a sensor to detect a user inhalation, and a controller configured to initiate provision of electrical power from the battery to the heater in response to the sensor detecting the user inhalation.

5. The control unit of claim 4 , wherein in response to the sensor detecting the user inhalation, the controller is configured to provide a first phase of electrical power and then a second phase of electrical power from the battery to the heater, wherein the first phase of electrical power has a higher level of electrical current than the second phase of electrical power.

6. The control unit of claim 5 , wherein the first phase of electrical power has a current level of equal to or greater than 3 amps.

7. The control unit of claim 6 , wherein the first phase of electrical power has a current level of equal to or greater than 5 amps.

8. The control unit of claim 1 , wherein the output voltage of the battery when half discharged is no more than 0.1V below the output voltage of the battery when fully charged.

9. The control unit of claim 8 , wherein the output voltage of the battery when half discharged is no more than 0.05V below the output voltage of the battery when fully charged.

10. The control unit of claim 1 , wherein the output voltage of the battery when half discharged is no more than 3% below the output voltage of the battery when fully charged.

11. The control unit of claim 8 , wherein the output voltage of the battery when half discharged is no more than 1.5% below the output voltage of the battery when fully charged.

12. The control unit of claim 1 , wherein the output voltage of the battery when 80% discharged is no more than 0.16V below the output voltage of the battery when fully charged.

13. The control unit of claim 1 , wherein the output voltage of the battery when 80% discharged is no more than 6% below the output voltage of the battery when fully charged.

14. The control unit of claim 1 , wherein the output voltage of the battery is measured under load when providing electrical power to the heater to produce vapor.

15. The control unit of claim 14 , wherein the output voltage of the battery is in a range of 2.6V-3V measured under load.

16. The control unit of claim 15 , wherein the output voltage of the battery is approximately 2.8V measured under load.

17. The control unit of claim 1 , wherein the output voltage of the battery is in a range of 3V-3.4V for an open circuit.

18. The control unit of claim 17 , wherein the output voltage is approximately 3.2V for an open circuit.

19. The control unit of claim 1 , wherein electrical power is supplied from the battery to the heater without compensation for variation in output voltage of the battery over a discharge cycle.

20. An electronic vapor provision system comprising the control unit of claim 1 and the heater.

21. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 20 , wherein the heater is located in a cartomizer that is connected to the control unit.

22. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 20 , wherein the heater and the control unit are integrated into a single device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 3, 2024
From: OTIABA, KENNY
To: NICOVENTURES HOLDINGS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 067597/0407 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 3, 2024
From: NICOVENTURES HOLDINGS LIMITED
To: NICOVENTURES TRADING LIMITED
Reel/Frame 067606/0001 →
Priority Claims (1)
GB 1515087 · Aug 25, 2015 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16949216 · Oct 20, 2020
Continuation 15754349
Related Publication 20230318024A1 · Oct 5, 2023
References Cited (53)
US 9402422B2 · Shenkal · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9775380B2 · Fernando et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10181621B2 · Paolella et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10326117B1 · Lennox et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 11503672B2 · Chen et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20130255702A1 · Griffith, Jr. · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20130319440A1 · Capuano · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140147718A1 · Furui et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150230521A1 · Talon · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160345628A1 · Sabet · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170110767A1 · Paolella et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170367410A1 · Hon · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180242635A1 · Otiaba · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20200014011A1 · Wollfarth et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200028171A1 · Huang et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210137172A1 · Otiaba · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20230318024A1 · Otiaba · 2023 [cited by examiner]
AU 2013314436A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
AU 2016313251B2 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 103415222A · 2013 [cited by applicant]
CN 203789154U · 2014 [cited by applicant]
CN 104055224A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
CN 104066345A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
CN 204116873U · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 104486956A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 104584366A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
EP 2454956A1 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
EP 2701268A1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
JP 2013127897A · 2013 [cited by applicant]
JP 2014504886A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
JP 2015503916A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO 2012109371A2 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
WO 2013040275A1 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
WO 2013076098A2 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
WO 2014040988A2 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
WO 2015101479A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO 2015107551A2 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO 2015117702A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO 2015165812A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO 2015177045A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
Chilean Office Action, Application No. 201800498, dated Aug. 7, 2019, 7 pages. [cited by applicant]
First Office Action for Chinese Application No. 201680048889.8 dated Oct. 30, 2019, 13 pages. [cited by applicant]
Great Britain Search Report, Application No. GB1515087.3, dated Jan. 28, 2016, 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability, Application No. PCT/GB2016/052624, mailed Nov. 21, 2017, 9 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion, International Application No. PCT/GB2016/052624, mailed Nov. 22, 2016, 11 pages. [cited by applicant]
Japanese Office Action, Application No. 2018-510072, dated Jan. 15, 2019, 7 pages. [cited by applicant]
Japanese Office Action, Application No. 2018-510072, dated Sep. 1, 2020, 10 pages. [cited by applicant]
Korean Office Action, Application No. 10-2018-7005486, dated Jan. 31, 2019, 12 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notification to Grant Patent Right for Invention for Chinese Application No. 201680048889.8 dated Apr. 29, 2020, 7 pages. [cited by applicant]
Westcott R, “Batteries on planes pose ‘increased fire risk’”, BBC Transport Correspondent News article dated Feb. 4, 2014 entitled (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25733346), 3 pages. [cited by applicant]
Albright, Greg, Jake Edie, and S, “A comparison of lead acid to lithium-ion in stationary storage applications”, All Cell Technologies LLC, Mar. 2012. [cited by applicant]
Safari, et al., “Modeling of a Commercial Graphite/LiFePO4 Cell”, Journal of Electrochemical Society, vol. 158, No. 5, 2011, pp. A562-A571. [cited by applicant]
Summons to Attend Oral Proceedings received for European Patent Application No. 16758243.6, mailed on Feb. 4, 2021, 7 pages. [cited by applicant]