Granted Patent B2

US 12,439,962 · App. 17/019,915 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Inventors: Ali A. Rostami (Glen Allen, VA); Gerd Kobal (Sandy Hook, VA); Yezdi Pithawalla (Richmond, VA); Christopher S. Tucker (Midlothian, VA); Georgios Karles (Richmond, VA); Munmaya K. Mishra (Manakin Sabot, VA); San Li (Midlothian, VA)

Assignee: ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC

A24F40/05A24F40/30A24F40/42A24F40/46A24F40/48A24F40/485A24F40/10

Abstract

Claims (25)

1. An electronic vaping device comprising:

a first cartridge including,

a vaporizer assembly configured to produce a vapor, the vaporizer assembly including,

a first tank configured to store a pre-vapor formulation,

a tube extending from an outlet of the first tank and configured to direct the pre-vapor formulation from the first tank to a mixing chamber, the tube including an inlet fluidly coupled to the outlet of the first tank and an outlet fluidly coupled to the mixing chamber, and

a heater configured to heat the pre-vapor formulation and form a vapor;

a second cartridge, the first and second cartridges configured to generate different dispersions, the second cartridge including,

an atomizer assembly configured to produce an aerosol, the atomizer assembly including,

a second tank having a flexible wall and configured to store a pre-aerosol formulation,

an atomizer configured to atomize the pre-aerosol formulation and form the aerosol without heating the pre-aerosol formulation,

a carbon dioxide capsule configured to apply pressure to the pre-aerosol formulation, and

a dual piston cylinder between the second tank and the carbon dioxide capsule, the dual piston cylinder including two pistons with a spring connected therebetween, the dual piston cylinder configured to at least partially reduce the pressure applied from the carbon dioxide capsule on the second tank;

a second section including a power supply configured to supply power to the heater; and

a cartridge holder extending a width of the electronic vaping device and having a first slot configured to receive the first cartridge and a second slot configured to receive the second cartridge, the first cartridge configured to fill a first diameter of the first slot and the second cartridge configured to fill a second diameter of the second slot.

2. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the tube forms the heater.

3. The electronic vaping device of claim 2 , wherein the atomizer comprises at least one of a piezoelectric element and a pressurization arrangement, the atomizer configured to produce the aerosol without heating the pre-aerosol formulation.

4. The electronic vaping device of claim 3 , further including:

a first valve between the outlet of the first tank and the inlet of the tube, the first valve being one of a solenoid valve and a push-button valve; and

a second valve at an outlet of the second tank, the second valve being one of a solenoid valve and a push-button valve.

5. The electronic vaping device of claim 4 , wherein the first valve and the second valve are electrically operated valves and the electronic vaping device further includes a pressure switch, the pressure switch configured to send a signal to open the first valve and the second valve.

6. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the vapor has a first particle size distribution and the aerosol has a second particle size distribution, a mean particle size of the second particle size distribution being larger than a mean particle size of the first particle size distribution.

7. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein atomizer assembly includes a nozzle configured to direct the aerosol to the mixing chamber.

8. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the heater includes at least a portion of the tube formed of an electrically conductive material that is configured to be resistively heated and extends between two electrical leads connected to separate ends of the tube, the electrical leads configured to connect the portion of the tube to the power supply.

9. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the tube includes a constriction adjacent the outlet of the tube.

10. The electronic vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the second tank is parallel with the first tank.

Continuity (2)

References Cited (400)