Granted Patent B2

US 12,557,850 · App. 18/082,940 · Granted Feb 24, 2026

Inventors: Steven L. Worm (Raleigh, NC); Michael Ryan Galloway (Winston-Salem, NC); Frederic Philippe Ampolini (Winston-Salem, NC); Randy Lee McKnight (Lewisville, NC); David Glen Christopherson (Raleigh, NC)

Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.

A24F40/51A24F40/40A24F40/50A24F40/60A24F40/10

Abstract

Claims (34)

1 . A control body for an electronic smoking article, which is engageable with a cartridge in a functioning relationship, the control body comprising:

an elongated shell having a longitudinal axis extending through a center of the elongated shell;

an electrical power source within the elongated shell;

an electronic circuit board within the elongated shell, the electronic circuit board being oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated shell;

an input element adapted for activation by a user of the control body, the input element being configured to cause power to be delivered from the electrical power source to a further element;

a coupler that has a connector end and extends into the elongated shell to an opposing body end defined by a bottom wall extending internally toward the center of the elongated shell and that separates a cavity formed by the bottom wall in the coupler from an interior space in the control body, and the connector end of the coupler being configured to releasably engage the cartridge; and

an air inlet channel formed in the coupler, the air inlet channel being configured to distribute drawn, ambient air to the cavity,

wherein one or more projection segments are arranged peripherally around the bottom wall and extending upward therefrom toward the cavity such that the cartridge is spaced apart from the bottom wall when the cartridge is engaged with the connector end of the coupler to distribute the drawn ambient air to the cavity.

2 . The control body according to claim 1 , comprising at least one light emitting diode attached to the electronic circuit board.

3 . The control body according to claim 2 , comprising a control circuit that is configured to cause the at least one light emitting diode to emit a defined lighting signal that corresponds to a status of the electronic smoking article.

4 . The control body according to claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is configured to cause the at least one light emitting diode to emit the defined lighting signal in response to an input from the input element.

5 . The control body according to claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the elongated shell or the coupler is light transmissive, and wherein the at least one light emitting diode is positioned so that light from the at least one light emitting diode is visible through the at least a portion of the elongated shell or the coupler that is light transmissive.

6 . The control body according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one light emitting diode comprises a first light emitting diode and a second light emitting diode.

7 . The control body according to claim 1 , wherein the input element is at least partially light transmissive.

8 . The control body according to claim 1 , wherein the input element comprises a pushbutton.

9 . The control body according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuit board comprises a first end that is adjacent the coupler and a second end that is adjacent the electrical power source.

10 . The control body according to claim 1 , wherein the air inlet channel is formed entirely within the coupler.

11 . The control body according to claim 1 , wherein the coupler is configured to engage the cartridge in a press-fit engagement.

12 . The control body according to claim 1 , further comprising a haptic feedback component.

13 . An electronic smoking article comprising a control body according claim 1 and a cartridge comprising an aerosol precursor composition and a heater adapted to vaporize the aerosol precursor composition when engaged with the control body.

14 . An electronic smoking article comprising:

a control body that is defined by an elongated shell and that has a longitudinal axis extending through a center of the elongated shell;

an electrical power source positioned within the elongated shell;

an electronic circuit board positioned within the elongated shell so as to be oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated shell;

a coupler included in the elongated shell, the coupler having a connector end, a control body end, and a cavity accessible through the connector end, the body end being defined by a bottom wall extending internally toward the center of the elongated shell and that separates the cavity from an interior space in the control body;

a sensing component configured to detect an input from a user of the control body to thereby generate a signal that causes power to be directed from the electrical power source toward a heating component;

a plurality of light emitting diodes connected to the electronic circuit board and arranged so that light from the light emitting diodes is visible through a light transmitting portion of the elongated shell or the coupler;

an air inlet channel formed entirely within the coupler;

wherein, when a disposable cartridge comprising an aerosol precursor composition is inserted into the coupler in a press-fit engagement, provision of an input by a user to the sensing component is effective to cause heating and vaporization of at least a portion of the aerosol precursor composition in the disposable cartridge, and when the user thereafter draws on a mouthend of the disposable cartridge during the heating, ambient air is drawn through the air inlet channel and distributed into the cavity so as to enter a first end of the disposable cartridge, mix with the vaporized portion of the aerosol precursor composition, and exit an opposing, second end of the disposable cartridge as an aerosol,

wherein one or more projection segments are arranged peripherally around the bottom wall and extending upward therefrom toward the cavity such that the cartridge is spaced apart from the bottom wall when the cartridge is engaged with the connector end of the coupler to distribute the drawn ambient air to the cavity.

15 . The electronic smoking article according to claim 14 , comprising a control circuit that is configured to cause the plurality of light emitting diodes to emit a defined lighting signal that corresponds to a status of the electronic smoking article.

16 . The electronic smoking article according to claim 15 , wherein the control circuit is configured to cause the plurality of light emitting diodes to emit the defined lighting signal in response to an input from an input element.

17 . The electronic smoking article according to claim 14 , wherein the electronic circuit board comprises a first end that is adjacent the coupler and a second end that is adjacent the electrical power source.

18 . The electronic smoking article according to claim 14 , further comprising a haptic feedback component.

Continuity (4)

References Cited (400)