# US 10,440,991 B2 · Reservoir filling system for an electronic vaping device

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- Number: US 10,440,991 B2
- Document ID: US10440991B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/933,551
- Filed: 2015-11-05
- Published: 2016-05-05
- Granted: 2019-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2014-11-05
- Assignees: Altria Client Services LLC
- Applicants: Altria Client Services LLC
- Inventors: Robert Levitz; Arie Holtz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10440991B2

## CPC

- H05B 3/44: heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material
- A24F 40/42: Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
- A24F 40/485: Valves; Apertures
- F16K 1/221: {specially adapted operating means therefor (operating means per se F16K31/00)}
- F16K 15/1823: {for ball check valves}
- F16K 31/60: Handles {(form, features or function of taps or faucet handles for domestic plumbing installations E03C1/04)}
- H05B 3/06: Heater elements structurally combined with coupling elements or holders
- A24F 15/015: with means for refilling of liquid inhalable precursors
- A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
- A61M 15/06: Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
- A61M 2209/045: for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
- H05B 2203/014: Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54
- H05B 2203/021: Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids
- H05B 2203/022: Heaters specially adapted for heating gaseous material
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06)
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}

## Abstract

A reservoir refill system for an electronic vaping device includes a refill container and a reservoir. The refill container contains a pre-vapor formulation. The refill container includes a body, an opening in the body, and a first interlocking ring including at least one groove or at least one protrusion therein. The reservoir is configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation and includes a reservoir body, an opening in the reservoir body, and a second interlocking ring including at least one groove or at least one protrusion therein at an opening of the reservoir. The first interlocking ring is configured to mate with the second interlocking ring so as to release the pre-vapor formulation from the refill container to the reservoir.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cartridge of an electronic vaping device, the cartridge comprising:
a reservoir configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation, the reservoir being refillable, and the reservoir including,
an opening, and
a first interlocking ring at the opening, the first interlocking ring including a plurality of grooves, a plurality of protrusions, or both a plurality of grooves and a plurality of protrusions spaced about a circumference of the first interlocking ring, the first interlocking ring configured to connect to a second interlocking ring attached to a refill container.

### Claim 2

A cartridge of an electronic vaping device, the cartridge comprising:
a reservoir configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation, the reservoir being refillable, and the reservoir including,
an opening, the opening including,
a valve, the valve including a spring-loaded disk and a gasket, and
a first interlocking ring at the opening, the first interlocking ring including a groove, a protrusion, or both a groove and a protrusion, the first interlocking ring configured to connect to a second interlocking ring attached to a refill container.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the spring-loaded disk is configured to be depressed so as to allow pre-vapor formulation to flow into the reservoir.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The cartridge of claim 2, further comprising:
a chimney support configured to maintain the spring loaded disk in place until the first interlocking ring is connected to a second interlocking ring.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The cartridge of claim 2, further comprising:
a perforated disk including at least one perforation therein, the at least one perforation sized and configured to receive at least one tooth, the at least one tooth configured to depress the spring-loaded disk.

### Claim 6

An electronic vaping device comprising:
a housing extending in a longitudinal direction;
a reservoir configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation, the reservoir in the housing, the reservoir being refillable, and the reservoir including,
an opening, and
a first interlocking ring at the opening, the first interlocking ring including a plurality of grooves, a plurality of protrusions, or both a plurality of grooves and a plurality of protrusions spaced about a circumference of the first interlocking ring, the first interlocking ring configured to connect to a second interlocking ring attached to a refill container;
a heater in fluid communication with the reservoir; and
a power supply configured to supply power to the heater.

### Claim 7

An electronic vaping device comprising:
a housing extending in a longitudinal direction
a reservoir configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation, the reservoir in the housing, the reservoir being refillable, and the reservoir including,
an opening, the opening including,
a valve, the valve including a spring loaded disk, a perforated disk, and a gasket, and
a first interlocking ring at the opening, the first interlocking ring including a groove, a protrusion, or both a groove and a protrusion, the first interlocking ring configured to connect to a second interlocking ring attached to a refill container;
a heater in fluid communication with the reservoir; and
a power supply configured to supply power to the heater.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The electronic vaping device of claim 7, wherein the perforated disk includes at least one perforation therein, the at least one perforation sized and configured to receive at least one tooth, the at least one tooth configured to depress the spring-loaded disk so as to allow pre-vapor formulation to flow into the reservoir.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The electronic vaping device of claim 7, further comprising:
a chimney support configured to maintain the spring loaded disk in place until the first interlocking ring is connected to a second interlocking ring.

### Claim 10

A reservoir refill system comprising:
a reservoir configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation, the reservoir including,
a reservoir body configured to contain the pre-vapor formulation,
an opening in the reservoir body, and
a first interlocking ring including a first groove, a first protrusion, or both a first groove and a first protrusion therein, the first interlocking ring positioned at the opening in the reservoir body; and
a refill container containing a pre-vapor formulation, the refill container including,
a container body,
an opening in the container body, and
a second interlocking ring including a second groove, a second protrusion, or both a second groove and a second protrusion therein positioned at the opening in the container body, the first interlocking ring configured to mate with the second interlocking ring,
wherein the first groove, the second groove, of both the first groove and the second groove include a plurality of grooves,
the first protrusion, the second protrusion, or both the first protrusion and the second protrusion includes a plurality of protrusions,
the plurality of grooves and the plurality of protrusions are spaced about a circumference of the first interlocking ring, the second interlocking, or both the first interlocking ring and the second interlocking ring, and
the plurality of grooves are sized and configured to mate with the plurality of protrusions.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The reservoir refill system of claim 10, wherein the first interlocking ring, the second interlocking ring, or both the first interlocking ring and the second interlocking ring are colored.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The reservoir refill system of claim 10, wherein the first interlocking ring and the second interlocking ring are the same color.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The reservoir refill system of claim 10, wherein the first interlocking ring, the second interlocking ring, or both the first interlocking ring and the second interlocking ring are formed of plastic.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The reservoir refill system of claim 10, wherein the opening in the reservoir further includes a valve.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The reservoir refill system of claim 14, wherein the valve includes a spring loaded disk, a perforated disk, and a gasket.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The reservoir refill system of claim 15, wherein the perforated disk includes at least one perforation therein, the at least one perforation sized and configured to receive at least one tooth, the at least one tooth configured to depress the spring-loaded disk so as to allow pre-vapor formulation to flow into the reservoir.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The reservoir refill system of claim 15, wherein the reservoir further comprises:
a chimney support configured to maintain the spring loaded disk in place until the first interlocking ring is connected to a second interlocking ring.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The reservoir refill system of claim 17, wherein the refill container further comprises:
a ball valve in a neck of the opening, the ball valve including a spring-loaded ball; and
a crown adjacent the spring-loaded ball, the crown configured to shield the spring-loaded ball from being accessed.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The reservoir refill system of claim 10, wherein the first interlocking ring, the second interlocking ring, or both the first interlocking ring and the second interlocking ring are impregnated with a flavorant, a chemesthesis agent, or both the flavorant and the chemesthesis agent having a spicy taste, a bitter taste, a sour taste, a sub-combination thereof, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 20 (depends on 10)

The reservoir refill system of claim 10, wherein the first interlocking ring, the second interlocking ring, or both the first interlocking ring and the second interlocking ring includes a coating comprising a flavorant, a chemesthesis agent, or both the flavorant and the chemesthesis agent having a spicy taste, a bitter taste, a sour taste, a sub-combination thereof, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 21 (depends on 10)

The reservoir refill system of claim 10, further comprising:
a cap integrally formed with the first interlocking ring.

### Claim 22

A method of refilling a reservoir of an electronic vaping device, the method comprising:
inserting at least one protrusion of a first interlocking ring into at least one groove of a second interlocking ring so as to engage a spring loaded ball of a refill container and a spring loaded disk of a reservoir; and
releasing a formulation from the refill container to the reservoir.