# US 10,499,689 B2 · Electronic cigarette with soft housing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,499,689 B2 - Document ID: US10499689B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/325,240 - Filed: 2014-07-18 - Published: 2017-07-06 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-18 - Assignees: Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. - Applicants: Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. - Inventors: Lik Hon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10499689B2 ## CPC - A24F 40/40: Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts - H01M 50/394: {Gas-pervious parts or elements} - A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors - H01M 2200/20: Pressure-sensitive devices - H01M 2220/30: Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06) - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract An electronic cigarette has a housing (2) formed by a plurality of thin rolled up layers with one or more grooves (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g) on an inside or outer surface of the housing (2). The housing (2) allows an opening to be formed to allow battery (3) gases to escape, avoiding over-pressurizing the housing (2), in the event of a battery (3) failure. The housing (2) may have a thickness of about 0.06 mm to about 2.5 mm. The layers may be bonded together by adhesives. The housing (2) may be formed around components of the electronic cigarette. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic cigarette with a soft housing, comprising: a cylindrical housing formed by two or more layers of a film of polymer, alloy, or pulping related composition bonded together via one or more adhesives; wherein: the housing has a wall thickness of about 0.06 mm to about 2.5 mm; the housing has one or more grooves on an inner surface of the housing, the one or more grooves configured for providing a pressure relief opening in the housing if the housing becomes over pressurized due to battery failure; and an atomizer, a liquid source and a sensor in the housing electrically linked to a battery. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic cigarette of claim 1 wherein at least one groove overlaps about half of the length of the battery. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic cigarette of claim 1 wherein the grooves are straight. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic cigarette of claim 1 wherein the battery is in a battery position in the housing and the one or more grooves overlap the battery position, and the one or more grooves are on an inner surface of the housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic cigarette of claim 1 wherein the one or more adhesives are selected from the group consisting of adhesives that are curable by exposure to UV light, pressure, temperature, and/or moisture, by evaporation of one or more solvents, and/or by one or more cross-linking reactions of one or more adhesives. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electronic cigarette of claim 5 wherein the adhesives that are curable by exposure to UV light are acrylic based adhesives. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The electronic cigarette of claim 5 wherein the adhesives that are curable by exposure to heat are epoxies, urethanes, or polyimides based adhesives. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The electronic cigarette of claim 5 wherein: the adhesives are curable by exposure to UV light; and the film is a film of polymer and/or a pulping related composition that is at least partially transparent to UV light. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic cigarette of claim 8 wherein one layer of the polymer film is about 50% to about 100% transparent to the UV light. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electronic cigarette of claim 9 wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene and polyethylene. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The electronic cigarette of claim 8 wherein the pulping related composition is paper. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The electronic cigarette of claim 5 wherein: the adhesives are curable by exposure to heat; and the film is an alloy film. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electronic cigarette of claim 12 wherein the alloy is FeCrAl, a stainless steel alloy, a copper alloy, or a stainless steel-copper alloy. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The electronic cigarette of claim 5 wherein: the adhesives are curable by cross-linking reaction of a first adhesive composition and a second adhesive composition; a first side of the film is applied with the first adhesive composition; and a second side the film is applied with the second adhesive composition. ### Claim 15 An electronic cigarette having a soft housing, comprising: a cylindrical housing formed by two or more layers of paper or polymer film bonded together via one or more UV curable adhesives, wherein the layers of paper or polymer film are 50 to 100% transparent to UV light; the housing has a wall thickness of about 0.06 mm to about 2.5 mm; the housing has one or more grooves on an inner surface of the housing, the one or more grooves configured for providing a pressure relief opening in the housing it the housing becomes over pressurized due to battery failure; and an atomizer, a liquid source and a sensor in the housing electrically linked to a battery in a battery position in the housing, and with the one or more grooves overlapping the battery position.