# US 10,770,913 B2 · Re-charging pack for an e-cigarette > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,913 B2 - Document ID: US10770913B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/263,362 - Filed: 2019-01-31 - Published: 2019-06-13 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-24 - Assignees: Nicoventures Holdings Limited - Applicants: Nicoventures Holdings Limited - Inventors: Steven Michael Schennum; Thomas Michael McKeon; Matthew Joel Nettenstrom; Justin Banker Peart - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770913B2 ## CPC - A24F 9/16: Protective coverings or cases for pipes or parts thereof - A24F 40/65: Devices with integrated communication means, e.g. wireless communication means - A24F 40/90: Arrangements or methods specially adapted for charging batteries thereof - A24F 40/95: structurally associated with cases - B65D 25/10: Devices to locate articles in containers {(for protecting articles from mechanical damage B65D81/02)} - B65D 43/163: {the container and the lid being made separately (B65D43/161 takes precedence)} - H01M 10/44: Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) - H01M 10/46: Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus (circuits for charging H02J7/00) - H02J 7/342: {The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68)} - H02J 7/731: {specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence)} - A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors - H01M 2220/30: Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop - H02J 7/00: Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - 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) - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Various embodiments provide a pack for holding and re-charging an e-cigarette. The pack includes a pack battery; a body portion including a tube for receiving an e-cigarette; a re-charging mechanism for re-charging the e-cigarette received into the tube using the pack battery, wherein the e-cigarette can be re-charged in the tube without disassembly of the e-cigarette; and a dual activation mechanism comprising two separate triggers for causing the re-charging mechanism to begin re-charging the e-cigarette received into the tube using the pack battery. The re-charging begins only in response to the direct activation by a user of both of the separate triggers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pack for holding and re-charging an e-cigarette, the pack comprising: a pack battery; an opening for receiving an e-cigarette inserted by a user into the pack; a re-charging mechanism for re-charging the e-cigarette received into the pack using the pack battery; and a user-activated switch or button on an exterior of the pack, wherein the pack is responsive to a user activation of the switch or button to begin re-charging the e-cigarette which has been inserted into the pack using the pack battery and the re-charging mechanism, and wherein the pack further comprises multiple light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to provide a user with an indication of a charging status of the pack battery, whereby having a greater charge in the pack battery leads to an increased number of the LEDs being illuminated. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pack of claim 1, wherein the re-charging of the e-cigarette is performed by induction re-charging of the e-cigarette. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pack of claim 1, further comprising a wired connector for making electrical contact with a corresponding connector at one end of the e-cigarette received into the opening. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The pack of claim 3, further comprising a tube which has the opening at one end for inserting the e-cigarette for re-charging and a base end including electrical contacts for re-charging the e-cigarette within the tube. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The pack of claim 4, wherein the electrical contacts are configured to re-charge the e-cigarette via a tip end of the e-cigarette. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The pack of claim 5, wherein the pack further comprises a lid, wherein the lid when closed is configured to exert a pressure on the e-cigarette in a direction towards the base end of the tube, thereby helping to provide a more reliable electrical contact between the tip end of the e-cigarette and the electrical contacts at the base end of the tube. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The pack of claim 1, wherein the pack when open allows access for receiving or removing the e-cigarette, and when closed holds the e-cigarette in the pack. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pack of claim 1, wherein the pack further comprises a lid and a switch, wherein the switch is mechanically activated by closing the lid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The pack of claim 1, wherein the pack further comprises a light to indicate a charging status of the e-cigarette, the light being pulsed to indicate the e-cigarette is being recharged. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pack of claim 1, wherein the pack supports a wireless communications link. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The pack of claim 10, wherein the pack is configured to communicate with an e-cigarette over the wireless communications link. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A system comprising the pack of claim 1 and an e-cigarette inserted into the pack. ### Claim 13 A method for operating a pack for holding and re-charging an e-cigarette, the pack comprising a pack battery, the method comprising: receiving an e-cigarette inserted by a user into the pack; receiving a user activation of a switch or a button on an exterior of the pack; and responsive to the user activation of the switch or the button, beginning to re-charge the e-cigarette received into the pack using the pack battery, wherein the pack further comprises multiple light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to provide a user with an indication of a charging status of the pack battery, whereby having a greater charge in the pack battery leads to an increased number of the LEDs being illuminated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting that the e-cigarette has been inserted by a user into the pack prior to starting the re-charging of the e-cigarette.