# US 11,026,451 B2 · Electronic cigarette fluid pump > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,026,451 B2 - Document ID: US11026451B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/994,680 - Filed: 2018-05-31 - Published: 2018-12-06 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-01 - Applicants: Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. - Inventors: Martin Wensley; Khe Kubel; Stefan Biel; Mark Brinkerhoff; Tom Geraty; Reynaldo Quintana - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11026451B2 ## CPC - F04B 43/043: {Micropumps} - A24F 40/46: Shape or structure of electric heating means - A24F 40/48: Fluid transfer means, e.g. pumps - A24F 40/485: Valves; Apertures - A24F 40/50: Control or monitoring - F04B 19/00: Machines or pumps having pertinent characteristics not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F04B1/00 - F04B17/00 - A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors - F04B 45/047: Pumps having electric drive - H05B 3/44: heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) - A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Aspects of the instant disclosure relate to electronic cigarettes with an active delivery system for transporting a liquid solution from a tank to an atomizer; and more particularly to oscillating diaphragm pumps that facilitate flow of the liquid solution from the tank and onto a heating coil of an atomizer for vaporization. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic cigarette comprising: a tank configured and arranged to contain eCig juice; an atomizer including a heating element, and configured and arranged to vaporize eCig juice into an airflow; and an oscillating diaphragm pump including a diaphragm and a permanent magnet, the oscillating diaphragm pump is positioned in fluid communication with the tank and the atomizer, and configured and arranged to draw eCig juice from the tank and deposit the eCig juice on to the heating element; wherein the oscillating diaphragm pump further includes an inlet valve and an outlet valve, the inlet valve in fluid communication with an inlet of the diaphragm, and the outlet valve in fluid communication with an outlet of the diaphragm, the inlet and outlet valves configured and arranged to prevent reverse flow of the eCig juice through the oscillating diaphragm pump; wherein the oscillating diaphragm pump further includes an upper housing and a lower housing, the upper housing containing the outlet valve and the lower housing containing the inlet valve, and at least one of the upper and lower housing including a support member circumferentially extending around at least a portion of one or both of the inlet and outlet valves, the support member configured and arranged to stiffen one or both of the inlet and outlet valves and reduce back flow. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic cigarette of claim 1, further including an electro-magnet configured and arranged to transmit an oscillating magnetic field in proximity to the permanent magnet; and the permanent magnet is configured and arranged to produce a non-oscillating magnetic field that interacts with the oscillating magnetic field of the electro-magnet to linearly oscillate the diaphragm, which draws eCig juice from the tank and injects the eCig juice on to the heating element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic cigarette of claim 1, wherein the oscillating diaphragm pump further includes a deformable membrane configured and arranged to facilitate expansion and contraction of the diaphragm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic cigarette of claim 1, wherein the atomizer is configured and arranged to direct the airflow through a cavity of the heating element; and the heating element includes a ceramic coating configured and arranged to facilitate wetting the heating element with eCig juice and to mitigate electrical shorting of adjacent heating element coils. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic cigarette of claim 1, wherein the oscillating diaphragm pump is configured and arranged to pump eCig juice at a flow rate of up to 10 milligram/second with a pressure of approximately 0.5 pounds-per-square-inch. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic cigarette of claim 1, wherein the oscillating diaphragm pump has a diaphragm travel length between 0.03 and 0.05 inches. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic cigarette of claim 1, wherein the heating element includes a rough exterior surface configured and arranged to facilitate wetting the heating element with eCig juice, and to mitigate electrical shorting of adjacent heating element coils. ### Claim 8 An electronic cigarette comprising: a tank configured and arranged to contain eCig juice; an atomizer including a heating element, and configured and arranged to vaporize eCig juice into an airflow; and an oscillating diaphragm pump including a diaphragm and a permanent magnet, the oscillating diaphragm pump is positioned in fluid communication with the tank and the atomizer, and configured and arranged to draw eCig juice from the tank and deposit the eCig juice on to the heating element; wherein the atomizer further includes a frit that houses the heating element, the frit includes one or more apertures extending through the frit, the apertures configured and arranged to deliver eCig juice to the heating element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic cigarette of claim 8, wherein the heating element is a non-circular, helical coil configured and arranged to minimize contact between the heating element and the frit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electronic cigarette of claim 9, wherein the heating element is one of a square-shaped, helical coil, and a triangle-shaped, helical coil. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The electronic cigarette of claim 8, wherein the heating element is offset from an inner diameter of the frit by less than 0.25 millimeters. ### Claim 12 An electronic cigarette comprising: a tank configured and arranged to contain eCig juice; an atomizer including a heating element, and configured and arranged to vaporize eCig juice into an airflow; an oscillating diaphragm pump including a diaphragm and a permanent magnet, the oscillating diaphragm pump is positioned in fluid communication with the tank and the atomizer, and configured and arranged to draw eCig juice from the tank and deposit the eCig juice on to the heating element; an electro-magnet configured and arranged to transmit an oscillating magnetic field in proximity to the permanent magnet; and the permanent magnet is configured and arranged to produce a non-oscillating magnetic field that interacts with the oscillating magnetic field of the electro-magnet to linearly oscillate the diaphragm, which draws eCig juice from the tank and injects the eCig juice on to the heating element; controller circuitry electrically coupled to the electro-magnet and the heating element, the controller circuitry configured and arranged to detect a user draw strength on the electronic cigarette, in response to the detected draw strength, transmit an oscillating electric signal that drives the electro-magnet, and thereby the permanent magnet of the oscillating diaphragm pump which causes eCig juice to be deposited on to the heating element, further in response to the detected draw strength, drive the heating element with a current sufficient to maintain a consistent vapor content per airflow volume delivered to a user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The electronic cigarette of claim 1, wherein the diaphragm, the inlet valve and the outlet valve are positioned coaxial to a longitudinal axis of the electronic cigarette. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The electronic cigarette of claim 13, further including an electro-magnet configured and arranged to transmit an oscillating magnetic field in proximity to the permanent magnet; and the permanent magnet is configured and arranged to produce a non-oscillating magnetic field that interacts with the oscillating magnetic field of the electro-magnet to linearly oscillate the diaphragm, which draws eCig juice from the tank and injects the eCig juice on to the heating element; and wherein the electro-magnet and the permanent magnet are also positioned coaxial to the longitudinal axis of the electronic cigarette.