Aerosol-generating system with pump
AssigneeAltria Client Services LLC
InventorsLaurent Manca, Rui Nuno Batista
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aerosol generating system includes a heater assembly and a manually operated pump. The pump includes a hollow member with an inlet portion and an outlet portion. The inlet portion of the hollow member is configured connectable with a liquid storage portion. The outlet portion of the hollow member is in fluid communication with a dispensing assembly. The pump is configured to dispense a liquid material onto the heater assembly. The pump is configured to pump the liquid material from the liquid storage portion via the dispensing assembly and onto the heater assembly.
Claims18
An aerosol generating system comprising:
- a heater assembly,
- a liquid storage portion configured to contain a liquid material;
- a dispensing assembly configured to dispense the liquid material to the heater assembly;
- and
- a pump including,
- a flexible, hollow tube having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet connected to the liquid storage portion, and the outlet in fluid communication with the dispensing assembly, and
- a volume modifier including,
- a fixed element in contact with the flexible, hollow tube, and
- a moveable element connected to a button in a housing of the aerosol generating system, the flexible, hollow tube between the fixed element and the moveable element, such that when the button is pressed, the button presses against the moveable element so as to press the moveable element against the flexible, hollow tube in a direction towards the fixed element.
A method of delivering a liquid material in an aerosol generating system comprising
- providing an aerosol generating system including,
- a heater assembly,
- a liquid storage portion configured to contain a liquid material;
- a dispensing assembly configured to dispense the liquid material to the heater assembly;
- and
- a pump including,
- a flexible, hollow tube having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet connected to the liquid storage portion, and the outlet in fluid communication with the dispensing assembly, and
- a volume modifier including,
- a fixed element in contact with the flexible, hollow tube, and
- a moveable element connected to a button in a housing of the aerosol generating system, the flexible, hollow tube between the fixed element and the moveable element, such that when the button is pressed, the button presses against the moveable element so as to press the moveable element against the flexible, hollow tube in a direction towards the fixed element;
- and
- operating the pump so as to pump the liquid material from the liquid storage portion onto the heater assembly via the dispensing assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.