# US 12,178,234 B2 · Methods to add menthol, botanic materials, and/or non-botanic materials to a cartridge, and/or an electronic vaping device including the cartridge > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,178,234 B2 - Document ID: US12178234B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/558,999 - Filed: 2019-09-03 - Published: 2019-12-26 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-03 - Assignees: Altria Client Services LLC - Applicants: Altria Client Services LLC - Inventors: Gerd Kobal; San Li; Peter Lipowicz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178234B2 ## CPC - A24B 15/00: Chemical features or treatment of tobacco; Tobacco substitutes, e.g. in liquid form (A24B3/00 takes precedence) - A24B 15/16: of tobacco substitutes - A24B 15/167: in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes - A24B 15/303: {Plant extracts other than tobacco} - A24B 15/34: containing a carbocyclic ring other than a six-membered aromatic ring - A24B 15/42: by organic and inorganic substances {(A24B15/281 takes precedence)} - A24F 40/30: Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges - A24F 40/42: Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors - A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors - A24F 40/20: Devices using solid inhalable precursors - A24B: MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF - A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06) ## Abstract A cartridge may include a housing, a liquid supply reservoir in the housing and configured to store a pre-vapor formulation, a vaporizer, and a porous plug. The vaporizer may be in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir. The vaporizer may be configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre-vapor formulation. The porous plug may be connected to the housing and separated from the liquid supply reservoir. The porous plug may be permeable to the vapor. The porous plug may enclose a flavoring additive contacting a storage material. The flavoring additive may be configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material if the vapor flows through the porous plug. An e-vaping device may include the cartridge. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cartridge, comprising: a housing including a first end opposite a second end; a liquid supply reservoir in the housing and configured to store a pre-vapor formulation; a vaporizer in the housing and in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir, the vaporizer being configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre-vapor formulation; a tip structure connected to the first end of the housing, the tip structure outside the housing; a mouth-end insert in the housing at the first end, the mouth-end insert between the vaporizer and the tip structure; and a porous plug in the tip structure, wherein the porous plug is permeable to the vapor, the porous plug encloses a flavoring additive contacting a storage material, and the flavoring additive is configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material in response to the vapor flowing through the porous plug. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the flavoring additive includes one of menthol, limonene, benzaldehyde, ethyl vanoline, and the storage material includes one of a botanic material and a non-botanic material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the flavoring additive includes menthol. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the storage material includes one of a botanic material and a non-botanic material, and the botanic material includes one of menthol crystal, mint leaves, tea leaves, coffee powder, dry flowers, lemon grass, orange peels, star anise, and clove, and the non-botanic material includes one of paper, cellulose, zerolite, cellulose acetate with acid, cellulose acetate without acid, and a polymer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the porous plug is a bag containing the flavoring additive and the storage material, and a material of the bag includes one of porous aluminum foil, perforated aluminum foil, nylon, filter paper, silk, plastic, and cellulose acetate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising: the pre-vapor formulation in the liquid supply reservoir, wherein the pre-vapor formulation includes nicotine and at least one of glycerin (Gly) and propylene glycol, and the flavoring additive is configured to adsorb to the storage material or absorb in the storage material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cartridge of claim 1, wherein a volume ratio of the liquid supply reservoir to the porous plug is in a range of about 10:90 (liquid supply volume: porous plug volume) to about 90:10 (liquid supply volume: porous plug volume). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The cartridge of claim 1, wherein a weight ratio of the flavoring additive to the storage material ranges from about 1:99 (flavoring additive: storage material) to 80:20 (flavoring additive: storage material). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising: an inner gasket in the housing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method of making an e-vaping device, comprising: connecting the cartridge of claim 1 to a battery section such that the battery section and cartridge are removably coupled to each other, wherein the battery section includes a power supply, and the power supply is configured to provide power to the vaporizer for the vaporizer generating the vapor from the pre-vapor formulation. ### Claim 11 A cartridge, comprising: a housing including first and second ends that are opposite each other and in fluid communication with each other through a channel; a liquid supply reservoir in the housing and configured to store pre-vapor formulation; a vaporizer in the housing and in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir, the vaporizer being configured to generate a vapor from the pre-vapor formulation; a tip structure connected to the first end of the housing, the tip structure outside the housing; a mouth-end insert in the housing at the first end, the mouth-end insert between the vaporizer and the tip structure; and a porous plug in the tip structure, wherein the porous plug encloses a flavoring additive and at least one of a botanic material and a non-botanic material, and the porous plug is permeable to the vapor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the botanic material includes one of menthol crystal, mint leaves, tea leaves, coffee powder, dry flowers, lemon grass, orange peels, star anise, and clove, and the non-botanic material includes one of paper, cellulose, zerolite, cellulose acetate with acid, cellulose acetate without acid, and a polymer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the porous plug is a bag containing the flavoring additive and a storage material, a material of the porous plug includes one of perforated aluminum foil, porous aluminum foil, nylon, filter paper, silk, plastic, and cellulose acetate, and the flavoring additive is adsorbed onto the storage material or absorbed in the storage material. ### Claim 14 A method of making a cartridge, the method comprising: forming a liquid supply reservoir and a vaporizer in a housing, the liquid supply reservoir being configured to store a pre-vapor formulation, the vaporizer being in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir, the vaporizer being configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre-vapor formulation; arranging a mouth-end insert in the housing; arranging a tip structure connected to the housing, the tip structure outside the housing, such that the mouth-end insert in the housing is between the vaporizer and the tip structure; and arranging a porous plug in the tip structure, wherein the porous plug is permeable to the vapor, the porous plug encloss a flavoring additive contacting a storage material, and the flavoring additive is configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material in response to the vapor flowing through the porous plug. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the storage material includes one of a botanic material and a non-botanic material, the botanic material includes one of menthol crystal, mint leaves, tea leaves, coffee powder, and dry flowers, and the non-botanic material includes one of paper, cellulose, zerolite, and a polymer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the flavoring additive includes one of menthol, limonene, benzaldehyde, and ethyl vanoline. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the porous plug is a bag containing the flavoring additive and the storage material, and a material of the bag includes one of aluminum foil, nylon, filter paper, silk, plastic, and cellulose acetate. ### Claim 18 An e-vaping device, comprising: a housing; a liquid supply reservoir in the housing and configured to store a pre-vapor formulation; a vaporizer in the housing and in liquid communication with the liquid supply reservoir, the vaporizer being configured to generate a vapor from heating a portion of the pre-vapor formulation; a tip structure connected to an end of the housing, the tip structure outside the housing; a mouth-end insert in the housing at the end, the mouth-end insert between the vaporizer and the tip structure; a porous plug in the tip structure, wherein the porous plug is permeable to the vapor, wherein the porous plug encloses a flavoring additive contacting a storage material, wherein the flavoring additive is configured to at least partially elute from the storage material or at least partially volatilize from the storage material in reponse to the vapor flowing through the porous plug; and a power supply configured to selectively supply power to the vaporizer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The e-vaping device of claim 18, further comprising: a cartridge; and a battery section configured to be removably coupled to the cartridge, wherein the cartridge includes the housing, the liquid supply reservoir, and the vaporizer, the battery section includes the power supply, and the battery section is configured to provide power to the vaporizer if the battery section senses a negative pressure being applied to a first end of the cartridge.