Apparatus and method for assembling a heater assembly for a non-nicotine pod assembly
AssigneeAltria Client Services LLC
InventorsGregory L. Nelson, Bipin Patil, Craig Gunn, Rangaraj S. Sundar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for assembling a heater assembly for a non-nicotine pod assembly includes a base, a wick feed, a slide, and a holder. The wick feed extends toward the base and defines a channel configured to receive a wick structured to draw a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation via capillary action. The slide is configured to move along a plane on a top face of the base. The holder is disposed on the top face of the base.
Claims18
An apparatus for assembling a heater assembly for a non-nicotine pod assembly, the apparatus comprising:
- a base defining a horizontal surface;
- a wick feed defining a channel configured to receive a wick structured to draw a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation via capillary action, the channel having a length, a width, and a height, the length being longer than both the width and the height and extending orthogonal to the horizontal surface of the base;
- a slide configured to move along the horizontal surface of the base in a horizontal direction;
- and
- a holder disposed on the horizontal surface of the base, the holder including a locking finger configured to engage a wire loop of the heater assembly and retain the heater assembly against the holder.
An apparatus for assembling a heater assembly for a non-nicotine pod assembly, the apparatus comprising:
- a base;
- a wick feed defining a channel configured to receive a wick structured to draw a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation via capillary action, the channel having a longest dimension extending toward the base;
- a slide configured to move along a plane on a top face of the base;
- and
- a holder disposed on the top face of the base,
- wherein the holder includes a locking finger configured to engage a wire loop of the heater assembly and retain the heater assembly against the holder, and
- wherein the locking finger extends through a slot in the holder.
A method of assembling a heater assembly for a non-nicotine pod assembly, the method comprising:
- securing, with a holder, a support of the heater assembly relative to a base;
- aligning, with a wick feed mounted to the base, a wick in a heater of the support, the wick structured to draw a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation via capillary action;
- cutting, with a blade configured to slide relative to the base, a portion of the wick;
- clamping, with a slide configured to slide relative to the base, a portion of the heater around the portion of the wick;
- and
- releasing, with the holder, the support from the base, the holder including a locking finger configured to engage a wire loop of the heater assembly and retain the heater assembly against the holder,
- wherein the base defines a horizontal surface, and the holder is disposed on the horizontal surface,
- wherein the slide is configured to move along the horizontal surface of the base in a horizontal direction,
- wherein the aligning the wick in the heater of the support includes inserting the wick into a channel defined by the wick feed, and
- wherein the channel has a length, a width, and a height, the length being longer than both the width and the height, and the length extends orthogonal to the horizontal surface of the base.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.