Refilling device with venting nozzle, and refilling apparatus
AssigneeNicoventures Trading Limited
InventorHoward ROTHWELL
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refilling device for filling an article from a reservoir includes an article interface for receiving an article of an aerosol provision system, the article having a storage area for fluid; and a venting nozzle configured to engage with an article received in the article interface for egress of air from the storage area during filling of the storage area with fluid, the venting nozzle including a channel for outward flow of air from the storage area, the channel having a cross-sectional area orthogonal to the direction of outward airflow which increases with distance from an air inlet of the channel over a tapered portion of the channel extending from the air inlet.
Claims60
A refilling device for filling an article from a reservoir, comprising:
- an article interface for receiving an article of an aerosol provision system, the article having a storage area for fluid;
- and
- a venting nozzle configured to engage with an article received in the article interface for egress of air from the storage area during filling of the storage area with fluid, the venting nozzle comprising a channel for outward flow of air from the storage area, the channel having a cross-sectional area orthogonal to the direction of outward airflow which increases with distance from an air inlet of the channel over a tapered portion of the channel extending from the air inlet.
A aerosol-generating material storage container for storing aerosol-generating material and configured to engage with a refilling device configured to refill an article with aerosol-generating material, the container comprising:
- a storage area for storing the aerosol-generating material;
- a valve arrangement in communication with the storage area, the valve arrangement comprising:
- a spigot including a first opening and a second opening coupled together via a flow channel for the passage of aerosol-generating material;
- a valve housing arranged to receive the spigot such that the spigot is movable relative to the valve housing,
- wherein the spigot is movable between a first position in which the first opening is blocked by the valve housing and a second position in which the storage area is in fluid communication with the environment external to the aerosol-generating material storage container via the flow channel.
A refilling device for refilling an article for use with an aerosol provision device with aerosol-generating material, the refilling device comprising:
- a transfer mechanism for causing aerosol-generating material from a refill reservoir to be transferred from the refill reservoir to an aerosol-generating material storage area of an article;
- a spigot actuation mechanism configured to actuate a spigot of a valve arrangement of an aerosol-generating material storage container for storing aerosol-generating material;
- and
- a nozzle arranged to allow the aerosol-generating material to be transferred by the nozzle to the article via the valve arrangement of the aerosol-generating material storage container,
- wherein the refilling device is configured to cause the spigot actuation mechanism to move relative to the refilling device such that the spigot actuation mechanism, when engaged with the valve arrangement of the aerosol-generating material storage container, is configured to cause the valve arrangement to open or close as a result of the movement of the spigot actuation mechanism.
A method for refilling an article for use with an aerosol provision device with aerosol-generating material from a refill reservoir using a refilling device, one or both of the article and the refill reservoir comprising a storage area for storing the aerosol-generating material, and a valve arrangement in communication with the storage area, the valve arrangement comprising a spigot including a first opening and a second opening coupled together via a flow channel for the passage of aerosol-generating material and a valve housing arranged to receive the spigot such that the spigot is movable relative to the valve housing, the method comprising:
- engaging a spigot actuation mechanism of the refilling device to the spigot of the valve arrangement;
- moving the spigot from a first position in which the first opening is blocked by the valve housing and a second position in which the first opening is in fluid communication with the environment external to the aerosol-generating material storage container via the flow channel;
- performing refilling of the article by transferring aerosol-generating material from the refill reservoir to the storage area of the article using a transfer mechanism of the refilling device, the aerosol-generating material being transferred through a nozzle of the refilling device and through the flow channel of the valve arrangement.
A aerosol-generating material storage container for storing aerosol-generating material and configured to engage with a refilling means configured to refill an article with aerosol-generating material, the container comprising:
- storage means for storing the aerosol-generating material;
- valve means in communication with the storage means, the valve means comprising:
- spigot means including a first opening and a second opening coupled together via a flow channel for the passage of aerosol-generating material;
- valve housing means arranged to receive the spigot means such that the spigot means is movable relative to the valve housing means,
- wherein the spigot means is movable between a first position in which the first opening is blocked by the valve housing means and a second position in which the storage means is in fluid communication with the environment external to the aerosol-generating material storage container via the flow channel.
Refilling means for refilling an article for use with an aerosol provision device with aerosol-generating material, the refilling means comprising:
- transfer means for causing aerosol-generating material from a refill reservoir to be transferred from the refill reservoir to an aerosol-generating material storage means of an article;
- spigot actuation means configured to actuate spigot means of valve means of an aerosol-generating material storage container for storing aerosol-generating material;
- and
- nozzle means arranged to allow the aerosol-generating material to be transferred by the nozzle means to the article via the valve means of the aerosol-generating material storage container,
- wherein the refilling means is configured to cause the spigot actuation means to move relative to the refilling means such that the spigot actuation means, when engaged with the valve means of the aerosol-generating material storage container, is configured to cause the valve means to open or close as a result of the movement of the spigot actuation means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.