# US 9,750,283 B2 · Electronic cigarette > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,750,283 B2 - Document ID: US9750283B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/248,116 - Filed: 2016-08-26 - Published: 2016-12-15 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-01-31 - Assignees: Altria Client Services LLC - Applicants: Altria Client Services LLC - Inventors: Christopher S. Tucker; Geoffrey Brandon Jordan; Barry S. Smith; Ali A. Rostami; Michael J. Mullins - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9750283B2 ## CPC - A24F 47/008 - A24F 47/004 - A61M 11/042: {electrical} - A61M 15/06: Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes - H01C 17/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing resistors (providing fillings for housings or enclosures H01C1/02; reducing insulation surrounding a resistor to powder H01C1/03; manufacture of thermally variable resistors H01C7/02, H01C7/04) - H05B 1/0244: {Heating of fluids (H05B1/0247 takes precedence)} - H05B 3/0014: {Devices wherein the heating current flows through particular resistances} - H05B 3/026 - H05B 3/10: Heating elements characterised by the composition or nature of the materials or by the arrangement of the conductor - H05B 3/12: characterised by the composition or nature of the conductive material - H05B 3/16: the conductor being mounted on an insulating base - H05B 3/42: non-flexible - H05B 3/44: heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material - A61M 15/002: {with air flow regulating means} - A61M 2016/0018: {electrical} - A61M 2021/0016: {by the smell sense} - A61M 2205/3653: by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance - A61M 2205/8206: battery-operated - A61M 2205/8268: Fuel storage cells - A61M 2209/02: Equipment for testing the apparatus - F04C 2270/0421: Controlled or regulated - H05B 2203/021: Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids - Y10T 29/49083: Heater type - A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - H01C: RESISTORS - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - F04C: ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS (engines F03C); ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An electronic smoking article includes an outer tube extending in a longitudinal direction, an inner tube within the outer tube and including a pair of opposing slots, a liquid supply comprising a liquid material, a coil heater, a wick and a mouth end insert. The coil heater is located in the inner tube. The coil heater is formed of an iron-free, nickel-chromium alloy and has substantially uniformly spaced windings. The wick is surrounded by the coil heater such that the wick delivers liquid material to the coil heater and the coil heater heats the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form an aerosol in the inner tube. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic article comprising: an outer tube extending in a longitudinal direction, the outer tube defining a portion of a liquid supply region configured to store a liquid material; an inner tube within the outer tube, the inner tube including a pair of opposing slots, the liquid supply region between the outer tube and the inner tube; a coil heater in the inner tube; a wick in communication with the liquid supply region, the wick at least partially surrounded by the coil heater, and end portions of the wick extending through the opposing slots in the inner tube; a closure ring including an edge at an end thereof, the closure ring being positioned around a portion of the inner tube, such that the edge is proximate to portions of the wick outside the inner tube, the closure ring does not overlap with the wick, and the closure ring covers only a portion of each of the opposing slots; and a power supply configured to supply power to the coil heater. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic article of claim 1, wherein the coil heater is formed of a nickel-chromium alloy. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electronic article of claim 2, wherein the nickel-chromium alloy is essentially iron-free. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic article of claim 1, wherein the coil heater has substantially uniformly spaced windings. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic article of claim 4, wherein the coil heater comprises 3 to 8 substantially uniformly spaced windings. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic article of claim 1, wherein the inner tube has a diameter of about 4 mm and each of the opposing slots has major and minor dimensions of about 2 mm by about 4 mm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic article of claim 1, wherein the electronic article comprises a single outer tube. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic article of claim 1, further comprising: a power supply electrically connected to the coil heater. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electronic article of claim 1, wherein the inner tube is formed of a woven fiberglass material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electronic article of claim 1, wherein the wick includes a plurality of filaments. ### Claim 11 A cartridge of an electronic article comprising: an outer tube extending in a longitudinal direction, the outer tube defining a portion of a liquid supply region configured to store a liquid material; an inner tube within the outer tube, the inner tube including a pair of opposing slots, the liquid supply region between the outer tube and the inner tube; a coil heater in the inner tube; a wick in communication with the liquid supply region, the wick at least partially surrounded by the coil heater, and end portions of the wick extending through the opposing slots in the inner tube; and a closure ring including an edge at an end thereof, the closure ring being positioned around a portion of the inner tube, such that the edge is proximate to portions of the wick outside the inner tube, the closure ring does not overlap with the wick, and the closure ring covers only a portion of each of the opposing slots. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the coil heater is formed of a nickel-chromium alloy. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The cartridge of claim 12, wherein the nickel-chromium alloy is essentially iron-free. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the coil heater has substantially uniformly spaced windings. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The cartridge of claim 14, wherein the coil heater comprises 3 to 8 substantially uniformly spaced windings. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the inner tube has a diameter of about 4 mm and each of the opposing slots has major and minor dimensions of about 2 mm by about 4 mm. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the inner tube is formed of a woven fiberglass material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the wick includes a plurality of filaments.