An e-cigarette includes a housing having a liquid section for holding a liquid and a battery section for holding a battery, which liquid section and battery section are configured to be coupled to each other, and a wick to take up the liquid, a heating member for heating the wick, wherein the liquid section includes a liquid reservoir provided with a liquid outlet to supply liquid to the wick and an air duct to create an air flow along the wick and to an air outlet.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/NL2017/050205, filed Apr. 3, 2017, published in English, which claims priority to Netherlands Patent Application No. 2016548 filed Apr. 4, 2016, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an electronic cigarette for providing a vapour. The vapour can be inhaled by a person.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The known electronic cigarette comprises a housing having a liquid section and a battery section, and a wick and heating member located in the housing. The electrical wires are attached to the heating member to provide electrical power from the battery. A disadvantage of the known electronic cigarette is that it is difficult to produce, especially to produce it mechanically.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention has the objective to provide an improved, or at least alternative, e-cigarette. According to one aspect according to the invention, the object is to provide an e-cigarette which can be produced in a more efficient manner. According to a further aspect according to the invention, the object is to provide an e-cigarette which is can be produced mechanically.

The e-cigarette according the invention comprises a housing having a liquid section for holding a liquid and a battery section for holding a battery, which liquid section and battery section are configured to be coupled to each other, a wick to take up the liquid, and a heating member for heating the wick, wherein the liquid section comprises a liquid reservoir provided with a liquid outlet to supply liquid to the wick and an air duct to create an air flow along the wick and to an air outlet, the heating member and the wick are combined to form a combined construction having an outer surface which is at least partly electrically conductive, and the e-cigarette comprises a first electrical contact member being electrically connected to an anode of the battery and a second electrical contact member being electrically connected to a cathode of the battery, which first and second electrical contact members are in contact with conductive parts of the outer surface of the combined construction without being attached to them.

Since the wick and the heating member form a combined construction, they can be supplied during the production process in a single processing step. In the known e-cigarette, the wick and the heating member are each supplied in a separate processing step. This allows that the e-cigarette according to the invention can be produced in a more efficient manner. It especially allows that the production process can be performed mechanically.

The e-cigarette further allows that the battery is electrically connected to the combined construction of the wick and heating member without being attached to it (via for example welded electrical wires). The process of electrically attaching elements is difficult to perform, especially to perform it mechanically. The fact that in the e-cigarette according to the invention the combined construction is electrically connected to the first and second electrical contact members without being attached to them, allows that the e-cigarette can be produced in a more simple manner. Due to this, the e-cigarette can be produced in a cost efficient manner by machines instead of by the hands of a person.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the combined construction is free from protruding parts extending away from the outer surface.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the entire combined construction extends along a straight line or a substantially straight line. The fact that the entire combined construction extends along a straight line increases the handling possibilities of the combined construction and allows that the e-cigarette is produced mechanically.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the combined construction is free from protruding parts extending transverse to the straight line.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the combined construction has an elongate form extending along its longitudinal axis.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the combined construction has such a rigidity that it maintains its form when subjected to gravity.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the combined construction has such a rigidity that it maintains its form when handled mechanically, such as during mechanical pick and place operations.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the combined construction has a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, which cross section is constant along the longitudinal axis. The cross section can have the form of a circle, a square, a rectangle, or a polygon.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the first and second electrical contact members are located at a distance from each other along the longitudinal axis of the combined construction.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the combined construction is located between a first support member and an opposite second support member to hold the combined construction in a fixed position.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the first and second electrical contact members are provided on the first support member. The second support member may comprise a first electrically conductive member located opposite to the first electrical contact member and a second electrically conductive member located opposite to the second electrical contact member.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the first and second electrical contact members are provided on the second support member. The first support member may comprise a first electrically conductive member located opposite to the first electrical contact member and a second electrically conductive member located opposite to the second electrical contact member.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the combined construction is in contact with the first and second support member without being attached to them.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the combined construction is free from any attached contact with the e-cigarette. The combined construction may only have contact with the liquid section without being attached to it, or the battery section without being attached to it, or the liquid section and the battery section without being attached to them.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the wick of the combined construction is formed by a ceramic material. The ceramic material may have a porous structure.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the wick of the combined construction is formed by a fibrous material. The fibrous material may be a fibre rope.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the heating member of the combined construction is formed by an electrically conductive wire.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the electrically conductive wire extends along the entire length of the wick.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the electrically conductive wire is wound in a helical form around the wick.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the heating member is formed by an electrically conductive additive provided in the ceramic material.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the combined construction is located in the liquid section.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the liquid section comprises a first liquid part and a second liquid part, the first liquid part is provided with the liquid reservoir and the air outlet, the liquid outlet is located adjacent to the combined construction, the air duct extends from the combined construction to the air outlet, the first liquid part comprises a first coupling member and the second liquid part comprises a second coupling member which is configured to cooperate with the first coupling member to couple the second liquid part to the first liquid part such that the second liquid part is located in a coupled position, the first and second contact members are provided on the second liquid part.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the second liquid part comprises a third electrical contact member being electrically connected to the first electrical contact member and a fourth electrical contact member being electrically connected to the second electrical contact member, which third and fourth electrical contact member are configured to become electrically connected with the battery when the battery section is coupled to the liquid section.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the first liquid part is provided with the first support member and the second liquid part is provided with the second support member.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the liquid reservoir is provided with a further liquid outlet located adjacent to the combined construction, the combined construction comprises a first construction end, a second construction end and an intermediate construction part which is located between the first construction end and the second construction end, and the first construction end is located at the liquid outlet, the second construction end is located at the further liquid outlet and the air duct is located at the intermediate construction part.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the battery section comprises a fifth electrical contact member and a sixth electrical contact member which are in contact with the anode and the cathode of the battery, respectively, and the liquid section and the battery section are configured to place the third electrical contact member and the fourth electrical contact member in contact with the fifth electrical contact member and the sixth electrical contact member, respectively, when the liquid section is coupled to the battery section.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the first liquid part is formed as a first single piece.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the first liquid part is formed by injection moulding.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the second liquid part is formed as a second single piece.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the second liquid part is formed by injection moulding on electrically conductive material or by injection moulding in a first production step and electrically conductive material is deposed in a second production step.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the combined construction is located in the battery section.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the battery section comprises a first battery part and a second battery part, the first battery part is provided with the battery, the first battery part comprises a first coupling member and the second battery part comprises a second coupling member which is configured to cooperate with the first coupling member to couple the second battery part to the first battery part such that the second battery part is located in a coupled position, the first and second contact members are provided on the first battery part.

In an embodiment of the e-cigarette, the first battery part is provided with the first support member and the second battery part is provided with the second support member.

The invention further relates to a method of producing an e-cigarette, which method comprises the steps of providing the combined construction and positioning it on the liquid section or the battery section, and placing first and second contact members in contact with the outer surface of the combined construction without attaching the first and second contact members to the combined construction.

In an embodiment, the method comprises the step of placing the combined construction on the first support member, and placing the second support member in contact with the combined construction such that the combined construction is held in a fixed position.

In an embodiment, the method comprises the step of placing the combined construction in the first liquid part such that the combined construction extends along the liquid outlet and the air duct, and subsequently coupling the second liquid part to the first liquid part such that the second liquid part is located in the coupled position while the first and second electrical contact members contact electrically conductive parts at the outer surface of the combined construction.

In an embodiment, the method comprises the step of placing the combined construction in the first battery part, and subsequently coupling the second battery part to the first battery part such that the second battery part is located in the coupled position while the first and second electrical contact members contact electrically conductive parts at the outer surface of the combined construction.

In an embodiment of the method, the placing of the combined construction and the placing of the first and second contact members in contact with the combined construction is performed mechanically.

In an embodiment, the method comprises coupling the liquid section and the battery section to each other.

In an embodiment, the method comprises the steps of coupling the liquid section to the battery section such that the third electrical contact member and the fourth electrical contact member of the liquid section are in contact with the fifth electrical contact member and the sixth electrical contact member of the battery section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

TheFIGS. 1-4show a first embodiment of the e-cigarette1according to the invention.FIGS. 1 and 4show a view in perspective of the e-cigarette1and theFIGS. 2 and 3show a view in cross section.

The e-cigarette1comprises a housing2having a liquid section3for holding a liquid and a battery section4for holding a battery5. The liquid section3and the battery section4are configured to be coupled to each other via a first section coupling member26provided on the liquid section3a second section coupling member27provided on the battery section4. The wick6for taking up the liquid and the heating member7for heating the wick are combined to form a combined construction12having an outer surface13which is at least partly electrically conductive. This is further discussed in detail with respect to theFIGS. 11 and 12.

The liquid section3comprises a liquid reservoir8provided with a liquid outlet9A to supply liquid to the wick6and an air duct10to create an air flow along the wick6and to an air outlet11. The e-cigarette1comprises a first electrical contact member14being electrically connected to an anode of the battery5and a second electrical contact member15being electrically connected to a cathode of the battery5. The first and second electrical contact members14,15are in contact with conductive parts18A,18B of the outer surface13of the combined construction12without being attached to them.

The e-cigarette1comprises an airflow sensor28which controls a switch30in order to close an electrical circuit29which connects the first and second electrical contact members14,15to the anode and cathode of the battery5when an airflow is detected and to open the electrical circuit29when no airflow is detected. The airflow is indicated by arrows.

Since the wick6and the heating member7form a combined construction12, they can be supplied during the production process in a single processing step. In the known e-cigarette, the wick and the heating member are each supplied in a separate processing step. This allows that the e-cigarette1according to the invention can be produced in a more efficient manner. It especially allows that the production process can be performed mechanically.

The e-cigarette1further allows that the battery5is electrically connected to the combined construction12of the wick6and heating member7without being attached to it (via for example welded electrical wires). The process of electrically attaching elements is difficult to perform, especially to perform it mechanically. The fact that in the e-cigarette1according to the invention the combined construction12is electrically connected to the first and second electrical contact members14,15without being attached to them, allows that the e-cigarette1can be produced in a more simple manner. Due to this, the e-cigarette1can be produced in a cost efficient manner by machines instead of by the hands of a person.

TheFIG. 5-7shows enlarged views of the liquid section3of the e-cigarette1ofFIG. 1.

The entire combined construction12extends along a substantially straight line. The combined construction12has an elongate form extending along its longitudinal axis20. The combined construction12has such a rigidity that it maintains its form when subjected to gravity. Each of these characteristics allows that the combined construction12can be mechanically handled.

In the known e-cigarette, the wick is in general very flexible and does not maintain its form when subjected to gravity or does not maintain its form when handled mechanically, such as during mechanical pick and place operations. It is therefore very difficult to mechanically handle the known wick. The known wick in general also extend in different directions. The known wicks have a first part which extend inside the liquid reservoir and a second part which extends in a different direction along the heading member. Since the known wick extends in different directions, it is difficult to handle it mechanically, such as for mechanical pick and place operations.

The combined construction12is located between a first support member21and an opposite second support member22to hold the combined construction12in a fixed position23. This ensures that there is a continuous contact between the combined construction12and the first and second electrical contact members14,15.

The first and second electrical contact members14,15are provided on the second support member22. The first support member21comprises a first electrically conductive member47located opposite to the first electrical contact member14and a second electrically conductive member48located opposite to the second electrical contact member15. The first and second electrically conductive members47,48enhance the performance of the e-cigarette1.

The combined construction12is in contact with the first and second support member21,22without being attached to them. The combined construction12is free from any attached contact with the e-cigarette1. This allows that the e-cigarette1can be produced mechanically in an efficient manner.

The first and second electrical contact members14,15are located at a distance D from each other along the longitudinal axis20of the combined construction12(see alsoFIG. 10). This ensures that an electrical current can flow through the combined construction12.

The combined construction12of the e-cigarette1is located in the liquid section3. The liquid section3comprises a first liquid part31and a second liquid part32. The first liquid part31is provided with the liquid reservoir8and the air outlet11. The liquid outlet9A is located adjacent to the combined construction12. The air duct10extends from the combined construction12to the air outlet11.

The first liquid part31comprises a first coupling member33and the second liquid part32comprises a second coupling member34which is configured to cooperate with the first coupling member33to couple the second liquid part32to the first liquid part31such that the second liquid32part is located in a coupled position35. The first and second contact members14,15are provided on the second liquid part32.

The second liquid part32comprises a third electrical contact member36being electrically connected to the first electrical contact member14and a fourth electrical contact member37being electrically connected to the second electrical contact member15, which third and fourth electrical contact member36,37are configured to become electrically connected with the battery5when the battery section4is coupled to the liquid section3.

As shown in theFIGS. 2 and 4B, the battery section4comprises a fifth electrical contact member43and a sixth electrical contact member44which are in contact with the anode and the cathode of the battery5, respectively. The liquid section3and the battery section4are configured to place the third electrical contact member36and the fourth electrical contact member37in contact with the fifth electrical contact member43and the sixth electrical contact member44, respectively, when the liquid section3is coupled to the battery section4.

The first liquid part31is provided with the first support member21and the second liquid part32is provided with the second support member22.

The liquid reservoir8is provided with a further liquid outlet9B located adjacent to the combined construction12. The combined construction12comprises a first construction end40, a second construction end41and an intermediate construction part42which is located between the first construction end40and the second construction end41. The first construction end40is located at the liquid outlet9A, the second construction end41is located at the further liquid outlet9B and the air duct10is located at the intermediate construction part42.

The first liquid part31is formed as a first single piece, more specifically by injection moulding. This allows that the first liquid part31is produced in a cost efficient manner.

The second liquid part32is formed as a second single piece. The second liquid part32can be formed by injection moulding on electrically conductive material or by injection moulding in a first production step and electrically conductive material is deposed in a second production step. This allows that the second liquid part32is produced in a cost efficient manner.

FIG. 8shows an exploded view of the liquid section3ofFIG. 5. Different views of the first liquid part31and the second liquid part32are shown in theFIGS. 9 and 10, respectively.

FIG. 11shows a top view of a first embodiment of the combined construction12of the liquid section ofFIG. 5. The wick6of the combined construction12is formed by a fibrous material24. The fibrous material24is a fibre rope. The heating member7of the combined construction12is formed by an electrically conductive wire25. The electrically conductive wire25extends along the entire length L of the wick. The electrically conductive wire25is wound in a helical form around the wick6.

FIG. 12shows a top view of a second embodiment of the combined construction12of the liquid section ofFIG. 5. The wick6of the combined construction12is formed by a ceramic material45. The ceramic material45has a porous structure. The heating member7is formed by an electrically conductive additive46provided in the ceramic material45. The electrically conductive additive46provides the electrical conductivity through the combined construction12and along its outer surface13.

TheFIG. 13-16schematically shows a first embodiment of the method of producing the e-cigarette1. The method comprises the steps of providing the combined construction12and positioning it on the liquid section3(see theFIGS. 13 and 14). After that, the first and second contact members14,15are placed in contact with the outer surface13of the combined construction12without attaching the first and second contact members14,15to the combined construction12(see theFIGS. 15 and 16). This allows that the method is performed mechanically in an efficient manner.

In the shown method, the combined construction12is placed on the first support member21, and the second support member22is placed in contact with the combined construction12such that the combined construction12is held in a fixed position23.

The combined construction12is placed in the first liquid part31such that the combined construction12extends along the liquid outlet9A,9B and the air duct10, and the second liquid part32is subsequently coupled to the first liquid31part such that the second liquid part32is located in the coupled position35while the first and second electrical contact members14,15contact electrically conductive parts18A,18B at the outer surface13of the combined construction12.

The method further comprises coupling the liquid section3and the battery section4to each other (seeFIG. 1). The method comprises the steps of coupling the liquid section3to the battery section4such that the third electrical contact member36and the fourth electrical contact member37of the liquid section3are in contact with the fifth electrical contact member43and the sixth electrical contact member44of the battery section4(seeFIG. 2).

TheFIGS. 17-21show a second embodiment of the e-cigarette1according to the invention. The outside of the housing2of the second embodiment looks similar to the first embodiment as shown inFIG. 1. The combined construction12is located in the battery section4. The battery section4comprises a first battery part51and a second battery part52. The first battery part51is provided with the battery5. The first battery part51comprises a first coupling member33and the second battery part52comprises a second coupling member34which is configured to cooperate with the first coupling member33to couple the second battery part52to the first battery part51such that the second battery part52is located in a coupled position35. The first and second contact members14,15are provided on the first battery part51. The first battery part51is provided with the first support member21and the second battery part52is provided with the second support member22.

The method of producing the second embodiment of the e-cigarette1comprises the steps of providing the combined construction and positioning it on the battery section4, and placing first and second contact members14,15in contact with the outer surface13of the combined construction12without attaching the first and second contact members14,15to the combined construction12.

The method further comprises the steps of placing the combined construction12in the first battery part51, and subsequently coupling the second battery part52to the first battery part51such that the second battery part52is located in the coupled position35while the first and second electrical contact members14,15contact electrically conductive parts18A,18B at the outer surface13of the combined construction12.

The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The terms including and/or having, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language, not excluding other elements or steps). Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims or the invention.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the devices and methods shown in the figures without departing from the scope as defined in the claims.