ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE AND MOUTH PIECE MANUFACTURED BY THE SAME

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TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of producing an electronic-cigarette mouthpiece, and a mouthpiece produced using such a method.

Here., and hereinafter, the term ^electronic cigarette' is intended to mean, in general, a cigarette of the type comprising a cigarette body housing a power source and an electronic control circuit; an atomizer with a connector for mechanical connection to the cigarette body and electric connection to the power source; and a replaceable mouthpiece connected removably to the cigarette body by the atomizer, and housing a replaceable cartridge of atomizing liquid.

BACKGROUND ART

In some known electronic cigarettes, the mouthpiece is defined by a cup-shaped, normally plastic container housing the cartridge and which comes into contact with the user's mouth. The cup-shaped container has an open end pressed onto the atomizer, and is closed at the other end, facing the user, by an end wall with a central aspiration hole.

Because the plastic mouthpiece container does not give the user the same feel as a real' cigarette, an electronic cigarette has been proposed, for example, in WO 2009/155734, in which the mouthpiece is defined externally by a tubular filter-like body, which is at least partly wrapped in an outer wrapping of filter paper, is made of fibrous filter material, and has two opposite open ends, of which one presses onto the atomizer, and the other, facing the user, presses, onto the cartridge, which, in this case, has a plate with a hole, for closing the end of the tubular body facing the user.

Though successful in giving the user- substantially the same feel as a 'real' cigarette, electronic cigarettes of this sort have several drawbacks, foremost of which is the unstable connection between the cartridge and the tubular filter-like body. More specifically, given the deformable nature of the material from which the tubular body is made, the cartridge, in use, is easily extracted by the user, especially in the case of users with the habit of gripping the mouthpiece with their teeth.

To eliminate this drawback, an electronic- cigarette mouthpiece has been proposed, for example, in WO 2010/145805, in which the cartridge is retained axially inside the outer wrapping by an additional end filtering member.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of automatically producing an electronic-cigarette mouthpiece designed to give the user substantially the same feel as a 'real' cigarette.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of automatically producing an electronic-cigarette mouthpiece, as claimed in Claim 1 and preferably in any one of the Claims depending directly or indirectly on Claim 1.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide particular types of electronic cigarette mouthpieces designed to give the user the feel of a xreal' cigarette, and to be manufacturable using the method claimed in Claims 1 to 7.

According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic-cigarette mouthpiece as claimed in Claim 8 and preferably in any one of the Claims depending directly or indirectly on Claim 8.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A number of non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a partial axial section in perspective of an electronic cigarette featuring a first preferred embodiment of the mouthpiece according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows the same view as in Figure 1, of a second preferred embodiment of the mouthpiece according to the present invention;

Figure 3 shows a side view of a combining machine for producing the Figure 1 and 2 mouthpieces;

Figure 4 shows a larger-scale, schematic plan view of a first detail in Figure 3;

Figure 5 shows a larger-scale, schematic view in perspective of a second detail in Figure 3;

Figures 6 to 8 show schematic axial sections of respective types of continuous rods coming off the Figure 5 detail;

Figure 9 shows a schematic plan view of a final assembly sta.ge of the Figure 1 mouthpiece.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Number 1 in Figure 1 indicates as a whole a generally cylindrical electronic cigarette having a longitudinal axis 2, and comprising in known manner a cylindrical cigarette body 3, which is coaxial with axis 2, houses a power source (not shown), typically a battery, and a known electronic control circuit (not shown) , has a light source (not shown) at one end, and is bounded at the other end by a flat annular surface 4 surrounding the inlet of a cylindrical cavity 5 coaxial with axis 2.

Electronic cigarette 1 also comprises a replaceable hollow mouthpiece 6, which comprises a cartridge 7 for a liquid, normally water with various aromatic substances; and a substantially cylindrical atomizer 8 coaxial with longitudinal axis 2 and interposed between cigarette body 3 and mouthpiece 6.

Atomizer 8 comprises an end portion 9, which faces cigarette body 3, is housed inside cavity 5, and has, in known manner, an externally threaded appendix (not shown) , which engages a threaded hole (not shown) formed on the end of cavity 5 and coaxial with longitudinal axis 2, to connect atomizer 8 mechanically to cigarette body 3 and electrically to said power source (not shown) in known manner. Atomizer 8 comprises a further end portion 10, which is tubular, is coaxial with longitudinal axis 2, projects partly outwards of cavity 5, and presses removably onto mouthpiece 6 as described in more detail below.

Mouthpiece 6 comprises a cylindrical tubular outer wrapping 11,. which is made of filter paper, is coaxial with longitudinal axis 2, and is glued integrally, along its inner surface 12, to the outer surface of a composite member 13 comprising two components defined by two filter segments 14, 15 arranged in series.

Segment 14 is normally made of acetate, and has a roughly 1-2 mm diameter through microhole 16 coaxial with longitudinal axis 2; an outer end surface 17 coplanar with the end of outer wrapping 11 facing the user in use; and an inner end surface, which is located inside and at an intermediate position along outer wrapping 11, and defines, inside outer wrapping 11, an annular shoulder 18.

Segment 15 is also normally made of acetate, is tubular in shape, and is of such an inside diameter and length as to define, when placed axially contacting annular shoulder 18, a cylindrical chamber 19, which is coaxial with longitudinal axis 2 and houses both cartridge 7 and the part of end portion 10 of atomizer 8 projecting outwards of annular end surface 4 of cylindrical body 3.

Composite member 13 may be either the same length as outer wrapping 11, as in the example shown, or slightly shorter than outer wrapping 11, as in- the variation shown by the dash line in Figure 1. In which latter case, an annular end portion 20 of outer wrapping 11 projects from composite member 13 and covers a recessed end portion on cigarette body 3.

Alternatively, in a variation not shown, said recessed end portion is omitted, and annular end portion 20 of outer wrapping 11 cooperates end to end with annular end surface 4 of cigarette body 3.

Cartridge 7 has a cylindrical lateral wall 21 coaxial with longitudinal axis 2, and which, along its end portion adjacent to segment 14 of composite member 13, has a number of annular ribs 22 coaxial with lateral wall 21 and of an outside diameter just slightly smaller than the diameter of a cylindrical inner lateral surface 23 of cylindrical chamber 19, and the outside diameter of end portion 10 of atomizer 8.

Cartridge 7 is centred with respect to cylindrical chamber 19 by a number of longitudinal ribs 24, which are equally spaced about longitudinal axis 2, project outwards of and extend along the full length of lateral wall 21, and each have a raised portion at annular ribs 22 so the outside diameter of cartridge 7 substantially equals the diameter of inner lateral surface 23 of cylindrical chamber 19.. The rest of each longitudinal rib 24 is defined by a recessed portion connected to the respective raised portion by a shoulder crosswise to longitudinal axis 2.

In other words, lateral wall 21 defines, inside cylindrical chamber 19, an annular chamber extending the full length of cartridge 7 and divided by longitudinal ribs 24 into a number of longitudinal channels 25. The recessed portions of longitudinal ribs 24 also define, with inner lateral surface 23 of cylindrical chamber 19, an annular gap 26 interrupted axially by said shoulders of longitudinal ribs 24 and sized to accommodate end portion 10 of atomizer 8.

Lateral wall 21 is closed, at the end facing cigarette body 3, by a pierceable, normally metal, sheet 27, and is closed, at the end facing segment 14, by an end wall 28, the outer surface of which is fitted with blocks 29, which rest against annular shoulder 18 and define, between them and annular shoulder 18, a number of radial channels 30 connecting longitudinal channels 25 to microhole 16.

As shown in Figure 1, mouthpiece 6 is pressed onto atomizer 8, so that end portionlO of atomizer 8 fits inside annular gap 26; and, inside, atomizer 8 has an ogive 31, which is coaxial with longitudinal axis 2 , has a piercing device 32 on one side and a longitudinal groove 33 on the other side, and is pushed, in use, through sheet 27 into cartridge 7.

In actual use, when air is aspirated by the user through microhole 16, said electronic control circuit (not shown) activates atomizer 8 in known manner to gradually atomize the liquid in cartridge 7. The atomized liquid flows out of cartridge 7 along the passage defined by groove 33, and flows along longitudinal channels 25 and radial channels 30 to microhole 16.

In connection with the above, it should be pointed out that :

longitudinal ribs 24, which provide for inserting cartridge 7 accurately and smoothly inside cylindrical chamber 19, and segment 15, which provides for maintaining a fairly firm shape of outer wrapping 11, permit relatively simple automatic insertion of cartridge 7 inside cylindrical chamber 19, as explained below; and

- annular shoulder 18 acts as a stop for cartridge 7, which ίβ retained firmly by segment 14 inside cylindrical chamber 19, with no possibility of withdrawal, even if mouthpiece 6 is subjected to severe radial pressure by the user.

The Figure 2 embodiment relates to an electronic cigarette 34, which differs mainly from electronic cigarette 1 by having no segment 15, and by at least part of longitudinal ribs 24 being eliminated.

In electronic cigarette 34, the two components of composite member 13 are defined by segment 14, and by a cartridge 35, which comprises a central body similar to cartridge 7 and therefore also indicated 7, and an outer tubular body 36 of the same size as segment 15. Tubular body 36 is coaxial with lateral wall 21, and is connected integrally to lateral wall 21 by a number of radial partitions of the same length and position as the raised portions of longitudinal ribs 24.

Electronic cigarette 34 also has annular end portion 20 of outer wrapping 11.

Composite members 13 of electronic cigarettes 1 and 34 are produced on a composite-filter combining machine 37 as described in International Patent Application WO 2011/107854 filed by the present Applicant on March 1st, 2011, published on September 2nd, 2011, and to which the reader is referred for a detailed description of the design and operation of combining machine 37.

As shown by way of example in Figures 6 to 8, combining machine 37 produces a succession of composite members 13 from various types of continuous rods indicated 38 (Figure 6), 39 (Figure 7) and 40 (Figure 8), and each of which has a tubular outer wrapping 41 of filter paper.

In continuous rod 38, composite members 13 are formed from groups A, each defined by a double portion 142 (two segments 14) and a double portion 152 (two segments 15) , and which are arranged contacting end to end to form a continuous succession inside tubular wrapping 41. Composite members 13 are formed by cutting each double portion 142 and each double portion 152 of rod 38 into half at respective cutting planes PI and P2, so each composite member 13 comprises a segment 14 and a segment 15 to form a mouthpiece 6 with no cartridge 7 and no annular end portion 20 of outer wrapping 11.

In continuous rod 39, composite members 13 are formed from groups B, each of which is defined by a double portion 142 (two segments 14) and by two segments 15 at opposite ends of double portion 142, and is separated from each ad acent group B by a recess 42 twice as long as annular end portion 20. Composite members 13 are formed by cutting each double portion 142 and each recess 42 of rod 39 into half at respective cutting, planes PI and P3, so each composite member. 13 comprises a segment 14 and a segment 15 to form a mouthpiece 6 with no cartridge 7, but with annular end portion 20 of outer wrapping 11.

In continuous rod 40, composite members 13 are formed from groups C, each of which is defined by a double portion 142 (two segments _. 14) and by two cartridges 35 at opposite ends of double portion 142, and is separated from each adjacent group C by a recess 42 twice as . long as annular end portion 20. Composite members 13 are formed by cutting each double portion 142 and each recess 42 of rod 40 into half at respective cutting planes Pi and P3, so each composite member 13 comprises a segment 14 and a cartridge 35 to form a complete mouthpiece 6 with annular end portion 20 of outer wrapping 11.

With reference to Figure 4, which shows the formation of continuous rod 38, portions 142 and 152 are formed by transversely cutting respective bars (not shown) extracted in known manner from respective hoppers 43 and 44, and are fed onto respective input paths 45 and 46 of a combining device 47 for combining portion ^' s 142 and 152 into an orderly succession of groups A.

In the example shown, combining device 47 comprises four conveyor wheels 48, 49, 50, 51, which have respective radial teeth 52 defining respective successions of conveying pockets 53 movable along respective annular paths 54, 55, 56, 57. More specifically, annular path 54 of conveyor wheel 48 and annular path 55 of conveyor wheel 49 are tangent to, and communicate with, input paths 45 and 46 respectively; annular path 56 of conveyor wheel 50 is tangent to, and communicates with, annular path 55, and is a transfer path for transferring segments 15; and annular path 57 of conveyor wheel 51 is an output combining path tangent to, and communicating with, annular paths 54, 56, and which has a radial opening forming an output 58 of combining device 47.

Combining machine 37 also comprises a substantially known output section 59, which in turn comprises a known forming beam 60; a known endless conveyor 61 for feeding along forming beam 60 a paper strip 62 which, in use, defines a conveyor for feeding groups A from output 58 in a direction 63; a known transfer assembly 64 for transferring groups A from combining device 47 to forming beam 60 and onto the conveyor defined by paper strip 62, to form continuous rod 38 in known manner along forming beam 60; and a known rotary cutting head 65, which receives the continuous rod 38 fed off the forming beam by conveyor 61, and cuts continuous rod 38 transversely in planes PI and P2 to form a succession of portions, each corresponding to a mouthpiece 6 with no cartridge 7.

In the example embodiment shown, transfer assembly

64 is defined by an inclined conveyor, which is interposed between output 58 and a. point along paper strip 62 located upstream from forming beam 60, and is adjustable in speed to run slower than or at the same speed as the travelling speed of groups A along annular path 57, and faster than or at the same speed as the travelling speed of paper strip 62 in direction 63.

Generally speaking, groups A are therefore fed from output 58 to forming beam 60 by controlled braking to eliminate the distance between each pair of adjacent groups A along annular path 57.

Wheels 48-51 of combining device 47 are synchronized so that each portion 142 is transferred from a conveying pocket 53 on conveyor wheel 48 directly into a given position inside a conveying pocket 53 on conveyor wheel 51; and each portion 152 is transferred . from a conveying pocket 53 on conveyor wheel 49 to a conveying pocket 53 on conveyor wheel 50, and from there into a given position inside a conveying pocket 53 on conveyor wheel 51. Wheels 48-51 are so synchronized that, directly upstream from output 58, portions 142 and 152 are arranged along the periphery of conveyor wheel 51 in a given order corresponding to the succession ^" of groups A to be formed on forming beam 60.

As regards the formation (not shown) of continuous rod 39, portions 142 and segments 15 composing it are formed by transversely cutting respective bars (not shown) extracted in known manner from respective hoppers 43 and 44, and are fed onto respective input paths 45 and 46 of a combining device 47 for combining portions 142 and segments 15 into an orderly succession of groups B.

To form rod 39, conveyor wheel 48 is identical to, the one used to form rod 38, and rotates at the same speed as conveyor wheel 51, which in this case has twice as many conveying pockets 53 as conveyor wheel 51 for forming rod 38. On conveyor wheel 51, one pocket 53 receives a double portion 142, and the next pocket, which is shorter, is left vacant. As regards conveyor wheels 49 and 50, these are identical to those used to form rod 38, but rotate at twice the speed of conveyor wheel 51, and are synchronized to feed a segment 15 into each conveying pocket 53 on conveyor wheel 51. Consequently, directly upstream from output 58, the longer conveying pockets 53 on conveyor wheel 51 each contain a segment 15 followed by a portion 142, while each of the shorter conveying pockets 53 only contain a segment 15.

By first controlled braking the material travelling through output 58, the distance between segment 15 in each short conveying pocket 53 on conveyor wheel 51 and the portion 142 in the preceding long conveying pocket 53 can be eliminated to form, on transfer assembly 64, a succession of groups B, each separated from each adjacent group B by a distance greater than the length of a recess 42. This distance is made equal to the length of recess 42 by further controlled braking as groups B pass from transfer assembly 64 onto strip 62.

As shown in Figure 9, the semifinished mouthpieces 6, formed by cutting head 65 cutting continuous rod 38, 39, are transferred, by a known transfer device not shown, from output section 59 of combining machine 37 to respective axial seats 66 equally spaced about a conveyor drum 67 of an assembly unit 68, which, in the example embodiment shown, also comprises a further conveyor drum 69 and a push drum 70, which are coaxial with each other and with an axis 71, and rotate in the same direction and at the same speed about axis 71. Semifinished mouthpieces 6 are fed into respective seats 66 with segments 15 facing conveyor drum 69, which has a number of axial seats 72, each coaxial with a respective seat 66 and for housing a respective cartridge 7; and push drum 70 supports a number of axial pushers 73, each coaxial with a respective seat 66 and respective seat 72, and movable axially, with respect to push drum 70 and under the control of a fixed cam 14, between a withdrawn position disengaging respective seat 12, and a forward position fully engaging respective seat 72 to insert respective cartridge 7 into cylindrical chamber 19 of respective segment 15.

In a variation not shown, continuous rod 38, 39 is not cut in planes PI by cutting head 65, so, as opposed to a succession of semifinished mouthpieces 6, assembly unit 68 is supplied with a succession of groups A, B. In which case, the assembly unit 68 employed is a double unit comprising a conveyor drum 67 long enough to receive a group A, B; two conveyor drums 69 on opposite sides of conveyor drum 67; and two push drums 70, each associated with a respective conveyor drum 69. Cutting in planes Pi is performed directly on conveyor drum 67.

Rod 40 is formed the same way as continuous rod 39, by simply substituting cartridges 7 for segments 15.

Since cutting continuous rod 40 produces a succession of complete mouthpieces 6, the assembly stage described with reference to Figure 9 is eliminated.