NZ779366B2

NZ779366B2 - Flow directing member for a vapour provision system

Info

Publication number: NZ779366B2
Application number: NZ779366A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Patrick Moloney
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Limited
Filing date: 2020-03-11
Publication date: 2024-07-30

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to providing greater flexibility in design of vapour provision systems, particularly to allow the amount of liquid delivered for vaporisation to be specified according to a required flow rate. Accordingly, there is provided a flow directing member 60 for a vapour provision system. The flow directing member 60 is configured for engagement with an opening in a wall of a housing 40 of the vapour provision system defining a reservoir 50 for aerosolisable substrate material and with an opening in a wall of the housing defining an air flow passage. The flow directing member has a first liquid flow channel 63 extending therethrough from a first liquid inlet to a first liquid outlet such that when the flow directing member 60 is engaged with the housing 42, the first liquid inlet is in communication with the reservoir and the first liquid outlet is in communication with a volume of the vapour provision system for aerosol generation external to the reservoir 50 so that aerosolisable substrate material can flow from the reservoir to the volume. A first aerosol flow channel 66 extends therethrough from a first aerosol inlet to a first aerosol outlet such that when the flow directing member is engaged with the housing, the first aerosol inlet is in communication with the volume and the first aerosol outlet is in communication with the air flow passage so that aerosol can flow from the volume to the air flow passage. A second liquid flow channel extends from a second liquid inlet to a second liquid outlet. The second liquid outlet is coincident with the first liquid outlet of the first liquid flow channel.

Claims

1. A flow directing member for a vapour provision system, the flow directing member being configured for engagement with an opening in a wall of a housing of the vapour 5 provision system defining a reservoir for aerosolisable substrate material and with an opening in a wall of the housing defining an air flow passage, the flow directing member having: a first liquid flow channel extending therethrough from a first liquid inlet to a first liquid outlet such that when the flow directing member is engaged with the housing, the first liquid 10 inlet is in communication with the reservoir and the first liquid outlet is in communication with a volume of the vapour provision system for aerosol generation external to the reservoir so that aerosolisable substrate material can flow from the reservoir to the volume; a first aerosol flow channel extending therethrough from a first aerosol inlet to a first aerosol outlet such that when the flow directing member is engaged with the housing, the 15 first aerosol inlet is in communication with the volume and the first aerosol outlet is in communication with the air flow passage so that aerosol can flow from the volume to the air flow passage; a second liquid flow channel extending from a second liquid inlet to a second liquid outlet, wherein the second liquid outlet is coincident with the first liquid outlet of the first liquid 20 flow channel.

2. A flow directing member according to claim 1, in which the flow directing member is shaped for engagement with a housing having walls that define an annular reservoir and an air flow passage in the central region of the annular reservoir.

3. A flow directing member according to claim 2, in which the airflow passage is concentrically located within the annular reservoir.

4. A flow directing member according to claim 2 or claim 3, in which the flow directing 30 member is shaped for engagement with circular openings in the walls of the housing.

5. A flow directing member according to claim 1, in which the flow directing member is shaped for engagement with a housing having walls that define a reservoir longitudinally located from the volume and one or more air flow passages located laterally outwardly from 35 the reservoir.

6. A flow directing member according to claim 5, in which the flow directing member has an elongated shape in a plane transverse to the longitudinal direction that allows engagement with the housing in either of two orientations separated by 180° of rotation about the longitudinal direction.

7. A flow directing member according to any one of claims 2 to 6, in which the first and second liquid outlets and the first aerosol inlet are located in an end face of the flow directing member to communicate with a volume for aerosol generation which is located substantially centrally adjacent to the end face.

8. A flow directing member according to any preceding claim, in which the flow directing member is formed from a flexible resilient material.

9. A flow directing member according to claim 8, in which the flow directing member is 15 formed from a silicone material.

10. A flow directing member according to any preceding claim, in which the flow directing member is configured for engagement with the housing by a friction fit. 20

11. A flow directing member according to any preceding claim, further comprising a dividing wall that separates the liquid flow channel from the aerosol flow channel.

12. A flow directing member according to any preceding claim, further comprising a second aerosol flow channel extending from a second aerosol inlet to a second aerosol 25 outlet.

13. A flow directing member according to claim 12, in which the second aerosol inlet is coincident with the first aerosol inlet of the first aerosol flow channel. 30

14. A flow directing member according to any preceding claim, further comprising a support portion for supporting an atomiser of the vapour provision system in the volume for aerosol generation.

15. A flow directing member according to claim 14, in which the first and second liquid 35 outlets of the first and second liquid flow channels are configured as the support portion.

16. A reservoir for holding aerosolisable substrate material in a vapour provision system, comprising a housing having walls that define the reservoir and an air flow passage, and an opening in one of the walls defining the reservoir and another opening in one of the walls defining the air flow passage, and a flow directing member according to any one of claims 1 5 to 15 engaged with the openings.

17. A reservoir according to claim 16, in which the flow directing member is engaged with the opening in the wall defining the reservoir so as to provide a substantially liquid-tight seal, and with the opening in the wall defining the air flow passage so as to provide a substantially 10 air-tight seal.

18. A reservoir according to any claim 16 or claim 17, further comprising aerosolisable substrate material in the reservoir. 15

19. A cartridge for a vapour generation system comprising a flow directing member according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or a reservoir according to any one of claims 16 to

20. A vapour provision system comprising a flow directing member according to any one 20 of claims 1 to 15, or a reservoir according to any one of claims 16 to 18, or a cartridge according to claim 19.