Electronic smoking device, cartomizer and liquid reservoir

Abstract

There is provided a liquid reservoir for an electronic smoking device. The liquid reservoir ( 34 ) has a body ( 110 ) forming a hollow tube surrounding a central passage ( 32 ) connecting an air inhalation port ( 36 ) with a further port for attaching the liquid reservoir ( 34 ) to a further portion of the electronic cigarette ( 10 ). The liquid reservoir ( 34 ) further has a nozzle ( 132 ) towards the central passage ( 32 ), the nozzle ( 32 ) being configured to release liquid from the reservoir ( 34 ) only when pressure drop along the nozzle ( 32 ) exceeds a threshold pressure. A user can produce the pressure drop by sucking at the air inhalation port ( 36 ) and/or by manually changing a length of the central passage ( 32 ) thereby causing compression of the liquid reservoir ( 34 ).

1 . A liquid reservoir for an electronic smoking device, the liquid reservoir comprising:
 a body forming a hollow tube surrounding a central passage;   connecting ports for attaching the liquid reservoir to further portions of the electronic cigarette; and   a nozzle towards the central passage, the nozzle being configured to release liquid from the liquid reservoir only when pressure drop along the nozzle exceeds a threshold pressure wherein the pressure drop can be produced by a user sucking at an air inhalation port of the electronic smoking device and/or manually changing a length of the central passage thereby causing compression of the liquid reservoir.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 1  wherein the pressure drop can be produced only by the user sucking at the inhalation port. 
     
     
         3 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 1  wherein the liquid reservoir comprises a hollow cylindrical body closed on one end with a plate in which the nozzle is arranged and having an open end arranged opposite to the one end wherein the piston is inserted through the open end into the hollow cylindrical body for closing the open end and wherein the user can move the piston with respect to the hollow cylindrical body for causing compression of the liquid reservoir. 
     
     
         4 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 3  wherein the cylindrical body forms a toroidal cavity together with an axial tubal element extending along an axis of the cylindrical body and through the plate, and wherein the piston comprises a hollow rod at least partly surrounding the tubal element wherein the hollow rod can be moved along the tubal element. 
     
     
         5 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 4  wherein the tubal element and the hollow rod at least partly surround the central passage. 
     
     
         6 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 4  wherein the piston further comprises at least one inner gasket ring sealing the hollow rod with respect to the tubal element and at least one outer gasket ring sealing the hollow rod with respect to the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         7 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 1  wherein the user can compress the liquid reservoir from having a first volume to having a smaller second volume. 
     
     
         8 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 7  further comprising a resilient element for expanding the compressed liquid reservoir to the first volume once the user stops compressing the liquid reservoir. 
     
     
         9 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 8  wherein the resilient element comprises a spring arranged between the open end and an annular protrusion around the hollow rod of the piston. 
     
     
         10 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 9  further comprising a limiting element configured to prevent the piston from exiting through the open end. 
     
     
         11 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 1  wherein the length of the central passage is reducible by the user for compressing the liquid reservoir. 
     
     
         12 . A Cartomizer for an electronic smoking device, the cartomizer comprising the liquid reservoir of  claim 1 , wherein the cartomizer further includes an electrically operable atomizer configured for vaporizing or atomizing liquid supplied from the liquid reservoir and for providing vaporized or atomized liquid as an aerosol. 
     
     
         13 . An atomizer/liquid reservoir portion for an electronic smoking device, the atomizer/liquid reservoir portion comprising the liquid reservoir of  claim 1 , wherein the atomizer/liquid reservoir portion further includes an electrically operable atomizer configured for vaporizing or atomizing liquid supplied from the liquid reservoir and for providing vaporized or atomized liquid as an aerosol. 
     
     
         14 . An electronic smoking device comprising:
 the liquid reservoir of  claim 1 ; and   a battery portion comprising the battery.   
     
     
         15 . The electronic smoking device of  claim 14  wherein the liquid reservoir is included in a cartomizer for the electronic smoking device, and wherein the cartomizer further includes an electrically operable atomizer configured for vaporizing or atomizing liquid supplied from the liquid reservoir and for providing vaporized or atomized liquid as an aerosol. 
     
     
         16 . The electronic smoking device of  claim 14  wherein the liquid reservoir is included in an atomizer/liquid reservoir portion for an electronic smoking device, and wherein the atomizer/liquid reservoir portion further includes an electrically operable atomizer configured for vaporizing or atomizing liquid supplied from the liquid reservoir and for providing vaporized or atomized liquid as an aerosol. 
     
     
         17 . The electronic smoking device of  claim 14  further comprising an electrically operable atomizer configured for vaporizing or atomizing liquid supplied from the liquid reservoir and for providing vaporized or atomized liquid as an aerosol where the atomizer is operable when connected to a battery of the electronic smoking device to atomize liquid stored in the liquid reservoir as an aerosol.