An Aerosol Forming Liquid for an Electronic Cigarette Having Two Different Phases and Methods and Devices for Using the Same

Abstract

A liquid container having an aerosol forming liquid for an electronic cigarette, the liquid container including a primary liquid component including nicotine, and a secondary liquid component, wherein the primary and secondary liquid components are immiscible to form an interfacial tension surface between a first volume in the liquid container having the primary liquid component and a second volume in the liquid container having the secondary liquid component to fully separate the primary and secondary liquid components from each other.

1 . A liquid container having an aerosol forming liquid for an electronic cigarette comprising:
 a primary liquid component including nicotine; and   a secondary liquid component,   wherein the primary and secondary liquid components are immiscible to form an interfacial tension surface between a first volume in the liquid container having the primary liquid component and a second volume in the liquid container having the secondary liquid component to fully separate the primary and secondary liquid components.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid container according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a composition of the secondary liquid component differs from a composition of the primary liquid component in at least one of nicotine concentration, electric conductivity, dielectric constant, flavor, color, degree of transparency, and degree of light diffusion.   
     
     
         3 . The liquid container according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a composition of the secondary liquid component differs from a composition of the primary liquid component in at least one of polarity, specific weight, or material density, to provide for the immiscibility between the primary liquid component and the secondary liquid component.   
     
     
         4 . The liquid container according to  claim 1 , wherein the primary liquid component includes propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), and water, and the secondary liquid component includes polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). 
     
     
         5 . The liquid container according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the primary liquid component includes a hydrocarbon chain that is different in a number of carbon atoms from a hydrocarbon chain of the secondary liquid component to provide for a different polarity between the primary liquid component and the secondary liquid component.   
     
     
         6 . The liquid container according to  claim 1 , wherein a quantity of the primary liquid component is at least 80% in volume of the aerosol forming liquid. 
     
     
         7 . The liquid container according to  claim 1 , wherein a specific weight of the primary liquid component is higher than a specific weight of the secondary liquid component. 
     
     
         8 . The liquid container according to  claim 1 , wherein the first volume and the second volume are completely separated and non-dispersed to form two contiguous volumes of liquid inside the liquid container. 
     
     
         9 . The liquid container according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid container does not have a separation wall for separating the primary and secondary liquid components. 
     
     
         10 . An electronic cigarette system comprising:
 a liquid container for holding an aerosol forming liquid;   a vapor generation unit for atomizing the aerosol forming liquid-; and   an inhalation channel for providing atomized liquid from the vapor generation unit to a user; and   a detection sensor for detecting whether a primary liquid component of the aerosol forming liquid has been substantially consumed.   
     
     
         11 . The electronic cigarette system of  claim 10 , wherein the detection sensor is configured to detect an electric conductivity of the aerosol forming liquid to determine whether the primary liquid component has been substantially consumed. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic cigarette system of  claim 11 , wherein the detection sensor includes two electrodes that are arranged to be in electric connection with the aerosol forming liquid when the aerosol forming liquid is disposed in the liquid container. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic cigarette system of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the detection sensor is configured to detect an impedance of the aerosol forming liquid to determine whether the primary liquid component has been substantially consumed.   
     
     
         14 . The electronic cigarette system of  claim 13 , wherein the detection sensor includes two electrodes that are arranged to measure a dielectricity of the aerosol forming liquid when the aerosol forming liquid is disposed in the liquid container. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic cigarette system of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the detection sensor is configured to detect a degree of transparency of the aerosol forming liquid to determine whether the primary liquid component has been substantially consumed.   
     
     
         16 . The electronic cigarette system of  claim 15 , wherein the detection sensor includes a light source and a photodetector, the light source and the photodetector arranged such that a light emitted by the light source traverses the aerosol forming liquid to reach the photodetector when the aerosol forming liquid is disposed in the liquid container. 
     
     
         17 . The electronic cigarette system of  claim 10 , wherein the vapor generation unit includes a micro-electro-mechanical system type having heating channels for atomizing the aerosol forming liquid. 
     
     
         18 . The electronic cigarette system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a controller that is in operative connection with the detection sensor and the vapor generation unit, the controller configured to disable the vapor generation unit when the detection sensor has detected that the primary liquid component has been substantially consumed.   
     
     
         19 . The electronic cigarette system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a fluidic channel to provide for a fluidic connection between the liquid container and the vapor generation unit,   wherein the detection sensor is arranged to detect a characteristic of the aerosol forming liquid in the fluidic channel in proximity upstream of the vapor generation unit to determine whether the primary liquid component has been substantially consumed.   
     
     
         20 . The electronic cigarette system of  claim 10 , further comprising an aerosol forming liquid disposed in the liquid container and including a primary liquid component having nicotine and a secondary liquid component, the primary and secondary liquid components being immiscible.