Cartridge element, evaporator cartridge and evaporator system comprising a pressure compensation element, and method for production

Abstract

A cartridge element for an electronic cigarette or a portable inhaler has a housing with a continuous airflow channel for forming a vent which extends inside the housing from an air intake opening to an air outlet opening, preferably in the area of a mouthpiece of the electronic cigarette or the portable inhaler. A pressure compensation element is associated with the housing. An evaporator cartridge may have such a cartridge element, an evaporator system may have such an evaporator cartridge, and a method may produce such an evaporator cartridge.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A cartridge element for an electronic cigarette or a portable inhaler, comprising:
 a housing having a continuous airflow channel for forming a vent which extends inside the housing from an air intake opening to an air outlet opening, preferably in an area of a mouthpiece of the electronic cigarette the portable inhaler; and   a pressure compensation element associated with the housing.   
     
     
         32 . The cartridge element according to  claim 31 , wherein the pressure compensation element is configured on and in the housing. 
     
     
         33 . The cartridge element according to  claim 31 , wherein the pressure compensation element is formed of a radially oriented compensation opening in the housing, and a flexible and/or movable cover that completely covers the compensation opening. 
     
     
         34 . The cartridge element according to  claim 31 , wherein the housing is electively configured in one piece or in multiple parts, in the case of a multiple-part configuration of the housing comprising at least one vent body for forming a first vent portion, and a top adapter which is preferably releasably connected to the vent body and is intended for forming a second vent portion. 
     
     
         35 . The cartridge element according to  claim 34 , wherein a radially oriented compensation opening is configured at least in the first vent portion, which compensation opening establishes a connection between surroundings of the cartridge element and the airflow channel. 
     
     
         36 . The cartridge element according to  claim 35 , wherein the housing comprises, in an area of a wall that surrounds and defines the airflow channel, a radially oriented through-opening for forming a passage between surroundings of the cartridge element and the airflow channel, for receiving an evaporator unit of the electronic cigarette or of the portable inhaler. 
     
     
         37 . The cartridge element according to  claim 36 , wherein the through-opening is configured in an area of the second vent portion. 
     
     
         38 . The cartridge element according to  claim 36 , wherein the radially oriented compensation opening in the housing is configured in the wall that surrounds the airflow channel, in a longitudinal direction of the housing, between the through-opening for the evaporator unit and the air outlet opening of the vent. 
     
     
         39 . The cartridge element according to  claim 33 , wherein the cover is a flexible and/or movable diaphragm, foil or the like, which covers the compensation opening in a sealing manner. 
     
     
         40 . The cartridge element according to  claim 36 , wherein the cover is configured to be tubular, and completely surrounds the housing, at least in the area of the compensation opening, the tubular cover being connected fully, in a rigid and sealing manner, to a peripheral surface of the wall of the housing, in a longitudinal direction of the housing, in front thereof in a direction of the through-opening and in front thereof in a direction of the air outlet opening. 
     
     
         41 . The cartridge element according to  claim 33 , wherein the cover is connected to the housing by welding and/or soldering and/or adhesive bonding and/or by any other connection technique for rigid and sealed connection. 
     
     
         42 . The cartridge element according to  claim 31 , wherein the housing is configured to be pipe-like and cylindrical, at least in portions. 
     
     
         43 . The cartridge element according to  claim 31 , wherein the housing is associated with a base plate on a side opposite the air outlet opening, the base plate being configured and adapted for fixing the cartridge element in a sealed manner to a rigid storage tank of the electronic cigarette or of the portable inhaler, for receiving and storing a fluid. 
     
     
         44 . The cartridge element according to  claim 31 , wherein the housing is configured and adapted, at an end facing the air outlet opening, for fixing the cartridge element in a sealed manner to a rigid storage tank of the electronic cigarette or of the portable inhaler, for receiving and storing a fluid. 
     
     
         45 . The cartridge element according to  claim 33 , wherein the cover is a reversibly deformable cover consisting of a rubber-elastic synthetic, which comprises one or more elastomers which were produced from rubbers selected from the group consisting of natural rubber and synthetic rubber, preferably selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, polybutadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber and silicone rubber, or preferably consists of a thermoplastic synthetic, preferably from the group of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), or the like. 
     
     
         46 . The cartridge element according to  claim 36 , wherein a fluid-permeable evaporator unit is arranged in the through-opening of the housing, which evaporator unit extends over an entirety of the through-opening, the evaporator unit comprising a wick member that faces the surroundings, and a heating member that faces the airflow channel. 
     
     
         47 . An evaporator cartridge as a component of an electronic cigarette or of a portable inhaler, comprising:
 at least one rigid storage tank for receiving and storing a fluid; and   a cartridge element which comprises an evaporator unit and-for forming a closed receiving space for the fluid-is connected in a sealing manner to the storage tank, the cartridge element comprising;
 a housing having a continuous airflow channel for forming a vent; and 
 a pressure compensation element associated with the housing of the cartridge element, the pressure compensation element being configured and adapted for pressure compensation between surroundings of the cartridge element and the airflow channel. 
   
     
     
         48 . The evaporator cartridge according to  claim 47 , wherein the receiving space of the storage tank forms the surroundings for the cartridge element. 
     
     
         49  The evaporator cartridge according to  claim 47 , wherein the pressure compensation element covers the airflow channel in a fluid-tight manner with respect to the receiving space of the storage tank that contains the fluid. 
     
     
         50 . The evaporator cartridge according to  claim 47 , wherein the pressure compensation element of the cartridge element is configured and adapted for changing a volume of an area of the receiving space that receives the fluid. 
     
     
         51 . The evaporator cartridge according to  claim 47 , wherein the pressure compensation element is formed of a radially oriented compensation opening in the housing, and a flexible and/or movable cover that completely covers the compensation opening. 
     
     
         52 . An evaporator system, in particular an electronic cigarette or a portable inhaler, configured and adapted for inhalation of active ingredient-enriched aerosol, aerosol/vapour mixture, or the like, comprising:
 a cartridge carrier that comprises at least one electronic control unit and an energy source; and   an evaporator cartridge according to  claim 47 .   
     
     
         53 . The evaporator system according to  claim 52 , wherein the evaporator cartridge forms a first part, in particular a disposable part, and the cartridge carrier forms a second part, in particular a reusable part, the first part and the second part being interconnected in a manner that is reversible and non-destructively releasable, such that there is electrical contact between the energy source of the cartridge carrier and an electrical heating element of the evaporator cartridge, as well as fluid-conducting contact between the storage tank and the electrical heating element. 
     
     
         54 . A method for producing an evaporator cartridge, according to  claim 47 , comprising the steps of:
 providing the housing which comprises the continuous airflow channel for forming the vent having the air intake opening and the air outlet opening;   providing a component that carries the evaporator unit;   providing the at least one rigid storage tank that forms the receiving space for receiving and storing the fluid;   providing the pressure compensation element, in such a way that, in a mounted state of the housing, the component carrying the evaporator unit, and the storage tank, the pressure compensation element acts for pressure compensation between the airflow channel and the receiving space; and   final mounting of the evaporator cartridge, in that the housing and the component carrying the evaporator unit are connected to the storage tank in a sealing manner, forming the closed receiving space for receiving the fluid,   wherein the pressure compensation element is pre-mounted immediately and directly on the housing, before the final mounting of the evaporator cartridge.   
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the fluid is filled into the storage tank before the final mounting of the evaporator cartridge. 
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the housing, which, in addition to the air inlet and air outlet openings, comprises a compensation opening as a component of the pressure compensation element. 
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 56 , wherein, for pre-mounting of the pressure compensation element, each compensation opening is closed in a sealing manner by a flexible and/or movable cover. 
     
     
         58 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein the closing of each compensation opening with the cover comprises the following sequence of steps:
 a fluid-tight diaphragm is pulled over each compensation opening, as the cover;   the diaphragm is connected to the housing in a fluid-tight manner, in an area of a first connection point; and   the diaphragm is connected to the housing in a fluid-tight manner, in an area of a second connection point.   
     
     
         59 . The method according to  claim 58 , wherein a continuous tube, as the fluid-tight diaphragm, is inflated by air and/or gas and, for covering each compensation opening, is pulled over the housing and deposited thereon, before the diaphragm is connected to the housing, the end of the continuous tube that is not connected to the housing being cut off when the second connection point is created, or thereafter. 
     
     
         60 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein, after connection to the housing, the cover is processed radially towards an outside by deep-drawing in order to reduce a material thickness of the cover and/or to increase a volume of a bubble arising from the cover.