Vapour Generating Device

Abstract

A vapour generating device includes: a tubular body having a bore and having a longitudinal axis; a heater arranged to vaporize a liquid; a mouthpiece located at an end of the bore and configured for a user to apply a suction force to draw the vaporised liquid along the bore from the heater to the mouthpiece; and first and second baffles located in the bore between the heater and the mouthpiece. The baffles are staggered apart from each other around the longitudinal axis and along the longitudinal axis. Each one of the baffles is movable by the suction force to partially obstruct the width of the bore, thereby to cause the vaporised liquid to follow a tortuous path around the first and second baffles to the mouthpiece and to block the passage of drops of non-vaporised liquid to the mouthpiece.

1 . A vapour generating device comprising:
 a tubular body comprising a bore and having a longitudinal axis (Z);   a heater arranged to vaporize a liquid (L);   a mouthpiece located at an end of the bore and configured for a user to apply a suction force (F) to draw the vaporised liquid (V) along the bore from the heater to the mouthpiece; and   first and second baffles located in the bore between the heater and the mouthpiece, the first and second baffles being staggered apart from each other around the longitudinal axis (Z) and staggered apart from each other along the longitudinal axis (Z),   wherein each one of the first and second baffles is movable by the suction force (F) to partially obstruct the width of the bore, thereby to cause the vaporised liquid (V) to follow a tortuous path around the first and second baffles to the mouthpiece and to block the passage of drops of non-vaporised liquid (Ld 1 , Ld 2 ) to the mouthpiece.   
     
     
         2 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second baffles are staggered apart from each other around the longitudinal axis (Z) such as to be at opposite sides of the bore. 
     
     
         3 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first and second baffles are movable so that in combination the first and second baffles obstruct the full width of the bore such as to preclude a direct line of sight along the bore between the mouthpiece and the heater. 
     
     
         4 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 3 , wherein each one of the first and second baffles is movable to obstruct half of the width of the bore. 
     
     
         5 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first and second baffles is movable to obstruct more than half of the width of the bore. 
     
     
         6 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 5 , wherein each one of the first and second baffles is movable to obstruct more than half of the width of the bore. 
     
     
         7 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first and second baffles are movable so that in combination the first and second baffles obstruct less than the full width of the bore such as to allow a direct line of sight along the bore between the mouthpiece and the heater. 
     
     
         8 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 7 , wherein one of the first and second baffles is movable to obstruct more than half of the width of the bore and the other of the first and second baffles is movable to obstruct less than half of the width of the bore. 
     
     
         9 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 7 , wherein each one of the first and second baffles is movable to obstruct less than half of the width of the bore. 
     
     
         10 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 2 , wherein each one of the first and second baffles is hingedly connected to an interior wall of the tubular body. 
     
     
         11 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 10 , wherein each one of the first and second baffles comprises a generally rigid panel comprising a thinned flexible portion forming said hinged connection. 
     
     
         12 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 10 , wherein the interior wall of the tubular body comprises first and second recesses each configured to accommodate one of the first and second baffles such that the width of the bore is unobstructed by the first and second baffles, the first and second baffles being movable from the recesses by the suction force (F) in order to partially obstruct the width of the bore. 
     
     
         13 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the heater is located in the bore. 
     
     
         14 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the tubular body comprises a reservoir for storing the liquid (L). 
     
     
         15 . The vapour generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein a degree of movement of the first and second baffles is directly proportional to the magnitude of the suction force (F).