Box assembly, rack assembly for holding box assembly, and method for providing e-liquid to aerosol generating device in box assembly

Abstract

A box assembly for an aerosol-generating device including a body portion and a cover portion disposed over the body portion. The body portion includes a sidewall, an accommodating cavity, and a first filling port disposed on the sidewall. The first filling port is configured to align and communicate with a filling port of the aerosol-generating device when the aerosol-generating device is disposed within the accommodating cavity. The box assembly is placed in a rack assembly, to provide an aerosol-forming substance for the aerosol-generating device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A box assembly for an aerosol-generating device, characterized by comprising:
 a body portion comprising a sidewall, an accommodating cavity, and a first filling port disposed on the sidewall; and   a cover portion disposed over the body portion; wherein   the first filling port is configured to align and communicate with a filling port of the aerosol-generating device when the aerosol-generating device is disposed within the accommodating cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The box assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cover portion is configured to removably engage the body portion. 
     
     
         3 . The box assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a tray portion disposed within the accommodating cavity of the body portion; wherein the tray portion comprises a second filling port aligned with the first filling port. 
     
     
         4 . The box assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the second filling port is an open end of the tray portion. 
     
     
         5 . The box assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the accommodating cavity of the body portion is sized and shaped to match a size and shape of the tray portion. 
     
     
         6 . The box assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the tray portion comprises an interior portion sized and shaped to match a size and shape of the aerosol-generating device, and the second filling port aligns and communicates with the filling port of the aerosol-generating device when the aerosol-generating device is disposed within the accommodating cavity. 
     
     
         7 . The box assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the accommodating cavity of the body portion is sized and shaped to match a size and shape of the aerosol-generating device. 
     
     
         8 . The box assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cover portion comprises a plurality of recessed perimeter walls set back on all sides from respective side edges of the cover portion; the recessed perimeter walls extend downward from a bottom surface of the cover portion and are positioned to be received within a recessed portion of the body portion such that a portion of a bottom surface of the cover portion abuts against a top surface of the body portion. 
     
     
         9 . The box assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one bulge is disposed on a recessed perimeter sidewall of the cover portion, and the cover portion press-fit engages the body portion through the at least one bulge. 
     
     
         10 . The box assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a cover movable between a first position and a second position is disposed at the filling port of the aerosol-generating device; the first position is where the cover covers the filling port, and the second position is where the cover exposes the filling port. 
     
     
         11 . The box assembly of  claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the cover is exposed from the first filling port on the body portion of the box assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The box assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the cover comprises a groove or through-hole. 
     
     
         13 . The box assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the filling port is sealed by a sealing member, and the cover is located outside the sealing member, and the sealing member comprises a slot opening. 
     
     
         14 . The box assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the slot opening is cross-shaped or straight-line shape. 
     
     
         15 . The box assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the cover comprises a stopper to limit a sliding travel of the cover. 
     
     
         16 . The box assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the aerosol-generating device comprises a mouthpiece located at one longitudinal end of the aerosol-generating device, and the cover slides longitudinally; when the cover slides upward to the second position, the top end of the cover is level with the top of the mouthpiece to conform to the shape and size requirements within the box assembly. 
     
     
         17 . A rack assembly configured for holding at least one box assembly of  claim 1 , so as to provide an aerosol-forming substance for an aerosol-generating device having a filling port in the at least one box assembly, and the rack assembly comprising:
 an upper cover;   a lower cover; and   a limit member disposed between the upper and lower covers;   wherein,   the limit member comprises at least one limit hole sized and shaped to engage at least a portion of the box assembly between a first end and a second end of the box assembly; and   at least one of the upper cover and the lower cover comprises at least one e-liquid filling hole, and the at least one e-liquid filling hole is coaxial with the first filling port of the box assembly.   
     
     
         18 . The rack assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising a first support member and a second support member; wherein the first support member and the second support member engage the upper cover and the lower cover respectively. 
     
     
         19 . The rack assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the upper cover comprises at least one upper limit groove configured to receive and engage an upper portion of the at least one box assembly; and the lower cover comprises at least one lower limit groove configured to receive and engage a lower portion of the at least one box assembly. 
     
     
         20 . A method for providing e-liquid to at least one aerosol generating device having a filling port contained within a box assembly, wherein, the at least one aerosol generating device comprises a reservoir in communication with the filling port, and the box assembly comprises a body portion and a cover portion disposed over the body portion; the body portion comprises a sidewall, an accommodating cavity and a first filling port disposed on the sidewall; the first filling port is configured to align and communicate with a filling port of the aerosol-generating device when the aerosol-generating device is disposed within the accommodating cavity, and the method comprising:
 providing an e-liquid filling apparatus comprising a workbench; an e-liquid filling assembly configured to provide e-liquid to the reservoir of the at least one aerosol generating device contained within the box assembly; a moving assembly configured to adjust a filling portion of the e-liquid filling assembly and the box assembly relative to each other; and a control assembly configured to control operation of the e-liquid filling apparatus;   positioning the at least one aerosol generating device in the box assembly, and placing the box assembly in a rack assembly configured to hold the box assembly;   operationally engaging the rack assembly with the workbench; driving, via the control assembly, to align an e-liquid filling hole of the rack assembly with an e-liquid filling head of the e-liquid filling assembly; and   driving, via the control assembly, a filling needle of the e-liquid filling head to sequentially pass through the e-liquid filling hole of the rack assembly, the first filling port of the box assembly, and the filling port of the aerosol-generating device, thereby injecting a predetermined amount of aerosol-forming substance into the aerosol-generating device.