Electronic device for producing an aerosol for inhalation by a person

Inventors

Danek, Mario

Assignees

Qnovia Inc

Abstract

An electronic device for producing an aerosol for inhalation by a person includes a mouthpiece, a liquid container, and a mesh assembly having a mesh material and a piezoelectric material. The mesh material is in contact with a liquid of the container. The mesh material is configured to vibrate when the piezoelectric material is actuated, whereby the aerosol is produced. The aerosol may be inhaled through the mouthpiece. The device also includes circuitry and a power supply for actuating the mesh assembly. The mouthpiece, the container, and the mesh assembly are located in-line along a longitudinal axis of the device between opposite longitudinal ends of the device, with the mesh assembly extending between and separating the mouthpiece and the container. The mesh material has a rigidity that is sufficient to prevent oscillations of varying amplitudes during actuation of the piezoelectric material of the mesh assembly for consistently producing the aerosol.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to an electronic device for producing an aerosol for inhalation by a person using a mesh assembly that vibrates when piezoelectric material is actuated. The mesh material is configured to be in contact with a liquid contained in a liquid container so that aerosol is produced when the mesh material vibrates while wetted by the liquid. The aerosol is configured to be inhaled through an opening in a mouthpiece.

The device architecture separates an upper component from a lower component, with the upper component containing the liquid container and the mesh assembly. The mesh material is exposed at an upper end of the upper component so that aerosol is produced in an exterior space of the upper component. The lower component is connected to the upper component and contains circuitry and a power supply for actuating the mesh assembly, with electrical pathways connecting the mesh assembly of the upper component with the circuitry and power supply of the lower component.

Detachable coupling and replacement features are incorporated by connecting the upper component and the lower component so that the upper component containing the liquid container and mesh assembly may be replaced. The mouthpiece snaps onto a rim of the upper end of the upper component so that the mouthpiece encompasses the exterior space in which the aerosol is produced and partially encloses the exterior space for channeling the aerosol through the opening in the mouthpiece. A pin connects the lower component to the upper component.

The background and description emphasize avoiding heating effects that can generate toxic byproducts, including formaldehyde, by producing aerosol with a vibrating piezoelectric mesh rather than smoldering or heat-based aerosol production. The described approach further aims at fine particle and low velocity aerosol suitable for central and deep lung deposition, including droplet sizes in the range of 1–4 microns, and the mesh rigidity is described as preventing amplitude-varying oscillations for consistent aerosol production.

Claims Coverage

The independent claim (clm-00001) provides broad coverage of an in-line electronic inhalation aerosol device using a piezoelectric-actuated vibrating mesh assembly. It includes inventive structural and functional elements totaling at least six core features that define aerosol generation, component separation, detachable replacement, and mouthpiece channeling, together with electrical connection and pin-based coupling.

Overall, the claim set centers on a piezoelectric-actuated vibrating mesh that generates inhalation aerosol from liquid in contact with the mesh, integrated into an upper/lower component configuration with exposed-mesh aerosol generation in an exterior space. Detachable upper-component replacement and a snapping mouthpiece that channels aerosol through a mouthpiece opening are defined, with a pin-based connection enabling the detachable mechanical relationship and electrical actuation via circuitry and a power supply.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications