FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices, and more particularly, to aerosol delivery devices that include a cartridge moveable between multiple configurations relative to a separate housing. The aerosol delivery device includes an atomizer comprising a heating element configured to heat an aerosol precursor. The aerosol precursor composition, which may include components made or derived from tobacco or otherwise incorporate tobacco, is heated by the atomizer to produce an inhalable substance for human consumption.

BACKGROUND

Many smoking devices have been proposed through the years as improvements upon, or alternatives to, smoking products that require combusting tobacco for use. Many of those devices purportedly have been designed to provide the sensations associated with cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking, but without delivering considerable quantities of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products that result from the burning of tobacco. To this end, there have been proposed numerous smoking products, flavor generators, and medicinal inhalers that utilize electrical energy to vaporize or heat a volatile material, or attempt to provide the sensations of cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking without burning tobacco to a significant degree. See, for example, the various alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices and heat generating sources set forth in the background art described in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2013/0255702 to Griffith Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0000638 to Sebastian et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0060554 to Collett et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0096781 to Sears et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/826,929 to Ampolini et al., filed Mar. 14, 2013, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/011,992 to Davis et al., filed Aug. 28, 2013, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. See also, for example, the various embodiments of products and heating configurations described in the background sections of U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,594 to Counts et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 8,079,371 to Robinson et. al, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

Certain existing embodiments of aerosol delivery devices include a control body and a cartridge. A power source (e.g., a battery) may be positioned in the control body and an aerosol precursor composition may be positioned in the cartridge. The cartridge and the control body may engage one another to define an elongated tubular configuration. However, certain other form factors for aerosol delivery devices may be desirable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices which, in certain embodiments, may be characterized as electronic cigarettes.

In one aspect an aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device may include an atomizer, a reservoir configured to contain an aerosol precursor composition, a housing, and a cartridge comprising a mouthpiece. The housing may also be referred to as a control body, and the cartridge may be releasably coupled to the housing in some embodiments. The cartridge may be moveable relative to at least a portion of the housing between an extended configuration in which the mouthpiece is exposed and a retracted configuration in which the mouthpiece is relatively closer to the housing than in the extended configuration.

In some embodiments the cartridge may include the reservoir. Further, the cartridge may include the atomizer. The cartridge may be replaceable. The aerosol delivery device may additionally include an actuator coupled to the cartridge and configured to move the cartridge between the extended configuration and the retracted configuration.

In some embodiments the actuator may include a slider. The slider may be configured to cover an opening defined in the housing when the cartridge is in the retracted configuration such that the cartridge is substantially enclosed in the housing and further configured to retract from at least a portion of the opening to allow the cartridge to extend through the opening in the extended configuration. The actuator may include a spring and a button. The spring may be configured to move the cartridge from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration upon actuation of the button.

The housing may include a moveable portion pivotably connected to a main body portion. The actuator may include a connecting mechanism configured to move the cartridge from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration during opening of the moveable portion and configured to move the cartridge from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration during closing of the moveable portion. The cartridge may be configured to pivot with respect to the housing. The cartridge may be configured to remain stationary with respect to a main body portion of the housing. The mouthpiece may be positioned inside the housing in the retracted configuration.

In an additional aspect a method for assembling an aerosol delivery device is provided. The method may include providing an atomizer, a reservoir configured to contain an aerosol precursor composition, a housing, and a cartridge comprising a mouthpiece, positioning the atomizer in the cartridge or the housing, positioning the reservoir in the cartridge or the housing, and operatively engaging the cartridge with the housing such that the cartridge is moveable relative to at least a portion of the housing between an extended configuration in which the mouthpiece is exposed and a retracted configuration in which the mouthpiece is relatively closer to the housing than in the extended configuration.

In some embodiments positioning the reservoir in the cartridge or the housing may include positioning the reservoir in the cartridge. Positioning the atomizer in the cartridge or the housing may include positioning the atomizer in the cartridge. Operatively engaging the cartridge with the housing may include coupling the cartridge to an actuator. The actuator may be configured to move the cartridge between the extended configuration and the retracted configuration. Coupling the cartridge to the actuator may include inserting a slider at least partially within the housing. The slider may be configured to cover an opening in the housing in the retracted configuration such that the cartridge is substantially enclosed in the housing and further configured to retract from at least a portion of the opening to allow the cartridge to extend through the opening in the extended configuration. The method may additionally include pivotably coupling a main body portion of the housing to a moveable portion of the housing. Operatively engaging the cartridge with the housing may include pivotably coupling the cartridge to the housing.

In an additional aspect an aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device may include a housing, a connector comprising a coupler configured to engage a cartridge comprising atomizer and a reservoir containing an aerosol precursor composition, and an actuator at least partially received within the housing and engaged with the connector, the actuator being configured to move the cartridge relative to at least a portion of the housing between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration.

In some embodiments the aerosol delivery device may additionally include a power source. The aerosol delivery device may further include a controller. The controller may be configured to direct electrical power from the power source to the cartridge to heat the aerosol precursor composition retained in the reservoir with the atomizer to produce an aerosol. The actuator may include a slider configured to slide on a track. The actuator may additionally include an external engagement member configured for engagement by a user to move the slider.

In an additional aspect a method for assembling an aerosol delivery device is provided. The method may include providing a housing, an actuator, and a connector comprising a coupler configured to engage a cartridge comprising atomizer and a reservoir containing an aerosol precursor composition, coupling the connector to the actuator, and at least partially inserting the connector and the actuator within the housing such that the actuator is configured to move the cartridge relative to at least a portion of the housing between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration.

In some embodiments the method may additionally include inserting a power source into the housing. Further, the method may include inserting a controller into the housing. The controller may be configured to direct electrical power from the power source to the cartridge to heat the aerosol precursor composition retained in the reservoir with the atomizer to produce an aerosol. The method may additionally include assembling the actuator. Assembling the actuator may include engaging a slider with a track. Assembling the actuator may further include coupling an external engagement member to the slider. The external engagement member may be configured for engagement by a user to move the slider.

In an additional embodiment an aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device may include a housing, a power source within the housing, a connector moveably attached to the housing, and a cartridge comprising an outer body with a mouthpiece configured for passage of an aerosol therethrough. The cartridge may be engaged with the connector so as to be moveable relative to at least a portion of the housing.

In some embodiments the cartridge may include a reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition. The cartridge may include an atomizer. The cartridge may be removably engaged with the connector and replaceable.

In some embodiments the aerosol delivery device may additionally include an actuator coupled to the connector and configured to move the cartridge between an extended configuration in which the mouthpiece is exposed and a retracted configuration in which the mouthpiece is relatively closer to the housing than in the extended configuration. The actuator may include a slider. The slider may be configured to cover an opening defined in the housing when the cartridge is in the retracted configuration such that the cartridge is substantially enclosed in the housing and further configured to retract from at least a portion of the opening to allow the cartridge to extend through the opening in the extended configuration. The actuator may include a spring and a button. The spring may be configured to move the cartridge from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration upon actuation of the button.

In some embodiments the housing may include a moveable portion pivotably connected to a main body portion. The actuator may include a connecting mechanism configured to move the cartridge from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration during opening of the moveable portion and configured to move the cartridge from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration during closing of the moveable portion. The cartridge may be configured to pivot with respect to the housing. The mouthpiece may be positioned inside the housing in the retracted configuration.

In an additional embodiment an aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device may include a cartridge including an outer body with a mouthpiece configured for passage of an aerosol therethrough, a housing including a main body portion and a moveable portion, and a power source within the housing. The moveable portion of the housing may be configured to move with respect to the main body portion of the housing between a first position in which the mouthpiece of the cartridge is exposed and a second position in which the mouthpiece is at least partially received within the moveable portion of the housing.

In some embodiments the cartridge may be configured to remain stationary with respect to the main body portion of the housing. The moveable portion of the housing may be configured to translate toward and away from the main body portion of the housing. The moveable portion of the housing may be configured to pivot with respect to the main body portion of the housing.

In some embodiments the aerosol delivery device may further include a connector attached to the housing and engaged with the cartridge. The connector may be fixedly attached to the main body portion of the housing. The cartridge may be removably engaged with the connector and replaceable. The cartridge may include an atomizer.

In an additional embodiment a method for assembling an aerosol delivery device is provided. The method may include providing a housing, a power source, and a connector configured to engage a cartridge comprising an outer body with a mouthpiece configured for passage of an aerosol therethrough. The method may additionally include positioning the power source within the housing and moveably attaching the connector to the housing such that the connector is configured to move the cartridge relative to at least a portion of the housing.

In some embodiments the method may additionally include engaging the cartridge with the connector. The method may further include coupling the connector to an actuator. The actuator may be configured to move the cartridge between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration. Additionally, the method may include assembling the actuator. Assembling the actuator may include engaging a slider with a track. Assembling the actuator may additionally include coupling an external engagement member to the slider. The external engagement member may be configured for engagement by a user to move the slider.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. The invention includes any combination of two, three, four, or more of the above-noted embodiments as well as combinations of any two, three, four, or more features or elements set forth in this disclosure, regardless of whether such features or elements are expressly combined in a specific embodiment description herein. This disclosure is intended to be read holistically such that any separable features or elements of the disclosed invention, in any of its various aspects and embodiments, should be viewed as intended to be combinable unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

