Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ELECTRONIC SMOKING ARTICLE
Cross-Reference to Related Application
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S.
provisional
Application No. 61/798,010, filed on March 15, 2013, the entire content of
which is
incorporated herein by reference thereto.
Working Environment
[0002] Many of the embodiments disclosed herein include electronic smoking
articles which include heated capillary aerosol generators. The heated
capillary volatilizes a
liquid such as by way of the teachings set forth in U.S. Patent No. 5, 743,
251, which is
incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto.
Summary of Selected Features
[0003] An electronic smoking article comprising a first capillary aerosol
generator
which produces a first aerosol of a first liquid material including flavor
material and a second
capillary aerosol generator which produces a second aerosol of a second liquid
material, the
second liquid material including nicotine. The first aerosol has a first
particle size
distribution and the second aerosol has a second particle size distribution.
[0004] A method of forming an aerosol containing two particle size
distributions
comprises supplying a first liquid containing flavor material to a .first
capillary tube,
supplying a second liquid containing nicotine to a second capillary tube,
simultaneously
heating the first capillary tube and the second capillary tube to a
temperature sufficient to
volatilize the first liquid and the second liquid to form a first vapor and a
second vapor,
mixing the first vapor with air to produce a first aerosol, mixing the second
vapor with air to
produce a second aerosol, and combining the first and second aerosols in a
mixing chamber.
The heating of the first capillary tube and the heating of the second
capillary tube can occur
within a puff cycle at different times within the puff cycle. Moreover, the
heating of the first
capillary tube and the heating of the second capillary tube occur within a
puff cycle and
achieve different temperatures within the puff cycle.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0005] Figure 1 is a side view of an electronic smoking article.
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[00061 Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic smoking article of
Figure
1.
[0007] Figure 3 is an illustration of a capillary tube having a constriction
adjacent
an outlet of the capillary tube.
[0008] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of an
electronic
smoking article including two capillary aerosol generators,
Detailed Description
[00091 An electronic smoking article, such as an electronic cigarette or an
electronic
cigar, is described herein which produces an aerosol haying two different
particle size
distributions. A first particle size distribution is formed using a first
capillary aerosol
generator having a first liquid supply reservoir that contains liquid
material. A second
particle size distribution is formed using a second capillary aerosol
generator having a second
liquid supply reservoir that contains liquid material. The first liquid
material can include
flavor material and the second liquid material can include nicotine. The first
liquid supply
reservoir and the second liquid supply reservoir can contain liquids having
different
viscosities.
[0010] Advantageously, by providing an aerosol with two different particle
size
distributions, the aerosol can he tailored to provide desired flavor and/or
therapeutic
compositions. For example, the 'flavor compounds can have a larger median
particle size so
as to be deposited in the mouth and throat, while functional compounds, such
as nicotine or
therapeutic compounds can be provided in smaller particle sizes so as to
deliver the particles
deeper into the lower respiratory tract.
[0011] As shown in Figure 1, an electronic smoking article 60 comprises a
replaceable cartridge (or first section) 70 and a reusable fixture (or second
section) 72, which
are coupled together at a threaded joint 74 or by other convenience such as a
snug-fit, snap-
fit, detent, clamp and/or clasp.
[0012] The first section 70 can house a mouth-end insert 20, two capillary
tubes
18a, 18b, two heaters 19a, 19b to heat at least a portion of each capillary
tube 18a, 18b
(which may comprise a heatable portion 19a, 19b of the capillary tube 18a, 18b
itself) and
two liquid supply reservoirs 14a, 14b. The second section 72 can house a power
supply 12,
control circuitry 11 and a puff sensor 16, A threaded portion of the section
72 can be
connected to a battery charger when not connected to the first section 70 for
use so as to
charge the battery.
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[0013] Preferably, the first section 70 and the second section 72 include an
outer
cylindrical housing 22 extending in a longitudinal direction along the length
of the electronic
smoking article 60. Preferably, the outer tube 6 is formed of a metal and is
part of the
electrical circuit. In other embodiments, the outer tube 6 can formed of any
suitable material
or combination of materials. Examples of suitable materials include metals,
alloys, plastics
or composite materials containing one or more of those materials, or
thermoplastics that are
suitable for food or pharmaceutical applications, for example polypropylene,
polyetheretherketone (PEEK), ceramic, and polyethylene. Preferably, the
material is light
and non-brittle.
[0014] In one embodiment, the first section 70 is disposable and the second
section
72 is reusable. In another embodiment, both the first section 70 and the
second section 72 are
disposable. The sections 70, 72 can be attached by a threaded connection.
[0015] In the preferred embodiment, each liquid supply reservoir I4a, 14b is a
=
tubular, elongate body that holds a predetermined quantity of liquid material.
Preferably,
each liquid supply reservoir 14a, 14b is pressurized such that the liquid
material therein is
under constant pressure. As shown in Figure 2, each liquid supply reservoir
14a, 14b can
include a pressurization arrangement 50a, 50b, such as an internal or external
spring and plate
arrangement which constantly applies pressure to each liquid supply reservoir
14a, 1.4b. For
example, each liquid supply reservoir 14a, 14b can be compressible and
positioned between
two plates that are connected by springs. Alternatively, each liquid supply
reservoir 14a, 14b
could be compressible and positioned between the outer housing and a plate and
the plate and
outer housing could be connected by a spring so that the plate applies
pressure to each liquid
supply reservoir 14a, 14b.
10016] = Preferably, each liquid supply reservoir 14a, 14b has an outlet 16a,
16b
which is in fluid communication with a capillary tube 18a, 18b. A valve 40a,
401) connects =
each outlet 16a, 16b to the respective capillary tube 18a, 18b so as to
prevent flow of liquid
material when the electronic smoking article 60 is not in use. When each valve
40a, 40b is
opened, each liquid supply reservoir 14a, 14b can deliver a volume of liquid
material to one
of the capillary tubes 18a, 18b. During delivery of liquid to the capillary
tubes 18a, 18b, the
power supply 12 is activated and each capillary tube 18a, 18b is heated to
form a heated
section wherein the liquid material is volatilized. Upon discharge from the
heated capillary
tubes 18a, 18b, two streams of volatilized material mix with air that enters
the electronic
smoking article 60 via air inlets 44, and form two aerosols which are combined
in a mixing
chamber 46.
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100171 Preferably, each liquid supply reservoir 14a, 14b extends
longitudinally
within the outer cylindrical housing 22 of the first section 70. Moreover,
each liquid supply
reservoir 14a, 141) can comprise a different liquid material which is
volatilized when heated
and forms an aerosol. Each aerosol can have the same or different particle
size distributions.
For example, the liquid supply reservoir 14a can include flavor material,
while the liquid
supply reservoir 14b can include a tobacco derived ingredient, such as
nicotine.
[00181 In the preferred embodiment, each capillary tube 18a, 18b includes an
inlet
end 62a, 62b in fluid communication with the outlet 16a, 16b of the liquid
supply reservoir
14a, 14b, and an outlet end 63a, 63b operable to expel volatilized liquid
material from each
capillary tube 18a, 18b. In some embodiments, one or both capillary tube 18a,
18b can
include a constriction 101a (shown in Figure 3) at an outlet end 63a, 63b of
the capillary tube
18a, 18b. While not wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the
addition of a
constriction at the outlet of the capillary tube, which reduces the cross-
sectional area of the
.
.
outlet end, can create sufficiently high shear forces to break up coarse
droplets, which can
increase the conversion of the liquid material to small particles.
[00191 Preferably, each capillary tube 18a, 18b has a different internal
diameter so
as to aid in promoting formation of an aerosol having a particular particle
size distribution.
For example, each of the capillary tubes 18a, 18b can have an internal
diameter of 0.01 to 10
mm, preferably 0.05 to 1 mm, and more preferably 0.05 to 0.4 mm. For example,
the
capillary tube 18a can have an internal diameter of about 0.05 mm and the
capillary tube 18b
can have an internal diameter of about 0.4 mm. Capillary tubes of smaller
diameter provide
more efficient heat transfer to the fluid because, with the shorter the
distance to the center of
the fluid, less energy and time is required to vaporize the liquid.
[00201 Also preferably, each capillary tube 18a, 18b may have a length of
about 5
mm to about 72 nun, more preferably about 10 mm to about 60 mm or about 20 mm
to about
50 mm. For example, each capillary tube 18a, 18b can be about 50 mm in length
and
arranged such that a downstream, about 40 mm long portion of the capillary
tube 18a, 18b
forms a coiled heated section and an upstream, about 10 mm long portion of the
capillary
tube 18a, 18b remains relatively unheated when the heater 19a, 19b is
activated.
[00211 In one embodiment, each capillary tube 18a, 18b is substantially
straight. In
other embodiments, one or both capillary tubes 18a, 18b are coiled and/or
include one or
more bends therein to conserve space.
100221 In the preferred embodiment, each capillary tube 18a, 18b is formed of
a
conductive material, and thus acts as its own heater 19a, 19b by passing
current through the
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tube. The capillary tubes 18a, 18b may be any electrically conductive material
capable of
being resistively heated, while retaining the necessary structural integrity
at the operating
temperatures experienced by the capillary tubes 18a, 18b, and which is non-
reactive with the
liquid material. Suitable materials for forming the capillary tubes 18a, 18b
are selected from
the group consisting of stainless steel, copper, copper alloys, porous ceramic
materials coated
with film resistive material, Inconel available from Special Metals
Corporation, which is a
nickel-chromium alloy, nichrome, which is also a nickel-chromium alloy, and
combinations
thereof.
[0023] In one embodiment, each capillary tube 18a, 18b is a stainless steel
capillary
tube 18a, 18b, a portion of which serves as a heater 19a, 19b. The heater 19a,
19b is
established between electrical leads 26a, 26b and an electrical connection 110
adjacent the
outlet ends 63a, 63b of the capillary tubes 18a, 18b. Thus, a direct or
alternating current
passes along a length of the capillary tube 18a, 18b to form the heater 19a,
19b. The first and
second capillary tubes can be electrically connected in series such that the
first and second
capillary tubes 18a, 18b are heated by passing electrical current from the
power source along
the first capillary tube, through the electrical connection interconnecting
the first and second
capillary tubes, and along the second capillary tube, such that the electrical
current is
effective to heat the capillary tubes to a temperature sufficient to
volatilize liquid material
contained therein as in U.S. Patent No. 6,715,487 which is incorporated herein
in its entirety
by reference thereto. In an alternative embodiment, the capillary tubes 18a,
18b can be
connected in parallel.
[0024] Thus, the stainless steel capillary tube 18a, 18b is heated by
resistance
heating. The stainless steel capillary tube 18a, 18b is preferably circular in
cross section.
The capillary tube 18a, 18b may be of tubing suitable for' use as a hypodermic
needle of
various gauges, For example, the capillary tube 18a, 18b may comprise a 32
gauge needle
has an internal diameter of 0.11 mm and a 26 gauge needle has an internal
diameter of 0,26
mm,
[0025] In another embodiment, the capillary tube 18a, 18b may be a non-
metallic
tube such as, for example, a glass tube. In such an embodiment, the heater
19a, 19b is
formed of a conductive material capable of being resistively heated, such as,
for example,
stainless steel, nichrome or platinum wire, arranged along the glass tube.
When the heater
arranged along the glass tube is heated, liquid material in the capillary tube
18a, 18b is heated
to a temperature sufficient to at least partially volatilize liquid material
in the capillary tube =
=
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18a, 18b. in other embodiments, one capillary tube 18a can be stainless steel
and one
capillary tube 18b can be a glass tube,
[0026] Preferably, as shown in Figure 2, that electrical leads 26a, 26b and
the
electrical connection 110 are bonded to the metallic capillary tubes 18a, 18b.
In the preferred
embodiment, the electrical leads 26a, 26b are brazed to the capillary tubes
18a, 18b.
Preferably, one electrical lead 26a is brazed to a first, upstream portion of
the first capillary
tube 18a and a second electrical lead 26b is brazed to an upstream portion of
the second
capillary tube 18b as shown in Figure 2.
[0027] In use, once each capillary tube 18a, 18b is heated, the liquid
material
contained within a heated portion of each capillary tube 18a, 18b is
volatilized and ejected
out of the outlet 63a, 63b where it expands and mixes with air from one or
more air inlets 44
and forms an aerosol in a mixing chamber 46.
[0028] Preferably, the electronic smoking article 60 includes at least one air
inlet 44
operable to deliver air to the mixing chamber 46. Preferably, the air inlets
44 to the mixing
chamber 46 are arranged downstream of the capillary tubes 18a, 18b so as to
minimize
drawing air along the capillary tube and thereby avoid cooling of the
capillary tubes 18a, 18b
during heating cycles. In use, the volatilized material expands out of each
capillary tubes
18a, 18b and into the mixing chamber 46 where it can mix with air to form an
aerosol which
is then drawn through the mouth-end insert 20. In the preferred embodiment,
the at least one
air inlet 44 includes one or two air inlets. Alternatively, there may be
three, four, five or
more air inlets 44. Altering the size and number of air inlets 44 can also aid
in establishing
the resistance to draw of the electronic smoking article 60.
[0029] In the preferred embodiment, each liquid supply reservoir 14a, 14b may
include an electrically operated or a mechanically operated valve 40a, 40b,
shown in Figure
2. Each valve 40a, 40b is operable to maintain the liquid material within the
liquid supply,
but opens when the electronic smoking article 60 is activated. Preferably, the
electronic
smoking article is manually activated by pressing a button (pressure switch)
100 (shown in
Figure 1), which opens the valves 40a, 40b and simultaneously activates the
heaters 19a, 19b.
In other embodiments, the valves 40a, 40b and the heaters 19a, 19b can be puff
activated,
such that when a smoker draws upon the electronic smoking article 60, the puff
sensor 16
communicates with the control circuitry 11 to activate the heaters 19a, 19b
and open the
valves 40a, 40b.
[0030] Preferably, if the button 100 is used to manually activate the
electronic
smoking article 60, the valve 40a, 40b opens when a critical, minimum pressure
is reached so
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as to avoid inadvertent dispensing of liquid material from the liquid supply
reservoirs 14a,
14b or activating the heaters 19a, 19b. Preferably, the pressure required to
press the button
100 is high enough such that accidental heating is avoided, Such arrangement
avoids
activation of the heaters 19a, 19b in the absence of liquid being pumped
through the capillary
tube.
100311 Advantageously, the use of valves 40a, 40b also aids in limiting the
amount
. of liquid that is drawn back from each capillary tube upon release of
pressure upon the liquid
supply reservoir 14 (and/or the switch 44). Withdrawal of liquid from the
capillary tube at
conclusion of a puff (or activation) is desirous. The presence or residual
liquid in the
capillary tube at the initiation of a new puff cycle can lead to undesirable
sputtering of liquid
from the heated capillary tube at the beginning of activation. The valves 40a,
40b can be
configured to allow a desired, limited amount of drawback to occur, such that
drawback of
liquid occurs without air being drawn into the liquid supply reservoirs 14a,
14b.
100321 Advantageously, each capillary tube 18a, I 8b is purged once a smoker
has =
stopped drawing on the electronic smoking article 60 or has stopped pushing
the button 100
because any liquid remaining in the tube is expelled (volatilized) during
heating,
100331 In the preferred embodiment, the power supply 12 includes a battery
arranged in the electronic smoking article 60. The heaters 19a, 19b can be
connected to. the
battery by the electrical leads 26a, 26b. The power supply 12 is operable to
apply voltage =
across the heaters 19a, 19b associated with the capillary tubes 18a, 18b and
volatilize liquid
material contained. therein according to a power cycle of either a
predetermined time period,
such as a 2 to 10 second period, or for so long as pressure is applied to the
button (pressure
switch) 100. The control circuitry 11 can be programmable and can include a
microprocessor
programmed to carry out functions such as heating the capillary tubes and/or
operating the
valves. In other embodiments, the control circuitry 11 can include an
application specific
integrated circuit (ASIC).
[00341 Preferably, the electrical contacts or connection between the heaters
19a, 19b
and the electrical leads 26a, 26b are highly conductive and temperature
resistant while the
heatable portions 19a, 19b of the capillary tubes 18a, 18b are highly
resistive so that heat
generation occurs primarily along the heaters 19a, 19b and not at the
contacts.
10035] The battery can be a Lithium-ion battery or one of its variants, for
example a
Lithium-ion polymer battery. Alternatively, the battery may be a Nickel-metal
hydride
battery, a Nickel cadmium battery, a Lithium-manganese battery, a Lithium-
cobalt battery or
a fuel cell. In that case, preferably, the electronic smoking article 60 is
usable by a smoker
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until the energy in the power supply is depleted. Alternatively, the power
supply 12 may be
rechargeable and include circuitry allowing the battery to be chargeable by an
external
charging device. In that case, preferably the circuitry, when charged,
provides power for a
pre-determined number of puffs, after which the circuitry must be re-connected
to an external
charging device.
[0036] Preferably, the electronic smoking article 60 also includes control
circuitry
which can be on a printed circuit board I 1. Once the button 100 (pressure
switch) is pressed,
the power supply 12 is activated and supplies power to the heaters 19a, 19b,
The control
circuitry 11 can also include a heater activation light 27 operable to glow
when the heaters
19a, 19b are activated. Preferably, the heater activation light 27 comprises
at least one LED
and is at an upstream end 5 (shown in Figure 1) of the electronic smoking
article 60 so that
the heater activation light 27 takes on the appearance of a burning coal
during a puff.
Moreover, the heater activation light 27 can be arranged to be visible to the
smoker. In
addition, the heater activation light 27 can be utilized for smoking article
system diagnostics.
The light 27 can also be configured such that the smoker can activate and/or
deactivate the
light 27 when desired, such that the light 27 would not activate during
smoking if desired.
[0037] Preferably, when activated, the heaters 19a, 19b heat a portion of the
capillary tubes 18a, 18b for less than about 10 seconds, more preferably less
than about 7
seconds. Thus, the power cycle tor maximum puff length) can range in period
from about 2
seconds to about 10 seconds (e.g., about 3 seconds to about 9 seconds, about 4
seconds to
about 8 seconds or about 5 seconds to about 7 seconds).
[0038] In the preferred embodiment, the liquid supply reservoirs 14a, 14b each
include a liquid material which has a boiling point suitable for use in the
electronic smoking
article 60. If the boiling point is too high, the heaters 19a, 19b will not be
able to vaporize
liquid in the capillary tubes 18a, 18b. However, if the boiling point is too
low, the liquid may
vaporize without the heaters 19a, 19b being activated.
[0039] Preferably, the liquid supply reservoirs 14a, 14b each contain a
different
liquid material having different viscosities. The first liquid supply
reservoir 14a can include
at least one flavor material. The second liquid supply reservoir 14b can
include at least one
tobacco derived ingredient, such as nicotine. Preferably, the liquid material
in the second
liquid supply reservoir 14b is more viscous at room temperature than the
liquid material in
the first liquid supply reservoir 14a. Moreover, the capillary tube 18b,
associated with the
second liquid supply reservoir 141), preferably has a larger internal diameter
than the capillary
tube 18a associated with the first liquid supply reservoir 14a, Accordingly,
the first capillary
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tube 18a produces aerosol having particles ranging in size from about 0.4
micron to about 2
microns depending on the flavor material included in the liquid supply
reservoir 14a and the
viscosity thereof. The second capillary tube 18b produces an aerosol having
particles ranging
in size from about 0.5 micron to about 1 micron. Advantageously, the
electronic smoking
article can be configured to form a first aerosol having larger particles for
delivery to the
mouth and a second aerosol having smaller particles for delivery to the lower
respiratory tract
if desired.
[00401 The second liquid supply reservoir 14b can include nicotine. The first
liquid
supply reservoir 14a can include flavor material, a non-tobacco material
and/or may be
nicotine-free. For example, the liquid material in the first liquid supply
reservoir 14a may
include water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts and natural or artificial
flavors. Preferably, the
liquid in each of the first liquid supply reservoir 14a and the second liquid
supply reservoir
14b can include an aerosol former. Examples of suitable aerosol formers are
glycerine and
propylene glycol.
100411 As shown in Figure 2 the electronic smoking article 60 further includes
a
mouth-end insert 20 having at least two off-axis, preferably diverging outlets
21. Preferably,
the mouth-end insert 20 is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber 46
and includes
at least two diverging outlets 21. (e.g, 3, 4, 5, or preferably 6 to 10
outlets or more).
Preferably, the outlets 21 of the mouth-end insert 20 are located at ends of
off-axis passages
23 and are angled outwardly in relation to the longitudinal direction of the
electronic smoking
article 60 (i.e., divergently). As used herein, the term "off-axis" denotes at
an angle to the
longitudinal direction of the electronic smoking article 60. Also preferably,
the mouth-end
insert (or flow guide) 20 includes four outlets uniformly distributed around
the mouth-end
insert 20 so as to substantially uniformly distribute aerosol in a smoker's
mouth during use.
Thus, as the aerosol passes into a smoker's mouth, the aerosol enters the
mouth and moves in
different directions so as to provide a full mouth feel as compared to
electronic smoking
articles having an on-axis single orifice which directs the aerosol to a
single location in a
smoker's mouth.
[0042] In addition, the outlets 21 and off-axis passages 23 are arranged such
that
droplets of unaerosolized liquid material carried in the aerosol impact
interior surfaces 25 of
the mouth-end insert 20 and/or interior surfaces of the off-axis passages 23
such that the
droplets are removed or broken apart. In the preferred embodiment, the outlets
21 of the
mouth-end insert 20 are located at the ends of the off-axis passages 23 and
are angled at 5 to
60 with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the electronic smoking
article 60 so as to
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more completely distribute aerosol throughout a mouth of a smoker during use
and to remove
droplets.
[0043] Preferably, each outlet 21 has a diameter of about 0.015 inch to about
0.090
inch (e.g., about 0.020 inch to about 0.040 inch or about 0.028 inch to about
0.038 inch). The
size of the outlets 21 and off-axis passages 23 along with the number of
outlets 21 can be
selected to adjust the resistance to draw (RTD) of the electronic smoking
article 60, if
desired.
[0044] Preferably, the mouth-end insert 20 is affixed within the outer
cylindrical
housing 22 of the cartridge 70.
[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the electronic smoking article 60 is about
the
same size as a conventional cigarette. In some embodiments, the electronic
smoking article
60 can be about 80 mm to about 110 mm long, preferably about 80 mm to about
100 mm
long and about 7 mm to about 8 mm in diameter. For example, in an embodiment,
the
electronic smoking article is about 84 mm long and has a diameter of about 7.8
mm.
[0046] The outer cylindrical housing 22 of the electronic smoking article 60
may be
formed of any suitable material or combination of materials. Preferably, the
outer cylindrical
housing 22 is formed of metal. Examples of suitable materials include metals,
alloys, plastics
or composite materials containing one or more of those materials, or
thermoplastics that are
suitable for food or pharmaceutical applications, for example polypropylene,
polyetheretherketone (PEEK), ceramic, low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high
density
polyethylene (HDPE). Preferably, the material is light and non-brittle. The
outer cylindrical
housing 22 can be any suitable color and/or can include graphics or other
indicia printed
thereon.
[0047] When the word "about" is used in this specification in connection with
a
numerical value, it is intended that the associated numerical value include a
tolerance of
10% around the stated numerical value. Moreover, when reference is made to
percentages
in this specification, it is intended that those percentages are based on
weight, i.e., weight
percentages.
[0048] Moreover, when the words "generally" and "substantially" are used in
connection with geometric shapes, it is intended that precision of the
geometric shape is not
required but that latitude for the shape is within the scope of the
disclosure. When used with
geometric terms, the words "generally" and "substantially" are intended to
encompass not
only features which meet the strict definitions but also features which fairly
approximate the
strict definitions.
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100491 It will now be apparent that a new, improved, and nonobvious electronic
smoking article has been described in this specification with sufficient
particularity as to be
understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, it will be apparent
to those skilled
in the art that numerous modifications, variations, substitutions, and
equivalents exist for
features of the electronic smoking article which do not materially depart from
the spirit and
scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all such
modifications,
variations, substitutions, and equivalents which fall within the spirit and
scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims shall be embraced by the appended
claims.
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