Electronic cigarette and electronic cigarette cartridge

Abstract

An electronic cigarette having a cartridge functional as a mouthpiece. The cartridge may have an air passage and a fluid compartment disposed around the circumference of the air passage. The air passage may extend to a heating element, which may be sized to push on a gasket located within the air passage when the cartridge is fitted to an electronic cigarette body, which may control the dispensation of e-liquid. Such an electronic cigarette may balance the goals of safety and convenience in order to achieve both. The electronic cigarette cartridge may be childproof, while simultaneously being accessible from the outside of the electronic cigarette, easily secured and removed, and transparent to permit visual inspection.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic cigarette cartridge, comprising:
 a mouthpiece having a central airway;   a mouthpiece connector formed on one end of the mouthpiece for securing the mouthpiece to an electronic cigarette;   a gasket slidably disposed within the central airway, wherein the gasket has a central orifice for airflow;   a biasing element disposed within the central airway between a flange of the central airway and the gasket, wherein the biasing element exerts a force on the gasket to return the gasket to a resting position within the central airway when the gasket has depressed the biasing element to a compressed position;   a fluid compartment disposed within the mouthpiece; and   a fluid port connecting the fluid compartment to the central airway.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic cigarette cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid port is disposed at a location along the central airway that is adjacent the gasket when the gasket is in the resting position and is exposed to the central airway when the gasket and biasing element are in the compressed position. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic cigarette cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece is transparent. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic cigarette cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the biasing element is a spring. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic cigarette cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein a mouth opening of the mouthpiece is at a top end of the central airway and the fluid port is disposed proximate a bottom end of the central airway. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic cigarette cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid compartment comprises at least one fill hole, wherein the at least one fill hole is sealable and is separate from the fluid port. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic cigarette cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the central airway is cylindrical and the fluid compartment is disposed around the circumference of the central airway. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic cigarette cartridge of  claim 1 , further comprising multiple fluid ports. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic cigarette cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the central airway is configured to receive a portion of a heating element when affixed to an electronic cigarette. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic cigarette cartridge of  claim 9 , wherein the mouthpiece connector is the male end of a bayonet connector and protrudes from a bottom surface of the mouthpiece, and wherein the central airway passes through the mouthpiece connector. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic cigarette cartridge of  claim 1 , further comprising a removable cap for sealing a bottom opening of the central airway. 
     
     
         12 . An electronic cigarette, comprising:
 an electronic cigarette cartridge, comprising:
 a mouthpiece having a central airway; 
 a mouthpiece connector formed on one end of the mouthpiece for securing the mouthpiece to an electronic cigarette; 
 a gasket slidably disposed within the central airway, wherein the gasket has a central orifice for airflow; 
 a biasing element disposed within the central airway between a flange of the central airway and the gasket, wherein the biasing element exerts a force on the gasket to return the gasket to a resting position within the central airway when the gasket has depressed the biasing element to a compressed position; 
 a fluid compartment disposed within the mouthpiece; and 
 a fluid port connecting the fluid compartment to the central airway; 
   an electronic cigarette body having a body connector disposed at a top end, wherein the body connector is a corresponding connector to the mouthpiece connector;   a battery disposed within the electronic cigarette body; and   a heating element connected at a top end of the electronic cigarette body.   
     
     
         13 . The electronic cigarette of  claim 12 , wherein the body connector is a female bayonet connector and the heating element is disposed centrally within the body connector, such that the heating element projects from the body connector into the central airway of the mouthpiece, when the mouthpiece is affixed to the electronic cigarette body. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic cigarette of  claim 12 , wherein the heating element is electrically coupled to the battery. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic cigarette of  claim 12 , wherein the heating element pushes the gasket and biasing element into a compressed position when the electronic cigarette is assembled, and wherein the fluid port aligns with a fluid receiver on the heating element.