Electronic smoking article having a vapor-enhancing apparatus and associated method

Abstract

A vapor-enhancing apparatus is provided for an electronic vapor smoking article. Such an apparatus includes a filter material and a tubular housing defining a lumen. The lumen has a mouth-engaging end and a longitudinally-opposed component-engaging end, and is configured to receive the filter material therein. The component-engaging end is adapted to operably engage a control body portion associated with the electronic vapor smoking article and to receive a vapor therethrough. A vapor-enhancing element is operably engaged with the filter material and is configured to enhance the vapor drawn through the filter material within the lumen, and through the mouth-engaging end, by application of suction to the mouth-engaging end of the housing. An associated method is also provided.

1 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . An electronic vapor smoking apparatus, comprising:
 a control body portion including a power source;   a cartridge body portion having a mouth-engaging end and a longitudinally-opposed component-engaging end, the component-engaging end being adapted to operably engage the control body portion;   a reservoir arranged in the cartridge body portion and arranged to contain a vapor precursor composition;   a heating element arranged in the control body portion or the cartridge body portion and to heat the vapor precursor composition from the reservoir to form a vapor;   a passage defined in the cartridge body portion and in fluid communication with the mouth-engaging end, the vapor being transmitted through the passage to the mouth-engaging end in response to application of suction to the passage via the mouth-engaging end of the cartridge body portion; and   a vapor-enhancing element arranged in the cartridge body portion in communication with the passage, the vapor-enhancing element being further arranged to release an enhancement into the vapor drawn along the passage through the mouth-engaging end.   
     
     
         31 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the cartridge body portion is replaceable with respect to the control body portion. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the cartridge body portion or the control body portion comprises an indicia indicative of one or more of:
 a nature of the enhancement of the vapor provided by the vapor-enhancing element;   a remaining service life of the vapor-enhancing element in regard to the enhancement provided to the vapor;   an expended service life of the vapor-enhancing element in regard to the enhancement provided to the vapor; and   compatibility of the cartridge body portion with the control body portion, upon operable engagement between the cartridge body portion and the control body portion.   
     
     
         33 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the enhancement released by the vapor-enhancing element does not include nicotine and includes a flavorant, a medicament, an inhalable material, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the vapor-enhancing element is arranged to be electrically-actuated, and the cartridge body portion is arranged to form an electrically-conductive connection between the vapor-enhancing element and the control body portion upon operable engagement with the control body portion. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the vapor precursor composition comprises nicotine, and the enhancement released by the vapor-enhancing element is arranged to alter a characteristic of the nicotine-including vapor. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the heating element is a resistive heating element comprising a metal coil electrically connected to the power source. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus according to  claim 36 , further comprising a wick or a capillary material arranged to deliver the vapor precursor composition from the reservoir to the metal coil. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the cartridge body portion comprises an indicator of a vapor precursor composition level associated with the reservoir therein. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , further comprising a sensor associated with a control component arranged to control actuation of power discharge from the power source in response to the application of suction to the mouth-engaging end of the cartridge body portion. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , further comprising a filter element attachable to or included in the cartridge body portion, wherein the vapor-enhancing element is operably engaged with the filter element. 
     
     
         41 . A method of enhancing a vapor produced by an electronic vapor smoking article, the method comprising:
 operably engaging a component-engaging end of a cartridge body portion with a control body portion including a power source, the cartridge body portion having a mouth-engaging end longitudinally-opposed to the component-engaging end;   directing a vapor precursor composition contained in a reservoir arranged in the cartridge body portion to a heating element arranged in the control body portion or the cartridge body portion;   heating the vapor precursor composition with the heating element to form a vapor;   transmitting the vapor through a passage to the mouth-engaging end, the passage being defined in the cartridge body portion and in fluid communication with the mouth-engaging end, in response to application of suction to the passage via the mouth-engaging end of the cartridge body portion; and   enhancing the vapor drawn along the passage through the mouth-engaging end with a vapor-enhancing element arranged in the cartridge body portion in communication with the passage.   
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein operably engaging the component-engaging end of the cartridge body portion with the control body portion further comprises removably engaging the component-engaging end of the cartridge body portion. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 41 , further comprising displaying an indicia about one of the cartridge body portion or the control body portion, the indicia being indicative of one or more of:
 a nature of the enhancement of the vapor provided by the vapor-enhancing element;   a remaining service life of the vapor-enhancing element in regard to the enhancement provided to the vapor;   an expended service life of the vapor-enhancing element in regard to the enhancement provided to the vapor; and   compatibility of the cartridge body portion with the control body portion, upon operable engagement between the cartridge body portion and the control body portion.   
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein enhancing the vapor drawn along the passage further comprises enhancing the vapor drawn along the passage by the vapor-enhancing element that does not include nicotine, and includes a flavorant, a medicament, an inhalable material, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein enhancing the vapor drawn along the passage further comprises electrically actuating the vapor-enhancing element, the cartridge body portion being arranged to form an electrically-conductive connection between the vapor-enhancing element and the control body portion upon operably engaging the control body portion 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein the vapor precursor composition comprises nicotine, and wherein enhancing the vapor drawn along the passage further comprises altering a characteristic of the nicotine-including vapor. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein heating the vapor precursor composition further comprises heating the vapor precursor composition with a resistive heating element comprising a metal coil electrically connected to the power source. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein directing the vapor precursor composition to the heating element further comprises directing the vapor precursor composition to the heating element using a wick or a capillary material to deliver the vapor precursor composition from the reservoir to the metal coil. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 41 , further comprising controlling actuation of power discharge from the power source using a sensor associated with a control component in response to the application of suction to the mouth-engaging end of the cartridge body portion. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 41 , further comprising operably engaging the vapor-enhancing element with a filter element attachable to or included in the cartridge body portion.